From ChimpanA to ChimpanZ. 4-27-12

I’ve been wanting to use that line for a while. It’s from Troy McClure’s musical version of Planet of the Apes, complete with the classic “You’ll never make a monkey out of me!” (or is it ‘you really made a monkey out of me’?). I miss Phil Hartman. Seeing all the SNL folks last night on 30 Rock reminded me. But the point of the title is that I’ve run the gamut with online purchases. Along with Troy McClure, I’m also lamenting the end of my free trial of Amazon Prime. I’ve been abusing it, like an addiction. It’s really healthier that it’s over.

This morning, I decided that Boop was severely deprived because she didn’t have leg warmers. I had to stock up since summer is coming. (?) Well, it’s still a bit cool still, and she will be in air conditioning all day. They’re actually quite nice—makes it easier to change diapers. I even got little boy ones with ninjas on them (those will probably be a gift). They should last her into the winter. She’s not overly chunky; so they could last her up to a few years.

Legwarmers--almost as big as her

They fit! (sort of...)

I also bought a jumbo bottle of brewer’s yeast… It’s really hard to tell much on my little netbook. Everything looks small. And then more stuff to help with nursing—fenugreek, moringa tea… Medela supplies for my pump and bottles. And then cloth diapering stuff—covers, wet diaper bags… You get the idea. It’s pretty hard to find some of these things in town. So, I’ve been a bit out of control with online purchases. It’s just a bit too easy, and I’m glad I’m able to cut myself off.   

Tools. 4-22-12

I keep putting it off. The dreaded wood trim that needed to be cut at the door opening. I got an estimate of $400 for trim work, but it wasn’t worth that, being as I had already bought the trim. With the floors getting sanded, I at least wanted to get the door finished. Mom gave me a couple of cutting tools for Christmas; so I figured I’d use them to take care of the opening. I should have done it on Saturday, but I was procrastinating. My walk with another new mom got rained out/cold weather today; so I tried to get it done this morning.

Mom was trying to help me and had drawn a line to indicate where I would saw, but I had trouble seeing her line. Plus, the first tool I tried had a bit too much power and almost jumped out of my hands. Mom reminded me of the other tool she got me for Christmas, and it worked a bit better. It cut, but a large plume of smoke rolled out. The wood was a bit too thick. There was a nice coating of saw dust and fine dust all over, but I finished the deed.

Boop did fine through the whole thing. Mom had held her. Maybe she remembers some of the power tools from when she was in the womb. Or, maybe the white noise from the machines were soothing. As rough a time as she’s been having, maybe we need to try white noise some more. 

Teething. 4-21-12

Unhappy Little Boop Teething

Boop really started to teeth in the past week—at least we think. She woke up in the middle of the night from laying in the papasan chair of the swing, and I fell asleep feeding her again. I woke up with the area beside my shoulder soaked and tried to figure out where it came from.  Too high to be from her diaper, and it didn’t smell. Mom had thought she might be teething when we were in New Orleans.

I googled the next morning to see what the symptoms of teething are. One telling sign, swollen gums. And the bottom 2 seem to come in first. So, I tried to look at her gums; a bit tricky as she kept sticking out her tongue. What little I could tell, her gums were swollen on the bottom in front, even looked a little pinky/white. So, I think we’re there.

Unfortunately, Boop doesn’t understand how to hold anything, which makes it hard for her to manage. We found a teether that Aunt D just sent, washed it, and put it in the freezer. She liked the way it felt, but I could only hold it for her for so long. So, last night, I gave her a little baby Tylenol before bed, and she slept from about 9pm on and off until nearly 4am. That was the longest she’s ever slept. And so it is tonight, she was very fussy. She tried to chew on my finger some, but I wound up pacing the floor a bit. Finally, with some Tylenol, she calmed down. I just hate giving her so much Tylenol, though.

Get Crackin’. 4-21-12

I need to get goin’. I’m behind on blog posts. Mom is here again after just leaving last weekend. She just can’t resist the urge to spend her spare time with little Boop. It works out well for me: I could use the help with Boop. She’s been coming around to the whole breastfeeding thing, being a little more patient when I try to give her as much breast milk as possible. Don’t get me wrong, Mom and I still find things to disagree about, but we have one very sweet little girl to direct our attention toward.

