The End Of My Breastfeeding Journey

 

Happy Wednesday everyone! I have to admit, as much as I love weekends, there is something nice about the weekday. It feels more scheduled and runs more smoothly. The only downfall is that I don’t get to spend as much time with Sam throughout the week.

I know that all things breastfeeding are only of interest to very few people but for my memories sake, I wanted to jot some things done.

As of April 15, I am 100% done with nursing Sam. I sat down with my boy for the last time on that Wednesday morning. As per our new usual, he was more interested in what was going on around him then actually eating and staring into my chest. I thought that saying “good-bye” to breastfeeding that day would make me emotional, but I wasn’t bad.

I had prepared so diligently for birth but what I didn’t really prepare for was how I was going to feed my child. I assumed that it would come natural to me being that it was a very “natural” thing to do. In reality, it is not so natural at all! At the beginning it hurt, it felt awkward and for the most part, I had NO idea what the heck I was doing.

When I was day 2 in the hospital, about to be discharged and I was on the verge of tears. Not one nurse came in to show me how to even hold a baby properly when nursing. I was doing my best but as it turns out, I was doing it completely wrong! A new nurse came in for the first time about 1 hour before we were leaving and finally, someone showed me how to position a baby to feed. Suddenly, I felt like it was going right.

Don’t let that smile fool you, I was terrified I was doing it all wrong!

For something that is suppose to be so natural, it requires a lot of guidance along the way. My milk took a little longer to come in, I had blisters and pain, I had a slow let down, Sam went through a period of not latching correctly, constant supply worries, I hated pumping…I can go on and on! Truthfully, breastfeeding can be a huge pain in the ass!

I had this lofty goal in my head of breastfeeding Sam until he was at least 1 years old. Mostly, only because that is what the doctors recommend (side note: they actually recommend upwards to age 2. I knew that was not for me!). Truthfully, I never thought we would make it. I had a couple of great examples of women in my life who breastfed. One of them was my mother. One day we were talking about it and somehow she mentioned that she didn’t nurse my brother and I for a full year. I was shocked. I had always assumed that it was that way. When it fact, for me, she was done at 8 months.

Being that I was already at 9 months at this point, and assumed that the worse was over, I thought that I could make it a year. In reality, those last few months were the hardest! All the sudden I had this curious little boy who wants to just eat enough to not feel hungry. Every day became a struggle to get him to eat enough to satisfy him so that I didn’t have to nurse him every hour. He hit a growth spurt around 9 months as well and was getting up multiple times a night.

To say that I was ready to be done around the time that Sam turned a year old would be an understatement. For almost 2 years I had given my body to nourish my baby. First while he was in the womb and then for the next year of his life through supplying him with milk. I was ready to toss away my ugly nursing bras, not have anymore feedings in the car before we go into a store, and not think about supply issues.

I was ready to celebrate the freedom that comes with not having to breastfeed. However, that morning, I still did feel a little ping of emotion. The bond that Sam and I shared was about to be over. The fact that he needed and relied on me for his milk gave me pride and purpose. That morning he quickly nursed before heading off to daycare. I stared down at him eating the entire time and then gladly said goodbye.

It has been an easier adjustment that I thought. I think that is because not only did I feel ready to be done, but I got to do it on my own terms. I would have hated to have a supply issue and be forced to stop or give Sam another milk supply. I had about a week of uncomfortably full breasts but nothing that was overly painful. Sam has easily switched to drinking whole milk. I instantly (that first week) dropped 5 pounds of nursing weight and now I am focusing on losing a little extra to be well below my pre-pregnancy weight.

The freedom has been wonderful and I’ve enjoyed being able to do something and not having to worry about nursing. Sam is a very independent little guy and likes to happily sip on his milk as he plays after naps (or watch TV).

It was been an amazing year being able to watch my boy grow and thrive and know that part of the reason was because of my body. It’s an amazing thing that I could feed my child for the last year of his life and I am happy that I continued to push through all of the difficult nursing times to reach my goal of breastfeeding for at least a year.

Happy Wednesday!

xo

Auction Weekend!

