As Malcolm becomes more verbal, I've come to the realization that I need to watch what I say around him.
Just the other afternoon, we were both in the master bedroom as I got dressed for the day. I pulled out a (non-maternity) shirt from my dresser and proceeded to put it on.
"Ugh. Too tight!" I said to my reflection in the mirror as I removed the shirt and put it away. I guess I'm not quite "there" yet when it comes to getting back into some of my old wardrobe options ... Being between sizes stinks!
Jump ahead a couple days to when my husband, Malcolm, and I were all in the master bedroom together (Pearl was sleeping in her room, just so you don't think we intentionally left her out!). We weren't doing anything specific ... I think I was putting laundry away and my husband was cleaning up from work. Malcolm was just hanging out with us, milling around and climbing on and off of the bed.
"Too tight!" He exclaimed out of nowhere. "Green ... Too tight!"
My husband, not knowing what he was talking about, looked puzzled.
I, however, had to smile.
Someone was paying attention to my clothing dilemma!
While (obviously) no big deal, I can see that this is just the start of something much, much greater in our household. All too soon, we'll have a parrot on our hands. A little person repeating anything and everything that we say.
It's just another reminder that Malcolm is growing every day.
He is not the baby of the house anymore (both literally and figuratively). He is turning into a "big boy" through and through, and, before I know it, I'll be having conversations with him.
What a crazy thought!
It's almost as crazy as me thinking I'd fit into one of my "normal" shirts less than two months after giving birth ...
April 30, 2012
April 27, 2012
snuggly cuddler
At six weeks old, this is how she prefers to spend her time ...
Attached to me.
And, although I talked a big game about "clingy babies" and how I wouldn't accommodate them all the time, I have to say that I don't mind one bit.
Attached to me.
And, although I talked a big game about "clingy babies" and how I wouldn't accommodate them all the time, I have to say that I don't mind one bit.
April 26, 2012
sous chef
It doesn't matter where he is, or who he is with ... At two-and-a-half, Malcolm always wants to "help."
So, when my husband takes residence in the kitchen to prepare our family a delicious meal, Malcolm grabs his little stool and is right there along side him.
Using the food processor or coffee bean grinder?
Malcolm wants to push the buttons.
Using dried spices?
Malcolm wants to shake the containers.
Peeling garlic?
Malcolm wants to roll the garlic peeling device.
Need a cookbook?
Malcolm will happily bring it over.
I'm sure he'd also be happy to help cut, or chop, or any of the other cooking tasks that are more appropriate for adults, but, for now, he seems satisfied with a front row seat.
I wonder how old he should be before we really put him to work ...
So, when my husband takes residence in the kitchen to prepare our family a delicious meal, Malcolm grabs his little stool and is right there along side him.
Long-sleeved tee-shirt: Old Navy (thrifted for $0.50)
Sweatpants: Jumping Beans (thrifted for $1.50)
Socks: Old Navy (gift)
Using the food processor or coffee bean grinder?
Malcolm wants to push the buttons.
Using dried spices?
Malcolm wants to shake the containers.
Peeling garlic?
Malcolm wants to roll the garlic peeling device.
Need a cookbook?
Malcolm will happily bring it over.
I'm sure he'd also be happy to help cut, or chop, or any of the other cooking tasks that are more appropriate for adults, but, for now, he seems satisfied with a front row seat.
I wonder how old he should be before we really put him to work ...
April 25, 2012
milking it
About a month ago, Lauren posed some questions about breastfeeding on her blog.
Being caught up in the hustle and bustle of having a new baby around (and doing a lot of breastfeeding myself!), I didn't find the time to respond via comments, so I thought I'd describe my own experiences in a post.
This is a mommyblog, afterall!
First, I should preface by saying that choosing to breastfeed my children was an easy choice for me. Not only would it be cheap (no formula to buy!), but it would also eliminate any middle-of-the-night, half asleep, bottle preparations ... And, it would be good for my baby.
What's better than that, really?
I also had a lot of support from many of the women in my family ... Cousins, mothers, aunts, sisters-in-law ... Some may have been a little too supportive, to the point of giving me (outdated?) "exercises" that I could do to make my breasts feeding-ready when my baby arrived, but, overall, every little bit of information I could glean from their experiences (with the exception of those "exercises") was helpful.
Next, I should add that, in addition to being an easy choice, breastfeeding is also a very easy practice for me. I am a human milk machine. Without doing anything special, I produce more than enough for my babies ... And then some! In the first week alone, I end up with a freezer-full of pumped milk (just to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort of the ridiculous engorgement that results from my milk coming in) ... And, even when the engorgement period is over and things have scaled back a bit, I still make too much milk (often causing coughing and near-choking once it really starts letting down). I guess it's a good problem to have ...
When Malcolm was an infant, and as a breastfeeding beginner, I tried my best to be discreet and careful about how I fed him. I got a cute little "modesty cover" at my baby shower and often used it, even when I was at home ... But as soon as he hit about three months old and became aware of his surroundings, all bets were off. It didn't help that Malcolm was a bit of an over-enthusiastic latcher ... He'd root around spastically, barely grabbing on before my milk would let down, then sometimes letting go and then having to root some more. A flurry of breast pads and receiving blankets helped to keep things under control (most of the time), but did not aid in my hopes of being discreet ... And, even if he had a quick and successful latch, Malcolm could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of milk that would flow out as he was nursing.
