Mommy Mistake = 911

Ok, guys. I've not posted lately because I've been trying to decide whether or not I wanted to blog about my most recent major incident with Brody.

I struggled with the decision to post or not to post, because of the pure humiliation and embarrassment of what happened over two weeks ago. Plus, I needed a little time to try to begin to forgive myself.

As parents, we are all bound to make mistakes. We are only human and aren't perfect, no matter how hard we try. So before you read this, I want to express how embarrassed I am to share my story. However, I chose to write about this incident because I have some dedicated readers out there (and on my best day, I had nearly 260 views on my blog from all over the world) and I do feel an obligation---a good obligation---to write about my trials and triumphs as I explore my new life as mommy.

I started this blog so people can read, laugh and share our journeys as parents. But I also decided to start this blog, because I wanted people to really learn from my mistakes. So, here it goes...

About two weeks ago, Klay and I met my mom at Walmart to buy flowers for our garden. We are no experts on plants, so we inquired mom's help. We were about to check out when Brody got fussy; it was time for him to eat. Klay told me to just head out to the truck and feed him because we had to get home ASAP to drop of the plants before heading out to Dallas for my doctor appointment.

I complied and took Brody out to the truck. I unlocked the door, put his car seat in the truck (but not in the base) facing toward the driver's side passenger door because I was going to walk to the other side to feed him.

I'd forgotten that Klay's new truck has an autostart. So proud of myself that I remembered, I started it up to get the truck to cool down a bit faster. I grabbed my bags and sat them in the truck and shut the door.



Uh-oh, I thought and started yanking on the handle to the LOCKED door.

Ok, so I've NEVER once locked my keys in my car, and the first time I do it, my three-month-old is in the backseat.

I immediately start panicking. What do I do? My phone is in the car. I can't call Klay or anyone for help. Decision time: do I leave my child in the locked car that was running, though the keys weren't in the ignition, to go get Klay and get help or do I stay there until Klay and Mom get out to the car? Luckily, I turned around and saw Klay heading out the doors and over to the car.

I start hollering at him to hurry and get over there and then quickly tell him what happened. His immediate reaction: "I'm breaking the window."

A week before, when Klay first got his truck, he was looking at the manual and found the number for OnStar. He told me, "OnStar can unlock your car remotely, if you just call this number." I said, "Put that number in your phone cause it'll be good to have."

I told Klay to call OnStar first. The car is still running, and Brody has AC, but it's not going to last forever. As some of you probably know, autostarts eventually shut off if you don't put the key in the ignition.

Mom comes out, with a Walmart associate who's helping her carry out five trees she bought, and I run over and tell mom what happened. I ask the Walmart employee if they know if they have someone in the auto/mechanic department that has something they can jimmy the car door open with. She runs in to seek help.

Meanwhile, I'm bawling and hysterical. I can hear Brody crying and I can't get to him---THE WORST FEELING EVER.

Klay gets mad because OnStar is no help, saying something like we aren't in the system (it's not a new truck, we bought it used). THEN, the truck cuts off.



I'm saying "call someone, call someone!" Mom, then, dials 911.

Now I really have the water works going. I'm sobbing and so distraught, I start throwing up in the parking lot. Klay starts looking around for a rock to break the window to his new truck, when four managers from Walmart come outside, along with a Walmart mechanic. They immediately start working on jimmying the lock.

A few minutes later (I'm not really sure how long this took cause it seemed like forever), the fire department arrives and they give it a go. Brody is now calm and looking around like what's going on guys? He's interested in watching all the people surrounding the windows trying to get into the truck.

Finally, they are successful and unlock the truck. I'd say it took them at least 7-10 minutes to get in the truck. I told mom that the whole ordeal had to of lasted 30 or more minutes, but she seemed to think it was less, saying it just seemed longer to me.

When I got in to my baby boy, he was cool as a cucumber. Smiling at me as though he wanted to let me know he was ok and not to worry.



Klay and mom hugged and thanked everyone for all of their help and rapid response. I tried my best to pull myself together to thank everyone, but I was still a mess. Felt like I deserved and earned the title as the "Worst Mom of the Year." So, special thanks to Terrell Walmart staff, managers and employees and Terrell Fire Department. We are forever grateful!!!

I did end up making it to my doctor appointment and my blood pressure was 142/108. That should tell you what kind of state I was in.

So, here I am, telling all of you about this horrific incident. I never want anyone to have to go through that. I've been so upset with myself for allowing that to happen. I could have understood if I'd been rushing, but I wasn't. It's taken me a while to truly TRY to forgive myself. But I figured the best way to start forgiving myself is to write about it and try to prevent others from doing the same thing.

As a parent, brother, sister, grandparent or friend to any child, please learn from my mistake. Every time you buckle a child in, think of me and Brody, and ask yourself "where are my keys?" If your rushing to get somewhere, slow down, make sure they are buckled in right, and that you have the keys on you at all times. Thankfully, it wasn't crazy hot outside that morning, but summer is almost in full-swing, and it's getting hotter by the day. So, keep your keys on you!

Wishing you many more successful days as parents/grandparents and no days like this incident,

Cassidy

Worrisome Wednesday

Yesterday, was a rough one for Brody and mommy. Brody woke up earlier than normal, around 5:45 a.m. His nose was pretty stopped up and he kept snorting a lot. He apparently had a hard time breathing through his nose, so I think that's why he woke up so early.



His stuffy nose is still causing him to have a blocked tear duct, so we are still having issues with his eye. It's continuously producing a lot of white to yellowish goop and hasn't stopped since his two-month doctor visit. I've tried everything (vaporizers, baby aspirators, saline drops, vapor bath bubble stuff, antibiotic eye drops, propping him up when he sleeps), but nothing has worked. I can't get his tear duct clear this time. (The photo to the left was from a few weeks ago, right after he woke up so it was pretty matted and gross. This was when his eye was really bad, now it's not even close to that and it's mostly white and clear fluid.)

Tired of the goop and waiting for this to get better, I called the doctor yesterday and they squeezed us in that afternoon. My pediatrician prescribed me a different kind of eye drops, that she wants me to put in both eyes (even though we are only having trouble with one). She also took a swab of the goop (not sure what she's testing for). So, hopefully, these drops work and we get some results soon.

In other Brody news, he is showing symptoms of teething. He's been producing lots of little spit bubbles, crying, had several inconsolable fits and he is starting to gnaw on things--rags, fingers, etc. I've been putting some teething gel on his gums and using teething tablets here and there when he's fussy and nothing else works. But I haven't felt any teeth come up yet.



The doctor said that the teeth are moving under his gums, which will produce symptoms of teething, but he probably won't produce teeth for a while. So, I guess every new stage, brings new challenges!

