The Third Prayer

When we tell Mary Rene to smile, she will either give us a cheesy smile and pose

or look something like this

oh!  She cracks me up!  What a little ham.

A new tooth popped through last week and two more are halfway through.  Interestingly, she hasn’t been entirely too crabby and no snotty nose.  This time we just know she is teething because she keeps chewing on her fingers.  And well, I stuck my finger in her mouth and saw them.

On Saturday we went to the pet store to get Sophie’s nails trimmed.  Let me first say that I really need to start scheduling these appointments so I stop falling behind.  Those nails grow so fast since I’m not running with her anymore and they are so freakin’ annoying on our hardwood floors.  I digress.  The point of this, Mary Rene had so much fun at the pet store.  First there were the birds, then the dogs, next cats and finally her favorite, fish.  She was in fish heaven with the hundreds of fish swimming around.  She kept pointing and “oohing” and “ooooo” as she went from tank to tank.  She melts our hearts with her simple, pure, innocent episodes of happiness over the smallest and most mundane things.  Wouldn’t life be great if we got that excited over trivial, daily items in our life?

We hit a huge, huge milestone yesterday: Mary Rene napped at my parent’s house.  When she was an infant, she would fall asleep anywhere.  But as baby girl grew, she got set in her ways and she would only nap at home, my mother-in-law’s house (that is who watches her the two days I work) and Piedmont (my parent’s property.)  The last time I was able to get her to take a nap at my parent’s house was the day of my sister’s bridal shower which was back in August.  Frank was in charge of Mary Rene and she wouldn’t take a nap for him.  So he drove her to my parent’s house in hopes that she would fall asleep in the car.  She didn’t.  I tried to get her to nap there and she wouldn’t.  So we continued to get ready for the shower.  People arrived, the shower started and Mary Rene was busy crawling from one person to another.  By the time the shower was ending, Mary Rene was well past her morning nap and it was time for her afternoon nap.  She was so exhausted that I was able to get her to take a nap.  Glorious.  But as you can see from the details, she was super exhausted and that might be the real reason she napped.  So honestly, the last time she took a nap at my parent’s house was probably…Christmas 2008.  Seriously.  So yesterday was a huge milestone.  When I went to pick her up, my parents mentioned that she was tired but they couldn’t get her to nap.  So I asked her if she wanted to take a nap and she walked right into “the nap” room and climbed on the bed.  I hanged her her blanket and she quickly tugged on my top.  At first it didn’t appear like she was going to fall asleep but after 10 minutes of nursing she closed her eyes.  But she has done that before.  So I waited another five minutes before I tried unlatching, and well, she wouldn’t let me.  I let another two minutes go by and she still won’t let me.  So while still latched on, I laid down on the bed, continued to nurse for a few more minutes and finally was able to unlatch.  Baby girl doesn’t want to let go sometime.  And…I was able to walk out of the room.  I went in the room where my parents were sitting, Mary Rene-less, and pounded my fist in the air and did a little dance.  I was one proud momma.  About 45-50 minutes into her naps, my dad went to check on her and she woke up.  He is a worry wart!  But the good news is that she napped, regardless of the amount of time.

Okay, that sounded like a huge ordeal, but, I have hope.  If I continue to do this every week then eventually she will associate “the nap” room with naps and maybe nap for my parents too!

My dad had so much fun playing with Mary Rene all day yesterday.  He enjoyed feeding her breakfast and lunch.  She liked it too because he plays the “airplane” feeding game and it was cracking her up.

You may wonder, what else does she do over there?  She currently is teaching the cats to sit.

Okay, maybe teach is the wrong word.  She forces the cats to sit.

She explores every room in the house, and there are a lot of rooms, and she seems to find something new to play with each time.  Yesterday she found my grandma’s scary life size dolls which have always been in the computer room.

Isn’t Mark scary?  Well, Mary Rene didn’t seem to mind.

Mark wears size 2T clothes, bigger then Mary Rene, but Mary Rene sure was showing him who was boss.

Mary Rene has added two new words to her list.  She likes to stand on the window ledge and jump in my arms and before she jumps she says, “WEEEEE!”  So cute.  Frank’s mom has been trying to teach her to say “Happy Birthday” because it is on one of her Barney videos.  Right now Mary Rene says, “hap” for Happy.  So close!  Baby girl is one smart little cookie.

As the old saying goes, you get wiser with age.  And well, you get wiser with the second kid.  I’ve learned a lot since Mary Rene’s pregnancy by watching my friends raise their babies and well, by watching myself stumble and fall here and there.  I think Frank and I have done a fantastic job of raising Mary Rene and I wouldn’t take anything back.  She is who she is because of how we raised her and I love every little ounce of her.  But with Sweet Pea, there are some things I want to do differently and below is a list I have started compiling.  I’m sure once I publish this I will think of more, but I have been working on this post for a few weeks now and want it out of my “draft” folder!  So if I think of more, I’ll just write another post.  On the same token, there are a lot of things I will do the same. 

Feel free to add your thoughts and what you would do different the next time around.  I would love to see what everyone else has to say! 

Labor

• Wait to go to the hospital until I am in more pain or until the contractions are five minutes apart

I think I jumped the gun on this on.  We were excited, nervous, not really knowing what to expect.  Honestly, I felt pretty good and wanted to stay home longer.  But Frank and his mom both thought we should go to the hospital, so we did.  We got there at 7 p.m. and waited, and waited, and waited.  It wasn’t until early the next morning that I had the opportunity to push.  I think I could have easily stayed at home for another few hours.  That would have given Frank and myself some alone time, to work through the contractions together and really experience the birthing process.  The hospital setting just got in the way.

• Don’t get an IV

Or at least try not to get it right away.  I didn’t know that you had the option not to get it.  An IV makes you retain water which isn’t really a good thing.  Drinking water is much easier and then you can still move around freely.  Plus it took them four attempts to get the IV inserted and that was just painful.

• Walk the hospital and don’t get strapped to the bed

This goes along with waiting to go to the hospital.  We got there at 7 p.m. and by 7:35-7:45 p.m. I was laying in the bed with an IV and the baby monitor strapped to my belly.  Laying down is not cool and makes your contractions worse.  I took the child birth classes for a reason!

