Friday, August 22, 2014

7QT: Thrifting, non-pregnant nesting, and the epic saga of breastfeeding woes continues

Ciao, tutti. It's time for another rousing rendition of what's going on inside Jenny's nursing bra.

Just kidding.

Well, mostly. How about 7 quick takes mostly unrelated to lactation? Mostly.

1. I must have caught something from my latest re-read of the Nesting Place, because suddenly I've gone full on guerrilla mode on our humble abode and no piece of furniture is safe (nor is it securely in place) in this home. I hit up my favorite of favorites, my local Savers yesterday with all the bambini in tow, and out we walked with the coffee table-turned-crafting-space of my dreams, a standing floor lamp not from Target and not sporting an upside-down dog collar for a shade, and a giant ass Thomas the Train expandable play tent which has been journeying throughout my house over the past 24 hours and can be thrown satisfyingly down the basement steps at a moment's notice. Best $2 I've ever spent, I think.

2. Isn't this hideous?


3. How about now?


4. I'll tell you what, once I get going with a can of spray paint, I tend to get a little out of control. I'd asked a friend earlier this week to meet me after bedtime at our place for a little crafting and after I spied this beauty on Pinterest I decided there were enough droplets of turquoise paint left in the can to coat our wreaths. We also followed this simple felted flower tutorial and with our hot glue guns and a couple bottles of Stella, we had ourselves a good old fashioned girl's night in. The great news is that when we're both 65 years old, we will already have the template for what qualifies as a "good time" down pat.
I'm in love with this wreath. I'd like to take it out to dinner.
6. Speaking of being old and fabulous and domestic, would you guys like it if I did some kind of weekly or bi-weekly thrifting post? I know it's not the "tone" of this blog, per se, but I take so much delight in finding worthless crap and giving it a second chance at life. I also take joy in finding J Crew lovelies with the original tags still on, but that's not quite the same thing. So what do you think? Should I branch out from bodily fluids, Catholic apologetics and s-e-x and give you more frequent glimpses into the deep, dark world of my Goodwill addiction?


5. But let's talk about what you really came here to read about today: Nipplegate 2014. Let's start with the good news. The good news is that I have the very best hookup with the sweetest IBCLC on the planet, and after a 911 call to her voicemail earlier this week, she counseled me over the phone (in Target, obviously. My deepest condolences, fellow shoppers in the lamps and home goods department) and she was encouraging + compassionate and just the right touch of "well, 8 months is a fantastic amount of time to nurse, and if you want to to ahead and try the one-sided route, that's a great idea, and if not, that's great too."

(Basically she's the perfect combination of confidence, professionalism and compassion. If you live in Denver or the surrounding area and ever find yourself in need of such services, I'm happy to point you her way.)

This is an unrelated picture of a reindeer. Never will I ever invite the neighbors to the lame-ass birthdays we throw for our own toddlers.
The bad news is that while I was letting things heal up on the injured side, the uninjured workhouse, old right n' reliable, got an overuse injury or something and now I'm having a doubly uncomfortable time replete with all manner of unmentionable horrors (Dave already is aghast I've said so much on the blog. But you all are so helpful! How can I hold back?). The bottom line is that as of last night, I'd gone 24 hours without nursing or pumping on one side, and my supply is tanking. I'd all but decided we were officially broken up in the breastfeeding department but then around 10:30 pm I burst into her room in a fit of hormonal angst and dream fed her. So, I don't really know where that leaves us. She's probably taking 90% of her liquids by bottle now, but I'm resolved to keep nursing her first thing in the morning and last thing at night, if she wants and if my supply can rise to the challenge. Ugh, motherhood is just full of feeeeeeeeeelings and stuff.
Evie be like "I don't give a bleep just feed me. Anything."
7. Whichever one of you brilliant people recommended Peg + Cat is my very favorite, because my kids can count and add and subtract...and I've done nothing. Now this is my idea of homeschooling.

See you over at Jen's place.