All in all, yesterday was exhausting. Brody wouldn't stop crying all day and didn't go to sleep the entire day. I had to constantly hold him and when we were in the car, he cried the entire time--both to and from the doctor appointment.

Can you say headache!? I went to Starbucks twice just to try to make it through the day, and while I waited in the drive-thru line at CVS to pick up his medicine, I popped a couple of ibuprofen--it didn't help much. Then, I got home, Brody had been asleep for a 20 minutes, so I went into our office to TRY to START working. I don't even have my computer on yet, and I hear Billie and Stretch growling at each other. Well, it was more like Billie growling at Stretch.

Scared and angry that they might wake Brody, I rushed in the living room to see what all the fuss was about. I saw a hard, round blackish thing--what I thought was poop-- on my rug. My rug is one of my favorite things I have in my house, and it's a mixture of different shapes of different shades of brown and white (see picture). Of course, the "poop" was on the white part of the rug. But I noticed there was black powdery-like stuff that looked like it had rubbed onto the carpet. Huh, that's strange.

I went to pick up the "poop" with a paper towel, only to realize it was CHARCOAL. I guess Billie had brought some coal in from outside--Klay had cooked a few nights ago. This dog is seriously going to be the death of me. With black all on his beard, teeth and paws, I had to wipe him down as best I could. Luckily, my dad owns a carpet cleaning business, so I tried not to fret too much about the rug. But honestly, what else can he get into!?

Meanwhile, Brody wakes up and is ready for his next feeding. After his feeding Brody spits up three times. I started to worry that he was sick. He felt a little warm, and with me being sick this week, my mind filled with worries that he was SICK or starting to get sick. Luckily, I think it was just me thinking of all the worst things that could go wrong. He was fine the rest of the night and this morning.

He was smiling up a storm this morning, but it was at 6 a.m. again! Klay's had to get up earlier than normal the past three days, and I swear, if he doesn't start getting up the first time the alarm goes off, his wife his going to push him off the bed or do something worse. That drives me crazy!

Well, we just put Brody down for the night, so I should probably get in bed while I can.

Hoping all parents everywhere have had a better week than us!

Cassidy

First Mother's Day

Although I was extremely excited about my first Mother's Day, it wasn't an amazing, relaxing day like I'd thought it would be. Saturday night, I, along with a few others, planned a surprise spa party for my sister. We spent the entire night enjoying mini mani's and pedi's, food, desserts, wine, gifts and massages. It was relaxing, fun and we laughed all night, telling stories and enjoying our time free of men, kids and work! (What perfect timing with it being Mother's Day weekend and all!) Everyone even got a party gift/favor (see picture).

The next morning, I woke up not feeling so great. It wasn't the wine or anything; I'd only had two glasses. Apparently a few other girls woke up with upset tummies too. So, unfortunately, I spent majority of Mother's Day sleeping, sick and in the bathroom.



I did, however, get a beautiful card from my two favorite men--Brody and Klay. Brody signed this card with his foot- and handprint (which was a little smudged, but that was ok cause it was perfect!). I also got a gift card for a pedicure from them! It was so sweet.

We went over to my mom's for a bit to celebrate, and Brody spent most of his time outside. He absolutely loves it. He's so alert now and constantly looking around at everything. He hardly ever wants to be held in a cradling position any more. SAD FACE. He wants to sit, facing outward so he can get a good look at what's going on around him. Already so grown up!

He's really starting to turn his head when someone talks and especially when his daddy walks into the room. He hears Klay and his eyes widen while he tries to find him. We're enjoying every moment of this, because before I know it, he'll be sitting up on his own, crawling and then graduating high school. Ok, maybe it's too early for that, but these past 12 weeks have gone by so fast.



Everyday this gets more and more fun. He's always doing something new and smiling is an everyday deal now. We're just loving every moment with our little angel! =)

Hope all other mommies had a wonderful Mother's Day and are enjoying every moment with their babies (big and small!).

Wishing everyone the best,

Cassidy

Can anything go right?

Today was one of those days where just about everything goes wrong.

Lets start with how the day began, shall we!? I had a hair appointment early this morning in Rockwall. Mom offered to watch Brody for a few hours while I spent some time relaxing and getting my hair done, so I started the day early. I got up to a not so fun monthly gift from mother nature, got dressed, make-up on, got Brody up, dressed and fed (with some of Klay's help--he had his final exam and had to head off to school), baby bags ready and in the car, a big poopy from Brody (woo hoo!), my son in the carseat with no fuss, and finally we both made it inside my vehicle, strapped in tight and ready to meet mom at Starbucks in Terrell. I was right on time, actually a little early, I was pretty proud of myself--should've seen that as a sign.

I get to Starbucks without a hitch, hand my kid off to mom, take some tylenol she gave me (cramps!), kiss him goodbye, run through the drive thru, grab a white chocolate mocha--yum--a breakfast sandwich and head toward Rockwall. Making great time, I thought proudly, I'll even be there a little early! Getting to somewhere early, instead of running a few minutes or extremely late, was something I haven't done in a really long time. Having a kid changes my success in arriving early or on time anywhere. Something always goes wrong (he spits up and you have to change outfits, he has an extreme, over-the-top hissy fit and I have to calm him down, or you run in and out of the car three times because you forgot your cell phone, purse or a pacifier; it's always something). 

Needless to say, I arrived to Rockwall in one piece, 20 minutes before my appointment. Well, I walk in and see my stylist with a client, and I thought, That's odd thought I was the first of the day. I decided to walk to the bathroom to waste some time and I notice that my stylist was starting the client's color. RED FLAG.

I poked my head in and said, "Hey, my appointment's at 10 right?"

"10 tomorrow. I told you that on the phone yesterday when you called," she replied looking confused at me standing at the door.

See I'd called yesterday asking her to confirm my appointment time for tomorrow. She was with a client, naturally, so she responded at 10, but I'm pretty sure she didn't say Friday. Anywho, it doesn't matter. It could be my mommy-mushy-brain...

So, I had to turn around and leave, hair ugly and not beautified, only to have to return and do the same thing in the morning. The good thing was I was able to get a few, could-have-been-timed-better errands done. Once I left  and my pride of arriving early went out the window (cause chances of that happening tomorrow are slim to none), I eventually started heading back toward home. Klay, who was still in Mesquite, heard all about my frustrations on the phone, and he also knew I needed to go home and get some stuff done for work, so he offered to go out to mom's to pick up Brody.

