Weeks 42 & 43: Big Firsts

Weeks 42 & 43: 06/03/13 - 06/16/13

Ahhh. 

Summertime.

I was just sure things would slow down.

I pictured a leisurely summer with lots of tanning.

Eating ice cream.

Catching up on the books that have collected dust on my bedside table.

And frolicking through lilac fields while learning photography.

But we've been go-go-going since the last day of school bell rang. 

And it's taken me 10 months to accept the fact that nothing goes as planned with a baby.

And things take longer than expected.

A lot longer. 

But. We have enjoyed every single moment of our busy summer. 

And are so very thankful for the sweet memories we're creating. 

Lots of girl time.

Besties. 

And the past two weeks have been quite exciting.
Eating lots of new foods.
Rolling all over the place.
Scooting backwards.
No crawling.
Still scooting.

And chock-full of exciting firsts. 

First time in the pool.

We started a water baby class at the Y.
*Mostly so I had an excuse to put you in a bathing suit.*

I was actually more nervous than you were. 

But you loved the water immediately.

We started off by just getting you used to the water.

Blowing bubbles.

Reaching for toys.

Kicking.

All the other babies kick their little legs fast and furious.
You on the other hand do what I call "The Lyla Kick".  

Just a few dainty leg lifts here and there. 

No surprise there. 

And then, without warning, the instructor said, "Ok. Now it's time to dunk."

Come again?

And without time to get nervous or make excuses, we said a little nursery rhyme, and I dunked you. 

Underwater. 

You were a little shocked.

And sputtered a little.

Then we did it again.

Over and over. 

And you couldn't get enough!

Now, we look forward to our pool time every Tuesday morning.

*You did not enjoy your first trip to the neighborhood pool. 

This one was not heated like the Y pool.

You preferred sunbathing instead.*

First Girls' Trip.

Mama and her teammates needed to get some things to prepare for next year.

So we organized a girls' road trip.

This was my first time traveling without Daddy.

You did much better than I expected.

We got completely off schedule.

And I'm pretty sure you didn't nap for two days straight. 

But you hung in there like a champ.

And you even let Mom go out with her friends. 

You slept back at the house without a peep. 

Now if only we could just master napping in our stroller.

Or in the car.
Either way, we had some good girl time.

First overnight without Mom and Dad. 

Mom and Dad had their first weekend trip without you.

Two and a half days.

That's a long time to be without any Chunkin-Chunkin Time.
Saying goodbye was emotional for a brief moment.
For Mom, at least.

But it was a great thing for Dad and I. 

We were both in a wedding.

And had a blast with friends. 

We had some much-needed adult time.

And luckily Gigi and Pops texted plenty of pictures.
They even captured your feisty scrunchie face.
My fave.

You did amazingly well.
Such a good babe.

First Word. 

You've been jabbering for a while now. 

Making ma-pa-ba sounds.

But you officially said your first word the day we returned from our trip.

This is one date I won't forget.

June 16, 2013.

You looked right at me and said "Mama". 

I couldn't believe.

In fact, I thought I was hearing things.

Luckily Daddy, Gigi, and Pops were all standing there to witness it.
One of the most touching moments...ever.

Big week.
With lots of big girl things.

No Seven Year Itch Here.

Seven Years.

Mostly blissful.
Exciting.
Comforting.

And real.
With plenty of chaos.
Scary life decisions.
And heated arguments discussions.

Seven years ago, we were babies.
Getting ourselves hitched.
And now, we have a baby.
Crazy, I tell you.

There are so many directions I can go with this post.
The sweestsie I-love-my-honey-cutie-boo-boo route.
Or the let's-take-a-walk-down-memory-lane route.

So I decided to combine the two ideas.
Because I do have seven years worth of blackmail memories.

