I've Dumped The Bump

It's true.  For those of you confused, not my baby bump... The Bump is a website for pregnant women, new mommies and moms of toddlers.  Every engaged girl has heard of The Knot... well, once you're married you graduate from The Knot to The Nest, and once you get pregnant, you scoot (or waddle) on over to The Bump.

                                        www.thebump.com

I found The Bump when I first moved to South Carolina, in my second trimester with Marco.  Since I had quit my job, I had nothing, and I mean NOTHING to do.  Truth be told, I'm not a great house keeper (gasp!), so that didn't keep me occupied for long.  I came across this site and began to gradually become obsessed and addicted to it.  I confess, "Hi, my name is Nicole, and I'm a Bump-a-holic".  I loved being on this site.  Not only was it informative and sometimes supportive, but mostly it was snarky, and competitive. I quickly learned all the abbreviations, and there are MANY, and even had to get myself to not say them in real life (or IRL, for bumpies).
I continued to Bump all throughout my pregnancy and obsessively throughout the first 6 months of Marco's life.  It was easy back then.  While he was nursing, I'd balance the laptop between the boppy and my knees.  Oh, but then Marco learned how to reach.  So, even though he was eating, he was trying to hit the keys.  Once he was about 6 months, I could no longer Bump and feed simultaneously... but I could still Bump during nap times!  So, I did.  It was easy then... he took 3 naps a day, so although I'd Bump for a little while, I still had time to do other things.  Then he cut down on his naps.  Now, he only takes one a day... although it's sometimes 2 hours, I just don't feel that I have enough time to do all of the things I want/need to do AND spend time on The Bump.
So, needless to say, I haven't been Bumping at all lately.  It makes me sad because I really got to know some of these women.  And it's one of those things you don't want to admit, but I did make some real friends there... even though we've never actually met!  These women shared with me their beautiful (and painful) birth stories, and also felt joy over mine.  They supported me with breastfeeding questions, diaper questions, solid questions... (shall I go on?).  I became Facebook friends with many of them, and enjoy seeing pictures of their growing darlings.  They comment on my growing boy and understand the exact stage I'm going through, and feel my pain!
To all my Bumpies who are my FB friends or follow my blog, I do hope you'll forgive my long and permanent absence.  It's not you, it's me.  Maybe I'll be back one day (and then I wont know anyone on there).  For now, I'll continue to enjoy your lives through FB and your blogs.  Thank you for all of the support.  You made my first year a lot less stressful!

Visiting Hours Are Now Over

We have had quite a busy summer this year.  Thankfully, it's kept me busy and entertained.  We have enjoyed having the company of family and friends, one right after the other, for the entire month of July! It all began after our trips to Miami.

First up were my in-laws... all of them!  We had Vovo' and Vovo, Rosana and Otavio, as well as Titia Mi and Tio Alfredo, come for 3 days during July 4th weekend.  If you know my sister-in-law, you know that she LOVES to keep busy... so we did.  We took Marco to the Greenville Zoo for the first time, and he was both curious and impressed by all the large animals.

Here's Marco with Titia Mi walking through the mist.  He kept getting the shivers every time they'd go through:

Here's Marco with Mau, at a photo opp on the bear:

The next day was July 4th, and there was a festival downtown.  We all went down to Falls Park, and actually walked in the river.  Marco didn't just want to get his feet in though, he wanted to JUMP in, head first if we'd let him.  He got all muddy and dirty, but had a blast.

Here he is testing the water with Mau:

Marco was able to take a little nap in his stroller so that he could stay up to watch the fireworks... at 9:45!  I was worried that he'd be afraid of them because it was very loud, and we were directly below them.  But, my little warrior was not afraid at all!  In fact, he kept pointing to "la luz" and was in awe of them.
Here he is:

We had such a great time, but it couldn't last.  Unfortunately, most of my in-laws could only stay for 3 days, but my Mother-in-law got to stay for TEN WHOLE DAYS!  It was really wonderful having her here.  She spoiled us with some good cookin', helped me take care of Marco, and enjoyed the pool and park with him. She even babysat for us so we could go out for our 3 year wedding anniversary... that was a special treat!

When she left, we only had one day of break before the next visitor arrived.  My bestie, Jen, came to visit for 4 days.  I've been trying to convince her to come for over a year.  It's always either her asking me to go to Orlando, or me begging her to come to boring Greenville.  Finally, she caved!  We had a really nice time hanging out, going downtown, hitting up the pool, and loving on Marco a bit.

Here we are, bravely climbing the rocks at Falls Park:

And here's Jen, sharing some snuggle time with Marco before bed time:

When Jen left, I had a 5 day break before my next visitor arrived.  My little cousin, (who's not so little anymore), came for an entire week.  Mariah was promised a trip to see me this summer if she kept her grades up throughout the second half of last year.  And I'm so happy that she did!  It was awesome getting to hang with her and getting see the woman she's growing into.  Aside from the typical downtown, shopping, pool, bouncing babies dates, we also worked on her college acceptance essay.  It took forever!  Marco started walking while Mariah was here, and of course, she takes all the credit! She also got a really good taste of what it's like to have a baby... and I'm glad she did!  I hope that we can make her visits into a yearly tradition!

