let it go

the dishes won't get any dirtier sitting in the sink.

the laundry is fine left in the dryer.

the floor will have to wait.

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."

- lin yutang

xo

snug as a bug in a rug

happy as a clam in his SleepyWrap

It's a funny thing...

In my life it seems that whenever I voice my problems to the world they miraculously get solved in the following days. Thanks for all of the booby support, you guys are like a girl's favorite bra. 

Since whining about my sore nipples, things on the breast feeding front are shaping up nicely. I can't seem to feed him enough right now, which is a little frustrating, but as far as the actual feeding part, it is starting to go very smoothly. I think you really do just have to stick with it. Last night I compared breast feeding to getting a tattoo. My husband didn't necessarily agree with me. He actually has tattoos and knows what they feel like, but my point was that it is a very repetitive sort of pain. It's not even really pain so much as just a "consistant irritation". Does that make any sense? 

In conclusion, I think you really do just have to get used to feeling that same feeling over and over before you can ignore it. 

whew, that was a lot harder to explain than I thought it would be.

xo

breastfeeding sucks (literally)

we're still getting the hang of all this.

When I was in the hospital nurses would come in and help me get baby Ray to nurse. No one ever corrected my positioning or really told me anything about breastfeeding at all, so I went home assuming I was doing everything right. 

I wasn't.

A few days later I found myself dreading feeding and at midnight on that final day my husband found me sitting in the nursery sobbing. Each of my nipples were basically one big, painful scab. My husband took one look at me and said "I'm going to get bottles and formula". I felt so relieved. The next day we had an appointment with someone from the hospital and I told her all about how my nipples were sore and I didn't know what I was doing wrong.  She diagnosed me with "compression something or other". Basically little baby Ray was not getting enough boob in his mouth and was mashing on my poor nipple tips instead. Ouch, I know. Then she taught me the boob sandwich. Much, much better. Her final orders were to go rent a breast pump and alternate between giving him the boob and the bottle (with breast milk). My nipples healed nicely and quickly but as of today breastfeeding is still not all rainbows and sunshine.

My problem today is that there is too much information on the internet. You type in "sore nipples" and you get a plethora of sites all saying basically the same thing: "Breastfeeding shouldn't hurt ~ it's all about proper latch and positioning"

We're latching and we're positioning and why isn't there just one mom who's written something about how it might just take a little time to get used to a voracious, insatiable little sucking machine pulling your nipple into a teat and extracting milk 12 times a day?

We've had some really good days lately where I can't even tell that he's there just sucking away. At those moments I think to myself, "Aahh... this is nice." So I know what it can be like and that's what makes it frustrating when it's not so pleasant.

After an hour's worth of reading I think my nipples are sore today because:

1. He's going through a growth spurt and is hungry, fussy and can't sleep.

2. I'm waiting too long to feed him. So when I do, he's very aggressive.

3. I've been pumping with too much oomph, unknowingly giving myself sore boobs.

4. I'm tired and I'm hungry. Patience is very important when breastfeeding and I'm afraid I am in short supply of it at 3:00 in the morning.

Solution?

I don't know. 

Take a nap, eat a bagel and try again. 

xo

please refrain from licking the baby

the dogs have taken nicely to the new addition.

Gretta is becoming more and more aware of the baby each day.

Mick approaches the baby very matter-of-factly. 

I like to imagine him saying something to himself like; "...Everything seems to be in order here: dirty old ball - check, smelly baby - check..."

Charlie doesn't seem to care much. He reminds me of eeyore sometimes; 

"Nothing new today.. Same old yard, same old dirt, same old baby..."

Bob. I don't think Bob has even noticed the baby yet.

And Lucky. I think she would pick Ray up by the scruff of his neck and try to nurse him herself if she could. She is a very attentive and concerned "Aunt Lucky".

xo

a tall tale

I just started subscribing to this awesome website called StoryPeople. I get their story of the day and I highly recommend it. I thought this one was perfect. It's called Making Sense.

"Hasn't started to make sense of the world yet but thinks it's beautiful all the same."

xo