New Woman

I can't tell you all just how much the MUCH NEEDED night out has done for me. Andy and I had a blast, we held hands, we laughed, he kissed my forhead (that is my Favorite), we hugged, we sang and we were JUST SILLY! Thanks Angee ... I didn't realize how much I was in a slump! Friday night, even with the tossing and the turning, never mind the "cramps" I had a BLAST!

Saturday was amazing too - I am on cloud nine now! I feel like a new woman! Saturday I asked some people if they wanted to come over and Fish?! I really asked because Andy had to work from 3am - 5pm and I knew I would need help with the babies. You see the babies are NO trouble until nap time or bed time. Then it is so hard to keep Bowden quiet enough to put her down ... then I need a extra hand! haha I knew he would be home by bedtime, but I wasn't sure about Tatum's 2 naps ... so I decided I would ask some friends if they wanted to come over and fish! It worked - we had a blast ... Pat and Brandi brought their Daughter ... she is 5 she swam, played on the swing set and helped so much with both babies. Poppy (Andy's Dad) is always a HUGE help, he was there, my dad, my mom and another friends son, Conner, he is 7 ... we all had a blast it was BEAUTIFUL and yes they did catch fish, everyone but me caught fish! I think the Ouu Sie (out side) even wore Bowden out, homie slept from 9:45 - 3:30 it was awesome - see there is more of that new woman thing!

Andy had to work Sunday 7am-3pm my parents drove the boat up and took me, Tatum, and Bowden out ... it was a blast - see below pictures! Bowdie got sea sick ... I think! I felt so bad! But again he slept 9:30 - 3:30 yeah and when I got up to get ready for work at 7 him and Andy were still fast asleep!

How was your weekend? I hope it was as great as mine!
Why wont they nap like this with me?!

My night with no babies ...

I know you are all on the edge of your seats, just biting your nails to see how we all did ... (sarcasm haha) Anyway I will get to it. I took Tatum to my moms, we hung out for a while, played outside (OU sie) that is how Tatum says it now ... and then I left to go to Angee's to drop off Bowdie. When I got there I started to tell her all about him and what I thought his schedule would be ... she then KICKED ME OUT! Yep wouldn't even let me set up the pack-n-play! Just like that MADE ME LEAVE, said if I didn't I wouldn't! I cried driving away ... knowing he would be fine, but what about me?! We went to dinner, (we rode the Motorcycle, I haven't been on one at all in 4 years.) My friend Trea, her Hubby and his sister and hubby, and Andy's Brother and his GF met us at Gordon Biearch ... it was FUN! I had a beer sampler (after all it is a brewery and then had the beer that was my favorite. We had a shot when we left (Andy was allowed to have 2 beers, which he did) It was so nice out we drove the bike down South to a bar where some of our friends hang out ... and yep it was just the way I remembered, too crowded, hot and LOUD. So we jumped back on the bike and went to a new bar ... well not a new bar, but one of my new BFF her parents bar ... The Beaver Bar! It was awesome! Good Ole Biker Bar ... we had, well I did another beer and a few waters and a tickle my pickle shot ... gosh how I missed those! We were home by 10:30 .... in bed ... I COULD NOT SLEEP! Serious!! Andy was snoring in 2 seconds and he didn't even TRY to get it on ... if you know what I mean! Haha I told you guys we were tired over here! Haha So 11:30 I am still tossing and turning, 12:30 still not sleeping, 1:30 I am finally asleep and Andy starts screaming ... CRAMP,CRAMP, OMG CRAMP! So out of bed I go ... I run to his side of the bed, I start massaging his leg, I get the cramp out, go down stairs, get a banana, and some water for him. Back up I go, and wouldn't you know it, he is already snoring and once again I can't fall asleep! So even though we had a great night I didn't really get much sleep ... we will see how this coming Friday goes!

A Night of Sleep

Okay so one of my friends ... Angee (may now be my new BFF ... sorry Melanie, and Robin I had to)! Ready ... are you all sitting down?! She is a Saint, a angle sent from above to be my saving grace ... she is keeping Bowden tonight ... ALL NIGHT! Tatum is going to Grammy's and I am going to dinner with the hubs, and some friends then ... SLEEPING ALL NIGHT! ALL NIGHT! I will get at least 9 hours of straight sleep - can you believe that?! OMG ... Angee I love you! You are my Queen, anything you EVER need I will be glad to do it!

