minutia

I know this question has been burning in your mind:
So, yes, I am still breastfeeding.

My belief in the importance of breastfeeding was instilled long before having a baby was even a passing thought in my mind. A former boss explained how her kids had fewer ear infections and were all around healthier people because she nursed them for the first year. I bought the philosophy hook, line and sinker, and my resolve was only strengthened by my extensive reading and pediatrician's preaching on the subject . . . and watching other nursing moms shed those pregnancy pounds.

Now, before you decide that you know where this is going, let me just say that life soon swung a small sledgehammer at my resolve.

I fed Sawyer NOTHING but breastmilk until shortly after Christmas when - at 5 months - he got - wouldn't you know it - an EAR INFECTION! No sooner than he recovered from that, he came down with a whopper of a cold. Then I forgot to remove the expressed milk from my portable pump station one night and had nothing to give the sitter the next day, so I busted out the first sample can of formula. Once I realize how easy THAT was (dump powder into bottle, add warm water from tap, shake and serve) the whole concept of sitting upstairs in the hard and cold bathroom at the office with the milk machine attached to me like a cow three times a day lost what little luster it ever held. At the same time, I still relished the ability to bring Sawyer into bed with me in the morning so that I could catch a few more winks while he ate his breakfast, or the convenience of a warm meal on the go or being able to leave the house for the day without worrying about bottles and formula and fresh water. So, I came up with a new philosophy. Nurse when I'm there. Formula when I'm not. And, that was going well. With formula firmly and happily rooted into our new daily routine, I packed away the pump station.

And, for those who have wondered about the possible added challenge of Sawyer's two new teeth: it is physically impossible to suck and bite at the same time. So, no, that hasn't been a problem and if it does become a problem this restaurant will go out of business.

But, well past his six-month birthday, we had done little to introduce solid foods. We had played around with some rice cereal and that was about it. According to the books, we should have been well through the yellow foods at that point and building up to steak cutlets. But, I was pretty hung up on the solids. It just seemed to take so much effort - and there were so many rules - all the cereals first, then what color food you could introduce in what order (yellow, green, brown, white), vegetables before fruits, pureed versus strained, what never to feed before the first year (corn, wheat, cows milk, peanuts) - and feeding solids was SOOOO messy. I just never seemed to have the time. . . or the proper equipment (i.e. a high chair). When the pediatrician told me I needed to be working up to three meals a day by a year, I realized I needed to get with the program. So, reluctantly, we have added solids to our daily routine. Turns out Scott is a master feeder and I am more than happy to relinquish some of that duty.

So far, Sawyer has tried Rice Cereal, Oatmeal, Sweet Potatoes, Carrots and Squash. Next week: GREEN FOOD. Mmm. Can't wait to change those diapers!