When she came in on Friday, we made an attempt to get Boop’s picture made, but it didn’t work out with timing. I love these 2 little dresses I got for her. She had on the little navy blue one, which I thought looked pretty with her eyes.  She was also in a fairly good mood. It would have been nice but maybe next time—if the outfit still fits. 

Taking Stock at 14 Weeks Old. 4-25-12

Here's what's going on at 14 weeks old:

• Boop is settling into daycare. We're still getting the hang of it. It takes a bit of mental focus to try to get everything ready each day. I know at some point this routine will be old hat. I'll have to write a blog post about our preparations, but it might make you as tired reading it as it makes me feel writing about it. Overall though, she's doing pretty well.
• Next week (May 1st) Boop has her VCUG. And that reminded me that we needed to get more antibiotics for Boop; so I just called the doctor for another script. If I can just keep her from getting another UTI... I dread the procedure, but I'll be glad to know the extent of the problem. I hate the thought of having to give her more antibiotics and to give them to her for several years. Hopefully, it will be easier than that to resolve.
• Breastfeeding is getting a bit old. Although I love spending time with Boop, it's hard having to drop everything in the middle of the day to go to the daycare to feed her. And then, almost the whole time I'm away from her, I'm trying to pump. It's so discouraging to pump all day and only have 4 or 5 ounces of milk. And I can tell Boop is getting frustrated with me. She's tugging at me. It's hard to compete with those easy formula bottles in daycare. She's still getting about 12 oz. of formula per day. At 6 months old, I think I'll start to cut back on the intensity a bit. She'll be eating then, and that will take a little pressure off of me. One of the lactation specialists mentioned nursing at night. That sure sounds much easier.
• I was hoping to have floors finished in the house by now, but nothing. I heard from the guy last week that he would be here at the beginning of the week. We're looking at the end of the week, now. That's one of the joys of living in a small town, I guess. I'll just have to keep looking.

Home Again, Home Again. 4-15-12

Jiggity Jig. I’m home. Mom left a little earlier today. It’s just Boop, Winnie, and me. And we’re getting ready for the coming week. I’m going to try to work a full week. I’ve been doing laundry all day and tried to get a few things clean for Mom, too. The bags from the trip are unpacked, and I’ve put Boop’s things together for daycare. Hopefully, I’ve remembered everything. And all of the doing is a distraction. It’s just us, trying to find our routine, and at the end of the work day, Boop and I will have just a couple of waking hours together. We’re having to adjust all over again. I know I can’t keep this up for long on my own. I’m not sure which is worse: remaining here with less support or trying to move back home, leaving behind my good salary and health benefits.

And I’d like to believe that I’ll meet the right person. Where I’ll find time to meet this person, I have no idea, but I’d like to believe that I can make the time. I remember something on Oprah, I think it was Dr. Phil that was talking to some women about meeting men. He asked them what these ladies expected, that some man would just throw himself onto the hood of their car or something?

I’m too stubborn, I think. I don’t change course easily, and I haven’t given up on the idea of the happy ending. My life has just become so complicated. And I’m not able to sort out the games that people are playing. Some days I think: if only Boop and I could both be well at the same time, I might be able to sort things out. Her jaundice, the breastfeeding problems and her weight loss, her UTI and kidney problems. Things will get better. Boop is already smiling and laughing more every day, which makes it easier, such a pretty little girl. She deserves the best I can give. 

On Our Way Home. 4-15-12

Yesterday was another day I had to psych myself up for. Our flight left at 6:30am from New Orleans. Fortunately, everything went like clockwork until we got to the airport. We flew a different airline, and it wasn’t as family-friendly—at least for small children. The screening for the airline was cumbersome, we had to board at the same time as everyone else, and the flight attendants weren’t particularly helpful. Glad this was the last flight instead of the first.

