Hello world!
2 years ago
Monday, January 10, 2011
A Boy and his Dog
Weston and Banks have the best relationship, and it's TOO sweet. Banks is so gentle and will let Weston do ANYTHING to him! It's too funny, but they do love one another, and they play with one another all the time. Seriously...Weston will have a toy and Banks will come and grab the toy from Weston, then Weston will grab it from Banks and back and forth...it's great! I'm so glad that they get along so well, and I never have to worry about the two of them together!
It's a New Year...
So, it's a little late since we are already 10 days into the new year, but I guess it's better late than never, right?! There are a few things that I'd really like to make a habit in 2011...I'm not putting a whole lot of pressure on myself to make them happen, but I would like to work towards these goals and let it go, if I'm not successful.
Here is my list...
- Put a focus on myself. I do so many things for my family, Grant and Weston, and it's great, and I love doing things for them, but I do want to exercise more and put a focus on making time for myself. I will sometimes put off going to the gym even though I really want to go, because I feel like I need to do something for Grant or Weston, like cook dinner or pick W up from daycare. I love doing those things for my family, but I need to make time for myself too and not feel guilty about it.
- Do weekly posts about what we did throughout the week. I don't want them to be incredibly detailed, but I'd love to be able to look back and recount our weeks throughout the year, so I can print them and save them for my records.
- Keep up with W's monthly updates. I didn't do a great job with keeping up with W's monthly updates as he passed the half year mark. I need to get back on updating and keeping up with this through his 2nd year.
- Make weekly meal plans, grocery lists and cut coupons. I did this throughout 2010, but I didn't do it every week, so I didn't save as much money as I could have, and I want to be better about organizing our weekly plans and sticking to them!
- Stick to our budget and save money! We always have a budget, but sometimes we don't stick to it, and I'd love to stick to our budget, as well as, save more money throughout the year. I'm working on a plan and budget for us by month.
These are my main goals for this week, but I mostly want to enjoy spending time with my family and enjoying the year. We have a lot to look forward to throughout the year. Weston's 1st birthday, a surprise trip for Grant and my sister's wedding...I anticipate that we'll have a great year!
Here is my list...
- Put a focus on myself. I do so many things for my family, Grant and Weston, and it's great, and I love doing things for them, but I do want to exercise more and put a focus on making time for myself. I will sometimes put off going to the gym even though I really want to go, because I feel like I need to do something for Grant or Weston, like cook dinner or pick W up from daycare. I love doing those things for my family, but I need to make time for myself too and not feel guilty about it.
- Do weekly posts about what we did throughout the week. I don't want them to be incredibly detailed, but I'd love to be able to look back and recount our weeks throughout the year, so I can print them and save them for my records.
- Keep up with W's monthly updates. I didn't do a great job with keeping up with W's monthly updates as he passed the half year mark. I need to get back on updating and keeping up with this through his 2nd year.
- Make weekly meal plans, grocery lists and cut coupons. I did this throughout 2010, but I didn't do it every week, so I didn't save as much money as I could have, and I want to be better about organizing our weekly plans and sticking to them!
- Stick to our budget and save money! We always have a budget, but sometimes we don't stick to it, and I'd love to stick to our budget, as well as, save more money throughout the year. I'm working on a plan and budget for us by month.
These are my main goals for this week, but I mostly want to enjoy spending time with my family and enjoying the year. We have a lot to look forward to throughout the year. Weston's 1st birthday, a surprise trip for Grant and my sister's wedding...I anticipate that we'll have a great year!
My Almost 1 Year Old...
I can't believe that in just 10 days, my little boy will be a year old...where did this year go? It did fly by, and those newborn days and waking up in the middle of the night that I thought would never end have come and gone, and I'm SO grateful!
We have a "Where the Wild Things Are" birthday party planned for next Saturday, January 15th at my Mom & Dad's house, and I can't wait! It's going to be great, and I'll definitely be sharing LOTS of photo's after the event. I've been planning his 1st birthday since he was around six months old, and I'm SO excited to share with everyone all of my fun plans!
