Wordless Wednesday

Mac Sleeping in her Kennel

Hanging up the Horns

That's right you read that right...I am hanging up the horns. I started pumping regularly in September of 2010 and one year later I will be done. Tomorrow is my last day and I have to say it's been a journey.  There were times when I was delusional and I thought I would be able to pump until she was 18 months old, but that was really until I realized that I could nurse her and not pump and it would be okay.

When I first started pumping I was working in the office 3 days a week and it was a bit tough. I had to schedule the room, get my pump and go downstairs for 3 breaks at a 1/2 hour each time. When I first started I didn't have a hands free pump, so I had to hold both of them the entire time - talk about a pain in the butt. You can't read a book and turn pages and stuff when you are holding both bottles.

It got SOOO much better once I got a hands free pumping bra. For all those ladies out there that are pumping if you are doing it a lot you NEED to get one of these. It was the best $30 bucks I have spent on pumping supplies. This really is what saved me. It helped me go from being handicapped pumper to a pro-pumper where I could work while pumping. It really helped me not have to extend my work day by an hour each day and able to still get things done.

Some things I learned over the last year of pumping.

1. It's not easy
2. You definitely need to have a hands free pump system or bra if you are going to pump as much as I did
3. You need to have a nice room/set up to pump to feel comfortable because it will effect your output.
4. A pump is loud over the phone and sounds like either a treadmill or a dog barking - yes that happened to me
5. It's not easy to pump in the car
6. It's definitely not easy to pump in a women's locker room, or in a hallway - but it can be done, same as #5.
7. You need to have support to pump for a long time
8. You need to not feel guilty when you want to stop, no matter when that is
9. Size does matter!! The size of the horns definitely has to be right or it can effect your output
10. Hand compressions while pumping increases your output (unfortunately I didn't learn this until about 5 weeks ago)

I am so glad to be done pumping and I am praying that I can keep nursing my baby girl for a lot longer. I really like the bonding time that she and I have while nursing. But I have to admit that it will be super nice not to have to worry about not having milk for her, the stress of not pumping enough. Now we can go out to a restaurant and if in a pinch we need milk we can get it from them. Gabby is taking to whole milk like a champ. I have about 30oz left in the freezer so when that's out it's out....Another chapter closed and another one opened....

I want to give all my pumping mama's out there a big round of applause. Keep it up!! I am here to support you as I know I will need your support the next time I do this!

Thankful Thursday!

I love you Mama!

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich

1 Year

Dear Gabriella Lorraine - You are a year today. Mama is so happy that you are a year. You have learned so much over the past year, I don't even know where to start. I am so very very proud of you. These last few months especially have been some of my most favorite.

I am sitting here tonight thinking about the day you were born and how excited your dad and I were to FINALLY meet you. It wasn't in the way that I had planned, but as you will learn in life not all things go as planned. Your mama had wanted a water birth and to bring you into this world in a non-stressful environment. Even though it wasn't how I had planned you still came into this world in your own unique way and it was definitely not stressful.
You took your time coming into this world and were a week late. Mama had to go in because my fluid levels were low, but it worked out all for the best and after 10 hours of labor you were in my arms. That was the happiest moment of my life. I have never had so much love and emotion come over me at any one time.

These past few weeks your personality has come out so much! It's so much like your father, I see so much of him in you. You sit back and observe people and just like to watch anything that is going on around you. You don't really laugh all that often - although you have a smile on your face - but when you do laugh it fills the room with joy and happiness!

I love watching you learn and I can't wait to see you as you grow in this next year.

Love you my cuddlebug!!

Your mama!

Wordy Wednesday - 1 Year!

1 Year

Weight

Almost 20lbs

Clothing Size

12 to 18 Months

Diaper Size

Up and Up 3

Feeding

16oz of Breastmilk a day at daycare, But now we are mixing it with Whole Milk
You should be completely on whole milk by the end of August.
You nurse about 2 to 3 times a night
Finger Foods, Your a favorites are: Meatballs, Avocado, Puffs, Pasta, Raspberry Pancakes

Whatever Mom and Dad are eating at night.


Bedtime/Wakeup Times

 Bedtime: anywhere from 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Wakeup Time: usually around Midnight, 3:00am and 6:30am for the day
Naptimes: 9am and 12pm

11 Month Milestones
* Biggest of all - You took your first steps up at the lake. You are still not walking completely on your own, but you are taking more and more steps without help
* You are working on 4 upper teeth. They have been taking FOREVER to come in and so far, only the far left on is breaking through.
* You went on your first camping trip and first Ro-Be-Do trip
* You climbed the stairs for the first time
* Your snorted for the first time waiting for Mama to feed you
* You are no longer using a pacifier at daycare anymore
* You are starting to drink whole milk this week.

Wordy Wednesday

Every year my husband's family has been going on a camping trip in August. In fact this year was the 30th year of the Ro-Be-Do Club camping trip. It started out with my IL's and some co-workers and evolved over the years into this huge camping trip. I think this year I heard something like 97 people (20 of which are kids). Last year we didn't go because Little Peanut was due right around the time of the campout. This year it was a week earlier which was nice. We head to a camp ground near Spooner WI. Normally we go up Thursday night, but this year we decided with the little one to go up Friday morning and it worked out really well. We left the house a little bit before 9 and got there around 11. We had our tent set up by noon and we were ready for lunch by 12:30 and down at the beach right after.

