Short Hiatus

Am I gone? Had I only returned for a very short blogging stint to leave you all again? Absolutely not! We're just on vacation in North Carolina. The Beardface family has been soaking up the sun and the sand. Regular blogging will continue when we return.

A Good Cry

You know what I'm talking about. It's a good, cleansing, depressing-but-yet-uplifting cry. Everyone needs one from time to time, as far as I'm concerned.
I didn't know I needed one today. To be honest, I haven't felt like I needed a cry in quite some time; definitely not since having the BabyGirl. But that cry crept up on me.
It started because I was finally getting around to reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It is a heart-wrenching, emotional train wreck of a story about a sister who was conceived specifically to be a donor to her very ill older sister; I think they made it into a movie a few years ago. It is truly an excellent book. The ending, though, (which, don't worry, I won't ruin for those who haven't read it or watched the movie) is probably the saddest thing that could have concluded the story. I was definitely not expecting what happened.
I found myself sobbing while reading the last 20 pages or so of this book. Normally, books don't make me legitimately cry; it simply doesn't conjure up as much emotion as watching scenes in a film. But this particular book (and, consequently, the end of Harry Potter 6) made me weep like a schoolgirl. I was laying down reading with the BabyGirl asleep on my chest with tears streaming down my face. Boy am I glad she's not old enough to understand what a head-case her mother can be at times.
I recovered quickly enough from the cry; the baby was hungry, and I can't help but be happy while I'm nursing her (now that it doesn't hurt any more!). A sad book, though, is like a scary movie: I have to consume something funny right afterwards. Any suggestions? What is a good light-hearted, funny book?

Whip It Out!

So today I have a story and a question for all of you.

This past Saturday we went to a nearby city with Beardface's parents for my mother-in-laws birthday. We stopped at a bagel place for lunch, and it was packed. We could only find a table in the middle of the restaurant. Usually this wouldn't be an issue, but since I'm nursing the BabyGirl, I often look for seats where I have my back or one side of my body next to a wall to avoid accidentally flashing the unsuspecting public.

So there we are, Beardface and I staking out our table in the middle of the restaurant when the little girl starts gnawing on her hands, letting me know she would like a snack. I, being the ever oblivious person, put my nursing cover on, which looks pretty much like this:
I then proceed to unlatch my contraption of an outfit to feed my baby. Beardface, of course, ever mindful of his surroundings, proceeds to adjust and pull my nursing cover in all sorts of ways to ensure that I am in no way exposing myself to the people around us. He lets me know in his gentle way that my breast is out for the world to see (which is not entirely true; you could just catch some side-boob view if you were sitting in the right spot). I get fairly annoyed at Beardface when he does this. I understand that I am his wife, and he doesn't want me to expose myself to people around; I'm also sure he's worried there may be some pervs staring. But honestly, I'm of the belief that so long as I'm making a general effort to be modest, I'm doing my part. It's not as if I'm just unbuttoning in public without using a nursing cover, allowing the world to see my breasts. I'm make an attempt to prevent my bosom from being seen, but I cannot help that there may be a person or two who catches an accidental glimpse of something they shouldn't have seen. Or, yes, maybe a perv might try to catch a glimpse of something he desperately wants to see. I can only help what I am doing to try to protect my privacy and that of my daughter, but I cannot help the curiosity and view of those around me.
That being said, this reason alone is definitely NOT enough for me to stop nursing in public. I am not forced to eat in secrecy or behind closed doors, so why should my BabyGirl?

So my question to all of you is: How do you feel about nursing in public? For moms that have, did you use a cover? Did you feel comfortable breastfeeding in places where you could be seen? Leave me something.

In-Laws?

What is it about in-laws that just sometime exhaust and exasperate me?

Don't get me wrong; I love mine. They are sweet, wonderful people. They have made me feel welcome in their family and are always very nice to me.

But seriously, sometimes, they just get on my nerves?

Does this just happen after you get married? Is it because now we're legally related?

I think so.

I got one!!

