Gave it my best shot

Well I am somewhat happy, but somewhat sad to say I am DONE. By done, I mean done breastfeeding Miss P. On one hand it's really nice to not be the only person who can take care of her when she is hungry, it gives me so much more flexibility and freedom that I had somewhat forgotten about! But on the other hand it was something so special and a responsibility that I didn't mind doing...especially because sometimes it got me out of things I didn't necessarily like doing...like dishes :)

Before Paisley was born I wasn't nervous at all about having another baby. I thought I knew what it was all about and that I had everything somewhat under control. Boy did I learn my lesson that no two babies are the same.

With Marshall I didn't have any issues with nursing. He latched extremely well, ate 10 minutes on both sides every time he nursed his whole 11.5 months of nursing, when we introduced solids he was such a good eater, he ate anything we put in front of him. We had no issues with weaning him, and it only took a couple days before he figured out his sippy cup...which was no big deal as it wasn't a real necessary thing that he be using one.

Paisley on the other hand was pretty much the complete opposite! From day one she wasn't latching properly but soon figured it out. We were doing pretty good until somewhere around 3.5 months where she decided she would eat on her own schedule...which meant she sometimes would go 7-8 hours between feedings during the DAY. This was a very stressful time for me as I KNEW she needed to eat more often, especially with her being so tiny weight wise. I would try to feed her every 3 hours, sometimes trying to get her to latch for 40 minutes at a time. Sometimes she would scream and cry, turn her head everywhere but in the right direction and just flat out refuse to eat!

After about two weeks of this non-sense and going to the Dr multiple times ( I thought maybe she had an ear infection, but did not) she was back to somewhat on a regular eating schedule.

Sometimes she would nurse fine, other times she wouldn't nurse very long at all, and often she would refuse.

She got to be very picky about the places and circumstances in which we could nurse. If there was noise - forget it, sometimes she would only nurse if she was covered, but then other times she would only nurse if she could see my face...but I could not look at her! If she could hear Marshall or if Marshall got too close while she was trying to nurse it was game over! -needless to say I was at my wits end!

After "playing her game" for almost 4 months I couldn't do it anymore. I wasn't sure if it was me (milk supply) or her. Prior to this I was doing everything I knew to try to increase my milk supply: stopped working out, drinking TONS of water, eating healthy foods, taking herbal supplements, TRYING to nurse often, and trying to pump in between everything else!

SO at the beginning of March I finally decided that I NEEDED to monitor how much our little girl was actually taking in! I borrowed a pump from a friend and started exclusively pumping. Although at this time Miss P still wasn't taking a bottle...but after putting up a hunger strike for 9.5 hours she finally realized that the only way she was going to get anything was from a bottle!!

We then ventured into the world of pumping!! I started to learn a lot about my body!

[travel back in time for a minute] When Marshall was nursing I never felt let down at all, not once. I had no idea what it was...My first appointment with the health nurse she asked me if i had felt 'let down'..."Let down, what's that" was my reply...she explained and said it was okay as some mom's just don't feel it!

WELL after Paisley I knew what other mom's were talking about -wow!...I guess I never put 2 and 2 together...I think i felt let down for about up 3.5 months...which is the time Paisley started having nursing issues!

After I started pumping and could actually see what was going on I realized that Paisley wasn't nursing long enough to allow the let down happen (as I realized it took a full 5 min for something to happen....no wonder the poor thing was so frustrated!!

I seriously felt like that's all I did....ALL DAY! Pump, feed Paisley, drink water, play with the kids, put Paisley down for a nap....and the cycle started all over again!!

After doing this for 3 weeks I was at the end of my nursing days...I dried up! We made it to 8 months...I gave it all that I had, and I'm okay with that! The most important thing is that she is eating relatively well, enjoying her solids and bottles (although this does now depend on her teething status!!) I love our little girl :)

Sibling Love

It's really late, so I should really be in bed...but i've had the 'itch' to blog something for a while now...just haven't found the time to do so.

First off, It makes me so happy that Marshall is such a caring big brother. He absolutely LOVES Paisley. He is constantly hugging and kissing her, getting toys for her, making her laugh, and now that she is a little more mobile on the floor he is helping her get 'un-stuck' from underneath the couches!

But today, it just melted my heart when I was making supper and looked over into the living room and saw this...



He was just 'hangin' out' with Miss P, giving her loves!! (SO glad I had time to grab the camera and snag a picture)

I know the squabbles will come...but I hope for the most part they can be best buds and continue to keep on 'hangin' out'.

Too fast!!

It's crazy how fast your little babies grow up! Our Paisley girl is already 6 and a half months! She a rolling machine, she giggles at most anything and usually greets anyone with a big wide contagious smile! (...unless you have a big bushy beard...then she's a little hesitant!!)



This week she is now 'sporting' TWO new teeth!! Her first tooth cut through on Wednesday. I could see the second one and didn't think it would take that long for it to follow suit...but I didn't expect it to pop through the very next day!! So our little girl cut her first two teeth in two days! Now that's what I call "gettin' it done!"

