this fall I will have two preschoolers!
WooHoo! I secured spots for both of the toddlers today. So it’s a sure thing, phew!
I think they are going to love it and I have a few months to get them prepared.
School is winding down for the year for X, but already have summer camp registration completed.
Wow, when I type that, I feel like I’m totally on top of it– all LOL
More tomorrow, today was a LONG day!
So I’ve had 4 initial consultations with board certified plastic surgeons in my area. My first impressions leave me torn, and I have not completed my consultations, I still have at least 3 more. One of the remaining comes highly recommended by two people, another has done work on a twin mom I know personally, that obviously makes it worth consulting with them.
The 4 I’ve met with thus far, I’ll label Drs. A,B,C, D to respect their privacy. I don’t really have bad things to say about any of them. There are some tradeoffs I’m trying to reconcile and will continue to examine as I get closer to picking the ‘winner.”
Dr. A. was confident, maybe even a bit cocky? Nice, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call him “warm.” His office has an on site operating suite and is beautiful. His office staff were friendly, and all look like they’ve had some (a lot?) work done themselves, a good? thing. I’m a bit worried that what he said regarding breastfeeding doesn’t line up with what the other 3 have told me. He said I’d only need to wait a few weeks (even if I was having a breast lift done), it’s possible I misunderstood what I was being told. His surgical fees were the highest of the 4, but included an additional procedure (a natural augmentation) with the lift. A pain pump post surgery is optional, but recommended.
Dr. B. was personable. I like his warm personality and confidence. I was encouraged, in a roundabout way to lose as much weight as possible before the procedure, but told it’s not a requirement and they’d operate on me now if I told them I wasn’t going to lose anymore. The office has an operating suite and is easily accessible, roughly the same distance from me as Dr.A. I was not able to see the operating suite because they were doing a procedure but the rest of the office was pretty nice. The office staff were friendly and easy to talk to. They were all more natural looking, and encouraged my questions, strongly encouraged a pain pump post-op, “the only way to do it”. I have some follow up questions I’d like to ask Dr.B because, the questions always come up after you leave.
Dr. C. was a no bones about it type, which gives me confidence he isn’t just telling me what I want to hear. He’d like me to lose another 10 lbs. or so before surgery telling me I’ll be happier with the results (which is probably true). He wants me to come in for another evaluation regarding my breasts once I’m done nursing for at least a few months (up to 6). The office was nice, convenient, though farther than A/B and has no onsite surgery suite, which means traveling yet farther for the procedure. I could of course return to the office for all my post-op appointments. His office staff were my favorite of the 4 places, one of them being a twin mom herself and took plenty of time to talk to me, she said Dr.C is gentle enough I shouldn’t need a pain pump and that he even does individual stiches for the muscle closures. Bonus points for getting to wear a robe instead of a paper gown LOL
Dr. D’s office is the least convenient, so I am considering that when doing my planning. My post-op appointments would be a bit of a PITA, but in the grand scheme of things it’s not a deal breaker. He was much like Dr. C in terms of being straightforward, telling me directly I need lose 10-15 lbs before he thinks I should have the Tummy Tuck done and did a very thorough critique of my breasts taking multiple measurements and helping me understand my options should I chose to have work done on them. He is not comfortable with natural augmentation options, so if I chose him for a lift I’d have to either A. be happy with whatever breast tissue I have B.agree to a synthetic implant. He gave an understandable reasoning for his position and admitted that the jury is still out, though said I must have talked to some “cowboys.” He was very thorough for an initial appointment, answering all my questions- lots given that I learn more with each visit and have additional questions regarding things I’ve been told elsewhere. He showed me a number of before and after shots, procedure animations, as well as some pictures of just what they remove during surgery. I didn’t spend a lot of time with the office staff but they were very helpful and understanding, even when I called them lost, needing directions 
His fees were the lowest by a very small margin, he said he finds pain pumps unnecessary, but that if I really wanted one he can get me one.
The past week has been filled with:
A sick child, traveling husband, and my own exhaustion.
Long time, No blog.
Things are looking up and I’ll be back to my regular postings soon.
Just wanted everyone to know that I’m OK and will be returning shortly.
The best to you and yours!
January- 4 days into the year I delivered The O babies.
Later in the month we traveled to Florida (for a second time) to look for a house, we found the right one.
February- Tom left for Florida to get the house ready and start his new job. I kept hoping the babies would hurry up and come home!
March- X celebrated his 6th birthday at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, our temporary home until the move to our Florida home.
April/May- Was spent settling into our new community. Our new van arrived, it has been life changing!
June- I celebrated my 26th birthday as the mother of 5.
We spent some time in the pool, my mom was here to visit (again). We weathered our first tropical storm.
July- The E boys turned two! I seriously considered returning to school, but since decided to wait until I at least had in state status.
August- My love for Ikea and costco (both things I didn’t have near me in IA) became apparent.