In the full year that he nursed, I think I found a pretty happy medium of feeding him comfortably, and remaining somewhat covered up (although I didn't use anything more than the shirt I was wearing, and, of course, had access to a receiving blanket that was there to mop up any mess). I never nursed in overly-crowded, public places (restaurants, shopping centers etc.), but I felt just fine feeding him in the living room at a friend's house, or even at the beach while on vacation. And, having such a plentiful supply, I could easily pump a bottle to bring along whenever we left the house (a much less-stressful and less messy alternative).
With Pearl, it's more of the same. She is equally, if not more over-enthusiastic, when it comes to latching on, so there are many moments where milk is flowing everywhere. That means that everything is pretty much "out there" when she is eating, so that I can get her back in place more easily should the need arise.
Overall, while I feel like I'm much more well-versed (today) in the whole breastfeeding experience that I was three years ago, I'd have to say that I'm no more likely to go out and nurse in public.
I guess, like Lauren in her post, I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable, and I certainly don't want to make a spectacle of myself when my baby inadvertently or intentionally lets go and milk starts flying everywhere (which is not an exaggeration) ... Seriously.
Nothing screams "look at me and my exposed boob!" more than a woman scrambling to help her choking baby and reduce the flow of milk (which caused said choking) at the same time. So, until I get a bit of control over my milk supply and things tone themselves down a bit (around the six month old mark), it is just easier for me to nurse in the comfort of my own home and to bring a bottle along for any feedings that may pop up when I'm out in public.
As natural and normal as I think breastfeeding is, I don't feel the need to be the "face" of breastfeeding when I am out of my house ... Especially since things can go so comically wrong sometimes!
Being caught up in the hustle and bustle of having a new baby around (and doing a lot of breastfeeding myself!), I didn't find the time to respond via comments, so I thought I'd describe my own experiences in a post.
This is a mommyblog, afterall!
First, I should preface by saying that choosing to breastfeed my children was an easy choice for me. Not only would it be cheap (no formula to buy!), but it would also eliminate any middle-of-the-night, half asleep, bottle preparations ... And, it would be good for my baby.
What's better than that, really?
I also had a lot of support from many of the women in my family ... Cousins, mothers, aunts, sisters-in-law ... Some may have been a little too supportive, to the point of giving me (outdated?) "exercises" that I could do to make my breasts feeding-ready when my baby arrived, but, overall, every little bit of information I could glean from their experiences (with the exception of those "exercises") was helpful.
Next, I should add that, in addition to being an easy choice, breastfeeding is also a very easy practice for me. I am a human milk machine. Without doing anything special, I produce more than enough for my babies ... And then some! In the first week alone, I end up with a freezer-full of pumped milk (just to alleviate some of the pain and discomfort of the ridiculous engorgement that results from my milk coming in) ... And, even when the engorgement period is over and things have scaled back a bit, I still make too much milk (often causing coughing and near-choking once it really starts letting down). I guess it's a good problem to have ...
When Malcolm was an infant, and as a breastfeeding beginner, I tried my best to be discreet and careful about how I fed him. I got a cute little "modesty cover" at my baby shower and often used it, even when I was at home ... But as soon as he hit about three months old and became aware of his surroundings, all bets were off. It didn't help that Malcolm was a bit of an over-enthusiastic latcher ... He'd root around spastically, barely grabbing on before my milk would let down, then sometimes letting go and then having to root some more. A flurry of breast pads and receiving blankets helped to keep things under control (most of the time), but did not aid in my hopes of being discreet ... And, even if he had a quick and successful latch, Malcolm could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of milk that would flow out as he was nursing.
In the full year that he nursed, I think I found a pretty happy medium of feeding him comfortably, and remaining somewhat covered up (although I didn't use anything more than the shirt I was wearing, and, of course, had access to a receiving blanket that was there to mop up any mess). I never nursed in overly-crowded, public places (restaurants, shopping centers etc.), but I felt just fine feeding him in the living room at a friend's house, or even at the beach while on vacation. And, having such a plentiful supply, I could easily pump a bottle to bring along whenever we left the house (a much less-stressful and less messy alternative).
With Pearl, it's more of the same. She is equally, if not more over-enthusiastic, when it comes to latching on, so there are many moments where milk is flowing everywhere. That means that everything is pretty much "out there" when she is eating, so that I can get her back in place more easily should the need arise.
Overall, while I feel like I'm much more well-versed (today) in the whole breastfeeding experience that I was three years ago, I'd have to say that I'm no more likely to go out and nurse in public.
I guess, like Lauren in her post, I don't want to make other people feel uncomfortable, and I certainly don't want to make a spectacle of myself when my baby inadvertently or intentionally lets go and milk starts flying everywhere (which is not an exaggeration) ... Seriously.
Nothing screams "look at me and my exposed boob!" more than a woman scrambling to help her choking baby and reduce the flow of milk (which caused said choking) at the same time. So, until I get a bit of control over my milk supply and things tone themselves down a bit (around the six month old mark), it is just easier for me to nurse in the comfort of my own home and to bring a bottle along for any feedings that may pop up when I'm out in public.
As natural and normal as I think breastfeeding is, I don't feel the need to be the "face" of breastfeeding when I am out of my house ... Especially since things can go so comically wrong sometimes!
April 20, 2012
testing the waters
Malcolm's been showing a tiny bit more interest in Pearl lately ...
To say I'm overwhelmed by the cuteness would be an understatement!
To say I'm overwhelmed by the cuteness would be an understatement!
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