THE BACK BURNER

My view while nursing. 

I'm not sure when blogging will make its way back to my to-do list, but with so much huge stuff happening over here, it's hard to find the time or motivation. I'm trying to post little "Henry Updates" here and there, but I'm much more concerned with the actual Henry than the digital one. Enjoy a few cell-phone pics. Only the best from this blogger!

Here's what we're up to:

When H's cord stub fell off I was a little bit sad about it! Sad! About a scab! The one last thing that tied him to me was now gone. Don't worry, I didn't save it.

Our kitchen/living room remodel is nearly done! All we need now is to finish the flooring, have the dishwasher installed, backsplash, and the hood vent/microwave. All of which we've survived without for weeks, and are under very little stress to complete. I can't wait to do an update post, if I ever find the time between loads of laundry and nursing. My father-in-law came on Saturday and helped Conrad complete a ton of the floor. It looks so great!

We're talking about a Vancouver vacation when H is around 6 months (Canadian buddies, send me your recommendations for sites and restaurants!).

I thought I wouldn't need a rocker or glider. Oh, ho ho, was I wrong. I had my mom and mother-in-law run out and buy one, and Conrad set it up. I'm pretty sure my spine would have snapped by now if it weren't for that thing.

My house has baby stuff everywhere, and it's like it's always been there. It totally belongs.

C-section healing has been faster than I anticipated. I took Ibuprofin for the first week-and-a-half, and haven't really needed it since then. Naps are honestly more effective than medicine for me. The incision site isn't painful at all, but slightly above it and deeper inside, it's pretty sore and sensitive. I can't wait to start walking again without getting tired and sore after fifteen minutes.

I talked in my last post about allowing Henry to have a few minutes of cry time each day, and it garnered several responses from readers which I felt I needed to address. 
First of all, I'm saddened by the judgment that was thrown my way. What about the whole "there's no single right way to parent" thing? For the readers who instantly assumed I am being neglectful or harmful to my baby in any way by letting him cry, I will explain. C-section babies are often born with fluid in their lungs, as mine was. I was told by Henry's pediatrician before leaving the hospital that he needed to cry - hard - for a little bit each day for the first four weeks in order to work the fluid out. For those of you who think that it's too early to allow a baby to cry, the doctor informed me that if he doesn't work it all out, he's at risk for becoming asthmatic later in life, or developing pneumonia now. 
Second of all, when I say he cries for "a little bit," I mean just that. He never cries longer than ten minutes, and if he does, or if his cry becomes too hard, I do not leave him to fend for himself. I get him and snuggle him and feed and change and do all the wonderful mother-things. I care for my child in that tender way that every mother does, and I want those readers to understand that. (Also, I hope no one thinks I'm heartless or that it's easy to let him cry. As I said in my last post, sometimes I cry, too. No mama likes to hear sad baby sounds.)
Third of all, thank you for being concerned with the well-being of my baby. I know how fiercely we all want to defend and protect and properly raise our babies and make sure others are doing so. Just keep in mind that parents may have reasons unknown to you for using their methods.