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First, Marrus is a great artist and has dropped some of her prices to fund her poor kitty's vet bill. Go check her out http://marrus.livejournal.com/200421.html.
Mina has been super cranky baby this week. She spent most of last night in bed with us. She slept for about 2 hours, then woke up cranky. I could settle her with some singing, rubbing and putting the paci in her mouth (leaving her in the crib), but then she's awaken 15 minutes later. Picking her up and rocking/dancing/singing, then the paci and putting her down got us about a half hour. Eventually, I just took her into the bed and she slept just fine. There is this fine balance between not wanting to use a crutch, not wanting to make this habit-forming, and just wanting to do whatever it takes to get us all some sleep. Brian is fighting a cold so he's trying to stay hands-off the Mina as much as possible, putting more of the responsibility on me (typically at night, if it is feeding related I do it and if it is just settling related he does . . . no need to tempt with mama's smell).
I'm getting a mani pedi tomorrow for the first time since I was in labor! A good friend gifted the Marmonti Moms with cash to do this. I need to figure out how to work this with Brian watching Mina while I'm there (in NH) and my own need to feed or pump. The hold that breastfeeding has on a busy life is a strong one. It would be far more convenient to not be breastfeeding, but then I wouldn't be giving her the best I could (plus, I enjoy the closeness and bonding we have). Pumping continues at work. I'm an idiot, and this whole time I was going up shield sizes. I needed to go down. The first time I tried pumping with the electrical one I had my hands-free bra on wrong and it was too tight. Now, going back to the stock shields, things are more comfy. My milk yield still isn't where I think it should be, but I'm trying to just let go of that. I'll get what I get. I still vacillate back and forth between "fight fight fight make that milk" and "boy this is a lot of work, I should put effort in so that that make less milk". Who knows.
A friend came by last night to take a good deal of maternity clothes from me. Going through the boxes, it feels like that was so long ago. I remember how I *felt* wearing those things. I love our little weasel, but Brian and I are in the 'one and done' camp. It took us so long to try to conceive, and then so long to have success in it. It was a serious fight to get Brian over to the dark side of the baby. He is firmly in the no more camp. I am gracefuly going to enjoy our little girl to the fullest. Still, giving away things is difficult for me. On the other hand, it makes me feel good to share things and take some burden off of other people. Just as other friends shared with me. "The Circle of Life". Or something.
We have a date night tonight (my Dad is working in the area so he and Mom are carpooling to work and will be in the area - perfect time for them to see their only granddaughter). We're planning on walking down to Moody for an Indian dinner and than catching some of the live music at the http://www.walthamriverfest.com/. Tomorrow is mani/pedi day and our regular Harvard Square haircut trip. Sunday is Brian's first Dad's day. So strange!
I have some baby-related questions: how do you manage to get out at night without screwing up their sleeping schedule? I'd love to go up to Hampton Beach some time for dinner/walking on the sand. Miss Mina would sleep in her carrier and the carseat, but I don't want to be super disruptive to her already sometimes tenuous sleeping. Also, on the 4th of July, we typically go to a cookout, walk down to the fireworks in Waltham and go home. I know baby's ears are sensitive, but we got her some protective headphones (suggested on an alterna-parent blog for folks bringing their kids to music festivals and that kind of thing). So I'm not worried about the sound, but keeping her up that late?
On the one hand Mina is at her most easiest/most portable stage right now, but on the other, I want to set her up for good sleeping habits later. What did *you* do?
Mina has been super cranky baby this week. She spent most of last night in bed with us. She slept for about 2 hours, then woke up cranky. I could settle her with some singing, rubbing and putting the paci in her mouth (leaving her in the crib), but then she's awaken 15 minutes later. Picking her up and rocking/dancing/singing, then the paci and putting her down got us about a half hour. Eventually, I just took her into the bed and she slept just fine. There is this fine balance between not wanting to use a crutch, not wanting to make this habit-forming, and just wanting to do whatever it takes to get us all some sleep. Brian is fighting a cold so he's trying to stay hands-off the Mina as much as possible, putting more of the responsibility on me (typically at night, if it is feeding related I do it and if it is just settling related he does . . . no need to tempt with mama's smell).
I'm getting a mani pedi tomorrow for the first time since I was in labor! A good friend gifted the Marmonti Moms with cash to do this. I need to figure out how to work this with Brian watching Mina while I'm there (in NH) and my own need to feed or pump. The hold that breastfeeding has on a busy life is a strong one. It would be far more convenient to not be breastfeeding, but then I wouldn't be giving her the best I could (plus, I enjoy the closeness and bonding we have). Pumping continues at work. I'm an idiot, and this whole time I was going up shield sizes. I needed to go down. The first time I tried pumping with the electrical one I had my hands-free bra on wrong and it was too tight. Now, going back to the stock shields, things are more comfy. My milk yield still isn't where I think it should be, but I'm trying to just let go of that. I'll get what I get. I still vacillate back and forth between "fight fight fight make that milk" and "boy this is a lot of work, I should put effort in so that that make less milk". Who knows.
A friend came by last night to take a good deal of maternity clothes from me. Going through the boxes, it feels like that was so long ago. I remember how I *felt* wearing those things. I love our little weasel, but Brian and I are in the 'one and done' camp. It took us so long to try to conceive, and then so long to have success in it. It was a serious fight to get Brian over to the dark side of the baby. He is firmly in the no more camp. I am gracefuly going to enjoy our little girl to the fullest. Still, giving away things is difficult for me. On the other hand, it makes me feel good to share things and take some burden off of other people. Just as other friends shared with me. "The Circle of Life". Or something.
We have a date night tonight (my Dad is working in the area so he and Mom are carpooling to work and will be in the area - perfect time for them to see their only granddaughter). We're planning on walking down to Moody for an Indian dinner and than catching some of the live music at the http://www.walthamriverfest.com/. Tomorrow is mani/pedi day and our regular Harvard Square haircut trip. Sunday is Brian's first Dad's day. So strange!
I have some baby-related questions: how do you manage to get out at night without screwing up their sleeping schedule? I'd love to go up to Hampton Beach some time for dinner/walking on the sand. Miss Mina would sleep in her carrier and the carseat, but I don't want to be super disruptive to her already sometimes tenuous sleeping. Also, on the 4th of July, we typically go to a cookout, walk down to the fireworks in Waltham and go home. I know baby's ears are sensitive, but we got her some protective headphones (suggested on an alterna-parent blog for folks bringing their kids to music festivals and that kind of thing). So I'm not worried about the sound, but keeping her up that late?
On the one hand Mina is at her most easiest/most portable stage right now, but on the other, I want to set her up for good sleeping habits later. What did *you* do?
