Busy, Busy, Busy

I feel like I have been on the go non stop for a long time and summer is almost gone already, and yet I feel like I have done nothing!

I have been trying to get more things on the go with Graffiti. I've had a few parties, yesterday I went to a baby/kid sale that the organizer decided to have some business tables at as well. I don't really think it was the right "crowd" for my products. I guess that is the most polite way of putting it, if you know what I mean.

While I was inside the hall for the four hours doing my thing, someone stole the license plate right off my vehicle, then proceeded to use it in a gas and go! Of course it was Sunday so the registry office wasn't open so that was a pain in the ***! Thankfully someone at the craft sale had an old expired plate from one of their old vehicles; he ran home and got it so I could at least drive home and hopefully wouldn't get pulled over! Today I had to deal with that.

I have been looking at bringing Graffiti into farmers markets, trade shows and craft fairs, but it seems they are all so expensive! Come next month it looks like I will be pretty busy, I've already got three shows booked and a trade show. I am still looking for more leads though. I've created a facebook page, so it seems like that is starting to get the word out more too!

Makayla is now becoming quite the little girl. She is sure trying my patience, by pulling on cords, grabbing CD's, hitting me or spitting in my face. No matter how many times I say "NO" she laughs and does it again. She doesn't understand it isn't a game. I usually laugh right back at her; I know I shouldn't, but wow how can one resist!? She just figured out how to crawl last Thursday, right before Daddy went back to work so that's nice, so she is now into everything. I can't even go to the bathroom or load the dishwasher without wondering what she is up to. Also, I need to get a carpenter in here to figure out what we are going to do about a gate. We've got a nasty staircase with walls that just don't work for attaching a baby gate.

Anyway, I'm tired and need to get to bed, here are a few pictures of Makayla tonight.

Bye Bye Boob; For Good This Time!

Makayla's Doctor recommended a few months ago that I start supplementing her with formula since she wasn't gaining weight at an "appropriate" rate with just breastfeeding. I started with feeding her a combination of boob and bottle, then slowly moved to feeing her formula all day and boob during the night and first thing in the morning, to now just formula!

Actually it was a combination of her not gaining weight and also having two teeth that made me stop breastfeeding all together! The last day I actually breastfed was July 28th! Makayla had already started to bite me REALLY hard and on the 28th she bite me just a little too hard! She had made me bleed prior to that day and it had been hurting, but this one time was hard enough to make it the last time!

I can honestly say I miss breastfeeding....is that weird? It just seems so different, like my baby doesn't "need" me anymore, and I find that she doesn't like to snuggle like she did before. Maybe it's just me....

First Goose Egg!

I know it is a first of many, but today Makayla got her first goose egg on her forehead! She can't crawl yet, but she can get up on her knees and the she try's to pull herself up on furniture. Well tonight we were over at my Dads house and Makayla was trying to do this, but my Dad has hardwood floors, so between pulling and turning to look at something she slipped and fell flat on her face! I know the picture isn't great, but it is there and it is pretty big! My poor baby girl!

Constipated....Again!

My poor baby girl is constipated again; it has only been two weeks since she was in the hospital. I have been doing what the Doctors suggested; no oatmeal, increasing fluids and giving high fibre fruits and veggies. Makayla was doing really well for the first week or so, pooping pretty well every day and progressively getting "softer". Well this week has been the complete opposite; she hasn't gone in four days. Two days ago she had two tiny, rock hard, rabbit pellets. Oh great...just what the Doctor told me to watch out for as that is the first sign of constipation.

This morning she was acting just like she was before I ended up taking her in last time; cranky, pushing trying to go. I took her diaper off and lo and behold there is poop once again "stuck"! The hospital had sent us home with some lube in case this happened again. I used it and encouraged my monkey to push it out. I won't get into details, cause it's nasty, but let's just say I "helped" her get a rather large, rock hard piece out. Tonight, again, she was pushing and whining, so I did it again; another large hard piece. I am really hoping that tomorrow she can have a normal bowel movement!

Oh the things that I NEVER would have imagined doing almost seem "normal" once I became a mother. What can I say I love it! Ummmm...being a Mom, not "helping" Makayla poop...just to clarify. Hahaha...

Makayla In The Hospital

This post has details...gross details...so don't read it if it will offend you!!! You have been warned.....

Since starting on solid foods Makayla's bowel movements have slowed down dramatically! When she was a newborn she would go 10 times a day, that slowly moved to a couple a day, down to 1 a day....well...she hadn't gone in about 6 days and I was starting to get concerned. The last time we were at the Doctors I did mention to him that she was starting to slow down and he said not to worry, this always happens when you switch to solids and she may not go for a week or more and not to worry.

Makayla has been extremely cranky the last few days but I just assumed it is because she just cut her first tooth and there is probably another one on the way. Two days ago she was straining to go to the bathroom, when I checked her diaper there was a little poop (stuck half way in), I helped her get it out; she continued to push while on the change table and I could see that there was more in there but it wasn't coming out. I figured it would come out later. Two more days went by and she still hadn't pooped...I knew it was in there because I had seen it!

Last night again Makayla was straining so I took her to the change table, took off her diaper and again could see poop in there, but it looked to big to come out...she was SCREAMING in pain. I put some baby oil around her anus and waited while she pushed. Nothing. She was in so much pain. Oh and the smell was disgusting...if it is possible - imagine rotting poop!

