SO first off I want to apologize, I hate being behind on my blogging, I am the first person to check my sister's blogs & everyone else's and hate when they are not updated! I also have to apologize there will be no pictures in this post as you will realize why when you read on...

Well I have lots to fill you all up on since my last post. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and enjoyed their time with their loved ones!

1. Our Xmas party on the 19th was great and lots of fun! I should watch what I wish for though...we did get that snow fall I said I loved so much that happened for our Xmas party in 2008. Except the snowfall was to begin in the middle of the day so about 6 of our guest didn't make it with the worries of the weather but we still had a turn out of 30 people. The snow didn't start until 9:30pm (thanks weather men...you had the whole state freaked out that it was starting mid afternoon and we would be snowed in forever!) so when everyone was leaving our party around 12:30-1am there was a few inches accumulation but not a 12 inches like we had expected at that time.


2. Eli slept great for my in-laws the night of our party. Go figure....he was up only once at the 3am hour and ate/got diapered and back to bed until the 6:30-7am time frame. THIS HASN'T BEEN THE CASE FOR ME!! But I do have to say I was happy he did this for them so they were able to sleep well while they had him overnight.


3. I had 2 cavities filled 2 days before Christmas Eve. I got these cavities from being preggo I think, I haven't had cavities in SO LONG but of course another lovely thing about being preggo - it can do a number on your oral health. I was really worried about not being able to eat all my favorite holiday foods & treats because I had my cavities filled so close to Xmas but wouldn't you know my mouth was back in working order by morning, thank god!


4. Our computer crashed Christmas Eve & is completely useless right now. Spy ware & virus's all over it. So frustrating. I can't even get into it. It totally screwed our plans of playing our Christmas music from Pandora on Christmas Day at our home & also all my pictures I want to put up for the blog & a blog entry had to wait. We are still working on getting our PC up & running so pictures will come soon, I promise!


5. We spent Christmas Eve at Adam's Auntie Anne's house as usual. It is Adam's Dad's side of the family and Santa always makes time to visit/bring gifts for all the good little boys & girls so Eli got to meet him for the first time! I have the cutest picture to post which I can't wait to put up soon for you all to see. Eli also got a great gift from Adam's parents on Xmas eve- it is the book - Twas' the night before Christmas with their voice over as the page turns their voice is reading the story to Eli! It is the best, I can't wait for next year for Eli to hear his Meme' & Poppi reading to him. Such a thoughtful gift :) We love it.


6. I finished baking all my treats for Xmas gift baskets I was making after we came home from Auntie Anne's Xmas Eve. I was up until 11:00pm doing that then from 11-12:30am deliriously wrapping gifts and getting things ready for Xmas day at our home with Adam. I think we were both zombies at this point. I was lying on the hardwood floor and "taking a nap" in our guest bedroom waiting for the wrapping paper while Adam was using it. I get ridiculous when I am that overtired.


7. Christmas Day we hosted at our home and it turned out really nice. We did a brunch menu and it came out great. Watching my nephew Ben & niece Melina open up their gifts was too funny! They were so excited, Eli watched from his exersaucer and was in amazement too, he loves to look at bigger kids he gets fixated on them. He can't wait to be their size it seems...Between Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Elias received so many presents we couldn't believe it. He got lots of toys, clothes,savings bonds, and a gorgeous baby's first Christmas ornament from Uncle Tommy that brought a tear to both Adam and I. The ornament is so precious, it is a baby's building block in silver that opens up with his engraved name and birth date, along with his picture in it. Being that I love Christmas and decorating our tree it was the best to have such a personalized ornament we will have for lifetime now. In the evening we went over to Adam's Grandmother's house and Eli giggled allot and was a joy to have around while opening presents there. Overall, everyone was so nice to remember Eli and we really appreciate the generosity.


8. Saturday we had a slow start, and then we spent the afternoon visiting my best friend Sarah from home and her parent's. It was the first time her parents met little Eli and he had a blast there, he was in such a good mood giggling lots for them too! Then we had dinner and left over desserts at my mom's house with the family. We then did the trek back home which is only a one hour drive, Eli slept the whole way so that was good.


9. Eli had his 4 month appointment and received 4 shots. He is 13lbs. 15oz. and is 25.5 inches long! He is in the 70th percentile for height & 25th percentile for weight. He is very healthy and seems to be doing great the doctor said. BUT little Elias is getting up WAY too many times throughout the night so we have to nip it in the bud. The doc told us we have to let him cry it out. Easier said than done. Night 1 has passed and it was rough to say the least. I cried just as much as Eli did at times.


