All backed up...

So, a few weeks ago Ella decided she was old enough to begin putting her "free will" to practice, and began opting for the bottle rather than nursing. I was really surprised, since from day one she has been an excellant breast-feeder! She has been getting bottles with breast milk whenever I am away at work, and I guess she just decided to start taking the easy way out all the time, instead of working for it. I thought I would be more O.K. with transitioning her to formula when the time came... but it's been tougher than I expected. I've spent the last 5 weeks or so trying to coax her back to nursing, but it seems to be a losing battle. Once, after several minutes of "gently" forcing her face into my boob while she bounced and kicked on my lap, arched back to try and see the TV, and reached for imaginary things in the sky, she finally got fed up with my pathetic desperation. She pulled her head back, slapped my boob with her hand, looked me straight in the eye and screamed.

I got the hint.

My pumping supply quickly diminished despite trying to keep it up... so we "succumbed" to formula. Not the end of the world by any means... but there was something about providing my baby with the "perfect food" that felt really good, and it's just kind of disappointing when it ends. To make things worse, she was really getting constipated from the formula. I was using Enfamil, then Similac... then the Costco brand because the Pediatrician reassured me it was identical to the popular brands and yet 70% cheaper!! With all... the poor kid could be found grunting and straining on the floor, so terribly I was worried my child would become the first 6 month old to have hemorrhoids! I pumped her full of prunes... but they didn't help much. After some research online, I decided to try some apple juice, and the formula pictured above. Nestle Good Start is sold alongside the other popular brands, but apparently they break down the proteins even more to aid in digestion. You can see a difference just by mixing it. Virtually NO air bubbles at all and a creamier consistency. Miss Ella pooped that night (effortlessly I might add)... and the next day.. and the next!! AND she hardly spits up anymore at all. I guess I should have known... Nestle makes great chocolate, why wouldn't that quality carry over into their infant formulas?!

I had to share... in case any of my readers have struggled with those dreaded gassy side effects of formula. Try this stuff... it's wonderful! The one downside: quite a bit more expensive than Costco's Kirkland formula... and RIDICULOUSLY more costly than breast milk. But the important thing is my baby is hemorrhoid free, Eric's back to having to change those poopy diapers, and mommy's nipples are no longer biter bisquits!! :)

Photo Op

Hey! Where is everybody?! Judging by the low comment numbers I think the blogging world must have fallen asleep!!

So... this past weekend we had the opportunity to hang with our dear and incredibly gifted friend Janet of oijoy photo. We had been anticipating some great fall family photo ops... but after several consecutive weekends of unseasonably gorgeous warm weather, winter decided to arrive. A few snowflakes were falling rather than leaves, but Ella was a trooper as we ran outside for quick shots and then back in to warm up. Janet also got some absolutely wonderful pics of our baby girl indoors - showing off her new skill of sitting up!

If having professional photos taken of your family has ever been something you have considered doing (or even if you haven't), I would really encourage you to do them. It is well worth the money... and as Janet mentioned to me, it's really an important thing to do for family. Check out a sample of Ella's shots here: on Janet's blog.

Ricky's Bench Dedication

Couldn't get this to download on blogger... so here it is in YouTube! Be sure to scroll down and pause the music player in the right column before playing this!

Blog Makeover

Those of you with blogs might be interested in knowing that Danielle is offering a chance to win a free blog makeover!! See her page here for instructions on entering, and here to see her work!! She has some fabulous templates to choose from and does an awesome job!!!

Thanksgiving

Well, tonight is Daylight Savings. In the past, I have looked forward to this night in the fall in which time stops for much of the country, and gifts us with one whole extra hour of sleep. This year however, I cannot appreciate it for the precious bonus that it used to be for 2 reasons:

#1) I have a baby - who for some reason chooses not to indulge in an extended night's sleep

#2) I am working the night shift

Working on the night when we fall back one hour has always been torture. You watch the clock progress to 2am... only to see it suddenly change all the way back to 1am, forcing you to pretend that one whole hour of work never happened at all... and you must do it all again. So since it is apparently still the same time right now that it was one hour ago... I figured I would pass the time with blogging. And since we have entered the month of Thanksgiving, I figured I would spend the extra hour pondering some of the things I am most thankful for these days.

