6 months of breastfeeding, co-sleeping and cloth diapering

Today is the day! I have reached my first goal of breastfeeding Supernova until 6 months!
I am sooo flippin excited!!

I have been a cloth diapering, co sleeping, breastfeeding momma for six months!!


- Middlest I fell prey to the not gaining enough weight thing. Which if you don't breastfeed means Dr.s tell you your baby isn't gaining enough weight and you need to suppliment with formula and pump to see how much you are making. Breastfed babies gain weight diffrently than formula fed babies.Not everyone is good at pumping milk. A breast pump doesn't work as well as your baby. If I had known to ask a Lactation consultant to weigh her before and after feeding I would found out the truth as well as ways to boost my supply. My mom and I couldn't even find anyone who had EVER even heard of La Leche!! Anyways one bottle of formula gave way to more then when I got a job where I couldn't breastfeed it was just easier to quit.
- Big_Gwrl I hated breastfeeding. I hated having someone touch me constantly.  I just couldn't do it without hating that poor little defenseless baby.  So under the urging of my mom and Big Daddy I quit. We both were much happier with bottles and they allowed us to bond without the feelings of hatred.
- Supernova I read up on the latest news. Met other breastfeeding moms in my homeschool group who wern't afraid to answer questions. I met several lactation consultants and made sure I was ready for this one.
I knew what to watch out for depression wise and I wouldn't beat myself up if I couldn't which was why my goal was set to six months instead of 1 year. I really think having that support system really helped me on my journey. I knew if I had any problems all I had to do was make one phone call. When the dr. told me he wasn't gaining weight fast enough, to give him cereal at 3 months, or to give him water to hydrate him when he had RSV I either ignored him or called the LC. I'm not going to say it's been fun. Or easy because it hasn't been. Getting up and feeding the baby many many many times during the night isn't fun. Cluster feeding and growth spurts aren't easy.Drinking 10-15 bottles of water a day is yucky! When those little fingers pinch and when Supernova keeps kicking my sholder I want to quit. But I keep going knowing that he's only trying to stay awake. If you don't have kids or if you are going to try breastfeeding again my advice would be get a big squishy chair JUST FOR YOU and a small fridge filled with bottles of water. Also  Drink drink drink drink drink. You should be drinking at least 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water a day! Bottles work best for me but thats just me. Also make sure you keep up your caloric intake!
Your little one needs the extra calories and you need the energy!

As for cloth diapering. It's a commitment. You have to commit to using cloth diapers. It's an expensive up front investment, but it's cheaper the long run. I think we are up to... maybe 600$ in diapers BUT these are diapers that will last until Supernova is potty trained! I would buy one of several kinds before your baby gets here and try them out to see what kind works best for you. We have 30 pocket diapers, Tons of unbleached prefolds, 3 all in one diapers ( for the diaper bag), and 6 covers. I had more covers but They were not one size and Supernova outgrew them. I didn't like them enough to get more. I do a LOT of laundry but we have a system that works. We use laundry baskets in each room I change the baby in. Every other day I walk around and dump them into a "traveling" bucket and wash them. Hang dry if sunny.. if not the diapers are air dried for 2 hours in the dryer. oh. If you do line dry your diapers outside.. just a warning throw them in the dryer for 10/15 min before you fold them so any bugs get killed.

yummy yummy fruit salad!!!

Sorry I couldn't resist :)

Healthy Fruit Salad with not so healthy topping (for the kiddos)

4 cups (ish) green (seedless) grapes
4 cups fresh blueberries
4 cups fresh strawberries

dump in a bowl and mix together!

Topping:

1 block low fat cream cheese- room temp
1 large jar Marshmellow cream
1 cup greek vanilla yogurt

Start by beating the cream cheese until smooth. Then add the marshmallow cream and yogurt. taste. Add more yogurt if you want it to be a little runnier.
the topping is meant to be more of a thick drizzle topping and not a thick dip.

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti bake

This turned out really well. Even the doubting Thomas Big_Daddy gave it a thumbs up.

Ingredents:
Spaghetti sauce
1 lbs hamburger
a large skettie squash
low fat Mozzarella cheese

cut the squash and scoop out the seeds. Cook until tender and scoop the meat from it's shell ( this part is best done ahead of time)
Brown up your meat and drain.
then mix together in a large bowl
the squash, skettie squash, and the cheese ( lots of cheese)
once mixed well pour into a casserole dish and top with more cheese and parm.
cook at 400 until the cheese is melty and bubble.
serve warm with garlic bread!