10. We had an electrical fire in our home today. Luckily it happened while we were at work and Elias was in daycare. Our neighbor called Adam at work and told him the Fire Dept. & Police were at our home and that a tree limb snapped off from one of our huge pine trees in front of our home and hit our electrical wires. All the electrical stuff on the side of our house snapped off and there was smoke throughout the house and we nearly lost our home to an electrical fire today. It is scary to say the least, today is the coldest day we have had so far in CT and we have no heat or electricity. The claim has been started w/our home owners insurance and boy am I glad we have insurance. The tree needs to be removed all the electrical panel has to be replaced, wires are fried and melted....and top of all this we are not sure if our appliances will work until all the electrical work is completed. The work won't start until tomorrow and will take the full day, not to mention this is a holiday week so the electrical company is charging us handsomely... Thank god our home is still standing and we are all ok. We will be spending the night with Adam's parents tonight. I hope tomorrow everything will be ok to be back in our home. As I type this I haven't even been home to see or smell the damage.

Well that is all the updates for now. I know I have given information overload, sorry!! That has been our life over the past week and 1/2.....Hopefully the next post will be from home that has heat and electricity on my PC that is working and contains some much needed pictures I have been waiting to put up!

All Done!!

So the house is finally all decorated and ready for our Christmas Party this weekend. This year everything took so much extra time for a few main reasons -

1.) having a 3 1/2 month old makes it tough to get anything done

2.) Me feeling under the weather. I went from bad to worse & was out of work a few days last week as well as having a really bad fever Thurs - Friday. I ended up going to the doctors on Friday and sure enough I had bronchitis. I am MUCH better now thank god and thanks to being prescribed the Z-pack. It seems to be the only thing that cures me when I get bronchitis.

3.) Eli was under the weather too, he never got a fever or actual bronchitis but he was pretty fussy and full of mucus so EXTRA clingy. Which made me feel bad for the little guy...so him being clingy didn't bother me that much it was just that I wasn't getting anything done when I wanted it done.

Over this past week Eli is no longer just getting up 1 time in the night. He has been getting up 2 times which is frustrating. I keep thinking it is because of his congestion and all the mucus production that is going on. I hope this passes soon and he goes back to the 1 time in the middle of the night. I can deal with that.

We will be starting cereal very soon, I hope at Elias's 4 month appointment on the 28th the doctor agrees that we should introduce the cereal. I have heard once the cereal starts so does sleeping through the night. I would love for that to be the case! Getting up at the 1 am hour and the 3:30 am time frame is getting old fast! But with a face like this it is hard to be cranky about it all....


Eli's Christmas Card - I still can't get over the fact that I got him to sit up & smile all at once for this picture!


Thank you Auntie Tammy for my fun Christmas Onesie & Santa Outfit! I love you!


On another note, somehow I have been able to do some holiday baking and almost all the prep work for our party on Saturday. I have baked homemade biscotti's, surprise filled cookies (they have preserves in them- YUM!),and oreo balls. On the to-do list for baking is homemade granola & hazelnut truffles. I can't do those too early because they are for Christmas Day so I will wait until the night before Christmas Eve. I have a huge list of appetizers for our party I am making, most of it I can prep Friday night so that on Saturday all I have to do is pop it in the oven. I borrowed a warming tray from my mom which will be very use full for the party with keeping things warm.

Needless to say, I will be pumping & dumping - but I subscribe to the thought process of "If Momma ain't happy, nobody's happy". Eli will be spending the night at Adam's parents while we entertain somewhere to the tune of 30-35 guests at our home!

Princess parties, Christmas Decorating, First snow fall & a new TV! !

Well hello there!

It has been a busy week for us over here. Last Sunday Adam put our new fancy LCD TV we just bought in our living room. Since then he has been on cloud nine watching his sports & anything with animals. So now this means I have to watch more football than I really would like to. BUT I do have to admit it does look really cool to see it so clear now. On our to-do list is finding a t.v. stand we like. Right now it is sitting on our coffee table and it is getting really annoying not having anywhere to put our drinks/bowl of ice cream/feet, etc. on when we are in the living room. I would like to thank my in-laws for contributing generously towards the t.v. and my mother for giving us money for the t.v. stand as our Christmas gift this year. Thank you mom, John & Debbie! That was a very generous gift to us and it will get lots of use.

