Playgym Pizzaz

Mom has been here for the past 2 weeks and we have had so much fun. We have taken an outing almost everyday including lunch and errands. Foster has experienced some of our favorite eats, including Tijuana Flats, Maggianos (for lunch of course- not an appropriate location for young children at dinner!), and The Loop. He has also been broken in with 2 trips to the NEX (Navy Exchange) and the Commisary. We also spent some time at St. John's Town Center where I spent a ridiculous amount of money at Babies R Us! The most exciting item I purchased was the playgym in the picture below. I laughed at them as I was registering- so sure they would over stimulate any baby. However, after a visit with a friend who also has a brand new baby where Fsoter spent 30 minutes laying in her son's playgym and having such a positive reaction (smiling, cooing, staring into the mirror, ect...) I broke down and bought one! Foster loves it- well worth the money! Who knew?

Playgym P

One Month Old- August 15th

I am adding this blog a bit late, but I wanted to be sure to add this picture to the blog. It was taken on the 15th of July. I will take one each month next to "Andy" to show what amazing growth Foster will make over the next year. I know it has been done before, but I am never for reinventing the wheel. It's such a cute idea, so I am apparently a thief. Oh well!

He's Gifted, I Can Prove It!

Okay, I know that as a teacher I am looking for those signs that signal superior intelligence in my child, and I believe I have seen a few. First of all, both of his second toes are longer than his big toes. I know what you are thinking...that is an old wives tale. Well then, how about this...He is just shy of five weeks old and he has already turned over multiple times from his stomach to his back. At first I thought it was just a freak accident or happenstance, but when he did it two times in a row last week I knew we had a very advanced little guy on our hands. Now he does it at least once a day! So, here is the equation:

Long second toes + rolling over at one month old= genius

Right? I'm not just a doting mom, clearly this proves it. Plus we all know what a nerd daddy is and mom is clearly an advanced thinker-just a really cool one!

4 Weeks Old

So, as most of you know...I have succeeded in everything I have ever set out to do. I DO NOT FAIL!!! For the first time in my life I have failed at something and it kills me!

I was a trooper for three long, painful weeks of nursing with a child who apparently likes to chew. I finally decided that I would actually like to enjoy feeding my son, so I have opted to pump and bottle feed. With help around the house, pumping is easy. Once I am left alone it will become almost impossible, so I am going to plan to begin to ween Foster off breast milk at about week 7 and introduce more formula slowly. Then...he will just have to be a formula fed baby...Can you feel my guilt?

Hey, it's his fault. I truly tried everything anyone suggested and even opted to get help from two pediatricians and a lactation consultant.

Anyway, we'll just have a linebacker instead of a quarterback, right???

Foster is doing really well otherwise. He is on a 3 hour feed schedule and goes about 4 hours at a time at night. I am completely exhausted, but he is so sweet and worth it.

He was four weeks old yesterday and will officially be a month old Monday! How time flies...

our Fly Boy

Daniel has a new address...

Daniel Russell

VP -10

DET 1

FPO AA 34099-5908

He loves getting mail , so drop him a line if you have a chance.

Thanks to everyone who has already sent things to help make him less homesick!

...The Saga of the Breast Continues

As many of you know nursing has been beyond challenging for me. As an expecting mom I thought...yeah, I can do this, no problem. Baby comes to the breast and asks "Got Milk?" Then mother replies with an overabundant milk supply and a smile on her face, while baby sweetly suckles the milk. As Frank from Father of the Bride would say..."Not so much." At least not in my case.

Foster apparently is a chewer. He likes to chew on me and has caused quite a bit of trauma to that sensitive part of my female anatomy. I have spent the last 2 and 1/2 weeks trying to get him to stop chewing and trying to heal the cracks he has caused. Needless to say, feedings are by no means the picture I has in my mind. They are tear retching and very, very painful. IF it were only the latch-on that was painful, the feedings might be tolerable, but no...it is the entire feeding. Everyone has promised me that it will get better. First it was said that it would hurt for the first few days, then it was extended to the first week. My OB even said the first 2 weeks might be painful. WEll...I am over that 2 week hump and IT IS NO BETTER!!!

I have been to a lactation consultant who is wonderful, multiple times. We had Foster's possible tongue tie problem taken care of with a minor surgical snip of the ligament that holds the tongue to the bottom of his mouth by a pediatrician in Jacksonville, and I have literally tried every possible item out there to take the pain away and make the experience an all-around happier one. To no avail! However, in college, my sprint coach, Randy Jarmin, gave me the nickname, Tough Guy, for a reason. I am tough. I am willing to give it another week with the hope that things will get better.

Until then, I will just have to have a little faith that "This too shall pass!"

But in the end, man he is stinkin' cute and so worth every moment of agonizing torture!!!