A Really Nice Thing Happened To Me This Afternoon

Earlier today I was nursing Gretchen in her sling while waiting in line at the store when a woman approached us. I was a little anxious because I had noticed her staring at me. She touched my arm and just as I was getting ready to defend my right to breastfeed in public she said, "It's so beautiful to see you nursing your child. It's really beautiful".

I couldn't believe it.

I had been expecting to be verbally flayed by a nosy onlooker and instead she praised me and smiled.

I think I'm still in shock.

All this time I had it all worked out in my head what I might say if someone said something negative to me about feeding my child in public, but never once did I imagine that I might be commended for it.

To the woman in the store, thank you.
I will always remember that moment.

Winston Will Do Anything For Food

He's such a good pup.



And talented to boot!

Happy Thoughts For A Strong Heart

I just received an email from my Gramma that her partner got out of the hospital today after having a massive heart attack. They are in California for a conference so I don't have any more details other than what was in the short email.

I am positive that he will recovery quickly, and if you can all think happy thoughts for him that would be really wonderful.

I'm sure my Gramma and him would appreciate it.

Say It Forward

Today I'm feeling pretty special & it's all thanks to my lovely new friend from the blogosphere. Thank you so much to Shelly from Adventures of a Breastfeeding Mother who nominated me for a Loyal Commenter award from 5 Minutes for Mom.

Shelley wrote:
My first nomination for loyal commenter is: Desiree Fawn, from So Fawned. Desiree is an Ontario AP mom to one gorgeous little girl. Her blog is truly inspiring and wonderful, and I highly suggest you head on over and check her out.

How nice is that!



Now it's my turn to Say it Forward.

My first nomination for a loyal commenter goes out to JJ Keith from JJust Kidding! She is a writer & a new mama whose daughter is just a day older than Miss Gretchen. Her blog is quirky & so much fun to read! You should all go and take a little look see.

To Ms Keith -- you can display your fancy new badge by clicking on it and grabbing the code from the 5 Minutes for Mom site!

I think that it's so nice to take a minute to say "merci!" to our commenters! This blog wouldn't be nearly as fun without all of you fabulous guys & dolls out there commenting away and participating in this little community. Much love to you all!

I hope you all have a most fabulous Friday.

Fawned Friday (Local Edition)

I thought that for this week's edition of Fawned Friday I would feature some lovely things found in and around where I live. There's a wealth of local talent in my little city & I'd like to share some of it with you.

\

01. Self love embroidery.

02. A good cup of tea letter press poster.



03. A locally run online baby shop.



04. Little seedlings needlecraft.

05. Parenting guru Ann Douglas is a local celebrity.



06. Mandie & Co.

07. The Folk Festival is fabulous every year.

08. My Girl Thursday.

Naptime With The Little Miss

Excuse my dopey baby voice.




Did her smile make you melt?

Me too.

Wordless Wednesday (My Very First)

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Seven

Success!

This week I'm down to 187.5 -- a loss of 2lbs!

This makes for 12.5lbs lost in total & I'm feeling fabulous.

Recap:
Just 7.5lbs til my July 1st goal of 180lbs.
Just 27.5lbs til my final goal of 160lbs.

This week I had two people say that they could tell I'd lost weight. It was such a good feeling to know that it shows! I'm also fitting into a pair of 'normal people' jeans (aka a pair of jeans which have a zipper, and a button & aren't completely elasticized).

Another neat thing about this week is that before I was pregnant, my previous highest weight was 188lbs. I am now below that weight & it makes me so happy!

I'm seven weeks into my weight loss journey and I still feel super motivated and excited -- thank you so much for all of the support & the love!

Peace & happy Wednesday.

On A Good Day I Usually Smell At Least A Little Bit Like Spit Up

Today is no exception.

Earlier this morning Ryan was attending an information session up at the college about going back to school in September and I was entertaining Gretchen. I'd just finished feeding her & was trying to make her laugh, when I had a serious lapse in parental judgment & lifted her high above my head.

She laughed hysterically for a moment and then spewed forth an intense quantity of milk all over my face, my hair, my purse, my shirt, the chair, the floor & the sling.

Ryan couldn't help but burst out laughing before handing me a blanket to clean myself.

I believe this is one of those rites of passage that all new mamas must conquer. Now I'm officially a Parent.

Because A Hungry Baby Can Happen Anytime & Anywhere

In the past four months I have come to a point in my breastfeeding career where I feel comfortable doing it anywhere -- and I mean anywhere. Seeing the general public scratching their heads wondering, "what in the world is that lady doing?" makes me so proud to be a breastfeeding mama.

Last week I fed my daughter in the back of a moving vehicle while hovering semi-shirtless over her car seat. For a little one who isn't super fond of being in the car, this balancing act made for a very happy baby.

