It's world breastfeeding week! Yeah! Find out about it here. One thing that peaked my attention is one of their objectives:
5. To call on governments and maternity facilities globally to actively implement the Ten Steps, in particular Step 10, to improve duration and rates of exclusive breastfeeding.
The vast majority of women in the United States can't exclusively breastfeed because we have to go back to work, because the United States in all of its modern glory, can't seem to get its shit together and follow the examples of other countries and institute the acceptance of longer maternity leave. Why have we accepted "mommy rooms" that allow us to try to pump multiple times a day to try to keep up a supply of breastmilk instead of demanding more time home with our babies? Lets have a World Maternity Leave Day/Week and let America explain itself.
I mean jeez, I sure could have used a little extra time, my c-section wasn't even healed (due to a hematoma and a very slow healing wound that had to be re-cut open to keep the inside healing evenly,) and I had to go back to work. Thank God that my manager and employer are very understanding and my leaving every week for 2 hours to go to the wound clinic was sort of over-looked since I had no sick or vacation time left. I wanted and needed more time.
Many people have asked, how long are you going to continue breastfeeding/pumping? Why is that a normal question? I'll do it as long as I feel like it. For one thing its free. Neosure formula is expensive, not as bad as the very specialized formulas, but $16.49 a small can is plenty. We're going through one can a week right now. I almost feel I should at least pump as long as I can because it is so expensive. When I wean him it'll be at least two, maybe 3 cans a week. Scary!
I'm so happy my boy E finally decided that he would breastfeed without the nip shield (in the Ren and Stimpy voice, the Rhubber Neeple, made E giggle every time) as I feel that's the only reason I've been able to keep up supplying about half of his food each day and still able to nurse in the morning and some evening "snacks." He's now almost 8 mos. old.
So yeah, breastfeeding is normal, cheap and a good thing! So are longer maternity leaves, America!
Monday, August 5, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
wannabe homeowners
So I'm assuming you may be wondering what that list to the right is? Well maybe you're not, but I'm going to explain it anyways.
It's sort of my list of goals I have right now. They're things I need to start, work on, and/or accomplish. I'm not going to call it a bucket list, as that term is out of style if you ask me. The title is what it is because these couple items have caused stress-even havoc-to my psyche as of late. I just can't keep ignoring them.
buying a house
We currently rent a house. The house itself is too small, its in rough shape and I like to say its in the ghetto of our lovely town-plenty of suburban drug activity and Section-8. The cops drive the streets often, which is a good thing. As you walk up to our door, it has pry marks on the frame. Could be from attempted burglars during the time that the rumored meth-heads lived there or the firemen who came to put out the small fire that happened a couple months before we moved in. Our previous landlord was a modern-day slumlord, owning 15+ rental homes in the large university area in the metro plus our twinhome in the suburbs. He never took care of anything or fixed anything, but he is in his own special kind of hurt now, he lost many of his properties and is now renting himself and had to give up a lot of properties to his partner, our now-current landlord. Karma's a bitch.
Ahem...anyways, we have cleaned it up and made it presentable and livable. But now with a baby and all the baby gear and toys, it is getting increasingly smaller. And I don't want my son growing up in the neighborhood. I do know that the local pot and prescription drug dealer has moved out, as we are acquaintances with them. I know right? Don't be too judgey, we like to be friends with our neighbors. We're also getting old...well, not that old, but we're at that age where we probably should have bought a house by now.
I have actually made some progress on this goal; I met with a mortgage broker. I just wanted to "see where we are." He understood and was actually happy that we are doing that. He said most people don't and are surprised when they think they can just up and buy a house and then they realize their credit is horseshit or they need a lot more money than what they have-or don't have.
We're sort of stuck. The short of it is, my either my husband needs a slightly better credit score or I need to make more money. Or he can make a lot more money himself real quick and wait for his credit to go up from having a car payment and get himself a secure credit card. There's no real quick fix.
