My Aunt VAL (written by Kenley as typed by my mommy)

My mommy often tells me all about the people that love me. She tells me about the ones I have already met and the ones that I will get to meet soon. She tells me over and over how special they all are to her and daddy and how much they will mean to me too. Today as we were getting dressed she told me about my Aunt Val again. (We often talk about Aunt Val, Uncle Scott, and my little cousin too and sometimes mommy even mixes it up and says Uncle Val and Aunt Scott on accident. Then she laughs at herself. I have a silly mommy...) Anyways today, my mommy told me that Aunt Val bought me the little outfit I chose to wear (Don't I look cute??).

She reminded me that Aunt Val lives in sunny FLORIDA (which is and will always be a favorite destination for family vacations) and that they live there due to Uncle Scott's service in the Air Force. We talked about my little cousin Sophia who is only 8 weeks older than me and how wonderful that is. Mommy told me I get to meet Aunt Val (and Sophia and maybe Uncle Scott) in May when we go to Omaha for a wedding and then see her again in July for another wedding. She also said we will be going to stay with Aunt Val and Uncle Scott over Thanksgiving, which apparently is a holiday celebrated with Turkey and lots of food. Mommy said that her and daddy are both thankful for Aunt Val, Uncle Scott and Sophia and wish we could live closer to them because we miss them very much when we aren't together. She also told me of a puppy pugger that is very special named Chibi, but mommy keeps calling her Weebs or Chibi Weebs like they keep calling our kitty "kitty"... I guess the furry things with 4 paws have multiple names. My mommy also said I got to talk to Aunt Val on the computer last week but I don't remember...I've grown since then ;o)

So, Aunt Val- Thank you for the outfit and I can't wait to meet you, Uncle Scott and Sophia and give you all hugs.

Big girl clothes

Since we stay home for the most part (I'm working on that but Clay is still a bit reluctant to let us out of the house) we usually just have Kenley in comfortable sleepers or one piece outfits with feet. However we put her in a few big girl outfits lately and she just looks so darn cute. Now I need to go shopping and buy a few more outfits for my girl.

If only...

(I started this post a few days ago so I left it posted for 2/6)

If only breastfeeding moms were paid like plumbers....

We deal with leaks
We use pumps
We unclog the pipes when needed
We keep the water milk pressure regulated
We work overtime on demand (like today when I swear there has been a little person attached to my boob every hour)
We run quality control on our service

Along those same lines, I wish "the girls" had gauges and valves. That would help prevent leaking and give an accurate reading of how much little ones eat. Sometimes I just wonder how much she actually gets to eat during these numerous feedings.

Just a thought or two.

Too cute!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, to the doctor we will go...

So today I had a mommy meltdown of sorts and made one of my first "first time parent" doctor visits. You know the ones where your child is probably perfectly fine but as a first time parent you are just freaked out a bit, yep that was me.

It started at feeding time around 1030. It was time for vitamins. I hate those things. They stink. They stain and they are a pain to give her. She was a bit squirmy and worked up but I decided to proceed as her mouth was open so I took my shot. Well I made a boo boo and she must have taken the entire shot straight down "the wrong pipe." She immediately started to choke, cough and turn the reddest I have ever seen. She was gasping for air and heaving as hard as she could to try to catch her breath and work it out, but it wasn't working.

I felt horrible and freaked out. I was on the brink of tears and didn't know what to do. She somewhat settled but then there was this wheezing and rattle in her chest as she would breathe. Then she would try to cough or spit and it was thick and snotty. She couldn't seem to swallow or breath again. Still felt horrible so I did what any first time mom would do, called her husband on the brink of tears and begged him to come home.

I had also called the doctor. (We had planned on calling anyway because she hasn't been eating as much lately.) The doctor called back and said we could come in. So when Clay got home we headed off to the doctor's office. (Clay must have been a bit concerned too because I swear he drove a little faster than normal but it could have been the fact that I was sitting in the backseat.)

The NP came in to examine her first and she still sounded wheezy but when the doctor came in, she said that Kenley was fine. I'm sure hoping so (and I need to trust the doctor since she paid for med school and I didn't). We did the rest of the exam and asked a few more of our first time parent freak out questions. Dr. K assured me that this won't be the last time she chokes and that she will be fine. We nursed a bit at the office since Kenley was starving and the doctor wanted to listen to her while she was eating. It is not the most comfortable thing to nurse there but we managed. She ate well and we packed up to come home.

Of course when we got here she sounded wheezy again to me but I'm sure I'm just paranoid and freaking out. She is chilaxin in the swing and I'm calming down.

Poem

Late each night or should I say early each morning when I'm rocking Kenley back to sleep after nursing, my mind wanders. Usually it's making some sort of "to do" list about what I need to do the next day or things I need to tell Clay. Sometimes its just hoping that the hiccups don't show up and that all the milk stays down. Over the past few nights, portions of a poem that my mom had keep running through my head. I think she had it one some needlepoint thing that hung somewhere in our house (my room I suppose) but I couldn't think of the first part of the poem...only the end... So, thanks to the wonderful world wide web I have found the poem (or one really close to it.) There are several different versions but this one portrays the last two lines I kept repeating... helps me keep a different focus late at night for what really matters.

"Babies Don't Keep"

I hope that my child, looking back on today
Will remember a mother who had time to play;
Because children grow up while you're not looking,
There are years ahead for cleaning and cooking.
So, quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.