Rolling Over!

Today, 9/5/13 and at nearly 17 weeks, Madden finally decided it was it was time to flip that big body over! Tonight, as we played in the bonus room with Mary Kate and Mills, we heard Madden's angel monitor go off. When I went to check on him, I noticed that he had spun himself around to lay on the short side of his crib. So I slid him back and, when I did, he got really excited. In fact, he got so excited that he put his left arm under his body and rolled, to the left, all the way onto his back. He was so proud of himself that he had a huge toothless smile on his face. I flipped him back onto his stomach and he did it again. It was so neat that I was able to see him do this for the first time! 

I took him into the bonus room to try and get him to show off for his siblings, but he just wanted to talk to him. We did let him show off his developing skills in the Johnny Jump Up though. It's crazy how fast time is flying with this precious boy!

Mills Goes to Preschool

I am so thankful for the opportunity for Mills to attend 3 year old preschool three days a week this year! He enjoys learning and being around others, so this is a great chance for him to get used to being in a school environment.

He was so excited to get to go to school.  He started the day after Mary Kate, so he was ready for mommy paparazzi to come out, hahaha!

Look how big he looks here!

Both kids together on Mills' first day of school.

 Daddy got to go to school on Mills' first day and walked both kids in...how sweet!

 Best picture I could get of him under his class sign.

 All unpacked.

We were asked to write one thing that our child likes to talk about in case they had a difficult time leaving us their parents. 

His teachers this year are Mrs. Michelle and Mrs. Shelly and he goes Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Mills really loves being able to learn and play with friends new and old. Like Mary Kate, he loves the playground and music with mommy! Hopefully he will continue to enjoy me teaching him...and hopefully he will learn to sit still!

Mills is one of the youngest, if not the youngest, students in his class, but he's taller than several of the kids who are nearly a year older than him! I think he gets his height from me, hahahaha! I'm afraid his age relative to his grade level, at this point, is highlighting some of the growing pains we are feeling with the transition into a school environment.  Mills is smart and gets very excited, at times, and has a difficult time following directions.  He is just young and has a lot of maturing to do. I am thankful for patient teachers who are loving him through this transition into school! The goal will be for him to get more happy faces than sad faces each week and I think by the end of the first quarter he will be right on track.

We are so proud of him and cannot wait to see how much he grows in many arenas this year!

Mary Kate Starts Pre-K

Even writing this almost four weeks into Mary Kate being in school makes me tear up.  It does not seem like it is time for my baby girl to be in school!  Spending last school year home with her was priceless and I am so thankful for the opportunity, which God provided when I never would have thought it possible!

We went to orientation on Friday, August 2nd and Mary Kate could not wait to see her meet her teachers and see her classroom.  We were excited as well and surprised in the anti-climatic reaction shown when we actually met the teachers and saw the classroom.  I think she was a bit overwhelmed because there were so many people down that hallway!

Monday morning, August 5th, was her first day of Pre-K at First Baptist Academy.  Here teachers are Mrs. Elizabeth and Mrs. Terri.  We went through our now daily ritual of getting ready and then the paparazzi in me came out!  I was armed with my camera for her to hold up her sign, which will be an annual thing, to tell about her grade, school, teacher(s), and what she wants to be when she grows up...The later one is hysterical this year!

 When Mary Kate put on that book-bag for the first time, she was so proud! This is when I really had to fight back the tears.  She looks so big and she really thinks she is grown!

 The picture below is courtesy of Mills. Not too shabby.

 Here she is outside of her classroom, underneath her class sign.

 Here is Mrs. Terri showing Mary Kate her cubby and helping her unpack.  She was so proud.

 The finished product...she did everything all by herself.

Mary Kate hugged and kissed me and was excited, but slightly apprehensive.  After we said our goodbyes, I stepped outside to watch her and make sure she was ok.  She was told to go find a center to play in and went straight to the kitchen and grabbed the vacuum...daddy would be so proud of her!  She was smiling and seemed oh so happy.  I was happy to see her so excited, but I was overcome with the emotion of it all.  I was able to make it back to the van before the tears began to flow.  I was proud of myself for not crying in front of her.  So, as a reward to myself, I stopped by Dunkin Donuts and got a french vanilla cappuccino...decaf of course.