I got home and the dogs went nuts, as usual, wagging their tails, barking, jumping at me, like they haven't seen me in weeks. I headed to the back door to let them out when Billie knocks over his food bowl, which is right next to the door, spilling little tiny bits of dried food all over the floor. He then stepped in the water bowl, making it tip over, and got water all over my feet and again all over the floor. I'd gotten something to eat on the way home, it was around noon then, and I was pretty hungry, but that had to wait. I had to wipe up the water, scrape up the dog food, and then as I proceeded to walk over to the sink with the dripping wet water bowl, spilled the rest of the  tiny bit of water on me. Angry at the bowl, I threw it in the stink, and said not-so-nice things.

I only got more frustrated as I ate my cold burger and fries. I finally walked in the office and started working. Once Klay got home, I went and checked on Brody. He was just starting to wake up--go figure. But honestly, I was really happy to see his blue eyes pop open and look at me! He started whining, so I picked him up. I realized I needed to go to the bathroom, so I passed Bro off to Klay. While I'm in the potty, I hear Brody crying hysterically. Meanwhile, Klay runs in and shows me a chewed up plastic bottle that looked familiar. There wasn't much liquid left in Brody's Tylenol bottle, apparently Klay found Billie chewing on it. (He also chewed up a baby aspirator, the syringe to the tylenol bottle, a medicine-bottle-dispenser thingy and almost empty bottle of gas drops the day before.)

I called a friend of mine who works for a vet and she told me I needed to feed Billie a little hydrogen peroxide to make him puke it up. So I tried to handle Brody, who was practically inconsolable, while Klay tried to make sure our dog wouldn't die or have to go the pet ER. Billie finally got sick, a few times, and he was fine. Brody however decided to cry and not sleep the rest of the day. My cramping and crying kid got the best of me, and I was wiped out. Klay made me go take a little nap.

The rest of the night was luckily uneventful. But all of the things I wanted to get done today, didn't happen.  My whole day was thrown for a loop and tomorrow now too. I should probably go to sleep while I can; it's past midnight. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a bit better...

Night! P.S. Happy 29th Birthday to my sister, Britney!

Sorry if there are any typos or things that don't make sense. I'm out of it.

Ups and Downs

Finally, at a little over two months old, I think we have arrived at the "getting better" part. For the past couple of weeks, he's been sleeping consistently--about 7-8 or more hours at night. I may have to get up once or twice in the middle of the night when he starts squirming to give him his pacifier, but he's been sleeping pretty well! So mama's happy! =) 

And with him sleeping more, we've been sleeping better (obviously), but now we are sleeping even better, thanks to my amazing friend Cami! She got us a crazy deal on a king size bed. For only $65, we got a brand new king size bed and box spring! It was perfect timing cause Klay had just ordered a new king size bed frame from my dad's friend for only like $25 or $30! Klay and my brother-in-law went and got it Sunday from the store. We've been sleeping amazing since we have so much room! Thanks, Cami!

We went to his two month check-up last Wednesday, and Brody is growing nicely according to our pediatrician! He's 10 lbs 4 oz and 21 3/4 inches long. We told the doctor about his constipation issues and she recommended that we give him an ounce of water mixed with an ounce of apple juice every day to see if that helps. We've been doing that, but he seems to be having really watery stools after he drinks it, so I've been cutting it down a little each time to find the right consistency--and only giving it to him when he really needs it.

He also had his two month shots. That was sad and hard for mommy and daddy to watch, but he was a trooper! He barely cried and as soon as she was done, he was fine. But the shots wore him out; he was pretty lethargic and slept more than he ate. He stayed like that for about two and a half days, just extremely worn out. Luckily, he didn't run a fever and wasn't the least bit cranky. He was just exhausted!

The pediatrician did however notice that he had a little cradle cap. I noticed his head was dry, but I didn't see too much to be concerned. She told us to use a little head and shoulders every other day on him and that should help.

Now that he's getting a little older, our Brody Jack is becoming a lot more active. He now wants to sit up and look around the room all the time! He's pretty strong and can keep his head up for longer amounts of time now. He's making more cooing noises and almost sounded like he was started to laugh in his sleep! LOVE IT!

We've been trying to get him to repeat vowel sounds, which they say they will sometimes do at this age, and we're getting a little reaction from him! This is all the stuff that makes all of the late nights and exhaustion worth it. Watching him smile and react to more sounds around the room or turn his head to look at whoever is talking is so much fun. Every day he's doing a little more and I'm loving every moment of it.

This truly couldn't happen a better time. I think I was really suffering from some baby blues, or a little depression or something. Being in the house all day, every day, was getting me down. This is probably why I haven't posted lately. I was struggling to get motivation to do anything--eat, put make up on, shower, etc. Taking care of him was consuming my life. And his constipation and fussiness from his tummy troubles, really wore on me. I was so tired and felt like I wasn't doing anything right.

But I finally snapped out of it. I hated that I had to sleep when he slept, had to shower when he was napping, had to make my self something eat when he was finally content and calm. I needed to start creating a schedule for me and not just live by his schedule. If he cries some, it's ok. I had to realize I have to do stuff despite if he's crying or not. I need to try to blend his schedule to mine, and make him realize mommy can't hold him all the time, and I may not be able to run to him every second of the day.

So, needless to say, I've been feeling a lot better. I started opening the blinds and getting outside more. I have to start taking care of myself, because if I'm not happy and not taking care of, what good will that do him?

Anywho, things are looking up around here! Hope all is well with other mommies and daddies!

Wishing the best,

Cass

The Scoop on Poop

Before I was pregnant I would have never thought I'd be excited to see a poopy diaper. But when my baby goes a couple of days without a BM, mommy starts to worry.

Last Saturday was one of those days. Brody went two and half days with out pooping, and he was hurting because of it. His sad, quivering cries were extremely tough to watch. After Brody finally passed a hard brown nugget, Klay spent the majority of that morning massaging Brody's stomach, pushing his legs in a bicycle motion and finally inserting a vaseline-soiled q-tip in his rectum to stimulate Brody to push. Luckily, Brody obliged and we finally got some poop! Although he's gotten a little relief, he's still whimpered in pain majority of the day indicating he still had more to pass.

We've had multiple days like that since. He hasn't been pooping regularly, and it's been frustrating. The bicycling exercises and tummy massages have become a part of a daily routine, it seems. We've even added a little prune juice, and given him water, to try to help. But recently, we started giving him Karo syrup in his formula. Only putting a few drops in his bottle, and it seems to be helping. He actually started passing more than little nuggets (which is what he mostly passed the last week or so).

These are the days that make me wish I was still mostly breastfeeding or feeding him breast mik. I still have a couple of bags of frozen breast milk, and we decided to dive into the last bit of our supply. Breast milk is always my "golden" solution, and it's hard knowing our supply is slowly dwindling down.