... a wonderful vacation in Reno - and more priceless memories

... friends and family, who I do believe loved and miss Ricky almost as much as I do

... a beautiful memorial bench that represents a very short life that changed my own

... a husband who loves me - despite my love for shopping

... a baby girl who at 6 months, already gives hugs

... $1.97/gallon gas (did we ever think we'd see that again?!)

... Fall in Indiana

... "A child left by one human embraced by hundreds" (See Carrie's letter to Ricky written in her blog on October 26th)

... Gerber Organic Stage 1 Bananas (that stuff is delicious!!)

... a God of second chances... and thirds and fourths and fifths...

... better make that a God of patience

... Pumpkin spice candles

... McMuffin the Miracle Baby

... Football (yep, that's what I said)

... a baby who sleeps 10-11 straight hours each night (and somehow knows how to adapt to 3 hour time changes)

... people on airplanes who have patience for "happy" babies who think screeching and squealing at the top of her lungs is really really funny

... Yoplait Light Thick and Creamy Key Lime Pie Yogurt

... Cold water (do you know how hard it is to get ice in some countries??)

...blogs

... front load washer & dryers (I don't have one but my friend Stacey does, and using it made me happy)

... bareMinerals make-up

... Pomegranate! (I had my first one ever in Reno last week and it was SO yummy!)

... walking right past Tony Dungy in Target today!!!

... and even better then that... who can't be thankful for smiles like this:

There. That burned some time! :) How about joining me and leaving a comment about what you're all thankful for!! (And keep scrolling down for new pics!)

Little Punkin'

A Specal Day

Sunday was an amazing day of celebration filled with tears, smiles, and stories of a little boy who's impact on this world has yet to cease. More pictures will follow when I can upload them from my camera... but for now - here is a sample of the day. Thanks to all of you who came... as well as those of you who were there in spirit. Ricky's bench sits proudly dead center in front of one of the main entrances to the hospital, and while it's story will likely remain a mystery to the majority who pass by... it will forever remind the rest of us of the lessons we learned from one sick, yet incredibly strong little boy who will always hold a piece of our hearts.

A couple dear friends have already blogged more about our special day... click on their names to take a look at Carrie and Marylea's entries.

I want credit...

Eric and I have been playing what is kind of a twisted game of hot potato for the last week. Ella occasionally will go for multiple days without "filling" her diaper, and while I learned that this is not terribly unusual for breast fed babies to go through a phase like this, I was beginning to wonder where the additional peas, oatmeal, and pears were winding up in that tiny body of hers. So... as baby duty has passed back and forth between both of us, we each were hopeful that the inevitable would not happen on our own shift. Well... seeing as my shifts seem to outnumber his by approximately 20:1... the odds were it would happen just as it did.

May I present... "The Blow-out".

Did any get in the diaper you ask? Oh yes... and after we cleaned all this up... she figured she'd fill up another one. :) Lucky me.

This is her after I took her outside and hosed her down out back... she looks proud of herself, doesn't she?

Speaking of the Little Man...

Some wonderful friends emailed me some photos this week that I've been waiting to see for about 2 years now. The hospital in Reno have placed Ricky's bench... and with it, his legacy continues. I feel so honored to have known this little boy in the way that I did. And while this public memorial - beautiful as it is - cannot possibly do justice to the impact his short life had on this earth... I feel so blessed that we have been allowed to make an attempt.

My family and I will be traveling out to see it for ourselves in person in just a couple weeks. I am SO excited to take Ella on her first trip to Reno. Can't wait to show her around the city I lived and love so very much, bring her to Tahoe and maybe take a little dip... (OK... scratch the dip part... that water is steakin' FREEZING!). And most of all... I cannot wait for her to meet the Saint Mary's NICU family that made it possible for me to care for a big brother she never got to meet, and close friends who never left my side through it all. October 27th marks 3 years since Ricky left this earth... and there is nowhere else that I want to be but there.

Break out the Kleenex folks! (And I don't mean that cheap tissue paper they keep in the unit!) This trip will probably call for Puffs Plus with Lotion!!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy!

Wish you were here to throw another party for... I promise we wouldn't make you eat the cake this time.