A Simple Woman's Daybook

I am thinking...I hope we are ready for the convention by tomorrow.

I am thankful for...finally getting Belle completely weaned from the bottle.

I am remembering...a great day we had today.

I am hoping...We get this apartment packed up in time to move!

I am creating...boxes filled with all our belongings.

On my mind...trying to figure out how I will get every thing done in time for the big move.

Noticing that...I have a lot more stuff then I thought!

From the kitchen...popcorn.

One of my favorite things... babies.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

A Simple Woman's Daybook

I am thinking...I hope we are ready for the convention by tomorrow.

I am thankful for...finally getting Belle completely weaned from the bottle.

I am remembering...a great day we had today.

I am hoping...We get this apartment packed up in time to move!

I am creating...boxes filled with all our belongings.

On my mind...trying to figure out how I will get every thing done in time for the big move.

Noticing that...I have a lot more stuff then I thought!

From the kitchen...popcorn.

One of my favorite things... babies.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Better Than Boppy!

I found a new nursing chair at Ikea. We ended up with a cover for it, I'm not thrilled with, but it was only 10 dollars, and all the others were 129! After a few days I decided I needed a ottoman too. So we went back and got the matching ottoman. It is making a huge difference.

Ikea also had pink sheets on sale for 3 dollars, so I got both Lela and us a set of them. The chair is the same exact shade of pink. WOW is it pink in here! hahaha I must say the sheets are a bit prettier then the chair though. I think the quilt on the bed makes it look better.

A few weeks ago I bought the My Breast Friend pillow with a gift certificate we got for our shower, and I love it!!!!!!!! It is so much better then the boppy for nursing. I've heard a lot of good about it for a long time. And Michelle Duggar uses her's all the time on 19 kids and counting. Well, I can see why. I loooove it! I am trying to figure out a way of affording a second one to keep in the car. Cause Belle loves it, and it makes nursing so much easier and more comfortable for me too. To be honest I put off trying it, cause I didn't think I would like it going around my back. I thought the thing in my back would be uncomfortable, but quite the contrary! It puts support right where I need it. And the pillow stays in place, unlike the boppy that is constantly having to be readjusted. Oh I love it. Now to save up for a second one.

We went to Babies R Us last week to double check their chairs before we finally bought the Ikea chair. While I was there they were having a nursing class, which was more of a let's sell Medela products work shop. Not that I don't like Medela, it's a good brand, even though I personally prefer Ameda. But, what really riled me is the lady selling it was giving incorrect information. She obviously has never pumped a day in her life. I went ahead and told women the truth to their questions they were asking. And the sales lady leading got pretty mad at me. And said she had never heard of such. Well of course not, she was not a Medela representative only a BRU sales clerk. I said, well, I've been on a pumping mom's group for going on 4 years. And this is what I personally have experienced, along with many on my pump mom's group. Things like, you do NOT need a hands free bra to pump hands free. Sure Medela and such would love you to buy all their products including the hands free pump bra, but with the price of the pump alone and every thing else you NEED the bra is not a need! In fact, I found the bra uncomfortable and useless, and only used it for about 2 weeks before I figured out you could pump hands free with out the hands free bra. In fact, even Vince was like, aren't all electric pumps hands free? haha Because they were really trying to sell the hands free pump, that sells for 100 dollars more then the regular electric pump. Not only that, but that's when I said that many on my pumps mom group said the hands free pump was not as strong as the regular pump and they weren't getting much milk from it. That's when the sales lady said she had never heard that. Well yeah how many women are going to come in and discuss milk production with the sales lady at BRU, versus on a pumping mom's group? Any way, once I had her mad enough at me I asked her if they carried the Womanly Art of Breast Feeding book and she looked at me disgusted and said no, she had never heard of it! I said well do you sell any LLL books? NO!

Hmmm, yet this was some breast feeding class, huh? Any way, that was kind of sad, as a lot of the women were there for real answers and real help, and obviously received none. I had often thought about going to their classes for help too. Now I don't feel so bad I never could make it to them, now that I know they aren't really a class, but a sales tactic. I mean, I always figured they would be trying to sell the Medela products, since they advertised they were sponsored by Medela, but I was foolish enough to think they would actually have a LC or someone who had nursed a child before actually doing a class. Not exclusively a sales program! Oh well, the sad world we live in.

I got the book, the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, though in the mail finally, and I LOVE that book. That's my new baby gift to any mom who is going to breast feed from now on! I just love that book so much! Of course I've been told every single thing in there that it says not to say to a new nursing mom. But, oh well, thankfully I have a strong enough personality those things didn't detour me! Thankfully, I also have a father who worked in NICU for many years and is always very very supportive and cheering on my nursing, along with my mom and step mom cheering for us too! Then there's my wonderful online friends who have been a awesome support system for me. It's made a huge difference for me I think. So I just put the things the people in my real life around me say behind me and focus on what my family who live far away and my online friends say more.

