Ingredients:
2 15oz cans of garbanzo beans
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 tspn cumin
1 tspn curry powder (recipe called for tumeric - I was out)
1 tspn salt
1 tspn black pepper
1 tbsn dried minced onion
1 tbsn dried diced parsley
2 tbsn lemon juice
1/2 tspn cayenne pepper
1/3 cup flour
0. Preheat oven to 400F
1. Drain garbanzo beans well.
2. Combine ALL ingredients except flour in a food processor or a bowl until mashed.
3. Add flour and process/stir until batter is uniform. (batter can be saved in the fridge for about a week, but there's not a whole lot, so why?)
4. Roll batter into balls (maybe about the size of a half dollar?) and place slightly flattened onto a baking pan lined with silpat.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes. They will be golden brown.
Serve in a pita with fresh veggies and Cucumber Yogurt Dressing.
Cucumber Yogurt Dressing:
1/2 c fat free plain yogurt
1/4 c diced and seeded cucumber
1/8 c onion
1 tspn lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Chill until ready to serve falafel.
This was very yummy. I skipped the onion in the dressing though.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Yeast Rolls/Kolaches
This is a hack from a Paula Dean recipe. I've of course, improved it. I also used my Kitchen Aid mixer, but a bowl would be just fine.
Ingredients:
3 c all purpose flour (recipe called for 2 to 2-1/2c - Not enough.), divided
4T sugar (recipe called for 2. NOT ENOUGH!)
1tspn salt
1 envelope Yeast
1/2c milk (I used whole organic w/DHA)
1/4c water
1/2 c butter or margarine (recipe called for 2T, I say that's not enough!)
Directions
0. Start about 2-3 cups of water in a pot or tea kettle on the stove to boil.
1. Mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt, and undissolved yeast.
2. Heat milk, water and butter to 120° - 130°F.
(I did this in the microwave in three separate containers, didn't take the temperature just checked if they were hot and added them in one at a time, mixing in between.)
3. Gradually add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer.
4. Add 1/4 cup flour. Beat at high speed of electric mixer 2 minutes.
5. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
(I think I stirred in about 2 more cups about a half a cup at a time.)
6. On floured surface knead 2 to 3 minutes.
The dough will be warm. I added at least another 1/4-1/2 cup of flour here.
7. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.
For ROLLS: Shape into balls. Place in greased 8-inch round pan or ungreased silpat. Cover.
(With what? I don't know. Other recipes have said plastic wrap. I'll go with that.)
For Kolaches: Flatten each piece and wrap around sausage. (I used Ekrich's Cheese Sausages) Lay evenly apart on a flat pan covered in silpat. (I used 2 pans, and I probably should have covered. Forgot.)
8. Pour a 1-inch depth of boiling water into large pan on bottom rack of cold oven.
(I used a glass casserole dish.)
9. Set rolls on rack above water. Close oven door; let rise 30 minutes. Uncover rolls; remove pan of water.
10. Turn oven to 375°F. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until done. Remove from pan. Serve warm.
These were GOOOD.
Ingredients:
3 c all purpose flour (recipe called for 2 to 2-1/2c - Not enough.), divided
4T sugar (recipe called for 2. NOT ENOUGH!)
1tspn salt
1 envelope Yeast
1/2c milk (I used whole organic w/DHA)
1/4c water
1/2 c butter or margarine (recipe called for 2T, I say that's not enough!)
Directions
0. Start about 2-3 cups of water in a pot or tea kettle on the stove to boil.
1. Mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt, and undissolved yeast.
2. Heat milk, water and butter to 120° - 130°F.
(I did this in the microwave in three separate containers, didn't take the temperature just checked if they were hot and added them in one at a time, mixing in between.)
3. Gradually add to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer.
4. Add 1/4 cup flour. Beat at high speed of electric mixer 2 minutes.
5. Stir in enough additional flour to make a soft dough.
(I think I stirred in about 2 more cups about a half a cup at a time.)
