My Sunday

My Sunday was quite lovely.  Ky Bug woke up at 7 o'clock on the dot and was in a good mood, which always bodes well for the day.  I got her changed and fed, and then onto a blanket for some tummy time.  I helped Rex get all packed up to go shooting with his friends, and got him sent off for the day. 

I did some laundry and changed the sheets and blankets on the bed.  I swept and swiffered our bedroom floor.  I took out all the empty water bottles and soda cans that Rex likes to leave everywhere.  I felt accomplished enough for the day so then Ky and I kicked back and relaxed.

We went to lunch with my parents and grandma.  Kylie charmed the pants off of all the old ladies at the restaurant.  I got to eat a huge chicken tostada that was absolutely delicious!  Ky got to try to steal all of the food that we were eating.  She really, really, really wanted my tostada.

We got home and Ky Bug took a nap and I got to read my new book.  Rex got home and told me all about his day, which includes wanting a new gun, no surprise there!  I cooked some yummy spicy chicken enchiladas for dinner. 

Kylie got a treat today too, she got to try bananas for the first time!  We've been giving her some rice cereal for a couple days now and thought it was time to give her something new.  She is still in the phase where she likes the idea of eating food more than she actually likes the food.  The first couple spoonfuls she gobbled down, but then she slowed down to actually taste what she was eating and screwed up her face into a yucky expression.  Then she turns to me (Rex was feeding her the bananas), with a look like, "Mom, do I really have to eat this stuff?  I don't think I like it!"  So we stopped the feeding there.  I think in a couple days we'll try sweet potatoes!

Then Kylie got her bath, where she has now learned that she can splash water with her hands and not just her feet.  I got her into her pjs and fed her and read Goodnight Moon and then put her down for the night where she proceeded to fall asleep in 5 minutes with no fussing! If only that could happen every night.  ::sigh::

So that was my Sunday y'all.  I hope everyones' was wonderful and relaxing too.

I survived...

My first week of working full time again.  It wasn't easy.  Especially the waking up at 2:30 in the morning part so I could be at work by 4 o'clock.  I haven't had to work full time for about 3 years, and I wasn't married with a baby back then either.  I definitely have to streamline my routine for getting all of Ky Bug's stuff ready for the sitters and making sure all the household chores are getting done as well.  But I have tomorrow off and so I'm going to get my chores done early and hopefully nap with Ky and read some of the new Catherine Anderson book I picked up at Target after work today.

Here are some pictures of this week from when I was not at work...

The Bug is only slightly messy while eating rice cereal.  We just started giving it to her once a day this week.  She likes knowing that she can get "big" people food better than she actually likes eating it.  But that's normal I guess for a baby just starting out on solids.

Rex and Ky at Chipotle's after we picked up Rex's new shotgun.  She loves wearing his hat and actually kept it on for about five minutes!

Rex and the Bug again.  I actually got Rex in some pictures!!! I'm so happy!!! Usually he sulks and makes faces if I try to take pictures of him.  Score for me!!

Me.  After 10 hours of work.  And picking up a baby from the sitters, feeding her, and then getting her loaded back up into the car, driving 45 minutes, and then waiting another 20 minutes for Rex to meet me to do errands after he got off of work.  So please ignore my roots and the state of my face.  14 hour make up my ass.

Oldies but Goodies

So today I totally took a trip down memory lane.  I visited my Myspace.  Which I haven't been on in ages.  I found tons of old pictures that I had totally forgotten.  I'm going to share some of my favorites with y'all.

I took this when I was about nineteen.  Yikes.  And the dirty mirror worked perfectly in this instance.  I like to think that I look like some kind of crazy mermaid.

Rex and me when we were dating.  Look at how long my hair is too! And yes, I totally had a poster of baby pigs on my wall.  Don't be jealous.

On our honeymoon in Pismo Beach.  We were getting ready to go to this awesome seafood restaurant and Rex snapped a picture of me being goofy.

On a trip to Mammoth after we were married.  Look at how damn skinny I am!!! I wish my arms were that thin right now.  And that I still fit into those size 3 jeans.  ::sigh::



Rex and I at the UCLA vs Oregon game two years ago.  I got Rex to go even though he is a diehard USC fan.  Boo Trojans, Go Bruins!!!

