Picture Post!

Just a few pics of the fam! We had a good weekend...dinner with Kerri and Michael Friday night and Saturday was Caroline's 2nd birthday party! Busy weekend but fun!! :)

What to wear.....

I am pondering going to Caroline's 2nd birthday party even though M is only 3 weeks old...but momma needs to get out of the house. We will see how I am doing tomorrow but tonight, I am thinking it is a go. Question is, what the heck do I wear? I have not worn "real clothes" in 3 weeks! Its been a life of yoga pants and t-shirts! Is wearing maternity clothes at this point still acceptable?!?! Cause I think that's just what it may have to be! :)

My name is Lisa....

And I am a bfing, ffing, disposable diapering (don't know the acronym for this one, ha!), bwing, co-sleeping, natural birthing (cause it was SO planned ya know!), WOHM to 2 precious boys!! You gotta own it all, right? :)

Cannot believe that Mark will be 3 weeks old already on Sunday. Time surely does fly! I have said it already, but so far...he is SUCH a good baby! I pray it lasts! He is just a peaceful chill little dude and really the only time he fusses is when hungry or when the cold wipes touch his bum. He is NOT a fan of the wipes! He is also a major snuggle bug. If he does happen to get upset when it not food or diaper related, all it takes is some cuddling and he relaxes. That is how the co-sleeping got started. After the middle of the night feeding (3-4ish) he never seems to be able to get settled back into the bassinet. But as soon as I hold him and bring him into bed, he is lights out for the next 3 hours. Can't deny it, I love sleeping with him too.

As for the whole feeding thing, UGH. I am frustrated but accepting again that formula is not evil. Silly, silly I know. So, for now, sometimes we nurse, sometimes we drink pumped and sometimes we have formula! Days when Z is at school I seem to be able to nurse much easier. Perhaps its the less stress and more time to focus. Anyhow, he is getting the nutrients he needs from formula as well as the benefits of the breast milk that he does get. From reading different things though, I do wonder more about the whole PCOS and bfing relationship. My "girls" never grew during either pregnancy, nor have they either time with bfing so I wonder if maybe I have insufficient mammary tissue that I have read about. I have a post-natal appointment next week and may talk to my OB about taking a prescription to see if that would help with supply too. We shall see.

And the baby wearing, I am loving my moby. Mostly used it for going out on walks so far, but it is really comfortable and Mark falls to sleep almost instantly in it. My mom and I are thinking about venturing out to the Nutcracker Market next Thursday and that would be the big test of it for sure. But so far, I give it 2 thumbs up!

Other than all that, things are going very well. The boys and us are getting used to our new schedule all together and for the most part it flows pretty well. Not sure about the rest of you but we are still cursing Daylight Savings Time. We had Zach to where he was getting up in the mornings between 8-8:30 every day...and now its more like 6:45-7:30! Drats! I hope he goes back to his old sleepy ways at some point! :)

I am glad it is Friday. Having pizza with some friends tonight and then Caroline's 2nd birthday party is tomorrow! Matt and Zach will be there for sure...I have not decided if Mark and I will venture out or not yet. I could definitely use a break from the house but not sure about taking the wee wun out just yet....

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Trick or Treat!!

Zach had a BLAST trick or treating. We had planned on going to just a couple houses but he was having such a good time we ended up going all the way around our section! He was quite the appreciative trick or treater too offering "thank yous" and "bye byes" and even a hug for once lucky man! ;-) He was definitely on a sugar high by the end of the evening but was all worth it for the good time had by Z and Daddy and the rest of our clan!

(This morning Grammy gram took him on a walk and reported back that Z still thought it was Halloween as he was trying to head up to people's doors again today! HA!)

Fall Festival at Church

All in a days time

Been busy day...Mark lost his belly button stump today. WOOHOO! I have been puked on twice and peed on once (must remember to point the weewee down in the diaper!). Just need his weewee ring to fall off from the circ and we will have covered just about everything. Oh yeah, and I guess getting pooed on too. Good times ;-)

Something to smile about...