Over the course of the week I have been doing my Christmas decorating in our home mainly because I don't have time to do it all in one day like I used to. It is coming together and I will post pictures once it is all complete. The good thing is that our smaller tree that is in our picture window provides plenty of entertainment for Elias. He can't get enough of looking at the lights. I have to admit I put him right in front of that tree sometimes so I can get things done when I need to. This tree may never come down! hahaha..

Here are some pics of Eli enjoying the lights-

Then this past Saturday Eli and I made the trip up to my sisters house for my niece Melina's 5th birthday party. Melina is all into princesses at this stage in her life so the theme was princess everything. My sister did an awesome job of turning her fireplace into a castle and made a princess throne for Melina and her friends to sit in for pictures. The throne was made out of fabric from my old prom dress & one of Tammy's bridesmaid dresses. Tammy is very crafty, she even made my niece's birthday cake which looked awesome and of course it included Princess Tiana from the new Disney movie. I have never seen so many little princesses in one place, I can't get over how many little girls are into the Disney princess thing. I guess it is hard to think it when I look back on my childhood and I was the tomboy...my uniform was overalls and puma sneakers. Oh yeah and I ruined all my sister's barbies by taking the heads off and chewing on their plastic feet. Sorry Tammy!!

So here are some pictures from the party, I had to bring Eli out for this party because it is his cousin after all and the the guy to girl ratio was to his favor!

My neice Melina, I can't beleive she is 5 years old already!

My sister Tammy's FAB cake, I was very impressed, it was so yummy!

Our ride home wasn't so pleasant it was snowing but it wasn't sticking while in Mass. Once we entered CT I noticed there was some accumulation and when we got home we had a few inches on the ground. It was our official first snowfall for CT. I hope we get snow like we did last year the day before our Christmas party, it made the house look so cozy & decorated just perfectly with a fresh blanket of snow! Here are some pics of the outside of our home from last year. I am keeping my fingers crossed this year that we get snow the day before our party again!


Our home December 2008

Tree in our backyard we put lights on, I love it with snow all over it!

Living room, this year we will be adding another stocking for Eli :)

One last thing...I came down with a nasty cold this past Monday so I am feeling yucky and run down. Can't wait for this to pass. Ugh!! The good thing is so far Eli is only sneezing and his nose is a bit stuffy but not as much as mine, I hope he comes through this quickly too. Here is a picture of the little guy in his winter snow suit today, he is overall happy for being a little under the weather!

Thanksgiving 2009

Hi Everyone,

Hope your Thanksgiving was great and you enjoyed all the yummy goodness that comes along with it!

Eli's first Thanksgiving!

This year I ran the Manchester Road Race here in CT and it was so much fun. The event draws quite the crowd with over 13,000 participants. This was the first time I ran it and I have to say I would really like to make it a tradition if I can. The race is 4.8 miles and it is quite the party the whole way. Tons of support and drunken fans partying along with lots of "people watching" to do. So many people come dressed up in costumes and they run the whole course that way. My results were pretty good for not getting to train as much as I would have liked for the race.

My official time was 43:21 and I placed 3,208 out of 12,037 runners. Adam came out to support me and enjoyed a nice frosty beer at a bar while I was running. But the race did spark a little interest with him so he might join in the fun next year with me.

After the race was done we went over for a Thanksgiving day feast at Adam's parent's. I made a yummy sweet potato dish with caramelized apples on top from the Barefoot Contessa's Parties cook book & another sweet potato dish with the standard gooey marshmallows on top. After an awesome meal & dessert assortment the family sat around the fire pit enjoying some hot toddy's. The weather was perfect outside and Eli enjoyed the campfire too (please excuse my socks & shoes in this picture, I came ill prepared to be outdoors!).

Here are some pics from Thanksgiving day at Adam's parents house:

Uncle Bill & Aunt Brenda with Eli

This was Mimi's idea (Adam's grandma) to put Eli right on the table because he was fussing quite a bit and it turned out he LOVED it. He was kicking,smiling and loving all the attention he was getting while we were eating our dessert!

Then on Friday we spent the day with my family at my Aunt Lydia's house. We did the leftover Thanksgiving meal and that was equally yummy! It was so nice to spend time with my family and see my cousins and the kiddies. Adam played the drums in Rock Band, my cousin James played the guitar, and we listened to my lovely sister sing her heart out as the lead singer. It was a crazy house as you can tell and surprisingly with all this going on Eli was taking it all in just fine. I guess Tammy's voice is soothing to some people out there. Hahaha...