Constipation is by far one of the worst things parents can witness. I hate that we can only use so many tactics to try and get him to go, and I worry that if we continue to use theses same tactics, eventually they will stop working.

Here's the scoop on baby poopy issues/problems, according to Similac's website:

Bowel movements

The normal range for bowel movements in babies is vast. Infant stool varies from baby to baby, and from day to day. Stool can be yellow, green, or brown and still be considered normal. Normal consistency ranges from runny applesauce to playdough.

Baby constipation

Several factors can lead to your baby becoming constipated, having difficulty passing stool, passing stool that is hard and dry, or having bowel movements less frequently than usual:

• Eating solid foods for the first time can cause constipation. It is possible that some of the foods you feed your baby for the first time — such as rice cereal and oatmeal — don’t provide enough fiber to promote regular bowel movements.


• Dehydration causes constipation. Her body, when not properly hydrated, absorbs fluids from whatever she eats and drinks, including fluid from the waste in her bowels.


• Baby formulas contain palm olein oil. Breast milk contains a balanced amount of fat and protein to ensure good digestive health and development. Substitutes in baby formula, such as palm olein oil, can harden stools in some babies.


• Illness or other medical conditions can disrupt healthy digestive functions. Some babies develop diseases, or have underlying medical conditions, that result in chronic constipation. Check with your doctor if your baby has difficulty passing stools.

How can you ease your baby's constipation?

Some doctors recommend adding 1 to 2 ounces of prune, apple, or pear juice to formula or breast milk. The sugar in these juices will help to loosen the stool. Exercise her legs to break up the hardened stools in her bowels, or gently massage her stomach if symptoms continue. Do not give your baby over-the-counter stool softeners unless advised by your pediatrician or health care professional.Ask your health care professional about switching to a formula such as Similac® Advance®, which does not contain palm olein oil, an ingredient that can harden stools in some babies.

Here's some additional info on baby diarrhea http://similac.com/feeding-nutrition/diarrhea-and-constipation

 

Sorry it took so long for me to post again. I've been working on this post for over a week! Things have been busy and crazy lately...

I'll post more soon.

Cassidy

Right in front of my face.

After introducing Brody to Similac Soy Isomil, he seems to be doing a lot better. The past two nights he's slept 7-8 hours, he hasn't been near as fussy and we've gotten back to having more of our smiling sessions again!

Soon after posting my last blog, I logged on to Similac's website to do a little research. I ended up registering for Strong Moms, to get free samples, information, etc. I got a two-month baby update from them (as Brody's almost two months old; I can't believe it), and I saw this:

Signs of milk-protein sensitivity in babies

All babies are fussy and gassy at times, but if it seems your baby has more frequent fussiness and gas, he could have milk-protein sensitivity. Reactions can include:

• Skin rashes


• Watery stools


• Irritability

If you are formula feeding your baby, these reactions could be due to milk-protein sensitivity. Your health care provider can determine whether your baby should be fed a special formula such as Similac^® Soy Isomil^®.

I couldn't believe what I read. What I've forgotten to mention in my previous posts is that Brody's had these little bumps around his mouth and on his chin, neck and shoulders. I knew it was from formula spillage during his feedings. I'd even mentioned to my mom that I thought he may be allergic to the formula or something. He's had watery stools and everyone knows he's been more irritable than normal.

I was so excited to learn that we'd finally put him on a formula that looks like it should be the perfect match for him. I ran into the bedroom eager to tell Klay what I read, only to discover him on his phone googling (of course) about the formula too. I guess our parenting intuition is in full gear now. We are both always constantly researching anything relating to babies and parenting.

I don't want to get my hopes up, but I'm just glad to see my Brody get some relief and become more at ease. My smiling and happy baby boy is back again. Don't get me wrong, I know every baby cries and has his/her bad days, but he seemed like he was hurting and in pain all the time. The cries were screechier and louder than normal and he'd hardly stay calm for me to spend some fun time talking and singing to him. It was unbearable to see him that way.

The sad part about all of this is that I could have found a solution a lot sooner. If I would have really utilized my resources, more than I had been, and read the material I've gotten from the doctor, Similac or Enfamil, I might have figured this all out and saved us from some sleepless nights, exhaustion and frustration.

But hopefully, we are on the road to success in the formula department. These past few weeks have been so frustrating and have completely wore me out. I hated feeling like I didn't know what to do. I was at a loss.

From now on, I encourage everyone to utilize resources. Similac's website offers a lot of information about supplementing, formula feeding, and it even offers tools and questionnaires for your tummy and stool troubles.

Here are a couple of recommended pages/resources to visit to help soothe some of your mommy worries:

• Similac Tummy Trouble Tool


• Similac Diaper Decoder


• Similac Formula Finder

I'll post more valuable resources later!

Best,

Cassidy

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

First off, I'm so sorry I haven't been able to post some new blogs lately. This past week has been extremely challenging, exhausting and frustrating. Brody's sleeping and eating hasn't been the least bit consistent, and it's completely worn me out.

Due to some recommendations and Brody's tummy issues, we switched formulas AGAIN. Because a lot of people who've used Enfamil Nutramigen said it solved all of their child's tummy problems, we decided to give this formula a try. This brand is the most expensive brand of formula on the shelves, at least that we've seen. We weren't happy about the price, but if it works we'd be happy to foot the bill and bring peace to Brody's formula issues.



It seemed to be working fine at first, and Brody was having a bowel movement everyday or every other day, so I was pretty excited. Eventually, his stools became a bit more watery than I liked and his spit up resurfaced again. I'm thinking he may have a little bit of reflux, but we called the doctor and they've recommended that we try a soy-based formula, like Enfamil ProSobee or Similac Soy Isomil.



Klay bought Similac Soy Isomil, so we're starting that tonight. I'm just hoping we get a handle on this formula thing pretty soon. I don't know if I can take any more of this.

Even though today and last night was rough, Sunday night into Monday morning we managed to get a record 11 hours of sleep. We went to Klay's parents for Easter on Sunday and everyone was excited to see and hold Brody. Everyone had their turn holding him and for the five hours we were there, I don't think anyone sat him down once. It was nice to see our family so excited about our new addition.



I think after being held the whole time, Brody never managed to get a deep sleep so by the time we got home, he was completely wiped out (and we somehow managed to get 11 hours of sleep). This was a good night for us obviously.

But with the good, comes the bad. One good night for us normally means a rough night the next and then an even uglier day/night after that. So for every good day, it seems there are two to three rougher days that follow. It's hard not to get discouraged when I think "wow, it's getting better" and then the next day he's fussy, gassy and won't sleep and I can't help but think the "it's getting better" part keeps drifting further and further away. The uglier days and nights only leave me to question everything I'm doing.

