Weaning

We decided a while ago that we wanted Molly weaned by the time I start back to work so that on the days I am working Bill and Molly will have a pleasant day, rather than experiencing a meltdown that lasts most of the afternoon, resulting from Molly's inability to access the breast. Well, we have modified that just slightly to have her, by the time I return to work, only nursing first thing in the morning and right before bed. My first class is a week from tomorrow. We have been having two daytime feedings for a few weeks now (in addition to the morning and bedtime ones), and that has been going fine. Yesterday I denied Zelda the boob all day, except for the morning and bedtime feedings. It did not go so well.

I thought it was all going well until around 2:30 or 3:00. I was really proud of myself for fending her off. She has developed the habit of just pulling up or pulling down my shirt, depending on the day's attire, when she is ready to nurse. It is kind of cute and endearing, and it does not bother me at all because she was obviously communicating her desires. I was able to successfully distract her until the middle of the afternoon. Around this time, I could not calm her down. She was screaming and arching her back and pulling on my shirt and crying and crying and crying and crying. I took her to see our neighbors. I turned on cartoons. I gave her milk from the sippy cup. I gave her a snack. I tried everything (except M&M's, Kim--maybe today I will resort to that. :) ). She would calm down very briefly, but SHE WANTED THE BOOB! Bill got home around 5:45. (Usually he gets home a little after 6, but I called and begged him to come home before 6.) She seemed to calm down a little when he got here and I was able to escape to another room. It seems to be worse if she knows the boobs are in the same room as she is, but she just cannot have them. When she was finally able to nurse right before bed, she was a happy camper. She went to bed exhausted and slept later than usual this morning, until around 6:45.

Hopefully today will be better. She had a teeny little meltdown an hour or so ago, but nothing too big. I distracted her, and now she is napping. I am not quite sure of our schedule for fully weaning her, but I suppose we will probably be on two nursings a day for maybe two weeks, then cut out the morning one. The bedtime one will be the last to go, as is usually the case when weaning.

It will be kind of sad for me to be finished nursing. My whole life has pretty much revolved around it for nearly the past 15 months (well, taking care of Molly in general has been what my life has revolved around). I will not have to pump on my teaching days anymore, and Molly will be able to be away from me for more than a few hours. This was much more intense, obviously, before she started eating solids and drinking milk. My wardrobe can also change now, which is not something you really think about. You have to wear shirts that allow easy access for nursing or pumping, and a nursing bra is a must. These are not too big a deal either, but it's something different. I think about everything I eat and drink because of nursing. Probably not to the extent that some mothers do--I have not denied myself spicy food or caffeine or alcohol (I drink both caffeine and alcohol in moderation)--but I do eat a LOT. And I make an extra effort to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and to get plenty of calcium. These are all things (except the alcohol) that I did when I was pregnant, of course. Very soon, Molly will be completely independent of me, physically speaking. That is very strange to me. We have been connected physically since November of 2007. Bill calls us ET and Eliott. I know she will still need me emotionally, though.

She's awake--gotta go!

2 posts in 2 days?????

Molly is napping right now so I thought I'd do a quick post. Molly was coughing a lot last week, so I took her to the doctor toward the end of the week. She apparently has a little lung condition where her lungs seem to overreact to minor irritants, such as viruses, pollutants, and allergens. They tend to produce a lot of extra mucus, and they get inflamed, causing her to cough. The doctor is treating it as a mild form of asthma, but she is not giving the diagnosis of asthma. She has a steroid inhaler that we have to give her twice a day for a few weeks. Then we will take her off of it, and see how she reacts. If she seems better, that's great; if she gets worse again, we will just restart it. She also has another fast-acting inhaler that we give her as needed. She only needed that for a couple of days, except for this morning when she was coughing some. Otherwise, the inhalers seem to be doing their jobs. The doctor said she is a little concerned about the winter, when there are more irritants around. She is not very worried about it for the long run, though, so I'm not either.

