Pumping Rally...

So it has been almost a week since life has changed forever. The first two days were trying. Those hormones are no joke. I was emotional waking up and seeing a little creature beside me- shit, I'm a mom. I was even more emotional when on the second day of Molly's life, she was attached to me like a bee on honey for more than 12 hours. At the time I thought... "great, she's getting what she needs and because she's a bit of a chunckster she needs alot." After a day of sucking, latching and then screaming like Wyatt and I imagine the sounds of a swooping pterodactyl we were at our wits end trying to figure out how to soothe our growing babe.

Yet she wasn't growing. In fact, she continued to loose weight and she was angry about it.

What struck as heartbreak at first has blossomed into a blessing.

When we were told she was not getting food our nurse sensitively and kindly introduced the idea of pumping. Reluctantly, due to pride or hormones or all the above I agreed to pump with the hope of feeding baby girl. Tears ran down my cheeks as I internalize my lack of ability to feed this little human but....

I pumped and drops came.

I pumped again 3 hours later and a few drops dripped. Again and bit more. Fast forward five days and the knowledge from the pediatrician that Molly has a "tight tongue", I'm happy to report the situation is much better than the second day.  I'm pumping and pumping enough to feed my milk to her but through a bottle. A bottle that is held my her adoring father, excited aunt Jacki and all the other visitors yearning to connect and nourish her little being body and soul.

For me it's the best of both worlds. I get a little me time when I pump (I'm actually writing this blog and pumping) and others who love her get to connect with her as she drink her sweet milk gold. It's working for us!

And being familiar with the milking process (what, what dairy farm upbringing), I have to smile a bit every time I'm hooked up to my milker. :)

from a mother for a almost a whole week,
jeanette

Oh here's another photo of Miss Molly hanging out with Aunt Jacki! She kinda looks like a crazy bag lady and we love it!

(be sure to check out more pictures by clicking the link to the right titled- Check 'em out!)

She's here!! Molly Mae has arrived!

It was a long day and a hard journey. Having been told that Molly was going to be a big baby, a planned induction was put into the books for Monday, May 13. Obviously, we hoped that Molly would arrive on her own before that date but we all know hopes don't always turn into reality. So bright and early on Monday, May 13 we were on our way to Holy Cross hospital. Labor started around 9:30 am and Jeanette was told to start pushing around 5:30 pm. And push she did, she pushed for not one, not two but three hours. Pushed with all her might but Molly was content to stay right where she was, warm and safe inside. At the same time, Molly started showing signs of slight distress which prompted us, our doctor and nurse to make the hard decision for major surgery, otherwise known as a c-section. So off to the OR we went. Within 20 minutes of starting the procedure we heard the mighty lungs of our stubborn, vocal and quite fetching baby girl. I got to hang out with her as she was weighed, measured and wiped clean. I was able to carry her over to Jeanette as she got stitched up. Jeanette was super exhausted but was happy to hear Molly's strong cry as she entered our bright and cold world.

So that's sums up our story. We have since been getting to know each other and enjoying the first day of parenthood.

Oh in case you missed it, below is a Molly's e-announcement. See I told you she was cute!

Make your own announcement

From a tired new dad,
Wyatt

Just the beginning....

Greetings all,   This is Jeanette writing with Wyatt hovering above. We have decided to start a family blog. Why you may ask? Well tomorrow, bright and early, we head to the hospital and when we return we will have Baby Girl Molly. Yes, a baby.

Although we have no idea what we are really doing we have spent the last few months of parentfreehood preparing (each in our own way).

Big Phil tested out some essential baby accessories (thanks mom for the sweet homemade bibs)....

Wyatt caught up on some scholarly reading....

And I, or rather my belly, just grew and grew and grew some more. It's a bit ridiculous really but hey I hear it's part of the process.

So here we are on this surreal eve of parenthood. Ready? eh, maybe but she's acomin' and it shall be an adventure.

