The Tooth

Cooper got his first tooth when he was 5 months old. It was early, and within a few weeks he a second tooth. All before his 6 month birthday.

I've waited and waited on Caitlin to get hers. A few weeks ago, she was super fussy & clingy. We went to swim lessons, where she could not be consoled. T-ball practice was much of the same and I planned to leave the following day for a work trip. I thought about her lack of teeth, and figured she would finally get 1 while I was out of town. But...just to be sure...I did a quick gum check and voila. A tooth.

We tried to take a photo, but she wasn't happy about it.

It's very hard to see, but we have 1 super tiny bottom tooth.

Because I'm just *that* crazy

Back in the day, when I started this whole blog thing, I did it to blog about cooking.  If you've read the last 100 or so posts you'll notice that none of them (I think) are about cooking.  Unless you count Cooper's baby food.  So I've decided to try this cooking blog thing again.  Yeah, I totally have time for that, right?

Really, though, its because I want to do something I enjoy.  Something for myself.  I enjoy cooking.  So if you are curious you can check it out here.  Hopefully I'll manage to keep up with it.

http://lovelifecooks.blogspot.com/

Milk & Cereal, Milk & Cereal

Cereal & Milk, Cereal & Milk! (It's a youtube thing). This week has been a little...trying. I go back to work on Monday and, because I'm a champion stresser, I've started stressing. About everything. But most of all about the fact that Cooper is going through what I call the growth spurt from hell. We've had other growth spurts. They were not easy, but they lasted a few days and then we were back to normal. For this GS, we've been doing it for about a week and a half. He's eating every 2 hours or less, waking up every 3-4 hours overnight. It's killing me - mostly because I'm worried about work.

With GS, they nurse often to tell the mom's body that they need more food. So it takes a few days for the body to catch up and then - it's over. Back to the normal grind. So last week when he started the marathon eating, I also started pumping several times a day to help my body hurry along and make pumping at work easier. My thought was that if I have to travel for work, I'll need to be able to pump more than he's eating daily. Then Tuesday we hit my breaking point. I went to run errands and met friends for lunch. He ate 5oz at lunch and an hour and 45 minutes later I had to pull off of the freeway because he was screaming to the point of not breathing. I climbed in the back seat and tried to calm him down, only to give him another 3oz. Two.Hours.Later.

Am I starving my kid? Maybe he's just a hungry boy? Maybe I'm not producing enough milk for him to be full? Am I starving my kid? ((yes, twice because I was really worried))

At the 2 month appointment, we talked about the "witching hour." We'd discussed with the pedi the fact that grandmas (and aunts) will suggest cereal because "it worked for us at two weeks old." We talked about how C is the average size of a 4 month old. And if we cave, it's ok. No suggestions either way from him. And we held out for a month. But then Tuesday I was frustrated with C for being cranky and hungry and I was tired of nursing so much and I was upset because "am I starving my baby???" and...I caved. I want him to be satisfied and full and happy!!

So we tried cereal and it was ok. He ate some of it seriously watered down with breastmilk. Drank a little more out of a bottle. It did not magically make him sleep all night, but that was ok. I just wanted him happy. And me happy. AND yesterday was a much better day. I don't know if it was the cereal or if it was just a freak thing, but he went 4 hours yesterday without eating. We were both in great moods all day. We're going to keep trying the cereal but, just a very little bit. Like a teaspoon. We both need a happy baby.

I also called a lactation consultant yesterday to discuss production and she said to stop pumping all day until I'm at work. Basically after he eats I'm taking away everything that's left. Then when he comes back to nurse, there isn't as much. He's eating what he can...but probably not what he wants. Thus, he's never really full. We're going to try that for the next few days and hopefully I'll have a baby who is full, fat and happy.