The Spivey Life

My Parents

My Insurance

My Job

free childcare, for now

My husband/teammate

Friends

The Health of my child

These things are of THE most importance to me. 

I believe in that in this world, there are "Givers" and "Takers" ~ and I have learned that Givers are more than likely constantly abused and taken advantage-of by Takers. 

Takers will never change, no matter how hard we try to make them Givers.

Takers will defend themselves for being takers to the utmost end of  time that what they do is right and good.

Takers are lazy.

Takers never realize how much they hurt givers.

Takers have no clue how much they take.

Takers never recognize that givers ARE givers and usually blame givers for all their problems. Takers feel they do no wrong.

Takers are usually sad and depressed so they unknowingly hurt givers makes themselves feel better.

Takers feel always feel entitled to things.

Takers don't know the value of things, even priceless things.

Takers who read this probably think they are givers. WRONG

I feel like somedays I give and give and give. The takers in my life bring me down. I'm not talking about material things. I'm referring to things like respect, pride, working hard, accomplishing goals, and love.  

Now I'm not saying I've never been a Taker, because that would be a lie. But I like to give. to everyone. even Takers.

But it's wearing on my soul. I hate seeing Givers who work so hard and love with all they have, hurt. They give with the expectation of nothing in return ~ which is the true definition (in my opinion) of a Giver. It is getting more difficult for me to stand by and watch. 

Take the last 5 years, and try to make a list of things you have done for other people, WITHOUT expecting anything in return. If it is hard for you to compile a list, consider yourself a Taker.

Takers reading this are probably either confused, or mad. But maybe some will realize something new about themselves.  Wake up and start contributing to society Takers, it's time to start giving back. 

We ventured to Floyd Community Center to watch the FUMC team play bball. She slept through the first half, then woke up during halftime. I stood her up on my lap and she watched the boys run up and down the court. She seemed to have a puzzled look on her face like "what are they doing with that round thing?"

The sweet lady next to me on the bleachers who was watching the other team said, "I was wonderin when you was goin to get that baby out so I could see it. oooh she's a sweet baby." CSS smiled at her = HAM.

So I smelled a daipee. Went downstairs to find the changing table in the women's room was tilted downwards and she would slide towards me making it IMPOSSIBLE to use. (changing table FAIL). So what did I do? Improvised.

I laid her on the nasty bathroom floor with a burp cloth under her head. Took off my sweatshirt and laid in underneath her. Instant changing pad. I take her diaper off and clean her up. As I reach for the diaper still on the crappy changing table I look down at Smarty Pants. She is giggling, cooing, smiling, chuckling, kicking and PEEING on my sweatshirt. Mind you it is 30 degrees outside and all I can do is laugh. It will be a cold walk back to the truck.

Parenthood is an adventure. But oh so awesome.

It's always a rush for me to eat lunch and feed her during my hour-long lunch break. Sometimes it's fast-food, sometimes it's nothing, sometimes it's something special prepared by my dad like today, and sometimes it's a grilled cheese. It's so nice to have lunch with my parents and my baby. They probably have no idea how much they are helping us by keeping her everyday. She sure loves Nana and Pop. 

Lately CSS has been squealing and screeching in her attempts at talking. It's quite hilarious. She also makes fists and grabs animals on her play mat. I love the way she recognizes me now when I pick her up from Nana's. She gets really excited like she forgot I hadn't been there. This is such a fun time with her. We have got a schedule down pat.

She has a UTI, thrush and an ear infection - but you would never know it. Last Thursday night, she cried like I had never heard her cry before and it seemed to hurt her to eat. After waking up Friday morning, she nursed for about 10 minutes until she came off screaming again. I knew something was up. Mom couldn't get her to drink her bottle at 9 so I called the Dr. She informed us of all her ailments. after about 10 hours, she was happy as a lark. Has been since then. She knows how to tell me she's hurting and sick I guess. Now if we could just get the antibiotic in her - she laughs through it but it's literally THE hardest things getting meds into a baby. and she loves the thrush meds we have to rub on her gums and in her mouth. like i said - happy baby.

Tuesday, we went to Jackson Imaging Center for an ultrasound and a VCUG as a result of finding out she had a UTI. She had some VU Reflux and it's looking like we will be making a trip to Children's Hospital in the next few weeks. The Radiologist and our Dr. seem to think her case will resolve ('dissolve' as my cute Indian Dr. said) with age, but a pediatric urologist will tell us for sure.

Me and Steve are incredibly thankful that CSS is SUCH a happy, sick baby. Matter of fact, I'm almost positive I got a first cackly laugh out of her last night.

I can't believe she is 3 months old. Boy does time fly.

One Month

Two Months

Three Months

1st time in a Bumbo seat. She giggled and bobbled her head around in it for about 5 minutes.

Then she realized no one was hold her up and she wanted to get out. Boy she sure does look like Daddy when she's pissed.