Happy Anniversary to My Love.
Here are just some of the many reasons I love you.
And our marriage.
*A lot.*

1). You love adventure. 
I need you in my life.
Because I am a nervous nellie.
And you are fearless.
A risk-taker.
With you, my life is a whole lot more exciting.

2). You like to bust a move. 
You never really shook your groove thing until about year 3 of marriage.
This is when you came out of your social shell.
And I must say.
You've got some pretty mad skillzzz.
You are usually the last one to leave the dance floor at most weddings.

3). Ordinary is not in your vocabulary. 
I love that you love unique.
Even when it completely goes against the grain.
Even when your wife tells you you are completely uncool.
You just don't care.
Going barefoot all.the.time. (And now Five Finger shoes. Ugh.)
Eating at local places, not chains. 
Enjoying French press coffee instead of Keurig. 
Forgoing steak dinners for a picnic at the park. 

4). You work hard. 
Whether it's demolishing a bathroom in our 3 day old house.
Or driving across the country for 24 hours straight while I sleep or read a book in the passenger seat.
Or packing my lunch, washing bottles, and helping me grade papers.
You work hard.
And are a solid provider for our family.

5). Working hard means sleeping hard. 
Having a new baby is especially exhausting.
This includes the fur-baby kind as well.
Giving birth just takes it out of you, huh babe?

6). We make one pretty awesome team. 
You and me.
Me and you.
Can't imagine it any other way.

7). Your new role makes me love you even more. 
You are a dad.
This time last year, we had no idea what was about to hit us.
*We may actually win the award for most clueless.*
But you have made the transition into your new role quite effortlessly.
You make parenting FUN!
Lyla is so lucky to have you.
And so am I.

Happy Seven Years, Babe.
No seven year itch here.

New Mommy Files: Breastfeeding Part II

I got lots of encouraging responses from Part I of this post.
Yay for all the super moms out there!
Breastfeeding or not.
Ya'll are my heroes.

Welcome to Part II.

Breastfeeding Part II: My Experience and Making it Work at Work

Well. Just about everything from the start of Lyla's life is a cloudy blur. All I know is that childbirth is intense, I went weeks without sleeping, life revolved around this tiny little human that completely depended on us for everything, and we had absolutely no idea what we were doing.

I'm serious, guys. No clue.

Whoever thought it was ok to release us from the safety zone of the hospital and into the wild of childrearing was crazy.

But we got through it.

Lots of trial and error. 

Lots of failing.

Lots of frustration.

And then deciding to exclusively breastfeed was no joke. 

Quite the responsibility. 

I can remember running a quick errand at the beginning and thinking, "What if something happens to me? I am the sole resource for my baby's life right now."

Scary stuff.
And pretty empowering, if you ask me. 

But let's take a closer look at the general experience.
Let's go back to the very beginning.

The Beginning: My Experience.

Luckily I had an incredible amount of support from personal cheerleaders.
My husband was and still is the most supportive person on the planet.
{He deserves an entire post}.
Both my mom and mother-in-law were very pro breastfeeding.
And many of my friends were a few steps ahead of me to show me the ropes.

I'm not sure how I would have...could have continued without the moral support.

Breastfeeding is hard.
Physically.
And mentally.

Especially when you haven't slept in weeks.
Especially when it is extremely painful.
Especially when your baby won't stop crying because she can't figure things out.

The very beginning was actually quite wonderful.
Lyla crawled right to me and began to nurse the moment the nurses laid her on my chest for the first time.
Just like we saw on the video in labor class.
I couldn't believe it!

Thank goodness my newborn knew what to do.
Because I sure didn't.

Insta-bond.
The most beautiful moment in my entire life.



Then, the second day of life.
Things got a little more challenging.

How do I keep this little gal awake to eat?
How often to I feed her?
How do I know if she's getting enough?
Is it supposed to hurt this badly?
Is it possible to die from exhaustion?

Luckily, you are in the safety zone of the hospital for a couple of days.
There are nurses.
And doctors.
And lactation consultants.

