i met her accidentally in st. paul, minnesota
February 13th, 2009since hazel is almost four months old, is cutting a tooth (what?!), and could very well be interested in solid food in a couple of months, mikey & i decided that i would start pumping a bottle per day for him to feed her before bed. he’s wanted to feed her since the day she was born, but i’ve resisted the bottle for whatever reason. lately she gets REALLY frantic during her last before-bed-chow because she is tired, a drama queen, and would prefer that my milk conveniently pour into her mouth rather than having to work for it. it’s a consistent “suck – scream – suck – scream” on some evenings. so we figured a bottle before bed would be some nice daddy & hazel time, plus, you know, not so… low flow. aside from the minor pumping detail, it has gone well. she cried for at least half of the day today out of weariness & probably some gum pain, although they aren’t red & irritated looking. her naps are totally out of sorts if she even sleeps at all during the day, and she’s showing every textbook teething sign, including the obvious tiny tooth point sitting right below the gum. oof. happy friday the 13th. as soon as mikey got home from the library i was out the door to run a couple of errands. this was the first time i’ve felt like i just had to get out of the house and away from my crying child for a few minutes or i would go totally insane. i’m sure that in reality it’s more seasonal than her, because i feel slightly insane every february, but it was still nice to escape to the fabric store for a few minutes. as for pumping, it’s REALLY HARD.
it freaks me out that she could be interested in what i’m eating in just a couple months. we prefer that she breastfeeds for at least a year, so we don’t plan on giving her solids as a full meal in hopes of preventing her from weaning herself before then, but she can taste and snack on whatever she wants when the time comes. how did she get so big???
i don’t know what else. my brain is functioning at rock-bottom capacity today. please be spring soon.
listening: johnny cash
February 14th, 2009 at 10:51 am
(((em)))
February 14th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
I’m sorry my shower-gift for you is causing you pain. It did look like a torture device in the photo on the box. Can you at least take advantage of the one bottle to have a full alcoholic bevvie?
February 14th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
haha – it doesn’t HURT. it’s just… more difficult than one would think to extract milk from one’s own boob. it just doesn’t want to come out. apparently it’s something that requires practice. who knew? i will get there…
and i’m not totally without beer – i will drink one here and there when i have a window of opportunity :)
February 14th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
first, i am glad that your blog is fixed.
second, i am jealous of pretty much every outfit hazel owns.
February 14th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
you want some footy little duck sleepers & a tshirt that says “karaoke in my crib, 2 a.m.”? totally your style.
February 17th, 2009 at 9:52 am
i’m with you manada- how can such a little baby be so amazingly dressed??
and mikey sure looks like he’s enjoying some new hazel time.
mama
February 23rd, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Hi Emily,
Regarding the pumping and pain, my cousin gave me fabulous pumping advice. When you awake first thing in the morning, jump into the shower and then pump directly afterward. Morning is the best time for milk supply and it will not hurt as bad. It makes a HUGE difference. Don’t worry about your baby going hungry because there will be plenty of milk and she will up your milk supply.
Regarding the food/weaning, my baby wanted solids at 5 months of age. She self weaned from nursing at 20 months. Babies can and need both solids and mamas. Just read her cues and she will tell you her needs.
Your baby is beautiful!