When we got to the final airport, Mom went to get the car in long-term parking. Boop and I hung out with most of the bags. Boop was getting increasingly fussy, and it was taking Mom a while. I decided to just sit down and nurse her because I knew we had at least 2 hours until we got home. An older woman helped me with my bags and asked me if I was nursing. When I answered, she told me that she had nursed her 3 and that she loved it. She went on to say that she had an abundant supply and that, ‘you know what they say, ‘small women produce lots of milk.’’ I was laughing to myself, thinking that I had never heard search a thing and can’t imagine how/why such a thing would be true, but sighed, ‘well, I guess that’s my problem, I’m on the tall side.’ 

I called to check on Mom, concerned about a potential ticket for parking in the disabled spot. No, she was just leaving the parking lot. I missed her call(s) that she was outside, and I happened to walk out to see that she was waiting by the wrong door. She was a bit frantic, worrying about getting towed while we were inside. She started grabbing our bags and rushed out that door. An officer was walking over to my car as we were heading outside. Mom called out that we were on our way.  Me with a screaming Boop, he nodded and walked away. Mom was throwing everything in the car. And Boop was addled.

Boop wouldn’t calm down; so we had to stop a few miles up the interstate to the parking lot of a ‘fine dining’ establishment. Brazen as I’ve become, I just whipped it out, trying to get Boop settled. Mom reminded me of my location; so I covered us with a blanket. She calmed down long enough for us to get to our lunch spot, and I had to nurse her there, too. She finally calmed down enough to fall asleep, and I got more than a half hour’s nap.

It’s Party Time. 4-15-12

I had been hearing about the French Quarter Fest, and we had taken the street car past it. I wanted to make the trip and try some of the food. I love to try things, which may not be appealing to Boop. I try not to get anything too spicy because I know it will be hard on her. Fortunately, Cajun food wasn’t as spicy in NOLA as the Cajun food we have. There is always hot sauce on the table; so I guess people spice their food up to suit them.

I couldn’t leave without trying some of the traditional eats, and the Fest was chock full of good eats. The gumbo with duck and andouille sausage sounded right up my alley, and they had beef po boys, which I hadn’t  seen before, and thought Mom might like. You know what happened next. I brought the stuff back, and Mom didn’t really care for anything. So, we listened to a bit of the zydeco music and watched the folks that were dancing for a few minutes, and then we headed to the mall to get some Mexican for Mom.

After a few more sessions at the conference, we headed out for dinner. We were going to the buffet at the casino, but of course, they didn’t let us in with the baby. We were a bit stumped about where else to go but decided to head down Fulton Street. We wound up at Mannings (of the Peyton and Eli persuasion), of all places, but it had pretty good food. I got a fried green tomato salad, jambalaya, and piece of pecan pie. We would have been doing really well had it not been for our flighty, generally incompetent waiter, but we survived him.

Waiting for the Waiter

There was one last thing I needed to do: get the payment for the posters sorted. It looked sooo much closer on the map. Mom said she would take care of the baby while I got it sorted—to not take time to feed Boop, just to go on. I told her that I would be back in about 15 min., to please not give her formula for the quick trip. You know what happened. The Kinkos was far, the worker said I would need to speak to the manager who wasn’t there, their computer system was slow, it was getting dark, and 15 min. turned into 45 min. Mom was upset, nearly in tears because Boop was hungry and crying. I didn’t realize I had been gone that long, hadn’t taken the time to look at the time on my cell phone. I missed my friend’s poster for trying to feed Boop. I had planned to take Boop down to look at the posters, but it just didn’t happen. 

About Time. 4-15-12

Betwixt (that word isn't used enough, I'm probably using it improperly) the talks at the conference, we were able to see a bit of the city. First on our agenda was a pharmacy to buy water and diapers. The concierge pointed us toward the French Quarter. So we set out to find the store and a bite to eat. We found the pharmacy, no problem, but lunch was more of a challenge. Finally, I saw a little place called Daisy Dukes that looked promising. We could barely find a spot for Boop and her stroller in the place, but lunch was pretty yummy. Fried oysters were probably not ideal for milk production in retrospect <I can never keep up with mercury levels>, but they were good while they lasted. The couple beside us was in full tilt vacation, and the woman had likely disobeyed the no imbibing before noon law. They ordered the all-you-can-eat crawdads, and the waiter brought out a heaping helping.