 

Hey everyone! Happy Monday! It’s been a tiring last few days here not only at home but at work too! Let me explain.

For the last month everyone has been working SO hard on the farm to get ready for an auction sale that we wanted to host here on our farm. First, we had to convince everyone that we were not going out of business and second, we had a TON of stuff to sort through.

The guys were doing a fantastic job at getting it all cleaned and lined up ready for the big day. There was just SO much stuff on the farm that we had accumulated from 3 companies. It was all stuff that we no longer used but had never gotten the chance to sell. This was the chance!

The other thing that we went through was all of the old antiques. My brother, dad and I had sorted through and kept what we wanted. The other stuff was just getting more and more rotten by the day as it sat. It was time to give some of these precious antiques a better home. I am SO thankful that it was all here for me to use in our wedding. I have so many beautiful pictures and memories of the wonderful antiques that had so much meaning to me.

The auction was going to be on Saturday. On Thursday, Sam woke up with a 102 fever and so I knew I needed to stay at home with him. It was a little tough because I had a big meeting planned for that day but I decided to cancel it and stay with my boy. After his morning nap he was so silly and playful. He still had a fever but he seemed in a great mood and I thought I had been played.

Around lunch time it all went downhill. He wouldn’t eat, he wouldn’t drink and he could hardly keep his head up. I checked his temperature before his nap and he was running a fever of about 104. I opted to put him down for his nap right after a dose of some fever reducer. He fell asleep right away no problems but an hour later started tossing and turning. 1.5 hours into his nap, he was still stirring a lot so I went to wake him up. He still hardly moved. I checked his temperature again, 105. So, we packed up and off to the hospital we went.

We were seen right away at the hospital. It was a busy spot that afternoon. The nurse started checking his normal vitals and then checked his temperature. It kept climbing and climbing and she said “is it ever going to stop” with a little worried glance my way. It finally stopped at 106.3. She left us to re-dress Sam and immediately went for more medication and the doctor.

They mentioned to let him sit with the medication in him for 30 minutes to see if it dropped. They would watch him carefully for seizure as his fever was so high. Thankfully, his temperature did drop a little and the scare was gone. But we had to spend the next 5 hours in the ER figuring out what was wrong.

As tough as it was, it was nice to have my baby sleeping on my chest again. I soaked in those snuggles!

We were relieved to hear that Sam just had a throat infection and low white blood cell count (which turned out to be false). We had our antibiotics in hand and were ready to head home to bed!

Friday was another busy day, Sam was obviously at home and so was Ryan (who is also sick now). During Sam’s nap times, I would get Ryan to keep an ear out for him and I would either go to work or do work on my laptop.

Once the day was over, Ryan and I made some treats to sit down to enjoy the hockey game.

Saturday was the BIG day! We had to run up to the hospital that morning again for some blood work (that didn’t end up happening) and then back home right when the auction was to start! It was a cold but sunny day. I couldn’t believe the people that we showing up! One guy even came in his helicopter!

I bundled Sam up and we enjoyed watching some of the “honey wagon” portion of the sale! Ryan played a great Vanna White, showing off the stuff.

After the small stuff, it was off to the antiques. The part of the sale that meant the most to me. This was around lunch though and thankfully my mother in law kindly took Sam home for lunch and his nap! Thanks again Bev!

I couldn’t believe what the stuff was selling for. One little old cabinet sold for $950 and a couple people were fighting over one old door.

It was a great sale and pretty much everything sold! We were SO glad that it was over and exhausted by the end of the day!

Sam thankfully was pretty much 100% better on Sunday and we got to enjoy church and then family time!

How was your weekend?

xo

Samuel–12 Months

 

Stats as of April 3, 2015

Stats:

Weight is 23.5 pounds, length is 76 cm and head circumference of 48.5 cm. Sam also has 3 teeth, two on the bottom and 1 top left. 

Wearing:

This month we are in all 12 month to 18 month clothes. Pj’s are 18-24 months unless I get them without feet. Sam is in size 4 shoes and I had to purchase him bigger socks this month! His legs were getting so chubby that the socks were sliding down. We are down to only one tuque that fits so hopefully it turns into spring soon! Snow suits are also almost too small but will do us for the rest of the cold weather.

