If you're a bird, I'm a bird

So I was born with a red birthmark. Up until two weeks ago, that is all I thought it was- a strawberry birthmark. It started out smaller and has grown with my body. It is located on my upper thigh and measures about 2.5 inches long. As I have gotten older, moles have started popping up underneath it. I have already had one mole removed in the last couple years because my pants irritated it and I accidently cut it off while shaving... Another large mole has grown and you can see other small ones forming. It hasn't really bothered me. I was a little self conscious growing up because children would ask questions about it. The only time it was seen in public was when I wore a swim suit. I was watching The Doctors last week and they did a segment on Port Wine Marks. That is when I realized it was more than a red birthmark. Port Wine Marks are usually on the face, arms, legs, or truck and on one side of the body. It is considered a skin pigmentation problem and cau...

There is so much information out there! Joe and I try to research situations and symptoms. We browse the Internet, read magazines, informational texts, and get opinions from friends and professionals. The information from the various sources contradicts the other. How do you know what to believe? One source says that what a breastfeeding mom eats doesn't effect the milk and then others say not to eat dairy, broccoli, cabbage, onions, and caffeine. The pediatrician says to give Lincoln Vitamin D drops and then a pharmacist says they have never heard of giving infants drops. Just put them in the sun. A nurse says Lincoln's fussiness is a result of colic and then a lactation consultant says he is just finished eating and a website says he is frustrated with milk flow. Bottom line: How do we know who to trust and where to get information? Some things we just have to figure out on our own.

I would love to check into a hotel with a big fluffy bed. A Jacuzzi suite would be even better. I'd check into the hotel alone. I'd watch cable television, channels like HGTV and TLC. My glass of iced water would set on the night stand. A soak in the Jacuzzi would be necessary before going to bed. Once in bed, I'd make the room as dark as possible and wear earplugs. I wouldn't hear my husband's breathing machine, a baby grunting and crying, or dogs shaking and licking themselves. My wish is for a full night of uninterrupted sleep.

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I received my Moby at my baby shower from my sister-in-law, Kelly. I registered for an organic cotton one. You can get a black one in Target or Full Bloom has a massive array of colors to choose from. The price is slightly inflated there. I read about  baby wearing  on the Moby website so I wanted one. Plus, it seemed more convenient to carry my baby in a carrier rather than expecting my husband to lug the car seat around. I watched a video online about how to wear it and in my breastfeeding class Pat demonstrated too. So yesterday Lincoln was crying and I was home by myself. I slipped him right in and he dozed off immediately. I walked around with him, blogged at my computer, ate lunch, used the bathroom, watched T.V. and walked around outside. He slept in it for 2.5 hours and probably would have slept longer if I didn't take him out. I needed to feed him. My feet and back were a little sore from carrying 10 lbs. around. I can't believe I carried 22 extra pounds while I wa...

 My Brest Friend pillow I had heard the Boppy was worthless for breastfeeding because it doesn't offer support. I registered for this pillow, but didn't receive it. So Joe and I bought it from Babies R' Us. It is sold at Target and Buy Buy Baby too, but it was the cheapest at Babies R' Us. It is very durable and it even has two raised pillows on both sides for babies head. I take it with me when we travel. It ranges in price from $41-$52 depending on where you buy it from. I wish I would have taken it with me to the hospital so I wwouldn't have had to use pillows. Good thing Lincoln was under 7 pounds then. Medela Freestyle pump This pump is a "hands free model" so you can double pump and walk around the house or work on your laptop. There are straps that attach to your bra so you don't lose suction. We bought it from Buy Buy Baby for a little over $300 because we had a Grand opening coupon. It is regularly $379. It is easy to put together and easy t...

Trying out my Moby wrap Lincoln @ 4 weeks

I was vaccinated as a child. I only remember a couple of them. My mom didn't tell us where we were going. Then we arrived at the doctor's office for shots. I remember I had to pull down my pants so they could give me a shot in my thigh. I was embarrassed and it hurt. I cried and I was given a lollipop. Our midwife told Joe and I to get an influenza shot as soon as possible. She said it takes a while to build up immunity and since we have a newborn, the flu can be serious. Plus, I am a teacher who is around a lot of illness daily. Since being a teacher, my body is immune to most of what I come in contact with though. I have never gotten a flu shot. I was always scared to because I've heard people GET the flu after receiving the vaccine. I do not know that I have ever had the flu! I do not fear needles. I actually like donating blood and that needle is a lot bigger than any immunization needle. So for Lincoln's sake, Joe and I stopped at CVS one afternoon and signed ...

