2012 Family Projects

My immediate family has Big Plans for 2012! All these plans are in full swing, and that's kept my from blogging, since I've been busy. I can't wait any longer to tell you of all the excitement!

My sister and brother-in-law are leaving TOMORROW (on a jet plane, don't know when they'll be back again... No. Really.) for Hong Kong, and a bazillion other places- for the better part of the entire year! Here's their loose plan:


 What are they doing? They quit their jobs last month, moved out of their downtown Chicago apartment, and they're spending the next 11 months traveling the world, seeing what they can, and experiencing it all firsthand. I can't wait to follow along on Twitter, Facebook, and their blog.

 Wait, did I say follow along on Facebook? I did. I joined Facebook last month! More on that in a minute.

My dad is going on another type of journey- he's reading through a thought-provoking list of books and doing some serious soul searching. Also, he's blogging his journey (and he joined Facebook too!) I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I invited you over there to join in the discussion with him- he's one of the wisest people I know, so I'm enjoying his insights.

And, then as for us... we've been busy with a new project for 2012 and beyond, too. We bought a business! The local cloth diaper store, Toasty Baby, was put up for sale a few months ago, and after much deliberation, we decided to take the plunge and become business owners. Josh is running the day-to-day stuff and will be manning the store during daytime hours (starting tomorrow!) and I make cameo appearances to teach the Cloth Diaper 101 classes to parents considering cloth diapers.

I've been trying to create social media "buzz" around the business the best I can manage, and, in addition to the Twitter account and the blog, part of that effort includes updating the business' Facebook page. I hemmed and hawed and finally joined Facebook! Since I'm there, I decided to go all out. Feel free to friend me, and I'll probably friend you back, unless I totally don't know you and your profile picture looks creepy :)

With this business, we've had to learn so much, and are still learning. Keeping everything straight isn't easy, but we're trying! Getting thrown in to it all was (and is) a bit overwhelming, but definitely exciting. When we've gotten a chance to talk to customers about cloth diapering, it's all been worth it. That part is really fun!

Also, if you need any cloth diapers, or make any kid or parenting related product, or have an idea for a natural-parenting-related product we should stock or class we should host, send it my way. I need all the help & ideas I can get!

A year ago...

A year ago, I wrote a post entitled "A week ago". It was Elliott's birth story. My birth story.

A year ago, a baby was born
- a baby who is no longer a baby.

A year ago, a mother was born, too.
    And a father.
        And a couple new grandparents and great-grandparents, and a couple seasoned grandparents and a great-grandma. And aunts and uncles and cousins and a huge family were awaiting this birth.

Those first few quiet weeks, shrouded in the fog of sleepiness and winter and staying-close-to-home seem like an eternity ago. This year, the weather is warmer and our sleepy brand-new newborn is a flurry of toddler activity.

I am different.
I am a year older (today!)
I have a year of parenting under my belt.
I have had my life changed by a new person, whom I still look at and periodically marvel and the fact I managed to keep another human being alive for an entire year. Unbelievable.

Still all so unbelievable.

This mother was born a year ago, but so was an activist. An advocate for mothers and women and children. Josh laughs at me when I get up on my soapbox, but I can't help it. I've learned that motherhood is hard and parenting choices are hard and women and moms and kids need all the help they can get, to be able to make the healthiest, more informed choices they can. I've found a new passion this year.

It's been fun. It's been worth every minute. The year to come is surely going to hold new adventures and new challenges. I have no doubt our little family can tackle them head-on. 2012, bring it on!

A Year With Elliott Casper, in pictures

Birth story 

One month - Pictures

Two months - Pictures

Three months - Pictures

Four months - Pictures

Five months - Pictures

Six months - Pictures

Seven months - Pictures

Eight months - Pictures

Nine months - Pictures

Ten months - Pictures

Eleven months - Pictures

Twelve months - Pictures

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!


How Elliott has grown:
 

It's all so unbelievable to this mama. Has it really been an entire year?

Joy

When designing our Christmas card, 'Joyful' seemed like the right word this year. The day after Christmas last year, we were met with a belated Christmas present who has brought us Joy ever since. I had no idea what happiness awaited us. Joyful, indeed.

We're celebrating with family today and tomorrow, then partying on Monday for a first birthday! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas weekend!

Almost-one

I haven't been here.

The last week or so, I've not been that busy. At least, when you look at my calendar, it doesn't look particularly packed full. Every spare minute, though. I've been watching my baby.

I've been keeping an eye on him. I've been doing my best to treasure the moments. He's getting so big, so fast. This "toddling around" thing, along with his upcoming first birthday (in a week!) has made me realize he's only going to be little for a very short amount of time. I'm basking in cuddles, knowing they won't last forever. When he's all grown-up, I tell myself, I won't regret holding him too much.

So big- walking, trying hard to talk, eating grown-up food

yet so little- still nursing, napping and sleeping with his butt in the air. 

I just don't want to forget.

This little guy, where did he go?

On Pumping

I've started and erased this post a whole bunch of times. I don't know why- it's not like it's an exciting or emotional topic. I think it's that there's so much I want to say. How to get it out in a logical manner is escaping me. Here I go to try again.

Since before Elliott was born, I knew I was going to pump. I knew I'd be going back to work, and I knew I wanted him to have breastmilk exclusively. It was healthiest for him, healthiest for me, and the least expensive option. But, while on maternity leave, I kept putting off getting the pump out and giving it a try. Hooking up an intimidating piece of machinery to my sensitive parts (especially in the early days of breastfeeding) was not something I was at all eager to do. As the weeks ticked by, though, I knew I needed to take the plunge- it's recommended to introduce a bottle between 4 and 6 weeks to avoid nipple confusion or preference. On the other hand, it's also said that a new mom's body is figuring out how much milk to make in the first 6 weeks, and that early pumping can cause oversupply. On the day Elliott turned 6 weeks, I braved the scary machine, and Josh fed him his first bottle. Turns out, none of what I was worrying about was as big a deal as I was making it out to be! And thus began my pumping journey.