September- I started me weight watchers journey! I have since lost over 20 lbs and hope to lose another 20+ this coming year.
October- We did our first Halloween with 5 kids and I went to the FOMOTC convention in Jacksonville, leaving the babies overnight for the first time.
November- Our first major Roadtrip in the big van- back to Iowa for Thanksgiving with my parent’s and T’s daughter and grand-daughter.
December- My first Christmas in Florida, with my parents traveling from Iowa and my brother and his husband traveling from Boston.
It wouldn’t be complete without my goals for the coming year:
1. Better time management
2. Meet my weight loss goal and keep the weight off.
3. Ensure quality 1-1 time with all the kids.
4. Explore more of the things our local area has to offer.
5. Nurture my spiritual growth.
6. Re-enter college.
7. Family photos at least once.
8. Another trip back to Iowa.
9. Keep in touch with friends.
10. Meet new people.
This is a continuation of my three part series: How I Fattened Up My Premature Baby, part I can be read here.
Part II- The value of breast milk, choosing the right bottle, and bottle “doping”
Breast milk is critically important for a preemie. This is a fact backed up by a lot of medical literature; the short version is: it’s so important milk banks are springing up to fill this vital need- to ensure that preemies get breast milk, even if their own mother’s can’t provide it for them.
This is likely the most important thing I did for o, I committed to pump for her when she was unable to nurse. I didn’t initially realize it would be the long term commitment it morphed into, but with all the other feeding issues we were battling, the highly digestible nature of breast milk was of utmost importance. Weeks turned into months but it was worth it. I have finally weened off the pump and am relying on the freezer full of milk I stashed away to use “someday.” Someday became now, because the frozen milk was aging, my supply was diminishing, and my tolerance for the pump waning.
If you are in the early stages of nursing/ pumping I cannot tell you emphatically enough to freeze as much away as you can *now*. The early days set the bar for your supply later on, and babies drink more and more as they grow. You can always use stored milk later, but you can’t make it appear out of thin air. To this end, we even bought a designated ‘milk freezer” when my freezer stash exceeded what would fit in our other freezer. The milk freezer, packed with dry ice made the trip from Iowa-Florida in the back of a U-HAUL. It was the most precious cargo in the trailer, and I was relieved to hear it made it to it’s destination safely.
Choosing the right bottle seems simple, until you have a baby, then you are inundated with recommendations and advertisements for every bottle made. If you’re lucky, your baby isn’t picky. If you have a preemie and/or a baby with special feeding needs it can be challenging. We’ve tried a variety, what worked for us and my theories behind:
Gerber classic bottles with “newborn” nipple. I’ve only ever seen these sold at Walmart, they come in a 3 pk. for roughly $4. Clear 5 oz. bottles and you can tell they are the “newborn” ones because the nipples don’t touch the top of the cover, like most of them do. The nipples are latex and *tiny* These were the only bottle o did ok with when she was little, her mouth was so tiny it was hard to get a latch on anything else and the nipple is short enough it didn’t gag her. The flow rate is about equivalent to a standard size slow flow nipple. When the nipples started deteriorating and I realized you can’t replace just the nipples I started searching for a bottle I felt more appropriate for what was then a roughly 6 month old baby. The next bottle that was a big hit was:
NUK, we started with the 5 oz. bottles and have since graduated to the 9 oz. ones. All with the slow flow nipples. The great thing about NUK is the nipple aims milk toward the roof of the mouth rather than straight back, leading to less gagging. The silicone nipples are also less affected by the additives in the milk and clean more easily than latex.
Something typical with preemies in the NICU is the fortification of Breast milk with fortifier, formula, ect. for additional calories. We were discharged home without instruction to do this. We were then instructed by GI to thicken her milk (with a product Thick-it) this adds calories and makes the milk thicker to prevent gagging. Later, when o was still gaining slowly and not really “into” solid foods yet I started adding formula to her breast milk bottles to increase the calories. It has made a difference and she is nearing a place on the growth chart! It took me awhile to get past my belief that breast milk is nature’s perfect food, it has been for O, but in o’s situation fortification has been helpful.
A current bottle for her is composed as follows:
6 0z. Breast milk- approx. 120 calories
I TBSP Thick it- 15 calories
I scoop powdered formula- 40 calories
=175 calories vs. 120 calories in a similarly sized bottle without fortification.
Part III: Baby Led Solids, the Why and How.
I have a nasty hacking cough and a sore throat. I went to the doctor yesterday and he seemed to think it’s a viral thing. Essentially said, rest and expect to feel awful for a few days.
I’ll get back to my normally chatty self soon. If you’re looking for another good read, show my husband some love over at his new blog.
I encouraged him to share, because I haven’t encountered many parenting/family life blogs from the male perspective. So far, there hasn’t been a dull moment.
We drove 1278 miles in roughly 24 hours- each way.