So we're being smart. We're working on paying down credit card and student loan debt and the rest of our medical bills. My husband is working hard this summer, hoping to cash in on the good sales commissions. I am going to keep my job for a while longer, as a solid work history is sometimes worth more than a larger income.
But get this. Our current (new) landlord is selling our house. He's selling both sides separately, so since they're cheap as hell, ours has a giant patio and a nice yard, I'm thinking at least ours may go pretty quickly. The other side's occupants are slightly trashy and very messy, so it's not the most desirable. We've already had one showing.
So we may have to move again. I was hoping the next move would be into our own home, but I guess it might not be so. I hate moving.
It's sort of my list of goals I have right now. They're things I need to start, work on, and/or accomplish. I'm not going to call it a bucket list, as that term is out of style if you ask me. The title is what it is because these couple items have caused stress-even havoc-to my psyche as of late. I just can't keep ignoring them.
buying a house
We currently rent a house. The house itself is too small, its in rough shape and I like to say its in the ghetto of our lovely town-plenty of suburban drug activity and Section-8. The cops drive the streets often, which is a good thing. As you walk up to our door, it has pry marks on the frame. Could be from attempted burglars during the time that the rumored meth-heads lived there or the firemen who came to put out the small fire that happened a couple months before we moved in. Our previous landlord was a modern-day slumlord, owning 15+ rental homes in the large university area in the metro plus our twinhome in the suburbs. He never took care of anything or fixed anything, but he is in his own special kind of hurt now, he lost many of his properties and is now renting himself and had to give up a lot of properties to his partner, our now-current landlord. Karma's a bitch.
Ahem...anyways, we have cleaned it up and made it presentable and livable. But now with a baby and all the baby gear and toys, it is getting increasingly smaller. And I don't want my son growing up in the neighborhood. I do know that the local pot and prescription drug dealer has moved out, as we are acquaintances with them. I know right? Don't be too judgey, we like to be friends with our neighbors. We're also getting old...well, not that old, but we're at that age where we probably should have bought a house by now.
I have actually made some progress on this goal; I met with a mortgage broker. I just wanted to "see where we are." He understood and was actually happy that we are doing that. He said most people don't and are surprised when they think they can just up and buy a house and then they realize their credit is horseshit or they need a lot more money than what they have-or don't have.
We're sort of stuck. The short of it is, my either my husband needs a slightly better credit score or I need to make more money. Or he can make a lot more money himself real quick and wait for his credit to go up from having a car payment and get himself a secure credit card. There's no real quick fix.
So we're being smart. We're working on paying down credit card and student loan debt and the rest of our medical bills. My husband is working hard this summer, hoping to cash in on the good sales commissions. I am going to keep my job for a while longer, as a solid work history is sometimes worth more than a larger income.
But get this. Our current (new) landlord is selling our house. He's selling both sides separately, so since they're cheap as hell, ours has a giant patio and a nice yard, I'm thinking at least ours may go pretty quickly. The other side's occupants are slightly trashy and very messy, so it's not the most desirable. We've already had one showing.
So we may have to move again. I was hoping the next move would be into our own home, but I guess it might not be so. I hate moving.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
advanced babies
Sweet potatoes, mini bananas, Baby Mum Mums and baby oatmeal. These are what my boy E will eat. I've made pureed peas, green beans, squash, avocado and and let him suck on watermelon and all have caused gagging and in most cases he threw up whatever he just ate. I thought I had a strong gag reflex.
He is so not going to join the baby led weaning (BLW) club any time soon. I find it hard to believe that giving your baby chunks of food and letting them fend for themselves is that safe. Just my opinion. I haven't done a ton of research, but I would think that starting with broken-down (steamed and pureed) simple foods is a better start for little tummies than a hunk of last night's pork chops and salad. I mean really, all they're doing is sucking the fatty juices out of the meat, right? Unless babies nowadays can chew meat with their gums...because babies are much more advanced these days, aren't they? They should be STTN after their grown up meal and pooping gold in their darling cloth diapers that cover their coconut oil-covered hiney.
