October update

October has been a great month for our girl...she's pretty much figured out the whole cause and effect thing (drop toy, mom or dad picks up toy, rinse, repeat), is very close to being able to sit up on her own and is making a few almost crawling movements. Her vocalizations are increasing in variety with cute experiments in tempo, pitch and musicality. In fact, Theron swears she sang the first few bars of the Beach Boy's "Barbra Ann" recently. Another neat thing she's started doing is showing/sharing with us her toys. For example, she'll intently examine one of the dangly bits on her whozit, such as the fuzzy orange heart or the green polkadotted ring, and then hold it out to us. Is it silly that I take this as a sign that she's a clever kid? This month we also had a visit with Gr'Aunt J, Gr'Uncle T, first-cousin-once-removed B, his wife L and their daughter T who is Sylvie's 2nd cousin. (I think I've got the familial relationships correct!) 

We also visited Salem with Sylvie decked out in her official Space Baby uniform, and she later made a a brief appearance at her first Halloween party. G'ma J was kind enough to babysit so that Space Ghost('s evil twin) and the "Milky Way" were able to stay out and par-TAY at A and S's 4th Annual Halloween Spookstravaganza.

Fenugreek is my galactagogue...AGAIN

I've always thought that people who breast fed their kids for 2+ years were a bit crazy. When a kid can walk over to you and yank up your shirt and nurse while standing, or can ask, "muhmah, might I have a nip o' the nip?" then they are WAY too old to be hanging off your tit in my opinion.

I still believe this, but to each her own I suppose.

My point, however, is that I can understand the desire to prolong the closeness that only comes with breast feeding. My experience with it, aside from a slight difficulty in getting Sylvie to stay latched on in the beginning, has been mostly easy and painless. I love how her little hand waves around like a piece of seaweed in a current, sometimes reaching to touch my face or wrapping around my finger while she nurses.

But despite the fact that I've not reduced the number of daily feedings or pumpings, my supply is once again dwindling. I've heard that some babies self-wean, but Sylvie is as eager for the boob juice as ever she was...I know this because when I pick her up out of her crib each morning or after I get home from work she immediately plants her face against my chest/shoulder/arm and begins hoovering away; our little space baby in search of the milky way.

I'm taking fenugreek again but so far it is not having the desired effect. Is my body ready to wean Sylvie even if I am not?

Stupid body.

Well, I suppose some breast milk is better than none. Luckily, she tolerates an occasional bottle of supplemental formula and she certainly loves her solid food!

September update

In the past 7 months she's grown a great deal; not so much in size as in personality. Although still a very laid back baby, she does occasionally get frustrated and isn't afraid to let everyone know it. She's not yet sitting unsupported or crawling but she is a lean, mean rolling machine and if something is out of reach by hand, she'll use her little monkey feet to grab it. She's very ticklish when she's in the mood to be and giggles, squeals and squawks when Theron or I pretend to gnaw on her ribs or chew on her chubby thighs, (which are so very, very chewy.) She would dearly love to make friends with Izzy, but the beagle is a little reluctant to do so. Smudge is more accomodating and allows Sylvie to grab and yank handfuls of fur without so much as a twitch. (BTW I do admonish Sylvie to "be gentle with the kitty", but so far she hasn't quite grasped what that means.) She's proving to be a rather sharp kid, having figured out that there's a latch on my nursing tank tops which she tries to undo when in the mood for boob juice and last night she was very intently examining one of the toy attachments on her whozit, rolling it this way and that in her hands to make it rattle. As for our girl's weight, she is now up to 12lbs 13oz. What's funny is that because of her leaness and thatch of hair, to me she has the look of a toddler despite her overall small size. Sylvie's dietary experience has continued to broaden with the additions of applesauce, green beans, mangos, bananas and as of last night, meat! She gobbled down pureed beef with carrots like a true gourmand. No doubt about it, this kid can eat. I guess that it's just mostly going to support her hair growth!