Rachel: 7 months

Christmas Bee - 7 months!

     Most notably we have struggled a lot this month with feeding Rachel. At her 6 month well baby check up (which wasn't until she was more like 6.5 months) she had only gained about a pound since her 4 month check up. This was the confirming factor for my suspicion that she wasn't getting enough breastmilk anymore, and so we have been having to supplement her for the past few weeks. It has been a rough, rough road. I am not a bottle feeding mom. I cracked bottles, burnt myself, sprayed formula all over the kitchen several times, and generally just sucked at getting the hang of it. If people say there is a learning curve with breastfeeding, I can honestly say there is an equally challenging one for learning to bottle feed! (At least for me!) However, I think we are on the upswing now. She has generally been having two 4-ounce bottles a day, to top up what she isn't getting in breastmilk, as well as a small bowl of something mid-morning and then again at bedtime, with a few little bites here and there of what we are eating in between. For now, Baby Led Weaning is kind of on hold because we are having enough trouble making sure she is getting the right proportion of nutrients. I also saw a naturopath the other day to help me with my supply issues, so we have a few more ideas to try now.
     On a happier note, Rachel is still developing at a great rate. She rolls both ways, can sit up (though still a bit wobbly), and is mobile enough that you have to be more careful where you leave her now! (ie. not the couch, because she can fall off of there.) :/ She is also practicing her 'crawling stance', and is able to push herself around with her feet while on her back. She is babbling so much now, and often says 'mum mum mum' - so cute! She has also really taken off with the whole fine(r) motor skills thing - she lunges and grabs at stuff, plays with and examines things, and throws things off the table now - she has really developed an interest for involving herself with what we are doing!
She has also developed a fondness for the dogs - whenever she catches sight of them they both get big smiles. She likes to rip out handfuls of Chester's hair (or anyone else's, for that matter) whenever she can get a hold of it. Luckily for her, he is the sweetest dog ever and rarely even flinches. <3
Sleeping habits have improved since we have been topping her up. She will usually sleep until at least 3AM now, sometimes longer, and then usually gets up once again before morning. So, not great, but definitely an improvement over the 1.5 hourly wake-ups we were having when she was so hungry. I also just this past week put away most of the rest of the 3-6 month clothes.That's probably about it. :)

Gingerbread Weekend

     So this weekend we embarked on our gingerbread journey once again. (Here are previous years' creations if you care to have a peek.)
     After discussing with Laura, we decided on a ginger bridge this year. I'm not sure if she meant that, or if she was just mispronouncing gingerbread, but either way, I credit her with the idea this year. :)

Girls helping with the dough :)

Decorating the cookies, too.

and our Ginger Bridge!

A bridge to nowhere. And a Rachel photobomb ;)

The finished product. Yes there is a toothpick holding it up. It was standing by itself, but the weight of the candies must have made it fall apart.... whatever.

Sleep

     We're having a lot of issues in our family these days. Sleep, or lack there of, is one of them.

     As I mentioned in my last post, Rachel has been nursing around the clock for the last few weeks due to my milk supply bottoming out. Before I realized this is what was happening, she would literally be up every hour or so throughout the night. There is only so long a person can do that without going crazy, and she wasn't getting a good sleep, either, which worries me about when her poor little brain will have time to develop. So, we were all fairly tired and miserable. Over the last week, we have been trying to introduce formula to her, much to everyone's chagrin (mainly hers and mine). It is especially important to get it into her at night because by the end of the day I'm empty, she needs to have a full tummy before bed, and I need the night to replenish. Unfortunately, as with most breastfed babies, she takes great comfort in nursing, and that is how she needs to fall asleep. And so, we end up having these epic battles of trying to get her to take the formula when all she wants to do is nurse to sleep. We tried the lactation aid/ feeding tube, and it worked a few times, but she is old and wise enough now to realize when someone is inserting a piece of rubber tubing into her mouth while she is trying to nurse, and generally has come to freak out whenever we try that. And don't even think about trying to give her a bottle instead. We have had her take a bottle a few times, but never as a substitute for nursing to sleep. So, the last few nights I have been attempting to get some formula into her via a spoon. She is quite into 'big people food', so I thought this might be our best bet. Of course, it doesn't help with the fact that she hates the taste of formula (and rightly so), but I have been mixing in a couple of teaspoons of baby oatmeal cereal to hopefully help improve the taste, and for now it has been working. She can nurse what little I have left afterwards - long enough to comfort and relax her, and then she has been sleeping for 5 or 6 hours after!

