22 October 2012

The state of things.

{This post is all over the place, so bear with me.}

So, today marks 6 weeks.  Can you believe it?  Me either.
My sweet little love.

We're actually in the midst of 6 week growth spurt hell, so I'm going to try to keep the tone of this post happy as I sip my second cup of coffee while trying to get the baby to nap at the same time after getting a total of 3 hours of sleep last night.  {Is that a run-on sentence?  Oh, who cares.}

***

The state of things in our house consists of chaos and craziness.  When I know I have some where to be, I start getting ready at least 3 hours before we have to leave.  It usually occurs in 10 minute increments while also trying to keep all the kiddos happy.  Pack the diaper bag. Nurse the baby. Jump in the shower. Dress the toddlers. Do my hair. Nurse the baby. Get dressed.  Nurse the baby.

You get the idea.  It takes us awhile.

I must say though, I'm really getting the hang of it now.  We had my niece's first birthday party on Saturday and my goal was to leave the house at 2pm.  Want to know what time we pulled out of the driveway?  2:08.  {And that's mostly because we had to wait for the mac-n-cheese that we were bringing to the party to finish cooking.}

Not bad.  Not bad at all.

***

So, we're having a bit of adjustment issues over here.  Carter's fine.  He's all "been there, done that, can I play with the iPad now?"

But Brynn?  She's having trouble.

While she adores the baby {seriously... adores him} she's looking for more attention from us.  She constantly wants to hold our hand, play games with her {like, in the middle of dinner, she'll try and pull us away from the table to play hide and seek} and she wants us to hold her all the time.

She's never done any of that before, but now that the baby is here, things have changed.  This, of course, is hard to do when you're trying to take care of everyone at once, but we've been trying to have special time with just her.  We'll get on the floor and play dolls with her or run up stairs and have a tea party.  We're just trying to give her the extra love she needs right now as she adjusts to the baby.

The good news is that she's not taking any of this out on him.  Like I mentioned, she adores him.  We call her Mama Brynn because she's always making sure that the baby is taken care of.  And has something to play with... we always find random toys on his lap.

The other day, I had to put the baby in his rock-n-play so that I could help Carter with the potty and I heard him start crying.  I was trying to hurry up with Carter so that I could go get Reid again, but then, all of a sudden, he stopped.  I figured he fell asleep, so I quickly finished with Carter and ran back downstairs to make sure everything was okay.  And there she was.  Mama Brynn.  She had given Reid his pacifier and blanket and was rocking him while saying "shhhh, shhhhh."  I mean?  Come on.  Isn't she the sweetest!?!  Good ol' Mama Brynn.

And Reid feels the same way about her.

Dying of the cute.

***

So, today also marks 6 weeks of breastfeeding.  My very first goal.  I'm very proud that I have reached it, as it's been a bit of a rough go.

But first.

I'm getting a lot of comments and emails about this, so I'll address it real quick.  While this is my third baby, this is my first time breastfeeding.  With Carter and Brynn, I went straight to formula for various reasons, but, since many of those things have changed this time around, I really wanted to give breastfeeding a real try.

And it's.... going.

As you can imagine, it's extremely time consuming and difficult with three kids, THAT I can tell you for a fact.  Reid is not a very efficient nurser, so the whole process takes about 45 minutes to an hour each time and then usually results in a 30 minute break for me {on a good day} before starting all over again.  And, with two needy toddlers and a mama who likes to pee every once in a while, this can quickly become overwhelming. I'm doing my best to try to involve the kiddos, however, so we're just taking it one day at a time.

Now, I knew this wouldn't be easy, so I decided to make short goals for myself.  The first one was to make it to the 6 week mark, as I've heard/read that this was a real turning point for most people.  That's today.  And because we're in growth spurt hell, I can tell you that we have not reached that turning point yet.  Hopefully soon though.  It's at least not painful anymore, so that's fabulous news.

My next goal is to make it through my maternity leave.  12 weeks.  We'll see how that goes.

But.

Reid is having some serious reflux issues.  He's on Zantac, which has helped him with the pain of the reflux, but not the constant spit up and projectile vomiting.  This is also posing a problem with our breastfeeding relationship, since he's spitting up so much after he eats, that he's hungry again almost right away.

We're trying different things to help address this, however.  As of right now,  Reid gets 2 bottles a day... one in the morning and one at night.  These bottles contain his Zantac, since he'd throw it up within minutes when we gave it to him straight from the dropper. They also have 2oz of pumped breast milk and 2oz of Similac Sensitive for Spit-up, which makes it a bit thicker to help him keep his meds down.

