A Week, Briefly (Still Learning How to Cope)

A7 taught our family night lesson with a story she learned in her primary class at church.  It was about priesthood authority.   She did such a good job, labeling the little cars and making sure as many family members as possible were able to be active participants.

Baby L and I took a trip to a breastfeeding support clinic.  His weight loss was severe enough that the lactation consultant told us it was imperative that we get some food in him immediately.  Even though I'd been nursing him around the clock, he'd been taking in very, very little milk.  He wasn't dehydrated, but he was at 15% weight loss since being born.  On the way home from the clinic I stopped to pick up some bottles and formula.  

I've been crying pretty much ever since.

The week became a blur of consulting with La Leche League leaders, additional lactation consultations, purchasing tools/toys/gadgets to help us try to keep breastfeeding, pumping breast milk, and bottle feedings.

He's growing now.  

He LOVES taking a bottle.  

He tolerates nursing when all he wants is comfort.  

We've spent a fortune to learn the hard way what does and doesn't work for our boy.

Unless something dramatic happens soon, it looks like Baby L will be bottle-fed both formula and whatever breast milk I can pump (which isn't much at the moment, because for over 2 weeks it was almost as if I wasn't nursing him at all).

I'll continue seeing a lactation consultant for a while longer.  We'll keep up weight checks and keep trying to help him nurse, but I truly can't see what the future holds for this little fellow who spent his first weeks in a state of constant hunger.

While I spent every waking (and most sleeping) moments working on feeding Baby L, the kids did their own thing--playing with the camera was one of them.  (Playing with make up was another.)

Dad did a science experiment with the little guys.  The experiment was from a Christmas present science kit that they've been waiting and waiting to get to use.  They learned about how color can affect temperature--the black paper got 6 degrees hotter than the white paper did.

We spent time together loving one another.

We made valentines.  Adding Baby L means we make 90 valentines just as a family.  And no pre-made one for us (though I was sorely tempted this year)!  Every valentine is hand-crafted and individually made.  It's tradition.

The 7 who were big enough to participate in this year's treasure hunt.

(Baby L was eating--as he does most of the time these days.)

I3 got to "read" the first clue.

And there were chocolates for every one at the end of the hunt.

Sharing some screen time on a lazy afternoon.

S12 and J11 made cupcakes.  Everyone got in on the decorating (and eating) action.

Baby L liked his second bath far better than his first.  Believe it or not, those spindly little arms are  plumper than they were 5 days ago.

 

 

We started up our devotionals again.  We're not back into our full routine with scripture memorization and singing, but at least we're reading and talking about the gospel each morning.  

We managed to watch both the Kiera Knightley and the Colin Firth versions of Pride and Prejudice this week.  The good part is that someone (I really don't yet know who) in the house pulled the book off the shelf and is reading it just for fun.

One night Dad managed to get the kids up to the soccer field for a little extra conditioning.  H5 and A7 were very proud of how much running they were able to do.  The biggest girls realize just how much additional physical conditioning they need!

A7 and H5 were invited to a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese.  I'm grateful that I3 was graciously allowed to tag along. 

We all went to the church on Wednesday night for activities and meetings.  I found it exhausting, but the kids had a blast.

Dance rehearsals were on Thursday.  The kids all came home tired and sweaty but happy to welcome some new kids to the troupe and to be learning some new dances.

Soccer practice was on Saturday.

We read aloud together Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, and then we watched the movie.  We were fascinated by both.

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I don't know how to start school again . . . between pumping, nursing, and bottle feeding, almost every hour of the day is taken up with baby feeding.  And that doesn't even begin to count the hours his other needs take.  I have a lot to learn about taking care of this little fellow.  That's what I get for being confident that we'd slide easily back into our school routines once Baby L arrived. 

Sometimes it's hard to be humbled.