3 adults, 1 First grader, 2 toddlers, 2 babies, and supplies for a weeks stay packed into the van.
Early in the week we spent lots of time just enjoying spending time on the farm with the family.
The toddlers were excited to see grandpa’s chickens and dog. The babies, were also fond of the dog.
X spent lots of time complaining about it being boring, attempts at removing him from technology rarely go well.
T was able to have dinner with his daughters, and I’m happy that they are both experiencing positive personal growth.
My grandfather came for lunch on Wednesday, and we took the requisite 4 generation family photo. It turned out well. It was hard to get everyone to look at the camera, but the grin on his face surrounded by all of his great-grandchildren was amazing. That alone was worth the trip!
Thursday we had a traditional Thanksgiving meal with my parents, one of T’s daughters, and our grand-daughter.
Black Friday we loaded up for the drive home around 11 am (Iowa time) and we were back home about Noon our time.
I spent most of Saturday recuperating from the many hours of overnight driving, and minimal sleep.
We were glad to be back home, but also very glad to have made the trip.
A few of my favorite shots from the trip:
o trying on grandpa’s reading glasses.
o making fast friends with the puppy
O all snug with mommy
My parent’s dog.
o checking everything out.
E hamming it up for the camera
X happy again with technology
Fun on the Farm
Family Photo!
I was down another 2.8 lbs. this week. I’m not going to say it isn’t rough at times or that I’m perfect at staying on plan; but it’s working! I’m down over 12 lbs. in just a few weeks. T and R are also having consistent drops in weight, weight watchers really has been great for our family. I’m keeping my eye on the prize though- being of “normal” weight, I already passed from obese to “just” overweight.
First up, as it is every morning. The dreaded pump.
Then it was down to finish feeding the boys breakfast. T is awesome and gets them started while I’m upstairs pumping. This has worked out well, though they often “rearrange” things in the kitchen before I make it down.
Topped off O straight from the tap and offered o her first bottle of the “real” morning.
Followed by a race to get the kiddos dressed and ready to take X to the bus stop. Mission accomplished, a nice cool morning for the walk. Then everyone waited patiently and the toddlers excitedly screamed “bus, bus!” when they saw it coming.
Holy Cow, I just noticed…There are 5 of them! When did that happen?!?! 6 would look so nice… Kidding, just kidding…
In a couple short hours O and o were down for their morning nap. The toddlers were alternating watching songs from Glee, eating their snack outside, and fighting over toys. e has taken to hoarding blocks in his shirt to avoid sharing them.
Followed by Lunch. A simple sandwich and grapes. A perfect pair of plates, the split second before all the food was spread across the table.
I’m currently awaiting nap time
The food fights continues in my home. The pace of life and recent stresses have me so far off my diet it’s not even funny. For now, I think it’s back to trying to have more reasonable portions. The fact that I hate wasting food *and* love all you can eat BBQ, makes this hard :/ But, my time is *so* up on the “I just had babies” excuse. I think a stringent diet right now is unreasonable, but I also know I need to change. T is doing a bit better, being over 6 feet tall has it’s advantages in the weight loss department.
As for the rest of the family,
My oldest, eats less than my toddlers due to a loss of appetite from his medication. I will feed him *anything* it takes to get him to eat, per the pediatrician’s recommendation and still have to supplement with a pediasure or two each day. It’s stressful for him, because he’s legitimately not hungry and stressful for me because I know he needs to eat more.
The todd(ler)s are picky eaters and their favorites change by the day. Their favorite one day, they won’t hold the next. Luckily there are a few go-to meals I know they will eat consistently, Mac n cheese and spaghetti. Last night we had spaghetti and they both had seconds, a no fuss dinner was nice.
My daughter is still fighting me every step of the way toward solids. I was excited to get her to eat a spoonful of prunes yesterday, success! Even if she did spit it out a dozen times before I got her to eat any of it.
The shining star is definitely O! He is eating solids daily in small amounts and while not a fan of the peas I gave him the other day, was a champ and at least ate a little. So far prunes are his personal fave, I’m looking forward to adding more variety with him. The next step is larger feedings and solids twice a day. According to the (outdated) information from the GI we should have been feeding solids once a day at 4 mos., 2X daily at 5 months and 3x daily by six months (unadjusted).
Taking into account their adjusted age ( – 2 months) AND the WHO guidelines for solids (start at 6 months adjusted), we’re right on schedule
See, he’s finally ready and so excited about it!
I’m such a big boy now!
If you could show my blog some love and vote for me in the Circle of Mom’s top 25 it would be great! Last I checked I’m at 34, so with a push I think I could get there! Only 8 days to go, and you can vote daily! The link is in my sidebar.
Of course, votes for Top Mommy Blogs are also appreciated, I’m #8 in my category right now (thank you!). TMB is ongoing, daily votes count there too.