Fast forward 10 months. Before I returned to work, I spent the mornings pumping one side while he ate on the other. This milk went into the freezer for an emergency stash. I returned to work at 10 weeks postpartum and found a limited amount information online about how to do this "pumping and working full-time" thing (which is why I'm writing this post- more information needs to be out there!) I muddled through, and I'm thankful it worked out. I started out pumping into bottles, pouring into bags; then pumping straight into bags; now I pump into bottles and leave it there- I was tired of continuously buying bags. My freezer stash grew slowly, and was needed very, very rarely- it is just a buffer in case Josh runs out of milk at home, or we need extra to take to a babysitter or the church nursery. I started out pumping three times a day. I'd pump four times a day for a few days if it seemed like my supply needed a boost. Now I'm down to twice a day, and Elliott's eating lots more solids for lunch. I expect I'll stop entirely at the end of the year, when he's one. The flexibility of my work schedule and my employer has made pumping as easy and painless as possible. I know I am lucky.

I've had stay-at-home mom friends marvel at my pumping regimen, amazed I could keep it up so long, lamenting how much they hate the very-occasional pumping they have to do. I surely don't feel like a hero, though- I've just done what it takes to feed my baby. It's not my favorite, but not awful, either. It just is. The heroes, in my eyes, are the moms who pump around the clock for their babies who are unable to nurse, or the moms attempting induced lactation and adoptive nursing. They are rock stars.

What I learned:

• Kellymom is a great resource. The information I found there got me started on the right foot about everything from how to pump to how to store milk.
• Instructing the bottle-feeder is one of the most important keys to success. If I'm pumping the right amount, but the baby's caregiver is feeding too much, I'll never be able to keep up. Josh was great about following Elliott's cues, letting him be done when he was full, and not over-feeding.
• "Wait for the second let-down". I don't remember where I heard this tidbit of advice, but it was so necessary for me, when I get impatient and wanting to be anywhere but sitting in a room by myself hooked up to a machine.
• Storage bags can get expensive. Not formula-expensive, still pricey and annoying to buy. Using bottles to wash and store milk definitely worked well for us, was more spill-proof, and created much less waste.
• Different people have different experiences. I was lucky, and pumping worked out for me. Some don't respond to the pump as easily. Some need supply-boosting herbs, foods, or medicines to keep up a milk supply while away from their baby. I'm beyond thrilled that pumping and working full-time was possible for me.
• It is worth it. The hours spent in a little room listening to the whirr-whirr of the pump isn't fun, but the knowledge that Elliott's getting the best nutrition for him and we're able to keep up the nursing relationship when we are together makes the time and effort so, so valuable.

What I'd do differently:

• Buy a new pump. I got one off craigslist (exactly what everyone says not to do), and, while I believe it was safe and sanitary, I see the benefit to the features and technology in a newer model. Next baby, I'm definitely getting a new one.
• Get right-sized flanges. I have no idea if the ones I have are the right size for me, and, from what I've read, it's worth having it checked out.
• Donate milk. This time around, my supply was such that I had just the right amount for Elliott. God made our bodies wonderful and perfect in that way. Next time, I'd love to regularly pump an extra supply for the Indiana Mother's Milk Bank.
• Find support. I'm the only mom I know apart, from online friends, that has pumped and worked full-time for baby's first year. Finding others for support is worth it. The one LLL meeting I attended, I got really, really good tips.

 I can't believe I'm only just now talking about pumping, at the end of my journey. I want resources to be more available. Did you try to pump and work? What worked or didn't work for you? Do you have any questions about it?

Eleven Months

Super-Slacker Mom here. Elliott's been eleven months old for almost a week, and I haven't commemorated the occasion with a blog post. Well, here it is!

We're only holding his hands so he
doesn't run out of the picture

As usual, this was a big month. About three weeks ago, I finally declared Elliott "Walking" as opposed to just taking steps. He's off! He loves his new-found freedom to get places while carrying toys (or, lately, while waving a spatula around. Can't do that while you're crawling!)

This kid, sometime this month, turned into a toddler. I mean, I don't think it's just the walking thing. He's copying us more and playing games. He likes tickling Daddy as much as Daddy likes tickling him! When he's in a shirt, pants and shoes, I forget he's just a little baby, and I expect him to come over and have a conversation with me about the merits of sippy cup design. (He doesn't, but if he did, he'd wax poetical about the superiority of the straw cups to the ones you have to tip.)

Our lazy Thanksgiving morning

He celebrated other Firsts this month- his first Halloween and his first Thanksgiving. Halloween was somewhat anticlimactic, since I didn't let him eat any candy. It was an excuse to go visit family- which always makes for a good evening.

Thanksgiving was celebrated twice: once early at our house with my side of the family, and once in Lebanon with Josh's side. He was a good eater at both parties, and demonstrated his love for green beans and corn. Thanksgiving morning was a dream, for me. I turned on the Macy's parade, watching closely for my alma mater's marching band to make an appearance. Elliott danced to the almost-constant music and played in the living room. I let him play with his beloved spatula while I fixed a couple dishes for that afternoon. Something about the slowness of the morning, the quiet, the fun- I did my best to treasure it, since I get so few slow mornings.

One month until this little guy has made a full trip around the sun. One month until I have been wearing the badge "Mom" for an entire year. Wow.