Words cannot express how proud we are of Mary Kate.  She is beautiful, smart, caring, and compassionate and is absolutely loving and thriving in school. Two days into school, she was already writing her name, and doing so with confidence and ease.  She loves going to the library and her favorite, of course, is taking music with mommy...even though she has only had one class with me so far.  I cannot wait to see what all this first year of school has in store for her.  I know that she will continue to grow and thrive and am so thankful for a wonderful place for her to attend as we begin this new chapter in our lives!  

Mills' Three Year Check-up

With another birthday comes another check-up, and it was a good one.  Today, Mills went in for his three year well child check-up.  He was 35.8 lbs-80th percentile and 41.5"-100th percentile.  He has gone through a pretty big growth spurt since last year, growing 3 inches. No wonder everything is so short on him!

He saw Dr. Street and was great while she checked him out.  She talked about how smart he is and listened to questions I had about his activity level.  She reassured me that Mills is young and intelligent and that he will continue to mature with each month.  I am so thankful for a great pediatricians at this practice!  At the end of the appointment, Dr. Street gave Mills a Chuck and Friends truck book, which he already loves!  Our boy just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Mills Turns Three!

I cannot believe that our Lil' Man is three already! It is amazing to me how fast the years fly by!

This year we decided against a big party, for both Mary Kate and Mills, and opted for an opportunity to make a memory. David came up with the great idea of riding an Amtrak train from Atlanta to Toccoa for that experience and Mills was excited about it! 

Friday evening, August 2nd, my parents drive Mills, Mary Kate, and David to the train station in Atlanta. I was not able to ride because I needed to get the van to Toccoa and to feed Madden and I hated I couldn't go, but it would have been a lot on Madden at 2 1/2 months. David was brave to take on this challenge by himself! 

The kids asked tons of questions and were excited about getting on the train. It was running about 30 and their patience was pretty thin. Mills immediately begun talking to a random and rough looking passenger, who kindly conversed with him. Probably the funniest exchange was when the train left the station and Mills told this man they were moving. David tried to get Mills to leave him alone, but he told David, "No! I'm talking to him." Hahaha! They did well overall, but were tired when the train finally arrived in Toccoa at 10:30. Mills was greeted there by Mommy and Madden, Gege and Papa, Nana and Randaddy, and Ana, Evan, Katee, and Brandon. He was so excited to see everyone. What an experience!

The next evening, we had cake and a few presents from family at my grandmother's house. The "party" was capped off with a little playtime on my aunt and uncle's porch...they live next to my grandmother.

Here is a family picture taken at his family party. I am so glad we started this tradition of making sweet memories. Happy Birthday Mills! We love you!!!

Madden Months 1-3

My original plan was to write a monthly update on our sweet boy...fast forward three months later and I'm jut now writing it. Life had been a bit crazy around here lately! 

Madden went to the dr for a checkup at three weeks. He got a great report! He stats were 9lbs 13 oz and 22" long. That means three weeks from birth he gained 1lb 13 oz an grew lengthwise 3". That must be some pretty thick baby milk he's getting!!  At this point, Madden was eating every 2 1/2 hours an was sleeping about 4 hours at night. At 6 weeks, Madden started smiling and what a sweet smile it is!

At two months, Madden went in for his next checkup and his first set of shots. Again he got a great report. Dr. Miller said he was very advanced with his ability to track people/things and his skill at this was more like a four month old...that's my boy! His stats were 14lbs 5.5oz and 25" long. At this point, he was eating every 2 1/2-3 hours and was sleeping around 6 hours at night. At eight weeks, Madden started laughing. Hearing him laugh makes us all laugh!

Now, at three months, Madden continues to thrive! He eats every 3-3 1/2 hours and sleeps 8 1/2-9 hours at night. He can lay on his stomach with his head lifted and kick like crazy! He also has started grabbing his feet. And, who could forget, that he loves his brother and sister and likes to be sung to.

What a difference just three months makes in size. We are so blessed with a sweet and loving baby boy!

Tips For Nursing Moms

Babies, babie everywhere! May and June this year seem to be extremely popular months to have babies. Recently, I have had many friends who have had babies and have other friends who are due any day now. Many of them are planning to breastfeed and some have been asking questions about things I did/do and helpful tips on nursing. This is an attempt to put my thoughts and advice on nursing all in one place. These tips are particularly good to consider for working moms. I am by no means an expert on breastfeeding, but after nursing two babies, and now having a third, I have some valuable experience to share for those who are interested.

