Diary of An Irish Woman

Rant on breast pumps

2010-03-04T14:30:00.001-08:00

Ok, it might seem weird for a blog post but for the LOVE of all that's holy can't they come out with a breast pump with following features

1- how about an off/on switch that I can turn on and off without performing yoga expert poses with my nose, elbow, knee ?

Sewing machines have a foot pump since the 1920's why can't we have a foot pump to turn it on and off?

I don't know how many girlfriends have told me about them trying to turn on and off with knees and elbows and spilling that precious milk doing so. And we all know how upsetting dropping the liquid white gold is!

2- If I have both pumps on each breast, what third arm do you think I'm using to power this puppy on and off Mr BreastPump inventor?
Never mind 4th arm to turn the strength up ? I won't even mention the let down button.

It has now become the job of my two year old son to hit the button when it goes to the let down aka slower flow button. He hears the noise change and dashes in to 'help Mammy hit button to go back to let down quicker mode'

I'm sure the therapy he needs later on in helping Mammy pump, will be offset by the rest of the issues he gets from us ;) again foot pump people. Or even voice control? Maybe an iPhone App hah?

3 - would it hurt to have soft flexible cups instead of hard plastic. They have soft cups only on one model In 24 - the smallest size and none other. I'm not a small size. I'm not 24. Neither are most women. I'm the kind of size cup size wise where it's at least half way down the alphabet. :)

So hands free bras don't work for me for pumping and the hard cups on pumps are SO far away from an infants mouth it's hard to think who designed this but a man with serious issues re actually checking out what breast feeding actually entails and what modern materials have come into use in last say 50 years!

Right now I'm pumping with full strength on from start while I try and position my breats in middle and not get my toes yanked through my head. Never mind at night. There's another idea - night lights built in the pump.

So medela, avent, evenflo listen up. Time to rework your version of the pumps. Or maybe we just need the Dyson guy to rework breast pumps.

Playing with our etsy gift

2010-03-03T19:42:00.003-08:00

Chillin

2010-03-03T19:42:00.001-08:00

Days so far

2010-03-03T19:41:00.001-08:00

We are 7 weeks now with F2. Hard to imagine it's 2 months already since this wee lad came along

And it's been a roller coaster of a ride. The baby has hereditary spherecytosis which I also have but hard to see it in your own baby. Hardest part was educating the doctors and nurses. We spent 20 days in hospital , 10 at first, then 8, then 2. Included 18 days phototherapy and two transfusions.

It's been ups and downs with a lot of groundhog type days in hospital with blood drawn, doc and nurse visits all running in together.

I know could be a lot worse and we are blessed with at least knowing what we are dealing with and good family , friends and church support.

We had meals from friends, my Moms group and the church and were overwhelmed by the love,support and lovely meals and desserts!

So we also found Facebook as a great help here as well. We used it to spread word to friends and family and saved energy and our heads for F2 and F1 instead of phonecalls where we had to explain all over and over. We didn't have it when we had F1 and we saw the big difference. We felt a lot more connected than we did last pregnancy and birth

Joy

2010-01-29T04:31:00.000-08:00

Update

2010-01-28T07:09:00.001-08:00

So baby F2 born as planned Jan 11th and such a wee dote. His blood levels though started to give us pause by end of first day and soon he had pathological jaundice. We were in hospital 10 days first stretch and now back in again after a brief 2 days home and now day 6 so 16 days in hospital for 18 days old. The nurses been great and hardest thing was educating everyone on hereditary spherecytosis. Finally now the doctors are consulting experts in this field and telling us things we don't know. He's getting care he needs but looks like needs a transfusion this weekend as anemic and bilirubin is dropping under lights but his spleen is attacking all those red blood cells quicker than the marrow can replace them.