• Don’t let them break my water to speed up labor

That was just plain ridiculous.  If I can hold off and wait to go to the hospital, and hold off on the IV, and hold off getting strapped to the bed, then maybe I can hold off here too.  Getting my water broken made my contractions 10 times worse and well…the nurses gave me the nickname “Puddles.”

• Try for drug free

If I wait to go to the hospital, don’t get the IV right away, don’t get strapped to the bed right away, don’t get my water broken, then I can work through more contractions which would make it slightly easier to have a drug free delivery.  I was doing fine without the epidural until they broke my water.  That was just some quick, no nonsense pain that I didn’t think I could handle.  And the anesthesiologist was just waiting outside the room with his needle.  Plus, Mary Rene was so sleepy from the epidural that nursing in the beginning was tough.  On top of that, we had to pay the anesthesiologist for his services and for the drug.  I think that ended up costing us $400-500 towards our deductible.

• Have Frank take pictures from the side where you can see Sweet Pea’s face!

I am very happy that Frank got some pictures at all but all of the “first” pictures don’t show Mary Rene’s face.  You can only see the back of her head, my face and the nurse. 

• Have Frank get a picture of Sweet Pea’s first meal!

I didn’t get a picture of Mary Rene nursing until she was about six months old!  And honestly, that is the only picture I still have to this day.  Nursing has been such a huge part of our lives together and I want to remember these precious moments.  Including that first meal.  Some of my friends got pictures of that first meal and they are so precious.  I don’t think there is anything more amazing then a newborn baby, just minutes old, suckling on his/her momma’s breast.  That is why God gave women breast in the first place.

The Hospital Stay

• Hold my baby more

I feel like the only time I held Mary Rene was when I nursed her.  There was either someone visiting or we had her in the bassinet.  I want to cuddle more while I can because when I get home, I’ll have two kids to take care of and I know my cuddle time will be limited.

• Get out of bed more

I only got out of bed to go to the bathroom and change clothes.  I was in the mindset that I was on a mini-vacation.  Basically I paid the price when I got home because recovery was rough.  (Recovery was actually worse then labor and delivery.)  When I finished running a marathon, I never sat down at the finish line.  I would walk around, stretch out a bit and make sure to walk a lot the next day.  Same should go for labor and delivery.

• Walk down to the nursery

Heck I didn’t even leave my room with Mary Rene.  When we went to sleep at night we would send Mary Rene to the nursery so we could get some rest.  Frank walked down there every night to check on her and he would come back and talk about her in the swing and he wanted me to come see.  I was being lazy. 

• Sleep more

Well this is obvious.  When I get home I won’t be able to send Sweet Pea to the nursery for the night.  Plus I’ll have two kids to take care of so I need to sleep while in the hospital.

• Limit visitors

I’m going to sound like a complete scrooge here but I really need to be firm on this.  I was so happy to share Mary Rene with the world that both of our entire families and all of our friends came to visit at the hospital.  It was an exciting time and we loved the company.  But I didn’t realize how exhausting that would be.  Throughout the day, there are different hospital staff members (your doctor, your nurse, baby’s nurse, baby’s doctor, dietitian, lactation consultant, house keeping, insurance person, lunch lady, Eucharist Minister, baby photographer, etc.) in your room nearly every hour between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.  I seriously am not kidding here.  There is little alone time or rest time with all the medical stuff you need to do.  Add that on top of a constant stream of visitors and you are overwhelmed.  Plus as a new mother I was afraid to nurse in front of anyone so every time we had a visitor I wouldn’t try.  Which meant I had to learn to nurse when I was at home, alone, and that was so stressful.  Sure this time I am more confident and really don’t care if I nurse in front of my family and friends.  But the extra rest and alone time would be nice.  Plus once you get home, you really need the help.  So a visit from a family member or friend means so much more when you are in the comfort of your own home.  And not wearing a hospital gown! 

• Understand all the paperwork I am signing

Point blank.  I don’t even know what I signed most of the time but I just signed it to get it over with because I wanted to keep the line of people moving that were in my room (see above comment.)  But this time I am going to be more cautious about what I sign and be 100% confident in my signature and approval.

• Try to get an earlier release

Is it really necessary to stay two nights?  I don’t think it is if you and the baby are doing really good.  I had some blood clot issues the first day with Mary Rene but they were gone by the second day.  If I would have asked, maybe we could have been released and I could have spent the second night in my own bed.  Plus, I can’t bear to think of being away from Mary Rene that many nights in a row.

• Since I am paying for it, take two of the booger snot sucker outer things

You can’t buy one that even comes close to pulling out snot like the hospital brand!  No joke!

Nursing

• Be comfortable nursing in public, anywhere and everywhere

There were so many times that I would hide in a bathroom, a dressing room or even go in a separate room when at family functions.  I need to represent nursing mothers and not be ashamed.  The only way to properly educate others on the importance of breastfeeding is to do it. 

• Don’t use a nursing cover

It draws way too much attention.  You pretty much have a huge billboard over you that says: NURSING BABY HERE!!!!!  I found that just wrapping a blanket around Mary Rene worked much better than the cover.  But honestly, I think I learned to be more discreet nursing in public when I just did it without any type of cover.  There were many times that I would be nursing Mary Rene and my brother would come in the room and start talking to me.  If he knew what I was doing he wouldn’t have been in the room with me.  I was so discreet about it that he thought she was sleeping. 

• Learn to nurse laying down sooner

I think Mary Rene was about six weeks old before I even attempted to try this.  That meant the first six weeks I would sit all the way up in bed, every two hours to nurse for 20-30 minutes to nurse.  Basically, I was wide awake and had a hard time getting back to bed.

• Don’t watch the clock so much in the beginning

Just nurse until Sweet Pea is done.  No need to switch every 15 minutes like they tell you to do in the hospital.  When I stopped watching the clock with Mary Rene, she started getting the hind milk which is the best part.  Baby girl put on some weight quick!

• Master nursing on one side and holding an empty bottle on the other side to catch let down

I’m a leaker, a serious leaker and I don’t think that will change with the second baby.  Double letdown baby.  I had to wear nursing pads until Mary Rene was 11 months!  No kidding.  Instead of pumping milk to get ready for my return to work I want to try and catch the milk from the other breast into a bottle.  I had a couple friends that were able to do this and it cut down on their pump time.  In addition, there is no good reason to have a wet, soaky pad of milk when it is good milk that can be used at a later date.