And so there you have it, a little glimpse into my life before the Bug.  Sometimes I miss it, but then I look at her laughing up at me, squinting her eyes as she smiles (just like her mama) and I know I wouldn't change a thing.

My Dream Date Night Outfit

I've never been one to get all gussied up and go out on the town.  I was always a tomboy.  Jeans and a t-shirt with flip flops or sneakers was (and still is) my go to outfit.  I didn't even start wearing makeup 'til my junior year of high school.  Even then it was just some foundation and mascara.  I didn't get highlights in my hair until right before senior prom (which is the only school dance I ever attended).  But now I want to feel pretty and fancy and flirty.  I don't know if all of those pregnancy hormones affected my brain or something, but I want to feel like a girl for once.  So I put together an outfit that I thought would be simple and pretty but glam.  I think it definitely would make me feel very girly. 

The Gap Grosgrain-trim Dress

Promiscuous "Ryan" Heels

Forever 21 Metal Leaf Earrings

Forever 21 Sparkle Heart Necklace

And so there you have it, my dream "girly" outfit.  Hopefully I'll buy it soon.  I'm sure my hubby would appreciate it!

Breastfeeding is Trying to Kick My Butt

I had always thought that breastfeeding was the most natural thing in the world.  Mothers for thousands of years had breastfed their babies, since bottles are a fairly recent invention.  I naively thought that Kylie would be born and within a half an hour she would be nursing like a champ.  I'd be able to keep her exclusively on breast milk for the entire first year because not only was it the best nutrition for her and allowed special bonding between us, it was a whole hell of a lot cheaper than formula.

Insert foot in mouth.  Or possibly all the way down my esophagus.

I think breastfeeding has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my whole entire life.  Graduation speech in front of hundreds of people, psh.  Winning the state championship with my horse, easy peasy.  Giving birth, piece of cake.  Breastfeeding?  Kicking my butt big time.

I had dutifully read all the handouts and booklets my doctor had given me about breastfeeding.  I'd read the section in What to Expect While You're Expecting and What to Expect The First Year.  I knew the difference between the cradle and cross cradle hold.  I knew the importance of a good latch. 

Fast forward to the hospital.  I'd just gone through 13 hours of labor.  I had a brand spanking new baby, a tired cranky husband, and I was exhausted.  Both Rex and I were scared shit less of this tiny little person we had created.  The nurses get both Kylie and me cleaned up and into our recovery room where we would spend the next day and a half.  Then the fateful words, "You can breastfeed your baby now," and I look at the nurse, my boobs, and then Kylie like, "How in the world am I supposed to do this?"  She takes pity on me and shows me how to properly hold Kylie and how to get her to latch on, except that Kylie doesn't latch on.  And doesn't latch on.  And doesn't latch on.  I'm starting to freak out a little now.  The nurse tells me not to worry, this is normal since a lot of babies are pooped after birth since it was a strenuous time for them as well.  Ok.  So an hour later they have me try again.  She latches on, but with her tongue on top and is frustrated that when she nurses no milk is coming out.  We finally get her to latch on properly, but then she won't nurse.  She just lays there, my boob in her mouth, not even attempting to nurse.  So I try to get her to latch on again to see if that will work.  No dice.  Nothing. 

This continues for the first 10 hours of Kylie's life.  We can't get her to nurse.  If she latches on improperly she tries to nurse but can't get milk because of her latch, and then if she latches on properly we can't get her to nurse at all.  No amount of cheek stroking and back rubbing can get her to do it.  They say nothing is wrong with my boobs or with Kylie that would prevent her from nursing.  One nurse even gets a bottle nipple to see if Kylie will latch on to do that, and she does with no problem.  So the nurse immediately takes it out, since there is obviously nothing wrong with Kylie's little mouth.   We try nursing after that, but still nothing.  The nurses now are trying not to worry me, but they do when they have to test her blood sugar to make sure it's not dipping down to low because she hasn't eaten anything. 