Sleep:

This has actually been a rough month. I think we are going through two things. 1; Sam got his third tooth and working on his forth this month. 2; a growth spurt! He is eating twice as much food as I do! I don’t know where we puts it all! But he is still napping really well, even at daycare. I was worried that Sam wouldn’t sleep at daycare but he has done great. Hasn’t missed a nap yet.

Eating:

At daycare, the provider was concerned she was over feeding him. After showing her a couple of pictures of what he eats at home, she was shocked by what he eats. He is the youngest at daycare and easily eats 2-3 times more then the other kids.

 

We are at the end of our breastfeeding journey. I still nurse him morning and night but when he is at daycare he gets a bottle of breast milk. If we are at home, during the day he gets whole milk. When my freezer stash runs out for day care, he’ll just have milk. I am going to drop the before bed nursing session around his first birthday and hoping to be done 100% by the time he is 13 months old. It was been a rewarding and challenging time. I know we could continue but with the stress of work I feel my supply dropping. I can’t pump any milk anymore and Sam is less and less interested in nursing. I know in my heart we are ready to be done but glad that we made it a full year!

Saying:

Da-da, “ba” (ball), Wow, uh-oh, Tuc (Tucker)

Appearance:

For a long time, Sam hasn’t really had a “baby” appearance to him. Even more now I see a little boy. I drop Sam off at daycare and while we are playing that evening I could swear he looks different! His brown locks grows SO fast and he needs another hair cut very soon. His hair is also very thick just like Ryan’s. My boy has my big brown eyes though! I love that one of my features came through! ha ha! His smile is filling in with some pearly whites, 3 teeth so far with number 4 very close.

As always, I think he looks like Ryan and now that he is older people are commenting on how much of a twin he is to his Daddy. 

Likes:

Sam loves baths, exploring, books, anything with wheels and food. He especially loves banana’s and anything that is a carb! He still loves his soothers especially when teething. He sleeps with like 6 of them!

Dislikes:

Getting restrained either by his highchair, car seat or clothing. He really isn’t into snuggling lately and just wants down to explore whenever possible. He despises getting his face wiped after each meal! 

Milestones:

Sam gave me a heart attach and started climbing stairs on March 8.

FIRST day of daycare was on March 16.

March 17 was the first time he got to celebrate St.Patty’s day and his Daddy’s birthday!

April 3 was his first birthday!

Mommy:

Oh boy! This was a tough month on my emotions! Between starting back to work (and Sam going to daycare), cutting down on nursing and then my baby turning 1. It feels as though this month our lives were turned upside down and our “normal” schedules were thrown out the window! This month we’ve had to adapt to our new realities and I’m doing it but kicking and screaming the whole way.

I can’t believe that Sam is now a toddler but every once in a while I am fondly looking back at his baby pictures remembering those days. I am still so excited though for this new stage in our lives! All the new things that Sam does every day just amazes me!

Daddy:

While I’ve been an emotional mess, Ryan has been a complete rock. He has sat with me as tears streamed down my face over and over again. He was there when I dropped Sam off for his first day of daycare and then drove away. Without him, I think I would have just sat in the laneway. While I am a little sad of the baby years being gone, Ryan is loving our big boy and all that they can do together! He loves that he can give him food (or milk) and not have to worry too much about our nursing schedule. They have so many cute games that they play together. When I try to play those same games with Sam, I just get a funny look.

Ryan is pretty proud of the fact that Sam’s first words were “Dada”! 

Letter:

Dearest Sam,

First, Happy birthday my sweet boy. It has been a wonderful first year together! It has been amazing getting to know you! You are a quiet, independent, focused and sensitive little guy. There’s not much in life that doesn’t make you happy! You wear your heart on your sleeve and I hope that is a trait that sticks with you forever.

It has been 12 months of many ups and even a few downs but the 3 of us (you, mommy and daddy) made it through and all in one piece! We love the fact that you made us a family and parents. We are so glad that God trusted in us to raise you. You bring so much joy to the simplest of days. You make us better people. We want to make the world that you are going to grow up in a better place.

