I am doing it!!

Breastfeeding that is. Sure, that may not seem like breaking news. Some of you may be thinking, you have a baby, that is implied. But for me it is not. While breastfeeding seems like a minor thing, a thing that millions of women have been doing since the beginning of time, it has been a big deal for me. You see I wasn't able to breastfeed my first two sons. Not exclusively anyway. With Nathan I couldn't seem to make enough milk to keep him happy. I would feed him for 45 minutes and then 45 minutes he would want more. This became physically and emotionally exhausting. I felt like I couldn't provide for my child and that I would be stuck to the couch for the rest of my life. I even tried pumping to increase my supply but could never get more than an ounce. I finally had to supplement with formula. This proved to be the best option as he got what he needed and it took some of the stress off of me. As a first time mom I felt overwhelmed on so many levels this was a much needed solution to what felt like a huge problem.
When Jordan came along I had pretty negative feelings about breastfeeding due to my experience with Nathan but felt like it was something I was supposed to do so went into it intending to give it my best shot. But within a few days after his birth he was hospitalized for jaundice. My milk supply wasn't coming in and he needed to feed to help with the jaundice. Even in my stressed and exhausted state (a 13 month old and a week old in the hospital felt beyond hard!), I tried to keep nursing him. But a very impatient nurse forced a bottle in my hand and told me I had to feed my baby. I caved. I think back now and realize that while it was again for the better in the long run, it sure would have been nice to have some support. Nonetheless, I once again supplemented. At this point I figured I just couldn't breastfeed. I wasn't able to. I remember having a long conversation with my sister in law before she had her daughter telling her how hard and painful it was to breastfeed and how much I hated it and that she shouldn't feel like she has to do it. I really felt that way.
Then Isaiah came along. I again decided to give breastfeeding a shot (what can I say, when I think you are supposed to do something it is hard for me not to...the rules follower part of my personality is hard to overcome). But in my mind I was already convinced it wouldn't work and was giving myself a quick out if I needed it. I stocked up on bottles and my cupboard was full of formula samples in preparation for having to supplement once again. Then he came and I gave it a go. Within 3 or 4 days my milk came in and he seemed pretty satisfied. His checkups showed that his weight gain was what it should be. He began to look a little jaundice and I worried about that but that cleared on its on. Before I know it, 2 or 3 weeks had passed and I was still exclusively breastfeeding. At this point I began to stress every time he got too fussy, worrying he wasn't getting enough to eat. My hormones were also getting the best of me and I was feeling overwhelmed with the duty of being the only one who could feed him. But Jeremy was a great support and I continued on. Isaiah is now 8 weeks old and I haven't had to give him even one bottle of formula.  I can honestly say not only is it going well, I am enjoying it. I am actually able to bond with him through the act of feeding him. I didn't have this experience with my other too. It was so painful and hard to feed them that I didn't get know the joy of it. I am thankful that I decided to give it another go. I appreciate the gift of being able to feed my child, it is a special thing that mothers get to experience. I think I was given a glimpse of both sides of this so that I could truly appreciate it. It has also helped me to not pass judgements on others. So often people sit firmly in the breastfeeding or formula feeding camps judging those who choose differently. I have no judgement as I know that sometimes it really isn't a choice. And even when it is, it is probably what is best for mother and child in their situation.
I am hoping to at least nurse him for 6 months if I can make it that long. For now, I am just taking it day by day. I am trying to enjoy what I have, not just in the ability to nurse but in all aspects of life. I am soaking in every minute of baby time as I now know how fleeting it is. I can speak from experience that sleeplessness and all the other not so fun stuff goes away so I don't need to dwell on those now. My third child has really been a blessing to me in so many ways. He is helping me to truly enjoy what I have been given. This is a gift I cherish and hope to be able to apply in other areas of my life.




 

6 weeks old already

 6 weeks ago today at about this time I was giving birth to Isaiah. In some ways it is so hard to believe that all that time has passed. In other ways, it seems like he has been here forever. He is such a great addition to our family and we are so blessed to have him. He started smiling and cooing in the last week or two...my favorite first. I just love seeing that little face light up and listening to him try to communicate using those beautiful infant sounds. The boys get a huge kick out of listening to him "talk" and try to guess what he is telling us. He is lifting his head when on our shoulders (and then flinging it violently into us...painful for all with that giant head of his!). He is not a fan of tummy time but loves laying on the floor as brothers usually join him. He truly adores his brothers and is instantly mesmerized whenever they are in view. So far they still haven't gotten sick of him and there hasn't been much jealousy. All in all, he is an easy baby. I don't know if it is because this is our 3rd time around or if he just has a more laid back personality. I think it's a little bit of both. He has days where he is clingy and I feel like I can get nothing done which can be maddening but then I remember that this time is so short and soon he will be a big monkey like the other two so I just try to soak it all in. I find myself holding him and just taking in his smell and the feel of him snuggled into my chest. I think with my first two I didn't take the time to enjoy it like I should. I let the hard stuff overwhelm me and I was often looking forward to the next stage. Having been there and had a break in between babies, I am now better able to enjoy the moment (okay, not good at this yet, but BETTER).

Here are some of the many faces of Isaiah...such a silly guy already:

Okay, the last one is slightly creepy...but the smile has been hard to capture so far so we take what we can get. Open mouth, no teeth, pointy turtle tongue pictures and all!







