6 months

Georgie Porgie Porge!!  Oh my goodness you are 6 months old!!  Part of me thinks these last six months have been a total blur but there are some moments I'll NEVER forget.  For example, I will never forget him throwing up for two hours straight every time I fed him a little oatmeal or rice cereal.  I will never forget him waking up in the middle of the night while we were in Utah because he was starving.  Out of all of my chiddlers I have worried about George the most.  I am so concerned about his violent reactions to certain foods (something my other kids never had) and I worry a lot about my own personal milk supply. 

George is VERY alert and wiggly.  Getting him to nurse longer than 5 minutes is an absolute miracle and never happens.  He will latch on for less than a second and come off again so he can arch his back and look at the ceiling fan above him or the window to his right.  He is so much more interested in the world around him than relaxing with Mom for some yummy leche. 

Unfortunately breast milk is a supply an demand conspiracy!!  George doesn't eat long enough so I don't produce as much.  It is so frustrating!!  I don't understand why it works this way.  Why do us women have ridiculous amounts of milk when the baby is 7 lbs. and barely big enough to eat more than an ounce (and therefore force Mom to work overtime pumping gallons out over the course of three months for the deep freezer...we've got about 100 bags in there folks:-).  Then when the baby is 15 lbs. with growth spurts every other day, there is barely an ounce left on each side!!!  WHY!!  It should be the other way around!!  Then I wouldn't have had to spend so much time with my friend Medela Pump InSTYLE.

So because George was pretty much starving in Utah we went out and bought some formula and lots of baby food.  I tried to just feed him the baby food and one bottle at night but sometimes he wanted more milk than bananas.  I don't know if I'm the only woman feeling this way but I hate formula.  I feel like because G will drink 4 ounces from a bottle in a snap and won't from me TOTALLY hurts my feelings.  It's like I've been replaced by this smelly white powder!!

After Chase went back to Texas for work my milk supply totally plummeted.  I don't know if it was the stress or just George being a total stinker but the only way I could even get him to latch on was to swaddle him tight and sing either "sunny side of the street" or "getting to know you" while I bounced him around the room.  It took me 45 minutes for the "let down" to come one night and that's when I really started to panic.

I wasn't getting any sleep at night because even if G was sleeping I would lay awake in bed scared to death that any minute he would wake up and want to eat again only to scream because nothing would come out!!  I started calling La Leche League and just bawled on the phone to them in hopes that they could give me some solutions.  I have always wanted to nurse all my babies for at least a year and dag nabbit George was going to make it 6 more months!

Looking back I can now see that I totally bit off more than I could chew.  I thought I could stay in Utah for three weeks with out Chase but I always forget how hard it is with a nursing infant and little help from relatives.  I think the main problem was I was merely snacking for meals.  I just didn't have enough time to cook anything.  Usually Chase comes home at night and holds George so we can whip up some dinner.  I didn't have anyone to hold George at night and it took all my energy just to feed the kids so I mostly just ate something convenient like a Cliff bar (for almost every meal:-)  No wonder I had no milk! 

I can't blame my little George though.  It's not his fault he's so wiggly and hungry. He's so adorable that all is forgiven with one smile from his always moist little lips.  He's always smiling at everyone that greets him.  He laughs really hard when Sadie swings on a swing toward him.  He gets a BIG smile on his face anytime he sees Jack because big brothers are the coolest.  He chews on his own toes and NEVER wants to be swaddled anymore.  His pacifiers are so "last month" and he won't even let you put one in his mouth.  He'd much rather have his two "longhorn" fingers.  When he eats baby food he'll stick his fingers in for a little suck between each bite.  Definitely a George trademark for sure.

So, after 6 days on my own (with out Chase), I called him (Chase) and asked him if I could come home.  It was just too much for me.  Between crying on the phone to La Leche League or choking down a yogurt, it was evident that I wouldn't last another day with out a full nights rest and my own body pillows by my side. 

My knight in shining armour (Chase) flew in the next day and we all flew home the following morning.  I told all my friends on FB that we were cutting our trip short due to George and his "newborness."  I didn't think it appropriate to tell everyone that at that point I was a total basket case!!  I knew I would be missing out on a lot of fun by leaving early (tickets to Wicked, East High Dinner with the ladies, seeing my sisters that were out of town, fun play dates with old friends, and a free photo shoot with Angie Monson) but I was just too homesick for my hubby and my Texas. George missed his crib in our dark closet too.  He slept amazingly our first night back and so did I! 

