The Beginning of the End

As I sit writing this post, I'm pumping my very last pump session.  I'm beginning to wean Graham from nursing so I'll be ready for vacation in early September.  Rick and I are headed out for our first solo trip in nearly 4 years.  Because we're traveling across the US, I didn't want to deal with the pump and the milk and stopping our vacation to pump 4 times a day.

Graham is over a month away from his first birthday so I felt confident in transitioning now.  Of course I battled with this decision.  I nursed Addie for 13 months but have only nursed Graham for 11.  There are days when I'm so excited the end is in sight and then there are days when I think, 'I'm going to miss this'.  I'm a big advocate for breastfeeding so there is a part of me that feels selfish and that I could keep up with the pumping while on vacation.  At the same time I know that I've done a lot for him so far.  He's a beefy boy and is clearly getting enough nutrition.

Here was my schedule pre shut down:

6am        Nurse
9am        Pump
12pm      Pump
3pm        Pump
7:30pm   Nurse

So I begin to transition from nursing/pumping and had to create a schedule:

6am        Nurse
11am      Pump
3pm        Pump
7:30pm   Nurse

I did this for 2 weeks, then moved on to the following schedule:

6am        Nurse
12pm      Pump
7:30pm   Nurse

I did this for 2 weeks, then moved on to the following schedule:

6am        Nurse
7:30pm   Nurse

And that's where I am today.  I'm one day away from transitioning one of those sessions out and replacing with a sippy cup of formula.  I'm having a hard time battling with which to hang on to.  On one hand, I'd like to keep the night nursing because I love nursing him into a slumber, but it's also nice not making a bottle when he wakes up at 6:30.  Either way, I'm about to begin my last week of nursing.  Probably forever and this may be a difficult week for me.

I want to take the couple nursing sessions Graham and I have together as a peaceful time for us to connect and enjoy these last few moments we'll have together.  Soon enough we'll be celebrating his one year birthday and I still remember those first few moments with him resting on my chest snoring his little heart out.

-stephanie

Graham Month Nine

Nine months!  You've now lived outside as long as you developed inside.  How amazing that you've been in our lives, in one way or another, for a year and a half.  Nine months is such a fun age, I love how much you've developed and how responsive you are.

Stats:  You're 21 lbs putting you in the 50-75%, and your length I cannot remember but I do know it's in the 10%.  Your head, as usual, is still at 98%.  You're wearing 9-12 month clothes, not yet wearing shoes.

Sleep Schedule:  Sleep is the same as it has been over the past few months.  You still go to sleep around 8pm, sleep about 6 hours, nurse, sleep another 4 hours and you're up for the day.  Your naps at grandmas house during the week are about 90 minutes in length (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) however during the weekends you only sleep about 90 minutes.

Foods:  Again, there still isn't a food you don't like at this point.  You've started eating more big kid foods, like spaghetti, soups, quesadillas, etc.  You're a big fan of rice and yogurt melts.  You love "ice cream" which, for you, is actually a banana dessert I make (recipe to follow).

Firsts:  Big month of firsts.  First long car trip, first family vacation, first time on a beach.  After our big beach vacation we took Addie and you strawberry picking.  Not that you really got to do anything or will remember.  You're now crawling very well.  Just before vacation you began cruising on furniture and you're super proud of yourself.  You squat down and stand back up from the couch when you're trying to pick up a toy.

Favorites:  You love the xylophone and like to play music on it by banging the stick against it.  Water, you love playing in the water and especially love splashing.  It's actually rather scary how brave you are around water.  Addie always was as well, that just means we need to be even more cautious when you're around water.

I've said it before, it's so much fun to see you growing and learning so many new things.  The xylophone is one of these ways we see you figuring it all out.  We show you how to play music and you hold the little stick in your hand and hit the xylophone to get the music.  You haven't figured out how to hold the stick properly and most times it's your first hitting the xylophone but you're getting there.  Your pincher grasp is getting slightly better though you're still shoving most of your fist in your mouth.