Mom making Eli giggle :)

Uncle Ed with Eli, every time Eli is with Ed he doesn't cry, Ed seems to have the "touch"

Cousin James & My sister Tammy hanging out with our little guy

Saturday we had tickets with Adam's family to the Uconn vs. Syracuse football game and my mom came up to watch Eli for the day. Thank you mom! We tailgated which is always very fun. It was so windy & cold out but I love going to any Uconn game - basketball or football, it brings me back to my college days and makes me so proud to be a Uconn grad. Uconn won & Eli cooperated very nicely with my mom so the whole day was success!

Now I am thinking tomorrow will be a day of preparing the house for Christmas. Every year we have an annual Christmas party which has become a tradition with our friends. The party draws in a crowd to our home of anywhere from 30-35 people. I love hosting the party with Adam and since I absolutely love decking the halls of our home for Christmas it is my favorite time of year :)

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving festivities as much as we did, boy do I need to find a way to get myself moving tomorrow and work off those extra calories I have consumed over these past 3 days! It is so hard to not snooze on the couch with this little guy sometimes. Here is Adam showing how it is done....

How Elias gets what he wants.....

Just thought I would share how Eli uses his cute little lower lip to get what he wants. He is too much this little guy!

"Our new Friday night"

Since, I have been back at work things have been kind of hectic but I dare say they are getting better each day. Also- just knowing I am working home on Mondays brings a sigh of relief to me on Friday's when I leave work.

I haven't hung out with the ladies these past 3 weeks because 2 weekends in a row we had plans & getting back in the swing of things with work was an adjusment. So last night was our first night we all got together in a couple weeks and it was fun!

Sylvia,Matt and their baby Jack came over along with Margaret, John and their baby Camilla. We had pizza and some drinks and just hung out until the wee hours of 10:15pm. My how times have changed!

This time last year we were all in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico partying like it was our job! We all knew it would be our last hurrah since baby talk had already started. Very shortly after returning from Mexico, Sylvia found out she was pregnant then I found out I was pregnant & Margaret got pregnant just a few months after that. It has been really great going through all the preggo stuff together plus we all live close by so our kiddies will be hanging out lots whether they like it or not!

I especially love this picture of Sylv's son Jack trying to work his magic on baby Cammy already! Eli has no chance at Cammy, Jack has the upper hand here being that he and Cammy are Polish. Not to mention, Margaret & Sylv's family are already arranging their marriage. But that is totally ok- Eli still has lots of options, there is a baby girl 2 houses up the road & our friend Nicole just had a baby girl so he is all set! hahaha...there are always other fish in the sea!



Here is our "responsible parent" picture of the evening.

Work from Home

Check it out - Eli has figured out how to hold onto things if you put it in his hand. He loves to play with his keys!

Yesterday, was my first "work from home" day and overall it went pretty well. Elias didn't cooperate in the napping department he only went down 2 times for about 30 minutes tops each time. But he did stay entertained in his baby rocker chair & on the floor with his gym mat with the hanging toys. There were some fussy moments but for our first day together trying this out I would say it was a success.

I brought home lots to do from the office and suprisingly I got most of it done. Sometimes I think being at home is easier than being in the office. Maybe because we are all a pretty chatty group? hahaha...we all know I can't work without being able to chat! LOL

What was especially nice about being home was for starters I didn't have to do all the "prep work" I do each night to prepare Eli & myself for a successful departure from the house in the morning. The other nice aspect about working from home is that I don't have to pump. YEAH!! When Eli was ready to eat I was right there which made it so much more easier than pumping. I did not miss cleaning bottles and all the typical pumping gear I have to clean 3 times a day at work one bit yesterday!

Getting into the swing of things...

Now that the first full week of work has past and our first overnight trip away from Eli,I figured some updates are in order for the blog!

Week 1 at work was no walk in the park for me. There was absolutely no middle of the night schedule and trying to get Eli to nurse when I wanted him to in the morning was tough. Also, considering all the "prep work" I do in the evening when I get home, I was still running around like a chicken with my head cut off. There was one good day though which was Wednesday and that was because Adam's mom comes over to watch Eli at our house. Life seemed so much more simpler that day.

One other cramp was that I had NO time to get a workout in. I hate when I start to feel depressed about not feeling my best so it was really hard to deal with on my end. I was trying my hardest to get up in the AM and run on the treadmill in the basement but without Eli getting up at any predictable hour I could not get decent sleep, I was just such a mess & exhausted.

A few other kinks to our first week back included - Adam locking his keys in his car on Thursday morning & Adam waking up on Friday with a completely stiff back. He was in so much discomfort that I had to get out of bed early to help him out the door, down to tying his shoes. Thank god he is ok, he ended up showing up to work and being sent to the doctors. The doctor told Adam he needs to religiously stretch his back in the morning and night and he gave Adam muscle relaxers which helped a ton. I am so happy he seems to be moving around much better now.