Tomorrow I'm baking some apples and peaches and whipping them up in hopes he may like these too. My husband thinks he will go directly to pizza and cheeseburgers when a he gets a tooth or two. The baby is just biding his time with the boob. Speaking of which, I'm getting tired of bf-ing but other than selfish reasons of being tired of pumping and hard, leaky boobs, I have no real reason to stop. I have boob-guilt.
He is so not going to join the baby led weaning (BLW) club any time soon. I find it hard to believe that giving your baby chunks of food and letting them fend for themselves is that safe. Just my opinion. I haven't done a ton of research, but I would think that starting with broken-down (steamed and pureed) simple foods is a better start for little tummies than a hunk of last night's pork chops and salad. I mean really, all they're doing is sucking the fatty juices out of the meat, right? Unless babies nowadays can chew meat with their gums...because babies are much more advanced these days, aren't they? They should be STTN after their grown up meal and pooping gold in their darling cloth diapers that cover their coconut oil-covered hiney.
Tomorrow I'm baking some apples and peaches and whipping them up in hopes he may like these too. My husband thinks he will go directly to pizza and cheeseburgers when a he gets a tooth or two. The baby is just biding his time with the boob. Speaking of which, I'm getting tired of bf-ing but other than selfish reasons of being tired of pumping and hard, leaky boobs, I have no real reason to stop. I have boob-guilt.
Monday, June 24, 2013
keeping up with the joneses er, wait, the kardashians! mommy-blogs, and social media
With all of the social media, it-blogs and available "research," it is easy for new moms to be overwhelmed...even before the baby arrives. There are the new ways that we can parent and sleep train-oh and don't forget baby led weaning. There's the baby gear WE HAVE TO HAVE, not to mention the importance of the right diaper bag and realizing that if we are not on-The Pregnancy Websites That Shan't Be Named-we are so behind the times. It is amazing that we don't have a breakdown before we start.
I tried to keep up. I checked in with my due-date groups, left messages on the boards and gave my opinions, oh Lord, did I give my opinions. As did everybody else. It was fun and informative for the most part. But I was in awe/jealous/envious of the ladies that had it sooo together already. They were going to cloth diaper (CD,) exclusively breastfeed (EBF,) had birth plans (BPs,) (and many other acronyms) were going for a natural birth with their Doula...and somehow they were able to afford EVERY in-style and hip piece of baby gear that is out this year. Not to mention the hipster nurseries decorated in chevron patterns and silly owls.
I had grand ideas for myself too; I was going to have the nursery in perfect order before E came, I was going to labor as long as I could before accepting the drugs (I wasn't going to try to be a hero and say no to an epidural.) I was going to to use cloth diapers while I was home on leave and then when home from work, and I was going to breastfeed.
Well, the Lord and universe had different plans...E came a month early due to my pre-eclampsia complications. I had to have an emergency C-section at 4 in the morning. The damn wound didn't heal for 4 mos. and I had home health nurses coming over every day for months to clean my gaping wound.
I was so disappointed that I didn't get to experience the normal labor, short hospital stay, happy visitors and 3 mos. of fun time (not working!) with my boy. I cried a couple times, wallowing in my "woe-is-mes." But I realized how stupid and what a waste of energy these disappointments were.
I got over them real quick.
I have an amazingly sweet, funny and happy little boy. He is that easy baby. He rarely cries. He laughs at us. We had to supplement with some formula, the Dr. recommended Neosure, so he gets some extra vitamins, minerals and calories that preemies need, but that turned out ok, as he takes a bottle and the boob like a champ. No daycare transition problems with this little guy. He was ok with not having a trendy baby swing, or any swing for that matter. He likes his non-Ergo, non-Bjorn baby carrier just fine. I tried using the cloth diapers that my sister passed along, but they leaked and he didn't like the giant hunk of fabric around him since he was so small. 'Sposies it was. He's considerate in that he poops once a day, most always at daycare and he sleeps through the night-IN HIS CRIB. Take that! His decorations are still sitting on the shelf, waiting to be hung up in his room.
