Family Update!

Whooo ok so I thought it was high time for a general family update!

Lots of different stuff so... the bulleted list!

• JOBS-  Ok I'm not sure if I mentioned this on here yet... but I do have a regular part-time teaching job now!  I'm teaching the three and four year old preschool classes at our church.  Pay is less than what I would make subbing regularly but it's STEADY work and I finally get to have my own classroom.  So yay!  Hubby still has his job with the medical supply company and it's going ok.  They've cut overtime and hired a 4th driver so he isn't making as much overtime as he was before (which we unfortunately had come to count on) so that hurts a bit BUT on the flip side it's nice having him home more.  He is always on the lookout for other opportunities though.  AND also I will be starting this Tuesday evening tutoring a 5th grade boy once a week.  I know him from subbing at his school so I think it will be great for both of us.  It'll be a little extra income too and I don't have to be away from my baby that much more (only an hour each week)
  
• FINANCES & WORKING TO BECOME DEBT FREE-  hoookay so I think I mentioned this once but we are doing Dave Ramsay's steps to financial freedom.  We haven't even gotten the first baby step BUT are working toward it.  We are currently trying to sell our Jeep.  Unfortunately at the moment it has been listed for a month and STILL hasn't sold.  We've dropped our price by $500 and still nothing.  So next week we are gonna offer bottom line (what we owe) on it and pray someone takes it!  If not then we are gonna have to figure out what else we can do to get our monthly payment down enough we can have some money left over after bills to actually save.  (We're exploring things like refinancing our current loan for a lower interest rate, possibly trading the Jeep on another vehicle and trying to get the payment down where we need it and then selling our Malibu, or even trading both the Jeep and Malibu for something...)  Anyway prayers in this matter for us are greatly appreciated!!!  I'm really anxious to "get the ball rolling" on our debt snowball so we can be DONE with debt, especially credit card debt!
  
• JACKSON'S FIRST BIRTHDAY is coming wayyy too soon for this mama!  I have started to plan his party though.  I'm going to be doing a couple YouTube vids about it (if I can find the time), but we have decided on a theme (Little Monsters), venue (we are cramming our family and close friends in our house), and date (the 23rd, Saturday after his birthday).  I'm planning on making the smash cake & cupcakes (note- PLANNING... will have to do a trial run beforehand) and doing $5 pizzas and finger foods.  Hoping to keep it low budget (after all, he doesn't really care-- it's basically for me lol!)  I have a board on Pinterest you can follow if you'd like to see my inspirations!
  
• FALL IS HERE!  My favorite season by far!  We are hoping to get away on a little weekend camping trip, either with my brother & his family or just the three of us at some point, just depends on money (blah).  Then we will have Jackson's first Halloween.  I am planning on taking him out in his costume with my nieces (though we won't be asking for any candy ;)).  Then the next thing you know his birthday & Thanksgiving will be here!  I love the Fall weather and pretty leaves... and the fact that it ends with my son's birthday just makes it all that much better!
  
• BABY #2.  Thought I might as well address that now since lots of people have asked me this.  Haha.  So no we are not currently trying for or hoping for another baby ;)  But yes we do want more kids.  Some days when I happen to see a newborn or when I realize how BIG Jackson is getting now, I can feel that baby fever start to creep up.  But then my common sense takes over and while we would welcome another baby if God decided we needed one now-- I would really like to wait a little longer.  Till Jackson is sleeping through the night would be nice for one, and also I think we need to be at least in a little better financial position than we are at the moment.  I'm not going to wait until we are debt free because honestly that's going to take us several years I'm sure.  But it would be good to wait until we are at least able to SAVE money for when I am off work-- because that's when we got into the most trouble with credit cards was when I was on maternity leave with Jackson.  So yeah I'd like to have enough saved up that it will cover my lack of income for at least 8 weeks.  But that being said we actually aren't doing a whole lot now to prevent pregnancy.  Despite breastfeeding, I still got my cycles back at 5 months postpartum (and I hadn't even started Jackson on solids yet at that time!  Lol I felt gipped!) I'm taking ovulation tests and we are trying to avoid my most fertile time (though my cycles are irregular now that I am nursing), and we are otherwise using a particular "method" that isn't exactly super effective.  So there is a chance I could get pregnant now but it's pretty low.  My original plan was to prevent until Jackson turns a year and then we would just not try but not prevent.  That's still the tentative plan but that may change.  I don't think we will be doing that whole "TTC" thing this time though.  We did that with Jackson and it took us a year to get pregnant and it was just stressful and such.  This time we plan to just quit preventing and then when it happens- it happens! 