We have lots of fun summer activities and plans for the next few months so I'm sure even more will change that we get to experience with you.  This reminds me to take more pictures, not on my cellphone.

-stephanie

Graham Month Eight

Late again this month, but better late than never?  I'm working on it.  This month you were baptized and met a big milestone so I'm sure the next few months will have big firsts as well.  I also failed to grab some fabric to take your picture on so, instead you get this fantastic picture which truly represents your personality.  Covered in your love of food, with a serious stare down going on.  Rocking the mohawk and rubberband wrists.

Stats:  Likely around 21-22lbs which is crazy!  Looking back to this post of your sisters, you are actually right around the same weight at the time.  Except you must have larger thighs than your sister has since you're in size 12 month pants/shorts to get over the thighs.  You're in size 3 diapers.

Sleep Schedule:  Sleep is still not consistent.  You have good days/nights and bad days/nights.  You typically go to sleep each night around 8 and will wake up typically once to nurse and then back down again until around 6:30.  You take 2-3 naps a day, still around 45 minutes in length with an occasional nap over an hour.

Foods:  There still really aren't any foods that you completely dislike.  You're not a huge fan of bananas individually but you will eat them blended into other foods.  Avocado remains a heavy favorite of yours along with puffs and yogurt melts.  You're still eating a good amount of cereal/oatmeal each day.  That's probably the one food you could consistently eat every day and not tire of.  You still drink about 30ounces of milk each day.

Firsts:  You had your first boat ride this month which you liked, minus when we put on your life vest...not a fan!  You also started crawling just a few days before you turned 8 months.  It's a slow crawl but it's enough to get you where you need to go.  You were baptized this month, finally!  You spent a lot of time screaming and blowing raspberries.  You stole the show!

Favorites:  Sister is still your favorite person, well outside of me, but I think some days she's the only person who can make you smile when you're crying.  That makes me smile a lot.  Your blanket is one of your favorite things now.  When I lay you down on your stomach I quickly pull up the blanket to your neck and you reach back and wrap your hands into the blanket to make sure you're snug.

We've retired a lot of items this month you no longer use.  The baby swing, which you were never much of a fan of.  The jumperoo has been sitting in the corner without much use from you lately.  Next month is going to be a month of firsts since you'll be headed out on your first vacation.

-stephanie

Graham is Baptized

When we baptized Addie, she was 6 weeks old.  This weekend, we baptized Graham...at 8 months old.  The whole second baby problems where everything gets delayed and isn't as urgent as the first time around.  It was actually quite funny how large Graham was in comparison to the other babies.

Addie with her godfather Joey.

Graham loves water.  I'm actually quite surprised he didn't try to flip over and dive into the water while the priest poured water on his head.

Instead, he just stared at the priest and blew raspberries the entire time.

My little man.  It's amazing how babies can look so much like their mother but at the same time like their father.  I see me in his eye shape, nose and mouth but somehow still see Rick.

We selected my friend Katie to be Graham's godmother and Rick's youngest brother Zack to be his godfather.

And yes, Katie swallowed a watermelon.  :) 

She's due literally any day now and we can't wait to meet her little guy!

-stephanie

Graham Month Seven

Nearly a month late, but here it is.  Life is getting in the way of blogging.  Mini goals set to get 3 blog posts a week.  Anything you guys want to hear about from me?  Any questions you have? Let me know, this can help generate some posts.

I seriously cannot believe that Graham is already 7 months old! Less than 6 months to his first birthday and I'm sure that time will fly by.  Graham turned 7 months on Easter Sunday and we all enjoyed the nice weather outside.  Here's what has changed over the last month.

(NOTE:  I took 7 month pictures but apparently they were "lost" in upload and then deleted from the camera.  Really irritated but I'll try not to let it bother me.)