• Avoid red sauce!

I heard all the warnings about green vegetables and spicy food before pregnancy and stayed away from those foods.  But nobody warned me about red sauce and that was a huge, huge disturbance to Mary Rene’s belly.  We were so lucky to receive so many cooked meals from friends the first two or three weeks.  The only problem was that most of them contained red sauce and Mary Rene was crabby and didn’t sleep much those first few weeks.  Now I realize it was the red sauce.  I will definitely limit my red sauce intake until Sweet Pea is a few months older so I can keep that belly comfortable.  And well, that way momma can sleep more.

Baby Wearing

• Do it more

I wore my Moby Wrap a lot but not as much as I could have worn it.  I am currently sewing a ring sling so I will have two different slings to wear.  I think if I keep Sweet Pea in the sling for a good portion of the day, nursing and napping, then I’ll have more time to be hands on with Mary Rene. 

• Learn to nurse in my sling

I can already picture myself sitting on the couch for 30 minutes, every two to three hours, while Mary Rene roams around the house.  It would be nice to be able to go in the backyard and walk around while Sweet Pea nursed.  Or go grocery shopping and let Sweet Pea nurse while I do some shopping.  Time saver and oh so convenient.

Sleeping

• Always, always, put Sweet Pea back in the co-sleeper when I am done nursing

Always, always do this.  It was a bad habit I started with Mary Rene.  Main reason she is still in our bed.  I love co-sleeping but wish I would have kept her in the co-sleeper which would have defined her special place to sleep.

• At three or four months, start sleep training

Put the baby to bed when he/she is awake.  We didn’t do this with Mary Rene and well, we didn’t get to this point until she was 15 months.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the way we have raised Mary Rene, but the many, many nights of rocking a 23 pound baby were exhausting.  Plus, it is hard for other people to get her to sleep.  We need more options with Sweet Pea.  I hate the thought of sleep training but I know I need to work on it sooner with Sweet Pea.  Mary Rene was only able to fall asleep being nursed or rocked for the first 15 months.  Convincing her to sleep on her own was hard, not only for her but for us.  It would be nice to have Sweet Pea learn how to go to sleep on his/her own at an earlier age.

• Try to get Sweet Pea to nap on his/her own when he/she is three to five months old.

I still have to nurse Mary Rene to nap everyday.  It addition, Mary Rene doesn’t nap for Frank or my parents.  Frank’s mom has to rock her to nap still.  It would be nice for Sweet Pea to nap for everyone, regardless of the situation and where he/she is at that given time.

• All naps in crib

I got in the bad habit of letting Mary Rene nap on the couch.  Now, she naps in our bed.  Which actually is great because she takes longer naps in our bed because she is so comfortable there (pillow top mattress!)  But I want to make sure Sweet Pea naps in his/her crib so when he/she is placed in the crib so a connection is made that it is nap time.

• Around three to four months, take turns with Frank on who helps put Sweet Pea to sleep

For the first year, it was primarily my job to put Mary Rene to bed because she would only nurse to sleep.  When she wouldn’t fall asleep nursing then I would rock.  If I got tired and tried handing her off to Frank she would scream bloody murder.  Which just made it easier for me to do the job.  Sweet Pea needs to learn to fall asleep for anyone, not just mommy that way I can catch a break.

• Have a place for Sweet Pea to nap at my parent’s house

Mary Rene really didn’t have a place to nap and to this day, I still can’t get her to nap there.  If Sweet Pea has a place to sleep from the beginning then it will be easier to start the napping process.

 Vaccinations

• Don’t get Sweet Pea the Hepatitis B shot at birth

Which goes back to “Understand all the paperwork I am signing.”  I see no reason at all for my child to get a vaccine the day he/she is born.  Especially since I don’t have Hepatitis B.

• Be firm in my decision and don’t let anyone talk me out of the choices I am making for my child

Be firm, really firm.  I’ve spent way too much time researching vaccines to let someone push me around.  There are reasons that I am going to do what I want to do and I need to stay firm with whomever stands against me.

• Delay vaccinations

I wish I would have done this with Mary Rene but I didn’t know what I know now.  I just can’t understand why all those vaccines are needed in such a short amount of time.  I believe vaccines are important but they need to be spaced out.  Plus, Sweet Pea will not, under any circumstance, be getting any vaccine with tissues from an aborted baby.

Leaving the House

• Get outside more in the beginning

Even if it is just in the backyard or a walk around the block.  Fresh air is good for Mary Rene, Sweet Pea and me.  All parties win.  That is why I have a sling.

• Go to my parent’s house more often 

I didn’t do this in the beginning with Mary Rene and she had extreme separation anxiety.  For the longest time, she didn’t want to be alone over there.  It was hard for me to watch and hard for my parents to deal with too.

• Let my parents watch Sweet Pea more than I let them watch Mary Rene

Again, she had separation anxiety with them and I felt horrible for her and my parents when they were alone together.  I want Sweet Pea to feel more comfortable around my parents so they can be alone with him/her more often.

What I want to do the same

No pacifiers

Waiting to start solids until at least seven months

Breastfeed

Cloth diapers

Co-Sleep

Wow.  That was a mouth full.  Did you fall along?  Now tell me what you would do different the second, or third or fourth, time around.

Happy Fat Tuesday!  Our church cancelled their Fat Tuesday celebration so we plan on over indulging on junk food and booze at our house.  Bring on the beads!

Our little angel is 17 months today!  I can’t say this enough but time sure does fly!  In one month she will be a year and half!  Oh I just can’t believe it.  I want to invent that magic pill to make her stop growing already.  I love to hold and kiss her all day long.  These days are numbered so I am going to do it as much as I can while I can!

Mary Rene has been snorting like a pig when she laughs, trait she picked up from me, so I’ve been able to transfer her snort laugh to a pig noise.  Now when she snorts, I say, “what does a pig say?”  And she’ll snort again.  Now she isn’t snorting when she laughs anymore but only doing it when she makes her pig noise.  And this is what her face looks like when she makes the pig noise.