I was worried about his weight so I took him in for a 6 month check up as soon as I got home.  I was devastated to find he had only gained about 6 ounces in two months.  He went from 40th percentile to 8th!!!  I feel so torn because I want to nurse him but I know I'm not enough for him anymore.  He needs more..obviously.  I am also torn because so much of the food newborns are supposed to eat make him vomit so I just don't know how to get him to gain weight faster.  Vomit certainly won't help.  Dr. Woods suggested nursing him and then giving him a bottle after every feeding.  I've been doing just that and after a two week weight check he had gained another 10 ounces.  My milk supply has somewhat returned as well so that has helped immensely.  I still haven't tried oatmeal again.  I'm too scared to see him get sick again.  

 

We have another weight check in a month.  Until then I'll continue attempting to snuggle this rambunctious, wiggly little guy.

4th of July

We started our nation's birthday with a late morning hike up Big Cottonwood Canyon.  It appeared to be the perfect day, scenery, and company but after a few minutes into the trail we realized the relentless flies would eat us alive if we didn't return to the car as soon as possible.  We got to the top and as quick as a whistle commented on how beautiful the mountains were and immediately headed back down to the road.


Those nasty flies bite!! The kids were not pleased.

The afternoon was better, don't worry.  We were house sitting for my mom and dad so we invited Nick's family over for some good old American barbecue.  The trouble is when Nick's around a mere hamburger with ketchup and cheese just doesn't kick it.  You can always count on something gourmet and "phenomenal" from Uncle Nick.

Aunt Brooke also happens to be a phenomenal photographer.  She took some pictures of us in the back yard and I LOVE them!! 

We then headed over to the Dalton's new home (under renovation) and walked onto the golf course for a front seat view of the fireworks. 

Jack was terrified, Sadie was enthralled and George was squishy.

 

Happy Birthday America!!

BRRRRRR Lake

Bear Lake is famous for raspberry shakes. So we stopped at the first place we could on our way into town. S, J and G were tired of the car anyway, so it was good to stop. This trip to Bear Lake was the first where we've had our own cabin, which turned out to be awesome, since it was right on the lake. Plus, it had a huge back patio and a hot tub. The hot tub was the biggest hit, particularly since even at its warmest, Brrrrrr Lake is not warm. It was so not warm that Toots refused to get in the water. Even walking out to the boat from the beach, Toots made me carry her on my back. Redonkulous, but what can you do?

 

 

It was also amazing to hang out with all of the cousins on the boat. Sadie again chilled with Grace and Mills, usually in the bow. Ethan went wherever he wanted, as did Holds and Nathan. MJ and Rich I think were on the boat for the entire two days we had it rented: they were the resident grabbers of waterskiis and ropes. Abby snapped this hilarious photo of Chris and D-Max, who was very concerned about Holden's safety while riding the tube!

 

The beach (well, a "bear lake beach") acted as a magnet for Jack: It has water and sand (and a lot of rocks). So he spent most of his days down by the water, digging, building and transporting with beach and construction truck toys. He and Ethan were pals for that. Dunc-Max also enjoyed hangin' with J on the beach. Sadie spent her time hangin' with Grace and Mills, whom she misses since we left the DC area.

The other great thing about Brrrrr Lake was that G and I (that is me, Chase) got to spend all sorts of time bonding. That time was primarily between the hours of 4 and 8 AM, when the rest of the cabin was sleeping. One morning, G and I headed out on a long walk. Another morning, we sat and watched the sun rise (and wished we'd had the boat so we could have taken advantage of the glassy water). On the last morning, G and I took a drive....all the way around the lake. G fell back to sleep for most of it, and so I just listened to Coldplay and enjoyed the views of the lake from all vantage points possible! It was, well, good father son time, I guess.

Sadie gets the prize for looking the silliest in her goggles.  It's pretty steamy behind those lenses.  She wore them almost the entire trip.  Uncle Chris started calling her "goggle Sadie."

Monday brought some sweet waterskiing, made possible by our boat rental and by unusually quiet winds. Man I miss waterskiing. And I miss being on the boat with my bros and with Toots! I love it out there--it's just so relaxing!! Although not yet waterskiing, Sadie and Jack both made it on to the death tube. I coaxed Sadie by telling her the tube was like a pony, and she was being a cowgirl to ride it. I coaxed Jack by promising black nibs, which he ate a whole bag of. He did not enjoy the tube ride, which lasted only a few seconds! Further, once he got back on the boat, Toots placed all the guilt and blame on me by telling Jack that "Daddy made you do it!", all while consoling him and drying his tears. Nevertheless, both were brave and did it. Both were also very excited to get back in the hot tub.

Other highlights of Bear lake include smoothies from CC, late-night hot tubbing, an FHE around the fire pit, Scattegory arguments, Curtis as a chef, CC holding G, and the arrival of the Froot Loop bandit. Definitely a fantastic time for all involved!! Thanks Pops and CC for hooking up the place!