     The problem now is Laura. Laura is at a point where she seldom naps anymore. She still needs one about once a week, but when she does nap, she ends up staying up so late! And then the next day is just horrible again. She has been sleeping in her big girl bed about 50% of the time now, but about a month ago or so she figured out an acrobatic, yet reliable way of safely escaping her crib. And shortly after that, she figured out how to open her bedroom door. So there was no containing her. Subsequently, even if we put her to bed at a reasonable time, she plays in her room, getting in and out of her bed(s), and can even climb up on the dresser to turn on the light, negating all efforts we have put forth to relax her and get her ready to sleep. Last night was the worst. We put her to bed shortly after 7:00, and she continued to horse around in there for almost three hours! By the time I was getting ready for bed, she was still puttering around in there. And by puttering, I mean climbing on various furniture, being too tired to be careful, falling off and hurting herself, and sending herself into several fits of hysteria. And let's be honest, I have no patience for that kind of nonsense at 10:00 at night. I had just finally got Rachel down around 9:30, and really wanted to cash in on my six hours of consecutive sleep - not deal with a hysterically overtired toddler who doesn't know what's good for her. Sigh. She ended up getting herself so worked up at one point she vomitted a little. She has also had a bit of a cold/ runny nose, so Josh thought some Tylenol would help settle her. And it did, though this is obviously not something we can rely on consistently.

Any advice on our sleeping dilemma(s) is much appreciated!

I was thinking maybe a large dog crate for Laura? People do that, right? ;)

Mom Fail

     This week has been crazy and stressful, here. As fate would have it, now that Rachel has started on solids, my milk supply has plummeted. *sob* It has taken a few weeks for us to piece together why she has grown increasingly fussy over the last little while, but it is now clear that she is probably hungry. That's right, folks, I have been letting my baby go hungry. FAIL.
     Her wets and dirties still seem to be on par for normal at this age, and she is still producing tears, so she is not dehydrated. I have noticed, however, a significant decrease in the volume of her wetting as compared to a few weeks back, and when I try to pump, well, we'll just say I can only get a pitiful amount. This, coupled with her constant fussiness/ demand for nursing, finally clued me in.
     We have spoken with several professionals this week, including our family doctor and a lactation consultant, and the consensus is that we will have to supplement. Probably via a lactation aid (feeding tube thing) because she is not into bottles. Le sigh.
     She went for her 6 month check up today (a bit late, I know, but doc was on vacay) and my suspicions were confirmed: she has only gained one pound in the last two months, which is sub par.
     Wednesday night I went to the store to buy formula, fighting back the tears. (This may seem like an overreaction to most people, but you probably wouldn't understand unless you have experienced the amazing bond that nature creates through breastfeeding.) It's not just about nutrition, there are so many more perks that both she and I will not be fully benefiting from now. I already have my guilt about other things that Rachel will have to endure, and having to wean before she is ready/ supplement with formula (something I did not have to do for Laura) is only majorly compounding these feelings right now. Sorry about the emo, it's how I roll as a mom.
Also, I don't have the first clue as to how to bottle feed a baby. I have already burnt myself, cracked a bottle, and sprayed formula all over the kitchen - all in the span of about five minutes. I'm not cut out for this.

PS - It's not that formula is that bad, it's just that breastfeeding is that good.

PPS - just got a free feeding tube from the obstetrical ward at the hospital tonight and tried it out. Worked like a charm, so far. Fingers crossed it continues!
She likes to nurse to sleep now, but by the end of the day there is no milk left, so being able to supplement in this way right before bed is really helpful.

Laura-isms

A collection of funnies from the last year or so:

19/11/12
Was just playing with Laura and she demanded that I help her with something. I said, "Pardon? Where are your manners?" to which she replied, "In here." *points in her mouth*

16/11/12
This morning Laura was calling for Daddy to come and get her up, but he was having a shower, so I went in. When I went in she acknowledged that I was not Daddy, and I explained that he was in the shower. She said, "Oh, Daddy's having a shower? You don't shower." Sigh. Nope.

2/11/12  Laura just mooned me. On purpose.

27/10/12  "I don't like Chester. I have no patience for him." - Laura
Oi.