Chili Casserole

Tonight was one of those dinners that just comes together and makes something REALLY yummy.
I had a pound of hamburger defrosted that needed to be cooked and not much else. (haven't gone grocery shopping yet this week)
I went pantry scrounging and found a can of corn and a can of black beans. So I decided to make a mexican casserole... but I didnt have taco seasoning so it ended up being a chili kind :)

preheat to 400

1 lb of ground beef
1 can black beans
1 can of corn
1 cup of rice & 2 cups of water
lots of cheddar cheese
1 1/4-1/2 LARGE cans of tomato sauce
1 pkg of chili seasoning
2 boxes of jiffy corn bread mix

Cook your rice accoring to directions we used brown but white would work just fine.
Brown up your ground beef and drain it well.
Once your rice has cooked add the following to a large bowl rice, drained and rinsed black beans, the drained can of corn, the ground beef, your chili seasoning and the tomato sauce ( taste frequently if you need more sauce) then add the chedder cheese and stir up.
Pour into a large casserole dish. spread evenly.
Mix the cornbread mix in a seperate bowl according to directions. pour on top of casserole and spread evenly.
cook until the cornbread is cooked all the way through.
serve hot.
Top with sour cream :)

Enjoy!!!

meeting new people in the community.

So I decided I needed to get out and make some... contacts? today. I went to the local (only) baby resale store to see if THEY knew of any moms groups for stay at home mothers. I met some nice ladies who told me we dont have anything like that around here. *sighs*
Off to the next destination.
the core of every community.
The Library.
Story time. Free books. Summer reading programs.
I walked in and went straight to the desk. Glancing at what would be HOPEFULLY our home away from home this summer.
I asked the librarian for a library card. She looked me up and down. Sniffed. Then said she needed proof of residence. I whipped out our lease (which the website said was okay).
She looked it over and said
 I don't think your name is Timothy. So we can't use this.
 my name is right here under people who live at this residence. Smiling.
She started filling it out then set her pencil down and said we have to have refrences. 
REFRENCES? I just moved here. I don't know anyone yet. Thats why I'm looking foward to starting to come...
Yes well we still need refrences. Somebody to vouch for you to say you are trustworthy. Somebody that doesn't live at the same address. 
oh... smile is quickly fading
Well can I get the time and dates for..
No there wouldn't be any point since you arn't a member and your child is to young for our activites.
 I took back my lease and my drivers license. And started walking away. I am embarrassed to say tearing up. When she said....
Sorry it's only policy...Why don't you come back after you've met some people. 
.....
I try VERY hard to be nice and courtious so I kept walking because I really wanted to say some not very nice things. 
This also comes after going on that silly zoo field trip where I tried to talk to some of the other moms about the school and it's teachers while we were waiting for the bus and they looked at me adjusted thier circle and kept talking to each other. 

Then people wonder why I don't want to meet new people.
Although the Mayor did personally deliver our new trash can.

Depression Lies

This must be a bad time of year for depression. The Bloggess and a lot of other have been struggling with thier inner demons a lot lately. Me included. 

It seems like there is sooo much in the would that I am supposed to be doing. I am almost 33 at stuck home cleaning house ( or struggling to) the mother to 4 kids one a teenager, 2 elementry school girls who this week can't stand the sight of each other, and a teething, nursing baby. My sister is graduating soon with her doctorate, my brother with his masters, my parents are traveling the US. and here I am with a baby stuck to me night and day. literally. 

For the past few days these thoughts just keep circulating. I decided I needed a change. So I dyed my hair lusty lavender. It SUCKS.

I forgot something REALLY important. 

To turn these things over to God. 

I sat in bed this morning playing with the baby and I started talking to God about all these things that keep going through my mind. I remembered that doing all these huge adventures are not me.

I always wanted to be a stay at home mother.

I always wanted to have lots of kids. 

I am doing what I wanted. 

I am not jealous of my brother and my sister. I am proud of them. I am proud of me. I am proud of all I have done. I am not depression. I will not allow it to win. 

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

it's starting.. sadly..

My baby.. my last little baby is growing up.
I'm proud of him.
REALLY..
kinda..
not really.
Truthfully I just want to cry every time he learns to do something new.
He now babbles and "talks" to you, he rolls over in both directions deliberately, he kinda army crawls to different toys, He has started eating cereal, He's drinking water (and unfeet tea) during dinner from a sippy with a little help, and now today he's started getting on all fours and rocking which means he'll be crawling soon. I'm glad I bought those baby gates last week but it still makes me a little sad.
Soon he'll be talking and crawling then walking ect. ect. ect.

Happily though he loves his mommy and his favorite place (and mine) is in my arms.  

OH! middlest has taught him how to smack his lips!