I am also trying to increase iron intake for both Molly and me. Her one-year blood work indicated her iron was low, and I think my iron level is also low (I have diagnosed myself, based on some internet research. :) ) Today we picked up a cast iron skillet so we will start using that to see if it makes a difference, in addition to eating lots of iron-rich foods.

This morning we went to the farmers market, and we saw a lot of our friends, who all have little babies. Molly got to give some hugs to her buddies. In a few minutes we are leaving for a picnic with some friends from my mommas group.

As for the tomatoes, I have decided to make a fermented salsa and some tomato sauce to make eggplant parmesan (we also got a big eggplant from yesterday's farm delivery). Those will both make good use of my extra onions and the peppers I also got yesterday.

14 months!

Wow! It has been so long since I posted. Molly is an extremely energetic baby, and she really needs constant supervision. By the time she goes to bed, I am ready to just kick back and relax. She is still not napping in her crib. We have tried really hard, but it is not working. She will sleep in her crib all night, but she will only nap in the car, stroller, or the carrier. She is napping on me right now. I guess we will try again in a few weeks. She just will scream and scream in her crib during the day. Maybe it has something to do with the light? I don't know. Anyway, we will try again soon.

Otherwise, everything is really great! Molly is having so much fun. She is almost walking by herself. She can walk pretty far holding one hand. She can also take a few steps by herself. I know it is going to be so crazy when she does start walking, and then running.

We are going swimming this afternoon. I've been trying to find outings for us every day. We have mommas group on Tuesdays, we usually go to story time at the library on Wednesdays, and we go swimming on Fridays. In between, we have play dates at the swings or other outings. this week was busy, but it's difficult to think of things to do all the time. I am a little anxious about wintertime when we will not be able to go outside as often. Right now, though, Molly is pretty happy to just be outside. I think things would be a little easier if Molly actually napped in her bed because I could get some stuff done around the house, or I could just sit down and relax for a little while. But...as my mother-in-law said, if this is the worst thing I've got to worry about, we're doing really well. SO TRUE!

Molly is turning into quite the comedienne. She loves to make faces and crack her parents (and herself) up. She really is a funny girl. She has started imitating us. This morning, I was turning my head away from her, and then turning it back toward her quickly and making a face. She started doing the same thing! It was hilarious. She will also play peekaboo with us, covering her face with her hand.

I start back to work a week from Wednesday. I will be back to teaching one day a week, and Bill will resume his weekly Wednesday duties. I'm looking forward to it, though I know it is going to be really hectic and busy. We are heading to Texas next week to see Bill's sister and her husband, and our month-old nephew, Alexander. It will be really sweet to see Molly and her cousin together. She has been hugging other kids, so I hope she gets to give the little guy a hug.

What else has been going on? Hmmm...I've been making a lot of food, like yogurt and bread. I'm getting into fermenting a little bit. The bread was the most challenging, other than the first time I made sauerkraut, but it turned out pretty good after I figured out what I was doing. My friend, Abby, who also is Molly's godmother, is a really good break maker, so she gave me the inspiration to make it. The first loaf tasted okay, but it was about as dense as, um, what was it as dense as? I don't know, but it was really dense. I think I didn't let the starter ferment long enough the first time.

We started to get our farm delivery again because it seems a little cheaper than going to the farmers market for everything. The downside, though, is that we end up with tons of things that pose a challenge to full consumption. Last week, for example, we got about five onions. We ate two in the week, but that was kind of pushing it. What can I do with the onions? Any ideas? I am thinking either French onion soup or...wait for it....fermenting the onions! Onion pickles anyone? Sounds pretty good (in moderation, of course). This week I got a bunch of tomatoes. Normally I love tomatoes, but I am running out of things to do. I'm thinking tomato pie or just a big vat of (possibly fermented) salsa.

This post is getting pretty long and rambling so I will sign off. I hope to update more frequently. I am going to try my best to get back in the habit of posting more often!!!

cute picture

I am so tired right now that I want to just veg out on the couch, but here is a cute picture of Molly drinking through a straw for the first time. We were having tacos at 5PM (that's why no one else is in the restaurant), and Molly was having a drink of horchata. This was taken by Bill and posted on his Twitter page.