I'll do my best to try keep these blogs up-to-date.

Sending everyone my best,

Cassidy

The Storm

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days. It's been chaotic around here, and I've been extremely busy taking care of Brody!

Of course, as many of you know, north Texas was hit by a dozen tornadoes Tuesday afternoon. A tornado hit in Forney, only a few miles from our home. Luckily, we are  all safe and there was no damage to our house.

Brody experienced his first storm and tornado warning yesterday. When the sirens went off, Brody, Stretch, Billie and I took "cover" in the tub. Klay stayed out and watched the TV to see what was happening in our area.



I'm the first to admit I have an extreme fear of tornadoes (I have nightmares about them all the time), and now that we have Brody, tornadoes are even scarier than before. Our first priority is making sure our child is safe, and the fact that he may be in danger is pretty frightening.  Thankfully, through it all, Brody never knew anything abnormal was going on.

There was major damage all over north Texas, and in Forney, and I'm so happy to hear there were no casualties.

The north Texas storm that wreaked havoc yesterday wasn't the only storm that caused an uproar at our house; the high-pitched, loud, screeching sounds of our baby boy crying kept us up into the wee hours. Needless to say, we had a rough, rough night.

Brody was awake for seven hours, two of which, he was screaming at the top of his lungs. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, would soothe him. He was squirming, fussing, burping and farting nonstop. I know he was gassy, had a tummy ache and needed a good BM, even though he had one Monday or Tuesday. (I can't remember which day it was because my days and nights are running together, so now I'm creating a calendar to keep track.)

Of course, seeing him in pain and not being able to fix it caused me to cry. On top of that, it was frustrating that we couldn't calm him down and get him quiet (I'm surprised he didn't wake the neighbors). That may sound bad, but let's face it, no one really wants to hear the deafening sound of a baby screaming at the top of his lungs. But more than anything, it was hard not knowing what to do. We haven't had a night like that yet where we couldn't figure out what he needs or wants. Gas drops and Gripe Water didn't even faze him.

After feeding him several ounces of formula and breast milk, he finally wore himself out, falling asleep in his swing for only three hours. After he woke up again, I got him and laid him with me and he went right back to sleep.

I'm hoping this was just a really bad night and not any sign that he may have colic.

I am happy to report that he did have a big poopy today! This was of course after I lost it and bawled my eyes out from exhaustion, stress and trying to figure out how make him feel better. Not a great day for mom...

I guess we will see how tonight goes. Brody is asleep and happy right now (see picture).

I'll try to post every day from now on! I apologize to those who checked in to see if I had blogged, and I want everyone to know I'll try to stay consistent.

Pray for all of us to get some rest. We need it. BAD.

Cassidy

Sleepless Nights...

Last night one of my oldest friends came over for some mommy and baby time (oldest meaning I've known her all my life)!  Brittany brought her three month old  son, Grayden, over to visit and spend time with me and Brody. It was a lot of fun sharing stories about our trials and triumphs of being a mommy!

We decided to cook dinner (she brought the food; thanks, Britt!) and it was pretty interesting trying to cook with crying babies in our arms. It took a lot of teamwork and time, but we managed to make a delicious dinner!



After they left, it took several hours for Brody to fall asleep. My poor baby is a little constipated, and although I gave him breast milk before which made him have a BM almost instantly, the past few times I've given it to him, it didn't work. So instead of taking care of my normal deep-sleeping baby, where rarely any sound make him wake up, Brody has been extremely sensitive to sound and movement.

Last night, I became extremely frustrated when the dogs would bark at nothing or I'd accidentally hit something or make a noise that'd wake him up.

Since we moved into our new house, we've had issues with our microwave; it'll randomly beep and won't stop until you unplug it (apparently the keypad is going out). And of course by the time I finally get Brody down, the microwave starts going off, waking him up. This was at 3 a.m.! I don't know why things like that always happen at the worst time!

Needless to say, I had to call my mom this morning to see if she'd come over to let me get an extra hour or two of sleep. Luckily, she did. Thanks, Mom!

The past two days and nights Brody has been a little more irritable than normal, and it's hurts me to not be able to make him feel better! So, I'm praying we get a good poopy pretty soon!



Ok as a proud aunt, I have to mention this! Brody and I went to watch his cousin Presley (my sister's daughter) at her first t-ball game today! Here's a pic of Presley (left) and Emma (right), Staci and Mark's beautiful little girl. Aren't they adorable?

It was a lot of fun watching them play and have fun. Although I don't want Brody to grow up, because thinking about it already makes me sad, seeing these little ones having a blast playing ball makes me excited for Brody to get that age! Plus, let's admit it's hilarious watching kids try to play ball at this age. Presley would just let the ball roll right by her when she was in the outfield. I guess we need to work on that!

Anyway, this post is going to be pretty short today! Brody is asleep so I'm going to try to take a nap while I have the chance!

Crossing my fingers and praying for the best tonight...

Cassidy

Mommy Trade-Offs, When to Ask for Help & Tips for Friends & Family of New Parents

I'm not so happy to say that our seven-hour sleeping record was short lived. Last night, Brody fell asleep around 1:30 a.m., woke up at 3:30, went back to sleep around 4:30 and back up at 7 a.m. Truthfully, I didn't think the longer sleep was going to last too long. I'm still hoping that this was just an "off" night and was only just a little "bump" in our road to sleeping success. I imagine his sleeping pattern won't become incredibly consistent just yet, but I hope we can get some sort of consistency going soon. But I'm still hoping for the best for the many nights to come!

Amidst all the restless nights and exasperation, there are joys of waking up in the middle of the night with Brody. Lately, we get to see, what I like to call, little Brody "smile sessions." Seeing my little baby smile is not only one of the many precious moments that make me feel like I'm doing something right, but his beautiful grins never fail to put a smile on my face.

I think this is one of the many trade-offs of being a mom. Through the fatigue, exhaustion and many breakdowns, come these sweet amazing moments that let you know that it was all worth it.

By far one of my favorite things is watching him smile when I sing. He's the only person in the world who likes to hear me sing! Watching him smile because he likes to hear my voice, not only makes me an extremely happy mom, but it also helps keep me sane.

Here's a little peek at one of our singing/smile sessions:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmi7gVkzQaY&w=420&h=315]

I know many moms are struggling with sleep deprivation and feel like they might "lose it," and one of the things that's hard for me to do is admit when I needed help. I'm not really one to ask for help (or admit that I need it) because I like to prove that I can do it myself. Pediatricians and nurses will constantly tell you to sleep while your baby is asleep. But how are you supposed to do that when you need to clean, wash bottles, do laundry, shower and make you something to eat?