And last but not least the Pod has arrived. I'm scared we won't get every thing moved in time. But, the time is upon us now, and we're trying to hurry. I wish I had help. But, I don't so just doing my best each day. I'm scared and excited both. Send help!

Milky Smiles!

We left the house yesterday for the first time in four months, with out bottles or the pump. It worked out beautifully. Belle did absolutely wonderful, and we didn't even take the nipple shield. I'm so proud of her! Her silly milky smile is finally back when she is done. It melts my heart and makes it go pitter pat.

We're going to Ikea today, as usual for Tuesdays, and getting the 15 meatballs and roasted potatoes for 2.49.

Then I am looking for a new nursing chair. The one I currently have is cutting off circulation to one of my legs, causing horrible pain! But, Belle only wants to nurse with me sitting in a chair. So we're hoping we can find something that will work, for 100 dollars or less. At least I hope we can.

Off the Bottle!

We're pretty much weaned off bottles now happily, now to commence weaning off the nipple shield. She had two pretty good nursing sessions, with much protest, with out it today.

I can't wait for the book, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding to come. I remember when I was first trying to get Lela to nurse, Whole Foods had a organic farm magazine with a article about getting babies to nurse in it. It was so expensive I couldn't afford it, then I went back to get it after pay day and they had sold out and I never could find it again. I never got Lela to latch either.

Thank goodness, I knew a bit more this time. And I don't think Belle is tongue tied like Lela is, so that made a huge difference. Lela's pediatrician kept telling me the tongue tie had nothing to do with it and she would eventually nurse. Too bad I listened to that horrible advice! This time I went to the hospital fully ready to demand tongue clipping if Belle was born tongue tied, thank goodness she was not. I also went with a nipple shield for just in case, and for in case, I couldn't get a pediatric ENT right away to do the clipping. But, thankfully she didn't need the shield either. But, then last month she started being weird about nursing, and wouldn't do it, so I tried it with the shield and that way she would continue. Now maybe she will go back to being with out it again. I think she's doing really well right now. YIPPEE! This is really what I have always wanted for my little babies. I love them so much, and want what's best for them. And yes, I like to keep them babies, or as a country song puts it, let them be little, for as long as I can! I don't see what the big deal about growing up is. They'll have forever to be grown ups, but they're only little for a little while, so let them be little!

But, I'm still exhausted from all this. Maybe by baby number 3, I'll know what I'm doing finally! lol

I'm hoping we can get with the LLL here in my area. If they get back with me, with when the next meeting is! I may just see about going to the meetings at the hospital I had them at. They had some kind of support meetings, but I'm not sure if they are LLL or not.

I never did go to the support meetings about the miscarriage there, even though I wanted to, they always seem to do things at times of our meetings. I may go this year though to the memorial they have for all the babies once a year. I want to share my hope with the other women, so I'll probably go ahead and volunteer to stand up and say a little bit about Donavon since that is a option they give each parent.

The other day I told Lela a little bit about Donavon. She was interested in where he was. So I showed her, that he was in the bookcase by the Bibles. She didn't seem to be freaked out or anything like that. She just said she was excited to meet him in the new system. We were having a talk about how we would see people resurrected in the new system. And how we had to be really good so we can make sure we get to be with them again when they are resurrected. And that's how it all came about. I also told her, that her and Belle would have to help each other go to meetings and serve Jehovah and make sure each other make it there! She said she would. haha She's a good girl. She loves the My Book of Bible Stories. Especially Jonah. She's almost 4 now and knows almost all the stories by heart. Sometimes I keep them playing on the PC as background sound in the house too. She can quote most of the stories word for word. I hope we reach her heart and she serves Jehovah all of her days.

Not Me!

I rarely post twice in one day friends, but I have to put out this warning.

I was working on my weight loss blog, and checking any broken links. I clicked on the link that used to go to my journal blog, which back then was wolfprncez, I changed it to Heather's Patter and then eventually to this, Heather's Prairie.

Well, when I changed it to Heather's Patter, I noticed some one else had taken over wolfprncez, I thought well I guess blogger puts it back out there if you let it go. I thought it was odd that some one would come up with the exact same spelling and everything, but still thought it was a coincidence. What the other person posts is pretty nasty and offensive. But, you know nothing I can do about it. And hoped every one knew I had changed my address over, and not accidentally go there.

Well when I clicked on my link that I hadn't changed, now the wolfprncez lady has put Heather's Patter as her blog's "name". It is NOT me!

Apparently not so coincidental that she took my wolfprncez name. I don't know what her agenda is, but I'm quite sure now these are not coincidences! So friends if you ever accidentally go to one of my old addresses, and get offended or read something foul, know it is NOT me! I don't know who this lady is, or why she wants things with names I chose for herself. But, it's scary, and right down odd. And most importantly, NOT me!

Bottle Breaking

We are having a terrible heatwave! It's been almost unbearably hot and humid. So just staying in and trying to keep the ac a little bit ahead of the heat, but it's just barely keeping up.

