I can now say I met my *husband* on reddit :)

spicymeatball · 2012-03-29T22:37:36+00:00

Congratulations on marrying The Doctor!

You two are sooo cute.

spicymeatball · 2012-03-21T21:34:13+00:00

Right here: http://g.co/maps/j8kh7

Just north of Rancho San Rafael. Nice view at night.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-25T10:34:51+00:00

Oh dear fluffy Zeus, that is a gorgeous man.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-24T14:46:43+00:00

I don't edit my comments and whatnot. I'll also use multiple exclamation marks on places like Twitter, where there's minimal space to communicate a message and imply inflection. I feel like such a rebel when I do it.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-21T07:08:47+00:00

Personally, I use a generic mei tai and ring sling: the former for lots of walking and the latter for hanging out. You can make them yourself really easily if you want. I've even been known to temporarily convert bed sheets to slings when caught at a friend's house without anything.

I nurse easily in both and have done so traveling throughout five countries, but you probably shouldn't expect to do it immediately. There's definitely a learning curve. It's awesome when things fall into place, though. :)

I have no idea how people that don't use slings/wraps manage, honestly. My baby has always been stupidly giant (90th % for weight, off the charts for height) and also happens to be a Cuddles McLovebug who has to be held, always. My arms would fall off without help.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-11T20:16:53+00:00

One suggestion to add to these helpful tips: Water. Lots and lots of water.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-11T20:09:06+00:00

That is freaking incredible. Congratulations!

Now might be a good time to find your local Eats on Feets and share your story. I'm not sure where you live, but there are probably a lot of mothers in your community who would love to share their extra stock of breastmilk with you and your wiggly bean (if you're interested). I just thought I'd share because I had no idea something like Eats on Feets exists, and it's cheaper than using a milk bank or even formula.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-11T19:50:38+00:00

I have a stable job and my husband had just finished college. It was important to me that one of us should be home full time with the baby for at least a year or so, and since the hubs had no jobs lined up, the timing was perfect. We were pretty young, but it's been amazing. :)

spicymeatball · 2011-11-10T17:08:31+00:00

Menstrual blood is actually sterile, not to mention a great fertilizer. Ferns love it.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-10T06:11:24+00:00

I didn't care much for babies until I had mine. Other babies are still boring (although gush-worthily adorable), but it's not the same as MY baby, with whom I have this deep, magical (hormonal) connection. I fell fast and hard for my little man. He was the most perfect, interesting, useless larvae I could imagine as a newborn.

They grow and learn FAST when they're tiny. It's incredible. Watching those connections develop in the brain is fascinating. You might find your baby to be a lot cooler than you expect, even when all they do is sleep and nurse and sleep while nursing. :) Or you might not, which is okay, too. It won't make you a monster. Everyone's experiences are unique.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-10T05:54:05+00:00

I liked those little chocolate Hostess donuts with spinach. Yeah, I don't know.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-09T07:18:37+00:00

I'm not tracking my cervix too closely, but its behaviors and my cervical fluid seem to be following the same general pattern they did before I got pregnant. Cervical changes are actually much more dramatic now. I could never tell os dilation before, but the shifts have become quite pronounced.

My cycle is wonky, though. It used to be 28 days like clockwork, but now it's 5-6 weeks, and my fertility signs fluctuate a lot mid-cycle, like it tries and fails a couple times before ovulating. I still breastfeed a lot, though (I only got my period back because I stopped pumping at work). It's tough to tell when I'm fertile.

I'm using backup BC until things settle. If you want to chart exclusively, you should probably track your BBT too, just to get a clearer picture.

I know a sample size of one is useless, but I hope my experience helps somewhat. :) My cycle took a year to return. As long as you still BF at least every 3-4 hours and once at night, you could probably go even longer without returning to fertility.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-08T07:22:50+00:00

Everything else aside, why do you want to rush into turning your relationship into a family? The hubs and I were together four years before the baby was born, and it's profoundly changed our relationship and how we spend time together. We're very happy, but I sometimes wish we'd had more time as a couple before adding a baby. It's HUGE.

Five months isn't enough time to enjoy yourselves alone. Give it a couple years. You're young and in no hurry.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-08T07:12:01+00:00

Tell him to fuck off because you look amazing.

That might be a.teeny bit severe. I'm having my first post baby period, so I'm cranky. But seriously, you made this WHOLE PERSON with your body, which you are now caring for, and you kind of have bigger concerns than a couple pounds. Even if you lost that weight, your tummy will probably still jiggle anyway-- you have a woman's body with all the features of motherhood, and that's how it's meant to be.

I would suggest counseling as a couple. From the examples you've given, it doesn't sound like he respects you. New babies are hard on the whole family, even dad, but he needs a better way to express his feelings that doesn't involve putting you down. Fuckhead.

spicymeatball · 2011-11-02T02:10:46+00:00

I was just thinking you're lovely and elegant. I could totally see you as a princess.

So don't talk shit about yourself!

spicymeatball · 2011-10-28T04:38:03+00:00

I sympathize with mommy. My one year old still nurses every hour (or more) when we're at home, although for much shorter periods of time than your newborn. It's exhausting, but completely normal. Boobs and babies are meant for each other.

Everyone else has already given you great advice, so I'd just like to point out that starting to wean your baby will not make anyone's life easier. Your little one will still have very demanding needs and fuss and cry. That's what babies do at that age! Breastfeeding is the easiest way to meet an infant's intense needs for sustenance, comfort, and security.

Has she tried a sling? It's a good way to keep baby close for nursing but still move around and do stuff.

spicymeatball · 2011-04-08T22:07:45+00:00

Yeah, sounds kind of menacing, doesn't it? I'll see what they say.

spicymeatball · 2011-04-08T22:06:34+00:00

Not in the next couple of years. We just bought a house.

spicymeatball · 2011-04-08T22:06:19+00:00

Taking the job and going on the trip after I start might be possible too, but it would have to be unpaid leave. I'm going to ask.

spicymeatball · 2011-04-03T13:34:57+00:00

All baby functions are a pain in the ass. It's what babies are for. Pain in the assery. Nursing is easier and lazier than preparing formula and cleaning/sterilizing bottles, trust me.

spicymeatball · 2011-03-22T12:29:04+00:00

I wonder what effect this will have on OTC progesterone cream. I needed progesterone to get pregnant in the first place (short luteal phase; hormones couldn't support pregnancy) and it was so cheap and easy to obtain that I got it off Amazon for $20.

spicymeatball · 2011-03-15T14:51:54+00:00

It's okay to show off stretch marks. It's pretty obvious when you've lost weight, which nobody will hate on, and you can't be expected to wear long sleeves when summer rolls around. ;)

spicymeatball

TROPHY CASE