My exhaustion took priority over all of those things and led me to neglect taking care of myself. I was so tired that even though I was starving, I didn't want to make myself something to eat because all I wanted to do was sleep. By the time Brody and I woke up, I'd have to feed and change him, leaving me hungry and never having the time to eat or make anything. I'd go all day without barely eating anything (which probably had to do with the decrease of my breast milk).

Although your priority is making sure your child is taken care of, it's important to remember you have to take care of yourself and part of that is knowing when to ask for help.



In the first few weeks after Brody was born, my mom came over and stayed with us overnight a few times to let Klay and I get some much needed rest. Getting more than 4 hours of consecutive sleep helped restore some of my sanity. If you can't get someone to stay overnight, have someone come stay during the day and let you sleep; it will help you regain some of your energy. But remember you have to ASK for help, and LET people help you!

If you're a friend or family member to someone who's recently had a baby, cook a meal and take it to their house, help them clean their house or offer to do laundry.  Two great friends of mine came over and made a meal for lunch, helped clean my house and even made a freezer meal that we could heat up in the crock pot. Amber and her mom, Wanda, relieved some of our stress and frustration through spending a few hours of their time to help around the house. This simple act of kindness goes a long way and is truly the best gift any new parent could ask for!

Having help like this--whether it's having someone watch the baby to let you sleep or letting someone clean and cook for you--can make a huge difference through this exhausting time and give new parents a little break.

So, reach out and help someone you know that just had a baby or remember to return the favor when someone helps you!

P.S. Never forget to utilize the grandparents!

Cassidy

Formula, Diaper Rash & Constipation Frustration

I'm so excited and happy to announce...we had another night of 7 hours of sleep! Woo hoo! Sorry, had to get that out there.

I honestly think that the sleeping longer all stems from switching formulas. I've learned that one of the toughest things about formula is finding the right kind that suits your child. This is one of the main reasons I'm still pumping.

We started using Similac Advance, which was one of the samples given by our pediatrician. This seemed to be working fine, and we had absolutely no constipation with it (Brody was producing at least 5-7 soiled diapers a day). We did, however, have absignificant amount of spit up with this brand.



The number of stool-filled diapers Brody was producing a day seemed normal to me because that's how much he'd been pooping since he was born. However, I was having a major issue with his diaper rash (and also tiny bleeding under his scrotum from irritation) and diaper creams really weren't cutting it. My expert googler of a husband, researched and thought we weren't leaving diapers off long enough to air out the irritated area. So, we were tried everything to fix it. We left his diapers off for an hour at a time (after his nightly bath) and kept him wrapped in a towel, we'd tried Butt Paste, Butt Aid, Desitin (not a recommendation by the way), Baby Powder, Vaseline and even corn starch (this usually works according to my sister and grandma and there is even baby powder with corn starch in it apparently). But nothing seemed to completely heal it; they'd make it appear like it was getting better for a few diaper changes, and then it'd be red, irritated  and bleeding again.

Anyway, because of his spit up we decided to switch to Similac Sensitive for Spit-Up.

Within the first day of using this formula, Brody went 12 plus hours without a bowel movement. Being the worrier I am, I began to fret that he'd get a tummy ache and the constipation would worsen. Although I figured the formula switch might constipate him until his body got used to it, the drastic change from 5-7 soiled diapers a day to not producing one in a solid 12 hours didn't sit right with me.

I immediately wanted to switch back to Similac Advance. But I fed him breast milk, hoping he'd poop soon after digesting it, and within two hours he produced a thick, muddy-like dirty diaper (this is another reason why I love breast milk worked like a charm!).

We saw Brody's pediatrician Tuesday and discussed our butt/scrotum issues and formula and constipation problems. She told us that since he's over a month old, he may only produce a stool-filled diaper once a day or once every few days depending on his body and routine. "His pooping will start to slow down at this point," she said. And in the two days we switched formula, his butt rash completely healed  (obviously from the lack of pooping) and we haven't had any issues since.

According to Similac's website, supplementing with formula will cause changes in your baby's behavior: "If your baby refuses the breast, eats faster, goes longer than usual between feedings, or does not pass stool after a few days, don't be overly concerned — these changes are common and do not always signal a problem."

Going through some Similac samples I'd gotten from the hospital, I found reading material on baby stools. (This might be gross to people who don't have kids yet, but you quickly learn in the hospital the color of the stools and what your child is producing in their diapers lets you and the doctors know everything is functioning properly! Also once it's your kid, it changes the way you think about changing diapers or at least it did for me.)

The info had some images of different baby stools. I soon realized I was mistaking his formula stools--they were actually more like diarrhea. Brody was producing a lot of watery-looking stools (not overly watery because they were still yellow and seedy), but because I knew formula stools were different from breastfed stools, I thought it was normal.

My poor baby had diarrhea (off and on) for a solid week and a half, maybe even longer, which caused the irritation on his butt and under his scrotum, and maybe even some dehydration. The dehydration might also explain him waking up every 2-3 hours and his vigorous and sometimes difficult feedings where he'd act like he'd never eaten before! Now that he's staying fuller longer, he's sleeping longer, keeping mom and a dad a little more sane, and his butt rash has completely healed. He seems to be a very happy little baby!

So for especially new moms and all moms out there, here's a link to Similac's Diaper Decoder. Click the stool that looks most like your child's and get info on why it appears the way it does! It should help put an ease to worried moms and assure you that you're baby is ok.

I hope this was knowledgeable and other new moms learn from my experience!

Wishing all babies to be rash- and constipation-free,

Cassidy

When will it get better?

Brody is now one month old, and Klay and I both still feel extremely sleep deprived. Our constant exhaustion turns into frustration and the frustration has caused serious damage to my normal "sane" mind. I'm only left with bits and pieces of my brain causing an inability for me to function properly. So now this mushy thing that I used to call a brain causes never-ending forgetfulness (trying to remember "did I put one scoop of formula in the bottle or two?"), lots of expecting Klay to know exactly what I'm thinking or wanting without saying anything ("are you going to make him more to eat?" and getting a response of "I didn't know you wanted me to"), trying to recall times he ate, pooped and how long he's been asleep ("wait am I thinking of last night or today or two days ago?") and not understanding why or how I do certain things (marking my breast milk freezer bags  with a date two weeks before Brody was even born).
So, needless to say this morning was extremely exciting because we woke up with a solid seven hours of sleep!!! (Well almost... I sort of woke up with an allergic reaction from something that bit me. Not sure what it was but I'm ok!).