23 comments:

  1. That table looks fantastic! I love the color.

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  2. Yes to more thrifting posts! And to the genius of Peg + Cat!

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  3. Love the idea of thrifting posts. And Evie - OH MY!!!! She went from adorable to absolutely beautiful!!! If Gerber needs a new baby....

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  4. I love thrifting posts! Do more! Nothing makes me happier than buying something that's old and worthless-looking for almost no money and making it beautiful. And when I see the projects others are doing, I get all inspired!

    Your daughter is just gorgeous--and she has an awesome hairdresser. :)

    (P.S.--My twin granddaughters, 3, adore Peg + Cat!)

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  5. Yay! for confidence, professionalism, and compassion. And for a sense of humor about the whole thing -- which, even if you aren't fully feeling just yet, you surely are blogging. Another yay! for Peg + Cat. We love it in our house -- only surpassed by Daniel Tiger and Curious George. And Evie -- what a stunning little imp.

    Good luck resolving Nipplegate 2014. (Your plan sounds great.)

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  6. i don't live in denver now (lived there during high school and go there to visit my parents) but if I did I defiitely would want to be friends. post-bedtime beer and spray paint are a winning combo...and hope things work out with the breastfeeding...i always have that love/hate relationship with it too and haven't even had any of the major issues. loved the photo of your littlest...she's adorable!

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  7. Yes to thrifting! I'm so impressed. But no to Peg. I think she's annoying but Hannah knows a ton about animals from Wild Kratts. Cheetas are more important than math, right?

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    1. Haha, yea...We call peg the tiny communist in our house, shcovered wealth redistribution more than just a few times...

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  8. LOVE the table and wreath, and yes please to the thrifting posts! I went thrifting once last week and this week after a several week hiatus and am already wondering if it's too soon to go again- so addicting.
    Also, we have one of those dog collar Target lamps and our realtor put a cute lamp shade over the top, and I thought it was a different lamp!

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  9. Nipplegate 2014!! Oh my gosh, DIED!

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  10. Sure, thrift away, make those of us who are non-crafty jealous.

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  11. That last photo and caption is so fantastic!!

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  12. Yes to the thrifting post!!! Esp if it involves before/afters or how you integrated it! I like the idea of thrifting but often get stuck on the Ikea room or other room I'm attempting to replicate, at least in small part, and can't think past that..

    Maria

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  13. Thrifting, thrifting, thrifting! Yes!! Please, a thousand times yes!

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  14. LOVE the table!! I have several old tables, similar to that one, from my Grandma. I have been just waiting for a spare moment to do something like that to them.

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  15. Yes! Yes! Yes!!! Thrifting posts please!!!

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  16. As a thrifting addict myself, I would LOVE to see more posts about that!

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  17. Ok--after I stopped laughing over "nipplegate"! I felt like I needed to say this out loud----feeding our babies is NOT about breastfeeding OR bottlefeeding---it's about feeding. I did combo feeding with my first, couldn't do the smell of formula for the next 3, but stopped pumping at work when they started eating food....I only nursed. So, although my babies did not combo on a bottle of formula and mamma milk, they did combo on other stuff and mamma milk....it's OK!! Now, go forth and thrift (cause I just don't have that gene....)

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  18. I'm a bit late to the breastfeeding issues party, but I had a truly horrific cracked nipple with my first (I'm now breastfeeding #5) and I finally (after 3 painful, tearful, awful months) found a doctor who was willing to prescribe Dr. Jack Newman's all purpose nipple ointment. Crack healed in 3 days. 3 days! Find the formula on his website and get your doctor to prescribe it -- you won't be sorry, even if you do wean, that injury needs to heal! I'll pray for a quick resolution to your woes!

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  19. I agree with more thrifting post!!!

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  20. Thrifting + makeover posts are welcome! Please inspire this Target-addict to shop outside the circle!

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  21. By 8 or 10 months, most of mine were eating table food most of the time, and only nursing in the morning and at night anyway. It's fine - keep up whatever level you want and your body will adjust.

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