My brilliant friend Jamie (thanks Jamie!!!) gave me a suggestion for our crazy bedroom situation.  As a quick reminder on how much Mary Rene’s sleeping arrangements have changed since she has turned one:

She slept on her mattress on the floor but ended up waking up every night crying to come in our room.

We bought her a toddler bed but were too afraid she would fall out in the middle of the night since she rolls so much so she only naps in there.

For the past two months we have had a twin size mattress on the floor next to our bed.  The plan was for Mary Rene to sleep there so she would be close enough to us.  But Frank didn’t want Mary Rene on the floor so he has been sleeping there and she has been sleeping with me.

But now, we have a new arrangement and I must say it is not chaotic as the picture above.  Our room actually looks clean!

We put the twin mattress back downstairs and wheeled Mary Rene’s crib in our room.  We adjusted the height so it was the same level as our bed, which is still off the frame.  We put this together Sunday and Mary Rene was having so much fun playing in “her bed.” 

Genius!  Thanks Jamie!  Mary Rene was having so much fun playing in her crib.  She kept bringing all her covers and stuffed animals and playing in there like it was some big toy.  Sunday night when we tried to get her to sleep in her crib she refused.  So we let her fall asleep in our bed and a few hours later when we went to sleep we moved her over to her crib.  Somewhere in the middle of the night she found her way back in our bed and was snuggled against my knee caps.  Monday night she fell asleep in our bed and when we went to bed we moved her over again.  Within minutes she crawled back over to snuggle with me.  Frank and I were laughing so hard and nearly woke her up.  It was so darn adorable.  I let her snuggle with me but in the middle of the night I woke up and noticed she was back in her crib.  I woke up a few hours later and felt her snuggled in my arms again.  So she can’t decide where she wants to go yet but at least she has options.  The best part is both nights she just moved over herself without waking up crying or screaming for help.  So this is absolutely the most peaceful situation thus far.  We plan on keeping the arrangements like this until June.  Come June we need to start getting ready for Sweet Pea.

Sunday night we got snow so I thought it would be best if Mary Rene spent the day inside on Monday.  Even though Frank was a sweet angel and cleaned off my car and the walkway, we played it safe and stayed in.  Which makes for a very long day when you are cooped up in a matchbox all day.  So I made sure to only have my work email open, all other browsers closed, and we played all day.  What did we do? 

That was only fun for a bit so I decided to pull out the washable paint.  Mary Rene didn’t get the concept at first but after away she caught on. 

But then she decided to paint her hands instead.

And realized that the paintbrush was just an extra step in the process so she used her fingers instead.

But why paint your hands when you can paint your clothes?

And your face.

And your legs.

Yeah, that got a little mess.

Baby girl is still nursing away and I’m still able to get her to fall asleep for her nap.  She has dropped a random nursing session and is averaging only three times a day: morning, nap and night.  I heard my milk is going to start changing soon, second trimester, so I’m not sure what will happen then.  I plan on taking it day by day.

We had a play date with my friend Emily and her two adorable daughters, Ella and Beatrice, my amazing Goddaughter.  That’s Beatrice playing in the background and Ella giving Mary Rene a good hug.  I must say, those girls are so adorable and sweet and we had fun playing with them.  Mary Rene was being a good little girl and sharing her necklace and toys with Ella.  She also liked pointing at Beatrice and didn’t mind at all when I held her!

But what did she learn while over there?  That big girls hold their own bananas!  It was snack time while we were there and I pulled out Mary Rene’s banana and would give her a bite here and there.  Ella asked for her banana and Emily handed it to her and Ella ate away.  At the time I didn’t notice but Mary Rene must have been watching her really close.  The next day, and everyday since, Mary Rene has insisted on holding her banana all by herself.

She is growing up right before my eyes!  She thinks she is something else as she walks around holding her own banana and taking bite after bite.  I guess she was a little jealous of Ella and wanted to be like her.  So cute.

I have learned that Mary Rene likes when I play with her hair.  She has been waking up in the middle of the night, screaming in pain from those darn teeth, and many times I am able to soothe her by running my hands through her hair.  She calms down pretty quick and slowly closes her eyes again as I stroke her head.  Sometimes during the day she will run her hands through her hair and then come in my lap.  I take that as my cue to start playing with her hair.  Such a girlie girl.

Our Parents as Teacher educator was over for a visit on Saturday.  Mary Rene is starting to get familiar with her and is always ready to see what is in her bag! Our educator was having Mary Rene imitate her as she cut up fruit and vegetables with a plastic knife and fed the baby doll avocado.  Mary Rene was having fun and picked up on the game really quick.  After awhile though she decided to take all the toys and scatter them like crazy throughout the house.  Mary Rene enjoys these visits and at one point went and sat in her lap so she could read her a book.  When she was about go leave, Mary Rene went up to her, grabbed her face and kissed her!  Besides spontaneously kissing Frank and me, she has never done that to someone.  I was so taken back by it but realized it was because Mary Rene really enjoys these visits and having “her friend” come over to play.

Mary Rene added “yum yum” to her list and I think it is because of our PAT visit.  They were playing make believe and feeding the baby doll and our PAT kept saying “yum yum.”  Later that day when I was feeding Mary Rene lunch she said “yum yum.”  So cute!

Nursing…still going strong.

I wasn’t feeling good all weekend and we decided to stay home for the Superbowl instead of going to a party.  I made some homemade chips and Frank ran up to the local bar and got us hot wings and mini tacos.  So we snacked just like we would have at a party but it was only the three of us.  Mary Rene started pointing at my wing so I put it towards her, she opened her mouth and I gave her a bite.  Instead she licked the sauce and quickly pushed it away, started crying and was pushing her tongue in and out of her mouth.  She kept crying and was touching her tongue with her finger.  Frank and I couldn’t help but laugh as we watched her reaction to the hot sauce.  I took the lid off her sippy cup and let her drink some water.  She didn’t want to stop drinking and we just kept laughing.  It was the best laugh we both have had in awhile, even though it was at our daughter’s expense.  Did she learn her lesson?  No.  A few minutes later she did the more sign as she pointed to my wing!  This time I took the hot sauce and skin off and let her have a bite of the chicken.  I’m so glad I was feeling well because we had such a good time hanging out as a family.  Plus, the bonus laughter was great!

