BREASTMILK

Real Talk: Breastfeeding is HARD!!!! I never really understood, and still don’t fully grasp all the logistics and what it actually takes to exclusively breastfeed a child. I gave it a good effort until mastitis and a nasty abscess/infection stopped me dead in my tracks. I have allowed that breast to kind of wither away and now it produces just enough to comfort her and satisfy her immediate and temporary needs. The other breast is producing enough to feed her every 5-6 hours (every other feeding.) the amount of pumping and feeding needed to produce milk to allow her to grow and thrive is more than my body can handle. I was finding that even with a rigorous feeding and pumping schedule and regimen, my supply was still inadequate. I felt defeated and frustrated. I decided to just face reality. I am grateful and feel so blessed that I have enough to feed and bond with her 3 times a day. The other 4-6 feedings have come from various Beaverton/Bethany/Portland mom’s who have lovingly shared their stash with us. Anderson, Caralynn and now Emmalee have all thrived on other mama’s milk. My most recent stash is from my friend, Renate Garrison who I met on our local “buy nothing group.” We have become Facebook friends and have been sharing and passing along baby gear since she had a new baby as well. When she found out about my breastfeeding difficulties, she offered to help. She supplied Emmalee with colostrum during my infection and tonight donated this HUGE BAG of pumped milk. My mama heart exploded! Wow! Thank you so much! 

Pool Time

Emmalee is 1 Month Old

Emmalee is 1 month old. She loves her binky and loves to be snuggled close. She smiled at her daddy for the first time tonight:) She hates her car seat unless she is asleep. She sleeps 5 hour stretches at night. She LOVES TO EAT earning her the nickname “missy moo cow.” She rarely ever cries unless she is REALLY hangry and even then, she just squawks a little. She is very patient with Caralynn’s constant Epic mauling, kissing, jostling snuggle sessions. She loves to be outside. She loves eye contact and will look into your eyes as long as you are willing to stare into her beautiful blue eyes:) She’s an absolute doll and we are on cloud 9 and we cannot get enough of her cute little mannerisms and sounds. Anderson calls her Em&M:) She hates to be swaddled and wants her soft blanket up by her face. We are so in love.

Girl's Night

Had a great night out w/a few other moms for a "We Survived Summer" Ladies night at McMenamin's Grand Lodge!

The grounds were beautiful, the inside of the lodge is a quirky, fun & amazing sight to behold. The giant old building houses hotel rooms, a theatre, spa & 2 restaurants. It's a must visit!

We started our evening relaxing in the outdoor soaking pool. After a nice relaxing couple of hrs we headed to one of the 2 dining areas for dinner. We thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance of the veranda as the sun went down & the string lights lit up! Yummy food & great company! Thanks ladies! 

SuperPlay

SUPERPLAY FUN WITH FRIENDS! Laser tag, bowling, burgers and fries:)

Bestie Sleepover

Anderson’s bestie, Logan spent the day with us and decided he wanted to try having a sleepover. The boys watched Spiderman and ate popcorn. After lights out, they talked each other to sleep. I love how much these two rely on each other for stability and can pick up right where they left off after months and months of no contact or communication:) They have been best friends since Kindergarten.

Wicket

Happy #nationaldogday to the pup who has changed our lives for the better. Wicket, you drive us absolutely insane with your yapping but we are so blessed to have you. You are so very loved!

Tilly

Wicket and Tilly were able to meet tonight:) Thanks for inviting us Paul and Blythe.

Bethany Street Fair

Our local Bethany Village shopping center hosted a super fun end of the summer 80’s safety fair! The kids loved body art, balloons, yummy food, fun booths, good music, emergency preparedness demos and more! We love our community!

Emmalee's First Bath

She loved it!

SO DONE!

Her face says it all. The last 5 days have been rough. We are both SO OVER IT! I have been dealing with a nasty breast infection. The time has come to throw in the towel and wave the white flag. Long story short, I have severely clogged ducts on the left side. So severe that an incision and drain could be the only cure:( I am at the doctor today and they are looking into possible treatment options. I have an abscess:( At this point in time the best option is for me to work on weaning. I am proud that we made it this far:)

My Marie

A visit with “My Marie” (Gigi, Gramma Gummi Bear) was just what we all needed this evening before heading home:) I surprised her with my visit. I walked in and stood in her doorway with Emmalee and it was so heartwarming to see her completely light up with joy. She and Em had an awesome snuggle sesh. She has been a huge part of my life for 23 years. Such a blessing to share each part of our lives and each kiddo with her.

Floating The River

Spent the day at Whitewater Park in Bend.

Part of my heart lives here in Central Oregon! Brandi and Jerrad, thank you for letting us steal Gavin for the weekend!

Sarah, it was so great meeting up with you and Christian! Loved our visit! Glad you got baby snuggles! Christian is so precious!!

Camping

Camping with family at Jack Creek Campground in Sisters, Oregon. We spent Saturday at Three Creeks Lake. We are headed to Whitewater Park in Bend to float the river:)

Park Date

We met up with some friends at the park today:)

Pool Days

Summer has finally arrived and I’m slowly starting to feel human again. These last two weeks have been really painful and rough. So grateful Anderson and Caralynn are so independent and can pretty much take care of themselves and each other. My kids deserve the world for being so patient and understanding during this entire process. Over the last year, we have gone through a lot as a family with moving and getting settled and then going through a devastating miscarriage, then finding out we were pregnant a few weeks later, a really rough pregnancy, birth and recovery. I just want to find our new normal, whatever that is. I’m loving this newborn baby stage but the “fog” that comes along with it is REAL. lol. Parenting these three kiddos is a dream and life is beautiful!