Well, Lincoln is registered for school! He will be in the infant class when he is 8-weeks old at Georgia Academy of Early Learning . His first day in Tuesday, November 8. Joe and I toured this place over the summer while we were pregnant. There are 12 in his class, I think. I can't remember how old the class goes up to. We loved the security, the clean, new facility, and just the overall safe environment we observed. It cost $185 a week, which is about $740 a month. It was the most expensive place we saw and it makes it easier dropping him off knowing he is in a safe place. We know the tuition is a lot, but Lincoln deserves the best and he is worth it! Joe and I both went to private schools our whole lives and we know our parents paid tuition and sacrificed a lot for our education. We are willing to do the same for Lincoln! I have a good teaching job so staying home was not an option, nor really a desire. Going back to work and dropping my little off to be watched by someone els...

I didn't look at my incision for the longest time. One, because I couldn't see it. It was on the under side of my belly. Secondly, because it was a painful reminder of how my birthing experience ended. I asked Joe to look at it periodically to see how it was healing. Finally, I asked him to take a picture of it so I could see it. So after a month, this is what it looks like. I see why it is called a "smiley face", but it doesn't make me smile when I see at it.

I like the way my husband talks to our boy. He did it all the time when Lincoln was in my womb. He'll talk to him about me or the Steelers football game. I like listening in on his conversations. Lincoln started observing more yesterday (10/9/11) so he studies our faces when we talk to him now. My husband and our boy

Lincoln will be one month this week. I think about him only being this age once and wonder if I am getting enough pictures and documenting everything in his baby book. Most of the pictures I take are on my iphone, some are on our digital camera. On my computer I made sure I made a folder and put all the photos in it so I will have them all together. I'll probably make a hard cover photo book with his first year instead of a scrap book or photo album like my parents used to it. Times have changed so much where everything is digital. We no longer print out photographs. I want to make sure I have photos for Lincoln one day when he wants to see what his childhood was like. Then there is the side that if you are always worried about capturing everything, you miss out on just enjoying the moment. I saw a Google Chrome commercial where a father made an email account for his daughter. He'd email her photos with captions of trips and memories. I thought about doing that for Lincoln an...

Sometimes I have 2-hour breaks in-between feedings. I think about things I need or want to do and plan out if I can fit them in during one of those breaks. Often it is hard to enjoy those breaks because I am anticipating Lincoln awaking prematurely when I hear grunts and moans coming from the nursery. Everyone says, "Sleep while the baby is sleeping." If I slept all day and didn't do anything else, I would feel depressed and ask myself, "What did I do today?" Plus, there are bills to pay, diapers to rinse out, pump parts to wash, letters and lesson plans to write, baby book updates, insurance policy business, quality time with my husband/dogs, personal hygiene, and basic needs like eating/drinking. All last week when my husband would try to prepare dinner so that it would be ready as Lincoln was going asleep, it didn't always work out like that. He ended up having to let it sit on low or we had to reheat our meal. As we are sitting down to eat, Lincoln wo...

Mommy vacation is something we refer to at our house when I get time to relax or do something I enjoy. Things I do during a mommy vacation: Take a hot shower with the bathroom door closed Use smelly soaps to feel pampered Make a cup of tea or coffee Sit outside under the shade tree in the backyard or on the front porch Blog Eat a dessert Take a nap Watch a favorite TV show or rent a movie Eat dinner with my husband in quiet Yesterday, I had to shop at Publix and Kroger to get a birthday gift. I walked really slow through the bakery and even wandered down random aisles not in a hurry to get back to the car where my husband and son were waiting. I called that a Mommy Vacation too. =)

I read The Breastfeeding Book by Dr. Sears and took a 2.5 hour breastfeeding class at Full Bloom during pregnancy. I knew that breastfeeding would be demanding as I am the sole responsibility for the nutrition of our baby. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand regimen. There is no schedule. When we see the signs of hunger, such at rooting and sucking hands, we know he is hungry. We try to feed him before the signs turn to crying. It could be 30-minutes or three hours after I fed him last. The important thing is to fill him up so the feedings aren't as frequent, but when he is going through a growth spurt, he may want to eat around the clock, which is telling my body I need to make more milk to accommodate his growing appetite. I see why so many women turn to formula either immediately or after a short time after trying. It is emotionally and physically draining most days. Thankfully, milk production isn't an issue I have had to deal with on top of the rigorous demands of feedin...