After doing my internet research and reading, “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations,” by Stephanie Cave, M.D., F.A.A.F.P, I have a better understanding on why certain vaccines are on the mandatory list.  Most states require 10 vaccines but your pediatrician may give a few more.  By the time your child is five, your child may have had at least 33 doses for the 10 vaccines.  That does not include any additional shots your pediatrician decided to give. 

Below is a brief description of the illness, questions brought up regarding validity of vaccine, when the Center for Disease Control and Prevention wants your child vaccinated, and finally, when Dr. Cave recommends giving the vaccination.  Dr. Cave’s goal is to postpone vaccines as long as possible to reduce adverse reactions, while still following state law.

Please keep in mind, some of these vaccines can come in the form of  liquid instead of a shot.

Hepatitis B (HepB)

This is a disease which affects the liver. This disease mostly effects drug users and homosexual men.  So why are newborns given this shot when there is little risk of the disease as a child?  The CDC recommends that your child get this shot: at birth, one month later and then again at nine months.  Three doses are needed.  If the mother is negative for Hepatitis B, then it is not necessary for your child to get this vaccination at such an early age.  However, to meet state requirements, you will need this completed before your child goes to school.  Dr. Cave’s recommendation is to give the first shot the year before school starts, the second shot the following month and the final shot four months after the first dose.

CDC:birth, 1 month, 9 month (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave: Approximately 3 years, one month later, three months later

Huge difference.  I will definately do this shot different with Sweet Pea.

Rotavirus

This is a strain of diarrhea causing virus that mostly effects infants. It is a contagious and highly infective virus. However, this virus mostly effects formula fed babies and those in daycare.  I just read an interesting article on Peaceful Parenting (thanks Jamie!) how exclusively breastfeeding reduced rotavirus 90% in Brazil over the vaccine at only 40%.  This particular vaccine has been recalled on and off again and was only recently, 2009, added to the mandatory list.  It has been recalled, on and off again, because there have been so many side effects to this vaccine.  Currently the CDC recommends your child getting this vaccine at two months, four months, and six months.  The maximum age to get this vaccine is 14 weeks.  Per the CDC, vaccination should not be initiated for infants aged 15 weeks or older.  So if you delay this one, well you delay this one. Dr. Cave does not mention this vaccination in her recommendation list since it was not mandatory at the time.  Which leads me to believe that she wouldn’t have had it on her “extra” list.

 (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

I really don’t know what to do with this shot.  Since it has been recalled so many times I am wondering what the chances of it happening again will be.  But then again, this mostly effects infants which concerns me.  I plan on breastfeeding Sweet Pea, but there always is that chance and I would hate for her/him to get a diarrhea type virus.  So I might consider sticking to the CDC schedule on this one.  Or at least postponing the first shot until the three month visit instead of at two months.

Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTaP or DTP)

The DTP vaccine is a three in one shot. It protects the child against Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis. Diphtheria (effects ages 2-5) is a disease affecting the throat,  Tetanus (effects people in their 50s and older)  is related to painful muscle spasms and Pertussis (effects all ages but worse in infants) is the formal name for whooping cough.  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at two months, four months, six months and 15-18 months.  A booster shot is given again around the age of four or five.  Dr. Cave recommends getting these shots separate if possible.  She gives these shots at seven months, nine months, 18 months and the booster and four or five months.

CDC: 2 months, 6 months, 15-18 months  (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave:  7 months, 9 months, 18 months.

Again a difference but not as much.  I would like to delay this shot a few months and maybe wait until Sweet Pea is closer to five or six months.

Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

The Hib vaccine can protect the child from the flu like symptoms that can eventually lead to meningitis and pneumonia. It is also possible for the child to choke due to the severe throat infection that this organism can cause.  This is contagious and you can get this more than once.  This is most common in young child.  There have not been many reported side effects on this vaccine.  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at two months, four months, six months and the final dose at 15-18 months.  Dr. Cave recommends four months, six months, eight months and 17 months.  Since this one didn’t have many side effects it was given earlier and with another vaccine, Polio, and the same appointments.

CDC: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave: 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, 17 months

Since there are little side effects I am comfortable giving this shot.  But I would like to delay the first shot until at least four months with Sweet Pea.

Pneumococcal

The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine fights against a bacteria which tends to cause ear infections in children.  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at two months, four months, six months and again at one year.  Dr. Cave recommends waiting until your child is two and only getting one dose. 

CDC: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 1 year  (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave: 2 years (one dose)

Big difference.  I still don’t understand exactly why she postponed this one so long but allowed other shots so early.  I’ll have to do further research on this one for Sweet Pea.

Polio

Polio is a viral illness, that in 95% of cases produces no symptoms at all.  More serious forms of polio can cause muscle paralysis.  Polio was virtually eliminated from the US in the 20th century.  (There has not been a reported case since 1991.)  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at two months, four months, six months and a booster at four or five years.  Since this vaccine had little side effects or concerns, Dr. Cave recommended giving this at four months, six months, 17 months and the booster at four or five years.

CDC: 2 months, 4 months, 6 months  (Mary Rene has already completed this series of shots.)

Cave: 4 months, 6 months, 17 months

Not much a difference.  I honestly think I will postpone this one further than Cave proposed.  Since there hasn’t been a case of Polio in the US since 1991, I don’t see this one as a life threatening disease.  I need to do furthe research before I decide when I will get this done for Sweet Pea.

Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR)

The MMR vaccine is a three in one protector against three different diseases.

Measles can start as a bad cold with a rash and then become far more serious if not immediately treated. It is highly contagious but nearly gone in the US.  Unfortunately, this vaccine is starting to develop resistance and not working as effectively as it used to.  (Why is it given then?)

Mumps is a viral infection which is very contagious.  This vaccine was developed for males but is also given to females. (Why do females get this vaccination then?)

Rubella results in high fever, swollen glands and even rashes.  This is common in preschool children.  This vaccine was originally made to protect unborn children.  (Why do children get this vaccination then?)

This is one of the most debated vaccinations and has been linked to autism, other neurological problems and Crohn’s disease.  The reason it is so debated is because of the trio vaccine and so many children having negative side effects around the time the shot was given.