This past Saturday, Weston and I went to my parent's house, so we could finish up with plans, and we could work on preparations, and we took some photo's of Weston while we are there. I can't believe how big he is getting!
On another note, I went a played with some different cameras, and I chose the Canon EOS Rebel T2i. We ordered it on Friday night, and I can't wait for it to arrive! SO excited!!
We have a "Where the Wild Things Are" birthday party planned for next Saturday, January 15th at my Mom & Dad's house, and I can't wait! It's going to be great, and I'll definitely be sharing LOTS of photo's after the event. I've been planning his 1st birthday since he was around six months old, and I'm SO excited to share with everyone all of my fun plans!
This past Saturday, Weston and I went to my parent's house, so we could finish up with plans, and we could work on preparations, and we took some photo's of Weston while we are there. I can't believe how big he is getting!
On another note, I went a played with some different cameras, and I chose the Canon EOS Rebel T2i. We ordered it on Friday night, and I can't wait for it to arrive! SO excited!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Recommend your DSLR
So, I uploaded my photo's from Weston's 1st Christmas to my computer today, and I was SO disappointed. The quality of my little point and shot digital Sony camera is terrible, and I had way too many blurry and hard to see photo's. I'm so upset, because I didn't get many, if any, good photo's from this Christmas, and it's Weston's 1st.
I'm not going to let this happen again, and I have a birthday coming up this Spring, so I'm looking to purchase a DSLR or receive one for my birthday from my hubby and parents. Anyways, does anyone out there have a DSLR? If so, which one and do you have a recommendation?
I'd love to hear from all of you out there!!
I'm not going to let this happen again, and I have a birthday coming up this Spring, so I'm looking to purchase a DSLR or receive one for my birthday from my hubby and parents. Anyways, does anyone out there have a DSLR? If so, which one and do you have a recommendation?
I'd love to hear from all of you out there!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
BF'ing and Returning to Work
Our little family had a wonderful Christmas, and I wanted to do a Christmas & New Year's post this morning; however, my camera is dead, so I have to charge it before I can get all of our photo's off to share with you all, so I'll work on a Holiday post for tomorrow!
Anyways, I've been off work for two weeks now, and I just returned to work today, so I have lots to catch up on at work and not much time to post; however, I've been asked by a couple of different people about my experience with breastfeeding and returning to work, so I wanted to share my experience and how I did it. Weston will be a year old on January 20th, and I'm still nursing him in the morning and night. I no longer nurse him or pump during the day, but I have been able to continue nursing and not supplement with formula for the full first year. I know that everyone is different and not everyone wants to breastfeed at all, but I really wanted to have that experience, and it was one of the things that I really looked forward to experiencing, so I really wanted to be successful even though I was returning to work full time.
Here are a couple of questions that I've been asked:
How you prepared to go back to work after maternity leave?
I didn't really prepare...I probably should have, but I was just so overwhelmed with a new baby that I didn't think much about it. Weston had his first bottle when he was about two weeks old. I was SO exhausted that my mom came over for the night to watch Weston, so I could sleep, and she gave him a bottle of breastmilk during the middle of the night. I was SO blessed that he didn't have a problem going back and forth between the bottle and me. I did pump quite a lot, so I would A.) keep my supply up and B.) have milk stored up for when I went back to work. I pumped after he nursed in the morning, then I pumped if he only nursed from one side and I pumped before I went to bed at night. By the time I went back to work, I had a LOT of milk stored. I also had a really great milk supply, so I was able to pump lots of extra when I pumped each day.
Did you have a frozen milk supply before you went back to work?
As I mentioned above, I did have a frozen milk supply before I went to work. I had at least 500 ounces of frozen milk stored before I went back to work. When I went back to work, I pumped about 16 ounces while I was at work, and I pumped another 6 ounces before I went to bed, so I had adequate milk for him to have a daycare the next day, as well as, extra to continue to freeze.