If I could go back, I would have used the lactation consultant more.
I just remember telling her that I didn't think Lyla was getting very much from my right breast.
And she had become quite partial to my left.

The LC chuckled and said, "All babies have a chocolate and a vanilla.Your right side is baby's vanilla. So you just need to start on that side to get her used to it and make her acquire a taste for vanilla!"

Then I remember having no clue when Lyla was hungry.
So I pretty much just nursed every time she cried.
In hindsight, that seems pretty ridiculous.
I'm not quite sure how I would handle someone sticking their boob in my face every time I was upset.
But it worked.
It was like calming magic.

Then, after about 2 weeks, we started to get into more of a "routine".
Well.
As routine as a newborn allows.

I started to follow more of a schedule.

But I also followed my mama instinct. 

If Miss Beans seemed hungry, I fed her.

Simple enough, right?
Heh.

Some of my super-organized friends kept things like spreadsheets.
Tracking how long baby nursed on each side.
How many poo and pee diapers baby had each day.
How long baby went in between feedings.

I think I recorded those things for about one week.
Then I forgot to jot down a couple of feedings.
And I thought Lyla went 3 days without peeing.
"Because it isn't showing on my handy-dandy app!"

Needless to say, recording every single feeding and diaper stressed me out.
As if I didn't have anything else to worry think about.
So I decided to eat the $5.00 I spent on the baby schedule app.

And ignorance was bliss.

A few other things I remember about the beginning...

• I had an excessive amount of questions. So, to lessen the obnoxious-ness, I alternated questions between 3 friends. And had them on speed-text. 
• Google has never seen the word "breastfeeding"typed into a search engine so many times. 
• I have a weird obsession with things being even. So I nursed for 10 minutes on each side. Every.single.time.
• Already mentioned this, but it hurt. And most LC's say, "If it hurts, baby isn't doing it right." Well, have you seen my Chunkin? She was clearly getting enough to eat. And it still hurt.
• The football position was the only one that worked for Lyla at the beginning. Nothing else.
• I was so paranoid about "nipple confusion" that I did not introduce a bottle or pacifier until 4 weeks old on the day. 
• The chair in Lyla's nursery rocker has become the most used piece of furniture in our house. It's where we share started our bond and have spent many hours. 
• We put Lyla in her crib starting Night #1. This means that I stumbled into her nursery to nurse her about 4 times a night. {Have I mentioned that I do everything the hard way?} I always envied those mamas who could just roll over and nurse while baby and mom fall back asleep. I caught up on work e-mails during that time. Because I'm crazy. 

Going back to work.

I absolutely need a post entirely dedicated to this topic. 
However.
After 7 months of being back at work. 
I am still not fully ready to share my emotions.

As if breastfeeding weren't hard enough, going back to work made it seem impossible.
I almost threw in the towel after one month.

And you know what?
Had I quit, Lyla would be just as happy and healthy as she is today.
And life sure would have been a piece of cake.
Or at least resembled more of a cake than the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink batter my life had become.

But I was committed.

I had to be.

Because things got very difficult.

I'm not one of those moms blessed with magic milk.
You know, the ones who have an overabundance of milk supply?
That wasn't me.
I barely pumped enough milk for 2 bottles each day.
And I pumped all.the.time.

Then it seemed like my entire immune system shut down.
Nursing and pumping *literally* sucked the immunity right out of me.
That coupled with being a teacher who is around germy kiddos for 7 hours a day?
I was sick for 3 months straight.

Then, I subsequently got clogged ducts 5 times in a row.
These are no picnic in the park.
They are incredibly painful, annoying, and can turn into a nasty infection if you're not careful.
Heat, massage, and lots of nursing is the key to getting rid of these nasty guys.

And of course there were the never-ending tasks.
Cleaning pump parts.
Steaming bottles.
Freezing milk.
Storing milk.
Portioning milk.