Alright I think that's about it for this update!  Until later!

10 Months Old! Double digits!!!

Well Jackson has officially hit the double digits!  He's 10 months old!  Only TWO months away from his first birthday *tear*.  Anyway so here's all about Jackson at 10 months!

Weight/Length: About 22lbs, 28.5in long
Clothing Size: 12 months
Diaper Size:  Size 3
Feeding: Breastfeeding- still going great, usually nurses about 6 times a day, in the morning, before both naps, once in the evening about an hour before dinner, before bed, and then usually once or twice at night (I'm pretty sure nighttime nursing is just for comfort because it increases with teething and I don't think its very long-- I barely wake up).  Now that I am back to working, he takes breastmilk in a sippy cup or bottle twice during the day when I'm gone (about 4-5oz each time), and I pump once (with my double electric) and usually get 8-9oz so it balances out... now I do get a little supply dip the week or so before my period so I just try to pump on my days off to counter act that so I have enough milk for him during the day.
Solids- usually eats 3 meals a day. He eats mostly table food, just whatever we are having.  He still does get purees at times though, like if we are eating fast food or for whatever reason he isn't eating the same time as us.  He'll also have some snacks here and there-- usually when I'm fixing dinner or something. 
Milestones: Babbles/"Talks" constantly.  He's starting to understand that my husband is Dada and I am Mama which is awesome ;).  He can scoot/army crawl BACKWARDS but not forwards, which frustrates him to no end.  If we stand him up he will stand holding on to something (our hands, furniture, etc.) but he isn't actually crawling or pulling up/cruising just yet (which I am somewhat grateful for-- he's gonna be a handful when he is fully mobile!).  He has one tooth that's mostly all the way in and is now working on his second bottom tooth.  Teething is tough stuff!  He also has shown some separation anxiety lately when I've left him with my mom and gone to work.  He will cry after me (only for a few minutes though).  It makes leaving him hard!!!
Sleep: Nighttime sleep is really hit or miss lately, and I think that's due to the teething.  Some nights are great and he only wakes up once, others not so much.  On a good night though he will go to bed between 7:30-8 (moved up a bit due to him cutting out the third nap) and sleep till somewhere between 11-2 (yes, we made it to 2am one night!!!) and then he wakes up, I bring him to bed with us and nurse him back to sleep.  He will sometimes sleep through till 6-7am when he's ready to be up for the day or he will wake up around 4 then nurse back to sleep til 7 or so.  With teething though he wakes up more often and wants to nurse more so that's kind of a hassle but I don't mind TOO much seeing as how it's cause he's not feeling good.  We do give him Motrin sometimes and that helps.  Naps are usually good-- he usually takes two now, once in a while he'll still do the third but literally ONLY if we are in the car and he didn't nap great earlier that day.  He usually takes one at 10 and another between 2-2:30.  And they vary in length anywhere between 1-2.5 and a couple times up to 3 hours.  The three hour ones usually only happen if one of the naps gets cut short though ;)  He's a good napper though so no complaints here!  He nurses to sleep for me and for my mom and my husband will go to sleep after having a sippy or bottle of milk with just his paci and his little monkey lovey.
Likes/Dislikes:  They have been about the same as last month.  He really has taken a liking to toy cars (specifically turning them upside down to spin the wheels!) and "Little People" toys. 