6. On floured surface knead 2 to 3 minutes.
The dough will be warm. I added at least another 1/4-1/2 cup of flour here.
7. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces.
For ROLLS: Shape into balls. Place in greased 8-inch round pan or ungreased silpat. Cover.
(With what? I don't know. Other recipes have said plastic wrap. I'll go with that.)
For Kolaches: Flatten each piece and wrap around sausage. (I used Ekrich's Cheese Sausages) Lay evenly apart on a flat pan covered in silpat. (I used 2 pans, and I probably should have covered. Forgot.)
8. Pour a 1-inch depth of boiling water into large pan on bottom rack of cold oven.
(I used a glass casserole dish.)
9. Set rolls on rack above water. Close oven door; let rise 30 minutes. Uncover rolls; remove pan of water.
10. Turn oven to 375°F. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until done. Remove from pan. Serve warm.
These were GOOOD.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
So, I skipped September...
I've been busy. Let's head back to September...
The day after Labor Day this year, 12 weeks to the day that I had my daughter, I headed back to work. I was definitely less than thrilled, and oddly though I Exclusively Pump, I walked out the door that morning without my pump in hand. And so, I was late my first day.
The landscape of my team changed quite a bit in the 12 weeks that I was gone. The greater landscape of the account team that I'm a part of changed drastically as well. Finally, there are new changes that are on the horizon. I'm hoping for its for the better.
But the big news...we closed on a new home yesterday. On our road trip, we had the opportunity to be in an enclosed space and just talk. My main problem was with the storage unit that we'd been renting for a year. I wanted to stop paying for it and so the challenge was out there: either we invest in a shed, or we're out of this house in a year or less.
Our new home has two master bedrooms. One on the first floor, which is huge and a second on the second floor which is also huge and very private. Two other bedrooms round out the first floor - one for each of the girls. There is also a shed in the back yard, so our space issues have been solved.
Now our main concerns in the coming weeks are fixing up our current home to get it ready to sell, and moving. In the past few weeks, our current home has had foundation repair, a new air conditioning unit installed, and we're planning on increasing insulation, fixing cracks in the walls and cleaning the carpets. I'm not sure how much we'll be able to create a lot of curb appeal, but we've been watching a lot of HGTV, so hopefully we'll get it right the first time, as it is my goal to have this house sold by the end of the year.
Thankfully we're not carrying a mortgage on our current home, so we have a little bit of time to get it ready. And down the line, ideally, we would refinance in order to get a better mortgage payment once we have a bigger lump sum with which to work with.
As for moving, we have been collecting boxes from grocery and liquor stores since our offer was accepted and all the paperwork was turned into the lender. My husband has been packing a little bit each day, and we have two rooms full of boxes ready to go. Go him! We're planning on making the "big" move at the end of this month.
Baby updates:
Em is now 4 months old. Unbelievable. We are delaying and staggering her shots. At two months, she received her first DTaP and IPV. At three she was supposed to have PCV and HiB. After rescheduling three times due to vaccine backorder, we just skipped it. This past Monday, she received her second DTaP and IPV, and we will try for her first PCV and HiB next month.
As of Monday, she weighed in at 13lb 9oz and was 25 inches long. She is now attempting to sit up on her own, and carries on conversations with us, her mobile, the walls...Tummy time is less unhappy for her. She loves to laugh and "dance". She and Daddy have a great time during the day while Mom's at work.
The best news is that she started sleeping through the night all on her own a week before I went back to work. She goes down at 11 pm and is back up again at 9ish the next day. Perfect!
Next post - how we moved with a baby - OUR way.
The day after Labor Day this year, 12 weeks to the day that I had my daughter, I headed back to work. I was definitely less than thrilled, and oddly though I Exclusively Pump, I walked out the door that morning without my pump in hand. And so, I was late my first day.
The landscape of my team changed quite a bit in the 12 weeks that I was gone. The greater landscape of the account team that I'm a part of changed drastically as well. Finally, there are new changes that are on the horizon. I'm hoping for its for the better.