Stats:  My chunky monkey grows bigger every day.  Especially with the solids he's consuming.  I imagine weight is at 20-21lbs and length is at 25inches.  Wearing size 9-12 month clothes. It really seems to depend between brand and type of clothing (shorts, shirts, etc).  Not in shoes yet.  Head is a rather large size so we have you in 12-24 month hats.  :)

Sleep Schedule:  Still terrible.  On the weekends you manage to only sleep a maximum of 90 minutes all day long in naps.  That's broken up by 3 - 30 minute naps, one in the morning, mid day, and late afternoon.  We lay you down to bed around 8/8:30 and you've continued to wake at around 12/1 and sometimes again at 4:30.  We're trying to kick that midnight wake up but you've spent a couple nights screaming for 90 minutes on and off.  It's been rough.  I don't know when to go in and when to let you go.  If I go in, it seems to make things worse as you see me and want to nurse.  Mornings you wake up by 7.

Foods:  He's yet to meet a food he despises but I'm sure that will change.

Firsts:  Two teeth!  Seriously, two teeth in one month is crazy!  But they're there.  Various new foods, mostly fruits & veggies, but we did give a couple bites of bread.

Favorites: Little Miss Addie.  Still his favorite thing.  He loves this little giraffe that has buttons on it.  He pushes the buttons and they play music and then he sits up and rocks back and forth to the music.

Later this week I *hope* to have the 8 month post up.  I say this every month but it seems like so much has changed in a month.  So excited to share with you.  I love this boy more and more everyday.

-stephanie

Breastfeeding: Graham, Nearly There

When my doctor pulled Graham out of me, I heard his screams and immediately felt full.  So much love in those itty bitty cries before I ever even laid eyes on him.  When she came around the curtain to show me him, I flashed back to visions of the same process with Addie.  Graham was Addie's twin at just minutes old.  The team cleaned him off and began working on me.  After what felt like 30 minutes, Rick finally walked over with Graham and showed him to me.  Graham had settled down and had his tongue hanging out of his mouth.
About 90 minutes after I walked into the OR, I was settled into recovery and had Graham wrapped up in my arms.  I was holding him so tightly and wanted to inspect him, cuddle him, and kiss him.  The nurse asked if I was going to nurse and I said yes so she told me to take down my gown and try it.  There was Graham again with his tongue hanging out of his mouth, completely ready.  I positioned him and immediately he latched. The kid was born to nurse it seemed.

With Addie, those first few days were brutal.  It was painful, frustrating and a little damaging.  After a couple weeks I didn't know how I'd make it running on empty, never getting more than 3 hours sleep.  Having a nasty infection from my c-section during week two causing me to pump and dump after I had just got my milk in.  Finally, we got into a rhythm and it was easy for us.

With Graham, things were different.  There wasn't pain or frustration in the process. I knew what I was doing and he knew what he was doing.  It made the world of difference.  He loved nursing so much that he'd pass out almost instantly after he began.  It was his soothing mechanism.  To this day, he still doesn't care of a pacifier but if I stop and nurse him, he calms immediately.  It's amazing.

I won't lie to you and say that during those first few months things weren't difficult.  He was nursing every 3 hours without fail through the day and night.  I wasn't getting a break and oftentimes he'd pass out and I'd have to wake him several times in the process.

After more than 7 months of nursing, he now takes 10 minutes tops to nurse.  He's fast but he's easily distracted.  Really, no one can make a sound or he stops nursing and bends over backwards to check it out.  He thrashes around while he nurses, kicking and flailing his arms.  He tries to grab my hair, he squeezes my boobs, he grunts.  I do a lot of wrestling in these sessions to keep him focused but he's amazing at it.

I'm so glad I've made it past 6 months.  My goal this time around was a year again which I won't be hitting.  Rick and I have plans to travel to California in September for a week and I honestly don't want to deal with pumping every 4 hours, storing that milk and then transporting it all back to Ohio.  Graham will be a couple weeks shy of 1 at that point so I'm more comfortable knowing how close we'll have made it.

This means I have about 4 months left of nursing so each day I'm cherishing those moments I spend wrestling Graham.  Enjoying when he's finished nursing and he pops off with milk running from his mouth as he smiles up at me.

-stephanie

Read about breastfeeding with Addie here and a couple months in with Graham here.