Was your daycare willing to give breastmilk?
Yes. We use an in-home daycare lady who keeps a few children in her home. She is awesome, and I would go ahead and make his bottles and send her the pre-made bottles each morning, and she would give them to Weston. She also kept some frozen milk in her freezer for emergencies. Now that he is not drinking from a bottle but drinking from a cup, I just send her either cups of milk or a cup of milk and an extra small bottle of milk for refills. Having a daycare that is supportive of your desire to breastfeed is very important, and it was key to my success.
How often do you pump at work?
I pumped anywhere from 2-3 times a day at work and sometimes only once. At first, I pumped two times a day while at work, but then I started having supply issues, so I started taking Fenugreek and began pumping three times per day at work, so I could have enough milk for W. Shortly afterward, I realized had so much stored, that I moved down to 1 pumping a day at work and now I don't pump at all during work.
What is your pumping/feeding schedule?
My typical pumping/feeding schedule during the first year of Weston's life looked like this (before solids were introduced)...
6:30 AM - Wake Up & Nurse
8:30-9:00 AM - AM Nap
10:30 AM - Nurse & Pump at Work
1:00 PM - Nap
2:30-3:00 PM - Nurse & Pump at Work
6:30 PM - Nurse & W in Bed
9:30-10:00 PM - Pump before I go to Bed
As Weston begin eating more solids, his schedule looked more like this...
6:30 AM - Wake Up & Nurse
8:30-9:00 AM - AM Nap
10:30 AM - Pump at Work
11:00-11:30 - Lunch at Daycare for W
1:00 PM - Nap
2:30 - Pump at Work
3:00-3:00 PM - Snack at Daycare for W
6:00 PM - Dinner
7:00 PM - Nurse & Bed for W
9:30-10:00 PM - Pump before I go to Bed
During Weston's first few months, he was eating every three hours, as well as, waking up during the night usually once, so his schedule was similar to the four hour feeding, but he ate more often. I only pumped twice per day on average once I went back to work.
Any other tips/advice for breastfeeding working moms
My biggest piece of advice is to relax...I honestly didn't worry about it too much. I knew that I wanted to do it and be successful, but I knew that I didn't want to stress out too much, and I didn't know what to expect, so I didn't know what to worry about or plan for. I pumped as much as possible before I went back to work, but sometimes, I didn't pump at all during the day. I just didn't feel like it, and I didn't want to burn myself out pumping and hate it so much that I quit, so I just didn't pump the whole day, and it was fine. I also recommend buying a good pump, as that is definitely key to your success!
Nursing Weston for the whole first year was one of the most amazing things that I've ever done, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. The emotional bond that I have with my son is so awesome, and I enjoy it! It's the ONLY time that Weston is still right now, and he sits in my lap. If he's not nursing, he's on the go, so it's a nice time for us to relax together.
I did have some supply issues towards the end, and I did all kinds of things to increase my supply. Some worked, some didn't, but I figured it out, and I was able to make it through. If anyone has any questions about supply issues, feel free to email me or comment on this post, and I will email you back. I also recommend finding a place that you are comfortable at work to pump. I have an office with a door that shuts and locks and doesn't have windows looking in...I have photo's of Weston, and I'm comfortable in my office. I'm not nervous that someone will come knocking or looking for me when my door is shut, and I can lock it for that extra piece of mind. You have to be comfortable and relaxed when you are pumping or it will definitely have an effect on your supply.
I've pumped everywhere, so it can be done! I've pumped in my car while driving down the road, I've pumped in my car while someone else was driving, I've pumped in my office, I've pumped at home, I've pumped in the bathroom, I've pumped in the airport and I've pumped on an airplane. It was tough, and it sometimes had it's awkward moments, but I am VERY modest and discreet, and I never had any moments where I felt like people saw anything. I also never nursed in public in the entire first year. I'm SUPER modest, and I just can't do it. I don't want to see it when I'm in public, and I don't want to do it in public. So, I didn't...I planned our trips around his nursing schedule, and I would nurse him little early or late, as needed, so we could be out and about, and it wouldn't cause an issue. I would just nurse him in the car before we went in or at home before we left, and it was never a problem.