But the big news...we closed on a new home yesterday. On our road trip, we had the opportunity to be in an enclosed space and just talk. My main problem was with the storage unit that we'd been renting for a year. I wanted to stop paying for it and so the challenge was out there: either we invest in a shed, or we're out of this house in a year or less.
Our new home has two master bedrooms. One on the first floor, which is huge and a second on the second floor which is also huge and very private. Two other bedrooms round out the first floor - one for each of the girls. There is also a shed in the back yard, so our space issues have been solved.
Now our main concerns in the coming weeks are fixing up our current home to get it ready to sell, and moving. In the past few weeks, our current home has had foundation repair, a new air conditioning unit installed, and we're planning on increasing insulation, fixing cracks in the walls and cleaning the carpets. I'm not sure how much we'll be able to create a lot of curb appeal, but we've been watching a lot of HGTV, so hopefully we'll get it right the first time, as it is my goal to have this house sold by the end of the year.
Thankfully we're not carrying a mortgage on our current home, so we have a little bit of time to get it ready. And down the line, ideally, we would refinance in order to get a better mortgage payment once we have a bigger lump sum with which to work with.
As for moving, we have been collecting boxes from grocery and liquor stores since our offer was accepted and all the paperwork was turned into the lender. My husband has been packing a little bit each day, and we have two rooms full of boxes ready to go. Go him! We're planning on making the "big" move at the end of this month.
Baby updates:
Em is now 4 months old. Unbelievable. We are delaying and staggering her shots. At two months, she received her first DTaP and IPV. At three she was supposed to have PCV and HiB. After rescheduling three times due to vaccine backorder, we just skipped it. This past Monday, she received her second DTaP and IPV, and we will try for her first PCV and HiB next month.
As of Monday, she weighed in at 13lb 9oz and was 25 inches long. She is now attempting to sit up on her own, and carries on conversations with us, her mobile, the walls...Tummy time is less unhappy for her. She loves to laugh and "dance". She and Daddy have a great time during the day while Mom's at work.
The best news is that she started sleeping through the night all on her own a week before I went back to work. She goes down at 11 pm and is back up again at 9ish the next day. Perfect!
Next post - how we moved with a baby - OUR way.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Road Trip Tips + Baby Update
Road Trip Tips and Upcoming Flight Plans (with links)
1. Don't bring the stroller unless you're sure you're going to use it. We used it once, and we didn't really even need to use it then. It took up a lot of room that we could have used to...you know, see through the back window.
2. Stop to eat/feed at least an hour before your child's upper limit of going without eating. Ember can go up to 5 hours during the day without eating, if she's sleeping. She slept once the car hit 50 mph, and would wake up if the car slowed down only if she was hungry. We had a bad bout outside Chicago in traffic that we couldn't do anything about. It was like Speed. So we tried to not go more than 4 hours before we stopped to feed her. We took her out of her seat when we took her to eat so that she could stretch her legs as well. Last but not least, we fed her before we went anywhere, and as soon as we got to our destinations.
3. Don't try to save expressed milk unless you're staying with people the whole time. I pump. I have an overage of about 10oz a day. It KILLS me to think about dumping the overage ever. But, after a week on the road and stressing about freezers, the cooler and the icepacks, we hit a hotel without a fridge. Even though the description said that it could be requested for the room, we weren't going to be able to get one until the next day and the milk would be bad. So I dumped 50oz on the spot, and dropped the number of pumps a day to reduce the waste, and still dumped about 5-6oz a day. A week after our return, I've almost returned to my normal production.
4. Bring double of what you need for the baby unless you have access to a washing machine, and skip bringing a load of toys. Also, a small baby does not need a pack and play to go anywhere - the Eddie Bauer Travel Bed was just fine. Pack light. Nuff said.