It's amazing how when you have a baby in the house even the simplest acts of human existence become little miracles. When BabyGirl was in the hospital she had a small bout with jaundice (many babies do), so Beardface and I were excited every time we changed a poopy diaper. (Jaundice is an excess of bilirubins, and they are removed from the blood by being processed through the liver and excreted mostly in bowel movements). When we got home, I was glad to see that our baby could nurse correctly and very often; that meant the pain of nursing would go away quicker and she'd gain weight.
Well, BabyGirl is now five weeks old, and although we've seen our fair share of gassy "smiles", Beardface and I were pumped to see the real thing. That first baby smile when our daughter finally recognizes who we are. And I think I really got a few!This one I got after yesterday morning's nap. She had been in quite the milk coma after eating, so I made swaddled her (made her into a baby burrito) and laid her down for a while. When she woke up she noticed I was still around and gave me this giant grin. (Side note: Although my little daughter has more hair than most newborns, I'm still intent on putting a bow on her little head to let everyone know she's a girl!)
And this little gem I caught in Panera (it's amazing how much time they'll let you use their internet for the measly price of a cup of coffee!). I had to tickle her a bit to coax this smile out, but it's real nonetheless.
I know there are other milestones of basic human existence that this little baby is going to go through (grasping things, first steps, first words, first real food), but I think this one has to be my favorite. It lets me and Beardface know that over these last five weeks, our little girl has grown to trust us and recognize us. She knows that Mommy and Daddy and something to smile at.
What about everyone else? What are your favorite milestones in the first few years of life? You mothers of older children, does it just keep getting more and more exciting? Because, honestly, I can see God amazing us with this little girl more and more everyday.

One-handed

When I was pregnant it seemed like everyone I met had some little nugget of wisdom for me, some treasured piece of information that would get my husband and I through parenthood. By and large the most common piece of information I received was to learn to do everything I need to do one-handed. Mostly this information came from dads of multiple children who told tales of bouncing a toddler on one knee while doing the bills or some other picture-esque scene from a movie that I can only imagine would be entitled "Adventures in Parenting".
Oddly enough, I have found this tactic useful. I'm sure when BabyGirl because a fussy, bouncing toddler both Beardface and I will have the opportunity to use our one-handed skills. But I am finding it beneficial to learn to do things one-handed while I'm nursing. Granted, I don't know of any fathers that have breastfed their babies (you never know with today's technological advancements..), but if they did, they'd know what you really can do one-handed.
For example, I eat most meals while nursing. Something about Beardface and I sitting down to eat makes our daughter hungry. This will be great when she is three years old and can use a fork and spoon to feed herself, but for now I've mastered balancing a baby on a crossed leg while eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I used to feel bad about getting Raisin Bran crumbs or salad dressing on her head, but then I realized: I have to eat, too! If I don't eat, I don't make milk, and if I don't make milk, she is out of luck. So I continue to eat with BabyGirl in my lap.
Tell me: has anyone else eaten while nursing? Whay other things have you done while breastfeeding? I'd love to hear about it.

Back in the Saddle Again..hopefully

Have you ever looked back at a season in your life and felt like it was not real? Maybe you felt like you couldn't really remember what happened; or what happened in that season didn't seem like it was happening to you, but instead you were watching it in a movie. That is EXACTLY how I felt when I re-discovered my own blog and read my last few entries.

It has been a while, of course. Over a year. And a lot has happened since then. Beardface and I have moved twice since then. In fact, the most recent move was into the first home we've ever bought.
Not too long after moving into our home, we welcomed a new member to our family.
Below you will find a picture of Miss Madeline. She is the newest member of the Beardface family. Her hobbies include sleeping, wiggling, expelling gas, and trying to nurse on anything even loosely shaped like a nipple.

I'll save you all the dramatic re-enactment of her birth, mostly because I don't remember much of it. It's not that I was drugged up for most of the labor, nor had I gotten any pain medication early on. It is true what they say about mothers and their labors: they forget the pain. I recall my labor more like a movie I watched that day. A 30 hour movie. My poor husband remembers every detail. I fear we will not have anymore children if it's up to him.


I'm sure you may be wondering "after a one year hiatus from blogging, why now are you returning?". There are many reasons for this. One is that I am still on maternity leave, and although I am loving not having to go to work, it is difficult to find things to occupy my time when the little girlie is napping. Another reason is that Beardface and I have hooked up internet again, so I am able to post things up. Finally, I've actually missed blogging. I've found that when I'm blogging I'm better able to organize my thoughts and therefore organize my life. The past few months I've found it difficult to keep up with life in general. Part of that may be because we have just been more busy these last few months. It seems like business trips, birthdays, holidays, and other family obligations come right on top of each other, leaving us little time together and me little time alone.
So I'm returning to blogging in an effort to become more organized and to be able to put down in words my thoughts, ideas, and plans.
Stay tuned, folks. This could get ugly.