How can I be sad about the way he came into this world, when he has become the center of my own magnificent world? And we can't forget, he puts up with his own mamarazzi wannabe!
I think we as new moms, in this opinionated-TMI,-over-sharing-society, just need to relax and do what feels right. Use that mother's intuition and things will be ok. It's not a race to see who can be the best Etsy-er or coupon queen or be Susie-homemaker-while-working-full-time, oh and blog about it consistently!
We can try though.
I tried to keep up. I checked in with my due-date groups, left messages on the boards and gave my opinions, oh Lord, did I give my opinions. As did everybody else. It was fun and informative for the most part. But I was in awe/jealous/envious of the ladies that had it sooo together already. They were going to cloth diaper (CD,) exclusively breastfeed (EBF,) had birth plans (BPs,) (and many other acronyms) were going for a natural birth with their Doula...and somehow they were able to afford EVERY in-style and hip piece of baby gear that is out this year. Not to mention the hipster nurseries decorated in chevron patterns and silly owls.
I had grand ideas for myself too; I was going to have the nursery in perfect order before E came, I was going to labor as long as I could before accepting the drugs (I wasn't going to try to be a hero and say no to an epidural.) I was going to to use cloth diapers while I was home on leave and then when home from work, and I was going to breastfeed.
Well, the Lord and universe had different plans...E came a month early due to my pre-eclampsia complications. I had to have an emergency C-section at 4 in the morning. The damn wound didn't heal for 4 mos. and I had home health nurses coming over every day for months to clean my gaping wound.
I was so disappointed that I didn't get to experience the normal labor, short hospital stay, happy visitors and 3 mos. of fun time (not working!) with my boy. I cried a couple times, wallowing in my "woe-is-mes." But I realized how stupid and what a waste of energy these disappointments were.
I got over them real quick.
I have an amazingly sweet, funny and happy little boy. He is that easy baby. He rarely cries. He laughs at us. We had to supplement with some formula, the Dr. recommended Neosure, so he gets some extra vitamins, minerals and calories that preemies need, but that turned out ok, as he takes a bottle and the boob like a champ. No daycare transition problems with this little guy. He was ok with not having a trendy baby swing, or any swing for that matter. He likes his non-Ergo, non-Bjorn baby carrier just fine. I tried using the cloth diapers that my sister passed along, but they leaked and he didn't like the giant hunk of fabric around him since he was so small. 'Sposies it was. He's considerate in that he poops once a day, most always at daycare and he sleeps through the night-IN HIS CRIB. Take that! His decorations are still sitting on the shelf, waiting to be hung up in his room.
How can I be sad about the way he came into this world, when he has become the center of my own magnificent world? And we can't forget, he puts up with his own mamarazzi wannabe!
I think we as new moms, in this opinionated-TMI,-over-sharing-society, just need to relax and do what feels right. Use that mother's intuition and things will be ok. It's not a race to see who can be the best Etsy-er or coupon queen or be Susie-homemaker-while-working-full-time, oh and blog about it consistently!
We can try though.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
i don't own a camera
I covet a fancy, DSLR camera that will take amazing natural light photos and make my child look angelic in all poses and situations. Especially photos with brightly colored balloons and melting ice cream and he'll be wearing rubber galoshes too. Ha ha.
Reality is that I have a six month old baby and an IPhone. His life in pictures is on the phone. I'm a terrible mom. I haven't downloaded the pictures in case I lose my phone. Most are also on the Facebook, but still, total mom-fail.
Since this is my first post on this blog, let me introduce myself, or rather, the self I want to be on this blog. You see, I'm going to be anonymous this time in order to maybe be more honest, creative and hopefully figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Plus, if in fact this blog becomes famous, I don't want stalkers. My name will be Razzi, baby's name will be E and my husband's name will be JB. Pretty simple.
Its a pleasure to meet you all, thanks for reading and following.
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