5. As for changing, she isn't too fussy about having a full diaper, so we changed her every time we fed her. Always before, and sometimes after if we were reasonably sure she'd filled her diaper during the stop, and made liberal use of diaper rash cream to curb any rashes if we saw them beginning. I brought along a pack of diapers for the trip going, and my friend in CT had another pack on hand, so we had enough for the journey home. DO pack a changing pad. I'm not comfortable (yet) changing in a parked car, so it was invaluable for changing in places with iffy cleanliness or no changing table at all.
I'm planning on flying back to NY for a week with just myself and Miss Em next spring. I've already purchased (at a STEAL!), the Kelty Kids Kangaroo Child Carrier on Ebay. I'm planning on purchasing the Sunshine Kids Travel Bag to carry her carseat, as I'll be renting a car, but will be traveling with her in my lap on the plane. Add to that the Eagle Creek Pack Folder and the MSR Pack Towel which my very thoughtful husband purchased for me after reading about how much I coveted them on my blog, and all I'll need to pack is a small duffel bag for the two of us. I'm pretty excited. I'll of course let folks know how well that went, along with product reviews.
Baby Updates: Growth, Milestones & Shots
Miss Em is now 9 weeks old today. I can NOT believe it. She now weighs 11 lbs and is almost 2 feet tall. She loves to sit and stand (with assistance) and grins a whole lot. She LOVES her Bumbo. Those things are hit or miss according to the reviews. In this house, its a hit. My parents are both waiting to see when she'll walk, as according to them, I REALLY walked (instead of scooting, etc.) when I was 8 months old. She tries to laugh, and her baby talk is now multi-syllabic.
She had her first shots ever yesterday. I was pretty sad about that, but I know she needs them. We're staggering some, and delaying others, and her pediatrician's office is cool with that. Sure, we'll be paying more for co-pays, but I would much rather pay more money and not pay with her health. She was pretty good about the shots. A few shouts of protest, and it was all over and forgotten. The nurse was surprised at how quickly she quieted. Her only reactions to her shots were a very low fever (it got as high as 99.2) and she's a little sleepier than usual.
As most of you know, I'm normally a platelet donor. Since I found out I was pregnant, and am now exclusively pumping, I have not been able to donate. But, as I mentioned earlier, I have about a 10oz overage of milk a day. Em takes in about 20-22oz a day, and I produce ~32oz and even had a day when I had 40oz. Today, I donated 250oz to Mother's Milk Bank of North Texas. That's over two gallons. I still have about 30oz in the freezer, and 10oz in the fridge. I love being able to help other moms, I really feel good that its not going to waste, and I will continue to donate as long as I can.
1. Don't bring the stroller unless you're sure you're going to use it. We used it once, and we didn't really even need to use it then. It took up a lot of room that we could have used to...you know, see through the back window.
2. Stop to eat/feed at least an hour before your child's upper limit of going without eating. Ember can go up to 5 hours during the day without eating, if she's sleeping. She slept once the car hit 50 mph, and would wake up if the car slowed down only if she was hungry. We had a bad bout outside Chicago in traffic that we couldn't do anything about. It was like Speed. So we tried to not go more than 4 hours before we stopped to feed her. We took her out of her seat when we took her to eat so that she could stretch her legs as well. Last but not least, we fed her before we went anywhere, and as soon as we got to our destinations.
3. Don't try to save expressed milk unless you're staying with people the whole time. I pump. I have an overage of about 10oz a day. It KILLS me to think about dumping the overage ever. But, after a week on the road and stressing about freezers, the cooler and the icepacks, we hit a hotel without a fridge. Even though the description said that it could be requested for the room, we weren't going to be able to get one until the next day and the milk would be bad. So I dumped 50oz on the spot, and dropped the number of pumps a day to reduce the waste, and still dumped about 5-6oz a day. A week after our return, I've almost returned to my normal production.
4. Bring double of what you need for the baby unless you have access to a washing machine, and skip bringing a load of toys. Also, a small baby does not need a pack and play to go anywhere - the Eddie Bauer Travel Bed was just fine. Pack light. Nuff said.