Helpful Book on Breastfeeding and Scheduling

When I found out I was pregnant with our first, Mary Kate, there was no question in my mind about whether or not to breastfeed her. I was nervous that I would not know what to do or how often to feed her. I am the type of person who likes to have some guidelines to follow when doing most anything. Several people recommended the book "On Becoming Babywise" to me when I was pregnant. After reading it through, Babywise quickly became my manual in nursing and scheduling. This book has a bit of a controversial reputation because some people claim it leads to babies not thriving properly, due to not being fed enough, however, it frequently says to feed when baby is hungry and to not watch the clock. I am a true believer in this method and recommend it to anyone who asks!

The premise of the book is to teach your baby to take full feedings, as opposed to snacking, and to sleep through the night sooner than most babies, which was critical in my eyes as a working mom! Full feedings are very hard with newborns, but it does make a difference if you can get your baby to do so. I won't get into details about how to keep a sleepy newborn awake enough to take in a full feeding, but check it out in the book if you're interested. 

Babywise teaches that moms should implement the "eat, play, sleep" routine with their babies. Essentially, you nurse the baby, keep them up for a while, and let them nap for a while before repeating this cycle. We would keep Mary Kate and Mills up before their last feedings longer than normal before their last feeding of the night. If you do this too much, your baby will likely become overtired and more difficult to settle down to sleep. Ultimately, you are teaching their bodies to sleep through the night by using this routine. Keep in mind that the amount of time they "play" or nap is not set and will extend as your baby stretches out his/her feedings.

One last thing I love about Babywise is the healthy/unhealthy growth indicators it lists at different stages of the first year. This is a huge help because when you are exclusively nursing there is no way of knowing how much breastmilk your baby takes in during a feeding. It also gives you suggestions of how often to nurse at each stage during the first year.

There are plenty if great books to read about breastfeeding and sleep habits, but this is the book I both know and have had success with.

Scheduling/Nursing

Scheduling was extremely important to me when I knew I was going back to work. It was important for me to train both my children to eat full feedings at the same time everyday because I had limited windows of time in which to pump. I followed the appropriate hours to set feedings for each stage listed in Babywise. (Mary Kate was easy to schedule and followed the book to a T, but Mills was much more difficult! Keep in mind that every baby is different and do not stress if yours does not do well with this. The important thing is that you give it a try).I will concisely go through it here.

I fed on demand for the first few weeks and did not start eat, play, sleep until around three weeks with all of my babies. During the first few weeks, all three have averaged eating every two hours, sometimes sooner and other times later. I would also not let them go more than one four hour period during a 24 hour period and would keep that during the night if they would do it that early. After 3 weeks, I started eat, play, sleep with them and noticed they all stretched their feedings out to between 2 1/2 and 3 hours.  I would not be strict about it being the same period of time between every feeding each time, but would not let them go more than 3 hours at this point. I also started letting them go as long as they would at night. Around 10 weeks or so, both Mary Kate and Mills seemlessly stretched to 3 1/2 hours between feedings. I went back to work at 13 and 14 weeks, so this is where they were feeding wise then. Around 5-6 months they both transitioned to eating every 4 hours and stayed there until they they were one and transitioned to cows milk.

One question I always had was how long is long enough to nurse my babies. Both Mary Kate and Mills averaged nursing both sides for a total of 12-15 minutes. Everything I read, including Babywise, talked about babies needing to nurse 25-30 minutes. Madden did nurse this long at first, but he to has also resorted to averaging 15 minutes total. After discussing this with both my lactation consultant and pediatrician, I learned that as long as your baby is growing appropriately, and having plenty of wet and dirty diapers, it is fine. Every baby is different, so each baby's needs are differenr. A great suggestion I received was to log feedings and wet and dirty diapers, like you do a newborn. This helped me to see everything that was going in with my babies. I also realized that I have forced letdown, meaning that my milk comes out very fast. It also means that my babies have gotten more milk faster than some others, resulting in shorter nursing periods.

Bedtime and Misc Info

The great thing about eat, play, sleep is that it doesn't have to be done at the exact same times everyday. Those moms who work will do that, but those who stay at home can start each day when baby wakes on their own instead of waking them at a particular time. As a mostly stay at home mom, this time I will not be as worried about the first morning feeding being at the same time each day.

Bedtime was/is important at our house. both kids required a lot if sleep and certainly did not get much at daycare, makinggoing to bed early a requirement for all of our sanity! After going back to work, I would put both kids to bed after they fed around 7-7:30. I would go into their rooms and do a dream feed around 10-10:30 every night until they dropped it at 4 and 5 months. A dream feed is when you don't wake them, but feed them and put them back to bed immediately after eating. This is essentially what you do with newborns, so why not do it with older infants? It gets them used to going to bed earlier and usually provides an easy transition to dropping that last nighttime feeding.