I'm sure she is quite happy to have them through now, cause let me tell you the past week has not been to pleasant...for her or myself! It's so hard to see them in so much pain! She would usually have an okay morning, but come afternoon and evening...she would be hurtin' pretty bad.
These are some pictures I took of her in the morning on the day she cut her first tooth (i LOVE the lighting that window gives into our living room!!)

I feel my tooth!


I'm a poser


I can fly!


...Mom your making me sick with all these pictures!! (sorry I just could leave that one out!!)

Couldn't ask for a better day!

Today was seriously such a good day!! I enjoyed every minute of it! Both Paisley and Marshall were SUPER good ALL day today! It was amazing! There was hardly any whining at all! Marshall was so happy about everything we did, and had such a great attitude!!

It possibly had something to do with the fact that we kept so busy...you know what they say about being idle! Here is what our day looked like:

-We got up and had some breakfast (Oatmeal, made by Dad - THANK YOU)
-Cleaned breakfast up, and got ready for the day
-Put Miss P down for a nap
-Had some quality time with Marshall (Worked on his ABC's, Colors, Shapes, and Opposites)
-Helped Marshall play some Fisher Price toddler games on the computer, while I did some paper work
-Ate lunch
-Went to Bootcamp (Had an AWESOME workout!!)
-Went to the bank
-Came home and had a snack
-Read some books with Marshall (while Miss P was down for yet another nap)
-Got supper going while playing basketball with Big M
-Picked Irish up from downtown, went and checked out some b-ball shoes for him
-Ate supper as a family (the best part of our day)
-Cleaned supper up while Irish gave M a bath and cut his finger and toe nails...and picked out his toe jam!! (It's so cute, but Marshall gets the biggest kick out of his Toe Jam!!)
- Read scriptures and said bed time prayers with Marshall and put him in bed
-The banana bread baking began
-Started to learn some Creole (SO EXCITING!) while I was being a "patient" for Irish (practicing taping ankles)

And to top off the day...I'm going to go to bed BEFORE midnight!! I hope for many more days like this one, it was spectacular!!

...Too bad I don't have a cute picture to go with it....

Lost, if found please contact ME

Lost: Patience
Contact: ME
Need by: ASAP

I don't know what it is, but lately I have NO patience for a certain little boy in our house! Everything is driving me crazy. He's being too loud, he doesn't want help...OH but wait YES he does, everything has to be done a certain way, he is the only one allowed to say the prayers (and NO he doesn't need help with that!), all he ever wants to do is watch movies, he NEEDS a nap but won't take one, everything is a race and if he isn't in front of you/doesn't win - OH DEAR! He KNOWS how to put his underwear and pants on after the potty but lately it's "this way, this way, this way"...after being told what way they go on, instead of telling me he "has to go", his signal is jumping up and down on the spot and whining, and why oh why does he have to POUND his feet into the floor as he runs across it?! .....

I have to keep reminding myself that he is my CUTE, ENERGETIC, TWO YEAR old boy whom I LOVE...and somehow we get through the day without me exploding.

SO if you have seen my patience please tell it to get it's lil bum back home NOW! Thank you

Preschool Verdict

First off if you are reading this and you are one of the many that posted your comments on my Facebook, thank you.

I didn't even realize that Marshall would be old enough to attend preschool this September until a friend asked me if I was putting him in this year. After she asked, I got thinking about it and really the only reason why I would consider it is so Paisley and I could have some one on one time...is that selfish of me?!

After weighing out all the for and against sending him, keeping him home seems like the best idea. I think right now the best thing for him is to be able to be at home with us and bond with his sister...and me :)

As far as the interacting with other children is considered, I really don't think he will have a hard time making friends. (The other night we took him to a basketball game and he just went from one group of kids to the next group running and playing right along with them.)

I think right now I am exposing him to a variety of different learning situations within our community. We attend a Mommy and toddler workout class where he sees the importance of exercising and being active, while learning to listen to another adult. Time for 2's at the library where we have circle time, sing lots of fun hand game rhymes and read books. We also go to "Gym time" at the YMCA where he can just run around and jump and be the energetic kid he is.

...So as it stands right now preschool is not for us, after all I only get to have him home with me for a short time...then before I know it, he will be in kindergarten!!

A long time coming...and only half way there

Soooo I've been trying to make a quilt for Marshall for just over a year now. I had my cousin purchase the material in the states in December '08, cut the material out with my Mother-in-law just after Christmas (2008)....and then I was sort of 'stuck' for a while trying to find the right images for the pieces I was going to applique!

It wasn't until this past November ('09) that I actually got started on the applique part, and go figure just as I was on a roll getting them done one by one...my machine decides it doesn't like to 'zig zag' anymore!! I was really wanting to get this quilt done for Marshall for this Christmas ('09)...but with my machine in the shop, I lost two weeks of quality sewing time!

So I didn't REALLY get started until December 22, when we were on our Christmas holidays and I was able to sew alllll day for two days! Even then I still get it all done!

As of right now I have the entire top done, just need to add buttons for wheels, the word 'STOP' on the stop sign and get the back put together!

Here is what it looks like so far!


and close up's of the signs & vehicles...