Now, I'm hoping this is the "getting better part" and Brody will start sleeping 6-7 hours at night. This would truly be amazing. My only concern is that he tends to sleep longer in his boppy on our bed. I know pediatricians don't advise this, but in his first few weeks of life, as a new mom and dad, we'd do anything to get some sleep. There were several late night feedings where the only way to get more that an hour was to let him fall asleep on my chest. Every time he's not sleeping with us, he doesn't sleep any longer than four hours. Although four hours may seem like a decent time frame to some people, my little man is a grunter and loves to squirm. So every time he moves or makes a sound, I hear it and wake up.

But it can't all get better can it? Though my sleep may have been long and enjoyable, my day got pretty chaotic rather quickly. Klay and I woke with Brody and began feeding him and had quite a scare. A couple of weeks ago, Brody has had a stuffy nose which caused him to get blocked tear ducts in both eyes. According to the pediatrician, babies' tear ducts go down in to their noses (see picture), are really small and grow and get larger as the baby develops.

"It only takes one good booger to really cause the blockage," she said. So, Brody's eyes began to leak and had white and yellow goop start coming out of his eye. We eventually got prescribed antibiotic eye drops to help clear up his infection.

Although his eyes got better, his stuffy nose continued. I've been using Little Noses  saline spray/drops by Little Remedies to help loosen and get those pesky little boogers out so Brody can breathe easy (we also massage nose where his tear duct area is to help loosen up the blockage). The past few days, his eyes started producing the goop again, and his stuffy nose has caused feedings to become slightly unpleasant. I think he can't breathe that well while eating, so he's spitting up and not swallowing that well.

Anyway, today we fed him and almost had him back asleep, when he got the hiccups (most frustrating thing ever!). I gave him some Little Tummys Gripe Water to hopefully relieve them (most of the time works pretty great)and then he started to gag and choke. He began to spit up out his mouth and his nose, and then the spit up turned into what I'd describe as a projectile vomiting all over me. I quickly ran him to the sink to get him off my soiled t-shirt to prevent any further choking/gagging, and Klay rushed and grabbed the aspirator (or what I like to call the booger sucker) and started sucking stuff that was oozing out of Brody's nose. Luckily, my incessant patting on his back and dad's quick booger-sucker-action managed to get control of the scary situation.

I'm going to make sure he is propped up better during feedings, leave him propped up for at least 30 minutes after and pray that will help clear up his stuffiness and prevent any further milk-spewing/choking spells.



After the morning scare, another fiasco ensued. Right after Klay left to go work, I let my dogs out in the back yard. Then Stretch escaped, my child began crying, I ran to the front door to get Stretch and found a spider in my path, heard my dog and some other dogs making noise outside, rushed out the door to save Stretch from a lab and pit bull that chased after him, then I got chased by the pit bull which jumped on me as I raced to my house, and I luckily made it inside before he managed to bolt through the door. Although I made it in my house unharmed to my crying child, I still didn't manage to kill the spider. This all happened in a matter of 2-3 minutes, and of course, Klay wasn't home to help.

So, hopefully no more crazy situations will arise today in the White household! Just going to pray the sleeping-longer stage has begun for my little Brody man. I'll just wait and see how tonight goes! Wish us luck.

Love,

The Mom who Attracts All the Chaos

To breastfeed or not to breastfeed? That really is the question.

During my pregnancy, many women often asked me if I wanted to breastfeed. Before I got pregnant, the answer was originally "hell no." I'd heard horror stories about what it does to your boobs and how horrible they are after, but then I got pregnant and my answer changed rather quickly.

After seeing the effect pregnancy had on my body, my boobs were the least of my concern. But more than that, feeling my little nudger kick and squirm around in me changed things. I wanted what's best and most natural for my child, but I didn't want to become obsessed about breastfeeding. "I'm going to try," I'd respond to the inquiries. That was the truth, I had every intention of trying, but I told myself and everyone else that I wouldn't get my hopes up and become some crazy mom who would cry and get upset if it didn't work out. But by day two of breastfeeding, I'd become a liar.

Let's be honest...breastfeeding is no joke. It's tough and in the beginning the odds are really against you. A 2008 report from Brigham Young University shows "while three out of four mothers start breastfeeding, only 36 percent of them continue for at least six months," according to a NY Times blog. So naturally I didn't think breastfeeding would actually work out for me for several reasons.

1. I didn't think I'd like or enjoy it. The thought of a baby on your boob is weird to some people, and I thought I might feel the same way.


2. People told stories of how it would solidify the bond between mother and child, but I didn't buy it. I'd been surrounded by formula feeding moms and babies who seemed to have a great bond. So, I never truly believed or understood how it really could breastfeeding could create an essential, powerful and stronger bond than a non-breastfed child.


3. The baby may not take to it and learn to latch on. It's a fact that sometimes babies don't learn to latch properly or struggle with the whole breastfeeding process. I didn't want to get my hopes up.


4. People told me I'd have to watch what I eat and couldn't eat/drink certain things. If anyone knows me, they know I love to eat. I was afraid I might get tired of having a restricted diet and having to watch what I eat and drink (and medications I might take).


5. I'd heard it could be painful. Some friends told me that they stopped because breastfeeding was extremely painful and unbearable. Some had even gotten a breast infection, like mastitis. This was a little scary.


6. Breastfeeding is a lot of work for you and the baby. I didn't want to be the only person who was able to get up with my baby. I wanted my husband Klay to get up and have the opportunity to feed and help out in the middle of the night. I know me and I'd start to get resentful that while he gets to sleep, I'm still up all night with our son.

Needless to say I felt the odds were against me. But I wanted to try and hoped that we'd succeed at it.

When they first put Brody on my chest for our initial two-hour skin-to-skin time, I was in awe. This sweet little boy was so beautiful, and I wanted to do everything I could for him. So when my nurse said it was time to try breastfeeding, I was completely ready and excited to try. To my surprise, he naturally latched on to my breast and it wasn't at all weird. It was one of the sweetest and most precious moments I've experienced.

By the second day, I was eager to try to feed him every 2-3 hours and enjoy our bonding time together. Amazingly, he seemed to be doing pretty well at it, or I thought he was. We'd have our occasional struggle, and either Klay or Brody's baby nurse would help me with getting him to latch, but once he was on, he stayed on for a while. By day three, a lactation nurse came to visit and showed me all of the proper ways to hold, cradle and position him, how to get and recognize the proper latch, how to get him to stop sucking and release my breast when I wanted and taught us about proper storage, when to pump and deciding how long we should breastfeed.