 

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have been planning to make my own detergent for a few months now but was waiting to run out of my store bought detergent. That finally happened this week so I excitedly gathered all the ingredients I needed to make my own (I know, it is pathetic the things that excite me these days). Now there are literally dozens of homemade laundry detergent recipes out there. I settled on this one and will decide whether to stick with it after a few uses. I already did 3 loads of laundry with it yesterday and am pleased for the most part. I am thinking about upping the washing soda and borax though as I read that that helps with getting the clothes really clean.

Ingredients:

1/3 bar Fels Naptha

½ cup washing soda

½ cup borax powder

Two gallon bucket 

*essential oil (optional)

Directions:

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.
   

Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.

  

Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.   Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.
  

Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. 

You use ½ cup per load.

*I also added 1/3 oz of orange scented essential oil for a nice scent. 

 **Mine didn't really gel after the 24 hours. But I read that that was normal for it to come out watery and that it can still be used that way. I am going to play around with this a little bit but was happy how it turned out for my first time. This really didn't take much time at all so it wasn't an extra hassle.


Now while I am pleased that one side effect of using homemade detergent is getting rid of the chemicals used to clean our clothes, the main reason I am doing it is to save money. To make sure this was really a money saving endeavor, I kept track of what I spent on all of the ingredients. Here is the breakdown:
-Fels Naptha: 0.99
-Arm & Hammer Washing Soda: 2.69
-Borax: 3.67
-Essential Oil: 4.99
TOTAL: 12.34

The Borax and Washing Soda will last me quite awhile but I am going to figure this based on the Fels Naptha and Essential Oil for which I get 3 batches. Each batch will do 64 loads of laundry. So a third of $12.34 is $4.11. 64 loads at $4.11 comes out to .06 cents a load. Now if we compare this to a leading brand of detergent (I looked at Tide): For 64 loads of Tide it is $14.99 which comes out to .23 cents a load. It is almost 4 times the cost. I say that makes it well worth the effort!
For those of you wondering where to find these items, they can be found at local grocery stores. I was able to find all 3 items together at Fred Meyer, which is what the prices were based on. I picked up the essential oil at a organic store.


*** For an updated version of this post please read HERE*** 

Vote:)

 Since reading the birth story of her youngest daughter, I have been completely hooked on Kelle Hampton's blog. I have even linked it here several times. She is now up for her own show on
Oprah's network so check out her audition video and vote:)
 



 

Getting back to it...

Just thought I would stop in real quick to say....HE'S HERE!! Isaiah Jackson Lewis joined our family on May 24th at 5:21pm weighing 8 lbs and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. He is an absolute doll and has fit right into the family like he has always been here. The boys fell instantly in love and we have yet to see anything but kindness or concern directed towards their little brother. We are slowly adjusting to life as a family of 5 and finding our routine. Daddy is already back to work so I am learning to juggle 3 kids instead of 2. Luckily he came the same week that everything else died down so we will have a slow and uneventful summer to just be a family. I will write more soon about his arrival, but wanted to update those of you who may have been wondering where I have been (I know, there are SO MANY of you;). Here are some pics of our new little man:

Daddy is so proud:

Mommy and her little guy:

Time with big brother:

All my guys:

Our sweet little man:

 

Carry the Fire

For those of you who don't know me personally, you may not know that my parents are missionaries.

They moved from Eastern Washington to Southern Arizona a year and a half ago to become missionaries in Mexico. They love what they do and have seen God work in amazing ways. I am so proud of the way they have followed God's calling in their life and it is fun to see all the things they are doing.  If any of you are interested in following along on their journey, they have started a new website. Their non-profit organization is called Carry the Fire. Check out what they are doing, where they are speaking and ways to help out if you are feeling led to do so. You can also follow along on their blog for more detailed accounts of their work.




 

What's new here...

Life has just been whirling by in our house lately. The last few weeks seem to have gotten especially crazy. We have had our usual weekly stuff: Kindermusik, Journey, Home Group, Reading Time at the library and church. In the last week and a half I attended 3 baby showers, 2 of them were for me, 1 a complete surprise! My doctor appointments have went from every 2 weeks to twice a week. Last week I had to have two non-stress tests, an ultrasound, blood work, and an examine. I feel like I should get a special parking spot downtown! We are also getting ready for Friday when my parents arrive from Arizona. We are just so excited to see them, it has been over a year. That meant finishing up Isaiah's room (which obviously needed to be done anyway!) so they have a place to sleep and general cleaning and organizing that had been neglected. Of course being 36 weeks pregnant I am really starting to slow down so every project I try to tackle takes way longer then it should. My feet have been swelling something fierce, talking 10 lb gain in one week from fluid retention, so I have to stop and sit with them up for awhile. I feel so annoying right now, I can't help but complain about my ugly and painful feet and all the other aches and pains. Luckily my husband has been great and not only shows me a lot of sympathy but also does his best to help out so I can take it easy. Today I turn in my 24 hour urine test and await the results which tell me if I have to be on some kind of modified bed rest. Praying that that isn't the case but will take it as it comes.

That pretty much covers life in the Lewis house lately. Before I know it I will be posting about our newest little guy's arrival. Getting very excited and anxious for the big day!