I am glad to report that this week seems to be starting more smoothly. I got a workout in yesterday morning at 5:30am which felt GREAT. It was not the kind of workout where I was "chipper and ready to go" (I think I am coming down with a cold) but after the workout I felt better that I had done something.

Also, when dropping Eli off at day care this morning, Anna told me that Eli is a very easy baby to take care of. She said he seems to love the other kiddies there and is acclimating well. Just hearing that made me feel so much better about leaving him there. Starting next week I am going to be working from home 1 day a week and I can't wait because I feel like I don't see Eli enough these days. Our schedule will be down to 3 days of day care, the other 2 days will be one day with me at home and the other with Meme' & Poppi.


This past weekend was my best friend Sarah's 30th birthday celebration. Sarah lives in Burlington,VT which is a 4 hour drive for us so this was our first overnight away from Eli. Eli did great at Meme' & Poppi's house and it was really nice for me and Adam to get out. We missed him allot but it was such a good time to be with Sarah and friends. "Pumping & dumping" was not such a great highlight from the weekened mainly because it is so much work to pump then to have to dump it. I definitely felt the mommy guilt coming on strong & a bit irresponsible. But then one friend told me to look at it this way - I was doing the responsible thing so that made me feel SO much better. This was the first time I had been drinking in a VERY long time where I had more than 1 glass of wine, I have to admit it was a fun time!

Here are some pictures of Eli at Meme' & Poppi's house from the weekend.



On Sunday when we returned, we crashed on the couch with Eli and relaxed the afternoon away. It was very nice being one big lazy family on the couch for the day!

Today was the day....

Well it happened. Today was my first day back at work and I would really like to say I am back in the "swing of things" but I am not. I mean really how can you leave a cute little guy like this for work of all things? I am going to take this first week back for what it really is and try to make nothing more of it. Once this first week is past me I believe I will somehow have a revelation that this going back to work is a good thing. Good thing I like the people I work with and I have a very accommodating office environment, that is one perk.

Anyways, dropping Eli off at daycare made me sad as expected. At least he was in a good mood when I left and I didn't have to leave him crying or anything like that. Before we got to daycare the morning ran pretty well with exception of the time change. Eli didn't wake up at the 3:30am hour like he has done for a good week & a half now. He woke up at 2am instead and I was able to go back to sleep by 3am so waking up at 5:45am wasn't that bad. I didn't feel nearly as comatose as I am when I try to go back to bed after the 3:30am routine...who knows Eli's sleep could return back to what it was or it could stay this way. One thing is for sure - the time change is not helping me trying to get a schedule going on here!

No other real important things to post other than getting out the door for work (looking presentable) while still breast feeding a baby is not simple. I hope to become a pro at this morning routine soon so it doesn't feel like the chore it is right now. So far pumping at work seems to be going ok, I have to really be careful and actually remind myself to pump. It is very easy to get wrapped up into work and I don't want my milk supply to diminish this soon. I keep reminding myself "I finished a marathon, I can do it"....I find myself doing that allot when I need to get through a difficult time, it seems to work.

On a more fun note, I have some pictures of Elias from Halloween that I wanted to share with you all. Adam and I went up to my sister's house in MA to celebrate Halloween with her family. My mom came too and she was dressed up as a gypsy and it was awesome! I have to say her costume was great, my niece Melina was a witch and so was my sister. My nephew Bennett was the cutest dragon I have ever seen & Eli was a pea :) We got Eli's costume from a friend last minute and it worked out very nicely!

Enjoy the pics!




Here is my mom dressed up as a gypsy. She looked a little crazy but aren't all gypsy's?

And the last pic...kind of random but I just learned how to use my baby carrier so I decided to post it.

Hands down Elias is the most fun accessory I own!

4 more days

Yes, you read it right. Only 4 more days until I have to return to work and time is slipping through my hands. I wish I didn't have to go back but that's just life. I can honestly say I have enjoyed every minute at home with Eli even those first few nights that were totally sleep deprived! I often think how lucky Adam and I are to have Eli in our lives.

This past week has been a little busy & fun all at once. Eli and I have had some fun lunch dates with my girlfriends (who all have babies and are home right now) plus I am trying to stock up the freezer with meals so we can just heat up dinner quickly. Adam is still in school on Tuesday & Wednesday and those days are going to be especially busy so I want to be prepared. The other tricky part of my new schedule is trying to get out of the house in the morning flying solo. Adam leaves for work so early that I will not have an extra set of hands, on top of continuing to breast feed this can get tricky. But I am determined to get Eli breastfed until he is 4 months old.