This afternoon I was walking through the park and my fussy little girl wanted a snack so I unbuttoned, popped her on and changed her to a laying down position in our new ring sling. She ate, I walked & people on their bikes and roller blades stared.

I suppose babies & boobies aren't always what you expect to see in the park, or in the car next to yours.

In both situations I felt so happy to be able to provide my daughter with instant satisfaction & a full tummy.

I love being a breastfeeding mama.

The Family Resemblence

Lately a few folks have claimed that my daughter looks like me. I figure these people just haven't seen Ryan lately because in my eyes they still look exactly the same.





What do you think?

Zoo Time

Friday afternoon we took a trip to the zoo. It was such a gorgeous day (almost TOO hot!) and afterward we went out for ice cream. I had the light, low calorie version of cheesecake ice cream and it was delightful.


My little drool bot.


Hello, mama.


Hello, baybay.


Our zoo has a fountain with "dolphins".


Yonder camel enclosure.

Next Friday we're going to go to the zoo AGAIN.

Sticking With It: Our Breastfeeding Story

Welcome, Carnival of Breastfeeding readers! Thanks so much for visiting & be sure to check out the other contributors listed at the end of this post. I'll be adding more links as they are posted -- enjoy!

...

Even before I was pregnant with Gretchen I knew that I would want to breastfeed my child. It seemed very much like an obvious choice to me, and though I'd heard of people having problems with breastfeeding, I crossed my fingers tight & hoped that I would have an easy time of it.

The night my daughter was born I fed her for the first time in a warm bath after being stitched up in my bedroom. I held her in my arms in the tub as my midwife helped me get her to latch. I felt so clumsy and awkward trying to nurse her, but I did manage to help her eat for a little while from one side. After the midwives left that night I kept trying to feed her and each time seemed a little clumsy and I worried that I'd never get the hang of it.

Those first few days were so hard.

Gretchen never seemed satisfied and ate every hour or more. I was sore. I was upset. I couldn't get a perfect latch and I was in so much pain that the anxiety of nursing shrunk my supply significantly. My lactation consultant estimated that I was producing about 50% of what Gretchen needed.

I was drying up.
I was devastated.
And I refused to give up.

Since my daughter was losing weight & showing no sign of gaining, but was still hydrated enough to have the appropriate amount of wet diapers each day, my midwife & doctors suggested supplementing with expressed breast milk or formula. I continued to see my lactation consultant, I rented a fancy electric pump, I started taking domperidone & drinking fenugreek tea to increase my supply. However, I still wasn't able to feed & pump enough to keep her satisfied. Reluctantly and heavy with guilt, I gave my daughter a bottle of formula.

When she finished that first bottle she was so happy.
I was so happy.

I could see the change immediately. She was full! Actually full. I felt so miserable about knowing that for the first few weeks of her life she was never completely satisfied and this was why she was fussy & feeding constantly. It was so thrilling to see her finish her meal and drift off to a happy, sleepy, blissful state.

Unfortunately, I still couldn't quite shake the guilty feeling behind giving her a supplement of formula. I beat myself up about it for weeks. I had been so adamant about breastfeeding my daughter that I felt like a failure for having to supplement, but looking back on it I feel as though I did the right thing. Some experts might say that it's a mistake to give a bottle so early in life, or that giving her formula would have spelled the end of our breastfeeding relationship, but it was right for us.

It is so important to do what is right for you & your baby. Despite what some may say.

Eventually my supply increased & at fifteen weeks postpartum I am proud to say that I am still producing enough milk to keep my little one happy. Breastfeeding finally turned into the beautiful experience that I'd been hoping for. I love having such a close bond with my daughter and I feel so comfortable feeding her -- we've come a long way since that first night in my bathtub.

I hope that my story inspires anyone out there who might be having a hard time with breastfeeding or who might be needing to supplement while they build their supply. We do our very best, as mamas, and really, that is all we can do.

Peace.



...

The Story of Hannah's Weaning -- Strocel.com
Weaning a Toddler -- Laura's Blog
Life, Death & Nourishment -- Stepping Off the Spaceship
How Breastfeeding Changed My Life -- Mommy News Blog
The Tale of the Flying Breastmilk -- And All That Sazz
Breastfeeding Failures and Success -- GrudgeMom
Kandy -- Baby Carriers Downunder
Ben’s Story: The Best Breastfeeding Advice from the Least Likely Source -- Massachusetts Friends of Midwives
The "I Told You So" -- Breastfeeding 1-2-3
Breastfeeding is Not Easy But is Definitely Best for Baby -- Chronicles of a Nursing Mom
Breastfeeding Made Me the Mother I Am -- Breastfeeding Mums Blog
They Said the Latch Was Fine -- The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog
Can Early Public Breastfeeding Sightings Shape One’s Future Breastfeeding Practices? -- Breastfeeding Moms Unite
Celebrating... My Chest! -- Zen Mommy
For Women in My Situation -- The Towells
Nursing in Public -- Blacktating
A Found Memory -- Crystal Gold

Downtown Babywearing

Good morning!
Sunny days are fabulous for wearing your baby for a walk. This morning we are going to head to the farmer's market to peruse the local goods.







