Started Cereals

1) I never posted that Gabriel started rolling over somewhere a little after three months.
2) We started cereals last night. I decided to go for it and if it didn't go over well, we'd wait until after the two vacations...which would actually be about 7 months, not 8. Well, not that it matters. Gabe LOVED it! He got upset when there was no cereal left, but I didn't think he needed more than that and wanted to make sure there was no reaction to the cereal. It was about an oz of milk and two baby scoops of cereal. I think I'll try to make it a little thicker tonight! Gabriel thought it was the funnest thing ever, as did Christopher and I.

I'm so absurd to be stressed about solids

I'll admit. I'm not so great about making decisions. I take FOREVER to weigh the pros and cons and then once I make the decision, I simply go for it (but always wonder in the back of my mind if it's right or not). Somehow, it's easier to stick to the harder decisions than the easy ones. Before Gabriel was born, I'd planned to exclusively breastfeed him until at least 6-8 months. Now he's about 4.5 months and I'm considering letting him have some cereal for the first time. We have a very small stockpile of food I've started for him, but I just keep going back and forth. Different studies show different things, but I'm not TOO concerned about allergies, as Chris and I have none, but still... Gabe has started being very interested in us eating (although he's interested in just about everything we do) so I gave him a spoon to "play" with while we eat, which he LOVES to put in his mouth (but, once again, he does that with everything). He's already past double his birthweight, so that's one milestone and he loves rolling around, but isn't sitting up totally unassisted yet. On the one hand, I want to let him try it and then wouldn't push it if he wasn't interested/didn't like it and I'd wait a few weeks. I'm excited to try simply because I think it will be fun and I'm excited to try to make some of his own food and excited to not be so obsessed with how much I'm producing b/c there will be solids to fall back on. On the other hand, we cloth diaper and I don't want to have to start using disposable liners, and I don't want him to develop allergies and me think it was b/c I started him on solids too soon... Our family is taking two vacations this summer and I don't want to start right before, in between, or right after the vacations b/c I think it would be too many changes at once. So pretty much we're going to start him on solids by Friday, or we'll wait until a week or two after the last vacation, which will be around 8 months... I still have yet to decide fully what I want to do, but I surprise myself by being so absurd sometimes!?!

So much harder to do with a baby!!!

I never realized JUST how hard it is to do things with a baby. And not just take a 10 minute shower, go to the grocery store, eat my dinner warm... Everything seems to have changed. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my little guy and wouldn't trade him for the ease I used to have (but didn't realize). Here's my current list of house projects that will need to be done during the summer months (3 months left maybe of decent weather) so that we can keep the windows and doors open all the time and/or stay elsewhere b/c of fumes, etc...
-Electrical, drylok, insulation, walls, and ceiling for basement entertainment room
-Fix the stairs to the basement
-Hardwood or tile for kitchen and bathroom floors?
-Refinish all hardwood floors
-Tear down and put in a new appropriate breezeway
-Tear out walls and fix bathroom (shower, step/compartment, mold-resistant walls, tile, vent)
-Lawn care (organic yard care to cut down on the bad-word weeds that overrun our yard)
-Roof reinforcement (before it snows)
-Replant rhubarb (on south side close to dog run)
-Roof for half of dog run for rainy/snowy seasons
-Plant seedlings in our massive gardens and grow away
-Move our compost
And when these will ever get done, who knows...
And, yes, we'll have to save up (time and money) in order to do these projects. Who knows when we'll have enough to complete even 2 or three of them...

I sure hope not...

I've been feeling quite down lately. I'm not sure if it's the lack of sleep due to Gabriel's sleep regression (which has totally gotten better in the last few days, thank the stars), if it's that bad things seem to be happening all around me and I'm starting to think I'm a bad-luck-charm, if it's the nasty weather we've been having lately or something else. Which brings me to my point: I'm VERY much hoping it's not late-onset PPD. That would be really stinky. And I'm not sure if it's just a crabby time, which happens for everyone and should pass relatively quickly...or something not as easily swayed. Hopefully the former. And hopefully the medium mood picks up a LOT in the next few days. The end.

Who cares if it's weird?