5. As for changing, she isn't too fussy about having a full diaper, so we changed her every time we fed her. Always before, and sometimes after if we were reasonably sure she'd filled her diaper during the stop, and made liberal use of diaper rash cream to curb any rashes if we saw them beginning. I brought along a pack of diapers for the trip going, and my friend in CT had another pack on hand, so we had enough for the journey home. DO pack a changing pad. I'm not comfortable (yet) changing in a parked car, so it was invaluable for changing in places with iffy cleanliness or no changing table at all.
I'm planning on flying back to NY for a week with just myself and Miss Em next spring. I've already purchased (at a STEAL!), the Kelty Kids Kangaroo Child Carrier on Ebay. I'm planning on purchasing the Sunshine Kids Travel Bag to carry her carseat, as I'll be renting a car, but will be traveling with her in my lap on the plane. Add to that the Eagle Creek Pack Folder and the MSR Pack Towel which my very thoughtful husband purchased for me after reading about how much I coveted them on my blog, and all I'll need to pack is a small duffel bag for the two of us. I'm pretty excited. I'll of course let folks know how well that went, along with product reviews.
Baby Updates: Growth, Milestones & Shots
Miss Em is now 9 weeks old today. I can NOT believe it. She now weighs 11 lbs and is almost 2 feet tall. She loves to sit and stand (with assistance) and grins a whole lot. She LOVES her Bumbo. Those things are hit or miss according to the reviews. In this house, its a hit. My parents are both waiting to see when she'll walk, as according to them, I REALLY walked (instead of scooting, etc.) when I was 8 months old. She tries to laugh, and her baby talk is now multi-syllabic.
She had her first shots ever yesterday. I was pretty sad about that, but I know she needs them. We're staggering some, and delaying others, and her pediatrician's office is cool with that. Sure, we'll be paying more for co-pays, but I would much rather pay more money and not pay with her health. She was pretty good about the shots. A few shouts of protest, and it was all over and forgotten. The nurse was surprised at how quickly she quieted. Her only reactions to her shots were a very low fever (it got as high as 99.2) and she's a little sleepier than usual.
As most of you know, I'm normally a platelet donor. Since I found out I was pregnant, and am now exclusively pumping, I have not been able to donate. But, as I mentioned earlier, I have about a 10oz overage of milk a day. Em takes in about 20-22oz a day, and I produce ~32oz and even had a day when I had 40oz. Today, I donated 250oz to Mother's Milk Bank of North Texas. That's over two gallons. I still have about 30oz in the freezer, and 10oz in the fridge. I love being able to help other moms, I really feel good that its not going to waste, and I will continue to donate as long as I can.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Twelve weeks of maternity leave + new baby = Two Week Road Trip
When else would we have this kind of time?
I suppose the crunchy thing to do would be to teleconference so that relatives could see the baby "live", but as we're not crunchy around these here parts, we are gassing up and taking our brand new crossover from our location in the DFW area to five destinations in the midwest and northeast.
This isn't our first large road trip. We've done a 4-day weekend one with just my husband and I up to St. Louis, MO, with a one-day side trip to a town right across the river from Louisville, KY. Then, my husband, stepdaughter and I "toured" the midwest in about 9 days - that same town near KY, then north to South Bend, west to Wisconsin, then back to Indiana for a show by one of our favorite bands and back home again. My '97 Corolla was our trusty steed for both of those.
Then last year, as we'd promised the kid that we'd take her to Disneyworld (she was 12 at the time), we hit the road this time with my brother in law along for the ride as well. This trip took us a week. And though the ride was 17 hours both ways, we did it both times in a straight shot with just bathroom/drink/meal stops along the way. The 2006 Corolla did us proud, though the kid and my BIL could have stood to have more room in the backseat.