Visiting with Cousins!

My cousin Stefani and her family came in from Europe for a visit the last three weeks (which is why I have been MIA on here)

We've been trying to fit in as much time together as we can!  So here are a few pics of our fun-- and there will be more later!  We also recorded a joint 10 month update of our boys (who are 6 days apart!) and hope to have that up here soon!

9 Months Old!

Wow time is flying-- I know I say that all the time but holy COW it really seems to be going even faster since Jackson hit 6 months.  And now here we are-- at 9 months.  He's been with us as long (well actually longer now) than he was in my belly!  He's also only THREE months away from turning a year old *sniff*.  Anyway, here's all about my little love bug at 9 months...

Weight/Length: 20lbs 12oz, 28 inches
Clothing Size: 12 months
Diaper Size:  Size 3
Feeding: Breastfeeding- still going great, nurses about 6 times in a 24hr period (those are good 5-10min sessions) and then occasionally he'll nurse a bit more here & there (more like snacks/comfort nursing, just a couple min)  He usually nurses when he wakes up in the morning, before his naps, once in the evening if he only takes 2 naps, and then before bed, and then 1 or 2 times at night.
Solids- usually eats 3 meals a day. He has mastered self-feeding so we are giving him lots more table food now. Usually I'll just cut up some pieces of whatever we are having.  He also gets purées still too depending on what is most convenient.
Milestones: Babbling TONS.  Says "mama" and "dada" (though I'm not sure he actually MEANS us), also says what we think is "Duke" (our dog-- it comes out more like "dut" though) lol.  He really wants to crawl but just hasn't figured it out yet.  He tries to scoot on his belly and gets mad cause he can't really get where he wants to go.  He "dances", bounces, and rocks while sitting.  He can stand if we help him.  One of the adorable things he has started doing lately is "sharing" his binky lol- he tries to put it in our mouths.  As of turning 9 mo he still doesn't have any teeth HOWEVER I can now feel/see one coming in!!!  I noticed the last couple days he was sleeping really restlessly at night, and sometimes during his naps too (which is unusual he normally is a great napper) and low and behold he finally has a tooth coming in!  It hasn't broke through yet but I look for it to very soon!
Sleep: Pretty good, we still parttime cosleep and I honestly don't see it changing anytime soon.  It works for us now.  We may try again to get him to sleep in his crib all night when he turns a year old but for now this setup works (albeit its a bit crowded).  Anyway he goes to bed around 8, sleeps till between 11-1, wakes up, nurses back to sleep in our bed where he stays the rest of the night.  Sometimes he will wake around 4 to nurse again (and goes right back to sleep) and a time or two he has slept straight through till when he's ready to be up for the day which is unfortunately lol, between 6:30 and 7. (I have no idea where he got his earlybird-ness cause I certainly am NOT)  Then he usually takes two 1 to 2 hour naps around 10am and 2pm.  Some days he will also take a third catnap around 5pm (but that's starting to fade out I think).
Likes/Dislikes:  He still likes pets/animals (especially our dogs), strings (like shoelaces or the straps on his high chair) and our iPhones. He also still likes the jumperoo. He loves to swing at the park and is a big fan of the water!  Dislikes include having something cool taken away from him and being alone.  Also something I haven't mentioned-- he doesn't like loud/sudden/strange noises and will get scared.

Completely Random Sort of Post

Ok so I have a few things floating around in my head so I figured why not do a random sort of post so hence- the bulleted list!

