Bottle Time

I'll admit, I've been worrying in anticipation of returning to work and breastfeeding at the same time. How would I possibly pump enough supply for the times I'd be working? I thought it may be easier to give up and resort to the organic formula we made for Kennedy, but quickly realized that would just be plain STUPID. Breastfeeding has been PERFECT from the moment she was born. It's the best thing for her and it's free too! ...why would I want to stop that?! A few friends encouraged me to keep going as well. I didn't REALLY consider stopping, but the thought certainly crossed my mind. Then yesterday, after talking with a few co-workers, I knew I needed to introduce the bottle now so she can get used to it before I go back to work in October. Well... she did AWESOME!!! At first she just chewed the nipple and looked at me like I was nuts. After about a minute and a half, she sucked on it and realized she was getting something out of this foreign object. She finished 2oz quickly. I burped her and returned with another 2oz ten minutes later. She literally gagged on it. What was different?? I noticed this bag of milk was much more yellow in color and was from the very first time I pumped. Maybe it tasted different because it had the remnants of colostrum in it? Either way, I wasn't discouraged. Today, I fed her a second bottle. It was almost 5oz. I pump this much every time and figured this must be what she eats, right? Wrong. She ate close to 4oz and the rest went down the drain. WASTED LIQUID GOLD! At least it can be replaced at no cost. ;) From now on, she'll be getting at least one bottle each day so she doesn't forget.

HUGE victory for me... and Presley. It's time to start praying the rest of my worries away! Now we just have to conquer going down for bed/nap on her own and self-soothing with a pacifier. Stay tuned.

The Girls

I am TERRIBLE at keeping up with this blog! I suppose having a newborn attributes to that.

Presley is a little over one month old and boy, time is flying by! On one hand, it feels like she's been here for MONTHS, but on the other, it's moving along quickly. She still seems to be a gassy baby. Her tummy aches come and go, but usually hit in the late evening about every other day. It's so hard to see her in pain and know that I've tried everything to make her feel better - and nothing seems to work. I noticed early on that my boobs seems to comfort her though. Obviously they are used to nourish my child, but it's cool to see how comforting they are when she's in pain. The only downfall? My nipples feel like they are going to fall off by the end of the night. I wish I could get her to take a pacifier! It can be frustrating... I can be completely exhausted... but I quickly realize that 'this too shall pass'. I'm never frustrated with her, only the situation and the fact that I can't make it go away. Poor girl. But all-in-all, she is a SUPER EASY baby. Since day eight, she has only woken up once at night to feed. YAY FOR ME! She is such a little cuddle bug too. (My favorite.) I will admit that this stage is certainly my least favorite, but I'm still enjoying every minute of it. I cannot WAIT until she smiles on command. I was talking to her yesterday and I thought I got a half smile out of her. I was elated! I'm loving that she's focusing so much on things too, especially faces. She's such a little peanut!

Kennedy is an amazing big sister, by the way. She hugs and kisses her all the time and when she is around her friends, she 'shows' her off. It's very endearing. Often times, I find her down on Presley's activity mat with her, talking to her or reading to her. It melts my heart. Not only is she my little helper, but she really is a proud big sister. The other day I thought to myself, I LOVE saying 'the girls' whenever I reference our children. I'm still in awe that we have TWO kids! I'm so thankful for these two little blessings. I can't imagine life without them!!