Here’s to many more months and years of happy times!

Love,

Mommy

xoxo

Because taking a picture of an active 12 month old is so hard, here are some out takes!  

Beautiful Weekend, Dreary Monday!

 

Happy Monday everyone! It is going to be a cold and dreary week here! I hope everyone kept some of the warm clothes out because it will be needed this week!

Thankfully, the weather was BEAUTIFUL this weekend and we got out and enjoyed it a lot! I don’t think there was over an hour of Sam’s awake time that we were stuck in the house!

Friday, I left work early and grabbed groceries before picking Sam up. I was feeling especially tired that day and opted to just pick up a frozen pizza for supper! Being that we had some extra time, we all headed out side to enjoy the last of the Friday sun! I love that Sam just needs a hat and we are good to go! So much easier then bundling up in winter gear! 

I sat back in the grass with a Friday refreshment while Sam played.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Ryan and I tried to watch a movie but we both fell asleep.

Saturday morning every one was up and full of pancakes for breakfast and then Sam and Ryan made a fast trip to the city! I am officially done nursing now (post to come) and the ease it brings is amazing! Ryan is able to do so much more with Sam now that he doesn’t have to worry about a nursing schedule.

While they were gone for 2 hours I got SO much done! It really is remarkable what can get done without anyone in the house for a short period of time. To thank Ryan, I even folded his laundry for him.

As soon as the boys got back, we packed up and headed into town to help set up for the Canada Day Poker Tournament. A great fundraiser that helps us get to our goal of putting on an amazing Canada Day for the town. Unfortunately, Sam and I couldn’t stay so we left, ate lunch and then headed over to my brothers for a few minutes of play before nap time. Jared has a gated in porch that Sam loved to explore and I loved to sit on the porch swing and enjoy the beautiful day.

Sam had an awesome nap but I eventually had to wake up him 4. We grabbed some stuff and then headed back to the hall to see how everything was going with the poker tournament! I was pleasantly surprised by the awesome turn out! I had to laugh at Tanner and Mady on the lions at the front of the hall. I can remember sitting on those lions myself many years ago. It’s like a Quyon kids tradition! 

Again, we had to leave early to give Sam his bath and put him to bed.

Sunday morning we all got up, ate and then hit the road for Kanata! Sam was mesmerized with the ferry! I am so glad that it is open again after the long winter! It feels like we are connected to the world again!

We were on our way to an appointment for me at The Spa for a facial. I have been having some serious skin issues over the last month and wanted to get it treated. While I was in my appointment Ryan and Sam ran a couple of errands and went for a walk.

I had such an amazing and relaxing time and I learnt so much as to what I need to do as an adult woman with acne prone skin!

We headed to do our April date but more on that another time.

We got home shortly after 1 and put Sam straight down for his nap. Our boy was tired after a fun morning in the city. While Sam napped, Ryan and I got to work! It was time to clean our the flower beds from the winter and rake up all the leaves! It is such a big job and we are only about half way done but it is looking SO much better! Not knowing what the weekends can bring, we figured it was better to tackle the job while we had the opportunity. 

How was your weekend?

xo

Some Random Things

 

Happy Friday Everyone! I am SO ready for the weekend to be here and to be able to spend some time with my boys without the interruption of work!

I’ve had so many “little” things that I wanted to document but none of them seemed important enough to have their own post! Therefore, it’s all going to be talked about and dumped into today’s post!

- Sam’s Easter basket was a huge success. Ryan and I talked about starting the tradition of Sam having an Easter basket that he would put out for the bunny to fill every year, kind of like the idea of a Christmas stocking. So, I wanted to get something special with his name on it! I looked on Etsy and found the perfect one that was customizable. Found here. The basket I found on clearance at Target for $7! The night before Easter “Sam” set it out and the next morning it was filled with Easter goodies (aka: stuff that he needs this year! ha ha!).

- Sam’s basket contained mostly clothes from Target that he needed. It also included sunscreen, Band-Aids, a little fan, water bottles and the favourite item….a dollar store pirates hat! 