After yesterday's hormone induced post, decided to lighten it up a bit with just a sweet pic and none of my breast feeding drama (which, BTW, I will leave it at not going so hot still).

The best part of my day is when I wake up in the morning after feeding Mark and go out into the living room where Matt and Z are. I go sit in the recliner and the first thing Z does is come over, climb onto the other half of my lap, and give me and Mark a hug! Talk about melting a Mommy's heart! I love my boys!!!!! :)

Here we go again....

Mark only gained an ounce in four days and isn't having enough poops either. Not good. Called and talked to the lactation consultant and she recommended that we start supplementing an ounce after each feeding. Do what you got to do but of course I am upset and feel like I failed again. I won't give up and hopefully my supply will pick up with the continuing of fenugreek and the MoreMilk but I have not noticed much of a change yet even with basically feeding the boy whenever he wants and for however long. Very frustrating. I will work on pumping more too but as I said before, it feels like SUCH a waste of time when I pump and nothing comes out. I just don't understand what the problem is?!? The LC reminded me that some things are out of our control either due to hormones or mammary tissue so perhaps that is it. I hope it is not for lack of trying because I DO feel like I have been trying!

Anyway...we will see how things look when we go back next week for his 2 week appointment.

why is something so natural so tough??

Well we had our visit with the lactation consultant and she didn't seem too discouraged so I am trying not to either. We did a before and after feeding weight check and at that one, mark had gotten about .5oz. She said it wasn't terrible, but would like to see closer to 1oz. Good news, mark's latch and desire to nurse seem to be good, so we really just need to work on my supply!

Plan was to nurse as much as he would and pump after. I hate pumping. So defeating to me cause I get nothing! Anyway, been talking with another friend who struggled in the beginning and went on to exclusively bf her son for a year, and she has suggested to keep nursing if mark is still sucking in leiu of pumping since that should technically stimulate better than the pump anyway. I am kind of doing a combo of both now. Yesterday evening through this morning, I feel like he was hungry about every hour. Ugh. Makes a tired and sore momma.

Anyway, this afternoon has been better and we've been every 2 hours. Also went out to store and bought some MotherLove supplement roxanne told me about. I am taking more milk special blend which in addition to fenugreek and blessed thistle, contains goats rue which supposedly is strong enough to help pcos women specifically as well as women who have had breast surgery and even adoptive moms wanting to breast feed! Tastes like crap so hopefully that means it is serious stuff! The lady at the vitamin store said the last mom she sold it to was trying to up supply to nurse triplets...and worked for her. I just have one little dude to feed, bring on the milk! All in the name of feeding the newest man in my life! Ill let you know if it works! :) and monday we have our reweigh and bili check so we will see how we are doing then too!

A little yellow?

**UPDATE** Doc called back and Mark's bili level is just fine...so now just to work on getting his weight up and poos to turn color! We will go back Monday to recheck unless M turns yellow between now and then! ;-)

We had our 1st doctor appointment today. The hospital had said to go in 3 days after we got home since we are trying to exclusively bf and since I had issues the first go round. Guess it was a good thing. mark has lost about 12oz which isn't TOTALLY alarming but isn't great either :( And he looks slightly yellow although some of it I think is his olive skin tone....

We did a heel prick to test his billirubin and will have a better idea where we stand once those results get back today. Initial recommendation-1) start Fenugreek (check, Matt picked me up some yesterday...bring on the maple syrup!) 2) call lactation consultant (got # already, will call today after we get blood work results) and 3) start pumping after feeding (BLAH! I HATE PUMPING and was really hoping to avoid it until we needed to start introducing a bottle).

Trying to not be discouraged but of course I am a little. Doc did say Mark's pee and poo amounts were a good sign but we need the weight up a little and need the poos to start turning color today or tomorrow. Fun times in the Wittliff household!