Mini Beach Trip with the Kids

We just returned from going out to Ortley Beach near Seaside Heights, NJ.  This is the first time we are hittng the beach all summer because of new baby.  Well, I'm too tired to write a long post but here are few thoughts that swam in my head all weekend... I'll expound later...

•  "I wish I can clone myself and just be at 3 places at once!"
•  "Ugh... never never try to take a close up picture without zoom of a toddler playing with sand"
•  "Hmmm... maybe sticking both girls in the same room was a bad idea after all..."
•  "Wish I can just stop time and lay here listening to the crashing waves..."

Hurricane Irene

My thoughts go out to all those who were affected by Hurricane Irene... and who are still dealing with the consequences.  


Fortunately, for us, we were minimally affected.  We sure did get a ton of wind and rain.  I remember looking out the window and feeling thankful for shelter.  


On Sunday, church was cancelled and our power went out for about twelve hours.  My husband got to experience some of the stress and chaos of feeding and entertaining three young children under the age of four.  Maybe if we weren't both so sleep deprived from getting up so often for E (our youngest who actually just hit two months that day) we would have more brain power to be creative or have more energy to play with our kids.  Instead,  picture this...  A (my middle child) is running around full of energy and getting into her older sister's things... which of course causes much protest!  I forget what E was doing but maybe husband was bouncing him on his knee while laying on the ground of the basement floor.  I am laying on the ground not too far from him and decide to pretend to be in a hair salon.  I ask S to come wash my hair to see if that will distract her from A.  My husband liked the idea and asked her to go over and wash his hair afterwards.  That lasted about five minutes.  We were trying to find every excuse to stay horizontal and expend as little energy as possible.


I found it nice that we did not have tv or internet to distract us... However, nap time which is usually about 3 hours of adult sanctuary, was cut short.  Why?  Well, no power meant no AC and it was pretty hot that day.  Plus, we could not turn on the sound machines in both girls bedrooms which we seem to think makes a difference.


So overall, it was a nice family day... didn't do much but sometimes it is nice to just be together in one place not doing much...

Whining, whining, whining...

My oldest (SGK) and I have had some tough moments the past month or so.  It very well could be related to her adjusting to a new baby brother who currently needs a lot of physical attention and care.  On top of that, perhaps she hears my #2 (AHK) being almost 21 months old, getting a lot of praise and claps for taking off with vocabulary and starting to sing songs.  After all, two years ago she was the only kid on the block!  Now she has to share attention from mom, dad, grandparents, caregivers... 


So we've had our share of meltdowns and whining.  I admit I've not been the most cheery mom... my own threshold and tolerance lowered due to lack of sleep.  However, it is a poor excuse and I need to pep talk myself into a better attitude and approach to dealing with my precious little drama queen.


While searching the web out of curiosity on this topic.. this article by Lil Hawkins really made me laugh out loud.  Her child is nine years old.. SGK is only 3 going on 4... but wouldn't hurt to give it a try...  hug her when she whines.


Here are some things I've been trying to do but can make more effort to do more...

• spend one on one quality time with her
• give her special jobs to help with baby care ( for example she loves helping with feeds when I'm at work) 
• praise/reward her for good behavior

At the end of the day, it just seems like the girl needs to feel loved... don't we all?

Breastfeeding vs Bottlefeeding and Sleep!

I have not blogged in a while because I've been pretty sleep deprived.  So I'm going to make this short but just wanted to throw out this topic because I'm not yet sure what to believe.


Many folks believe that formula fed babies sleep through the night earlier than babies who are exclusively breastfed.  The idea is that breast milk digests easier and baby is hungry sooner.  It makes sense.  However, interestingly, moms who formula feed do not necessarily sleep better than moms who breastfeed.  This is according to this one study in the journal, Pediatrics.


None of my kids so far have been great sleepers.  #1 did not really sleep through the night until she was almost 15 months!  #2 took about 12 months.  I'm hoping #3 will be sleeping through by 3-6 months.  Right now, I just want him to stay asleep in between feeds... I can handle 2-3 hours of sleep at a time but waking up every 30 minutes is too painful (thankfully that only happened one or two times).

So right now I should be sleeping since he is sleeping...  

Back to Work!

6 weeks of maternity leave just flew by as I knew it would!  I started back at work yesterday.  Top reasons why I find pumping and working a challenge:

• Need to make sure I have clothes that is both professional and will make it easy for me to pump in a rush (basically have to buy nursing tops and nursing dresses)
• I have to schedule in time to pump around the same time when my baby would normally feed.  Doing that in the middle of a busy doctor's schedule is tricky.   
• It doesn't help that I don't have my own private office and have to run into a patient room in between patients to pump.  Not only can anyone just walk in by mistake but they can clearly hear the embarrassing "oom-pah oom-pah" sound of the pump.
• Need a place to store the milk so it doesn't go bad.  Ideally I would just freeze it but taking out the storage bag, labeling it, then sticking it in the shared office freezer is just not attractive to me.  Luckily my shifts are short enough that I can just leave the milk in the bag with ice and transfer when I get home (but probably not super ideal)

Well, although it takes planning and is not super convenient, I still plan to nurse for at least one year.  Too many benefits with nursing which far outweighs the negatives.  That will be for another post!

Oral Thrush in Babies

So we are treating kiddo #3 for thrush.  Not fun.  This is the white stuff that looks like milk but is not easily wiped off from baby's tongue or cheek.  Though fairly common, it is not harmful.  Sometimes thrush can be irritating during feeds and can become quite painful.    It is basically an overgrowth of yeast which normally lives in the mouth, intestines, and genital area.  A lot of times it will go away on its own after a few weeks.  However, in certain cases it may persist past months.  If that is the case your physician may prescribe an antifungal medication, nystatin, that you squirt or paint with a qtip in the mouth.


Other measures to prevent/treat thrush include:

• sterilize all items that come in contact with baby's mouth (nipples, pacifiers, etc.)
• treat mom if necessary with antifungal cream around nipples

Here is a helpful website with more info on this subject.

Baby Acne

I keep thinking of a particular Seinfeld episode whenever I hear folks comment on "how cute" my newborn looks.  Right now he looks like an adolescent with so many pimples all over his cheeks and forehead.


So baby acne is fairly common.  Here is the quick 101:


What does it look like?
Usually you will see little red bumps or pustules on the cheeks, chin, and forehead.


What caused it?
Mommy's hormones during pregnancy!  It is more common in boys (I don't recall this with my girls) and looks worse when baby is fussing and crying.


How do you treat it?
There is really nothing you can do to prevent it and the best treatment is to just wait it out.  Scrubbing and washing too hard or too often and using a lot of soap and lotion can actually make it worse.  Usually it will go away on its own in a few weeks but can linger for up to 6 months.  In very bad cases, something like benzoyl peroxide may be prescribed but definitely check with your pediatrician first. 


So in the meantime:

• wash baby's face with warm water 2-3 times a day;  use mild moisturizing soap several times/week
• pat skin dry
• do not pinch or scrub the acne
• avoid lotions and oils