Oh. And let's not forget the day I returned to work and discovered that all milk I express instantly turns sour.

After all of that nonsense, my stubborn will came in handy.
Because I was determined to make it to Christmas.
Then spring break.

And now here we are.
Summer vacation.
And I'm still going.
With plans to make it to the year mark.

Making it Work at Work. 

Most, if not all, women experience a major dip in supply when going back to work. 

So it can make things incredibly difficult if pumping isn't a top priority. 

{Or for some, if pumping isn't able to be accomplished at work}.

How did I personally make it work after heading back to teaching?
Let's talk logistics. 

• Economics 101. Nursing is all about supply and demand. Our God-given bodies know exactly how much milk to produce based on what the baby demands. So as a rule of thumb, I tried to pump as many times as Lyla ate while she was away from me. *And then some*. I basically pumped any chance I got because I really did not want my supply to dip. And I wanted my body thinking that Lyla was still an eating machine.
• Get a Running Start. I began pumping when Lyla was 6 weeks old. Call me a planner, or call me crazy. I like to think ahead. So, I slowly began pumping after a nursing session here and a nursing session there. And I'm a results kind of gal, so you can imagine my frustration when it took me 2 or 3 pump sessions to get ONE measly ounce. But I kept with it. And eventually I had a freezer full of milk. 
• Nurse.Nurse.Nurse. Just like anything else, nothing competes with the real thing. Artificial anything is never quite the same. This goes with nursing as well. A breastfeeding baby is so much more efficient than a pump. So, I made it a priority to rush home and nurse Lyla before after school meetings or other personal obligations...rather than skipping a nursing session and pumping instead. 
• All in a Day's Work. I really protected my pumping sessions at work. This can be incredibly difficult for some professions, teaching included. Because there is zero flexibility as a teacher. I often get the question how to make it work as a teacher. Well. In my case, I am lucky with my schedule. I was able to pump during my plan time in the morning and then again at lunch. 
• Anywhere. Anytime. There were times when I missed a pumping session due to a meeting, etc. But I always made sure to make up that pumping session. I quickly learned to swallow my pride and be willing to pump anywhere. I've been in quite the awkward predicaments on more than one occasion. 
• Become a camel. My kids were always so intrigued by how much water I consumed in a day. I took my giant post-partum hospital jug with me to school every day. And I filled it 3-4 times in a 7 hour period. That's an average of 100 ounces of water just during school hours. Staying hydrated is key because a lot of liquid is coming out!
• Keep it Clean. I started things off by vigorously cleaning and sterilizing my pump parts after each use. Then I got gross efficient. I *gasp* only cleaned my pump parts at the end of each day. I seriously could not keep up the maintenance. I was on a non-negotiable time restraint during my pump times. There just wasn't enough time to clean the parts too. But I thoroughly washed the parts each night with boiling hot water, soap, and a bottle scrubber. 
• Milk Hoarding. How did I store my liquid gold? I have a mini fridge in my classroom where I kept my pumped milk. Then I'd take it home and pour into milk storage bags. I currently *still* have an entire deep freeze of Medela storage bags full of milk.
• Number Obsessed. Being Type-A, I had to make a conscious effort to not become number-obsessed. It's so easy to get into the habit of, "Well, she's eating three 5oz. bottles at daycare, so I should be pumping 15 oz. while I'm at school." I never even came close to pumping that during my school day. Sometimes, I'd pump 6 oz. in my morning session, while other times I pumped 2 oz. It was very inconsistent. Eventually, I did get to a point where I was no longer pumping what Lyla was taking in. But that's why I tried to build a "cushion" with my morning and night time pump sessions. 

Last but not least, for all you visual learners, here is a peek at what my daily schedule looked like. 

*I did eventually take out the 3:40 pump session after a couple of months. And at the very end of school, I finally took out the night session.*

Daily Schedule.

6:15 Nurse first thing in the morning. 

