FEET!!!

Eli discovered his feet this weekend.....

And after an exhausting afternoon of playing with his toes, he took a load off and took a nap.

And welcome to the world Anna Grace Alspach!!!

Milk does a body good!

From day one, I had trouble breastfeeding, or should I say Eli had trouble breastfeeding....anyhow, we just couldn't get it. I spent days counting down the time I had until Eli was going to need to eat again to prepare myself for the misery of trying to feed him, it was usually a two hour ordeal and in the end he was still hungry and we had to supplement with a bottle of breast milk. I was crying, he was crying, we were both frustrated, he was hungry, I was in pain, and without fail, it never worked. I worked with two lactation consultants, used a nipple shield, tried two different breastfeeding pillows, called everyone I knew who had trouble for advice, had Blaine and my mom and sister come with me to the lactation appointments so they could help too. It got to the point that we were all so stressed out and no progress was being made. I told myself from the beginning that I would do everything in my power to breastfeed. I had no idea it would be this hard.

So I went to my last resort before formula--pumping. I was told that the success rate of pumping exclusively was so low and ten times more difficult on the mom than breastfeeding or giving formula. So I pumped and was still trying to breastfeed once or twice a day for another couple of weeks, but it was so stressful that it didn't even seem worth it anymore.

Long story short, everyone was right. Pumping is HARD! I didn't think about the fact that I would be washing pump parts, washing bottles, storing milk and watching the date to make sure it didn't go bad, finding the time to pump multiple, multiple times a day and deal with a baby at the same time. I would have to set aside 20 minutes a session to pump and find an appropriate place to do it, make sure I took my pump and supplies everywhere I went and schedule outings around my pumping schedule. Not to mention the emotional side of it. For the longest time I would cry every time I pumped. I wanted to breastfeed so badly, and I felt like I was not able to give my baby what he needed. It made me feel like an inadequate mom. It was supposed to be a natural thing, and it just wasn't for me or for Eli. In fact, in the beginning, the emotional side of it was the hardest.

It hasn't been easy, but it is easier than it was in the beginning. I started with pumping every 2-3 hours (at least 8-10 times a day!) everyday and am down to just 4 to 5 times a day now--not too shabby.

So switching subjects quickly, Eli had a play date with Henry and Sophia the other day....

Us moms were talking and comparing notes about motherhood and talking about breastfeeding. I got to thinking...'I wonder how much breast milk I have saved up in the deep freezer we had to buy because breast milk was overtaking our freezer!' So after about 20 minutes of tallying up ounces, I had my answer.....568ounces!!!! Really???? Just call me Bessie.
And then it hit me. As they say, there is a lesson in every struggle and you should always look for the good in every situation, right?
Which made me realize why I was struggling with breastfeeding. I am pumping (and thankfully producing a lot of milk!) to give other babies who are not as fortunate breast milk to help them survive. The Mothers Milk Bank of Austin is a non-profit that collects breast milk to give to babies who are premature and ill who otherwise would not receive it for one reason or another.
It is especially critical for preterm or ill infants who are at greater risk for intestinal infections. Human milk contains antibodies to fight disease and infection and also protects against allergies. It contains growth hormones to help babies develop and properties that have been shown to increase intelligence and decrease the risks of obesity and diabetes later in life. Mom’s own milk is always preferable but when it is not available, milk that is donated to the bank is the next best alternative.

So I am super excited about my donation and can only hope and pray that it helps a few babies who are in need. So now when I pump, I just think about those babies and it makes the burden on me seem so much less and makes pumping seem almost fun and exciting!

Eli the talker

Eli has discovered his voice and his fists--and he cant get enough of either!

Cradle Crap!

Rachel had just come over and I was getting ready to leave for the day, when Eli woke up from his nap and was totally inconsolable, for what seeemed like 20 minutes, but it was probably more like 8. I mean, I pulled out all the tricks and the boy wouldnt stop! I took a good look at his face and saw his left eye--red and puffy! And I looked at his neck, and his back and his legs--FULL of red, splochy spots. Within a minute, his body was covered! I called the doctor and I could tell the nurse on the other end was in a little panic since all the doctors were at lunch, she didnt know what to tell me, so she suggested I go to the ER. I know, I am a first time mom and really dont know what Im doing, but my gut told me I could wait the extra 30 minutes and wait until the doctors got back from lunch. It would take me that long to get to the ER anyway! The nurse and I continuted to talk, pondering what could have caused the breakout and in the 10 minute conversation we had, Eli would go from screaming crying, happy and smiling ear to ear, to crying, back to smiley to starving....to dead asleep. I ran out to buy some Childrens Benadryl while Eli remained passed out. When i got home, he was pursing his lips to tight, Rachel and I had to basically force his little mouth open to get down the medicine.

In the end, it was an allergic reaction to something--something...hmmmm. That is what we got out of our doctor appointment. So, I will be charting what I eat to see if its something he got from my breastmilk, but I believe he got it from the walnuts I was eating--the doctor and I think a little oil from the nuts rubbed off his his hand and he wiped his eyes..the doctor had some fancy name for this but I cant recall. In the end, he was just fine and happy, and paaaaaased out for the remainder of the day from the Benadryl. Im just praying he isnt a kid allergic to nuts!

So, while at our appointment, the doctor was checking out his whole body and just about gasped when he looked at Eli's head. We have known the Eli had cradle cap, and had it BAD, but no one has really given us any good advice on how to get rid of it, and no one gave us the impression that it was crucial we get rid of it ASAP, until today. Thats not to say that we havent been trying to cure it, but apparently, we just werent doing the right thing.

So here was the prescription he gave us to get rid of it: rub oil (any kind) all over his head and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then, with your fingernails, scrub his head really hard to get the layer of dead skin off (barf!) and then wash his hair with a medicated shampoo for a week. So, we did this last night. Do you know how hard it is to have oil all over a 3 month old baby's head and not get it all over everything? So I strapped him into his Baby Bjorn and we walked the neighborhood. After about 15 minutes, I started scrapping at his head and low and behold, chunks of dead skin was just falling off and getting stuck all in his hair because of the oil, it was disgusting! As we were walking, we came up to a neighbor and I was horrified because we have this cute little baby in his carrier, all greased up with bits of dead scalp all over his head! I did everything I could to sheild the front of Eli so the neighbor couldnt see him! Im sure she thought I was crazy!

This was pre-scratching, and the picture doesnt do the oily head justice!

When I tell you that I was repulsed when I was scratching at my child's head pulling off dead skin, it is an unerstatement. His hair was full of dead skin particles when I was done, and by the looks of it, I only made a dent in it and will repeat tonight!