Two more hours go by and Kylie still hasn't nursed.  So the nurses say now we have to give her formula since she hasn't gotten any nutrition since she was born.  She helps us choose what type we want to give her, and then lets me feed her with a syringe so we can still keep trying to breastfeed without any nipple confusion.  We go through the whole night like this, every two hours attempting to breastfeed, and every two hours Kylie refusing.  The next day the nurses have a lactation consultant come in.  She lets us know she can't release us from the hospital with Kylie eating formula out of a syringe.  She introduces me to the SNS or Supplemental Nutrition System.  It's like an upside down bottle I clip to my shirt that has a tiny little tube that runs from it into the babies mouth.  The consultant has me put it on my finger to let Kylie nurse off of that so we can teach her how to latch properly.  We finally get released from the hospital and head home, stressed and exhausted.

That first night I'm too paranoid to put Kylie down in her crib to sleep, so I hold her and feed her and try not to doze off.  In the wee hours of the morning, Rex notices this and takes her from me and gives me a couple hours to sleep.  In the morning we head back down to the doctor's to meet with a lactation consultant.  She sees if we can get Kylie to nurse using the SNS, but it's still a no go.  She then has me try to nurse Kylie with a nipple shield.  Kylie immediately latches on and starts nursing.  And I'm in tears because I'm so happy about this.  They send us home with instructions to use the nipple shield and SNS while nursing and with another appointment the next week to make sure Kylie's gaining weight properly. 

We're not out of the woods yet, however.  I can't keep Kylie awake to nurse.  I try everything.  Rubbing her cheeks and back, moving her arms and legs, undressing her, cool washcloths on her forehead.  Nothing works.  Sometimes I resort to finger feeding her with the SNS because she will actually get a full feeding that way.  We go to our appointment the next week and Kylie didn't gain as much as she should.  The consultant asks some questions and determines that my milk hasn't come in.  I haven't had any engorgement, can't feel any let down, and Kylie often cries right after her feedings.  She tells me to start taking Fenugreek and Milk Thistle to help boost my supply and sets up for a breast pump to be delivered to my house so I can pump after each feeding.  The problem is that I'm so exhausted that I don"t always pump after each feeding, and often times Rex didn't want to hold her because she was cranky and irritable.

So long story short, my milk supply never fully came in.  So Kylie's been on about a 50/50 mixture of breast milk and formula since she was born.  There were many times that I was ready to give up on breastfeeding, I was so miserable and I was often in tears.  I am so glad that I stuck with it because it's so much better for Kylie and allows bonding between us that bottle feeding can't provide.  I'm going to do my best to make it to a year, and even though it's a lot harder work than I thought it was going to be, it's totally worth it.  I just have to look at her and how wonderful she is to remind myself of that.

My Big News

That I forgot to tell y'all about is...I got a promotion at work!!!  I've just been in the fish/small animal/reptile/bird area for about 2 1/2 years now and I have been bugging my managers for full time hours forever!  It finally paid off, because just this week I was promoted to Pet Products Manager!!!  This means I'll be going into work in the wee hours of the morning to oversee stocking, resets, price changes, and loads.  It also means that I'll be guaranteed 45 hours a week whereas right now I'm only getting about 25 (and a I'll get a raise!).  I know I won't be able to spend as much time with Kylie as I'm used to, but I'll finally be able to better provide for her.  I have been feeling guilty lately because Rex has been working full time for over 5 years now to support us, and I haven't worked full time since we were first married.   Most days I'll be off of work by 2 in the afternoon so I'll have the rest of the day with the bug, which I'm super thankful for.

In other news, the Ky Bug is sick.  She has a super runny nose and a horrible cough.  We took her to the doctor today to be on the safe side, and it's nothing serious thank goodness.  And while I'm at it she currently weighs 13 lbs 9 oz and is 25 3/4 inches long.  So we are just going to keep up with the saline spray, snot sucker, humidifier, and pillow under the crib mattress.  She is pathetic though, with her watery eyes and runny nose.  Also, she is waking up about every hour at night from her coughing, which means that I'm not getting much sleep either.  For the most part I can't complain though, because Kylie is a pretty well behaved sick kid.  Not much crying at all, just sniffles and coughs.  She is being super cuddly as well, and has fallen back in love with the boob.  She hasn't been too keen on breastfeeding for the last couple of weeks, but now she can't get enough! Yay!  I'm doing my darnedest to make it to a year!!!