Boop's 1st street car ride to the French Market

Later, we decided to take a street car ride to the end of the line. We wound up making a trip to the French Market and had a look around. It reminded me a lot of the markets in Charleston, SC. It must be something about coastal towns. We debated about having some dinner at the French Market, as well as the French Quarter Fest but decided to try to find something closer to the hotel. We wound up at Mother’s, and we had a nice dinner there. Needless to say it was an old mom and pop type of place, as the name implies, and came complete with its own version of the “soup nazi,” who was the man that prepared the drinks. The guys a few people ahead of me had goofed up big time with his drink order and almost didn’t get his drinks. They did get a full serving of sass. I mentally rehearsed my drink order before I got to him to try to appease. I emerged unscathed and proceeded to get ready for another poster session.

Talking to Boop at Mother's

Welcome to N’awlins. 4-14-12

The flights were uneventful <insert sigh of relief here>. She made nary a peep during the flights. Then, we found our way out from baggage claim to the taxi stand. We got a taxi van to the hotel. That’s when it started. She let loose. We only had a half hour trip, but it felt infinitely longer than that. She shrieked the entire time. The driver was shaky from her screams and asked if she had a pacifier. My response, “She won’t have anything to do with a pacifier.” <And that’s the truth. Just like her Momma. And no one has been able to shut me up ever since!> I tried what I could to get her to calm down. About the only thing that would settle her were the brief punctuations of cobblestones. I was next to her in the back seat. I didn’t get a chance to see anything but the Superdome.

We made it to the hotel, and I ran immediately to the poster session. A friend, E, had taken care of everything for me: got the poster—outrageous!, got it put up, and was waiting for me. She was excited to hear about the baby. I wanted to talk to her more about being a single mother and her son, but it got lost in the hubbub. I finished out our time and headed to the room. Mom had been a bit overwhelmed with Boop; so I got the room sorted out and got the luggage from the bellhop. Normally, I’m able to handle my luggage very well, but adding a crying baby and stroller into the mix made things too complicated. We finally got to bed.

Boop’s 1st Flight. 4-14-12

Boop on a Plane

I’m trying to reconstruct what’s happened the past few days. We left off at packing the car before the trip. So, we made our way quickly to the airport. Mom wanted to drive and dropped Boop and I off at the check-in and park the car. We waited and waited. Mom had opted to park in the long-term parking to save money, which was nice. The problem arose when she parked in a disabled spot. The hang tag I have for her expired in February. So, that was concerning, and I was hoping that my car wouldn’t be towed or something. Mom opted to head back out to move the car, which was a bit nerve-wracking as I was worried she’d miss the flight.

Boop and I headed to the TSA security screening with most of our stuff, and I guess we were kind of a pitiful sight. I just tried to put myself in the right state of mind, to take my time. One of the TSA people let us go through 1^st class screening and another helped with all of the stuff. A big bag containing diaper bag, et al. plus, we had the stroller that came in 2 parts. Anyway, it was an ordeal that was made so much easier by helpful TSA man.

Mom followed not far behind. She had gotten the okay with the airport security to leave her car and didn’t have to go all the way back out to long-term parking. In the meantime, I had stopped at McDonald’s to get us a bite of lunch. Delta allowed pre-boarding of families with small children, which was really nice. We sat down, and Boop nursed a bit. She was asleep before we took off. I was concerned that she didn’t nurse as we took off, but I guess she was managing the change in pressure on her own. She did a great job: didn’t cry at all. She nursed a bit before we landed, but she didn’t nurse during the pressure changes as we were landing—managing like a seasoned pro at almost 3 months old.