So far this has been working for us.  While he's still spitting up a ton, it's been getting better.  These bottles are also helping me maintain my sanity, since it's much faster to pump than to nurse, so I'll pump while Bob gives Reid the bottle and then I have some extra time to spend with Carter and Brynn.  It also helps Bob feel more apart of things with the baby as well, so it's a win-win for everyone.
The important thing here is that Reid seems happier with this "schedule," and that's really all that matters to me.  We'll continue to work with the pediatrician to monitor his weight and make sure that he's gaining, even with the constant spit up. I'm hoping that we can figure out how to, at least, limit the amount he's spitting up, even if we can't completely eliminate it.

Poor guy.

***

Tomorrow is my 6 week check-up with my OB.  It's also where we will discuss treatment for my cervical mass.  My OB may do a quick ultrasound to see if it's still there... if it was a highly complex nabothian cyst like we're hoping, there's a slight chance it burst during delivery.  If not, then I'll get referred for a more detailed ultrasound at the hospital and then head back to the oncologist for a biopsy.

While I'm super nervous about this, I'm also just hoping for the best here.

I'll keep you posted.

***

If you've made it this far, bless your little heart.  You deserve a cupcake.

Some other things I want to discuss soon on here?  My birth story {OMG, I need to finish writing it... here, let me distract you with pretty pictures} and my thoughts on being team green and if I'd ever do it again. {Wait, again? What?}

And you guys? It may have taken me 2 hours to write this post, but I did it while nursing a baby who is now sleeping peacefully on my chest.

Multitasking at its finest.

26 comments:

Kristal said...

Love this update! Sweet Brynn. I think the fact that she's having a hard time but is still loving on Reid says so much. And mama, your determination in this whole breastfeeding thing blows me away. You are rocking it girl, even if you don't feel like it.

Heather said...

Mama Brynn sounds so sweet. Sounds like you have things under control and you are doing great :)

Jen said...

It was great to read an update! The part about Brynn rocking the baby was soooo sweet! You are doing great with breast feeding! I breasted both of mine (trying to wean my 20 month old little boy but he seems to have other plans!) and it was definitely easier the first time since I had the time to sit around and nurse. The second time around was much more difficult with a toddler needing my attention so great job to you for doing it with 2 kids you also have to care for. That's a huge accomplishment if you ask me and I hope you make it to all of your goals you have set for yourself. And also, your kids are adorable!

Unknown said...

I barely made it 6 weeks and at that point it was mostly pumping (reflux baby here as well) and at that point I was so tired my Dr advised me to just stop. I am proud of you for trying so hard!
Bre

Katy said...

My son had reflux and it was just awful and miserable. It is so frustrating (especially when breastfeeding) to have everything you just worked for (both physically and the time spent) to get it into them and then it all comes back up. The reflux will end. I was told that it could last until he is able to start sitting up on his own and strengthen his stomach muscles. When I heard that news, I cried. BUT the good news is that it didn't last that long. I think we dealt with it for 2-3 months. Honestly? I lost track. Keep going with the breastfeeding as long as it is working for you. The growth spurts are THE WORST.

Emily said...

Way to go on the breastfeeding goal. I've told multiple people it's the toughest thing I've done so far in my life, and that's no joke. Hope you're finding time to enjoy all the kiddos, as well as maybe slipping some time in for yourself here and there. :-)

MaggieTheMrs said...

I'm technically a new follower since I'm just now getting started on my own blog, but I've been keeping up with you since I saw your posts on thebump.com. I, too, am typing while snuggling a sweet baby boy. Your babies are beautiful! I totally understand the nursing struggle. We made it to 5 weeks but had to stop for various reasons. I'm glad we made it as far as we did, but I still wish we could've made it longer. Good luck on your 12 week goal!

Unknown said...

Have you considered doing a trial of a dairy and/or soy free diet? I would start with just dairy. My little one is milk protein sensitive and also has reflux. I now can tell when I accident eat even a little dairy because she becomes the spit up queen again! No dairy for mama = no spit up for baby. It takes at least a week or two to notice a difference but is actually very common. Research MSPI if you're interested

Nelly said...

Brynn is just precious! Keep up the great work Mama! Stick with the breast feeding, once you truly get into the swing and your little man grows a big, it will make parenting the other two easier. Nursing in a sling or a wrap is a piece of cake once you learn how.

Unknown said...