I called health link and told them what was going on. The nurse gave me a bunch of suggestions on things I can do if I suspect she is constipated; drink prune or pear juice, mix brown sugar or corn syrup in water and have her drink it, increase her fluids.....it is too late for this lady!!! She IS constipated!! Then she suggested that I go to the pharmacy and get a glycerin suppository and insert that in her bum.

When I got to the pharmacy I grabbed some pear juice (to start giving to her so this doesn't happen again) and I talked to the Pharmacist explaining what was going on. He told me not to use a suppository since she is pushing and I can see poop the suppository won't work. He explained to me that all a suppository is going to do is make her muscles contract so she will push it out....she is pushing...it's too BIG! He said that I needed to go either to the medicenter or the ER to get this de-compacted...I chose the ER.

After waiting about an hour and a half in the main waiting room (everyone loved Makayla who decided to test out her voice) we were moved into another waiting room for minor treatments! Minor treatments....are you kidding me!!?? While we sat here waiting for our turn we sure saw a variety of "minor treatments"! Sprained ankles, trouble breathing, slips in the bathroom, various cases of stitches, a boy swallowed the ring from a key chain, toddler smashed his head on something and had a HUGE bump, guy got bit from his boa constrictor, old crazy drunk lady, fall down the stairs, oh and the list goes on....

A few hours later we finally got assessed. It was determined that they needed to get this poop out. In came the Doctor with his rubber gloves and lube. He stuck his pinkie finger in her bum and dug it out!! We couldn't believe how much there was, it is hard to imagine that this tiny little girl could have that much stuck up inside her! After that they did end up giving her a suppository because he wanted to make sure that she could still go. She ended up pushing it out inside a piece of poop so then they had to put another one in.

My poor baby girl was so tired she hadn't napped all day, she actually fell asleep shortly after they inserted the second one. We waiting about half an hour and she didn't poop - because she was sleeping. They finally told us that we could go home and gave me two more suppository's and two more packs of lube. So after 6hrs in the ER we were finally on our way home.

Anyway, this afternoon my beautiful baby girl had a poop, all on her own without me having to use another suppository!! The Doctor has told me to cut way back on the solids and INCREASE her fluids. Today she had prune juice, water, prunes and breastmilk!

Bye Bye Boob (Kinda....)

On Tuesday I took Makayla and had her weighed; a whopping 13lbs, 11oz. So in the last two and a half weeks she has only gained 8oz, not much, but better than not gaining anything like the two weeks previous. As per the Doctors instructions at her 6 month appointment, for the last few weeks I have been trying different powdered formulas, they all taste NASTY...like chemicals. The other night I had to run to the post office which is inside Shoppers so I grabbed a can of the liquid concentrated formula. I mixed up two ounces and after 10 minutes of screaming and whipping her head back and forth she actually drank it!!!!! Last night she ate a whole 4 ounces!! Good going little lady! I guess I am going to have to buy the pre-mixed, and guess what...it doesn't taste like chemicals, strange! I am still breastfeeding as well, but I am trying to give her a bottle at bedtime in hopes that she will sleep through the night (that's a whole other story)!

Bath Time

Since Makayla was born she has really loved having her bath (minus the first one at the hospital). Now that she can sit up and play she loves bath time even more! She tends to lean forward to reach for her toys and then she face plants and goes under!




It's moments like this that make me realize just how fast she is growing up....sniff sniff

My First Mothers Day!

Wow...my first Mothers Day...to look back on my life, I never thought that I would see the day that I could say "My First Mothers Day", it is awesome! We didn't do a whole lot today, just hung out at home. Makayla got me some beautiful flowers and a lovely card! I just love my little monkey so much!

Before I Was A Mom

This poem has been circulating through emails for a while, I had seen it before yet never actually read it, I would just deleted it. I received it from a friend this week and it is just so true !!

Before I was a Mom
I made and ate hot meals.
I had unstained clothing.
I had quiet conversations on the phone.

Before I was a Mom,
I slept as late as I wanted
And never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words of lullabies.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom
I had never been puked on
Pooped on
Spit on
Chewed on
Peed on
Or pinched by tiny fingers

Before I was a Mom
I had complete control of:
My thoughts
My body
And my mind.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child
So that doctors could do tests
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
When I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
Could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a Mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
Could make me feel so important.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay
I had never known the warmth
The joy
The love
The heartache
The wonder
Or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

- Author Unknown

Food Allergy?

Oh the joys of motherhood - too much information continues....Makayla's diarrhea has lasted now for about a week, and the last three days it has actually changed color, "grass green" is now the color exploding from her diapers! So today I finally let the paranoid side of me kick in (only took a week), called the Doctor, and away we went. Apparently (for any mothers wondering) green poop doesn't mean a thing. According to the Doctor, brown, green, yellow or orange are all fine, as long as there is no blood. However he was concerned because Makayla has got mucus in her stool...she has always had that, which really bothers me now. Anyway, he thinks that she may have a food allergy, and the most common is dairy. So because I breastfeed, that means no more dairy for Mommy! Good thing I bought a whole case of yogurt last night! We shall see what this next week brings without dairy, hopefully the hue will return to a "mustard yellow"!