Taking Stock at 3 Months Old. 4-18-12

Mom took this one up Boop's nose

Here's what's happening at 3 months:

• Boop has hit another growth spurt. It's wonderful to see her growing and thriving, but at the same time, breastfeeding has become even more difficult. It's hard to hear her cry and get frustrated while I'm nursing her. They are giving her a fair bit of formula at daycare. But if I don't stay on top of nursing and pumping, I'm afraid I won't produce any milk for her. I'm trying to pump 3 times for 30 min. each at work (making just over 4 oz.) and go and get a nursing session in at lunch time. It's a challenge. My friend H from work said that she gave up at 6 months. At the rate I'm going, I hope I can make it that long.
• The bladder/kidney issue is still tough. We're solidly in the vesicoureteral reflux camp. She's fussy, and I can't tell if she is in pain or hungry. She's saying "Nay" a lot, which means she's uncomfortable. She's also calling for her "Meh-Meh", which is me. She is putting her fist in her mouth, too. She's not doing the "Heh, heh, heh" for hungry or asking for "Mech" (milk) that much. Mom thinks she may be teething, and I'm getting mixed feedback on that hypothesis. She's druling a fair bit, too. I gave her a little tylenol because she was out of sorts and uncomfortable this morning. She calmed down about a half hour later. So, she has pain somewhere; I just need to figure out where and how to fix it. And if it's teething, there's not much I can do, except find a teething ring. However, I may have to hold it for her as she is still working on her muscle coordination.
• My skin is really dry, and my hair is starting to fall out. Boy, I'm a sight. I'm trying to stay well hydrated, and that helps my skin to some extent. I don't have much time to keep up with lotion or moisturizer. And the hair, well it was good while it lasted. It lasted longer than I thought it would, but it's no fun to see it everywhere. I had lost weight, but I'm wondering how my trip to New Orleans impacted things. I'm avoiding the scale.
• Boop's smiles and giggles are adorable, and those beautiful blue eyes just twinkle. How can you stand it? Even if she does look like an old man (and burp like one) some times, she's a cute little girl. And she's very wiggly these days. In the middle of the night, when I've eaten too much sugar or caffeine, she's wound up. She wiggles her hole body and says, "Meh-Meh" wiggle, wiggle, "Meh-Meh," over and over. Okay it's cute but a bit exhausting when I'm trying to sleep. When she gets older, I know I'll miss my mid-night party girl. Right now, I'm gearing up for her becoming mobile. Good heavens, the child is hyperactive. I knew it in the womb. Batten down the hatches!

More? 4-10-12

On our way to get a family photo for Boop's daycare

Poor girl. She can’t catch a break. We are trying to figure out the extent of the damage. We know she has the UTI, but we need to know why. So, we tried to get some further evaluation before traveling. Of course, I tried to cram too much stuff in. A quick stop for Mom to see Boop’s daycare, across town to take Winnie to the groomer, an ultrasound for Boop, across town for the pediatrician, lunch, and then to work to interview a student: it was a hectic morning.

I dropped Mom off with the baby for ultrasound to get Winnie to the groomer. I was about 15 min. late for the ultrasound.  Boop did so well. She nursed through the whole thing. The ultrasonographer had to contort a bit, well we both did, but we got it done.  Kidneys, I could tell that the right was bigger than the left, but the ultrasonographer said that really wasn’t a problem. She was more interested in the bladder. Problem: Boop had wet her diaper, but she still had urine in her bladder. That’s not good.

When I told the pediatrician what I saw, she explained that the remaining urine can reflux into the kidneys, eventually leading to kidney failure from repeated infections. Treatment for the reflux is long term low dose antibiotics. The severe form requires surgery. So, Boop finishes her 1^st course of antibiotics Thursday. They did another catheter to see if the infection is gone and are making an appointment for a renal specialist. Then, if all of this wasn’t bad enough, she had to have her vaccine shots. 

Baby in Pain. 4-5-12

Easter 2012

It’s worse than kicking myself. I just feel terrible. My little girl was in pain. For how long, I don’t know. She cried when we changed her diapers at the hospital. No one said anything then. Of course, we were trying to deal with the jaundice at that point, and well, all newborns cry. The folks that took care of her at daycare didn’t mention anything. I knew something was wrong when she started to anticipate when she would go to the bathroom. And then, she would wet her diaper pad on the changing table/bassinet. She had been wetting on us for a while. I was wondering about a UTI. So, I asked the pediatrician if it was possible for a little one to get a UTI. She confirmed that it was possible and asked if I wanted to test her.  I figured we had better, just to be on the safe side. So she had to do that awful catheter. She saw a few white blood cells but didn’t think it was a UTI. She sent the sample off for analysis anyway.