Happy Birthdays!

Today is my birthday, and tomorrow is Molly’s birthday so this post is guaranteed to be a little sappy. I cannot believe that I have been a mother for 364 days. My life has been turned upside down and made so sweet.

Here is a recap of Molly’s and my birthdays last year: One year ago today I was supposed to be on modified bed rest because of preterm labor and a three-day stint in the hospital three weeks earlier. I was feeling pretty good, though, and it was my birthday, so I decided I was fine to spend the day out with Bill. We went to lunch and walked around a bookstore. I was feeling contractions all day, as I had been for the past two months or so, so I just mostly ignored them. I would sit down when they got stronger, but I mostly paid them no mind. We went out to dinner, and I went to the bathroom to wash my hands after a delicious Ethiopian meal (which you eat with no utensils so your hands get pretty messy). I had a bit of fluid, but I did not think it was too big of a deal. I waited until after we paid the bill and were out the door to mention it to Bill. Because of my issues a few weeks prior, he drove the car toward the hospital, despite my protestations, as I called the doctor on call. I thought there was no way there was anything wrong. We were only about a half mile from the hospital so we were there before the doctor even called us back. She said it sounded as though my water had broken, and we should get to the hospital. We were already there, thanks to Bill, and we went on up to get admitted, even though I knew this was all a big fuss over nothing. They admitted me, but they told me I might be in the hospital a couple of weeks. I could not leave because my water had broken, but they wanted to try to keep the baby in as long as they could. I slept fine that night (well, as well as one can sleep in a hospital bed, with lots of IV lines coming out of me, and a fetal heart monitor strapped around my belly). I woke up the next day, and Bill said he wanted to go get a new camera. Most of you know the story from here. Bill was gone about 2 hours, while my friend, Kristen, came to visit. Bill got back, and about 45 minutes later Molly was here.

The nurse checked my dilation, and said, “You’re having the baby.” She made some urgent phone calls, and within a few minutes the room was a flurry of doctors and nurses, both obstetric and neonatal. The sweet Southern doctor, who we had just met that morning because my doctor was stuck in traffic, convinced the nurses to let me “hold” the baby. When Molly came out after two little pushes, the wonderful nurse held Molly up to me and let me put both hands on her for two seconds, and then my baby was whisked away from me so her life could be saved. She was put in a turkey bag for warmth and given oxygen because her little lungs couldn’t support her yet. I wouldn’t get to see her again for a couple of hours. Bill followed the NICU team up to the neonatal floor while I delivered the placenta.

The day was a whirlwind of emotions: terror, joy, grief over not being able to hold or nurse my baby. The next five weeks were mostly hell, but there were a lot of sweet moments in there, too. Molly is so healthy and happy now!

The past year has been wonderful. I never realized how complete motherhood would make me feel, as I’m sure most of you mothers (and fathers, of course) out there know.

Okay, my sappy time is over. It’s my birthday! I went to see Up in 3D. It was so amazing and sweet! There were a lot of parenting themes in it that made me cry a little (because I was already feeling a little emotional today anyway, and because I am a huge sap). Bill, Molly, and I went to have sushi for dinner (Molly even ate some of the cooked fish, tofu, and edamame). Now I am going to have a glass of wine and some of Molly’s leftover birthday cake, and hang out with Bill.

I'll try to post more tomorrow and talk about our visit with Kelly and James and Molly's birthday party. Here are some pictures from Molly's birthday party.