7:00 Pump while eating breakfast/putting on makeup. 

9:30 Pump during plan time. 

11:50 Pump during lunch. 

3:40 Pump after school. 

4:30 Nurse.

6:00 Nurse. 

9:00 Pump Before bed. 

*I grew to really dislike my pump. Why? Because I saw (and heard) it more than my own husband and baby. Pumping is what nightmares are made of. There is nothing worse than getting in bed only to realize you still have to pump. Except maybe waking up 30 minutes early every morning just to pump. Seriously. I've never cursed something so much.

And after all that? 

My supply still suffered a bit around 8 months. 

I'm telling you.

This nursing stuff is no joke. 

But I'm fortunate enough to have a summer break. 

I'm able to catch up. 

And boost my supply again.

Plus I have a husband who packs my lunch, washes bottles, and pretty much reminds me daily that the sacrifice is worth it. 

So a big shout out to my main squeeze. 

And a second shout out to a really cute Chunkin. 

Who makes all of this worth it.

Seriously.
It is so incredibly worth it. 

****Today I'm linking up with a dear, longtime blog friend. She hosts BabyTalk Tuesdays, and I've linked up today. Go check her out - She and her little Kenley are just sweet as pie!

Week 41: Chillin and Grillin

Week 41: 05/26/13 - 06/02/13

Summer is officially in full force. 

And Kansas has actually given us a break in the weather department.

So Dad and I have been enjoying hanging out on the deck every night.

Just to chat.

And marvel over his hard work in the yard. 

Of course we love having you right there with us. 

So we got your your own bebe-size adirondack chair. 

The "It" chair of the season.Sum

Nice little $5.00 score at Wal-Mart.

You love that thing.

One of my favorite things about having a tot is reliving all the fun childhood things.

And summertime creates those quintessential childhood memories.

We've already been stocking up on our own personal summer memories. 

Picnics with the pups.

Cookouts with besties (baby besties too).

Zoo trips.

Morning walks.

Dining al fresco.

Trips to the cute new creamery.

It makes me so happy I could nearly burst. 

In other Chunkin news.

You're still not crawling. 

You do twirl around in a circle.

Rock your hips.

Roll from place to place.

And scoot backwards.

You just don't crawl.

You can't quite figure out how to get those chunky little legs up under you. 

I like to think that you're not so into the whole gross motor skill thing.

Because you're perfecting your fine motor skills. 

It's so cute. 

We laugh because you can have several fun, bright, noise-making toys in front of you.

But you are simply not interested.

You will lurch forward to pick up the tiniest speck of lint. 

And intently examine it.

Moving it from one hand to the next with your fingers. 

Or you will have a blanket with soft fabric tufts all over it.

You won't grab the tufts.

But the single strand of hair in between the tufts.

You even spotted a minuscule ant crawling at GiGi's yesterday.

I have no idea how you even see these things.

Let alone pick them up.

And sometimes I think you can do more than you're letting on. 

GiGi says you're probably just not a performer. 

If I secretly spy on you, I see you moving all over the place in your crib.

But if I'm in there, you just lay there. 

And bat your eyelashes at me.

And act like you don't know how to move.

Smart little booger. 

But you do love to dance. 

And to sing.

You really like anything music-related.

But the dancing is just so cute.

Grams laughs so hard, I think she's going to burst a lung.

You bounce up and down on your legs.

And flail your arms all around.

It's quite cute. 

And you are really jabbering these days.
Making lots of "ba-ba-ba" sounds.
And still saying "ma-ma-ma".

And we're having so much fun with food.
I like to give you bites of things from my plate.
The only thing you really haven't liked is watermelon.
But you love hummus.
And grilled cheese.
And bananas.

You may be a reserved behind-the-scences goofball like your dad.
But possibly a foodie dancer who loves to talk?

