Re-lactating...

Well I've decided I want to try to re-lactate. I started out breastfeeding but stopped at about 2 months. Jessie wasn't gaining weight well and I wanted to be able to measure how much she was getting and I had a crappy pump so I couldn't just do that to see how much she was eating. But I have a better pump now, and I really want to start breastfeeding again. It's going to be really hard I'm sure, but hopefully I can do it. I'm hoping if I do get my supply back that I won't have to exclusively pump, hopefully Jessie will accept breast again over a bottle. Not real sure how that is going to go, cause she is very independent about eating. She doesn't usually even like to be held while she's eating, she prefers to be in her reclined high chair with a bottle propped up. I have a feeling I'm about to become one tired, stressed out Mama. This is gonna take a lot of work just to get my supply back...Wish me luck :)

E-Mealz

E-mealz is a website that for $1.25 a week they give you recipes and a shopping list. Sounds amazing, I bet it would help make my day easier. I think it's a very convenient idea. A blog I follow is having a giveaway for 3 free months of the plan. And they have a bunch of plans to choose from. Here's the link...
http://kandjstaats.blogspot.com/2011/04/thanks-and-giveaway.html

Check it out! =]

Finances, My Love, & My baby girl...

I feel bad right now. David just left for work. He woke up this morning not feeling well at all, but money is tight right now so he had to go into work. We are playing catch up with bills right now and it sucks! But luckily I managed to figure out a way to get us all caught up within a month. Soon we won't feeling like we're drowning financially anymore. And I've figured out a good, easy to stick with budget that will keep this from happening again. I hate finances! Sometimes I think if only I had a job too, this would be easier, but then I would have to pay for daycare for Jessie, which in all reality, considering the only job I could probably get right now would be a cashier, my checks would probably go almost completely to paying for daycare. So what's the point of doing it for a few extra bucks a week? Especially when I'm terrified to leave her at a daycare. Ideally I would like to continue to be a stay at home mom until she's at least a year, or close to it.
I'm hoping in the fall to start taking classes again. Hopefully mostly online or morning classes so David can be home with Jessie. Or night classes if David gets the promotion we're hoping for, which would put him on 1st shift again. *Crossing fingers*

I've been slowly introducing a little bit of baby food to Jessie over the past couple weeks. She had bananas last week and didn't seem too sure about them. She ate them but definitely made some funny faces. Today we tried some peaches and she seemed to love them. No crazy faces and she kept opening her mouth for more as soon as she swallowed the previous bite. She does so good at eating too! It's definitely not nearly as messy as I was expecting. She learned very quickly the first time we gave her cereal how to swallow it and not push it out with her tongue. =]

                Jessie eating cereal for the first time a few weeks ago.

Hmmm....

Okay, so I am definitely horrible at this blog thing. It's been 2 weeks! Last time I wrote my best friend was having a baby. Aramis Chad Malachi Alleman was born March 18, 2011 at 11pm. She was only 35 weeks 5 Days along so he was pretty tiny. 5lbs 9oz, 19 in. I went to visit her the next day and it was so crazy holding such a tiny baby. My Jessie was so much bigger when she was born, even though 2lbs doesn't seem like that much, it really is. Here is a picture of Aramis.

Jessie is almost 4 months old. I can't believe it has been that long. She can roll from her stomach to her back and the other day she almost went from back to stomach. I think it will happen soon. =] She loves to listen to me or her Daddy talk. Earlier today David was telling me about something that happened at work yesterday and she was just watching him so intently the whole time. It was adorable. She is finally getting the hang of her Jumperoo. Before she like to sit in it but didn't realize that she could make it move, but now she has definitely discovered her ability to jump. She gets that thing going like crazy.

Tomorrow night my parents are going to watch Jessie for the night so that David and I can have a night to ourselves. It is definitely needed. It's been over a month since we had time alone. We started out taking a night to ourselves about once a month, but we never took a night in March so it's much needed. With David working 2nd shift we just don't have a lot of time together anyway, especially during the week and then add in baby and all the time we do have together is spent with her or sleeping. Not complaining about Jessie at all, just saying, once in a while we need a night...

I am going to try to keep up with this more. At least a couple times a week would be better....

Here are a few pictures from the past couple weeks.

I remember that feeling...

My best friend is in labor!!!! I'm so excited. She's a couple hours away from me and I have no way to get there until tomorrow morning and I'm going crazy. I have to rely on her husband to update me through facebook and it's torture being so far away. Now I know what she felt like when I was in labor...checking facebook every 5 minutes for some news. It's horrible!!! But at least she's moving along faster than I was. I was in labor for 2 days!!! She's been at the hospital for 15 hours. Our little ones are only gonna be 3 months apart...so awesome!

This mornings text message that her water broke was very unexpected. Her due date wasn't until April 17th. Hopefully everything will be alright. I pray for no complications and that the baby is developed enough. It's gonna be about 4.5 weeks early. And just now as I'm writing this I got an update that she has to have a c-section. MY BESTIE IS ABOUT TO BE A MOMMA!!!! I am so happy for her. It is the best thing in the world to hold your newborn baby. =] I can't wait to meet her little bundle of joy tomorrow!

In honor of Maddie

We played outside today and wore a big bow in honor of baby Maddie, who went to play with Jesus 1 month ago.
                                              

I'm giving this a try...

This will be my first blog ever. I figured I'd give it a try after being inspired by another person's blog and their story. I guess for now I'll just start out by introducing myself and my life.
My name is Valarie and I live with my amazing boyfriend David. I am 21, he is 27. We have a beautiful baby girl named Jessie Joplin, yes her middle name, Joplin, is after Janis Joplin. Some of David's favorite memories as a kid are of his dad waking him in the middle of the night to listen to music and Janis Joplin was one of the artists they would listen to together. Jessie was born December 9, 2010. She just turned 3 months old last week. I cannot believe how fast the time is flying by. She is the most amazing thing ever and I could not imagine my life without her. As of right now I'm a stay at home mom and David works in a shop. I'm not sure what my plan is yet as far as working or staying at home. I really would like to stay home with my baby, but financially that may not be possible. If I do end up going to work I think I'm gonna try to find something that is mornings only, that way David can take care of her while I'm at work. He works 2nd shift so he doesn't have to go into work until 2pm. I don't want to have to send Jessie to daycare. I think I would worry way to much.
I guess this pretty much sums up my life right now. David and Jessie are my world.

                                                    Here is a picture of the two of them.

And here's a picture with our pathetic cat, Stewie.

 Oh and this is me & David on our Valentine's Day weekend...