Chronicles of “Nananas” or Nipple Confusion: The Saga Continues

Well, Holden turned 8-weeks yesterday.

I was meeting some friends at Marie Calendars for pie on Saturday evening (it’s across the street from St. Mark’s hospital) reflecting on where I was at this time two months ago… It’s amazing how fast it’s flown by.

Super Mario Brother
Everyone says ‘they grow up fast’ and it’s true. Holden is already like 13 pounds! He’s outgrown his newborn clothes and most of his 0-3 month onesies look like he wearing a muscle shirt (like a cheesy Guido going ‘clubbing’ in a medium gap-T when he should be wearing a large.) Just kidding, my kid doesn’t look anything like a Mediterranean clubber… he’s 100% Mangum and that means my dark features apparently did not have the override in the gene pool I was planning on. C’est tout. Besides, everyone knows I’m part-Mexican, not Italian anyway.

OK, so where are we?!?!

Seriously So Blessed?

Apparently I now have a “mommy blog” which kind of weirds me out; considering when “Suite Spots” the column debuted in Delta Connection’s SkyWest Magazine many moons ago, I was talking about the Dead Goat Saloon and pontificating about where to get the best atmosphere with your martini (though I’ve never been a drinker). Hot-chic Salt Lake eateries and haunts, and now I’m weighing the merits of cloth diapers and trying to remember which room I left the Boppy in. Still (Suite Spots) Version 2.0 real life is much more rewarding… I just can’t believe how much I end up discussing breasts online. Speaking of…

Breast Week Ever

So remember how I am crazy about the whole nursing thing? I mean, I cannot believe how hard it has been for Holden and me. Two months later and we are STILL not in a groove. However, after a couple more phone sessions with LeLeche League, another trip to Lactation Station, two new brands of bottles, a nipple shield (good call Bree), and of course -- more tears, I am happy to report that Holden is finally latching on. (We’re still bottle feeding expressed milk, but he’ll nurse a few times a day now so I take what I can get.)

58 is Enough

I knew it was significant, but I guess I didn’t really realize how insane it was/is that I pump 45 to 50-plus oz a day until my midwife told me she’s lucky to get 8 ounces in a 24 hr period (and some women get even less). So you can imagine her surprise when I told her two days ago I had a new all-time high: 58 ounces! (I have to find things to rejoice about when it comes to the nursing thing because I have felt like such a failure at it the majority of my post-partum days.) That said, do you think I should ask Ben and Jerry if they want to use me for their new PETA friendly flavor? (Or should that be our secret award-winning ingredient for the Mt. Olympus 10th Ward’s annual Ice-Cream Social?)

(Be)Holden...

Before we get to the pictures, an update on Faye: Cicely brought her home from the hospital yesterday, and she seems to be doing much better! Thank you so much for your prayers... Cicely said she felt them, and I know Faye's quick recovery is a direct result of divine intervention...

Thank you again.

So onto the pics - Holden has his big "6 Week Photo shoot" in St. George last week shot by Allison Davis at her studio. She does tremendous work, though I must say it's hard to take a bad picture when you've got such a perfect little squish to work with...

I posted the shoot on Facebook, but you can see a few of the highlights here:

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Allison the photographer kept telling me to have Holden lie down/rest his head on my shoulder... but the kid just wanted to lift his neck/head up...

Danny says one of the few traits we share is our big toes. 

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Pray for Faye

I just need to call on any of you that read this to please keep my niece and her family in your prayers. Cicely's Faye is in the hospital with RSV and other complications...

Please pray for Faye.

Greetings from SGU! (Airport speak for down-south)

Quick Update on my So-Called Life (minus Jared Leto, heavy sigh).

• Holden and I made it to St. George sans Papa Mangum on Tuesday. Daddy-Danny is en route via motorvehicle as I type (Holden is sleeping so I'm just writing a quick update).
• The little squish was practically a perfect traveler...He slept the entire flight on Tues and only made a peep when I was messing around trying to get his car seat situated at the beginning of the flight.
• I have eaten approximately a dozen cupcakes since we got here (thank you Erin Dye and 25 Main.) I have also gained 2 lbs... that could be water weight, but either way it's not good for me; though I'm pretty sure it's fat... as if I don't already have baby-weight to take care of (if I pump an extra 10 ounces, does that offeset the caloric intake?)
• The weather here makes me forget it's RSV season...and it's hard to have post-partum depression in 80 degree weather. I need to remember that next time we decide to take the goalie away from the 'cage.'
• Addidas Flip Flops are my favorite thongs.
• I still can't get enough of the Daily Show and Colbert Report... but I feel so guilty watching it while I feed Holden. Even if the "bad" words are bleeped out... it's not exactly inviting of the spirit of wholesomeness, eh? But then again, we'll be traveling out of the St. George Municipal Aiport... and FOX News is always playing at the gate area (I find that much more offensive!)
• I went 'total disposeable' this week we're on va-cay... which meant diapers at Costco... Holden is wearing a 12-18 lb variety and onesies for a 3-6 month old. He's not even 7 weeks! What's up with that?

I'm blaming it on the cupcakes.