Here's Mariah with Marco on the bridge at Falls Park:

On the same day that she left, my brother Migue and his fiance' Alaina came for a visit.  They were doing a drive-by.  They had a wedding to go to the next day about an hour from here, so decided to stop off for the afternoon and spend the night.  It was great having them come and showing them around our little city.  Alaina took Marco off my hands completely, and I could tell he was having a lot of fun with her.

Here we are at the EVER famous Falls Park Bridge (what a surprise!)... Marco's passed out in the stroller!:

For now, visiting hours are over.  We loved having everyone come and stay with us, but we're also ready to get back to our normal lives.  But, not for long... my mom and Cesar (Aba and Abo) will be visiting in just a few weeks!

The Milk Maid is on Vacation

That's right.  I'm officially DONE nursing Marco!  It's bittersweet.  My goal was to nurse him for 12 months, and I made it to 13 before giving up.  I'm also happy to say that I am not the one who decided I was done, HE was the one that decided he was done.
When I was deciding whether or not to breastfeed, the choice became rather clear.  Although breastfeeding has a lot of downsides, I think that the advantages way outweigh the cons.  For us, I knew that financially speaking, it was wiser to breastfeed... after all, it's FREE! (what a bargain!)  Have you seen how expensive formula is?!  Holy cow!  I also saw it as a convenience issue.  I have never washed bottles, prepared and mixed formula, been worried that I have clean bottles or enough formula, or if we're going out for the day that I have enough to last our trip.  I know that if I'm there, the baby WILL be fed... no pre-planning necessary!  Also, there is no denying the health benefits to the baby.  This is not a breastfeed vs formula feed debate... I do not think formula is poison or bad for your baby, but it is FACT that breast milk is more beneficial.
Jennifer once told me, "so basically you're a slave to your baby... you have to be with him all the time to feed him... or your a slave to the pump".  This is so true!  Especially for the first 6 months.  You really ARE a slave to your child.  Some people can't handle being at the beck and call of their hungry little one... and that's ok.  It's honestly exhausting.  As a breastfeeder, YOU are the only one who can feed the baby... be it 3 in the afternoon, or the dreaded 3 in the morning.  Yes, you could pump, freeze and then have your husband do the 3am feeding... but then you'd be engorged and have to pump anyway.  Oh, and then your husband will wake you up to ask you a dumb question, such as "how much milk?" or "where's the burp cloth?", so you'll get up to help.  It's a real win-win.  My whole thought process was "it's temporary".  Those two words got me through.  It's temporary!  So if I have to be a slave to my son for 13 months of his life... ok... I do it GLADLY!
People always say to me "oh, you're so lucky you got to breastfeed".  Honestly, this really bugs me.  I'm not LUCKY... I'll tell you what I am:  dedicated, committed and full of perseverance!  It has absolutely nothing to do with "luck".  In fact, it was NOT easy to breastfeed in the beginning... but due to my commitment and perseverance, I was successful.  The first week of the baby's life is vital for a potential breastfeeder.  If you and your baby do not practice breastfeeding every 3 hours, you run the risk of not having a decent latch, or your supply being low, or worse even, your milk not coming in at all!  The first week of Marco's life, he was in the NICU.  I was unable to even ATTEMPT to breastfeed until he was FOUR days old!  But this did not deter me.  Only 2 hours after delivering Marco, I had a lactation consultant bring me a pump.  I pumped every 3 hours around the clock.  That means that even though I did not have a hungry baby waking me up every 3 hours to feed, I set my alarm clock and woke myself up to provide my breasts with the needed stimulation.  And the pump HURTS... much more than a little baby mouth!  So, 4 days later, when I was finally invited into the NICU to take my first stab at breastfeeding, it was a disaster.  Marco had been fed through a tube, so he was still taking in MY milk, just not from me.  Since he had gone so many days without sucking, and he was a premie, he could not latch on.  Thankfully, I had a lactation consultant with me, guiding me as I went.  It ended up that he COULD NOT latch!  We were forced to use a nipple shield... not for a few days... for SIX MONTHS!
  So, please... I am NOT lucky... becoming an "official breastfeeder" was very difficult work!  I could have easily given up and said "this is too hard" or "I'm too tired" or "using this shield is a PITA" or "the pump hurts too much" or any number of excuses.  But I stuck with it... through the pain, through the sleepless nights, through the stress!
I had family tell me "oh, you'll only breastfeed for 3 months... you wont make it the full year".  And, I always thought that I'd just go as long as I could.  When I made it to 3 months, it started to get easier.  When I made it to 6 months, he began latching on his own and it became WAY easier.  When I made it to 8 months and he stopped nursing at night, it became heavenly.  When I made it to 10 months and he dropped down to 4 feedings a day, it became freeing.  When I made it to 13 months and he decided he no longer wanted to breastfeed, it became bittersweet.
I am so proud of my accomplishment to have been able to breastfeed Marco for 13 months!  I am so proud that my baby has never had a single drop of formula.  I am so pleased with the bond that has developed between Marco and I due to breastfeeding.  I feel like I set a goal for myself and surpassed it!
But now... the milk maid is on a vacation... for only 4 months, until #2 is born.  Then we start this whole process over again... and I CAN'T WAIT!