Have a beautiful Saturday, mes amis.

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week Six

I have decided to continue following the Weight Watchers program from home as opposed to attending the meetings, which I was never able to make anyhow. I now have a fancy electronic scale & each Wednesday I will update you all on my progress. This is my economical solution to getting the weight off & staying sane!

So, how did I do this week?

Well, let's recap:
Starting weight, April 6th: 200 pounds.
Week 1: 198.5
Week 2: 194
Week 3: 193
Week 4: 192

And now Week 6 (I missed last week): 189.5!

A total of 10.5 pounds lost in six weeks!

This also means that I have reached my first goal, which was to lose 5% of my weight.

Originally my next goal was to lose 10% of my weight by June 17th, bringing me down to 180lbs. However, I'm going to reset my goal in relation to how I've been losing so far and so, my NEW goal is to be at 180lbs by July 1st!

Thank you all for your support and motivation over these weeks -- it's really helped me to stay focused and keep going! Muah. Much love to all of you.

Merci!!

Fawned Friday (Pamper Thyself)

Welcome to the Pamper Thyself version of Fawned Friday. We all have incredibly busy schedules & hectic lives, but I hope we can all find a little time to snuggle down & relax. Here are some ideas to get you in the mood for taking it easy.



01. Lavender & buckwheat pillow.



02. "So hot for you" hot water bottle cozy.



03. Snuggle up in a cozy bathrobe.



04. Vanilla chai bath salts.

05. Rose cream.

06. Comfort while you blog.

07. Lavender dryer pillows.



08. Herbal tea bath.

09. Delicious Sparta Candles.

10. Curl up with a body pillow.

11. The language of coffee pillow.

Have a beautiful, relaxing Friday, mes amis.

The Fawn Is Melting (And So Is Her Family)

How is it possibly twenty degrees at one o'clock in the morning?

Gross.

I am dripping sweat as I type. Delightful image, oui?

We only have one fan in the house right now & it is directing the hot air out of our bedroom so that the little Miss Gretchen might sleep a little more peacefully.

Is May too soon to bust out the old air conditioner?

Each year I try to delay this transition by it's inevitable. We originally got an AC because of Sir Winston. Boston Terrier's have those short little snouts which means that they sometimes have a hard time breathing in extreme heat or cold. Yes, I air condition for the dog. He's lucky he's cute.

Now I think we'll have to cool things down with the AC just so that my sweet little babe isn't such a sweaty little babe.

I hope you're all able to find a cool breeze in this sweltering night.

Goodnight! Sleep tight!

The Well Socialized Babe

My good friend Meagh & my little girl.

Gretchen travels well. She's is excellent in public, at restaurants, in crowded rooms & in any situation where behaving like a baby is somewhat socially unacceptable.

I chalk it up to babywearing & the boob.

...

Do your babes like to be out & about? How do you keep them happy in stressful situations?

The Post Wherein I Whine About My Poor Swollen Foot

I injure myself a lot. I often do silly things like falling up the stairs, carrying things that are far too heavy, stubbing my toes & tripping over my own feet. I've been known to hit my head on door frames as I walk through them. I have, on more than one occasion, opened a door into my own face.

Today, as I was walking downtown with a friend, I started to feel a pain in my foot. Nothing seemed to have happened other than a dull ache beginning to spreading across the very top of my left foot. I stopped, kicked my sandal off & shrugged because I didn't see anything that ought to be causing me pain.

We kept walking.

We did some shopping, mulled around downtown & I went to get a bite to eat. At this point my foot was throbbing. I kicked off my sandal again to see if I was bruising.

Nothing.

I saw the buses in the terminal downtown but figured I would be fine & I wanted to walk home. So I did.

I am now home, several hours later & cursing myself. I have a very swollen foot which is terribly painful to put pressure on & I still have no idea what I did to myself.

Sigh. I really should have taken that bus. It might have preserved my ability to walk without a limp.

Thankfully Gretchen has her four month appointment on Thursday morning so I think that I will wait it out & talk to our doctor.

Until then, just call me gimpy.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to limp around the farmer's market & enjoy some fresh produce with friends.

Perhaps I'll be lucky & the swelling will go down overnight.

Ouch.

Because He Knows They're My Favourite

The boy had these in his hands when he came home from work last night.



Lilacs smell like love.

Our Windy Sunday

Happy Sunday, mes amis.