Oh, the possibilities!
I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

New Mommy Files: Breastfeeding Part I

I started this little segment back when Ly was 5 1/2 months old.
And had every intention of blogging somewhat frequently about specific new mama topics.

Not because I think I have the answers.
*That thought actually makes me laugh.*
But mostly because I wanted to document how I did things.
For myself.
To look back and think, "Definitely not doing that again."
Or, "What the heck were we thinking?!?!"

And simply to share my experience.
So that others don't feel so alone.
Or nut-house crazy.

Oh.
Is that just me?
Ok.

And I've had so many others reach out to me.
To share their personal experiences.
And to give me their advice.

That's what I just love about the blogging community.
So much support.

Anyway.
Now that I'm not devoting every smidgen of time and energy to 20 fourth graders, I figured it was time to get back into my New Mommy Files.

I've recently had several mama friends ask me questions.
About breastfeeding.
And how to make pumping work while being a teacher.
So that's exactly what I'm going to discuss.

Breastfeeding. 

And just like hitting a funny-bone-like reflex, I'm sure a few readers just skedaddled.

You win some.
You lose some.

I wish I did this post 6 months ago
Because there are so many details I dont' remember about the beginning.

But let's face it.
I was exhausted.
And had know clue what the heck I was doing.
Still don't.

But all the more reason I wish I would have documented it all.

I think I'm going to break this doosie-of-a-topic up into 2 parts.

Part I: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. 
Part II: My Experience and Making it Work at Work

Let's take it from the beginning.

Breastfeeding Part I: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I think every woman who has ever tried to breastfeed should get a medal of honor.

Scratch that.

More like an all expense paid trip to Bora Bora.

For 3 months.

Now don't get me wrong. 

I am definitely not a whip-out-my-boob-anywhere-nurse-until-my-baby-is-7 kind of gal.

*More power to you if you are.*

I am incredibly modest.

And tend to take the more subtle route.

I think I've only nursed in public a handful times.

*With my handy, dandy hooter-hider of course.*

But if you ask, I will go on and on and on.

About why breast is best.

I'm pretty sure absolutely no one would argue.

Choosing to breastfeed your baby is hands-down the absolute best choice.

Even if it's only for a short time.

I mean.

Just google "benefits of breastfeeding."

You will get 7,980,000 search results.

Now. 

I have nothing against formula.
In fact, I've come very close to supplementing due to dwindling supply.

And past these baby years, no one even knows the difference. 

Can you imagine?

"Oh yeah. Todd's the best fit for our new tax accountant position. I hear he was breastfed as a baby."

Plus I personally know some women who really struggled.

Some who couldn't nurse at all.
And I'm sad because these mamas were too hard on themselves.

But now their babies are thriving.
And they have a bond with their babies that only mamas and babies do. 

I knew from the beginning I wanted to make nursing a top priority.
And I knew I was going to *try* to give it my all. 

Because with enough dedication and moral support from loved ones, most women can make it work. 

The following are just some of the things that kept me going throughout my breastfeeding journey.

The Good.

Why Breast is Best.

1. The perfect nutritious concoction for your tot. It's a complete blend of high-quality nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that cannot be replicated by even the most brilliant of scientists. And your milk actually changes as your baby grows to match his or her unique needs. It's like a custom-made mommy smoothie just for your baby. Too much? 

2. Warrior anti-bodies that protect from sickness and infection. I witnessed this benefit first-hand. At every wellness check up, our pediatrician said that Lyla was one of the very few babies in her practice that had not come down with at least one pretty-severe illness last winter. Ly has of course had a few colds, but she avoided hospital visits and breathing treatments. This was one of the worst seasons the medical community had seen in our area! Our doc attributed every bit of Lyla's immune system to nursing. 

3. An easy-access convenience store. "Is your newborn fussy, hungry, or simply needs some comfort? Try one of our handy-dandy automatic milk machines. Guaranteed to meet all your baby's needs without the hassle of waiting for a bottle. Anytime. Anywhere. Satisfaction guaranteed."  

