I'm still needing to get posts moved over but my new blog is up and running. Feel free to follow and comment!
mykidsmyworld.tumblr.com
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
Friday, February 03, 2012
Combining Blogs
I'm going to be combining my blogs, I have to many to manage and not enough time to write seperate updates. I'm going to check out some other blogging sites and see what address the blogs will be moved to. I'll keep you posted!
Got Milk?
Breastfeeding is something very important to me. I want to give Carter the best start to life that I can. Breast milk is full of nutrients, vitamins, antibodies and everything else he needs. There's nothing processed in it, nothing that will hurt him (given I avoid gluten, if he does have Celiac) and it's free. It started out so easy for us, he was a great baby to nurse, albeit he wanted to nurse all.the.time! He gained weight at the proper rate, hit his milestones correctly, got rid of his jaundice and overall just thrived. Then we moved in with our friends, I stopped taking care of myself the way I needed to to take care of him properly. I didn't eat enough and my milk supply suffered. Who knows, it may just be how Carter is, but his weight gain plummeted. Then, I got a job. We moved into our own apartment and I started eating better. My milk supply started to increase, but not enough for a good pumping output. See, there's a difference between nursing a baby and pumping out milk to feed to your baby. The hormone reaction is different, the emotions are different, the mechanics are different. Sure, the end result is similar, baby is still getting Mommy's Milk, but it is so so different. Carter was eating more than I could pump at work and so we had to supplement his feedings when I was gone with formula. To be honest, it kinda killed me a little inside, and it still does. Carter is my son, my baby. I'm supposed to feed him, I have everything he needs. (Side point: I don't look down on those who choose, for whatever the reason may be, to formula feed their baby.) That being said, I just didn't have the milk to give him. Our nursing relationship when I was home continued to improve and be amazing! He still nursed often and for longer periods of time. He helped get my milk supply back. In one month, he gained over a pound. Formula packs pounds on babies, who knows if the weight gain was from that or from my milk or both. It sure did make me feel guilty though for that month where I wasn't giving him what he needed.
That's the past. 5 days out of the week, Carter has been getting formula after he drinks all the pumped milk I left for him. BUT! That's about to change. I have a goal and I'm going to reach that goal. I have two more weeks to reach it, it started this week. My goal is that when Carter turns 6 months old he will be back to getting exclusively breastmilk! Of course, that's the same time he's going to be starting solids but no more formula. My milk supply is much better, back where it should be. My goal this week was to get it down to 4 days that he would get formula, I DID IT! He didn't get a drop of formula on Monday! My goal for next week is 3 days of him getting formula. I plan on talking to work and taking two breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to pump. Not only will it help get Carter off formula but it will help up my supply even more. I have been getting up in the middle of the night to pump, I pump on my lunch break, I pump when I get home and I pump in the morning before work. No matter how much I pump, there's still enough for Carter to eat since the pump can't empty the breast like a baby can.
I'm hoping by adding in the pumping sessions that I'll be able to pump enough to have a stash of expressed milk in the freezer again, especially since I'm going to have to have surgery at some point.
For now though, I'm just going to work my hardest to give my adorable baby boy the best possible start to life I can, and that's by giving him the food God designed just for him!
That's the past. 5 days out of the week, Carter has been getting formula after he drinks all the pumped milk I left for him. BUT! That's about to change. I have a goal and I'm going to reach that goal. I have two more weeks to reach it, it started this week. My goal is that when Carter turns 6 months old he will be back to getting exclusively breastmilk! Of course, that's the same time he's going to be starting solids but no more formula. My milk supply is much better, back where it should be. My goal this week was to get it down to 4 days that he would get formula, I DID IT! He didn't get a drop of formula on Monday! My goal for next week is 3 days of him getting formula. I plan on talking to work and taking two breaks, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, to pump. Not only will it help get Carter off formula but it will help up my supply even more. I have been getting up in the middle of the night to pump, I pump on my lunch break, I pump when I get home and I pump in the morning before work. No matter how much I pump, there's still enough for Carter to eat since the pump can't empty the breast like a baby can.
