Sunday, October 16, 2011

Rainly Day Fun and Pumpkin Patch

This past week was a little rainy. We spent most of the days inside snuggling. After 2 to 3 days of rain what are you going to do with a child to keep him entertained? That is right, build a tent. So, out came the blankets and we made a good ol' fort right in the middle of the living room (I might need to brush up on my fort building techniques...as I have not made one since I was little). Ben had a great time sitting under it and playing with his toys, it was like it made each toy new again and he did not want to come out from under it. See pictures below!

This weekend the weather cleared up and we headed to the pumpkin patch for a little October fun. I have been looking forward to this event since I was pregnant last year. We drove out to Sinkland farms which is a beautiful farm that offers weddings, horseback rides, pony rides, a petting zoo, pumpkins, corn mazes, hay rides, and yummy food. While some of these things we will have to wait for Bentley to be older (like the horseback riding), other things were a lot of fun. He enjoyed walking through the toddler maze, the petting zoo, hay ride, and even got to pick out his own pumpkin and he loves butternut squash so we even bought him one to eat. The weather was beautiful but a little windy. It was the perfect way to spend the Saturday!







Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Trip to DC

This past weekend we took a trip to DC to visit our friends Nick and Meg who are expecting their first baby on November 1st. They let us stay at their house, which is extremely nice considering the amount of things we have to bring for Bentley. We arrived late Friday night and spent an hour or two catching up. The next morning we walked to a nice place for breakfast then sent the boys to the bro shower (just picture lots and lots of drinking). Meg and I took a short walk and let Bentley entertain us. We even took a quick nap before going to pick up the guys at 8 p.m. Yes 8, Jeremy wanted to be around to help put Ben to bed. We were even in bed by 11, not bad for being out of town. It was so nice to see Nick and Meg and we are so excited for their baby girls arrival!

Ben has been doing well. He is starting to let go and stand on his own, not holding on to anything, but he is very inconsistent with it. He is clapping now and is notorious for waving bye after someone has just left, so I am the only person to see it. (I swear he does it, I even swear he occasionally says "ba ba" as he does it). He LOVES LOVES LOVES doggies! He will chase a dog down, not be scared, and giggles the cutest giggle when they lick him. We have even been practicing sharing. He will play with something and then hold it up for me to play with, but sometimes when he holds something out to "share" with the dogs and they sniff it he burst into laughter. He is so cute and entertaining.

We are going to the pumpkin patch this weekend!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Breastfeeding 101

As I close out the chapter of breastfeeding, I wanted to write this for my friends who are having babies and for when I have my next baby (don't worry...nothing too graphic here):
1. The first 8 weeks suck! It hurts, you don't exactly know what you are doing, and your husband can't help. Keep pushing through...it will get better and it is TOTALLY worth it!
2. Do not be scared of your pump! It is your friend. Do not be scared about if you pump and your baby gets hungry...your boobs are smart and they are never empty.
3. Your boobs are smart! (yes, boys, they are smart). Your boobs know when to produce milk, how much, and how much fat/protein/ vitamins the baby needs.You can not overfeed a child either when breastfeeding. They are a guaranteed way to soothe your child! I think that is pretty smart....
4. Ask your husband for help. Even if he just changes the diaper and hands him off to you to feed. Sometimes you can feed and have him rock the baby to sleep. It is a mothers instinct to care for the child, but you need a break or you will go insane and it is great bonding time for the dad!
5. Don't be embarrassed to use the ta-tas in public (to an extent, and with a cover-up on)... I am very shy and did not want to breast feed in public. However, there came a time when I was stuck somewhere, child screaming, and no other place to go. You do what you have to do for your child, that is why they call you a mother. I found a balance where I only fed in public if it was absolutely necessary, I did feed the baby around family and friends if they were comfortable wit it (I always asked first and covered myself up).
6. Dont feed the baby in bed (I know A LOT of people will disagree wit this...) here is the deal. I always fed Ben in his rocking chair at night, then when I put him down he knew it was sleep time. Then one day I started feeding him in bed with me. He thought this meant I was like McDonalds, you know, open all night.Even though it took a lot of effort and will power to get up, I got so much more sleep getting up with him and he didn't get confused, bed is for sleeping.
7. Use the lactation consultants and any friends you know that have breastfed. This does not come naturally and you will inevitably have some questions. Sometimes you may need to vent about how much it hurts or how you are up every hour feeding the baby...call me or someone who has bf before...believe me they will understand!
8.Do not let anyone guilt you for breastfeeding or for stopping at whatever time you choose to. We all know the recommendation of 1 year, however, you have to do what is right for you and your child. No one should influence your choice, because I am sure as mom you are going to do what is best for your child. Take pride in your decisions to breastfeed at all, and take pride in how long you do it because some breastmilk is better than none at all
9. Breastfeeding is an AMAZING experience. You get to spend quiet time with your child. Relax and enjoy every moment of it...they wont be little for long.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

First day of October...
I woke up and rested in bed until 10 this morning. Today was Jeremy's day to get up with Ben. Then we headed to the FREEZING VT tailgate. It was way to cold and neither Bentley nor I wanted to be there. Okay, I will admit...Bentley handled the cold better than I did....I just get grumpy when I am cold. Then we came home and watched the VT game (which was not pretty to watch), had some hot chocolate, played with Bentley, enjoyed the fireplace.
We are going to celebrate my nephew's birthday tomorrow, inside where it is warm!