If anyone has any other questions, please let me know. I'm happy to help out anyone and answer any questions.
Disclaimer: These opinions are my own opinions, and it's how I did it and was successful and comfortable nursing my son through his first year. I know everyone is different, and we all do things differently or find different ways to be successful. I don't think that my way is better than any other way, it's just the way that worked for me, and I hope that some of my suggestions work for someone else. :)
Anyways, I've been off work for two weeks now, and I just returned to work today, so I have lots to catch up on at work and not much time to post; however, I've been asked by a couple of different people about my experience with breastfeeding and returning to work, so I wanted to share my experience and how I did it. Weston will be a year old on January 20th, and I'm still nursing him in the morning and night. I no longer nurse him or pump during the day, but I have been able to continue nursing and not supplement with formula for the full first year. I know that everyone is different and not everyone wants to breastfeed at all, but I really wanted to have that experience, and it was one of the things that I really looked forward to experiencing, so I really wanted to be successful even though I was returning to work full time.
Here are a couple of questions that I've been asked:
How you prepared to go back to work after maternity leave?
I didn't really prepare...I probably should have, but I was just so overwhelmed with a new baby that I didn't think much about it. Weston had his first bottle when he was about two weeks old. I was SO exhausted that my mom came over for the night to watch Weston, so I could sleep, and she gave him a bottle of breastmilk during the middle of the night. I was SO blessed that he didn't have a problem going back and forth between the bottle and me. I did pump quite a lot, so I would A.) keep my supply up and B.) have milk stored up for when I went back to work. I pumped after he nursed in the morning, then I pumped if he only nursed from one side and I pumped before I went to bed at night. By the time I went back to work, I had a LOT of milk stored. I also had a really great milk supply, so I was able to pump lots of extra when I pumped each day.
Did you have a frozen milk supply before you went back to work?
As I mentioned above, I did have a frozen milk supply before I went to work. I had at least 500 ounces of frozen milk stored before I went back to work. When I went back to work, I pumped about 16 ounces while I was at work, and I pumped another 6 ounces before I went to bed, so I had adequate milk for him to have a daycare the next day, as well as, extra to continue to freeze.
Was your daycare willing to give breastmilk?
Yes. We use an in-home daycare lady who keeps a few children in her home. She is awesome, and I would go ahead and make his bottles and send her the pre-made bottles each morning, and she would give them to Weston. She also kept some frozen milk in her freezer for emergencies. Now that he is not drinking from a bottle but drinking from a cup, I just send her either cups of milk or a cup of milk and an extra small bottle of milk for refills. Having a daycare that is supportive of your desire to breastfeed is very important, and it was key to my success.
How often do you pump at work?
I pumped anywhere from 2-3 times a day at work and sometimes only once. At first, I pumped two times a day while at work, but then I started having supply issues, so I started taking Fenugreek and began pumping three times per day at work, so I could have enough milk for W. Shortly afterward, I realized had so much stored, that I moved down to 1 pumping a day at work and now I don't pump at all during work.
What is your pumping/feeding schedule?
My typical pumping/feeding schedule during the first year of Weston's life looked like this (before solids were introduced)...
6:30 AM - Wake Up & Nurse
8:30-9:00 AM - AM Nap
10:30 AM - Nurse & Pump at Work
1:00 PM - Nap
2:30-3:00 PM - Nurse & Pump at Work
6:30 PM - Nurse & W in Bed
9:30-10:00 PM - Pump before I go to Bed
As Weston begin eating more solids, his schedule looked more like this...