While the lactation nurses were with us, they made breastfeeding seem extremely easy and nursing was a cinch. The more I breastfed, the more I enjoyed it but I'd become what I'd feared--extremely attached to it.

On day four, we had experienced our first night at home alone, and had a follow-up appointment with a lactation nurse to check Brody's jaundice levels. Unfortunately, my baby had lost too much weight, getting down to a mere 5 lbs 8 oz from his birth weight of 6 lbs 4 oz, so the nurse insisted on watching me feed. She wasn't happy with what she saw and feared that he wasn't getting enough because he appeared tired and frustrated while feeding. She said he was working so hard to get little colostrum, and in order to lower those jaundice levels, we needed my milk to come in asap. Since Brody's jaundice levels were rising and we needed to make sure he was getting plenty to eat to poop out the bilirubin, she advised us to rent a pump to help stimulate and speed up my milk-production and feed the expressed breast milk to Brody via a bottle.

The first time I saw Brody take a bottle was devastating for me. It took every ounce of strength I had to not cry while Klay fed him a bottle of my breast milk at the appointment. The idea some thing, some plastic bottle, was feeding him and not ME was completely appalling. On top of that, I'd maybe had a whopping two hours of consecutive sleep since he was born, I was completely exhausted and in pretty bad pain from giving birth. I had a hard time walking, sitting and doing everything else, and my hormones were going crazy.

After several tears that day and feeling like a I failed my first mommy test, I quickly realized giving him a bottle of breast milk was a lot easier than putting him to my breast. I still had to try to breast feed, so he wouldn't show preference to the bottle and to increase my supply, but the struggle and repetition of both feeding and pumping began to take it's toll.

There are many things I'd learned on my own about breastfeeding.

1. The images of these smiling mommies with calm, perfectly latched babies wasn't at all what I'd experienced most of the time. Sure, I did get my good and decent feedings in where Brody and I appeared like one of the moms you'd see in parenting magazines, but majority of the time I was fighting a squirmy, floppy and incredibly strong newborn who'd go nuts when he couldn't find my nipple. He'd repeatedly let go from not getting a good latch or just randomly release my breast for no reason, and I'd have to readjust and try again. The process was extremely taxing and time consuming.


2. People talked about the pain the actual feeding could cause, but I discovered there were other pains that came along with breastfeeding. During the first week of feeding, your uterus contracts when you feed and you often feel a passing of blood from the uterus (or I did) when feeding. These contractions were pretty freaking painful! There was a time they lasted 10 to 15 minutes and I was in so much pain, Klay googled to try to find ways to relieve the pain. He told me I needed to stay hydrated. After the first week, the cramps ceased, but the pain of Brody's nails digging into my boob or scratching my nipple was yet another frustration I'd have to overcome.


3. Breastfeeding is based on supply and demand. Your body adjusts and produces how much your baby needs (based on how much they are at your breast and eating). After all of the feeding and pumping, I was producing enough milk to feed a hospital nursery. But after a while, the exhaustion and frustration began to set in and I'd grown tired of fighting my baby while he was at my breast, so I just pumped and fed through a bottle. And once I was tied to my pump a few hours a day, (and having to pump in the middle of the night after feeding Brody), I began to pump less and less. I didn't know what skipping a pump session here or there would do to my supply. My supply eventually decreased immensely to only a few ounces (if I was lucky) each session.


4. The process of building back up my milk supply is hard work. To stimulate my body to produce more, I'd to putting Brody back at my breast, for skin-to-skin. Plus side to this, drink dark beer! It somehow helps you produce more breast milk, according to my pediatrician.


5. My loss of appetite greatly effected my breast milk production. After Brody was born, I was too tired and exhausted to make myself eat (plus I hardly had the time). Nothing sounded good except graham crackers and apple juice (I was really sick and vomited a lot in the hospital and that was the first thing that I held down, so I think that's why I crave that). Being sleep deprived and having my focus be taking care of my child, and because he came first, my nutrition and taking care of myself fell to the wayside. I looked forward to the 500 and some odd calories you burn with breastfeeding, but Klay had to force me to eat to make sure I was taking care of myself and it wouldn't hurt my milk supply.


6. Frustration with leaky and hard, painful boobs. While I'd begun leaking colostrum during pregnancy (at 5 months), and woke up many nights with giant wet spots around my breasts and on my sheets, continuing to have to deal with leaky breasts on top of everything else added to my frustration. And while breastfeeding, I'd be leaking over Brody if my other breast wasn't covered, or milk would drip on my clothes (even after pumping) and get everywhere. And if I didn't feed, my boobs would hurt and get extremely hard and engorged. The only relief--to feed or pump. If you are out and about and can't find a place for privacy to do either one, the pain becomes distracting and annoying.


7. Weird things happen to my boobs when my baby would cry. It's amazing what your body knows and reacts to. When Brody would cry, my breasts would leak or my nipples would begin to throb or have a stinging sensation like my body was saying "go feed your child."


8. Breastfed babies eat more often than formula fed babies. This didn't matter so much to me because of the nutrition my child was getting from breastfeeding, but after two weeks of hardly more than two to three hours of consecutive sleep, I'd do anything to sleep another hour. As time went on, formula began to seem more appealing.

Through all of my struggles and my low production of breast milk, we were eventually forced to supplement with formula. We are currently still supplementing, but it's become mostly formula now, and we give little breast milk as I'm not producing much.

I'm still pumping and I like to still have my options open on what I can feed him. I'm not fully ready to close up shop just yet!

I'll keep you all posted as this journey still continues...now I'm off to pump!

Cassidy

Blog Mom Blog!

The morning sickness, the stretch marks and the many late night trips to the bathroom all led up to this moment--becoming a parent. Going through labor and actually seeing your child for the first time is truly the most amazing (and painful) experiences ever. As a first-time mom, I was unsure what I'd feel or how I'd react at that exact moment, but the feeling is absolutely overwhelming. Holding this tiny person that you created for the first time is powerful, moving and indescribable.

But along with the happiness and joy of having my new baby boy, Brody, now comes the trials and triumphs of parenthood. During one of my restless nights, I put my son down praying he'd sleep for three to four hours and it hit me--I wanted to blog again. And what better thing to write about than my new experiences of being a mom? So I created this blog to communicate and talk to other moms, share my experiences with other first-time mommies, and encourage and try to relate to parents during this, sometimes hard, exhausting and trying time!

I hope many of you will enjoy and relate to my experiences! We all need to stick together and learn from each other. No one truly knows how it feels to experience all the emotions, joys, struggles and frustrations of parenthood than my fellow mommies!

Hope everyone is enjoying your role as mom! I'm wishing everyone great success, patience and many hours of sleep!

Best,

Cassidy