Pumping Info

Speaking of pumping, if you plan to go back to work you need to invest in a good pump. Fortunately for most people, insurance companies are now providing breast pumps at little or no charge. I have used a Medela pump-in-style with all three of mine and love it! This brand was recommended to me by my lactation consultant and, after spending a great deal of time doing my own research into the various brands, I think it is the best quality option available.

I became a pro at pumping and storing milk by the time Mills was born. After my milk came in with Mary Kate, I would pump every morning after her first morning feeding the entire 14 weeks of maternity leave. Some friends recommended doing this and it was hugely helpful in building up a good supply of milk! Somedays, I would pump 6 or more oz after nursing her. Other days it may be more like 3-4oz. What I didn't realize with her was how primarily pumping her feedings during the day, after going back to work, would effect my milk supply. After several months of doing this, I stopped producing a much milk as she was taking at a given feeding. My body was not responding to a pump like it would to her nursing, and that is normal. I tried taking herbal supplements and drinking mother's milk tea, but didn't see great results. I stopped nursing her altogether at 10 months when I found out I was pregnant with Mills. Aside from being pregnant, my supply was so low that she want getting much at this point.

When I had Mills, I never stopped pumping after the first morning feeding until I weaned him at 9 months. (He was so distracted at this point, he was extremely difficult to nurse!) This took a lot of dedication, but it was worth it! After months of being back at work with him, my supply started dropping a bit, but I had plenty of milk stored up from pumping an extra feeding daily and had enough to not have to supplement with formula. 

Another option that works better for some people is to pump at night when your baby drops the last feeding before you go to bed. This feeding was around 10 pm for both Mary Kate and Mills. Mary Kate dropped it around 4months and Mills dropped it around 5 months. With Mary Kate, I should have just pumped that last feeding after going back to work at 14 weeks, but I did not know any better. Because I never stopped pumping that extra feeding with Mills, I had enough milk stored to give him brestmilk for nearly two months after he was weaned...pretty crazy!

When at work, I would pump when I had the kids scheduled to eat. This is important because I kept to the same schedule on weekends or breaks, as much as possible, to try to ensure the greatest success with pumping. Since my milk lets down quickly, I could usually pump a full feeding in around 10 minutes. I would normally continue pumping for an additional 5 minutes. The extra stimulation helped keep up my milk supply as much as possible while pumping multiple times daily. Ladies, it is required by law that your employer give you time to pump if you choose to do so. Certain professions are easier than others to make it happen, but don't not breastfeed because you think you won't be allowed to pump because you can push the issue with your boss.

Storing Milk

After pumping, storing, and wasting tons of milk with Mary Kate, I learned what I was doing wrong. With her, I would simply store what I had pumped in a milk storage bag, label it with how many oz and the date, and put it in the freezer. This led to random amounts of milk being stored. When I would make bottles, I would inevitably end up with extra milk that I couldn't use and would end up pouring it down the sink. That stuff is liquid gold people, and wasting it almost put me in tears daily! Fortunately, I learned that the best way to store milk was in four ounce quantities. 

Here's why this storage method worked best for me. My kids were both on 3 1/2 hour feeding schedules from the time I went back to work, which was 3 months for both, until about 5-6 months, and they would take two bottles during the day. (I would nurse them as soon as I got home from work). At first, they were taking about 5-6oz at each feeding (I always sent a 6oz bottle just in case). When I would make bottles for them, I would thaw three 4oz bags of milk, using a whole bag for each bottle and 2 additional oz from the third bag for each bottle. This was great because I didn't waste milk! When they moved to eating 7-8oz at 4 hour feedings, I simply thawed four 4oz bags and used two bags per bottle, again not wasting any milk. FYI, milk stored in inside freezers attached to a fridge will keep about 3-4 months and milk kept in a deep freezer will keep about 6-12 months. If you have so much milk stored that you feel you won't use it all, you can donate it.

Breastfeeding is hard, no matter how rewarding it is, and I believe it is one of the most selfless things a woman can do!  If you choose to nurse your baby, I highly recommend that you surround yourself with friends and family who are supportive. At times when you at over getting up in the night to fed, pumping, and cleaning pump parts and bottles, this support will help encourage and get you through. Good luck to you on this endeavor and know that there are many women out there that are more than willing to listen to your frustrations and lend a helping hand!