• Co-Sleeping transition... ok this one I'm calling on all mamas who might read this blog-- right now Jackson part time co-sleeps with us, has been since he was like 4-5mo.  Anyway he does pretty awesome his first stretch of sleep in his crib in his room- which usually goes from around 8 until 12-1.  (Sometimes he will wake up earlier but that's not the norm).  I have been trying to put him back to sleep and then transfer to his crib but then he'll sleep for an even shorter interval and then it goes that way until I give up.  Most of the time I just put him in our bed during that first nightwaking because well- it's easier and I'm tired.  If I do that, he usually just wakes one more time to nurse, typically around 4.  So the part-time cosleeping arrangement gets us the most sleep... but on the other hand, our queen size bed is pretty crowded, and I'd love to get him to sleep in his crib longer.  Anyone have any suggestions?  I've tried putting him down before he's fully asleep and have him fall asleep in his crib with me sitting nearby and he does ok but I don't really notice a difference in his wake up pattern as opposed to me nursing him all the way to sleep and then putting him down.  We HAVE tried the Ferber method (where you check on them every 5 minutes and increase the time til they eventually fall asleep) and that does NOT work, especially after a nightwaking.  I have a VERY stubborn little boy who will just get more and more hysterical until he's coughing and then is even harder to calm down.  (Not to mention it rips my heart out).  We only made it to a 15minute interval before I decided that was just not for us.  Anyway, any suggestions would be helpful if anyone has any! :)  I think if I could get him through that first night waking and sleeping until around 4 even I'd be a happy camper.  I wouldn't mind bringing him into our bed then and nursing and cuddling till morning.
• Makeup- yeah I need to go through my makeup drawer and throw out the crap I've had since high school.  And get some new stuff.  Recommendations on a good (cheap) foundation?  I don't like a very heavy feeling one, but I'd like to be able to have something to help cover up the dark circles and occasional blemishes.  Speaking of dark circles I'm open to concealer suggestions as well!
• Money, money, money- So we are starting Dave Ramsay's steps to financial freedom.  We've watched most of the videos and have been ever so slowly working on our emergency fund.  I do plan on blogging our journey but we have yet to get a good start on it-- however that will change because after this weekend we will be SELLING OUR JEEP!  (*sad face*)  I love our Jeep and it is a great vehicle but between the gas and the payment we are just spending too much money on it.  Our plan is to sell it, get caught up on some of our credit card bills, then save for a mini van and pay for a mini van in cash.  So prayers are much needed not only for our finances in general but more specifically that we can sell our Jeep and get at least what we still owe on it (and possibly a little extra for the emergency fund?).
• Countdown to School Starting- I can't remember if I shared this on here, BUT I officially have a *real* (part time) teaching job starting this year!  I'll be teaching pre-school at our church (two classes- 3s and 4s)  I'm excited (and a tad nervous) to start this new journey.  Our orientation is next Tuesday so I'm currently in the midst of getting the room ready and everything for that big day!
• Cousins!- Another thing I'm super excited for-- my cousin Stefani and her family are coming to visit in just a couple more weeks!  I can't wait to see them! <3 li="">

Ok that's enough randomness for now-- until later! :)

Top 10 Breastfeeding Tips!

Hey!  So in honor of World Breastfeeding Week (which actually comes to a close today...) I thought I'd share with you all some tips I've learned along the way.  As you know if you've been reading this, or if you know me, I've breastfed my baby boy since day 1. 

At this point (and really since a couple months in) breastfeeding is EASY.  But it wasn't always!  In the beginning it is very challenging.  (Read my past post on breastfeeding here) So I hope these things I have learned can help someone who is just starting out breastfeeding or planning to breastfeed in the future!


Ok so here we go!