3/10/12
Thoroughly enjoys when toddlers misuse words. This morning after Josh said goodbye to Laura, she told me that, "Daddy has a prickly beast on his face." And followed that with, "We are going to Grandma's house to see everybody and be thankful for food."
Apparently 'beast' doubles for beard AND feast.

7/09/12
speaking about a unicorn Laura found at Grandma's house...

L: This horsey has an ice cream cone!!
Me: *laughs* That's not an ice cream cone, it's a horn.
L: Oh, yes. Beep beep beep!!

5/09/12

took Laura and Rachel to the doctor's today, where Laura promptly announced that the picture on the wall (of the female reproductive system) "looks kinda like a pinchy crab!"

21/08/12 

Was helping Laura eat her dinner of spaghetti and salad (made of baby spinach). I offered her a bit of salad, she looked at it and said emphatically, "I don't eat leaves!!"

17/07/12

We went out for dinner tonight (because it is too hot to even THINK of cooking in our house) and a woman with curly red hair came into the restaurant.
Laura yells, "Look! A Brave princess!!"

16/07/12
Today Laura was checking out all the stickers Josh has on his guitar case and pointed to the Rage Against the Machine one saying, "Look! A star!" proceeding to sing Twinkle Twinkle...
yep, something like that.

11/07/12

while putting Laura down for a nap this afternoon, reading Dr. Seuss' "The Shapes of Me and Other Stuff"
Me: *pointing to the shape of a lamp on one of the pages* What's this one?
Laura: I unno
Me: a lamp?
Laura: A lamp! *sings "Mary had a little lamp"*

3/07/12

Laura is currently playing doctor and pumping a bulb syringe in my belly button claiming she can hear my heart.

20/06/12

as I was changing Laura's diaper this morning:
Me: "Laura, when are you going to start pooping on the potty? Mommy doesn't like changing poopy diapers."
Laura: "Mommy, stop whining."

13/06/12

according to Laura my children's names are "Babyou" and "Baby Sister" 26/05/12  This morning while driving around we heard some birds chirping. Me: Chirp chirp chirp - did you hear that Laura? What makes that noise? L: I unno Me: a bird? L: No. Me: No? Not a bird? A dog? L: No. A dragon.

07/05/12

""Mommy! Fuzzy leg!" ... thanks, Kid.

01/05/12

For Josh's birthday: "Birthday cake to you" - Laura ♥

01/04/12

Josh is currently vacuuming, and I'm pretty sure Laura thinks its called The Loud Noise. She keeps trying to comfort Willow, and all her stuffed animals, "You scared too?" and then gives them a kiss. ♥ ♥ ♥ 31/03/12 Laura is currently chasing Chester around with a ribbon saying, "Pretty dress?" ... "Awww cute" 13/03/12  Laura just asked her baby if she needs to "Change a bum?" "Yes? Okay, let's go!" and proceeded to take her by the hand towards the stairs. Apparently the baby was 'walking' too slow for Laura's liking, because then she exclaimed, "Come ONNN!" 16/02/12 [At Disney World] Josh's favourite part of today: "Where you goin, Pooh? [You did not have my authorization to leave!]" - Laura, after Pooh came to see us at breakfast. :) 27/01/12 just told Laura that the baby was kicking mommy, and she came over and offered to kick it back... :S 17/01/12 Laura has the DVD case for Alice in Wonderland and keeps pointing things out on it asking me, "What's that?", and so I answer her. She points to the Cheshire Cat and says, "Cat!", and I say, "Right! That's the Cheshire Cat - can you say 'Cheshire'?" ... she follows by walking over to Chester, pats him, and says, "Cat!" ♥ 29/12/11  Me: Laura, did you hear the baby today? What does the baby say? Laura: HONK HONK ... ok then 22/12/11  Laura just picked up a video casette case (from our camcorder) and put her to ear: "Hello? Hi Santa!" ♥ ♥ ♥ 06/12/11 Laura (for the second day in a row) is refusing to nap, so I finally went and let her out of her room and said, "Mommy is grumpy because you aren't having a nap." Then she proceeded to go and get 'Grumpy Bird' off the shelf and brought it over for me to read.... lol

Rachel: 6 Months

(A little Christmasy, but we had Christmas photos done today)

Rachel is 6 months old today - That's half a year already! So we had a "halfy birthday" cake in her honour. Mostly because I wanted to eat cake. ;)

A little concerned that her cake was on fire!