Oh, just in case you wonder this used to be my blog of my travels and pondering. Feel free to read previous posts, if you dare. :)

Over and out,
Jeanette, Wyatt and Phil (who's hanging out with his best buddies Coby, Ben and Nancy).

let's start this up again....

so lately i have been thinking i should get start this up again. why you ask, well there seems to be lots and lots of stuff happening right now AND i always found it fun and slightly therapeutic to "talk" through a blog. so let's see how this goes.

if i had to choose three words out that are swimming in my brain they would be...
1. outreach
2. planning
3. surprise

so why these words. outreach seems to be the reason i exist at work. i will live and die on my success to outreach and recruit people to attend a conference that has faced every obstacle in the preparation stage. no funding, no sponsors, delayed agenda, delayed registration opening, expensive hotel room. basically you name it this conference has faced it and it seems as though the weight of success rests upon my shoulder. if this conference is a success there is something to be truly proud of. not just personally proud but as a team proud. we are, i mean will be, successful!

planning. as i just explained there is a conference coming up in less than 3 weeks and for those who have never planned an event it a lot of preparation and planning. hours, days, weeks, months of planning. but if done right all that planning results in a polished event with little to no hic-ups. so i plan at work but yet i come home to plan a wedding. i must admit the wedding process has not been too stressful or difficult and actual dare i say i have enjoyed my planning. my best friend and fiance make decisions together and i have found if i am calm and patient enough things just seem to fall into place. so jeanette... plan away. i think you're good at it.

as for surprise. i experienced one of the weekend. some of my dear and recently realized old friends surprised me with a shower. what a treat to see some many people in one space and then an extra treat to celebrate a slice of this time in my life with people that have seen me grow over the past 6 years.

an almost 3 week wrap up

so i have been in the states for almost 3 weeks and honestly it has not been the easiest of transitions but hey when are transitions normally easy?!

so what has made the past few weeks a bit challenging? well, it's a combination of things. transitioning from an environment where i was surrounded by the same people every moment of the day to an environment where independence and alone time reigns has been surprisingly hard. surprising due to the fact that i normally love being alone and independent. this environmental change was especially hard the first week but since then i have found the joy i remember experiencing in the quiet moments.

i have also come to realize this is the first time in life when i don't really know where i am going or doing. i don't have the "next" thing lined up nor do i even have an idea what the next thing is. this fact alone provides a great opportunity to shape my perspective in life. should i look at this time as being wasted time or is this an opportunity to truly define myself and profoundly think about which path to follow? my perspective as of now is of the latter... which i am thankful.

the final ingredient to this transition combination is the rekindling or reevaluating of relationships. some have grown stronger during my time in the philippines, others have basically disintegrated. past people have resurfaced as well as current people have disappeared. it has been challenging and valuable to recognize the role others play in my life and vis-a-versa. tears have been shed, memories have been made, laughter has been shared but eh, isn't that life?

so what have i been doing? well for the first week i tooled around in dc trying to kick the lasting effects of the 12 hour transition. lovely lovely stuff jet lag is. then exactly a week after returning i headed back to the midwest to see beloved friends and family. i spent a few days on the ohio river in southern indiana where my brother-in-law and i swam across the ohio river. probably the hardest physical thing i have ever done but downright awesome. then i spent a few days in goshen visiting good friends and hanging out with the sister. then rounded out my trip on the farm where 3 calves were born, there is no light pollution and my favorite dog greeted me with a dance.

now i sit and fervently pursue job opportunities, at least in my dreams. but seriously, i have continued in the quest to find an excellent job in the disaster relief, post conflict reconciliation or the international social development field. Lord, grant me patience.

so that is me. i am sad to report i will probably not blog about my thailand nor boracay trip and i apologize for that. i feel i have been detached from those experiences too long to blog in the manner those experience justify. so until whenever...

blessings.

and i'm back...

so i made it back to the good ol' U S of A and it only took 31 hours. perhaps the longest day ever!!! my journey began at 5 am in manila on thursday, august 9th continued for 31 hours until i landed in dc at midnight on thursday, august 9th. that dang international date line makes for super duper long day.

oh and i know i need to write about thailand and boracay and i plan to do that some sleepless night when my body is telling me to eat lunch when i really should be in a deep slumber.

hope all is well.
blessings.

thailand... kinda

alrighty folks... i am back from bangkok, thailand and it was fantastic. unfortunately i do not have the time to seriously blog about it but i did post the pictures. sorry no captions. when i have some time i promise to catch up. only a week left of my asian adventures. looking forward to seeing you all.

blessings.