I just heard the timer go off, which means dinner's done!!! Have a great night everyone!!!

Because I'm Lazy

I'm just going to leave you with a quick picture of Kylie taking a bath.  Because she absolutely adores bath time.  She happily spends 10-15 minutes splashing and kicking away and attempting to eat washcloths.  And because this week kicked my ass.  Just like last week.  But...I do have some exciting news to share with y'all (and no, I'm not pregnant).  But I can't share it until tomorrow.  So I will try my damnedest to write up a post tomorrow and spill the beans!!!!

My Fave Baby Things So Far

So there have been a couple things I don't think I could have lived without after Kylie was born.  When I was making our registry, I really had no clue what I was doing.  I'd never really babysat before, the last baby in my family was my cousin and he is sixteen now, and none of my friends have babies either.  So I'm looking at this stuff and just thinking, "crap, crap, CRAP!"  I basically went off the reviews kind souls filled out on babiesrus.com.  Some worked, and some didn't.  These are my favorites so far:

THE BOPPY

I know a lot of people say the My Breast Friend is better, but I got the Boppy at my shower and I totally fell in love with it.  I so wish I had brought it with me to the hospital, it would have been a lifesaver.  That pillow saved my arms when I was learning to breastfeed Ky.  I don't know about you, but I learned about muscles I never knew existed when I had a baby.  Seriously.  My arms and my neck were killing me.  But the Boppy made it a lot less painful, and my arms didn't tire as quickly when I was breastfeeding.  Plus, the Ky Bug loves the thing.  She used it for tummy time the first couple of months when she still didn't appreciate being plopped down flat on her belly.  And she also loves to be propped up against it so she can play with toys and books.

SWADDLEME

The SwaddleMe was a $13 purchase at WalMart by Rex, and it is something we never regretted.  Ky would always kick off her swaddling blankets during the night and since we were worried about the possibility of SIDS, we looked into alternative methods of swaddling her.  In came the SwaddleMe.  Pink fuzzy fleece that she is cocooned in with Velcro tabs.  Impossible for her to kick off and it let all of us sleep better at night.  She used it all the way to two months when she decided she wanted her arms free to be a little drama queen and fall asleep with her hands across her eyes. 

SALINE NOSE SPRAY

When Ky was a few weeks old, she got a bad cold, and had the worst congestion ever!  Our pedi recommended the saline nose spray and it helped soooo much.  In fact, I barely had to use the snot sucker (which Kylie absolutely despised).  And the funny thing was, Kylie adored the nose spray.  She liked it.  Totally weird.  Like she knew it was going to help drain all that nasty snot out of her nose and help her sleep and eat better.

MOBY WRAP

This wonderful baby carrier actually let me get some stuff done around the house.  Kylie loves it.  I like it because of all the different positions I can put Kylie in.  When she was still a newborn I put her in the hug or cradle hold, and she would snuggle up against me and go to sleep as I put away laundry or dishes.  Now that she likes to see the world, I put her in the Lotus hold and she can sit up and face out and bat her eyelashes at all the old ladies at Costco. 

T-SHIRTS and SLEEPERS

T-Shirts and a diaper was all Kylie really wore when she was a newborn.  I know this wouldn't work for a winter baby, but since Ky was born in the beginning of August T-Shirts are what I used.  They kept her umbilical cord stump dry (it fell of in 10 days) and plus, we were changing her diaper a million times a day so we didn't have to deal with pants or anything like that. 

Sleepers are my best friend right now.  Seriously.  Sometimes Ky wears them all day.  She has this wonderful habit of kicking off socks and shoes, and now that it's January, it's a little cold to be going without those.  Here's where sleepers come in.  She can't kick them off and they don't ride up and leave any exposed tummy.  I'm all about simplicity y'all, and these are it!

BABY EINSTEIN EXERSAUCER

My favorite thing at this moment however, is the Baby Einstein Exersaucer we purchased at Target for Kylie's Christmas present.  We love it.  It will keep Ky occupied for 20-30 minutes as I am making dinner.  She is over her swing and so that left me in a bit of a predicament.  Since she is so big and active now, I can't really hold her as a make dinner, but in the swing she would fuss and cry.  Not in the exersaucer, though.  Ky is bound and determined to get those darn little tags that are dangling from the little green branch.  She tries every time to get them off.

