still standing

well we are still alive around here. i am amazed that we are at times!!!!!!

so here are a few updates...

breastfeeding, since i stopped everything, things have gotten a lot better. the burning has stopped, along with basically everything else. i am still using a nipple shield to feed kinsley but that is ok. i only have a weird tingling feeling during and after she eats for about an hour or less, and i think the shield is giving me a small rash...but compared to where we were things are much better. i am going to continue with one side feedings and using the shield for now and in a few weeks check in with the LC again. at this point i am going to continue breastfeeding, i am feeling so much better and can easily continue like this.

a run down of how it went: (more for me then anything!)
pain from the 2nd day in the hospital- should have said something then
1 week old first LC appointment
multiple pumping schedules
countless LC visits (i have seen at least 4 LCs now)
2 medications for mastitis
4 rounds of meds for thrush
2 nipple creams
acidophilus - to counter act the side effects of medications- it decreases yeast production
B6 (i have done this 2 times now, helps with nipple issues)
gentian violet- this was to try and get rid of the thrush, i had a resistant type of yeast!!!
nipple shields
hand expression when the pumping was to painful
LOTS of pain and frustration
(This spanned about 6 weeks)

and after all that, the doing nothing seems to have worked the best...go figure. although who is to say that things just didn't take awhile to kick in. who knows how or why but things are getting better!!!

Kinsley update:
she is doing very well, she eats like a champ and i think she is growing. she is no longer smooshy :( she looks like a kid now and not a newborn anymore. ( i will do a large picture post soon) we think she may have some colic. basically if she is awake she is screaming. it hasn't been like this the whole time but for the last week or so it has been non stop. we will see how that goes for now, and may try some gripe water to see if it helps. also she seems to have some trouble passing gas and pooping, she grunts and pushes for along time sometimes an hour or more before she gets it out. i will be asking the doctor about that one.

other then that she sleeps well at night, usually up once in the middle of the night, we are very lucky with that. Kinsley likes belly time when she is not screaming!!! she was loving her bouncy seat but that has faded for a bit, i am sure she will like it again. when we put her on her back she tends to roll to her side. maybe she will roll over soon!!! but who knows!

11-10-09 she cooed for the first time!!! of course it was to daddy, she only screams at mommy!!! but she is definitely cooing and talking in the few non screaming moments we have.

mommy and daddy update:
mommy is still feeling rather overwhelmed with everything. we took a trip to toledo that went very well. i had a lot of help which was great. i am sure i will feel better soon, it is just hard to have one thing after the next go wrong and then have your baby just scream at you all day. luckily i have good friends and family. i just need to get better at asking for help and getting away for a bit. tonia is keeping a close eye on me and will make sure i am doing good!!! Brandon is of course taking great care of me too!!
as for the toledo trip we met colbie, my friend beths new baby. she is super cute and tiny!! i also went to visit my kids at school. they were so excited to see me and i was so excited to see them. they are all so special to me. they loved kinsley!!! i spent the whole day with them, and kelsey came along to help. she was a great help all week, she changed diapers and everything! i was so sad to leave my kids again, i may have to go back before the year is over. we also saw alot of family and friends at the grandparents house. it was nice to share her with everyone and show her off to those who have not seen her yet!

daddy:
daddy is doing good. he still gets up at night with me and changes the diaper while i prepare to feed kinsley. when she is done he swaddles her back up and puts her back to sleep. he has changed stores again and is getting used to the new people, he seems to like them so far. i know he misses us like crazy at work and comes home to even more work, but he is doing great and is so wonderful to me. (not to say he doesn't have his moments!! but then so do i!)
brandon did not get to go to toledo with us. he really missed his little girl. he was so happy when we got home.

we will be making a trip to PA in about 2 weeks. we will see some family and friends. again brandon will have to stay here and work. it is hard to be without him. i am sure i will have a lot of help at home though and it will go fine.

callie and stella are still doing well with kinsley, callie is her protector and stella is just recently aware of kinsleys presence in the house, she is a special cat!