Mmmmmm.....

We're having some friends over for dinner and here is the menu:

Chicken Fajitas, Spanish Rice, Cilantro Salsa, Fresh Fruit Salad, Guacamole, and something for dessert that someone else is bringing!!! 

Yum is all I can say!

Rooming Dilemma

We have to make a decision of who is going to be sleeping in the same room as the baby once we get him into his room and out of ours.  We've been deliberating on this subject since we moved into the house.  Right now all three of the older boys are in the same room and they like it that way.  It'll be hard to break them up, but it needs to be done. 

We originally were going to have Bennett in the same room with Wyatt, but we're not 100% sure on that.  We've actually thought of all the possibilities of each one of the older boys in the room with the baby, but we just cannot come to a conclusion. 

Nick brought the good crib and a toddler bed to our house from my parents' house last night, so I've got to make a decision soon.  Spencer and Bennett don't necessarily get along a lot of the time, so I'm not sure I want them in a room together.  Tanner is the most quiet when he wakes up from a nap or in the morning and he can let himself out of the room without waking the baby.  I also don't want to break up our dynamic duo of Tanner and Spencer.  They don't know any different because they've always shared a room since Spencer was about 3 months old.  So I don't know.  There are pros and cons to each one of the boys sleeping with Wyatt.  I just can't make up my mind. 

Breastfeeding Issues

You know, I've never fully enjoyed breastfeeding.  Probably because not one single one of my kids has been very good at it in the beginning.  With Tanner, he just wouldn't latch on, so I had to use a shield with him.  I tried and tried with him to get it right, but he just never did get things right.  I ended getting three breast infections within 6 weeks.  After four months working with him, he was just getting the hang of it when I got pregnant with Spencer and my milk supply stopped.  So, at four months old Tanner went on a bottle. 

Then came Spencer.  Of all the boys, he did the best at first.  He too had issues at first latching on, so I used a shield with him for the first few weeks, but after that he was golden.  He ate really well, but he grew a lot really fast and by six months old, he needed more than what I was able to give him, so he too went on a bottle. 

Bennett came along and I thought things were great.  He was doing great at the hospital, but when we got him home, he had trouble latching on and he didn't eat for the first few days.  It was only by the grace of God that he ate a little bit one night that kept things going.  After losing almost a full pound the first few days, it was determined that because he had a jaw that wasn't quite up to snuff and it was recommended that he too use a shield.  After a month or so of that, however, he was good to go and he did the best as far as how long I nursed him.  I stopped nursing him at 9 months because I got pregnant with Wyatt and my milk supply stopped.

So here we have Wyatt a few weeks ago and he's had a strong suck from the get-go.  He did fabulously in the hospital with latching on.  I experienced some soreness, which I expected, but after we got home things started getting harder.  The soreness got really intense with every feeding.  After a few days of being home, we gave him a pacifier to calm him down.  That was a huge mistake!  From that point he has had issues latching on properly.  He's eating just fine, but his latch is not 100%.  I've been working with him to get it right, but I'm still really sore and I'm not sure why.  I feel that he and I are doing everything correctly, but I'm still in a lot of pain and he's still having issues latching on very good.  I've looked up different issues online and everything points to an incorrect latch.  But I don't feel that's the issue.  If it were an incorrect latch he wouldn't be getting enough to eat, right?  I just don't know what to do.  Wyatt has an appointment in a few weeks at the doctor's and while we're there I may speak with the lactation consultant.  She's really great.  I've dealt with her with the other boys, so she knows my issues, and 9 times out of 10 it's not me, it's the boys.  I'm almost positive that she's going to suggest using a shield because he has a shallow latch.  I don't know, I guess we'll just have to see. 

I just wish things were easier when it comes to nursing my kids.  It's always been a difficult thing in the beginning for me to deal with.  But I guess there could be worse things...

Pacifier Woes

Bennett has been the only one of our boys so far that has wanted a pacifier.  We have gone through many pacifiers in the past year from losing them to Bennett biting through them to who knows what else.  I've been putting off weaning him from the pacifier because I didn't want to deal with the fussing and irritation on my end from him not having it.  Well, we kind of were forced into early retirement of the pacifier.  We were down to our last one and Bennett lost it at my parent's house.  So instead of buying more, we're dealing without one.  It hasn't been easy, let me tell you!  Poor guy screams at naps and at bedtime because he really wants it.  That's how he would fall asleep.  So that's been difficult.  Hopefully he'll get through this fast however.  I just feel bad for him.  To him losing a pacifier is like the other boys losing their blankets.  It's a sad, sad thing. 

That's Just Not Right

You know, I'm not sure which is worse - the last month of pregnancy or the first month postpartum.  Here are a few of my thoughts on both:

Last month of pregnancy -
1. You can't sleep
2. Everything gives you heartburn just by thinking about eating it
3. None of your maternity clothes fit no matter how you wear them
4. You're so hot and nothing helps to cool you off
5. Swelling - everywhere!
6. Constant contractions but no progress
7. No energy, and what energy you have goes out the window just by getting up off the couch
8. Pinched nerves
9. Constant movement from baby makes you incredibly sore by the end of the day
10. You can't breathe!!
11. Weekly OB visits - yuck!

First month postpartum -
1. Your hormones are wack!!!!
2. Everything makes you cry
3. Baby doesn't latch on like he should, so eating is a chore!
4. Husband constantly asking if baby needs to eat even though he just ate 30 minutes ago
5. No sleep hardly
6. 3 crazy boys on top of a newborn
7. Your hormones are wack!!!!
8. Aches and pains from recovering from labor and delivery
9. Maternity clothes don't fit right, yet regular clothes don't fit right either
10. Husband doesn't get that everything makes you cry - he thinks you're just being a wuss
11. Your hormones are wack!!!!!!

I really dislike this whole postpartum stuff!  It takes me until the baby gets on a good schedule and routine for me to start feeling "normal" again.  A lot of time that takes 2 months.  So here's to at least 6 more weeks of feeling this way.  At least if baby will nurse right it'll make things a little better.  What is it with my kids and nursing?  They have all struggled with it in the beginning.