She explained that if it was a UTI, the recommendations used to be ultrasound + invasive test. Now, it’s just ultrasound. I hope everything is okay and that this is just a fluke. I explained that my Aunt D only had 1 kidney. Of course, with my genetic counseling training, I know of much worse things.

I didn’t know it, but the doctor called in a prescription for Boop for Amoxicillin. I am allergic. I’m feeling it when I’m nursing, and bless her heart, she wants to nurse a lot. I try to give her a bit of formula or pumped breast milk after giving her the antibiotic, but it doesn’t seem to be helping me too much. Another problem is that, even though the pediatrician suggested mixing the meds with formula, it really doesn’t mix well. Instead, it all ends up in the nipple of the bottle, and she can’t get it out—and it’s bitter. I’ve had to resort to pouring what’s left in her mouth.

So, today, I figured that it’s been almost 4 days. Boop had been up most of the night, and I was tired, sore, and on edge. The receptionist got lost in my message, and when the nurse returned my call, she started out by saying that just because I’m allergic, it doesn’t mean that Boop is?? And then she started to explain the symptoms of an allergic reaction---to me. Anyway, we got on the right track, and she said she would call with results. 

UTI, positive. Boop would have to stay on antibiotics, and we would need to go for the ultrasound. Hopefully, she’s getting what she needs to feel better soon.

Ebaying. 4-4-12

Well, I've already mentioned my mom's and my addiction to craiglist, but ebay hasn't been one of our haunts. Mom has been on the lookout for wraps for Boop's cloth diapers, but craiglist has been a bit thin. I did see some cloth diapers and covers on craiglist, which Mom got, but it turns out that the covers weren't really what I wanted. So, she happened to go on ebay to look for wraps. And you probably have some sense of where this is going.

She got on ebay and made her first bid on some wraps. There was a lot of 6 wraps; plus other stuff that I don't really need but will use. As far as my excursions on ebay, I previously bought a Kimpossible doll with Aunt D's assistance and then got some concert tickets for Crowded House in Ireland. But on the whole it's a location that we don't frequent, and that's a good thing. Nothing against ebay; we just don't need another place to spend money and accumulate...stuff. And so the wraps. She called me on Sunday and explained that the bidding would close at 6pm on Monday, but she had bunco and would be unable to see the close. I looked at the lot and thought it looked like what we needed. Then, I noticed the date was Tuesday. So by Tuesday, Mom had found the swing on craiglist. Boop has 2 swings that go front-to-back, one large and one small, but Boop didn't have the swing that goes side-to-side, which M at work recommended. We wanted to correct this deficit, as it could somehow harm Boop for life. Mom found one for a good price to be picked up after work, and thus, she would be unable to see the close of bids at 6pm on Tuesday. I looked again at the site: 6pm PST. That's 9pm our time as I reminded her.

After talking for a half hour on Mom's drive home from getting the swing, Mom and I never really made a decision about who would do the final bidding. Maybe it was me. One thing for sure, I did not want to be bidding against her. That's the stuff of sit-coms. I got a call at 8:57pm. "HAVE YOU BID, YET? IT'S ABOUT TO CLOSE!" Meanwhile, Boop, Winnie, and I had fallen asleep about an hour before. Mom was a bit too excited for my addled brain. I reminded her that it would be okay if we didn't get these. "THEY'RE BIDDING HIGHER, YOU DIDN'T BID ENOUGH, YOU'RE GOING TO GET BEAT!!" She was frantic, and my fingers were starting to tremble on the keyboard. I'm thinking to myself: we're getting too wrapped up in this, over 6 diaper wraps. Then, she continued, "Oh no. It's over. We lost. If you had just--" "No we didn't Mom. It says I won, and for a fair bit less than I planned to pay." Okay, I'm a bit smug. I'll be getting an email or phone call about this one--reminding me that she did this to help me, that I did say that I would do the bidding, and that I was sleeping on the job. And if I ask, "Did that summarize it about right, Mom?" she will be even more annoyed with me. 