Now, with baby and the kid in tow, we will be hitting a town outside of Nashville, that same town in southern Indiana, a suburb of Chicago and then on to NY and CT. We will be showing off the baby, obviously. This trip will take us 12-13 days, and we will need to meet the kid's mother at the end of it in Kentucky for the family road trip that she planned with the kid's aunt and grandmother.
Our crossover has real room for seven people, but since there will only be four of us, the third row will be folded to accomodate our trip supplies as well as clockworks for the grandfather clock my dad gave me that we'll be picking up in Illinois, and an Exersaucer that my best friend in Connecticut picked up for free for the baby.
We're already exhausted at the prospect of being on the road for that long. But, how do you pack lightly while still preparing for every eventuality with the baby?
Here are some sites that I consulted so that we can fit it all in:
Unclutterer
Travelite FAQ
The Four Hour Workweek's Guide to Traveling the World in 10lbs or Less
Onebag
I covet the Eagle Creek Pack-it Folders, and the the MSR Packtowel, but I have yet to actually purchase any. Perhaps for that European tour I've always wanted to go on. Incidentally, that would include England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Greece. Someday, I will have two months to set aside to do such a thing.
For road tripping with a baby, I found these helpful articles from:
Just Mommies
About.com
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
For the Smidget, I have already packed clothes, and will be using the large diaper bag for her toiletries, and her toys. A smaller diaper bag will be with me always in the large tote which I purchased from Old Navy that will be doubling as my purse. Hopefully, that is all we'll need for her.
I've got the packing list, and we leave on Tuesday July 22, and will return on Sunday August 3 or Monday August 4. A post-mortem and an update from the Smidget's 6-week and 2-month doctor's appointments will come soon thereafter.
I suppose the crunchy thing to do would be to teleconference so that relatives could see the baby "live", but as we're not crunchy around these here parts, we are gassing up and taking our brand new crossover from our location in the DFW area to five destinations in the midwest and northeast.
This isn't our first large road trip. We've done a 4-day weekend one with just my husband and I up to St. Louis, MO, with a one-day side trip to a town right across the river from Louisville, KY. Then, my husband, stepdaughter and I "toured" the midwest in about 9 days - that same town near KY, then north to South Bend, west to Wisconsin, then back to Indiana for a show by one of our favorite bands and back home again. My '97 Corolla was our trusty steed for both of those.
Then last year, as we'd promised the kid that we'd take her to Disneyworld (she was 12 at the time), we hit the road this time with my brother in law along for the ride as well. This trip took us a week. And though the ride was 17 hours both ways, we did it both times in a straight shot with just bathroom/drink/meal stops along the way. The 2006 Corolla did us proud, though the kid and my BIL could have stood to have more room in the backseat.
Now, with baby and the kid in tow, we will be hitting a town outside of Nashville, that same town in southern Indiana, a suburb of Chicago and then on to NY and CT. We will be showing off the baby, obviously. This trip will take us 12-13 days, and we will need to meet the kid's mother at the end of it in Kentucky for the family road trip that she planned with the kid's aunt and grandmother.
Our crossover has real room for seven people, but since there will only be four of us, the third row will be folded to accomodate our trip supplies as well as clockworks for the grandfather clock my dad gave me that we'll be picking up in Illinois, and an Exersaucer that my best friend in Connecticut picked up for free for the baby.
We're already exhausted at the prospect of being on the road for that long. But, how do you pack lightly while still preparing for every eventuality with the baby?
Here are some sites that I consulted so that we can fit it all in:
Unclutterer
Travelite FAQ
The Four Hour Workweek's Guide to Traveling the World in 10lbs or Less
Onebag
I covet the Eagle Creek Pack-it Folders, and the the MSR Packtowel, but I have yet to actually purchase any. Perhaps for that European tour I've always wanted to go on. Incidentally, that would include England, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Greece. Someday, I will have two months to set aside to do such a thing.
For road tripping with a baby, I found these helpful articles from:
Just Mommies
About.com
the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
For the Smidget, I have already packed clothes, and will be using the large diaper bag for her toiletries, and her toys. A smaller diaper bag will be with me always in the large tote which I purchased from Old Navy that will be doubling as my purse. Hopefully, that is all we'll need for her.