Sensitize Me

I was mindlessly listening to the radio today, when I was shocked awake!  I typically do not like top 40 music, but Marco loves to dance to it... he's in a hip-hop dance phase... yes, at 1 year old! LOL.  So, I pump up the music in the car and he dances along.  Most of it does not bother me, but the song I heard today was shocking.
It was the Eminem song featuring Rihanna... Love the Way You Lie.  Ok, so the hook is catchy and singable... then I usually tune out the rap part.  Today, I happened to catch a lovely line or two.  Eminem says "And if she ever tries to F with me again, I'm gonna tie her to the bed and set the house on fire", followed by Rihanna's beautiful voice singing the chorus.
Ummmm, did I hear that right?!  Are you serious?!  How in the WORLD is this ok?  I mean, does anyone even do a double take or think about what he said?!
If you want to dish out the $15 to buy Eminem's RESTRICTED CD, or even just the $1 to download the single, that's your choice.  BUT I do not feel that THIS quality material should be broadcasted on the PUBLIC radio at ALL hours of the day and night.  I'd even be a little more forgiving if it was only played past 8pm.  But that is not the case.  In fact, the same exact song was playing when I got out of the car at 10:30 AND when I returned to my car at about 1:30.  So, how many times a day are we being exposed to this material?
Oh, I also love the way they block out the F word, to make in "censored".  That is NOT censoring!  In fact, I'd rather my child hear the F word than hear the REST of the line!  Not only that, but we STILL can HEAR the Fffff part of the word, so it's not like we have ANY question as to which word it is!  I am honestly appalled and disgusted by the lack of censoring.
We are being desensitized every single minute of the day... with movies, tv, music, internet, advertisements and more.  And it's targeting so many evils of this world... sex, violence, hatred, drugs and alcohol.  Why is it that the evils are the ones that get the most exposure?  This is why so many teens are not only diving head first into these things, but they also think it's so cool to do so.  When I was a kid, it wasn't till high school, but now, it's 6th graders, and younger!
Needless to say, I will not be supporting that radio station any longer.  That's the only thing I can do to protect my child's innocent ears.  Yes, he's only 1, but how long will it be before he begins catching little things?  Will I even notice when he does?
A friend of mine posted on FB that her niece was singing "I wanna be a billionaire so freakin' bad", and how cute it was!  Sure, it's kinda cute.  But really... it's not.  It's not cute for a 3 year old to be singing about money and saying "freakin'".  It's already putting these evils into their hands and into their heads and into their hearts.  Then the desires of their hearts become the things they see and hear about... money, sex, etc.
We need to protect our children... and ourselves!  I don't ever want to think that what I heard was "normal".  I ALWAYS want to be offended and taken aback.  I should ALWAYS say "wait, that's not right" when I hear something that isn't.  It's important that if we want our children to be a certain way, that WE are also that way.  "Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't work too well.  So I say, I do not want to be DEsensitized... help me stay "sensitized"!

Boy, Oh Boy... We're having another BOY!

A little over a week ago, we had my BIG ultrasound.  We were estatic to learn that we are going to have another baby boy!  Naturally, we would have been "estatic" either way, but knowing it's a boy just seems right.  Marco's going to have a buddy!

So, since learning the news, we've been trying to teach Marco that he's going to have a brother.  We tell him, "Where's your brother?" and he comes over to me, lifts my shirt and puts a finger in my bellybutton.  I don't think he knows there's a baby in there... maybe he just thinks that MY bellybutton is called "brother". Regardless, it's super cute!  

Now that we know it's a boy, the first question people ask is "have you thought of names?"  NO!  Mau and I have tossed some names around, mostly just trying to annoy eachother with bogus suggestions.  He's really good at that!  Unfortunately, our parents think that they have a say in what we name our children... they are misinformed.  They were not fond of Marco, but we chose it anyway, and LOVE it!  So what if people are going to call him "Marco Polo"... there are worse things, after all.  Kids are going to find ANY excuse to make fun of other kids.  If it's not their name, it's their weight, or their height, or their lunchbox. The latest name joke is that we should name this one Paulo... you get it?  Marco and Paulo... hardy har har.  That's not happening! We just want to choose a name that WE (as in my husband and I) like and fit with our last name.  We've decided that we're not telling anyone our name options until we have DECIDED.  That way, when people object (because we know they will), we'll just say, what's done is done.  Maybe I'll get something monogramed or engraved so there's no turning back. 

During our ultrasound, we were also happy to know that everything is growing perfectly and he's measuring two days ahead.  We're expecting to have another happy and healthy boy.  

Here are some of the 3D pictures taken of his face... He's looking a little skinny, but then again, he's only half-baked.  I think he's going to look more like Mau... it's the nose.  What do you think?