1. Educate yourself- This is so important.  Do as much research on breastfeeding as you can-- the more you know about all the benefits for mom and baby the more passionate you will become about it and the more passionate you are the more dedicated you will be and more likely to stick to it and power through.  Talk to friends/family that have breastfed successfully before.  In addition, take a breastfeeding class during your pregnancy.  Almost every hospital offers one, and you can also take one through WIC.  Taking a class will give you an overview, let you know what types of things to expect, and teach you some tips and tricks to try.  It also connects you with a lactation consultant which will be an AWESOME help to you.  If for whatever reason you can't take a class then be sure to connect with a lactation consultant and meet with her before having your baby.  And bring your hubby (or whoever will be helping raise your baby) with you too!
2. Have support- Surround yourself with as many people as you can that will support you and your breastfeeding goals.  Your hubby can be a great support (That's why I said to bring him to the class with you), but it's also important to have people that have "been there" before.  For me it was my mom and my cousin Stefani.  They were able to answer my questions no matter how silly it seemed.  Your lactation consultant can come into play here too, both lactation consultants at my hospital gave me their personal cell phone numbers and told me to call or text ANY time I needed anything.  Even still, it's good to have friends/family as well.  If you have absolutely nobody other than your LC, then I would highly suggest joining a breastfeeding support group or the La Leche League.  You are going to have questions, and you are going to have times when you feel like giving up-- so you need someone to encourage you to keep truckin' and offer suggestions and advice.
3. Trust your body & your baby- Sounds simple enough but it's harder than it sounds.  First I'll cover trusting your own body.  Know that it is actually EXTREMELY rare that you actually have low supply if you have never supplemented.  It might SEEM as if you aren't making enough but trust me- you are.  In the beginning babies tummies are SOOO tiny!  They are filled by just a teaspoon of colostrum, which is the perfect amount your body makes.  There will be times when you feel like you do nothing but feed and you might wonder if baby is getting enough-- he is.  When your supply regulates a few weeks-months in you all of a sudden won't feel "full" and you'll think your milk has dried up-- it hasn't!  As long as baby is gaining weight on their own curve and producing wet diapers then you are making enough milk.  Let that be your guide and don't supplement unless baby isn't doing the previously mentioned- because supplementing WILL cause your supply to go down.  Remember it's all supply and demand!  When I say trust your baby what I mean is feed baby when he's hungry.  Don't schedule feedings.  Learn hunger cues and respond accordingly.  Baby knows best in this case usually ;)
4. Nurse baby ASAP after birth- I know this is more difficult with c-section births but most hospital staff are very accommodating to this if they know your wishes prior.  It's best to get help and get baby latched on during his alert period right after birth (before they go into their sleepy stage where it becomes more difficult to get baby awake enough to get a good feeding in).  I nursed Jackson within minutes of his birth and I think that made a huge difference!
5. Make your wishes known to your partner, doctor, and the hospital staff- most hospitals are pro-breastfeeding and will do what they can to help you and encourage you.  Occasionally though you'll run on to hospital staff that will give formula, etc. without your consent.  Make SURE that they know you are breastfeeding and that nothing is to be given to baby without your consent and without a valid medical reason.  You don't want your efforts to be sabotaged just because they didn't know better.  It's a good idea to make sure your doctor and especially your husband/partner knows your wishes too so that they can be your advocate if necessary.
6. Know your options-  If you are having lots of difficulty know that there are sooo many options out there to give your baby breastmilk if nursing isn't going as planned.  You don't immediately have to give up and switch to formula (disclaimer: I'm not knocking formula-- just that if you want to give your baby breastmilk it's important to know what options are out there!)  If you are having trouble with your milk coming in or jaundice, etc, ask about an SNS (Supplemental nursing system).  Google it for more info but it's a nifty way to supplement with your own pumped milk/colostrum or formula if needed without having to use a bottle and while still stimulating your breast to encourage the milk to come in.  If you are having latch troubles see a lactation consultant ASAP to get it checked out and follow her instructions for getting it fixed.  If you have damaged nipples (usually happens from too many bad latches) or flat/inverted nipples, ask about a nipple shield or breast shells.  There's lots of things that can help with your difficulties.  If worst comes to worst and you just cannot feed baby from your breast then you CAN pump and bottle feed your baby breastmilk.  Know though that exclusively pumping comes with a big commitment and carries its own difficulties but it IS possible! (If you choose to do that then you will need to rent or buy a hospital grade pump).  There is also donor breastmilk available as well.  I was blessed to not have to use any of the aforementioned things but I have had friends that have and they are truly thankful for their use so that they could give their babies the best food!
7. Ask for help- It's ok, really.  We all have difficulties and challenges.  You are learning, and baby is learning.  Never be afraid to ask (and demand if you have to) help while you are in the hospital and also after you have gone home.  
8. Invest in Lanolin cream and a pump- ok lanolin cream is going to be your lifesaver in the beginning.  Even if you have a PERFECT latch, point blank your nipples are gonna hurt like hell for a while.  They just aren't used to it and it takes a while.  Use lanolin after every feeding- trust me it helps.  As for a pump even if you are going to be a stay at home mom and plan to seldom to never give your baby a bottle, I would still get at least a manual pump.  First of all in the beginning you are super engorged and while you shouldn't pump a lot (causes oversupply), sometimes you HAVE to just so baby can get latched.  Also you might want a date night this century.  Or just a little break.  Or to give dad a turn in feeding.  You get the idea.  Not to mention when your little one starts solids it's good to be able to mix his cereal with breastmilk.  So definitely look into purchasing a pump and a bottle or two. 
9. Know it gets easier-  Those first 6-8 weeks are so hard.  But know it gets easier day by day.  It seems like forever from now but pretty soon this will be a distant memory.  Take it day by day for a while.  Set small goals.  You can do this- our bodies were made for it!
10. Take care of yourself- This is easy to overlook.  I know I did those first few weeks.  Turns out I wasn't drinking near enough water- I didn't get dehydrated thankfully but well let me just say postpartum hemorrhoid + iron supplements + lack of water..... and you get the idea.  Ouch.  Don't forget to drink plenty of water, eat plenty of food/snacks, and get as much rest as you can (definitely use the sleep when baby sleeps philosophy!).  Accept help when you can with household stuff and even watching baby for an hour or two so you can sleep.  My hubby would take Jackson in the early morning and let me sleep in the first few weeks.  Remember you have to stay healthy too!