The CDC recommends giving this trio shot at 12 months, no earlier, and a second shot at age four.  Dr. Cave recommends separate shots: Measles at 15 months, Rubella 12 months after the Measles shot, Mumps 12 months after the Rubella shot.  Then giving the preschool booster at age four or five.  However, it was recently reported that Merck, the main vaccine manufacturer for the MMR will no longer be working on making separate vaccines.  Of course, this can eventually change.

CDC: 12 months, 4 years   (Mary Rene got the first dose.  I can’t postpone the second because she will need it in order to get into school.)

Cave: separate shots.  Measles: 15 months, Rubella; 12 months later, Mumps: 12 months later

Since there is not a separate vaccination at this time, and not sure when there will be, I’m not sure how I will handle this.  Regardless, I will be delaying this with Sweet Pea until before school.

Varicella (chickenpox)

Need I say more?  Chickenpox.  Did you get it as a kid?  I didn’t and I never got the vaccine either.  This is not a life threatening disease but only an inconvenience that last approximately 10 to 20 days.  The vaccine may wear off as time goes on and it may not be effective when your child reaches adulthood.  Getting chickenpox as an adult is a million times worse then getting it as a child.  The funny thing is, this vaccine was developed to help the economy back in the early 1990s.  Many mothers had to take off work for an extended amount of time until their child got over chickenpox.  Employers were losing money because of mothers being at home for such a long time.  This is when the government stepped in and a vaccine was created.  Chickenpox mostly effects school-aged children.  The CDC recommends giving this vaccine at one year and then again around four.  Dr. Cave recommends waiting until your child is ready to enter school and doing a ‘titer” to see if your child is immune.

CDC: 1 year, 4 years  (Mary Rene got the first dose.  I can’t postpone the second because she will need it in order to get into school.)

Cave: Wait until ready for school

I have to side completely with Cave on this one.  I don’t see the necessity in getting the shot until it is needed.  Plus, if they think it is going to wear off anyways, it seems kind of pointless.  But, I have to follow state law to get Sweet Pea into school.

Hepatitis A (HepA)

This is a liver infection that is common in children but more serious in adults.  In mostly effects people in western states.  The CDC recommends giving this at 15 months and again at four years.  Dr. Cave does not have this on her list as recommended vaccines.

CDC: 15 months, 4 years   (Mary Rene got the first dose.  I can’t postpone the second because she will need it in order to get into school.)

This is a shot I will delay for Sweet Pea.  There doesn’t seem to be a huge concern or chance of her/him getting this so I think it will be safe to postpone.  I’m not sure exactly when though.

***

Regarding the booster shot, you can have the pediatrician check your child’s ‘titer’ to measure the amount in child’s blood to see if a further dose is needed or not.  You might be able to opt out of the booster later in life.

***

I still don’t know exactly what vaccination schedule I will follow with Sweet Pea.  One thing is for sure, I will not be following the 2010 CDC guidelines completely.  I also don’t think I will follow Dr. Cave’s schedule either.  She has some vaccinations listed early and I’m not certain if they need to be that early.  I still want to read Dr. Sears’ “The Vaccine Book” before I make any final determination. 

***

WOOH!  That was a mouth full.  And that was only the current nine recommended vaccinations (really 13 when you break the trio shots up.)  There are also shots for the flu, H1N1, Lyme Disease, Menningococcal, etc.  But as the book pointed out, what does the future hold for vaccinations?  Will there be shots for STDS (some are already in the works,) what about shots for HIV/AIDS?  Reproductive vaccine?  What else will we allow the government to MAKE our children get vaccinated against?  

What I found most interesting was that many of these illness are for diseases that effect older children and adults.  But why are we giving these to babies?  Is it really true that we are giving these to babies because the government has the best chance of making sure children are vaccinate due to the many wellness visits?  If that is the case, then can’t we be given the responsibility to make sure our child gets vaccinated before school, when they are older?

Okay, this is not the last post on vaccines.  I still have another post about the different ingredients they use (very disturbing) and some other side issues.  I haven’t started constructing those post, and well, I’m busy this week, so they might not be until the following week.  Stay posted and thanks for reading!

Since I brush my teeth before Mary Rene wakes up, she is now under the impression that she is the only one brushing her teeth and does not need to do it anymore.  I was having the hardest time getting her to brush until I came up with a new plan.  Now, I brush Sophie’s teeth, stop, brush Mary Rene’s teeth, stop, brush Sophie’s teeth some more, stop, brush Mary Rene’s teeth some more, give Mary Rene her tooth brush so she can finish the job while I finish Sophie’s teeth.

And it is working brilliantly.  Now Mary Rene will brush away and smile while I brush Sophie’s teeth.  Every time she stops, I quickly say, “keep brushing” and she’ll start brushing again.  When she is done, I let her brush Sophie’s teeth too.  She is having a lot of fun with this new “game.”

I decided to get some real Vitamin D so we bundled up and went outside for about 10 minutes the other day.

Will winter end soon?  I miss the sun.  I miss playing in the backyard.  I miss our stroller walks.  I’m getting a little depressed here.  And so is Mary Rene.

Have you ever seen a kid in a sandbox wearing a snowsuit?

Now you have.  And yes, we had to wear our necklace outside.

Unfortunately, later that night Mary Rene got a running nose.  I honestly don’t think it was from our trip to the sandbox because we were out there less than 10 minutes.  And as you can see, she is bundled up pretty darn good.  Plus all those kids at daycare are outside so I figured it couldn’t hurt to get outside for a bit.  I am once again going to associate the runny nose with teething.  There are two teeth about to pop through and nearly every time that happens she gets a runny nose.  Plus, when your daughter wakes up screaming two to four times in the middle of the night, I highly doubt it is because she has snot in her throat.  Sounds like pain to me!

I still got milk!  Wooh!  I don’t know how much but Mary Rene hasn’t slowed down.  She is double nursing more but she seems satisfied.  Plus, she is still nursing to sleep for her afternoon nap so there must be something there that helps her get into dream land so quickly.

Mary Rene has added a few more words to her list: milk, night and thanks.  Her thanks is so freakin’ cute because she says it every time she hands me something.  Since she was born, every time I handed her something, I would always say “thank you.”  I figured it was never to early to teach manners.  It is finally catching on and she likes to say “thanks” every time she gives me something.  I guess I should have been saying “your welcome” instead but “thank you” seemed like an easier word to learn.