So say a prayer for us re the transfusion. His daddy got typed but turns out neither of us O so we can't donate. Hoping to be home soon so we can all cuddle up and I miss my 28 month old being in the hospital with the baby last 2 weeks

Under lights tin foil and all

2010-01-28T07:03:00.000-08:00

Blue light special

2010-01-28T07:02:00.001-08:00

Why I haven't had time to blog. Best reason in the world

2010-01-18T00:34:00.001-08:00

Tiara

2010-01-10T10:17:00.001-08:00

Been a whirlwind so haven't had a chance to blog. I find the microblogging of Facebook and Twitter does chip away at the longer blogs I would normally write. That and no longer being in front of a laptop has it's chipping effect too

Tomorrow all going as planned Please God, having a csection to bring Baby Fairy aka Baby Borg number 2 into the world. So excited and of course at same time scared silly as quite comfy in our routine with our 28 month old so it's back to the drawing board of what to do all over again. Excited to meet the wee one though!

My folks are in town so it's great we get some help with our toddler and he loves playing with them ! They are so great with kids. Endless games of hide and seek and you can't catch me and not a bother on them. Really blessed not only have them as parents but also grandparents :) hubbie also has been amazing. My SPD lot worse now near the end and it's been acting up and he's been so good as nearly every sentence starts with can you do me a favor ?

So bag all packed and ready to go. Cord blood kit in one bag with Tiara. That's all I need tomorrow as can bring rest of stuff up when I go to postnatal.

It's my wedding Tiara. I wore it for having Fionn and since you really don't get to wear them that often it's good to mark those larger occasions with it. My Mum had wanted to bring over my wedding dress but I asked her to donate it when she gets home. Sure someone will get a use out of it and I'm not one to hang it up or frame it for memories. Rather it gets to live on like my Tiara

Lab Rat

2009-12-16T14:36:00.000-08:00

So getting near end now. I've been more lax than before at blogging.
Mainly because no longer on laptops all day with being on early
maternity leave. They found lowe amniotic fliud and thankfully going
back up again but means 8-14 visits a week! I'm sure I'm boosting
economy of the medical community alone ;)

36 weeks on Saturday so not long now to go. Hoping after all this
having a baby without HS. Cross fingers and say a prayer.

In pretty good spirits though considering all the poking and prodding
and looking forward to the holidays!

We'll miss you Uncle Raymond

2009-11-13T05:52:00.001-08:00

My Granny, God rest her was one for the last word and bigger and better. When my aunt Sharron commented on how good of a drying day it was out and the boys jeans had dried so quick outside in 2 hours , Grannys comment was that sure she had hand wrung Raymonds jeans and that they were bone dry half an hour later. My Uncle Raymonds faster than a heartbeat retort was sure that was nothing and hadn't he hung out jeans and they came back ironed.. You'll be missed Uncle Raymond. You made us all smile and you were so good texting your family with the daftest comments and jokes making us all laugh out loud.

Baby

2009-11-06T21:20:00.001-08:00

Feeling like i should get a medical degree or at least special pregnancy badges like a girls scout at this point. Seriously. Like a vest with badges for AMA, SPD and GD

Now there's a new one. Its too long to fit on a badge though and Bit more troubling as means two stress tests a week and weekly scans and worrying about baby. Rest I can deal with as baby is fine and just me dealing with seperated pelvis etc. This one effects the baby though and it's for that part that sucks.

Looks like I'll also have to take off work earlier than planned as in starting next week take off. Guess I'll have time to do all those baby setups

The cause of all of this. Well we did a scan today and baby was great but the doctors said my amniotic fluid is too low

i have oligohydramnios aka low amnio fluid. Baby is fine though Thank God and good size so keeping eye on me with stress tests twice a week and scans.

What it means is baby Fae might be here sooner than we want. Anyone want to come stay with us over Christmas in case we need to do an earlier hospital run than planned?

Proud costume maker

2009-11-02T00:28:00.003-08:00

Munchkin

2009-11-02T00:28:00.001-08:00

The Halloween Cake

2009-11-02T00:27:00.001-08:00

Halloween

2009-11-02T00:26:00.001-08:00

This has to be the best Halloween I can remember. Friday night didn't start off as great. Wee man finally went down for nap but later than usual at daycare so couldn't pick him up and take him to Hubbies job but we had a good chill night

Saturday we decided skip music with so much on. Me and munchkin dropped himself off at rental car place to get cargo van. Why - well picking up stuff I lent one Mum who also was giving us ton of great baby stuff and also picking up more stuff from another friend the next day

Then myself and wee man went and dropped off birthday pressie to a friend. I dropped off rather than stay as to be honest scared of being around so many folks without H1N1 vaccine. There was 63 people there including kids there or as my friend put it - mini petri dishes;). Being third trimester and also no spleen well , makes me wary at moment

Would I like the vaccine. Hell yes but none to be found here yet. Hopefully this week !