So back in the day, when Hubby and I were trying to get pregnant and not having much luck, we had lots and lots of talks. We'd reaffirmed that we know we wanted to adopt someday, whether we were able to get pregnant or not. We also reevaluated other things. Point being: During this time, I heard for the first time I can remember about milkbanks and milksharedotcom. These are both places that connect parents in need of antibodies for their child with milk from donating mothers. What an awesome idea, I thought. I know that if we're able to adopt a baby, I'd like to give him/her as best a start in life as I could and this is one way to ensure that start. I was hoping that, if I ever got pregnant, I'd be able to help out other moms and dads in this area. I'm proud to say that I have been able to do just that! It's not been easy, and definitely gets frustrating at times, especially when I feel tied to the pump, but it's an amazing feeling knowing that not only can I produce enough for my little monster, but I'm also able to help (currently) another adopted little girl grow! When I get discouraged with having to pump so often (and the fact that I feel starving 90% of the time and am snacking constantly...and thus have actually gained weight back after the two week post-partum mark), I think about how blessed I would feel receiving the liquid gold from some other mom...and how blessed I feel knowing I can help another baby in the way that only new moms can.
Here's how it works:
For a milkbank, a donor would contact the closest milkbank. Said milkbank would send paperwork to fill out and pay for donor to get tested (HepA, HepB, and HIV, I believe). Once results came back, donor would send frozen milk to said bank. The bank then tests/sterilizes/mixes said milk with other donor's milk and pasteurized. Then this milk is set up to be received. This milk is available by prescription mainly to premature babies, babies with medical conditions, and some adopted babies.
For a milksharing website, the milk is not pasteurized or anything. It's a direct connection to donor and recipient. A donor signs up at a site such as milkshare . com and posts their donation. (Ex: I posted that I had x amount of milk and would like to donate to either a preemie or an adopted baby.) Hopeful recipients choose a donor and connect. Donor chooses recipient and they connect. Sometimes the pair are able to meet in person and sometimes the frozen milk is shipped. Donor provides/sends milk and applicable testing (Hep and HIV testing is strongly suggested for all pregnant women, so this testing should already be completed and donor would just need to get a copy of said results). Recipient usually reimburses donor for any bags or bottles and, if shipped, also pays for shipping fees.
I've felt so blessed to be a part of this circle and try not to get offended at the people who act offended that I donate my milk to another child in need. Trust me: I comprehend that it's not the "normal" way of doing things. But why wouldn't I? I have something that another parent strongly desires for their child. Why would I deny that?
I am happy to be a part of the milksharing circle!

Rolling already?

Granted, I've been afraid he's gonna start rolling the SECOND I look away the first time he's on the couch/changing table/anywhere really...but he started rolling for the first time yesterday, April 11. Right as Chris opened the fridge door and couldn't see, Gabriel-Monster rolled from his tummy to his back. I yelled to Chris, but was too late...and then I was oh-so-sure he woulnd't do it again, but he DID!!! Great. Now not only does he scoot around on his back for several feet, but he can roll. He's gonna be scoot-scoot-scootin' around all over the place and rolling when he gets stuck...Goodness time flies. Plus, while we were "sleeping" together on the floor in his room the other day, I found that he likes to roll from his back to his side so that he can face me right-on, but as of yet can't roll totally on to his stomach.

Horribly crabby times

Trying to make a long story short:

I was on my way to go and work out before family got into town on Saturday and found the basement to have medium amounts of water in it due to the dehumidifier never being turned on. So I start rushing around trying to move all of the items I'm strong enough to move so everything's not ruined (after turning on the dehumidifier, of course). And leave in a huff to go buy a second dehumidifier (one is normally fine as long as we start it before flooding actually happens). So I buy a smaller dehumidifier just to supplement the larger one, but it was still over $150. Ouch. I get home and Hubby says that he'll just shop vac every hour that night and that after the first day, the one dehumidifier should be good. Not sure I trusted that b/c his family was coming into town and who wants to use that time vacuuming up water? I mean, really? But I agree b/c he promises he'll do it.
P.S. I felt like the rest of our house was a wreck and unclean and HATE feeling that way when people are coming over. My plan is always to have the place semi-clean, but not uber-clean.
Onward: The next day I go downstairs to empty the water bucket for the dehumidifier...which is empty. WHAT??? Yeah, so it sounds like it's working, but isn't actually sucking anything up. Oh yeah, and Hubby didn't go downstairs once the day before to shop vac. So the basement still has standing water everywhere.
Another side note: If the drylocking had been done in the fall like was said to be done, there would be only one wall that would leak (behind the stairs) as opposed to everywhere.
Onward again: So I wake Hubby up and tell him it's not working and I go to work out. I can't take the stress and anger. And I get a call after I've been at the gym for no more than maybe 40 minutes by Hubby freaking out asking where I am b/c I've been gone FOREVER. Right... If the baby is hungry, there are bottles in the fridge. Give him one. But... I stop working out and go to the locker room to get ready to come home. (I walked there and back) By the time I get home, Baby is SCREAMING his head off (and this is coming from one of the most easygoing babies I've ever dealt with). And Hubby's confused b/c the children's tylenol says not to give it to infants {Is there really a difference between infants and childrens tylenol? I mean, that's a serious question. Someone please answer.} but Baby is hot. No, he'd not taken Baby's temperature yet, but Baby was red in the face from screaming and crying so much and felt hot. Ends up Baby was never given a bottle, was overly stimulated, hadn 't gotten a nap at all that morning...Yeah, you get my point. So I take him to his room and feed and rock him, which is hard b/c he's still upset. And after a while he calms down and is sleeping, not red, and no longer warm. Granted, it happens to all of us, but should I really be putting a list of 'Could this be the problem' for when I'm not there? Honestly?
I can't even think of what else went wrong this weekend, but those pretty much sum up the aura of my weekend, if a weekend can have an aura.
HOWEVER, while it was a ridiculously stressful weekend, it was also really blessed. Family came into town (including my one and only nephew, who's getting HUGE). It was/is really great to hang out with them. And I found that my SIL and I are more similar that I thought. She's pregnant with their first biological child and her pregnancy is quite similar to mine thusfar. She's had less nausea, but more actual vomiting, but has also had recurring headaches. She weighed the exact same amount starting out and has lost a little in the first two months (the exact amount I lost) and has been able to maintain that weight (like I did). Here's hoping, though, that her nausea/vomiting stops before the halfway mark!!! Anyway, it's fun to hang out with them!!!