Monday we went and had Belle's pictures taken, I think they are the best yet! I can't wait to get them in. I just got the free ones, but I think I may actually buy some when they come in!

I've also been working on bottle breaking Belle since Monday, it's been a rough stressful few days! Crying, screaming, scratching, kicking, pulling hair out! It's been wild! My chest looks like I've been in a fight with a wild cat! But, I think we're finally "there"! *sigh* I am still pumping just to keep my supply up till I can get her nipple shield broke, and until I'm confident she is doing well enough to keep the supply up herself. I just know from previous experience, doctors around here don't want to prescribe milk producing drugs-even though they will prescribe drying drugs! And gave me some with Lela and didn't tell me! Then when my milk production went down because of that, they didn't want to prescribe me medication to bring it back up. And in fact said it didn't exist! And I know it does!

Any way, point being I guard my milk supply with my life since that happened after Lela was born. Because all the home remedies and over the counter drugs just don't work for me, sadly. In Canada they have some great prescription drugs though that I bet would work for me. But, alas I don't live there. So I have to do what I can to guard what I have so I don't have to resort to that.

I bought the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from Amazon and am eagerly awaiting it's arrival! I'm going to try to go to LLL group meeting too and see if that helps any.

A friend of mine came up with the idea of using a SNS kit/system, and I didn't even think of that. Next preemie I am packing that in my hospital bag to go with me! It's a kit that is a bottle with a tube attached that you tape to your nipple to simulate breast feeding but they get it from a bottle, this is a easier transition for babies. It's usually though to stimulate milk production in a adoptive or low supply mother. I have never heard of it being used for preemies but makes perfect sense and I don't know why it's not suggested more! Thank you Heather Brock, for your great idea!

I'm still working on making my search engine for recipes. It will indeed take me at least a year, but be so worth it when I'm done. It will make searching for recipes I want/need so much easier. I just wish I could find some of the old JoAnna Lund fans who had Mastercook to help me do this. As I know there was a lot of them using Mastercook!

I was scared about using Mastercook this time last year cause of compatibility and the company who bought it out not really updating it, as is their history with buying out companies and then just letting them sit stale. But, they actually updated Mastercook! I hear though it has some problems, but they are working on them. I will buy it when they fix the problems. For now amazingly MC7 is working on my PC! Even though they are already up to MC11 and it's rarely updated! So that tells you how old my 7 is, my 7 was old when I bought it! lol haha Sadly I redownloaded MC9, but it's not working. I bought the download before I read on other groups that the download version has problems. However, Office Max often sells the CD for only 4 dollars, so I may buy it some time before I buy 11.

Well, that's my boring life this week. Convention is coming up fast, and hoping by then I am weaned from the pump and Belle from the bottle completely! If I wasn't so frugal, green and crunchy, I'd have a pump & bottle burning party! haha

Rockaway

Thursday we went to Rockaway Beach. Lela had such a great time! We were picking up seashells, and lamenting not buying the house we almost bought there 9 years ago. It was a really nice neighborhood, and now the houses are 2 times the price for half the size we were going to get! It was so cool and breezy it was a welcome relief to the summer heat. It was fantastic the first time I went there and had been suffering from heat for months. It was beautiful. Would of never needed a AC or had me suffering from heat if we had lived there. And it was in walking distance of the Kingdom Hall.

Friday we went upstate New York, to Fishkill to Super Walmart to stock up on groceries. We also found they had a Kmart there, and it's really nice. Then we had a snack at Sonic, and lunch at Cracker Barrel. On the way we stopped at Dunkin donuts for breakfast, and some older lady was on her way to the doctor and wanted them to make her food before any one else's and boy did that throw them into a hysterical tizzy. If she had not said anything she would of gotten her food much faster. But, putting them all out of order really turned the place upside down! And ended up taking 30 minutes for her to get her toasted bagel with butter! UHG, what a morning!

Saturday we went back to Hempstead Lake Park where the baby shower was, and had a family picnic. It was a lovely day. And plenty of room, and sooo many grills. I swear there was almost a grill for every table. So no fighting over who got a grill. Lela of course rode the carousel and had a lovely time. The people who run it are so nice! Only charged Lela and Vince half price. So it was fantastic. I'm really surprised the room we had rented was not rented Saturday. It's such a beautiful room and so cheap!

Today we went over to Babies R Us to get Belle's picture taken but the studio had just closed when we got there. So we're going back tomorrow. A nursing pillow I've been wanting is on sale too, and I have coupons, and a gift certificate. So I'm hoping I can get it!

I've been really missing having the search engine on the Healthy Exchanges website, so I installed Mastercook today and started adding titles, from Across America. I'm going to just keep going till I have all the recipes added. Hopefully it won't take me too many years. haha I'm really also hoping a few fellow HE fanatics who also have MC will help with the project.

Now, I'm just watching fireworks out my bedroom window and watching the Greatest American Hero marathon on the Sy Fi channel. I used to love this silly show when I was growing up!