So anyway after a gushy drop off my hormones flaunting with feeling like bad Mum that my kid was missing a party we headed home

This year in new house we have new neighbors and they have a Halloween Parade and pot luck! How cool is that!

Wee man dressed as pumpkin we went for walk around block or Daddy did and then back to the party.

I made pigs in a blanket. Otherwise known as turkey dogs sliced halfways in cresent rolls. They were a huge hit! We saved the Cake hubby made for the dinner tonight with friends.

Then nighttime and himself took wee lad trick and treating and I did door duty. Wee lad didn't want to come home but sure he was tripping over himself tired at this point. So he came home and tasted his way through some of his candy. He's major impressed with this holiday for sure!

Lovely night then by fire in front room just relaxing and cuddling whole family. Hubby had decorated, carved pumpkins, made a costume from scratch for wee lad and baked and iced a cake. I joke I married Martha Stewart but I know I just got lucky in a guy willing to do anything to put a smile on his sons face
Hope you had a lovely Halloween and now for a restful week

Appointments Appointments

2009-10-05T17:16:00.001-07:00

So today saw Ob-Gyn who is so so lovely. All is well. 25 and half weeks down and 14 to go!

Then accupuncture afterwards which really helps my SPD and my general feeling of Yeah less pain

I also had to make appointments for glucose testing tomorrow. I know hubbie is hoping I pass, just so he doesn't have to listen to my rant of how horrible and what a con the diabetes specialist folks are. Here's hoping!

Then made a dentist appt for me, a dentist appt for wee lad.

Seeing accupuncture lady again this week and Physical therapy Friday. Thankfully for now that's still just once a week.

Then made another appt to see surgeon for follow up appt next week to check on her fantastic work taking the softball lipoma out of my arm.

Made a follow up appt with pregnancy specialist as per ob-gyn request for 4 weeks time

Then my primary care called me and she wants to see me re H1N1 aka swine flu shot. She doesn't have it but I have to go see her they said which baffles me but I will.

Finally made appt for spa guy to come out and repair drip on hot tub

I'm so over making and going for appointments

pictures

2009-09-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Smilestore - wee lads pictures on picture people

Best was taking in the baseball bat and ball and then having the poor photographer duck as wee lad hit it straight out of the store. Hes got some swing for a 2 year old!

smilestore photos

Birthday Cake

2009-09-23T13:26:00.001-07:00

Says it all really - wee man discovered how yummy icing can be

I did it

2009-09-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

wee lads new phrase now. So proud of himself, whether its climbing on a chair, taking off his shirt or tonight for first time - doing number one in potty. or as he likes to call it froggy poo (its a fisherprice frog potty ;-)

He was getting ready for bath and we have the pottys there so he can start getting used to just sitting on it here and at Catherines. I'm in no rush to train him - even with baby Fairy coming along, he'll be ready when he's ready. Tonight he told Daddy - I did it and proudly flushed his potty contents down the big toilet. We did a potty dance that we made up on the spot, he ran around naked happy as a clam and we did stickers after the bath. Who knows when will happen again but sure first big step. I was wondering - should I blog this but sure its a step he's taking towards being a big boy. How quickly the 2 years have flown by

More later on our trip to Florida and Arizona but for now a good night.

French cafe

2009-08-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

In Florida where his Gram and Grandpa spoiling him. Here's his little
table for dinner with tablecloth. All he is missing is some frenh
music in background

Seriously a ham

2009-08-18T22:27:00.002-07:00

My wee goofball

2009-08-18T22:27:00.001-07:00

He wanted to put on glasses and said show Daddy so took a photo to
show Daddy later. A tad too big perhaps?;)

Shade

2009-08-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

Hubbie put this up today and last night. At last shade for back yard.
With no big trees and quite a few years before the ones we planted
will be a while. So for now we can chill under the canopy and save our
skins ;)