Have I told you lately that I am loving our Bradley Birthing Class?!?! It is awesome! This evening the class was all about breastfeeding, which is something I have become very passionate about since having Sweet Pea. During the class our conversation turned to the many uses of breast milk. If your baby has “sleepy eyes” wiping a few drops of breast milk over each eye can clear it right up! If your baby is starting to get a diaper rash wiping a few drops over the rash can help make it go away. Breast milk is amazing!

Another study our instructor told us about was a researcher took a cup of formula and a cup of breast milk. He introduced live staph bacteria to each cup. After four hours the researcher came back and checked the level of staph in each one. In the formula the staph bacteria had started to thrive. In the breast milk, the staph measured at half of what he put in there! After eight hours in the formula the staph was still flourishing. In the breast milk it was gone.

Every new thing I learn about breastfeeding and breast milk is amazing. I know to have a successful breastfeeding relationship with your baby it is important to have a wonderful support group around you. For me, I had a suppportive husband, family, and a great lactation consultant. I hope every new mother has the same opportunity I did. It’s worth it!

So this evening Sweet Pea peed in the potty for the first time! We are not actively potty training him yet, but ever since he started telling us he needs his diaper changed we have been having him come to the bathroom with us so he can start grasping the concept. Periodically we will ask him if he wants to go sit on the potty and he will but nothing ever happens. Tonight was different! He actually peed. Sadly I was not there to witness this event, but my hubby said he was quite surprised when he realized what was going on. I realize that he probably won’t do this again on a regular basis and I don’t plan on trying to potty train him just yet, I don’t think he is really ready. But I had to document the date of the first pee in the potty! At least we are headed in the right direction!

Trains have become a big thing in our house. We are constantly reading books and looking at the one puzzle we have that has a train on it. I actually need to go to the library and find some more books about trains so we aren’t reading the same ones over and over. When not reading, Sweet Pea can be found pulling his wooden train around the house or taking it apart and lining up all the pieces. Our city has an above ground subway system and every time Sweet Pea sees it he yells “choo choo!!!”

Today is my birthday!! We celebrated last night with family and friends. It was so much fun! We grilled out and just sat outside and enjoyed the kids playing and the unusual cool breeze. What a great way to celebrate!

Should people who qualify for government assistance sign up just because they qualify? This question has been on our minds for a  few weeks now because we qualify for basically every program out there you can think of. Signing up for WIC or medicaid would definitely make our lives easier. But would it be right? I believe that those programs are out there for a reason. There are people that truly need assistance and I want them to get the help that they need. There are also the people out there that milk the system just because they can. People out there who are taking advantage of a program that was not meant for them.

If my husband and I budget our money correctly not only can we pay for food, shelter, and health insurance, but we can also go out to eat and do other frivolous things we enjoy. What really makes us mad are the people who have things that they could give up in order to pay bills, but choose not to instead opting to use government assistance so they don’t have to give up their cable or new(er) car. I will never understand that mindset. If you feel you need extra money, why not first cancel your cable? or trade your car down so you don’t have a car payment? I have heard all sorts of ridiculous arguments as to why somebody who actually has the money to buy there own food would be on government assistance.  All of them come down to wanting more money for something else. Greed. They want the government to pay for their food and health care so that they can spend their money on “more important things”.  Is that really taking responsibility for yourself and your family? No. It is expecting someone else to do it for you.

Maybe our country is in so much trouble because instead of taking responsible for ourselves and our own bills, we take state and federal funding. Funding that could be going to something that is actually helpful. Not funding to people who make $35K+ so they can keep their cable while we buy their milk.

My hubby and I started our birthing class last night. The class is using the Bradley Method and I feel like I have already learned more this time around in one class than I did the last time. We met at our instructor’s house along with five other couples and will continue to meet there over the next seven weeks. It’s a wonderful, relaxing atmosphere to be in someone’s home instead of a classroom somewhere.We love the class! I highly recommend a Bradley birthing class for anybody who is looking to take one.

Our first class has put a lot on our minds. Sweet Pea was a c-section birth and with this one I am attempting a VBAC. In one session, this class has helped me see that my c-section was most likely uncalled for. Which is bringing up some anger toward my OB that I had with Sweet Pea. It is more obvious than ever that she did not try everything possible for me to deliver Sweet Pea naturally. For her, my birth was just another birth. Not something that was special.

We have moved since then and I now have a different OB, but I am learning that I need to be much more assertive with my doctor about what I want. So next week at my appointment I will come with a list of questions and if we aren’t on the same page I will be looking for a new OB. I really hope I don’t have to do that because I like her a lot. But I want to be fair to her and to me. I don’t want to put her in a position that would compromise something she believes. And I don’t want to be in a position where I disagree with her. I want to trust that whoever I end up with knows what I want and will be on the same page. That way when labor comes I don’t have to worry about any decision my doctor makes on my behalf. I am well aware that I may end up with another c-section, but I want to be 100% positive it is necessary. And that is only possible with a doctor we trust. Updates to come…

Today we were at the store and two things happened that I just have to share. First, we were in the cleaning aisle looking for Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. After finding them, Sweet Pea wanted to hold them. So I handed them over and let him inspect the box. After a few seconds his face lit up and he looked at me and exclaimed “Papa!!”. Then he sat back and held it close to his chest and kept saying “Papa, GG, Papa, GG”. He was very excited to have seen a picture of his Papa in the grocery store. I don’t know if I see the resemblance, but he was excited.

The second thing that happened is slightly more serious. While exiting the cleaning asile Sweet Pea got really excited about a bottle of lime green Pine Sol. So I asked him what was going on he pointed and said “juice!”. This was just a clear reminder about why I keep no liquid with chemicals in my house. The bottle of Pine Sol looked exactly like a bottle of juice in our refridgerator. Very scary.

Daddy: You can have a peanut if you answer this question correctly. The answer to the question is no. Can you say no?

Sweet Pea: No

Daddy: Are you allowed to throw your wipes? Say no.

Sweet Pea: Yeah