Daddy

Can I just say how much I love this man? What an amazing daddy he is!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

So, we are leaving for Philadelphia in a couple days. No biggie, right? I've traveled all over the US many, many times in my life... but never like this.

This time, we have a baby.

Not just any baby - a newborn baby.

A newborn that CRIES!

I'm a little nervous about the whole stuck-in-a-plane-with-a-screaming-crying-baby-while-other-passengers-shoot-me-menacing-looks thing.

Not to mention toting all our CRAP through three airports. (In case any of you readers are not parents, having a baby automatically increases your amount of STUFF by ten. It's a law, I'm pretty sure.) We will have a stroller, carseat, suitcase, diaper bag, backpack, and carry-on to take. Oh, and don't forget the baby.

So keep your fingers crossed for us to make it through alive - I just hope the other passengers don't revolt and tie us up with duck tape halfway through the flight.

Worrywort

I think I should write a book. It will be called, "Things No One Ever Told You About Parenting".

Chapter One: Worrying.

I am worrier by nature. Even before becoming a mama, I planned and stressed and worried my way through life. Then, enter Baby Cole... and that amount of worrying is multiplied by a thousand!!

Let's face it, it kind of makes sense. I mean, all of a sudden I am responsible for a WHOLE ENTIRE LITTLE PERSON!!! And to make matters worse, this little person is entirely dependent on me for HIS ENTIRE EXISTENCE!!

No pressure or anything.

And you know what makes things worse? The internet. There will always be an opinion out there that will cause more worry. Is my baby having enough wet diapers? Is he gaining enough weight? Do I have enough milk? Is he sleeping enough? Is he sleeping too much? Everyone has a different opinion about what's right, what's ok and what's not.

I guess all there is to do is to take a deep breath and go with my maternal instincts... and keep our pediatrician on speed dial!

Dear Baby,

Dear Cole,

Next week we are going to Pennsylvania. I just can't wait for you to meet these wonderful people:

These beautiful people are your great-grandparents, Great-Grammy and Great-Grandpap. Your Great-Grammy is one of the most beautiful people, inside and out, that I will ever have the priviledge of knowing. She is kind and thoughtful and generous, but spunky and fun as well. She's the type of lady your Mama wants to be like! And your Great-Grandpap has an amazing sense of humor - but what I remember most about him is how well he treats your Great-Grammy and takes care of her with so much love. He is an excellent example to you of how you should always treat ladies in your life.


This lady here is your Great Grandma Barbara. She's so excited to meet you! I have a feeling the two of you will have a lot of fun together - she's the type of Grandma who will turn around on the highway to drive over the bumps in the road again (the ones that make your tummy tickle) just because you asked her to. She'll let you eat candy that will rot your teeth. She's got a special way of keeping a young outlook on life... I think the two of you will get along great!

Your daddy and I hope you always know and appreciate your extended family. We hope you know how fortunate you are to have so many loving generations in your young life. They have so much to teach you! We can't wait to see what special memories you will make with each of them.

Breastfeeding Post: Part 1

I optimistically named this post Part 1 in the hopes that I will soon write Part 2 with a much more positive ending.

My name is Mandy and I am a proud breastfeeding mama.

I am hugely passionate about breastfeeding - I hold completely with the belief that breast is best. I won't get started on all the benefits of breastfeeding (perfect nutrition for baby, healthier for mama, less expensive, more convenient, etc). Breastfeeding was one decision Chris and I were both adamant regarding: we would breastfeed exclusively for six months, and hopefully continue supplementing up until Cole was a year and half.

Then I actually started breastfeeding.

And OH MY GOSH the PAIN!!!!

We are talking crying screaming bleeding nipples I-would-almost-rather-go-through-labor-again-than-feed-my-son pain.

I got blisters on my nipples. Bleeding cracks the size of the Grand Canyon. Vivid dreams that my nipples fell off (which is not far from the truth).

It would take my mom and Chris together to force Cole onto my breast, amid many tears and screams on my part.

I called three different lactation consultants, and visited two more. I discussed my predicament with our pediatrician and called the nurses at the birthing center.

All to no avail... we are three weeks in, and breastfeeding still causes me so much pain I dread latching my baby on. I cry every single time, with each breast. And I don't know what to do. I have tried everything, because I want nothing more than to succeed at breastfeeding. I have taken breastfeeding classes and researched breastfeeding and followed every person's advice. But even as I am trying to stick it out, since many people tell me the pain will eventually stop, I am not sure how much longer I can put up with the torturous pain for eight hours every day.

Any words of advice? All I want is to feed my child without pain. I want so badly to enjoy this experience. Has anyone else had these troubles? I would love to hear anything you all have to say!

A story of an opinionated baby

Every day there is a new lesson Cole teaches me.

Today's Lesson: The Cardboard Box Phenomenon (PS: I don't think I have ever had to spell that word before in my life! hope I spelled it right)

You know how you will buy your kids the coolest, most awesome, fantastic, (and expensive!) toy in the store... and they will have a better time playing with the cardboard box the toy came in?

Yeah. Cole already does that.

We have no less than five (count 'em, FIVE) awesomely fantastic places for him to sleep. A beautiful basinette, an adorable Moses basket, a rocker, a travel bed, and a crib.

Guess where this little boy prefers to sleep?

No, not a cardboard box. I am not THAT bad of a parent. Although, I'm sure if I would let him sleep in a cardboard box, he would probably prefer that.

No, he sleeps in his carseat. The cheap carseat that was a hand-me-down from one of my best friends. It's not even NEW!!

Same goes for baby-wearing. We have two slings and a Baby Bjorn... and Cole only sleeps in his Moby wrap. No, not even a real Moby wrap - it's a long piece of fabric that I wrap around myself. A PIECE of FABRIC, people!!!!

Just goes to show you... simpler is almost always better - even for newborns!

And at least we know that if there is ever a car accident in our bedroom while Cole is sleeping, he will be safe and sound in his carseat.

Someone. Hurt. My. Baby.

Yesterday Cole had his three week check up at the pediatrician. He's gaining weight, grew an inch and impressed the doctor with his enormous strength.

But, he needed his PKU test done... which meant he needed blood drawn. Which meant he needed to be poked. Which meant he needed to BLEED!

I'll bet you can guess how I felt about that.

There is nothing worse than listening to your baby, your flesh and blood, sobbing hysterically from pain that someone inflicted on them.

Every nerve in my body was screaming "SOMEONE IS HURTING MY BABY! STOP THEM!"

I have to admit, as nice as the lab tech was, there was a split second when I considered tackling her to the ground so she would stop making my baby cry.

I'm sure this is just the beginning of overprotective mother syndrome. Can someone please tell me just how I'm supposed to deal with childhood bullies, the flu, the first girlfriend breakup? I never realized parents feel just as much pain as their children do!

I thought I was awfully prepared to be a parent... but every day I am surprised by just how unprepared I really was!