My only worry right now is that Eli has dropped the 1 am feeding in the middle of the night which is fabulous but now he wakes at 3:30am to be changed & fed. Once that process is over it is 4:15am. Going back to sleep at that hour is rough because I feel like I am in a coma when I do wake up to Eli on the monitor at 7:15 am. Come Monday I need to be nursing Eli by 6am so that after I have enough time to get myself showered & ready then out the door by 8am.

The dilemma here is (I know this sounds CRAZY) should I just stay up after that 4:15am process is over? Sometimes I think I would feel better than falling back into that really deep sleep. I really don't know what to do. If I did stay up then I could have a cup of coffee & get a workout in on our treadmill in our basement as well as a quick strength training DVD. Maybe this isn't such a bad idea....I have never been a person that require 8hrs of sleep in the past so I might be able to handle it.

The other hope is that maybe Eli will drop this 3:30am wake up period very soon & just get up a little later so that it all works out nicely. That would be fantastic if it happened by Monday. LOL....I know I can't plan on it though!

Another thought is if I did get my morning workout in then I could shower & be all ready by the time Eli woke up. That would be at 7am, then I could feed him/ get him ready and out the door earlier which would mean I am home earlier from work. I just wonder if this is too much for me to tackle on top of all my emotions. Or will the execising help me create a healthy balance?

Let's be honest here, I have been crying for a few days now just knowing I won't be with Eli all day....UGH!

Mommy Monday

I couldn't wait for Elias to fit this onesie !! Notice his full belly ? He just finished eating that little piggy!!

Working out the kinks....

Here I am ....2 months old today with Pappa!

Hi Guys!

Today is Elias's official 2 month mark & I still can't get over how 2 months went by that fast! At his 2 month appointment yesterday, the doctors examined him and told me he is totally healthy. He weighed in at 11 lbs. 8 oz. (50th percentile) & he is 24 inches long (90th percentile). He is gaining weight like a champ and the doctors think the nasal congestion is nothing excessive and is completely normal. That made me feel better. What can I say I am a new mommy... steep learning curve over here!

Overall, I am happy to say I think we figured out our little problem. After having Elias on a day & a half of hypoallergenic formula I felt like there was no difference in him. Deep down inside I really felt that it wasn't a milk protein allergy. I researched further about the mucus in his stool which lead me to a lactation consultant from the La Leche League - http://www.llli.org/. Since I had to pump my breast milk while Elias was exclusively on formula for a day & a half, I quickly started to see that each time I pumped it was WAY more than Elias has ever taken in one bottle at a feeding .

What I learned from speaking with a lactation consultant is that overproduction can cause an imbalance in the formilk/hindmilk and those two things can effect the stool. The lactation consultant & pediatrician both suggested I begin to breast feed again but be certain to let the baby eat off from 1 side & completely drain the breast by letting him unlatch when he is satisfied. Overtime my production will adjust back to what the baby needs.

Before I was trying to make my breast "even" so after Eli ate for 10 minutes on one side I would move him to the other side. I also noticed he was gulping allot when eating and taking in air that contributed to his problem in the gas department. Once you put that with the nasal congestion he was getting to be really fussy and didn't want to latch on and eat. Basically, I was "watching the clock" & not the baby. On top of it all I would pump the other side many times in order to stash some in the freezer.

So to sum it all up Eli was never truly getting to the hindmilk which is very important for healthy digestion and is rich in nutrients. When the baby doesn't get the hindmilk a variety of issues can occur that I learned about through the Le Leche League. In just the past 2 days of working on this we have noticed improvements so I am crossing my fingers the kinks are all worked out now!

On another note, I ran my first race yesterday morning since giving birth to Elias. It was a 5K (3.2 miles) and I did surprisingly well. It was freezing cold & raining, seems to be a common occurrence when I have "really" important races for me. Like when I ran the Hartford Marathon it was the same exact conditions, for the full 5 hours it took me. Ugh...

My time yesterday was 28 minutes flat. It was not my best time but I felt really good out there and it was great to be back racing. I placed 38 out of 132 entrants and 11th place for my age group (20-29 yrs old). I hope to do another run on Thanksgiving day. I am going to firm up those plans soon. Something about running makes me feel so content. I am not quite sure what it is, it doesn't come naturally to me so it is hard work but when I am done I feel great. I have my days where it really feels like a "labor of love" but since I started running towards the end of my freshman year of college I have never stopped and don't plan on any time soon :)


Here I am just before the race, wish I took a picture of how soaking wet I looked when I walked back in the door after the race!