Gabby had a wonderful time and I have to say for her first camping trip she did really well. She napped pretty horribly, only taking one good nap - but actually over the past week or so that's all she has been doing. As she is working on 4 upper teeth. Mike had a great time kayaking on Friday. He was a taxi service for the Floatilla. - The floatilla is all the ladies (and a few men) out on rafts drinking and floating on the lake for a few hours. He brought people out to it and brought some sinking boats back in. The weather was wonderful. Gabby got hungry when we were down at the beach so we nursed on the beach. It was pretty cool...and she ended up falling asleep which was great, so she got about a 45 minute nap late in the afternoon.

We were on dinner duty on Friday night, so the IL's watched Gabby, while Mike did the fire for the garlic bread. Alicia, Lexi and I cut, buttered and put garlic on the bread for all 70 people that were there for the spaghetti dinner.

Saturday morning was pancakes and gabby loved them. She even tried a bite of sausage so that was good. They were yummy as usual. I mean making pancakes for 70 people is difficult, but we do it every year. The IL's and Mike went golfing in the morning which gave me an opportunity to hang out with my niece and Gabby.

I wish I had more pictures, but Alyssa, Gabby and I went to the park and had a great time on the swings. We later went down to the beach - let me tell you it certainly gave me an idea what life would be like with 2 little ones and while difficult it was a lot of fun seeing them playing together and having so much fun together. But it was a good eye opener, and I am glad we are waiting a bit before having another one. a year difference would be too difficult.

Once we got down to the beach with our friend Alicia and her 1 year old daughter Lexi, we didn't have too long before a rain storm was coming in and let me tell you it was a heavy rain. See the video below from the 2nd round that came through. It flooded my BIL's tent a bit and my dear daughter slept through it and got her best nap of the 2 days up there. My niece on the other hand didn't and I ended up recusing her from the flooding tent and bringing her into our tent where we cuddled in bed.

Cousin's Playing - Alyssa and Gabby...waiting for the rain to stop

 

Lexi & Gabby playing - Best Buds

 Later on the weather let up, but it was still wet outside, so Alicia, Lexi and Gabby played together in our tent before dinner. Dinner was earlier this year which was nice. Gabby had her first corn on the cob while we were waiting for the steak and LOVED It!!  I wish I would have gotten a picture of it.

Sunday was better, Mike went kayaking again and Gabby and I just hung out by the fire and packed up the tent and talked with people. She played with Lexi and her buddy Lucas who is 4. Lucas' dad Kevin was Gabby's favorite all weekend. And my friend Brian - she sure loves the guys! We might be having to watch it as she gets older. She loved playing in the grass, dirt and sand all weekend. Needless to say it was bathtime when we got home.

Helping Mama Pack up the tent.

She slept the entire way home we didn't have to stop once which I think is a record for us on any long trip! I am just glad she got about a 2 hour and 15 minute nap on Sunday.

Wordless Wednesday

Cuddling with Daddy

Tuesday's Unwrapped - Progress Not Perfection

As today's title reflects I am blogging about progress not perfection. This could have many meanings, but really I am back blogging about my favorite topic - Sleep! Yep I haven' posted about it in awhile, but I thought you might be thinking I am actually sleeping through the night. Not so much! Yep we are still battling, but you know it's gotten better and that's where my Progress Not Perfection title has come from. I decided as I was starting to blog that I needed to go back and read some of my sleep post to really just remind myself where I have come from and how far we have come.

I have realized a few things. One - even though it doesn't feel like it we have definitely made progress! and Two I really think we have made a lot of progress.

1. She is going down a lot easier - most of the time. Naps are still not the greatest, but I think it's more because if I try to put her down before she is ready then she refuses (she is a bit stubborn like her mama and daddy).

2. She does sleep a lot longer at a time - again most of the time

3. She only really gets up two times a night - again most of the time.

I know I qualified all three of those with "most of the time" but really. I mean take tonight for example. We have been keeping her up a bit longer (bedtime between 7 and 8 rather than before 7. I fed her and put her in her crib and she rolled onto her side, clutched her puppy and her blanket and hasn't made a peep in an hour.

The last few nights I think she is going through a growth spurt or possibly working on some teeth because it's been a bit tough, but for awhile she was sleeping from 7 to 12 or even 2am. Then again around 3 or 4 and up at 6. The past few nights however it's been midnight, 3 and 5am and most of the time getting up around 6am for the day....so I am hoping this growth spurt ends soon.

We are going to start next week adding in Cows Milk to her diet during the day and cutting out my Breast Milk. I am going to let her self wean or try to wean her around february time frame.Hopefully then when that happens she will start sleeping through the night a bit more...if I could just cut out the midnight or 3am one I would be good.

Well it continues, but we are making progress and that's all that matters.