Suzy Q Homemaker

My guess is that when Timothy started getting a cold last week, his ears were so clogged up that in order to pop them, he had to clamp down on something.  That something ended up being my right nipple, which soon got to the point where I could no longer nurse without crying.  I’ll spare you the gory details that involve PUS AND BLOOD.  With the painkillers, I can wear a shirt without having to hold it away from the offending wound.  For a few days, I had been walking around with my right shoulder stooped down like Quasimodo so no fabric could touch it and cause a string of obscenities that would make your mama cry.

As of October 1, 2009, a new WIC initiative aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates among families reallocates funding for all currently provided foods, including infant formula, baby foods, juices, and fresh fruits and vegetables. This program could mean a reduction of up to 20 percent in infant-formula subsidies; parents who previously had most of their formula paid for by WIC may now have to purchase formula on their own. Read more…

This is a photograve from 1890 Paris.  A group of mothers are getting their children vaccinated against smallpox.  Do you think they were concerned about that woman breastfeeding her baby in the corner without a “hooter hider” or whatever the hell you call it?

Cause seriously.  There are more important things.

In all honesty, I was a nervous wreck about this trip to Louisville.  Who wouldn’t be afraid to take a four-month-old on a nine-hour bus trip?  I was concerned about how we would handle crying, diaper changes, and sleeping.  The feeding I wasn’t concerned about because I didn’t have to pack anything special for nursing.

Here’s what I packed for Timothy:

• cloth diapers and diapering essentials for three days and then some
• clothing for warm & cool weather
• the pouch sling & the didymos wrap
• teething tablets
• toys
• car seat for bus napping

The best part about being on a bus was being able to hold Timothy when he needed to be held.  He wasn’t confined to the car seat for hours on end, so I didn’t have to do any fancy car seat nursing or ask to stop when diapers needed to be changed.  The motion of the bus also helped soothe him to sleep whenever nap time was in order.  Timothy rarely fussed and never cried while we were on the road.  It was GLORIOUS.

While we toured Louisville, I kept the didymos tied on so that I could easily slip Timothy in when we were walking around and then take him out when we were on the bus again.  How about some action shots!

Obviously, I didn’t take these pictures.  My friend Mary Ann did!  In the picture right above, I was actually putting Timothy in the wrap while we were walking to the Ohio River.  I became very adept at adjusting while walking, a skill much needed in a group of people with a touring goal.  There was no time for strollers or buckles!

I was asked constantly while we were on this trip how Timothy slept at night.  The truth was that he slept just as well as any other night.  Since we co-sleep, there really was no change in his sleeping routine.  All I had to do was lie down with him in our bed, nurse him, and voila!  If he woke during the night, it was only to nurse some more and then go back to sleep.  This is exactly how it goes at home and what I expected to happen while we were in Louisville.  I made sure to get a single room with a queen-sized bed so we wouldn’t be bothered by (or be bothering) other people.  Not that Timothy was fussy or cried at night, but still.

In the mornings, I had to make sure to wake earlier than I expected Timothy to in order to squeeze in a shower and get dressed.  I was quite proud of myself for being able to do this.  I thought for sure I’d have to pawn him off on someone so I could put my pants on!  Cause you know, on any normal day, Timothy and I usually wake about the same time and I can’t get a shower until at least after lunch.

Our only trouble with Timothy was when I had to be away during rehearsals and performances.  He screamed and screamed.  It was heartbreaking and I hated that we had to be separated for those short amounts of time.  I’m grateful for a good friend who was there to hold him while he cried.  I need to think of a way to thank her.  Is there a Hallmark card that says, “Thanks for holding my screaming infant?”

I feel like I should apologize to the internet for my rather graphic and colorful descriptions of the most recent events.  I reread my entry about the appendectomy and was like, WOAH.  In all the haze of anesthesia and Demerol, my language got rather graphic and I forgot how many friends from my church read my blog…WOOPS!  Oh, and my dad, too.  Sorry dad!

It’s not like I don’t occasionally drop an f-bomb now and then on my blog.  After all, it is my blog.  I paid for it, right?  Though I am squatting on my sister’s server.  Thryn, if you want me to stop using such foul language, let me know.  Ha!

But really, if I offended anyone’s sensibilities, I’m sorry.  Forgive me?

Good.

Now I shall tell you about what’s going on today.  And if you don’t want to read about my bodily functions, check out my sidebar and read something from the archives. 

I am so, so grateful to be home.  Not only is the internet better here, but Timothy has full access to my breasts, I can pee in the toilet and not in a measuring cup, and I can eat real food!  Don’t get me wrong: I loved having some peace and quiet.  My main concern was Timothy, though.  He flat-out refused to eat for anyone while I was in the hospital Sunday night.  While he was at my mom’s, he maybe drank two ounces of a magical concoction of lactose-free milk & water.  The formula was refused altogether.  When Jamie brought him to me Monday morning, I wish I had taken a picture of the way Timothy’s eyes rolled back in his head when he latched on.  Although it hurt to have him in my lap, those feel-good prolactin hormones took over and we quickly settled in to a much-needed nursing.

Unfortunately, my supply was rather low and by 9:30 last night, Timothy was so not happy with the amount of milk he was getting.  He normally doesn’t cry at home unless something was wrong, so my heart was breaking as he cried at my breast.  Jamie took him when he got too upset, calmed him down, and put him back in bed with me.  Throughout the night, Timothy nursed at least every three hours for 20-30 minutes at a time.  He’s never been a lingerer, but he made exceptions last night.  And that’s fo’ sho’.

One last word about my body.  A fantastic side-effect of laparoscopic surgery is GAS! Oh good God, I just wikipedia-ed laparoscopic surgery and there are PICTURES.  So, don’t do that if you are easily grossed out.  Anywayyy, since they pumped my abdomen full of carbon dioxide, I now have to eliminate some of that gas.  While we were in bed watching “Hoarders” last night, Jamie turned to me because he was wondering what in the world was vibrating the bed.  I was just like, “Sorry.”

Ladylike, I know.

So, now I have to essentially start over with my post-baby workouts once I get all healed from my first ever surgery.  I was really starting to feel great, too.  My diastasis was gone, and I was able to fit into one more pair of pre-pregnancy jeans.  Now, I look like I just had another baby!  Gah!  Oh well.