I have been through one full week of life back at work. It is a LOT easier knowing she is with my mom AND the fact that I see and nurse her at lunch. It's also easier because unlike some other working moms, I happen to actually enjoy my job and the people I work with. Here is a recap of a typical day with Goon:

6:30am - pump out rest of engorged milk while Steve changed/dresses goon and puts her in our bed to watch TV - I get ready for work

7am - leave house

7:35 - leave Goon at Nana's

7:50am - Get to work

9am - pump

11:50am - leave work to go to Nana's to eat lunch and nurse Goon

12:55pm - leave Nana's under protest to go back to work

3pm - pump

4:59pm - leave work to get Goon at Nana's

6pm - get home and nurse Goon

6:30pm - fix dinner and watch TV while playin with goon 

8pm - Tummy time, playtime with daddy while I get everything ready for the next day - diaper bag, bottles, nipples, breakfast, laundry, clothes to wear, shower, add water to humidifier, get ready for bed

9:30pm - bathtime and PJs

10pm - Goon gets a big bottle of breastmilk from daddy while I pump.

10:30-10:45pm - Goon gets swaddled and put down

11pm - BEDTIME

My employers are very accommodating to my pumping at work. Matter of fact we have moved our monthly magazine meeting back to 9:30am for that very reason. Each time, I am lucky I have a door I can close and LOCK and spend time relaxing looking at a photo of Goon and provide her with food. I take pride in the fact that I still feel like I am "mothering" her from afar. It helps me make sense of myself in the challenging new role as a mother while continuing my pre-baby work life. I like that it keeps me feeling connected to her all day long. I'm forced to take "baby time" when I'm at work, and seeing her in the middle of the day has eased the transition immensely. 

Breast feeding TO ME, usually plays an integral role in forming the deep attachment between a mother a baby. Bottle-feeding mothers, OF COURSE, also become securely attached to their babies. There are many items in the attachment toolbox - but breast feeding to me, is an extraordinarily powerful one that I'm thankful for. I think the fact that I've been successful so far at it has made me more confident as a parent as well. I think feeding babies is a fundamental responsibility of parenting. After that comes all other things. If we develop little faith in our independent ability to perform that primary task, we may not be certain in our other abilities of parenting. But I WILL NOT be disappointed when I decide to (or my body decides to dry up) wean off breast feeding. I already feel proud that I do it now and am very successful at it. Plus my baby has a double chin and is getting FAT! 

This week has been a week of firsts for Goon:

-She stays at Nana's during the day while I work. 

-She had a babysitter for the first time (who wasn't family) Friday night so Steve and I could go to our annual Ball. Which meant this was the first time she was fed by someone other than Me, Steve or Nana. Not that I've been avoiding other people feeding her, but it has just worked out that way I guess.

-She slept in her crib for the first time Saturday night. She's been sleeping soundly through the night in her pack n play in our bedroom for around 3 weeks now so I relinquished her to her room upstairs. I figured we might as well do it now or it will be harder later. The video monitor helped me a lot. I'm not worried about her scooting around or choking/ dying or whatever like I used to when she was like a week old....I just liked having her near me. Plus it helped with her being close when she would wake to nurse in the middle of the night. But if she's sleeping through the night, not needing me, what's the point of having her sleep in our room? It's been hard but it's just one of those transitions that has to come and pass.

note: these opinions on Breast feeding are mine but I fault no mother who chooses NOT to Breast feed. It's a mothers choice. and I'm not one of those people who will judge others. I still can't believe I'm a breast feeding mother after years of thinking "ew, I don't want some baby sucking from my nipple!?" I told myself when I was 5 months pregnant, " I'll try it, but if I hate it or it hurts, Imma stop". Turns out I've become an advocate for it, but not a Lactivist yet ;-) 

Zip up sleep n plays. They make diapering at night and anytime a breeze because they zip and don't SNAP. They also keep footsies warm on trips to and from car etc. I buy em if I see em because they are kinda hard to spot.

Boppy pillow for breastfeeding. No explanation really needed here.
Boppy bouncy seat. Need to do dishes, eat a sandwich, take a break from baby, laundry, anything?? This is where she likes to be. When she was really little and I was scared to leave her alone, I used to put the seat right in the bathroom so I could watch her while I showered.
The lesser known Woombie: My baby LOVES to be swaddled. She sleeps SO good when she is tightly swaddled. Well before she slept through the night, I tried to keep our bedroom really dark at the middle of the night feeding. Swaddling is a lot harder in the DARK and when you are basically sleepwalking. The woombie allows a quick zip up and the piece of mind to know your swaddle blanket isn't riding up maybe suffocating her. I can almost attribute her sleeping through the night so quickly to this one product. I just ordered the big baby size this past weekend because I think she is outgrowing the newborn size too fast. I know i know, it's like a baby straightjacket. but hey - she loves it.
The ever loved pack n play. She sleeps in this every night in our room. Basically every diaper has been changed in the diaper changer. she loves the mobile during diaper changes (even though Steve HATES rockabye baby - it scares him about the "down will come baby, cradle and all" ...I kinda agree...!). Pretty soon, once the whole back to work schedule gets in sinc, we will probably moved her upstairs to her crib. I'll probably cry. 

These are some things we couldn't have done without, and still can't live without. Most everything else is just EXTRA.