I'm hoping by adding in the pumping sessions that I'll be able to pump enough to have a stash of expressed milk in the freezer again, especially since I'm going to have to have surgery at some point.
For now though, I'm just going to work my hardest to give my adorable baby boy the best possible start to life I can, and that's by giving him the food God designed just for him!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Update time!
Comet graduated! Ok, not as a working service dog, but she is helping a little boy with autism who loves her. She is what is known as a "PAL". Similar to GDB's K9-buddy program. We drove down and met her new family and think she's in the perfect home. I miss the little spitfire but am so thankful she's where she is. She didn't make it as a service dog due to her alarm barking. She's still a success in my book!
Eva is doing good. This summer was tough on her, we thought it was time for her to go, the vet refused and gave us expensive options or told us we could rehome her. Turns out she likely has an environmental allergy that flares in the summer time and makes her miserable. A cortisone shot helped for about two weeks. I'm not sure what we're going to do next summer, looks like some spendy testing is going to be needed since the vet also said he doesn't think she has chronic kidney failure or cancer.... *le sigh* I love the goofy golden though.
As for puppy raising, it really depends. Carter is going to be becoming mobile in the coming months and we'll see how our lives change with that one. Our new apartment would work well for raising, as would my job, just have to see how well a pup would fit in with an infant. I have a bug out though, that we may be interested, so we'll see how well the timing of the next litter works for us. :-)
Eva is doing good. This summer was tough on her, we thought it was time for her to go, the vet refused and gave us expensive options or told us we could rehome her. Turns out she likely has an environmental allergy that flares in the summer time and makes her miserable. A cortisone shot helped for about two weeks. I'm not sure what we're going to do next summer, looks like some spendy testing is going to be needed since the vet also said he doesn't think she has chronic kidney failure or cancer.... *le sigh* I love the goofy golden though.
As for puppy raising, it really depends. Carter is going to be becoming mobile in the coming months and we'll see how our lives change with that one. Our new apartment would work well for raising, as would my job, just have to see how well a pup would fit in with an infant. I have a bug out though, that we may be interested, so we'll see how well the timing of the next litter works for us. :-)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Turn In
**No pictures yet, I have to get some from Max and maybe Sheila**
Comet was turned in 5 days ago, on July 15, 2011. She was spayed and got the bordetella on the 5th so she could go down for training. Little Miss weighed all of 35 pounds, by far my smallest pup, without a doubt! We drove down after I got off work and met Sandy and Sheila at the kennels. Sandy had to go so we said hi and talked about baby Carter for a little bit then she left. Then we talked with Sheila about the going ons of CAST, dogs we knew and new pups coming up. After about an hour we took some pictures with Max, Comet and I on the bench outside the kennels and went and put Comet in her kennel. She had a name tag and got a big kennel for the night. She looked so little in the kennel! As we were leaving and saying goodbye to Sheila and talking about when we were going to make it down to let them meet Carter and future raising plans (Max told her when Carter turns 2 and she said it was going on her calendar!) Comet started barking. Was a little sad to leave her all alone in the kennel but we know she's well taken care of and settling in well.
If Comet is career changed, she won't be coming home. She is just too much dog for us and especially with the baby coming in less then 6 weeks. I have faith that she will end up in a great home just for her, either as a service dog, a PAL (similar to a K9 Buddy through GDB) or a loving pet.
Comet was turned in 5 days ago, on July 15, 2011. She was spayed and got the bordetella on the 5th so she could go down for training. Little Miss weighed all of 35 pounds, by far my smallest pup, without a doubt! We drove down after I got off work and met Sandy and Sheila at the kennels. Sandy had to go so we said hi and talked about baby Carter for a little bit then she left. Then we talked with Sheila about the going ons of CAST, dogs we knew and new pups coming up. After about an hour we took some pictures with Max, Comet and I on the bench outside the kennels and went and put Comet in her kennel. She had a name tag and got a big kennel for the night. She looked so little in the kennel! As we were leaving and saying goodbye to Sheila and talking about when we were going to make it down to let them meet Carter and future raising plans (Max told her when Carter turns 2 and she said it was going on her calendar!) Comet started barking. Was a little sad to leave her all alone in the kennel but we know she's well taken care of and settling in well.