PS - Angee said she wanted to keep him again next Friday night, which by the way is even more wonderful because it is Fall Bike Week and you see my friends, I haven't enjoyed a bike week in 2 years now.

I hope my nerves don't take over and make me freak out - you know the mommy syndrome, "no one can do it like me." I know Angee will take great care of him, like he was/is her own ... but it is still very very scary! Pray for me ... I know he will do great, but for me and Angee ... Angee to have enough patience for him and me to have the strength to not miss him SO horribly that I want to go get him in the middle of the night ... but if I go to bed early enough then maybe I will sleep through it!

ENT

Ear Nose Throat
We had our appointment today ... we left the office with ANOTHER round of antibiotics and a steroid. He was very nice, he thought that the steroid would cut down on the swelling in the "tube" and would allow the fluid to move out. You see all the other antibiotics we have tried have knocked out the infection but NOT the fluid. After that fluid sits stagnate for 1 day it again is getting infected ... thus leading up to 8 weeks of being sick. I hope that this works, we go back in 2 weeks to check the fluid level and if it is still there we try one other thing (which I didn't even ask what it was) then we start talking tubes.
Please send some prayers this way that this round of drugs works and that the steroid does NOT make her too hyper! haha

Have a great night, I am getting off of here ... the storm coming through is HORRIBLE!

Getting better

Well we are all starting to feel a little bit better ... all of us but Tatum. I feel so so sorry for her, her little nose is so red and sore. She has had a ear infection for 6 almost 7 weeks now and FINALLY the Dr has convinced us to go see a Ear, Nose & Throat Dr. I am hoping that it wont result in tubes, but I would guess that is the route they will try to steer us. I am so afraid of tubes, with the pool and all in the back yard I am not sure how we will keep her out of it or keep those plugs in her ears ... anyone out there have plugs in?! Got some advise for me?!
We had some friends stop by yesterday ... and we ended up hanging out all day and night, it was a blast! Pat and Brandi ... Pat is a long time friend of Andy's and he and Brandi have now been married a year. They fished, we hit golf balls into the river and then we cooked out steak and crab legs ... both babies were so so well behaved! Bowden slept through dinner, and Tatum was wonderful ... the FIRST FULL meal I have eaten since having Bowden! It was much needed! However Bowden slept too much during the day and then last night SUCKED! But it is getting better folks! Really it is ... I am starting to see light at the end of my tunnel!
Hope you all had a great weekend and that you have a great week!

Alive, but sick

Hey everyone ... I have been reading all of you! I promise, I haven't been able to comment for 2 reasons ... 1st I have 2 sick babies. Yep - Tatum is STILL sick (7 weeks now) and yes she passed it on to not only her 5 week old brother but to me too ... so you see if I am not holding her I am holding him. Second ... I am so sick that I can't even think! So excuse this bad post ... just wanted you all to know I am here, I have read and I miss you all! I love my Internet ... I worked on Monday it was nice to be in a ALL ADULT world, but then when I got home from work ... bam I felt like I ran into a brick wall, Tatum was running a 103.4 fever and her brother had a 100.4 fever ... so of course this am we were all at the Dr. I will leave you with 3 pictures ...

The first ... Tatum was introduced to Jello Pudding ... the second and third are of a photo shoot I had with Bowden Monday before all shit broke loose and everyone got all sick! You can tell I am not a photographer ... I never even turned off the "date" stamp on the pictures ... Duh!!

... ENJOY!

Look Very Very Close ...

Okay look really really close ...

Do you see anything?

Do you notice the difference? um yeah ... I wore 2 different shoes to work yesterday ...
Can you say I am sleep deprived or what?! OMG!!!