I’ve been working a lot more lately and I feel like I am always standing by my laptop during the day.  A part of me feels like I am neglecting her and I feel like this horrible mother.  I still have a hard time focusing 100% of my attention at the given task and I need to do a better job of it.  After working throughout the morning, during her nap, conference call for 58 minutes after her nap, I decided to shut my computer and play with her.  I mean, that’s why I’m part-time right?  I just need to remember that more often.  She is growing up so fast and I need to enjoy this playtime while I can.  Soon I won’t be any fun to play with and she’ll want to play with Sweet Pea instead!

-1-

Today is my dad’s last day of work at Chrysler.  With the failing economy, the St. Louis plant was closed a few months ago (maybe close to six months ago?)  He was lucky enough to hold on to his job a few months longer since he worked in the water treatment plant for Chrysler.  But starting today he starts his forced retirement.  Remember how he was excited to start watching Mary Rene and he wanted to take her up and down the street in a wagon? My mom, Frank and myself went in together and got him a wagon as a retirement gift.

The moment I took it out of the box to assemble, nosey Mary Rene came over to help.

She found the wheels and decided to put them in the wagon.

Once it was finally assembled, she jumped right in and has enjoyed being pushed around the front room throughout the day.

But what fun is a wagon without your friends, Baby Jesus

and Violet.

Isn’t that wagon great?  It has two seats with seat belts.  Plenty of room for Sweet Pea someday!

Seriously, everyday she has been playing in the wagon, see the new outfit-different day.

She likes to take her blanket and pillow inside so she can lay down for a cat nap.

Mary Rene and my dad are going to have so much fun with that wagon.

-2-

Month one down with the new budget and I am proud to say that I stayed on budget for groceries!  I really did not think it was possible to do it but I did with $4 remaining.  The key was staying away from Target.  Target has such good deals but whoever goes there and buys only want they need?  I only allowed myself to go in there once because with a coupon and the sale, I got regularly $4.99 soda for $2.  Unfortunately we didn’t stay on budget with our utilities (colder weather spiked our gas bill,) medical bills (yeah, I think I have talked about this enough,) dentist (we both went the same month,) and charity (Haiti pushed us over, but completely worth it!)  So on to next month!

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Speaking of budgets, we met with a new financial advisor on Tuesday night.  He is the son of a friend from church.  If anyone in the St. Louis area is looking for a financial advisor call Michael Disalvo at 314-932-4300.  Frank and I feel much better about our pending deductible because now we see we have other resources for money, if needed.  We are still praying that we won’t need it but it is nice to have a safety net.

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I finished “What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children’s Vaccinations” by Stephanie Cave, M.D., F.A.A.F.P.  I will be writing a cliff note’s version of the book on a post next week.  When I say cliff note’s version, it will be long.  It is a very informative book, eye opening that is for sure.  I highly recommend expecting mothers to read this book.  The only issue with the book is that is was last updated in 2000.  Ten years have gone by and there have been many changes to vaccines.  One change includes the rotavirus.  It is back in the line of shots and it wasn’t at the time of publication.  When I finished the book I was absolutely disgusted to look back at Mary Rene’s vaccination chart and see what was given to her.  I am so blessed that the only reaction she has had were two minor ear infections.  I say, “has had” because I learned from the book that side effects can appear years later, in the form of learning disabilities.  I am praying that other side effects don’t come up later though.  So many people talk about the autism debate with vaccinations but it is more than just autism.  Shooting your baby’s, already weak, immune system, with so many different viruses at the same time can cause strokes, seizures, learning disabilities and even death.  Okay, I’ll stop now.  I will be writing more about this next week.  The post is taking me awhile to construct properly but look for it next week.

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I have two new projects at work and have been, and will be, working my little tail off.  Working part-time can be hard when most of your hours are done at home.  Which means, you stay up late.  Lack of sleep means…lack of sleep.

-6-

Two days after they decided to stop searching for survivors, more survivors are still being found.  I get goose bumps every time I hear another story about someone surviving.  The latest, a 16 year old girl was rescued 15 days after the earthquake.  Amazing.  I told Frank that I wanted to fly down there and nurse those poor babies.  Well, I also told him if I wasn’t pregnant then I would be convincing him to foster a child.  He really didn’t respond to that statement.

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I’ve been doing these Quick Takes for over a year now, hence the #54.  Has a year really gone by that fast?

Yes, necklaces are a necessity and must now be worn in the bath.  I can’t get her to take them off.  This morning, she hid two necklaces under her shirt so I didn’t realize she still had them on until I dropped her off at grandma’s house.  She is a sneaky little girl.

Mary Rene has added four new words to her list: Boo, night, my sister’s name, Tara and my brother’s name, Joe.  Tara sounds more like ‘ter’ and Joe sounds more like “doe.”  We practice all family member’s names and she is starting to try and verbalize them more.  Tara and Joe have the easiest names so I figured those would be coming first.

Mary Rene has decided that she likes when daddy puts her to bed and now as soon as she is done nursing, she sits up, picks up her blanket up and stares at the door.  She knows that I start off putting her to sleep and then daddy comes in about 20 minutes later.  So now she will just sit and wait for him.  He can put her to bed in 15 minutes easily so now we have decided to switch it up and let him come in sooner.  That’s what she wants after all!  Every night this past week, except last night because she is teething again, Frank has put her to bed.  She really enjoys her daddy time.  Do I mind?  Are my feelings hurt?  Not at all!  This is a much welcomed break and couldn’t come at a better time.  When bedtime arrives I am beat myself and sometimes wrangling her to bed can be tiresome.  Now I’m given the opportunity to relax on the couch while daddy wrangles.  Works for me!  Plus, I can start attending both La Leche League meetings each month because I don’t have to worry about her not going to bed for daddy.  I used to only attend one meeting and lately it has been hard to get to those on time because I was working to get her to bed.  Now, daddy does such a good job that I can leave!  A little bit of freedom for me.

Do you like Mary Rene’s new pillow?