I've got the packing list, and we leave on Tuesday July 22, and will return on Sunday August 3 or Monday August 4. A post-mortem and an update from the Smidget's 6-week and 2-month doctor's appointments will come soon thereafter.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Two Week Checkup
Two week checkup:
Height: 20.5" (Growth: 1")
Weight: 7lbs 6oz (Gain: 1lb 4oz from last checkup; 9oz from birthweight)
Head: 13.75" (Growth: 3/4")
Head and weight are in the 10th percentile for her age, but for her height, she's in the 25th. Doc said she's just skinny, but perfectly normal. She lost her stump last night, and we're attempting to hunt down some neosporin in the house for the redder areas. Doc prescribed some saline drops as she's been a little congested. Got to love going from a sterile environment of the womb to atmospheric pollution.
After some careful thought, and repeated tries to the contrary, I've decided to stop trying to breastfeed "from the tap". We saw a lactation consultant last Thursday, and we fixed the latching issue we were having. However, I suspect the week and a half on bottles with pumped milk has caused Em to be a bit of a lazy nurser - its harder to get food from the tap than it is to get from even the "slow flow" nipples for bottles.
It was taking up to an hour to feed her, due to still working on the latch and sticking with it long enough to get the juices flowing, and trying to calm the already frantic baby who is too young to understand sticking with it, and keeping her hands and arms out of the way so that she CAN stick with it. Once the hour was up and she seemed done, putting her down proved that she was still hungry, but completely uninterested in the tap, to the point of screaming at the top of her little lungs while I desperately tried to pump enough to satisfy her hunger. After that, she was content, but all of the activity kept her so riled up that she wasn't going back to sleep. Once she was finally asleep, there would be an hour or less before she would wake up for her next feeding.
I know I can continue to try, but it is exhausting for her, and draining, both physically and emotionally for me. And because we had a few good sessions (45 minutes, full & satisfied, off to sleep immediately) mixed in with the bad, I kept trying. But, I've reasoned that she has the rest of her life to fight for things...she shouldn't have to fight to eat at this age, even sometimes. So, despite hating having to pump, and deal with the mess of bottles, etc., I've decided that its well worth it for both of us for me to pump, and give her what she needs when she needs it, and have a happier baby, and a less stressed out momma.
I'd rather spend some of my time pumping and cleaning, to be able to feed my baby calmly, know how much she's taking in, and cuddle with her and enjoy her once she's done. Even a few days of obsessing over whether she was eating enough, calming her down when she was freaking out over being hungry, and then attempting to coax her to sleep was too much for both of us. I hated feeling guilty about watching her wake up happy and ready to eat, because I knew that before she went to sleep, that there would be a battle, and my happy baby would be nowhere to be found until she woke up again. I felt like we should be on the cover of "Better Baby Torture Through Breastfeeding Monthly".
We've hit a growth spurt, so she's woken up hungry a couple of times before I expected it, but having a bottle with breastmilk ready to go helped tremendously. It seems contradictory, as breastmilk is the ultimate "ready to go" food. But because of all of our troubles, it just isn't, and its hard to watch my poor girl try desperately to eat and not feel guilty about making the both of us go through so much to get it done, when I know I could have just had a bottle ready. But, I know that in a pinch, we CAN nurse, so I don't have any more anxiety about being caught without a bottle on hand.
My supply is great, and I refuse to feel guilty about pumping, instead of continuing to push the breastfeeding issue. Nothing a lactation consultant can say or do will fix the problems we were having, and all I'd get from one is "just keep trying". I'm grateful for the help that we did get, because it was invaluable and I wish we could have gotten a better start, so that it could be easier on both of us for her to get her meals on tap, but she's still getting the good stuff, and we're both enjoying each other tremendously, and that's all I ever wanted.