4. Hello? It's Natural. 100% God-made. No artificial preservatives. Boobies have a purpose, and it ain't wet t-shirt contests. And women who don't plan to breastfeed still produce milk after giving birth. I'm just sayin. 

5. An unbreakable bond between you and baby. This in and of itself is a reason to breastfeed. The bond I share with Lyla is enough to make me melt right into a puddle of sap. It's something I can't even put into words. 1. Because I'll get emotional. 2. Because it's a phenomenon that I truly can't explain. Need scientific proof? Breastfeeding releases oxytocin. You know, that feel on-top-of-the-world hormone? So it just feels good. 

And I'd be lying if I said there aren't any superficial perks as well. 

*Pun totally intended.*

6. Better-smelling poos. Yep. It's true. Your breastfed tot's poo is quite pure, therefore smells sweet, not sour. For someone who uses cloth diapers and comes face to face with poo on a semi-regular basis, this one's a definite plus. 

7. Perfect baby skin. Everywhere we go, Ly gets comments on her perfect skin. And she had it even during the newborn phase. Partly thanks to Daddy's genes, partly thanks to Mommy's boobie juice. Everyone in the pediatrician office always oohs and aahs over Ly'as quote "perfectly pink baby skin"!

8. Makes you rich. Ok. Maybe not completely. But it does save you an incredible amount of money. Have you seen the prices of formula these days? Sheesh. Being practically the only thing left that's free these days, nursing is quite friendly on the ol' pocketbook. Steal of a deal I say. 

9. A Hot bod. Between brand new full-of-milk mommy boobs and burning up near 500+ calories a day, nursing practically morphs you into a Victoria's Secret model. Ok. Maybe in my dreams. But seriously? For the first time since fifth grade, I haven't had to watch what I eat. At all. Need someone to polish off your bag of SunChips? I'm your gal. Oh. Don't want to waste those 6 leftover cookies - I'm on it. Quite the change from eating like a healthnut 24/7. 

And of course there's two sides to every story...

The Bad & The Ugly

What the Breastfeeding Classes Didn't Tell You

1. Welcome to the hardest thing you will ever do. You think running a marathon/passing the bar/traveling to the moon is difficult? Try breastfeeding. Although things do get easier (until of course you go back to work), it is HARD in the beginning. And I had it easy compared to several of my friends. It's easily understandable why so many women give up after a couple of weeks. Between trying to get this tiny little newborn to learn to latch on and figuring out how in the world to increase milk production, it is one of the most stressful things I've ever encountered. *Yet most rewarding by a long shot.*

2. YOWEE. It hurts. So, close your eyes. Picture the most sensitive part of your entire body. Now picture taking a pair of sandpaper-covered pliers and squeezing/twisting/pulling that part of your body as hard as you possibly can. And then just once your wounds have just started to heal, take a really rough towel and start rubbing. Yes, ouch is right. Bottom line: it hurts. This is coming from someone who has had a drug-free natural childbirth. Yikes. Luckily, it only hurts like this for the first couple of months...for me at least. 

3. What life? If you decide to exclusively breastfeed, your life will revolve around feedings. Well. Even if you don't decide to breastfeed, your life will still revolve around feedings. Except with exclusive nursing, you don't have the option to let someone else take the night shift feeding. I woke every couple of hours for the first couple of months to feed my babe. And because I was adamant about not experiencing a dip in my milk supply, I to this day have never skipped a feeding (at least without pumping). I joke with everyone that my life consists of work and boobs. 

But as awful as they sound, the bad and the ugly are completely outweighed by the good.

And the good makes the whole experience worth every second.

Makes me happy and thankful that I've been able to keep it up this long. 

And I'd say Chunkin doesn't complain.

Next up in the Mommy Files:

Making it work when the going gets *really* tough. 

A.K.A. My personal experience.