Vintage Airplane Baby Shower

One of my closest friends, Katie, is pregnant with her first child.  Her husband Nick and Rick grew up together since they were very young so when Katie and I came into the picture, we had to like each other.  We more than like each other, we were in each others weddings, she's helped host my baby showers and is Graham's godmother.  So when Mary and I got together to throw her a shower we knew it had to be something special.  The nursery theme is vintage airplane and I loved adding little touches of airplanes throughout the shower.

A bit of an Americana theme with the place settings and we had a small, intimate shower which was nice for chatting easily.  We added a potted spring plant to each setting as a takeaway for each of the girls.  You can't see them well but in the center of the table are miniature airplanes.  There in the background you can make out a tin vintage airplane sign I found on Amazon.  

The food we decided to serve was a light brunch which consisted of these fabulous and easy to make quiches.  One broccoli and one bacon.

These homemade cinnamon rolls were heaven.  Terribly bad for the waistline but we couldn't get enough of these.

To round out those sinful cinnamon rolls we had a fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, oranges, kiwis, and watermelon.  Perfection!

Tea and coffee were an option for each of our guests but we also wanted a fresh punch to drink as well.  This fun raspberry, lemonade was topped with fresh raspberries, lemons & mint.  We had champagne flutes prepared with a raspberry and a nice sparkling champagne for those who wanted a little booze for their morning. 

Ugh, that would be me.

Seriously, the first shower in a long time where I was able to drink champagne.

Mary put together the cute sign with various airplanes and strung it across her mantle with twine.

No shower is complete without a dessert to top it all off.  We didn't want to get a cake or anything too heavy since it was still fairly early and the cinnamon rolls were enough to put us all under.  We also didn't really want to make anything else so Mary picked up a few cute mini cupcakes along with some whoopee pies.  Because whoopee pies are super vintage, totally reminds me of the 50s.

Such a nice, intimate shower and was so relaxing.  I know Katie enjoyed how small and relaxed the shower was.  We've all been to showers that are big and can be a bit uncomfortable when you don't know all the guests.  It was easy for the hosts and easy for Katie.  

Now we just need to see baby C.

-stephanie

Graham & Sleep

Yea, those two words? They don't go together, like oil and vinegar.  I don't know what this kid has against sleep but he's certainly not a fan.  Since he was a baby he's been an inconsistent sleeper, day and night.  When I was on leave I wanted to get out of the house so badly and do fun stuff that Addie would enjoy but we were a bit limited because I didn't know what his schedule was going to be.  He'd wake after 20 minutes of sleeping.  A newborn.  Only 20 minutes?!

His sleep at night has been just as inconsistent.  One night he sleeps a 5 hour stretch and then a 3 hour stretch and the next he's up every 2 hours.  I can't figure him out at all. I've been asking other moms for their thoughts and they're all telling me it's the 4 month wakeful.  I'll be honest, I don't remember this with Addie but that could be because it happened and I was so sleep deprived that it's all a blur during that time.

I've read at 4 months, babies start developing sleep patterns which scares me because Graham is showing no patterns.  So is that his pattern?  Just randomly sleeping whenever he feels like it?  Over the weekends, I've started pushing for a longer morning nap since those are also not consistent and I feel like he's getting that down a bit.  By pushing I mean when he stirs and starts to fuss, I go back in his room and rock his rock n play until he settles back down.  I often have to do this 3 or 4 times but it seems to work.  In the afternoons though, you can forget it.

Some people suggest putting the babies down earlier at night, around 6 or 7, but to be honest, I never felt like this worked for us.  Partially because if I'm putting him down at 6, I get about an hour with him after work.  Plus if I put him down to bed at 7, he'd wake up at 10 and then again every 2 hours.

Someone please tell me it gets better.  Did any of you experience this 4 month wakeful?  How long does it last?  I'm in such a haze with this lack of sleep.

-stephanie

Breastfeeding: Round Two

Breastfeeding was never not an option for me.  I always knew I wanted to try it out for the health of my babies so we didn't have bottles or formula in the house.  It would have been to tempting at times to back out when breastfeeding got difficult and boy did it ever get difficult.