The Big Easy. 4-14-12

We've just returned from New Orleans, but the Big Easy wasn't so easy with a nearly 3 month old. That said, she did really well. Laissez le bon temps rouler!

French Quarter Fest April 2012

Another Doctor. 4-3-12

This week is chock-full of doctor visits. Yesterday, it was the pediatrician for Boop. Today, it was the GI doctor for me. Tomorrow, it's the midwife for both of us to discuss lactation issues, again. Boop had to have a catheter yesterday. Fortunately, the GI doctor didn't have to do a physical exam on me and is just planning to wait until I have some tests. So I scheduled my upper and lower endoscopy for next month. It will be good to have that over with. Fingers crossed they will be clean. 

Nothing to do with today's post
The lion laying down with the lamb?

Something really strange happened today at the doctor, though. I guess I just take it for granted that doctors are comfortable with the human body and its functioning, especially GI doctors. Today at the GI doctor, after the nurse did her intake, the fellow came in to do an assessment. She was due in May, her first baby. I nursed through most of the assessment, and Boop was fairly calm and relaxed. Boop was about finished when the attending doctor came in. He saw that I was breastfeeding, seemed to avert his eyes, did a U-turn for the door, and said that he would come back when I was done. Um, it's not like I can't think, talk, and breastfeed at the same time. That really shocked me. So, I unlatched Boop and told the doctor not to leave. Last thing I need is to try to keep Boop occupied for another half hour while he sees someone else. You know, he's a GI doctor. You'd figure he is exposed to some of the less glorious part of the anatomy. Plenty of chances to see female parts when doing GI procedures. I couldn't figure that one out, 

Happy Easter. 4-8-12

"Thank you Easter Bunny: BOCK, BOCK!"

We hope you have a wonderful Easter. We've been very blessed this year. Next year, Lord willin', we'll be hunting Easter eggs about this time.

100 to 1st Day. 4-2-12

We started the day at the pediatrician office. Boop’s weight, height, and head circumference all around the 50^th%ile. Well, her weight was 50^th-75^th%ile. All good news, especially the weight since I had cut out one of her bottles. She’s 12 lbs, 23.4 inches. But her temperature was 100 degrees. I felt so terrible as the doctor was questioning me, like I had been neglectful by not knowing she had a fever. I had asked if it were possible for her to have a urinary tract infection. She said that it was, and she inserted a catheter to test her. There were a few white blood cells; so she started her on antibiotics. We’re still waiting on the actual results, and then we’ll make a decision about a renal ultrasound.

Pinky almost big enough for the hat from Aunt D
waiting for Mommy to finish getting dressed before the pediatrician visit.

And so I sent Boop to her 1^st day of daycare on Amoxicillin. We took it easy.  I got everything sorted before we left: got her mattress covered and blankets ready, labeled her bottles, completed her log sheets, got her diapers and coconut oil in the proper place. Then, I went to the nursing room to feed her for a little while. After she was back in her room and settled, I headed to work. They said I could call, but I wasn’t gone that long. Plus, I was much less stressed than with the other place, knowing that she would be well cared for.  We still need family photos for her crib. The worker kept saying that I needed to bring photos of my husband for the crib. This will be informative about when she reads those long and complicated forms I had to complete. I wrote that we are a 1 child, 1 Mom family. So, I’ll wait to hear if she mentions it again.      

Like a Weed. 3-30-12

Big girl batting at the Sun's dangly, rattly bits

Wow! It’s like she’s grown over night. How did she get so big? Last time we were at the pediatrician’s, the nurse said Boop was 21.5 inches. Over the past day or two, I could tell that she’s gotten bigger. When we were rocking in the rocking chair, I couldn’t get her legs situated as easily, and I thought it was my imagination, as it couldn’t happen that fast. I got out the tape measure, and it looks like she is 24 inches. We have an appointment at the pediatrician on Monday for her 2 month well-baby check (we’re a little behind because of the jaundice and the problems with weight gain). I can’t wait to see how she’s doing.