No wonder it was easy for him

The week before we became a family of 4 I made Andy start to put Tatum to bed, just to make sure she would let him and all would go smooth when we came home from the hospital! He successfully put her to bed 4 nights so I took the last before birth day! Anyway ... so now 4 weeks later and Bowden is now on bottles (which makes me both happy and SAD) and I tell Andy ... you feed the baby I want to bath Tatum and put her night night ... we do up stairs. I give her her bath, we have so much fun singing, splashing and playing! I take her into her room, dress her, give her her sippy cup and sit in the rocking chair with her ... we say our prayers and we hum a lullybuy ... then she is done with her sippy cup of milk so I get up, kiss her head and put her in the crib ... and then ... WAAA WAAA SREAM YELL CRY! I walk out ... because you see dear internet that is what I USED TO DO! Put her down still awake, and she would sooth her self night night! Well I guess he missed the let her fall asleep on her own memo ... he has been rocking her to sleep each and every night!!! OMG I wasd so so mad ... oh well he didn't know and now we are starting the cry it out phase! Wish us luck!

Acid Reflux Update

Well I was correct ... see not such a bad mommy after all!~ My mother intuition told me something was wrong with my little guy. He has Acid Reflux, not a HORRIBLE case, but bad enough that he has troubles sleeping. We went to the Dr on Friday ... we got a prescription for the reflux, he has had 3 doses so far, and I have noticed that his burps have become less wet. I am not saying that it is working ... just less wet. I have switched him to bottles, (cries and sobs from mommy) and am currently mixing his bottle 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 AR formula. AR formula is made just for Acid Reflux babies and has rice cereal in it so it is THICKER. I hoped to breast feed him for 6 months as I did with Tatum, but I knew that it may be stopped early ... but thought it would be because of Tatum, not because of him having "Belly issues." Oh well I hate that I can't breast feed him ... many have asked why don't I just continue to pump and mix 1/2 and 1/2 for the 6 months ... well to be FRANK ... IT HURTS ME! Makes me bleed and crack ... now when he is eating I don't even know he is there, but the pump kicks my ass ... yes I tried several different "nipple cups," they all hurt. I adjusted the speed and the suck and I put my self through the pain with Tatum ... but if this special formula is really all that special I think as soon as he can get 100% of it the better ... maybe he will sleep longer at night too?!
So if you can say a little prayer for us ... more sleep, less acid reflux, less wet burps, less gaging and spit up ... I will take anything as of now ...

PS I am kinda excited that we are making the move to formula sooner than later ... you all know this means I will get to pass him off for feedings! HAHAHA Already have somethings lined up for us to go to dinner ... now if I can just find someone to keep him for a night ... holly molly the sleep I will get!

PSS ... Hanna did not hurt us, we lost power for about 45 minutes last night, no big deal ... our yard was ankle deep in water while it was raining, but has since all drained into the HUGE river in our back yard, which by the way is the highest we have seen it since living here ... it rises and falls with the tides so it too is higher. Glad that Ike is not coming our way, and for those of you that Ike will affect ... I am sorry and I will be praying for you!

OMG Horrible Mommy Of 2 Over Here

Okay so a Lady just stopped by to talk to us about cleaning our house every 2 weeks. We had a cleaning service at our other house, and it was wonderful. They came every 3 weeks and DEEP cleaned ... we vacuumed and picked up in between but for the most part they did all the deep nasty cleaning. We haven't used that service since we moved, with both house payments and all of our double bills we decided we could do it. Now I am almost ready to go back to work, DH is at work FULL TIME and with 2 babies to watch after our house is a mess. Okay so on to me being a horrible mommy ...
The lady was supposed to be here at 4 ... she was running late - didn't actually get here until 4:35 ... Tatum was supper crabby after Day Care so I went to up stairs to put her down for a nap ... she had JUST fallen asleep when the lady ran the door bell. We have this Musical Door Bell that DH picked out ... it is LOUD and obnoxious. So of course ... Tatum wakes up screaming (she doesn't usually nap after day care she is usually in bed by 7 and sleeps until 7, yes I know LUCKY that is how we ended up with baby #2 ... she has been sleeping 7-7 since 3 months old) Anyway ... I put Bowdie down on his boppie on the couch ... sitting up (to try and help his acid reflux) and took Tatum into the kitchen to wash her hands and face ... I have to keep her clean so she can touch her brother! Andy was walking the house with the cleaning lady and all of a sudden I hear Bowdie SCREAMING ... I get Tatum dried off and walk into the room thinking he is just screaming so he can eat AGAIN ... NOPE he fell off of the couch. ON TO THE FLOOR ... yes he did. AND IT WAS MY FAULT! Holly shit how can I be so stupid as to leave him on the couch and walk away ... serious. I am an idiot. He seems to be okay ... of course I called the Dr ... they are so sick of me I am sure ... she said he is so small and it is okay they can handle much more than we think they can ... I of course was crying and telling her how dumb I am. She of course telling me I am not dumb, everyone has accidents and he will be fine ... aack I need a break! Really I do!