Alrighty well that's my list of ten tips to get through those first weeks of breastfeeding.  If I left anything out feel free to add in the comments! :)

I can hands down say that breastfeeding is one of the BEST decisions I have made and I know I will nurse all my future babies as well!

Jackson's (late) 8 Month Update!

Well my baby went and turned 8 months old!

Weight/Length: 20.2lbs, 27inches
Clothing Size: about half and half between 6-9/9mo and 12mo, just depending on the brand
Diaper Size:  Size 3
Feeding: Breastfeeding- still going great, nurses about 6 times in a 24hr period (those are good 5-10min sessions) and then occasionally he'll nurse a bit more here & there (more like snacks/comfort nursing, just a couple min)  He usually nurses when he wakes up in the morning, before his naps, once in the evening if he only takes 2 naps, and then before bed, and then 1 or 2 times at night.
Solids- usually eats 3 meals a day. He has mastered self-feeding so we are giving him lots more table food now. Usually I'll just cut up some pieces of whatever we are having.  He also gets purées still too depending on what is most convenient.
Milestones: Sitting up great, can go from sitting to his belly and then can roll both ways. He hasn't started crawling yet. Babbling TONS more, he has said a few words but that happened after he turned 8mo so I'll save that for the next update :). Has a very strong object permanence now. Gets upset if you take a toy away from him, he's fascinated by the dogs, strings, and our drink cups. Still toothless!
Sleep: As of when he turned 8mo it was pretty good. Going to bed around 8pm and waking twice. (Usually midnight ish and that's when he will join us in our bed) and again around 4 (to nurse though sometimes he nurses when he wakes around midnight too). He's up for the day usually between 6:30 and 7.
Likes/Dislikes:  He is really liking pets/animals (especially our dogs), strings (like shoelaces or the straps on his high chair) and our iPhones. He also still likes the jumperoo. He loves to swing at the park and is a big fan of the water!  Dislikes include having something cool taken away from him and being alone.