Also, here is a picture of my new haircut & and of course Elias :)
I chopped quite a bit off & it felt so nice to get back to my short hair. It has been years since I have had it short and I was afraid to cut it while preggers because I feared I would blow up and look all crazy! LOL...

Acid Reflux or Allergies?

Hi Everyone,

*warning* long entry!!

I wish this entry would be more upbeat & happy but this past week has been a challenge for all of us on this end. On Sunday, Elias started to scream & cry when being breastfeed. It started at the mid morning feeding and continued ALL day. He would unlatch, arch his back and cry uncontrollably. I felt like I was force feeding him and could tell he was uncomfortable anyway I tried to nurse him. It got to the point where I pumped my breast milk and bottle fed him just to make sure he would put food down but that too seemed to be a struggle.


I figured it could be acid reflux & I called the doctor on Monday morning. The doctor suggested it sounded more like an allergy right away but since I haven't changed my diet at all I kept with my first thought that it was acid reflux. He prescribed medicine for the reflux and told me to try it out for a few days. We did just that and really no improvement. During this time, some breast feeding sessions went ok but not great. I eventually pumped bottles just to make sure he was getting some food down again but I felt like I was force feeding. I soon began connecting the dots with his symptoms.

• mucus in his stool for weeks now


• nasal congestion that has never gone away but is clear- even with constant saline drops & suctioning


• excessive frustration with gas and digestion so bad we could here the bubbles & gurgling his tummy since we brought him home


• jumping off the breast and arching his back in pain & frustration while trying to feed


• Sleeping much more during the day for the past week & much longer stretches at night


• sneezing from time to time

The hardest thing with this situation is that there were always a few feedings a day that went well. So, I always thought some of his other symptoms were just "normal" for him. I felt that the mucus in his stool would eventually disappear when his nasal congestion finally left him. The sneezing was never excessive so I figured that was just normal too. Then onto his tummy trouble- we have been giving Mylicon drops consistently & it has seemed to help the problem but we never have seen him comfortable with his digestion after eating. Sometimes his discomfort was immediate after feedings and sometimes it was an hour or two following.

After spending the majority of my day yesterday researching what Eli was experiencing & no improvement from the acid reflux medicine, I called the doctor back last night. He said it really sounds like an allergy to milk protein which means I need to remove all milk proteins from my diet (all dairy/whey & caisein). My other option was to put Eli on the Similac Alimentun Based formula. That would be more of an immediate improvement and after seeing him suffer so much I decided that was what I would do. I left the conversation with the doctor that I would continue to pump my breast milk during this trial period so that I don't loose my supply. Eli's 2 month appointment is Friday so I figured by then we will see how this all shakes out.

I have to say I was hoping the doctor was thinking it was my caffeine consumption (I only have 1 cup a day, on occasion 2 but I make sure the 2nd is 1/2 decaff....). But the doctor said that would not cause this issue. I can't believe I almost thought I could figure out a way to give up caffeine but dairy is just too hard for me. Needless to say I am struggling with this situation because I finally have a huge supply of breast milk pumped in my freezer in preparation for returning back to work on November 2nd.

So this is where we stand - Elias is on this new very expensive formula since last night and to be honest I think it is working. I could be too soon to tell but he has had 3 bottles and I haven't seem him screaming/arching his back yet and not nearly the amount of bubbling/gurgling noises coming from his belly. I just have to let this run it's course for a few more days to know for sure. Also, Eli's congestion/mucus in his stool will take some time to clear up but the first immediate improvements we are seeing are promising so far.

Pumping breast milk during this process is not easy either. I have to feed Eli with a bottle of formula & then pump my milk right after to keep my supply going as he would demand it normally. Yes that means even in the middle of the night. Ugh....

Breast feeding is all supply & demand so once the demand goes your milk eventually goes. The other complex I am dealing with is that the milk I am pumping now & have stored in the freezer could be all a waste. I can't begin to tell you all how frustrating that is for me. I not only have a very expensive breast pump that will be useless but "liquid gold" in the freezer pumped that I will have to toss out, not to mention the effort & time I have put into it all.

Right now the only thing that is making this situation ok is the hope that Eli gets better fast. If this is what is going to take to see him more comfortable and is our solution to the problem I have to find a way to deal with it. A happy & healthy baby is the number one priority right now but this mommy guilt of not being able to breast feed or at least use my pumped milk is killing me.