Holden's Birth Story

So I've been meaning to post it (Holden's Birth Story) for a while... but it's entirely longer than I expected (amazing what you can jot down over the course of six weeks.) I'm sure if I would've written all of it within a week of Holden's birth, the details of the O.R. and post-op would have been more easily recollected...

That said, I think that the story is more for Holden and I than anyone else...but in the interest of true transparency -- I've posted it, if you'd like to take some time (and it will take some time) to read.

Since it really is too long to be a post, I've published it at Our Favorite Birth Stories.


Perhaps some of you may have experienced some of the same things, felt the same way, understand completely or think I'm coming from left field....

But it's our story -- and I think it's perfect in it's madness, messiness and divine intervention.

Randoms

My little sister Cic posted some randoms on her blog, and I like the format… so here goes:

My Parenting Style: Remember last week when I was all about Babywise? Turns out I am not really… although I like the feed-wake-sleep cycle… that’s about all I really took from it (and that it’s ok to put Holden down during the day.) I wrote all about it on my Facebook notes, but it was a little too much for my blog… I just needed to get it off my chest. Apparently I am from the “attachment parenting” side of the fence (and proud of it). ;)



Christmas in March: Remember how I told you I lost 30 lbs in 3 weeks? Well, now my stomach reminds me of a certain Christmas time poem: “He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!” Um, my broad belly looks entirely like jelly… my friend Amy is right: having a baby makes things “soft.” (And I am NOT saying Amy is soft... she's a yogamama beautiful bod goddess!)

EC-ing: Have you heard of this?!?!? No seriously, have you heard of this? It’s like potty training for infants (“Elimination Communication”)… although, when Holden goes through 3 diaper changes in 12 minutes (yes, that too is part of his ‘routine’), it sounds tempting… Go to Diaperfreebaby.org for more info… talk about being in tune with the cues of your baby and doing the BEST thing for the environment. Is it really possible? Does anyone know anyone who actually practices this with their younglings? I am aghast.

Yoga a Go-Go: I am so excited for my midwife to clear me for Yoga again. I think it’s going to happen at my post-partum check up – just three more weeks! This also coincides with when I’ll start teaching a pre-natal yoga class at the Yoga Cottage in Midvale on Tuesday nights. The studio is offering a great deal right now… $20 for one week of unlimited yoga. I’ve got a coupon, so if you’re in the greater SLC area and interested, just email me at ssuitemangum@gmail.com and I’ll forward you the goods!

And with that… I am off. But seriously, ECing?!?!?

Nipple Confusion

What is it? My son has it… but I joke that he’s not confused. He’s very aware (and obvious) about his preferences. Here’s the breakdown:

If it's plastic, and breastmilk comes out of it - he's interested. (Bottle)
If it's plastic and milk doesn't come out of it, he's not interested. (Pacifier)
If it's got an epidermis and milk comes out of it, he's not interested. (Boob)
If it's got an epidermis, and milk doesn't come out of it, he's interested. (Fingers)

Is that odd?

And yes, I did say "breastmilk" out of the bottle. I am so sold (brainwashed?!?!) on the benefits of breastmilk, I pump 40 - 50 ounces a day so my little one doesn't miss out on the antibodies, etc. So that pretty much means, that before we even calculate in feeding, I've got about 4 hours a day dedicated to pumping alone... (That's half a work-day at the office!!!)

In true Sabrena fashion, I couldn’t just let the nursing thing go . Yeah, apparently it’s not enough that my kid’s getting breast milk exclusively… I have apparently bought into the LeLeche Leaguers (LLL) mantra that if it’s not from the boob it’s not as good for the child (ouch!). Um, it’s hard feeling guilt about EVERYTHING!?!?!

I was getting so worked up about being rejected by my guy (or for him to prefer plastic to me… PLASTIC?!?! SYNTHETIC?!?! I am obviously not raising a green baby. Doesn’t Holden know nursing is best for the environment?)

So this past week, I’ve been on the phone with the Triple-L’s national hot line, used the SNS nursing system (Holden is NOT a fan), fed him with a spoon (it only took an hour to eat 3.5 ounces and I swear an ounce of it ended up on his bib!), cried, prayed, cried some more… and then by divine intervention, my mother-in-love hooked me up with a copy of “On Becoming Babywise.”

I’m not going to give away the secret to “Babywise,” I’m sure that some of you are already familiar (and I can see how in this day and age how controversial this school of thought could be)… but I will say, that by the simple switch of giving Holden a little more structure time-wise, he latched on three separate sessions today – which is HUGE because yesterday he would literally turn away and purse his lips together when I’d “offer” the goods to him. (He obviously never got the memo about how infamous “the twins” were in Junior High…I was a very early bloomer.)

I still gave him a bottle afterwards because it was more of an apperatif than an actual feeding…

The LLLeaguer told me to be patient and just keep trying... which I've never believed in the word "try." I'm like Yoda, there's no try... only do or do not, right? But I'm committed to a breastmilk-fed baby... Holden just doesn't seem as committed to feeding from the breast.

Which reminds me, it's time to pump....again.