So, to sum it up, we're doing well. Baby is healthy and happy. Mom is considerably less stressed after making a hard non-crunchy decision, and is thus healthy and happy. Dad is doing well and is currently asleep as he took the overnight shift last night, and so is also healthy and happy.
Height: 20.5" (Growth: 1")
Weight: 7lbs 6oz (Gain: 1lb 4oz from last checkup; 9oz from birthweight)
Head: 13.75" (Growth: 3/4")
Head and weight are in the 10th percentile for her age, but for her height, she's in the 25th. Doc said she's just skinny, but perfectly normal. She lost her stump last night, and we're attempting to hunt down some neosporin in the house for the redder areas. Doc prescribed some saline drops as she's been a little congested. Got to love going from a sterile environment of the womb to atmospheric pollution.
After some careful thought, and repeated tries to the contrary, I've decided to stop trying to breastfeed "from the tap". We saw a lactation consultant last Thursday, and we fixed the latching issue we were having. However, I suspect the week and a half on bottles with pumped milk has caused Em to be a bit of a lazy nurser - its harder to get food from the tap than it is to get from even the "slow flow" nipples for bottles.
It was taking up to an hour to feed her, due to still working on the latch and sticking with it long enough to get the juices flowing, and trying to calm the already frantic baby who is too young to understand sticking with it, and keeping her hands and arms out of the way so that she CAN stick with it. Once the hour was up and she seemed done, putting her down proved that she was still hungry, but completely uninterested in the tap, to the point of screaming at the top of her little lungs while I desperately tried to pump enough to satisfy her hunger. After that, she was content, but all of the activity kept her so riled up that she wasn't going back to sleep. Once she was finally asleep, there would be an hour or less before she would wake up for her next feeding.
I know I can continue to try, but it is exhausting for her, and draining, both physically and emotionally for me. And because we had a few good sessions (45 minutes, full & satisfied, off to sleep immediately) mixed in with the bad, I kept trying. But, I've reasoned that she has the rest of her life to fight for things...she shouldn't have to fight to eat at this age, even sometimes. So, despite hating having to pump, and deal with the mess of bottles, etc., I've decided that its well worth it for both of us for me to pump, and give her what she needs when she needs it, and have a happier baby, and a less stressed out momma.
I'd rather spend some of my time pumping and cleaning, to be able to feed my baby calmly, know how much she's taking in, and cuddle with her and enjoy her once she's done. Even a few days of obsessing over whether she was eating enough, calming her down when she was freaking out over being hungry, and then attempting to coax her to sleep was too much for both of us. I hated feeling guilty about watching her wake up happy and ready to eat, because I knew that before she went to sleep, that there would be a battle, and my happy baby would be nowhere to be found until she woke up again. I felt like we should be on the cover of "Better Baby Torture Through Breastfeeding Monthly".
We've hit a growth spurt, so she's woken up hungry a couple of times before I expected it, but having a bottle with breastmilk ready to go helped tremendously. It seems contradictory, as breastmilk is the ultimate "ready to go" food. But because of all of our troubles, it just isn't, and its hard to watch my poor girl try desperately to eat and not feel guilty about making the both of us go through so much to get it done, when I know I could have just had a bottle ready. But, I know that in a pinch, we CAN nurse, so I don't have any more anxiety about being caught without a bottle on hand.
My supply is great, and I refuse to feel guilty about pumping, instead of continuing to push the breastfeeding issue. Nothing a lactation consultant can say or do will fix the problems we were having, and all I'd get from one is "just keep trying". I'm grateful for the help that we did get, because it was invaluable and I wish we could have gotten a better start, so that it could be easier on both of us for her to get her meals on tap, but she's still getting the good stuff, and we're both enjoying each other tremendously, and that's all I ever wanted.
So, to sum it up, we're doing well. Baby is healthy and happy. Mom is considerably less stressed after making a hard non-crunchy decision, and is thus healthy and happy. Dad is doing well and is currently asleep as he took the overnight shift last night, and so is also healthy and happy.
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