With Addie, it was painful and exhausting and after two weeks I got such a bad infection from my c-section that I had to go on antibiotics. The antibiotics I was on were ones that's I was unable to breastfeed on.  So for nearly 2 weeks I pumped and dumped.  If you've ever nursed before you know two things.  First, pumping at 2 weeks old and introducing formula can have a devastating impact to your supply and/or your babies ability to switch back to nursing.  Secondly, pumping and dumping for 2 weeks is a really difficult thing to do.  Whoever made that saying, "there's no use crying over spilled milk" never nursed.  That stuff is liquid gold!

I was able to get back at nursing with no issues.  Addie didn't have any nipple confusion and she nursed until she was 13 months old.  I can't believe I made it to 13 months.  It was exhausting and the pumping at work got old, but I kept at it and I enjoyed being able to feed her for such a long period of time.

When Graham was born, again, no questions, I was going to attempt nursing.  I was lucky enough to have zero issues nursing him.  In fact, he came out with his tongue jutting out of his mouth ready to nurse.  He latched quickly with no issues and has to this day enjoyed nursing, almost too much.  At 12 weeks old, he nurses every 2 hours during the day.  He's gaining weight like a tank.

I've been very lucky to have had two successful attempts at breastfeeding because I know not everyone has a path like mine.  My advice to any new moms is always to attempt to breastfeed.  You have to make the attempt for 4 solid weeks before you decide if it's not for you.  It can be a really stressful time and a you'll probably want to give up quickly but I've heard several instances where it seems nursing was given up pretty quickly.  Not everyone does, I realize, and sometimes there are issues with milk production.  I highly recommend speaking with a lactation consultant multiple times if needed before switching to formula.  If at that point you feel like you've given it all you can and used all your resources, then make the transition.  What's most important is that your baby is receiving proper nutrition and gaining weight but the one thing you don't want to do is regret ever trying.

It really can be the most beautiful thing.  I love when Graham pops off and looks up at me with milk running from his mouth and smiles a full smile at me.  It's amazing!

-stephanie

Baby Wearing Round Two

Having two children under 3 is challenging to say the least.  Leaving the house is near impossible.  Especially because Addie is a bolter and trying to hold a newborn and be able to move fast in case she decides to make her move, it's a lot.  So last time around I had 3 different types of baby wearing options.  I had the Ergo, the moby and this ring sling.

 

I'll be honest, the first time around I used each of them a handful of times and it's probably because I only had one child and the stroller worked just as easily.  This time around, for all the reasons listed above, I've gotten more use out of them.  I used the moby once with Graham and I like it, but it takes a little bit of time to get right.  With Addie tagging along, it's really not the best option for us.  

The Ergo has gotten the most use thus far. It's really easy just to pop it on and go which is probably why we're getting the most use out of it. In fact, Rick rocked the Ergo at IKEA this weekend.  It was heaven to have him wear it and let me run around and do the shopping.  I love the Ergo.

Lastly, the ring sling pictured above is one that I used last week around the house because Graham just would not sleep.  He loved it and immediately passed out.  He slept in that for 2.5 hours!

Baby wearing is such a great alternative to strollers and is especially helpful when you're out at a festival where strollers might be more difficult to manage.  Do you have another option you like?  I'd love to hear about it.

-stephanie

PS.  Don't forget to enter the Made with Love giveaway here.

A Baby Sprinkle!

This weekend, two of my best friends threw me a small intimate "sprinkle" for the new baby. It was a brunch style party with about 10 people and was absolutely perfect!

The menu was lemon poppyseed & blueberry muffins, broccoli quiche & bacon quiche, and fruit salad.

For drinks there was juice, water, tea, coffee and a raspberry lemonade punch.

I love the little blocks!

How cute are the cupcakes that we had for dessert.  I'm still working on those!

A lot of really great gifts!

These flowers were gorgeous.  I don't know the name but I loved them!

I hate opening gifts in front of people.  It's too much attention directed right at me.

Especially when no one is really talking.  Just me opening gifts.