So these are my favorite baby things so far, and since Kylie is only five months right now, I'm sure I will have plenty more to share with y'all in the future.

Five Months!!!

All right.  This time I am closer to getting this post up on time.  Only a couple days off for this one.

So my little Ky Bug is five months old now.  Crap.  She is growing up way too fast.  I know that sounds so cliche, but it's totally true.  It seems like just yesterday she was a little baby who slept all the time.  Though the sleeping all the time part sounds quite nice.

I'm just keeping her stats the same this month since her last ones were taken at 4 1/2 months.  So she has probably grown a little, but since we haven't been to the doctor's, we'll just keep it simple.

Ky is moving around more than ever now.  She can roll from her back to her belly a lot more frequently now.  And she almost can roll from her belly to her back.  She getting super close.  And now she can push all the way up on her arms now when she is on her tummy.  Kylie wants to crawl so bad now too.  She will grab on to stuff in front of her to try to pull herself along.  Occasionally she can sit up by herself as well, but doesn't like it too much.   And Kylie just discovered her feet this morning as I was changing a particularly poopy diaper.  So she is in love with her toes now.  Too frigging cute.  She absolutely loves the exersaucer Rex and I got her for Christmas.  It makes making dinner much less time consuming as it will keep her occupied for 20-30 minutes. 

She is talking a lot and is constantly expanding her sound vocabulary.  She squeaks, squeals, coos, grunts, smacks her lips, blows raspberries by the dozen, and loves to babble.  Rex swears she said mama the other day too.  And I didn't hear it!!! Can you believe that???  I was too busy cussing at the crib sheet when I was changing her bedding.  Stupid bumpers and stupid fitted sheets.  Someone needs to make a better system.  Seriously.

Kylie is still in size 2 diapers.  But big news!!!  She got about 7 more cloth diapers for Christmas!!!  So when I am home she has a fluffy butt.  We still use disposables when we are out and about and at the sitters.  That will change though when I get more diapers and wet bags.   She is also still in mostly 0-3 clothes except her sleepers.  Though some of her 3-6 and 6 month clothes are getting closer to fitting her pretty well.  And I finally found socks that fit her!!!  They're the little ones that look like they have shoes on. 

She is still sleeping through the night too.  Which I am infinitely thankful for.  Her naps are starting to get a tiny bit more regular as well.  She loves taking them with Rex and me.  So we are still spoiling her with those.  We figure as long as she is sleeping in her crib for 10-12 hours a night, she deserves nap time with mommy and daddy.  Though I am totally jealous of Rex!  The other day when I was at work they took a 3 1/2 hour nap together!!!!  I'm luck if I get 45 minutes!!!  No fair!

Kylie is still 100% on breast milk and formula.  I have managed to keep my supply going even with going back to work.  My breast pump is my new best friend.  We let Kylie taste foods though.  She likes broccoli (which I let her taste) and chocolate (which Rex let her taste.  I can already tell that I am going to have to be the "bad" parent that says no).  And she now tries to drink from our glasses.  She will reach out, grab onto the cup with both hands, bring it to her mouth, and suck on the rim.  It's too cute for words.  And yesterday at the sitter's she drank a whole bottle by herself with no help.  Luckily the sitter sent a picture to me so I didn't completely miss out.

Her little personality isn't so little anymore.  She totally has her opinion on things.  Like now I can't eat while breastfeeding because she does not appreciate me eating things she can't yet.  And that she must go on a walk outside everyday no matter how much I have to bundle her up because of the cold.  And now Ky has a favorite toy.  Birdman as we call him.  Though actually he is a little pink bird that is attached to her car seat.  She holds on to him all the time while in the car now.  I think this friendship is going to last a while so I better get my happy butt into Target and buy a couple more Birdmans before anything happens to the original.

I feel like I'm forgetting something, but for the life of me I can't remember what it is.  So this will have to do for now.  Forgive me for the disjointed ramblings, I still haven't caught up on my sleep this week.  And I promise, more posts are soon to come.  I've been a slacker.  Sorry  :::big sad eyes::: Please forgive me!