Could it be Reflux

Hey everyone ... First a big thanks to all of you for the support, ideas and suggestion ...

Second let me answer some questions:

1) Latch ... he is latching well and I guess I should not have said that I was like Hamburger ... I am not sore, not bleeding and it does NOT hurt for him to eat. I just feel USED AND ABUSED! He is eating every 1.5 hours from start to start, and you see that only leaves me about 30-45 minutes of sleep at a time. He is eating for 30 minutes straight each time! so 30 minutes of eating, a diaper change and the time it takes me to fall back asleep ... I am very sleep deprived here!

2) Schedule ... Tatum was the easiest baby ... the day we came home she was on a 4 hour schedule and she ate everyday and night at the SAME EXACT TIME ... Bowden is having NONE of that. I have tried to keep him awake in the day, I have tried to keep the room as dark as possible and NO NOISE at night ... I have tried to force him to stay awake and eat longer ... I have tried it all. It is just amazing at how differant they are!

3) LeLeche League ... I contacted them while breastfeeding Tatum ... they were not my favorite ladies ... they beat it into you like the guy that is a born again Christian and thinks they everyone should go to church 5 nights a week and 2 afternoons on the other days. (not that church is bad ... I am a Christian but you all know the type)

4) Pacifier ... HE WONT TAKE ONE ... drives me nuts I have tried this also!

5) Enough milk ... I am almost drowing him over here, he really doesn't even need to suck, he can just open up and drink from the spicket ... haha most times he eats I have to "expose" of some milk before he can latch on.



THAT is all I got for you ... I did call the Dr today ... they are so sick of me, and we are all on first name basis! You see Tatum is still, I repeat STILL SICK. We went to the Dr 3 times last week, on Friday we almost went to the ER, but the Dr told us to meet her at her office ... (after hours, now that is a great Dr! I love her)

Anyway now back to the Reflux - I believe my baby has acid reflux ... he is constantaly spitting up, he will be sound asleep and then all of a sudden he is gagging, and I have to rush over pick him up and get all the gunk out of his throat, he has some horrible gas. he pulls hislittle legs to his tummy and lets them rip like a grown adult ... all while he is ripping them he is screaming in pain! It is really sad, and I am doing everything I can to keep him quiet so he doesn't wake the other baby in the house up ... haha

Life here is grand, one has been sick for 4 weeks now and the other eats every 1.5 hours! Life with 2 under 2 ain't so easy! I know it will get better, but any prayers your can save I will greatly accept!

Question

~~~~~Updated ... thanks so much for all of you advise but I think I made the hamburger thing worse than it really is ... I am just exhausted!

So I am breast feeding ... with Tatum I breast fed her 100% until she was almost 5 months old, then for a month we mixed stored breast milk and formula (then I had to stop because I found out I was all knocked up again ... haha) anyway ... The new little man in the house is eating WAY TO OFTEN for me to pump ... I am like hamburger meat over here. Tender, sore and really over it ... so my question ... have any of you ever formula and breast fed off the bat?! If you haven't do you know if I can ... if you have any suggestions on how to introduce him the formula?! What kind of formula should I use and HOW MUCH?!!

~~~~~ I guess I should not have said tender and sore, because I am not ... he is and has lached on great ... no bloody nipples or soreness ... just not enough sleep has made me re-think all of the buzz of breast feeding! Sorry for misleading so many of you ... I just need a physical break for my mental state of mind!!!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions ... ps I am exhausted, he is still eating every 1.5 hours from start time!

Here are some pictures because I know all of you love my babies like I do ... haha

Tatum wanted to hold him ... so I tried to let her ...

Bowden's Tiny New Shoes

Snoozing ... PS he doesn't sleep like that at night :(

Tatum's new pool from PopPop Kemp ... Thank You she loves it!

Picnic table and umbrella came with the pool ... she loves it!