Check out the size of those cankles.

I think everyone really enjoyed shopping for this sprinkle.

How much does a second time mom really need?  Not much, so everyone got to shop for really cute clothes.

Let's face it, that's what we all like to buy for new parents.

I loved this.  It's a little big for this season but he'll be wearing it next year!

Even my little Addie got a gift!

She got books, playdoh, and lots of clothes & jammies.

She looks like such a little girl here!

And rotten here.

And to sum it all up...

It was such a nice party and I enjoyed hanging out with friends and family that day.  I can't believe we're now under the 30 day mark and he'll be here before we know it!

-stephanie

Baby Shower: Brunch Style

Last week I told you about the larger baby shower that was thrown for Mary's bundle of joy, Liam, with the children's book theme.  My friend Katie and I decided to throw a small shower for Mary with our close girlfriends.  Katie and Mary threw my couples shower with all of our friends so I knew I wanted to throw Mary something equally as nice.  Knowing Mary's style, we wanted to keep it small and intimate while also doing a brunch versus the bigger party style food.  We started planning the shower around this great invitation I found on Pinterest.  I recreated it in Photoshop.

Katie's sister is pretty good in the arts area so when we found a similar pin on Pinterest to our chalkboard below, we knew we needed her help.  I love how the menu board turned out!

The table was set with mason jars with each girls name on it along with OJ, cranberry & champagne!

The food was amazing if I do say so myself!  Fruit & granola parfaits, roasted potatoes, sausage, egg & cheese bake...

And my favorite, the cinnamon roll french toast!

Yes that is icing all over the french toast!

After breakfast was present opening...

Lots of great Ohio State gear...

Just before leaving we were able to get a cute shot of Mary's bump and our friend Lindsey's bump.

Lindsey has an almost 2 year old who will marry Addie when they're older.   Baby Liam and Lindsey's daughter (due just a few weeks after Mary) have been arranged already!

Katie and I made macarons for the shower to do something a bit nontraditional   I failed to get a shot before we all started digging in.  They were still amazing.

On the way out each girl got to take a mug with their initial on it.  This was a DIY project that was super easy and well worth the time!

And just for fun, a shot of the new mommy with me and Katie.  Being super cute!

It was such a nice relaxing shower and I'm so happy we did a small intimate shower with the girls.

-stephanie

Baby Shower: Children's Book Theme

I've mentioned a time or two that my friend Mary is pregnant with her first child so I got to participate in her baby shower planning.  Her mother, aunt, sister and I got together to plan out what we wanted to do.  Since Mary is having a boy we wanted to make sure the theme wasn't girly but still wanted something cute and fun.  We decided on the children's book theme.

The Rainbow Fish and our food was non other than rainbow fish!

Mr. Potato Head was hanging around the potato chips.

Cookies for the attendees with the book, If you Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Our drink station, wine, water, and some fun blue pop.  You can't see it but there's a book on the window sill called, Mommy's Favorite Juice.  :)

Cheese & Fruit platter with the book, The Stinky Cheeseman.  

Somehow I missed the other portions of our food options.  Mac & Cheese which went along with The Stinky Cheeseman.  We also did the book, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and accompanied that with Buffalo Meatballs.  As well as pulled pork & pulled chicken with The Three Little Pigs.

Probably my favorite station was the rootbeer float station.  We paired this one with What Little Boys are Made Of.

They were perfect!

We had The Very Hungry Caterpillar along with some cute bite sized cupcakes.

Goodnight Moon was our goodbye and thanks for coming!  Who doesn't love a Moon Pie?

I made the diaper cake.  My first ever but I think it turned out well for my first.

Mary received a lot of great gifts from family and friends.

And for fun, we played one game.  The poopy diaper game.  This is the best.  You take 4 diapers and 4 candy bars.  Melt down the candy bars and spread each one into the diaper.  Your guests have to inspect, smell, etc until they can figure out which candy bar is in each diaper.  I love this picture!

We had such a good time.  Great food, drinks and fun and we set Mary up nicely for little Liam's arrival!

-stephanie