Accomplishments this month include:

She has started using her voice more this past month and actually responds with sounds that mimic conversational intonations.

We started solid foods. I wasn't going to start her on rice cereal because of the white out effect, but since she seemed to spit up everything else that we gave her, I caved and tried it because rice is gentle on tummies. It was fortified organic brown rice cereal, if that makes any of you feel better. ;) And she didn't really like it, anyway. I also tried pureed salmon with her. She did not like that, either. She would not open her mouth for anything coming at her on a spoon, and if I tricked her into opening it, she would generally just spit it all back out. She is much more interested in what we are eating, and since that is a lot easier for me, we ran with it. I also read a book on Baby Led Weaning that advocated letting Baby try things off your plate, so that is what we have been doing.

We are still battling sleep issues. She spent most of last month congested with a stuffed up nose. It led for some very lonnnng nights. For about two weeks I was getting up with her more than once an hour because she would get completely blocked and not be able to breathe. Poor girl, she was so exhausted. And so was I. We had some luck with a baby saline spray, but eventually the effectiveness wore off. I guess our house is dry now that it's all shut up for winter, even though it has been raining outside nonstop all month. After the saline stopped working, we resorted to the humidifier. It seems to be doing the trick now. We could use a couple more, though, one for each bedroom? Her newest charming sleep habit is that she will no longer soothe herself to sleep, and must be nursed into a doze. I can't move her once she is in the doze, so she has been sleeping in our bed with us for the last week or so. And still waking several times a night. At least she is right there, though, and not across the hallway. Tonight we are trying her back in her bed again. I don't sleep well with her in our bed.


She has stopped making strange as much, which is much nicer for Grandmas and relatives who are keen to love on her.

She has also come to her senses and stopped preferring her sister over her mother. ;) Mostly she just blinks and winces whenever Laura is within arm's reach anymore.

Happy Hallowe'en!

     I got started on Halloween costumes later than usual this year, mainly because Laura changes her mind/ interests so frequently, I didn't want to pick something too early and have her outrgow it in the next few months... So in July, Josh and I came up with a list of potential costumes the girls could be, but the final contenders would have to revolve around:

• being able to fit over a snowsuit or other heavy duty winter clothing
• Laura being into the character/ item
• the costumes 'going together'. Because I'm like that.

This was the first draft of the list we came up with:

• Princess & Dragon
• Princess & Pea
• Rapunzel & Pascal
• Ariel & Flounder
• Dora & Boots
• Pooh & Piglet
• Sully & Mike
• Cat in the Hat & Fish in the pot
• VHC Butterfly & caterpillar
• Dumbo & Timothy
• Bambi & Thumper
• Sun & Moon
• Burger & Fries (or hotdog?)
• (Grumpy?) Bird & Bee
• Batman & Robin tutu dresses (Josh's pick) ;)

Laura as Super Grover last year
and Daddy as The Count

      Mid-September I realized we had better make a decision so I could get working on the costumes, and took the time to refresh Laura's memory as to how Halloween works. When looking at pictures, she didn't seem to remember Halloween from last year, but was favourable about the prospect of going to other people's houses for candy. I then asked her what she wanted to be this year, and she said "Grover!" (And when I asked her who Daddy looked like she said "a fruit bat!" bahaha.) But then I explained she could dress up as a new character - or anything she wanted (a concept lost on a two-and-a-half year old, apparently). So, luckily we had made this list to help her decide, and as I was reading it and got down to Ariel, she said, "Arrel!", I continued reading the other options, and she repeatedly replied, "Arrel." The only problem was, that with my Type A personality, I might be a control freak I had already made up my mind that Rachel should be a bee, since that is her nickname... and she should have a special costume like that for her first Halloween. And according to criteria number three, Ariel and a bee just wouldn't work. Fortunately, I was fairly easily able to persuade her to dress up as Winnie-the-Pooh Bear, instead. (She probably likes him more anyway - he is her attachment object, after all. They can be Ariel and Flounder next year.) ;)

     So, without further ado, here are my little homemade Winnie-the-Pooh Bear and Bumble (or Grumble, as we sometimes call her) Bee.

Out Trick or Treating in the rain - note clever bee costume fits over baby carrier!

 Laura especially loved handing out candy to the other Trick or Treaters once we got home, while watching Ghostbusters and shoving unreasonable amounts of her candy in her mouth. <3 I love Hallowe'en. :)

Happy Hallowe'en!