If Comet is career changed, she won't be coming home. She is just too much dog for us and especially with the baby coming in less then 6 weeks. I have faith that she will end up in a great home just for her, either as a service dog, a PAL (similar to a K9 Buddy through GDB) or a loving pet.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Puppy Plans
http://bellas3rdlitter.blogspot.com/
Our next puppy is not going to be one of these gorgeous crosses! As much as I wishs I could raise one, I don't at the same time. I'm happy to watch them grow up though and hopefully get a chance to puppy sit one at some point.
On a serious note, since Loden came into our lives, Max and I have longed to have a keeper dog who was a male yellow lab. Max has requested that I take a break from puppy raising for a couple years but he wants to get a new pet dog in around a year. Who knows for sure what the future will hold but at this point in time, it looks like we'll be getting a yellow lab puppy and raising him for a year or two for ourselves and then jump back into puppy raising! A happy compromise and gives me the yellow boy I've always wanted!
Our next puppy is not going to be one of these gorgeous crosses! As much as I wishs I could raise one, I don't at the same time. I'm happy to watch them grow up though and hopefully get a chance to puppy sit one at some point.
On a serious note, since Loden came into our lives, Max and I have longed to have a keeper dog who was a male yellow lab. Max has requested that I take a break from puppy raising for a couple years but he wants to get a new pet dog in around a year. Who knows for sure what the future will hold but at this point in time, it looks like we'll be getting a yellow lab puppy and raising him for a year or two for ourselves and then jump back into puppy raising! A happy compromise and gives me the yellow boy I've always wanted!
Sunday, June 05, 2011
3 to 1
I can't believe all the changes happening in our house. In about 5 weeks we will have gone from a 3 dog household to a 1 dog household. I'm not sure how to feel about it, honestly. Part of me is greatly relieved. The other part is dreading it. No worries, Eva is doing well for Eva at this point in time. Comet has been recalled! Well, in a couple more weeks we'll be taking her down. We were given the option of the end of June/early July or September. Out of convenience for me, I chose the end of June/early July. I think Ally and I will take her down on July 1. Then I'll really come home to a quiet house!
I can't even tell you how hard it is to not be filling the empty spot in our house. There's no little dancing dog or the annoying barking or clicking of nails (I could never get hers short enough for them to not click for more then a day or two!) and the house seems so quiet. I see ads for puppies, I know there is a litter on the way I could raise a puppy from, I see ads for free dogs who need a home, etc. and it breaks my heart to not get one. On the other hand, I have this little human in my who kicks my ribs and makes it hard to walk some days and I can't imagine potty training a new puppy now or after Carter gets here.
As for the future for our household for dogs, we'll see what happens. Max doesn't want to raise for awhile but Ally and I might co-raise a puppy next year sometime. That or Max is open to fostering for CAST, dogs that are in advanced training and need a break from the kennels or dogs waiting for placement as service dogs or pets or any other reason. I have to remind myself that even though I'm going to be staying at home with our little boy, that I have no idea what I'm in for. I have no idea what to expect and how my life is going to change.
My fear is that once Eva dies (I'm not making any more predictions on that one! This dog could live until she's 30 and it wouldn't surprise me at this point!) we will run out and grab the first puppy we see to fill the quiet and it's not a good fit for our family. I want to do things right the next time we get a pet dog, I want to know that the dog will be a good match for us and that we will be a good match for him. Who knows, maybe I'll put some bugs in some ears of people who know us and what kind of dog would fit our family and keep an eye out for us. All I know is that, for the time being, I have to remind myself that what is best for our family right now is to keep things as simple as possible as we adjust to parenthood and lets face it, Eva is an easy dog to live with, especially without a puppy in the house. All she does is eat, drink, pee and sleep! My husband, on the other hand, sometimes does something without thinking about it so I can't guarantee that I won't have a post in the future at some point introducing you to a new doggy for us! ;-)
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