Daycare Is Now 3-31-12

I had just gotten up and was trying to get some pumping in before Boop awoke. I got the call. It was the daycare saying I was in. I was pretty muddled trying to process it. Kinda like winning Publisher’s Clearinghouse. Well, not really because the daycare would take money, rather than give it. They wanted me to start on Monday. A day and a half to prepare. Meanwhile, during my last visit, they said they give folks 2 weeks notice before they start; so I was really trying to sort it out. Of course, I was relieved. Then, the thought of all that money so quickly, and Mom had planned to come and take care of Boop for a few days. And emotionally, it was pretty fast. Maybe that is what hit me the most. Mentally, I didn’t have time to prepare myself for my baby to be in daycare.

So, having no choice about timing, I accepted the spot, emailed work to let them know I’d be back on Monday, and then in my mind, I started going through all of the stuff that I needed for daycare. Of course, right after I hit send, I got a call saying the daycare director would give me the 2 weeks. I was a bit stuck as I had already told several people I would be back and asked the daycare to let me think about what to do that the 2 weeks would be good. Drop-in service. Would they let me do drop-in service for a few days during the 2 weeks? It felt like I was pressing my luck, but I called to ask anyway. Sure, she said. Whew! Now to try and get things in order.

Taking Stock at 11 Weeks Old. 4-4-12

Mom, here's a photo that isn't up her nose... Look how big she is!

Here’s what’s happening at 11 Weeks Old:

• My poor baby’s tummy is upset from the antibiotics. I’m waiting to hear if Boop has a urinary tract infection. If so, the next step will be ultrasound to see if she has a renal problem. Fortunately, she’s sleeping a fair bit due to the antibiotics, but if those filled diapers feel as bad as they smell, bless her heart, she must not be feeling well at all! The coconut oil does seem to be reducing the redness, and it has helped a bit, I think.
• Having Boop in daycare has given me a bit of a break, even if just for a half day at this point. I’m starting to get back on track mentally; although I do have my memory glitches. Mom will be here next week; it will be nice to have a bit more freedom and support.
• Breastfeeding has been going better; although, I’m still not 100%. She’s having formula at daycare. Plus, I give her a bit of formula with her medicine. I’ve been pumping almost constantly at work, every spare minute I get. In the 4 hours, I’m almost able to pump 4 oz. Of course, she’s taking 8 oz of formula at daycare. Fortunately, I can still work while pumping. I’m hoping to store some up for when she starts to go full-time. 

Spending Wirlwind. 3-24-12

I go in spurts. I try to save my money. Then, I start to spend and then I’m on a little binge. Psychologists call a similar phenomenon when breaking a diet the ‘what-the-hell’ effect: the belief that, once you’ve blown your diet, you might as well go big.

I never spend that much; I just accumulate more stuff. A few weeks ago, I ordered something on Zulily, and after your first purchase, you get free shipping for the rest of the day. They had given me $10 because they ran out of the dresses I ordered, but that $10 was in the rearview mirror when all was done. Fortunately, most of it was gifts, but I did get Boop a tutu that she can wear for a while.

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Last night, I remembered that they were having a big consignment sale at the armory and figured I’d go today, even though it was the 3^rd day of the sale. So, Boop and I got up and out. It did look a bit thin. I scanned the room and looked at a few things here and there. I heard someone mention that everything was really picked over and then that most of the stuff today was half off. And that’s how it got started… Not only did I find some things for Boop, one of the students was expecting—a boy, as luck would have it J, that can’t benefit from Boop’s outgrown clothes—so I figured I’d see if I could find some things for him, too.

Slippers from the sale

Then, I got home. I’m hoping that the person who came by last week will work out to refinish my hardwood floors. And once they’re done, I want to get something up on my windows. I proceeded to buy the Roman shades I saw online. I also saw a curtain with a dollhouse on it with pockets for toys: bought that too. And then I ordered Chinese delivery, which I never do. While watching for the delivery, I noticed the Zulily box sitting by the door. Now what do I do with all of this stuff?