When I was little I thought using a tampon was insane.

I'm not sticking something in there.

I should also add that I was afraid of penises. My, how things have changed.

Anyway, like I was saying, I never thought I would shove a foreign object up my hoo-ha.

Then, the day after my 14th birthday, I got my period.

So, my mom bought me some maxi pads. I HATED them. They kept sticking to me. And jamming into my butt. And they made a crinkly sound when I walked. I was miserable.

I think I made it maybe a grand total of five hours before I asked my mom for a tampon.

After a couple of tries I inserted the tampon, and there has been no turning back.

It amazes me that I can walk around with a tampon in and not even feel it- I can even go swimming, and yet there are still people who choose to wear pads. This makes about as much sense to me as people who still use a bar of soap to wash themselves. *

(* I understand that there are a few of you who are very heavy bleeders and can't wear tampons, so please don't send me emails.)

What does this have to do with breastfeeding?

Well, when I was young I also thought I would NEVER breastfeed.

I thought it was weird. And gross.

Then I grew up and became a hippie.
And I everywhere I went I either read or heard that breastfeeding was the best thing you could do for your baby's health.
So, I decided when I had a baby I would try. I figured that even if I could breastfeed for a week that would be an accomplishment.
Then Willa was born and five minutes later she was on my breast. And it wasn't weird. Or gross. It felt very natural. And it felt like I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.

Now, I'm not saying it was easy. We struggled. Big time. On the second morning of Willa's life I stood in the bathroom at the hospital and cried because I felt like a failure. It took three lactation consultants and six weeks before the breastfeeding went smoothly. I look back on that time and I can't believe I made it through. If you had told me when Willa was born that it would be six weeks before we got breastfeeding down-six weeks of bloody nipples and pumping around the clock- I would have thought that I couldn't do it. But, I never gave up because I knew it was the best thing for Willa.
And here we are. Six months later. We are pros at breastfeeding. I'm so glad it worked out. It's so convenient. I don't have to worry about bringing bottles with me everywhere or mixing formula. If my kid is hungry I just whip out a boob.
Another bonus to breastfeeding that people hardly talk about? No period.
I haven't gotten my period since August 18th, 2006.
It is awesome.

(Do you like how I just brought this post full circle? That, my friends, takes talent.)

Posted by torrie at 11:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)

My kid has eczema.

At first she just had a little raised red patch on her chest, but now it is everywhere. Even on her face.

I've done my research. Kids with eczema are prone to other allergies. I'm so afraid she'll have food allergies. I'm afraid she'll be the kid at the birthday party who can't eat the cake and ice cream. And she'll have to carry an epi pen with her at all times. And going to a restaurant will be scary instead of fun.
I'm sure I'll be accused of over reacting, but I can't help but worry.

And call me superficial, but I can't stand that it has spread to her face. Her formerly perfect little face now has red bumpy patches all over it.

During my research I found out that eczema can be caused by dairy products that the mother has eaten (if the baby is breastfed). This means starting today I will not be eating dairy. Do you know how hard that is going to be for an already picky vegetarian? Also, what about the several months worth of breastmilk in the freezer that I have pumped? I guess I need to throw it all out.

I'd love to hear your experiences with skin and food allergies.

Posted by torrie at 09:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (40)

I really don't know what to do.

Next year my husband is doing a fellowship (further medical training) at a hospital that is about 45 minutes away from our apartment. We currently live across the street from the hospital that he works at now.
As you might expect his schedule sucks. He typically has to be at work by 7am, and he usually doesn't get home until about 7pm. Willa wakes up between 7:30-8:30am, and goes to sleep at 7pm, so there are many days when he doesn't even get to see her. Which also means that I don't get a break.
Then there are the days that he is on call. That means that he is at work by 7am and doesn't get home until about 8am the following morning. He is occasionally on a rotation that allows him to come home for a few minutes, but on most of his rotations he's not allowed to leave the hospital because he's on the code team. (This means that if someone "codes" he gets paged and has to run to their bedside.) This (the husband being on call) happens on average, once or twice a week. Those days are really hard for me. Willa has finally developed a bed time routine, but I have to take Dexter out at 10 or 11pm. So, I have to take Willa, who is sleeping soundly, out of her crib and put her in her stroller, and take her out in the cold. This almost always wakes her up.

Some people think that him being on call isn't that bad because he has the next day off. It's not as nice as it sounds. He's usually up all night when he's on call, so he spends most of the next day sleeping.
I very rarely get a break. When the husband is able to help out I usually spend that time showering or editing pictures. We can't afford to hire a sitter. Willa won't take a bottle. And my husband is rarely around to help. I can't even remember the last time I left the house without Willa. I really can't.
I feel bad complaining. My husband is at the hospital for at least 60 hours a week. He then comes home and has to work on all of the chief resident stuff, which takes up SO MUCH TIME. And he has to do it all in his "spare" time, which is ridiculous. Sometimes he plays a concert on a week night or a weekend (he's a musician too). He also has to find time to do things like eat and shower. He really is fantastic. He tries to spend every single free moment he has with Willa. He probably spends more time with Willa than most fathers who have twice the amount of free time spend with their kids.
Next year this will all be even worse. The husband will have a 45 minute commute each way. Which means he's home even less than he is now. And the nights that he's on call, there won't even be a chance that he'll be able to come home for a few minutes. I can only imagine how fun it is going to be to get a toddler out of her crib to take the dog out.
Oh, and have I mentioned that we have no idea where we are going to be living next year?
Yeah. That's another post for another day.

*Update- I've answered a few of your questions in the comments.

Posted by torrie at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (46)

We all have our obsessions.

My husband's obsession is paper napkins. Yes, you read that right. Paper napkins.

I don't know if he was deprived of napkins as a child, or if he had some horrible experience where he desperately needed a napkin and none could be found, but now he hoards them.

They are everywhere. When I'm doing the laundry I find them in his pants pockets. I open a drawer in the bedroom- filled with napkins. When I open a cabinet in the kitchen they fall all over me.

He doesn't discriminate. As long as they are paper napkins he is satisfied.
He gets them from Dunkin Donuts. 7-11. Pizza places. The deli down the street. The cafeteria at the hospital.
He takes them by the fist full. They bring him some kind of security. And joy.

I really don't get it. I guess I should be happy that he's not obsessed with something horrible, like FOOTBALL.
I'm trying to be supportive.

That's why when he comes home from work tomorrow night I'll meet him at the door wearing nothing but paper napkins.

Hey- whatever it takes to keep it interesting.

Posted by torrie at 10:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

So, we started feeding Willa solids a couple of days after she turned five months.

Our pediatrician wanted us to wait until Willa was six months old (the current guideline).
Some people may not agree with us not listening to our pediatrician, but I just knew she was ready for solids.
The recommendation used to be four months, but because of the rise in children with food allergies, doctors now recommend waiting until six months.

We debated about whether or not Willa was ready, but we finally decided she was because:
No one in either my family or my husband's family has any food allergies.
She was exhibiting all of the signs that she was ready, including grabbing at our food.
She is physically the size of a six month old (she's 90% for height and 75% for weight).

Only time will tell if we made the right decision, but I'm interested to hear what you guys have to say.

How old was your child when you started them on solids?
Does your child have any food allergies?

Posted by torrie at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)