Seriously Jenni, you are super Mom. I've got two littles of my own, and would love to have two more, but some days whe. I've got screamers on hand and little sick ones it makes it hard to think I can stretch myself any thinner than I already have.
I think it takes a lot of strength to be a full time mother, and full time professional. You may not feel like it sometimes, but it sounds like you're doing beautifully.
Keep up the good work and the little goals, you're going to be awesome. I hope if I have any more kids, ill be half as good as you.

www.thewannabehousewife.com

Val R said...

I'm snuggling my 3rd baby who just turned 5 weeks. We're strictly bfing and dealing with spitup issues as well :-/ My 6 yo came home from school vomiting today so now we've added a whole other layer to this deal! I hear ya on the growth spurts and no sleep-I've been sleeping in the recliner since our Ava baby was born. All that to say that I think you're doing great and I say that from a perspective of going through a similar situation :-)

Hang in there! Your story has been a comfort to follow since my pregnancy was close in timeline to yours so I thank you :-)

Mandy@ a sorta fairytale said...

I only have 2 and it was hard getting the swing of it, so I can't imagine a 3rd!!! You are my hero. Also, with the breast feeding, yay for hitting your goal! I BF Bennett and I'm still BFing Easton (he's 6 months now) and I can tell you that I struggled both times. Its so natural but so difficult!! And I would say that it took between 6-8 weeks for both of my boys to "get it" completely. And it wasn't until Easton was around 3 months that he became efficient and quick when he nursed. Those are just my experiences, but just know you are doing great! Reid is such a cutie and Brynn, she melts my heart with how sweet she is with him!!

Mandy@ a sorta fairytale said...

Oh and I meant to tell you, Easton had really bad tummy/gas issues when he was a newborn. I cut out dairy and within a week he was a brand new baby! Then after about a month, I slowly started reintroducing dairy back into my diet, and he was totally fine. I think their tummies are just really sensitive when they are brand new, so maybe you could try adjusting your diet a little? (Obviously it's up to you!) but it worked for us.

Leah said...

Great to hear things are going well! Glad that you are giving breastfeeding a go - it's hard work, you're doing great! So sweet of Brynn to love on Reid like that - love sibling love :)

Leah said...

Great to hear things are going well! Glad that you are giving breastfeeding a go - it's hard work, you're doing great! So sweet of Brynn to love on Reid like that - love sibling love :)

Erin said...

Loved the update! Just thought I'd echo the giving up dairy comments. I was in denial that dairy was part of my son's reflux issues (that included projectile vomiting). I finally gave it up and it made such a huge difference. Hang in there!

Anonymous said...

I get a cupcake!! Haha

Congrats on your baby boy :)

Unknown said...

I adore this post. Thank you for being so honest. Hopefully it was a bit therapeutic for you!

Hollie Black-Ramsey said...

busy, busy mama. Great post!

Andrea said...

That Mama Brynn story is too cute! Glad you guys are adjusting well. Nursing is a ton of work, but it looks like you are figuring out what works best for you so keep it up mama!

Anonymous said...

I hope the BFing gets easier and that Reid's tummy calms down.

That's sweet about Brynn loving the baby so much. But I can understand that she wants more attention now than before.

tahlia @ the parenting files said...

6 weeks already.... wow!! Time goes by soooo quickly! My man is 6 months old today..... gorgeous little reid x

Sarah Halstead said...

Awww. Love this post soooo much. Yay for breastfeeding. Dustyn was a lazy eater like that. Felt like I was nursing all the time. yay for making it 6 weeks. That is amazing. You are an awesome mama!

Molly said...

Yep I read it all... every single word. Good for you with the breast feeding. I loved feeding my babies and I so glad you getting the chance to do it.

My daughter had feeding problems and oh the projectile vomiting...what fun! One thing I did that worked really well was I didn't let her fill her stomach as that was bound to end up in a mess. So I would let her take half a feed and then stop her for about 20 mins before letting her have more. She was super tiny because she was prem but as she grew and her stomach got bigger she grew out of it.

Mollyxxx

Mindi @ Simply Stavish said...

Oh my goodness that is quite a fantastic update. I can hardly believe little Reid is already 6 weeks. Congrats on nursing for 6 weeks mama!! That's fantastic. So 3 sounds like a ton of work...I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for it but I know it's going to be CRAZY! Sorry to hear about the reflux...that is very hard! Oh those growth spurts with nursing are so physically draining....gotta love it.

Anonymous said...

I would get him checked by an ibclc or dr who knows about tongue tie-- to see if he has tongue/lip tie.
My daughter got hers lasered at 7 weeks and the difference was night and day!!

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