Elias's 7 week old re-cap

Here I am having fun in my baby rocker!

Hi Everyone,

Everything over here is going great with the exception of it being hard for me to get on here and update every few days like I would ideally want to. Weekly updates are pretty much my speed these days....

This week was full of socialization for Elias and I. On Wednesday, we took a trip to visit my work and it went really well. I figured I should bring in the baby before I begin juggling my new schedule in a few weeks. Although Elias was pretty calm the whole time, he did get a little gas and slightly fussy but then it passed. I expected him to do more of his "tricks" he has been up to lately but after the gas passed he pretty much slept the whole time. Hopefully the next visit he shows off his fun personality more!

Last weekend my grandparents came to CT from Brooklyn, NY to meet Elias and visit with the family. It was so nice to see them. We spent the full day at my mom's on Saturday with the family and then Sunday we went to Mohegan Sun Casino with them. No one hit it big on the slots but it was still fun to go to the casino. My sister Tammy, Ed and the kids came from MA as well for the weekend so it was extra special for Elias to finally meet his cousins. Melina & Bennett were so sweet with Elias, I can tell they are going to be good playmates together when Eli gets bigger.

Another fun thing that happened this week is that Elias got a baby swing from my sister and boy are we all happy she gave it to us! Hahaha... Once he gets in the swing he is happy as a clam! He really likes the music & the toys that are attached. I seem to get a good half hour out of him in the swing (sometimes more) which is heavenly! As a thank you to my sister here is a video of Elias in the baby swing.

(I am not sure why I can't get the video to be the right side up...sorry!)


Some other happenings this week included lunch with my friends Sylvia & Margaret on Thursday and a lunch/work visit with my mom & Aunt Lydia on Friday. Elias and I are really getting around these days it seems, I wish I could be home with him all the time!

Switching gears, I also officially signed up for my 5K race on the 24th, I say "race" but I am really going for just "surviving it". It may not be my most stellar performance but I got to get out there and do it. Once it is passed me I will be happy I got out there. Coincidentally the race is the exact day Elias turns 2 months!

Also, Elias fits into his hunting camouflage that Uncle Tommy gave to him!! Adam is super excited that Eli has his own hunting camo so we had to take a a picture of him in it, tis the season!
Hi Uncle Tommy, Thanks for my Camo!!

Daycare visit & this weeks happenings

Well Hello Everyone!

Sorry I have been so distant from the blog! I have been wanting to put up an entry for 3 days now but you know how it goes with those newborn babies...they totally let you know who the boss is real quick! hahaha...

Anyways, things are going great over here, Elias is growing so fast it seems. He gets heavier everyday! The car seat carrier is getting to be a workout to lug in an out of places! Elias is smiling allot more these days it is so much fun to see him be more interactive every day.

So the big day for me to return to work is November 2nd and I am not looking forward to it. I truly enjoy being home with the little guy & never thought I would say this but being a stay at home mom would be awesome. That isn't in the cards for us so I have to get over that real fast! But we did find a great daycare up the road from our house that is super convenient and it is in a home which we liked.

Anna & Sarah (they are mother & daughter) will be Elias's daycare providers and we instantly connected with them/felt really comfortable at their home. I am so happy our friend Nicole put us in contact with them because in our search we found some doozies out there, a few places were truly just terrible, it was scary. Also, Adam's parents are going to watch Elias one day a week on Wednesdays. I am sure Eli will love to be spoiled for a full day with his grandparents one day a week!

This Wednesday Elias and I visited Anna's house so he could get acquainted with daycare & meet them both. He was a saint while we were there, no crying just taking it all in and being really chill...I told them to watch out! hahaha..that is not how it is all the time! The other kids loved him except for the 3yr olds, they could care less about him they were totally just playing with their toys! The 11 month old & 2 year old were all about Eli, they were staring at him and were mesmerized by another baby it seemed. There is another boy that will be going to the daycare too that I didn't meet that day and he is close in age to Eli, only older by a month and a half.

Here is a picture of Elias with Anna & Sarah from our visit

This past Sunday Adam dressed Eli after he was bathed...can't you tell?? hahaha...

Well got to run for now, I am going to meet up with a girlfriend for a walk with Eli and then when Adam comes home today I want to make it to the gym....only 4 more pounds to loose of the baby weight!! Woohooo!!

Plus my running is getting back to a level where I plan on doing my first timed run on the 24th, it is a 5K. I plan on signing up next week for it , once I officially sign up for it there is no turning back so that is added motivation to push myself just a little harder :)