- Sam had his first visit and meal at McDonalds! One night last week when Ryan was still away Jilly and I picked up Sam and went out for supper! I owed Jill McDonalds from a past bet and it meant I didn’t have to make supper. Win/win! Sam got a grilled cheese, fries and yogurt! He LOVED it and foresee many more visits to come!

- My husband and I have a serious struggle when it comes to food. I want to always try new things, especially if they are healthy! I am constantly trying to force him to eat better and try new veggies and fruit! He is not a very good sport about it and struggles through it the whole time. Here is a prime example! The first picture is my plate with 1 pork chop, some whole grain rice and a large serving of broccoli. The second picture; Ryan’s plate! He did eat broccoli….sort of! Good grief! 

- Lately Sam is hilarious to watch play! He is so independent. I just sit back on the floor beside him and watch him go! I always wonder what he is thinking about when he is playing. What his imagination is like right now. Either way, you know Sam has been around when there is a clear path of toys! 

- Oh the life with a boy! It has started already! Sam got this awesome trike for his birthday that he LOVES! We go for a walk EVERY DAY since putting it together (sometimes multiple times a day). He pretends to steer while we push him around. The only problem, he NEVER wants it to end. He throws a tantrum as soon as the bike stops moving. It’s going to be a long summer! Ha ha! 

- These two? They’re awesome! I love watching their bond grow and grow. They are my world. 

Happy Friday and I hope you have a great weekend!

xo

I’m A Thrifty Shopper

 

Happy Wednesday everyone! I get to be off of work today for a nurse appointment and shots for Sam. I have been missing him so much Monday-Friday! By 2:30 PM each day I am ITCHING to go and pick him up. Today I’m looking forward to some peaceful time with him without the rush of our schedule.

A couple of weeks ago when we were in the city to get my boys a haircut, I had some extra time. I realized that I was near one of my favourite thrift stores and decided to take some time to walk around and peruse the aisles.

The thing about shopping at thrift stores is it is either one of 2 ways. 1. You leave with nothing. There were no treasures, nothing of interest. Everything seemed unorganized and dirty that day. Or not worth the money because the quality was so poor! Or….

2. Like me that morning, you struggle with having so much stuff in your cart that you have to choose which items to put back! Everything is unique, fairly priced and of such good quality!

I’m a fairly strict thrift shopper. If it’s not perfect, it’s not for me. I’m not going to buy something of no use just because it’s a good deal. I hunt the store like someone on safari. I zone in on my areas of interest; kids clothes, shoes and housewares. Take items of even slight interest before someone else nabs them and then return them to the shelf if they don’t suit. I can see a treasure from far end of an aisle and will leave my cart stray in order to grab it.

Here was my haul that faithful day!

1 pair of Gap jeans for Sam, 2 pairs of overalls for Sam (one Tommy Hilfiger and the other OshKosh), children’s suspenders (no brand name), 1 pair of BRAND NEW still with the tag Gap toddler boots and this orange pitcher that I am using as a vase. The pitcher was I spotted at the far end of the aisle and deserted my cart for it. I LOVED the unique vintage feel and colors. It’s in perfect shape and only cost $2.

Confession, EVERY single one of my table clothes that I own come from a thrift store. They are by far my most favourite thing to look for. I love the unique patterns/colors you can find and the quality is usually perfect!!

I found this gem that day as well! Mustard yellow table cloth with lace trim. Upon closer inspection I realize it was homemade!

Another score that I found was an ASOS (which I didn’t know the brand until I looked it up) polka dot dress in my size! I spotted the polka dots from across the store and zoomed in. I love polka dots! When I realized it was my size and the dress had pockets, I figured I’d give it a try. The dress was priced down from the original thrift store price because it had been in the store for more than a week. $100 dress (retail) for $9.99. When I took it to the checkout the cashier even remarked how great of a deal it was. All I saw were polka dots and I knew it was mine.

When I come home and unpack my treasures I feel so satisfied. I’m not a believer in 100% of your stuff coming from thrift stores but I love the feel a house can have when it had some things in it that has history. As a young adult with a young family, I love that I can purchase things that my family will not only use but that will make our house feel more like a home for a fraction of the price.

Happy Wednesday!

xo