6:30 AM - Wake Up & Nurse
8:30-9:00 AM - AM Nap
10:30 AM - Pump at Work
11:00-11:30 - Lunch at Daycare for W
1:00 PM - Nap
2:30 - Pump at Work
3:00-3:00 PM - Snack at Daycare for W
6:00 PM - Dinner
7:00 PM - Nurse & Bed for W
9:30-10:00 PM - Pump before I go to Bed
During Weston's first few months, he was eating every three hours, as well as, waking up during the night usually once, so his schedule was similar to the four hour feeding, but he ate more often. I only pumped twice per day on average once I went back to work.
Any other tips/advice for breastfeeding working moms
My biggest piece of advice is to relax...I honestly didn't worry about it too much. I knew that I wanted to do it and be successful, but I knew that I didn't want to stress out too much, and I didn't know what to expect, so I didn't know what to worry about or plan for. I pumped as much as possible before I went back to work, but sometimes, I didn't pump at all during the day. I just didn't feel like it, and I didn't want to burn myself out pumping and hate it so much that I quit, so I just didn't pump the whole day, and it was fine. I also recommend buying a good pump, as that is definitely key to your success!
Nursing Weston for the whole first year was one of the most amazing things that I've ever done, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. The emotional bond that I have with my son is so awesome, and I enjoy it! It's the ONLY time that Weston is still right now, and he sits in my lap. If he's not nursing, he's on the go, so it's a nice time for us to relax together.
I did have some supply issues towards the end, and I did all kinds of things to increase my supply. Some worked, some didn't, but I figured it out, and I was able to make it through. If anyone has any questions about supply issues, feel free to email me or comment on this post, and I will email you back. I also recommend finding a place that you are comfortable at work to pump. I have an office with a door that shuts and locks and doesn't have windows looking in...I have photo's of Weston, and I'm comfortable in my office. I'm not nervous that someone will come knocking or looking for me when my door is shut, and I can lock it for that extra piece of mind. You have to be comfortable and relaxed when you are pumping or it will definitely have an effect on your supply.
I've pumped everywhere, so it can be done! I've pumped in my car while driving down the road, I've pumped in my car while someone else was driving, I've pumped in my office, I've pumped at home, I've pumped in the bathroom, I've pumped in the airport and I've pumped on an airplane. It was tough, and it sometimes had it's awkward moments, but I am VERY modest and discreet, and I never had any moments where I felt like people saw anything. I also never nursed in public in the entire first year. I'm SUPER modest, and I just can't do it. I don't want to see it when I'm in public, and I don't want to do it in public. So, I didn't...I planned our trips around his nursing schedule, and I would nurse him little early or late, as needed, so we could be out and about, and it wouldn't cause an issue. I would just nurse him in the car before we went in or at home before we left, and it was never a problem.
If anyone has any other questions, please let me know. I'm happy to help out anyone and answer any questions.
Disclaimer: These opinions are my own opinions, and it's how I did it and was successful and comfortable nursing my son through his first year. I know everyone is different, and we all do things differently or find different ways to be successful. I don't think that my way is better than any other way, it's just the way that worked for me, and I hope that some of my suggestions work for someone else. :)
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Weston's Walking
I can't believe it, but Weston started walking just a couple of steps on and off on November 22nd. He has slowly picked up speed, and he's now walking across rooms. He prefers walking over crawling, but if he wants to get somewhere really fast, he'll crawl instead. Anyways, I can't believe that just 10 months ago, he couldn't even roll over, and now, he's walking! Time is flying by WAY too quickly!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
On my "Tennis Phone"...
Weston has a new love for talking on the phone, but he doesn't just like talking on the real phone. He loves talking on ANYTHING that he can hold up to his ear and say "Hey". He is too funny!
Here is a video of him talking on his "Tennis Phone" aka Tennis Racket...
Here is a video of him talking on his "Tennis Phone" aka Tennis Racket...
Thursday, December 9, 2010
So much to be thankful for...
I know I'm SO late on posting Thanksgiving photos, but I had lost my camera, and I just now found it, and I got it charged back up, so better late than never!
We spent a great Thanksgiving Holiday with my parents at their house on Thursday followed by a second round with Great-Grammy & Grandfather in Greenville, SC on Friday. It was a great week, and we truly do have so much to be thankful for in the Harvey Household.