I bought this material nearly a year ago and never used it.  When she was an infant, Frank used to talk to Mary Rene in his “Kermit the Frog” voice so I thought it would be cute to make her an outfit out of it.  But a dress?  I thought that would be too loud.  I still might make her a pair of pjs out of the rest but for now I made two pillows for her.  She loves her little pillow.  She was carrying it around the house and kept putting it on the ground and setting her head on it.  She then would give the pillow to Sophie B and tried getting Sophie to sleep on it.  She knows the pillow belongs to her and she kept hugging her pillow and carrying it around the house.  I could eat her up.

Regarding the nursing, I’m not sure how much milk I am producing anymore.  Mary Rene is still nursing about five to six times a day but I don’t hear her swallow at each session.  I was making her laugh during one of the sessions and I saw some milk dribble from her mouth so I know there is milk.  Regardless of the amount there is, Mary Rene hasn’t slowed down and stopped asking for it.  I think for her, it is not about the milk.  She seems to enjoy being in my arms and me talking to her and playing with her while she nurses.  So who knows, maybe there isn’t much there but she seems happy still.

Sweet baby girl-

Today you are 16 months young.  The next time the number 16 will be an important milestone is when you will be 16 years old!  Oh gosh I can’t even bare to think of you being that old.  Getting your driver’s license and out and about, without me.  Can we keep you 16 months young forever?

You are a girly girl.  You love to wear five, six, seven necklaces at the same time.  If you are not wearing them then you are making Sophie B, daddy or me wear them.  You also love to wear your bracelets around your wrist.  A new girly thing you have started enjoying: SHOES!  Oh dear, this is a bad, expensive habit to fall in love with…but it may already be too late.  This morning you insisted, absolutely insisted, to wear your pink shoes.  You tried to slip them on over your pjs but they wouldn’t fit.  I took off your pj legs and slipped on your shoes. 

When I turned my back, you had ripped off the rest of your pjs and were walking around in just your diaper and shoes.

You loved to hear the way they clicked against the hardwood floor so you kept spinning in circles.  I think you might enjoy dance lessons someday.

You kept sitting down to admire your sparkly pink shoes.  It was so precious. I just sat and took it all in.

You even wanted Sophie to enjoy your shoes.

You love your doggie so much and love to give her kisses throughout the day.  When you are not kissing her you are yelling at her to SIT or climbing all over her.  She doesn’t seem to mind though.

Besides Sophie B, you love Theo, my cat.  Today, while daddy and papa were installing the new screen door, we went over grandma’s house.  You instantly looked for Theo so you could pet him.  Theo started meowing and you responded with a ‘meow’ back at him.  It was so cute.

You colored a beautiful picture of Barney while at grandma’s house.

But Theo’s feelings quickly got hurt and he wanted your attention.

You tried coloring him…and then moved on to color grandma.  You crack me up.

Friday you had your second experience with chocolate and I must say…you loved it.

Then you decided to give mommy a big hug and shared your chocolate face with my gray sweater.  Thanks!

You are still my little nursling and enjoy your milk.  First thing in the morning you want your milk.  A couple hours later, either out of boredom or comfort, you want your milk.  Lately you have been nursing just to come be closer to me and I enjoy this time together.  You look up into my eyes and smile away.  I’ll sing to you or tell you a funny story and you start laughing, clapping, and nursing away.  Yes, you do all three at the same time! 

These have been the most blessed 16 months of my life and I look forward to many more months and years, and years, and years, as your mommy.  I hope you always feel loved and special, because you are, in so many ways.

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Something I thought I would never do: rub Vick’s on my chest and aim my daughter’s nose towards it while she nursed.  Well I did it.  She stopped to sniff but then went ahead and nursed.  I also rubbed it on her chest before she went to bed and she woke up feeling so much better.  Thanks Melissa for the suggestion!

-2-

Since my dad is going to occasionally watch Mary Rene once he retires, we decided to start leaving her at my parent’s house for a bit while I go run errands.  Usually I am always with her when we visit so this was a big adjustment.  But you know what, she did fine.  She loves it at my parent’s house and has so much to do there.  They wore her out and she was so tired that she took a 2.5 hour nap.  The nap would have been longer but I sneezed when I walked by her and she instantly woke up.  I must say, going grocery shopping alone was really nice.  I enjoy Mary Rene’s company, and I know she likes to be out and about, but I was able to really concentrate on the sales and my coupons.  Hopefully my little shopping trips pays off and we stick to the grocery budget this week.

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Two of the gals at work are pregnant and we are having a baby shower for one of them today.  This gal is having a baby girl so I decided to try and make her a pair of baby girl shoes. 

This was very tedious and I’m not sure if I want to make this shoe thing a hobby.  I like making taggie blankets as gifts but I don’t think I’ll be going overboard and making girl shoes as well.   Although they are so cute and the finished product makes me so happy that I might do them again.  Hmm.

-4-

Having a blog is great and it gets people to do things easily.  Case in point, my post yesterday about the deductible led my wonderful husband to call our insurance company again.  They confirmed that I will have a $800 deductible but now they are stating that the baby won’t have to pay his/her deductible until he/she starts making regular doctor visits.  They also said something about me not paying the deductible if all the stars align correctly.  So, now we are praying that all this is true and we leave with a healthy baby boy or girl and a small hospital bill.

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I have decided to delay vaccinations for Sweet Pea.  I’ve been doing a lot of research this week and my fantastic sister-in-law is getting books for me to read from the library, where she works.  So far, I like the Dr. Sears method the best.  Go figure.  For the moms that read this blog, how have you handled vaccinations?

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We have this little hand-held back scratcher that is shaped like a hand and the fingers knead into your back.  It an awesome little thing and I misplaced it several months ago.  Somehow Mary Rene found it and has been playing with it.  I showed her how it worked on her back and she started laughing so hard.  Which got me thinking, I’m going to make this a tickle game.  So everyday this week I have been handing it to Mary Rene and trying to get her to tickle me on the back with it.  She is starting to get the hang of it and is having fun.  Now I just need her to apply a little pressure and go in a circular motion while I kick back and relax during the massage.

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I have tried really hard not to turn on the television much this week because I am just sickened by the disaster in Haiti.  My heart just breaks for these people and all they are going through.  When it comes to natural disasters, are you plugged to the tv or do you steer away?