For The Love Of Fenugreek

Tonight I am relaxing & drinking some fenugreek tea (which is an excellent galactagogue). It's an excellent concoction for breastfeeding mamas. I like to add a little honey & drink it with both hands wrapped around the mug.


Fragrant fenugreek.


So pretty.

How are you spending your evening?

A Few Of My Favourite Things

Details.

Simply Brilliant

I love my google reader, but sometimes I love to click over to the actual sites because the aesthetics are just so much nicer. Now, thanks to Nicole over at Making it Lovely, I have learned something new and amazing. She writes:

"I don’t know if this is a new feature, or just a new-to-me thing, but it’s pretty fantastic. If you use Google Reader but miss reading blog posts in their original context, prepare to be very excited… You can install a little “Next” bookmark in your browser bar and click through your unread posts on each individual blog instead of in the reader!

You can find the bookmarklet by going to “Settings” in Google Reader, then “Goodies”. Happy browsing!"

Amazing, yes? Yes.

It's The Little Things

Tonight I reached into the fridge to get some Crystal Light and found this:



Yes, that would be a bottle of Trois Pistoles with a wine stopper in the top. Apparently it was too much for the boy to consume in one sitting.

Adorable.

Fawned Friday (Tea Time)

I've been in a very tea-ish mood this week, enjoying everything from Earl Grey to fenugreek to red raspberry leaf. I hope you'll all enjoy my list of tea time fawnings. Muah.



01. Tea bag pouch.

02. High time for tea.



03. A quaint little card.

04. The cup that cheers.



05. A rather earthy tea cup.

06. Tea for breastfeeding mamas.



07. My current tea obsession.

08. Tea time traditions.

09. All manner of tea recipes.



10. Little tea cups, all in a row.

Tea time is anytime, mes amis. Snuggle up & enjoy your favourite brew.

The Word You're Looking For Is "Wise"

This afternoon, as I was squashing my hair back into pigtails to disguise the fact that it hasn't been washed in four days, I found something.

It was tiny.

It was trying to hide.

And IT WAS GREY.

They say that your children will give you grey hair -- I just figured it would take longer than 15 weeks.

And yes, I pulled it out, though I hear you shouldn't.
I 'll let you know if a billion more sprout in its place.

You've Got To Get Moving To Get Moving

This morning I woke up feeling groggy & unmotivated. I had a feeling that I would spend the entire day lounging around with the babe & trying to find the energy to clean something (ie. the kitchen which has been sorely neglected).

Thankfully, my good friend Elena, also a happy stay at home mama like myself, called to invite me to go for a walk. Really, this is all it takes to get me out of the house -- call & offer to walk with me.

I love walking!

Especially with friends.

So, we went out and stayed out for about three hours. We walked through the park, to the cafe, down the street to the river, though Millennium Park, across the bridge, through East City & finally we made our way back home. When I got home I felt so energized and motivated that I did my dishes.

How is this possible?

Perhaps the only way to get moving was to GET MOVING? If I had stayed home all day I'm quite certain that I never would have touched those dishes.

So, to you, my readers, I plea! GET MOVING, get productive! and then come tell us all about it!

Love Pats

I absolutely love it when my friends and our babes are all together.


May 10th, 2009 -- There's just something about Gretchen's head that delights Ezra so. My little babe looks a little less enthused, but I promise you, it's all in good faith.


April 2nd, 2009 -- Pat, pat, pat.

This evening Gretchen & I got to see Ezra & his mama at our local La Leche League meeting. I swear Gretchen recognized him from across the room -- her eyes locked.

It must be love.

Sweet Dreams

My sleepy little babe
naps in the sunshine.
Content from her soft cheeks
to her tiny toes.
At night we sleep next to each other
with our arms up above our heads.
Hearts beating,
taking breaths in tandem.

My Very Last First Mother's Day

On Mother's Day the boy & I went on another sunshiny walk through the park & over to Easy City. We visited with a friend & her babes, drank delicious hot chocolate & took photos of the gorgeous day.











My first Mother's Day was completely excellent. I will never have a first Mother's Day again, but I will remember this one for always, thanks to my wonderful partner & friends.

Thank you so much to everyone who wished us well.

Peace.

Sharing Our Seasons

Last week, in light of the beautiful weather, I asked readers if they would send in photos to share the season around their home.

Thank you to everyone who sent in photos in response to my request. It's so neat to see your neighbourhoods, homes & thankfully, so much sunshine!

So, without further adieu, here's a little glimpse around the continent:




Janyne -- She is from my neck of the woods, I believe.






Elaine -- She is located just outside of Chicago.




JJ Keith -- She is located in California.


Mae Fitch -- She is located in Southern California.

Thank you again, everyone, for sharing your seasons & such beautiful photos.