We are healthy and enjoying life with an almost 11 month old! He is so joyful, and I need to post a Monthly Update...I'm WAY late!
Here are some things that I'm thankful for this year:- A handsome, healthy son
- A loving, supportive husband and father
- A husband who gives our son a bath every single night, puts on his pajamas and reads to him, because he enjoys that special time that they share each night.
- Parents who love us and our son and who would do anything to help us and be there for us when we need them.
- A dog who lets our son chew on him, pull his ears and tail, step on him and "pat" him constantly.
- The ability to nurse my son to his 1st Birthday! Yay!
- Friends with children close in age to Weston that we spend time with regularly
- My sister who is getting married in the Spring, and I get to help with her wedding! She is a true best friend, and I'm SO glad that I can call her that!
I have SO much more to be thankful for, and I could go on and on and on, but I'll stop with those for now! I have nothing to complain about and am so grateful for all the joy in our lives.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Visit with Santa
This past Saturday, we had the chance to go see two Santa's, and it was a PERFECT day as a family. We woke up and headed out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, because we had a gift card. After breakfast, we went to our church where they were hosting a "Breakfast with Santa" with breakfast foods, arts and crafts and most importantly, Santa made an appearance! Weston got his picture made, and he actually liked Santa.
Next, we headed out to get Weston's photo taken with another Santa. We didn't get the photo at church, and we wanted some photos that we could use for Christmas gifts, as well, so we got some additional photos done. Again, W did great! We then went to Bass Pro Shop followed by lunch as a family before we dropped Weston off with my parents for his nap and to spend the night while Grant and I went to our office Christmas Party.
It was a great day, and I thoroughly enjoy Saturdays that we all spend together! I'm really looking forward to the next one! :)
Looks like he did pretty well with Santa, huh?! I saw some photo's of his daddy with Santa, and let's just say, it's NOT pretty! So glad that we didn't have a meltdown...
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Stomach Bug
Update: So, Weston didn't have anything on his stomach, so he slept through the night just fine, and he woke up at 5:00 AM really hungry. I nursed him, because my doctor told me to continue nursing him since he's breastfed, and he went back to sleep for about an hour. He woke up, and he was SO thirsty, so I gave him some more BM in a cup, and he drank the whole cup dry (approximately 5 ounces). He also ate some Cheerios. Grant is home with him now, and he hasn't been sick again yet, so he's held that down for about 4 hours. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we are over the worst of it!
My little man has his first stomach bug! :(
One of the other little boys at daycare got sick on Monday, and he ended up going home from daycare early. I was keeping my fingers crossed that Weston wasn't going to come down with it, because he didn't get it yesterday. Unfortunately, today was the day, and I'm SO sad!
He started throwing up around 4:30 PM, and he's thrown up three times since this! Poor baby boy! Anyways, he has nothing in his stomach...no food, drink, nothing! How do I keep him hydrated? Everything just comes back up?!
Anyways, Weston and one of the other little boys got sick today, and the boy who was sick on Monday is sick again today. Not good! We have big plans to see Santa this weekend, so we can't be sick at the Harvey house. And I'm praying that we don't come down with it...I don't know what we'll do!
My little man has his first stomach bug! :(
One of the other little boys at daycare got sick on Monday, and he ended up going home from daycare early. I was keeping my fingers crossed that Weston wasn't going to come down with it, because he didn't get it yesterday. Unfortunately, today was the day, and I'm SO sad!
He started throwing up around 4:30 PM, and he's thrown up three times since this! Poor baby boy! Anyways, he has nothing in his stomach...no food, drink, nothing! How do I keep him hydrated? Everything just comes back up?!
Anyways, Weston and one of the other little boys got sick today, and the boy who was sick on Monday is sick again today. Not good! We have big plans to see Santa this weekend, so we can't be sick at the Harvey house. And I'm praying that we don't come down with it...I don't know what we'll do!
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