So, it's been a while since I last posted. I got really SICK about three weeks ago, and I was sick for almost two solid weeks. Not since 7th grade when I had chicken pox (yeah, I got it a littler later than average) have I been sick for so long. Then Molly got sick for a week or so. It was really hard to be sick and try to take care of Molly. Bill was great, of course, but it was the end of the semester for him, and he had a really big project he was working on around the clock to try to finish. This was a time I definitely missed being near family. It would have been so helpful to have a grandparent or auntie come and help out, or at least to provide some moral support. I felt terrible, and Molly was in a really bad mood, and it was starting to really wear on us. She was so fussy and clingy. Of course she was, right? She's a little baby, and she needed her momma. It is all fine now, though. Molly and I are well. Bill is a little sick now--he's going to the doctor to try to see what he can do for his aching sinuses--but at least now I can take care of Molly, and he can mostly take care of himself.

In other news, Molly has napped in her crib for a few days in a row. Yesterday she slept for two hours! She has been asleep now for about 45 minutes. In that time, I straightened the kitchen and living room, put a load of laundry in, folded another load, and straightened out some things with one of my students. Now, I am hoping to finish this post before Molly wakes up. Wow! Motherhood makes one rather efficient, yes? :) Oh! She is crying now, but I am going to wait a little bit to see if she will go back to sleep.

We had a nice Memorial Day weekend. We went to a couple of bbq's, and on Saturday we went to a Cal baseball game. It was SO COLD! We were wearing hats, scarves, sweatshirts, and jackets. We still left early because the game was going really long, and it was so cold.

In two weeks from today, Little Zelda will be a year old. Isn't that just unbelievable?

Okay, I don't think she's going to go back to sleep. I better go get her. I'll post again soon!

so much!

I cannot believe it has been so long since I last posted! We have been really busy with travel, and Molly has been really busy being a maniac. Three weekends ago we visited some friends in Santa Barbara. We had a wonderful weekend tasting beer, eating, and kayaking. We drove home on Highway 1, right along the coast. There was a heat wave throughout California that weekend, and we discovered on our way out of Oakland that our car's air conditioner was BROKEN! It was not really too bad driving south, but by the end of the weekend, the temperatures were in the high 90's. Poor Molly was roasting in the back seat. On the way down, I put some sunscreen on Molly. She rubbed her hand across it before I got it all rubbed in, and she smeared some in her hair. Because we had to ride for six hours in the car with the windows rolled down, it was as if she put some gel in her hair and then took the hair dryer to it. It was outrageous, all spiked up.

Two weekends ago we went to Louisville for the Derby mini marathon. Bill ran it (in just over 2 hours), and I walked it (in just over 3.5 hours). Molly stayed with her grandparents through the race, cheering us on at two different points along the route. It was another sunny, extremely hot day. Some in our family who ran the race (we had a crew of about 10 people from our family, including in-laws and in-laws of in-laws) had some problems, but everyone has recovered now. Grandma Lola did not want to be responsible for any Molly sunburns so she went a little overboard with the sunscreen. Molly does not have too much hair so she just rubbed a bunch in Molly's hair. It was pretty gross, but she did NOT get a sunburn!

Last weekend we took Molly to a babysitter for three hours, and we went to the annual Derby party in San Francisco. Molly stayed with one of the mommas from my mommas group. She did really well! They said she was happy the whole time and played contentedly with her little friend, the said momma's son.

Molly has been crawling all over the place! She has been unstoppable for a few days now, considering no obstacle too great to her travel. She can pull herself up with no problem, too. It is not unusual to set her on the ground in the kitchen and turn around a few seconds later to see her crawling toward the cat food in the hallway. She is all over the place.

She was fussy earlier this week, and I remembered from a few months ago when she was about to cut some teeth. She pretty much only wanted me, and she mostly quit eating solid foods, wanting only to nurse. This is what she was doing earlier this week. Sure enough, Bill checked her mouth out, and she had her first molar. So now she is up to 7 teeth! In the last few days she has been a little better, but last night she did not sleep well at all. She was up at 11:30, 12:30, 3:30, and 5:30. She eventually went back to sleep, but she has been sleeping really well through the night lately, not waking up at all between 8:30 and 6:30. She woke up today with a really snotty nose so I guess she was not feeling well overnight. She seems to be in a great mood today, even if she is pretty snotty.