Two Months

When your umbilical cord fell off your belly button had the most perfect swirl shape to it.. Now, it looks more like a regular belly button.

I thought you had thrush but wasn't sure. I asked for second opinions and it was thought to be just milk residue. When I checked the books ('what to expect') it said thrush is common and clears up on it's own. After you stopped eating well for almost 3 days I called the doctor. You've been on medicine 4 times a day for 3 weeks now. We got the sores off of your lips and gums, but it's still on the inside of your cheek.

You talk all the time. To a mirror, to dots, or your fist, and definitely to us. You have the cutest squeals of joy.

You'll support your own head most of the day (and get annoyed if I don't let you do it) and don't mind tummy time-yet. You are incredibly stubborn about napping. Will refuse to stay asleep for more than a few minutes until you finally just DROP. Then you'll sleep for 3-4 hours, usually after being put in your swing.

Loves to be held, and will get fussy if you haven't been held enough in your mind.

Suffered a few times from constipation (weird since you only get breast milk) and we (meaning Daddy) even had to give you a baby suppository.

Still only been colicky a few times (mostly my fault for not being vigilant about burping).

You had a full head of hair when you were born only to have it fall out a few weeks later. You had a little island on the back of your head and all the hair at the nape of your neck still that didn't fall out. New hair is finally starting to grow back on the rest of your head.

Love to try to stand up. You'll push up with your legs and hold yourself for a few seconds before plopping back down to your butt and think it's the most fun game ever. You'll play this over and over with me.

One of the only things that calms you down (used to work every time, not as much now) is your musical bunny. The only problem is that you have to keep pulling the cord to make it sing so I went out and got you a wind up dog that sings the same song.

Recognizes Mamaw's voice on the phone and smiles.

Tracks things wonderfully. Just started tracking the birds above her swing and now has a mobile that she loves to watch in her crib.

Finally have a doctor that we like.

Hates to wake up before 9am and will stubbornly keep her eyes closed while she cries for more food. Also gets real pissy if you try to change her diaper at night when she wants to sleep. Screams like you're ripping off her arm. However, you wake up in the best mood if you weren't woken up.

Flirts during meal times and will stop eating to smile at you.

Went to the fair 3 times and was wonderful every time. Slept through most of it (every time) and only complained when I almost tried to drown her while breastfeeding (was a bit engorged) while trying to stay subtle in the middle of the fair. Cliff had to help clean you up while I stopped the flow. (Man, I wish I had a picture of her little arms flailing while milk kept spraying your face)

Sometimes gets little baby dreams that make her cry or giggle.

Has scared herself with her own farts.

I experienced her first 'blow out'.

Still hates the bottle, but will take just enough to keep from starving, not enough to make her tummy stop hurting.

Has her first baby cold... luckily it's mostly just congestion.

Enjoys front facing walks in the moby.
Would rather suck her fist than her pacifier.

Has the most adorable (and heart breaking) pouty lip.

Already speaks her mind and will tell you all about her thoughts.

The Dr. and the Prince

1. Adari Natural Nurser - This the first bottle I liked and wanted to invest in. The company claims to "closely duplicate the natural experience of breastfeeding", not so sure that's possible, but okay, I'll bite. You fill the bottle from the bottom (different, not better or worse in my opinion) and the whole bottle is made of a silicone type material, not just the nipple. Feels pretty amazing (sorta like a fake breast I'd imagine). The down side of the bottle is that it runs 10-13 dollars each and so I chose to return the one I bought from BabiesRus (I still had one I found at the JBF sale for $4) and look for a better bottle.



2. First Years Breastflow- This bottle had a unique double nipple system that claims to closely mimic the feel of the breast by being the only bottle that requires compression and suction. In most bottles the milk will drip out quite freely and this one is supposed to need the compression before milk comes out, but after purchasing a few bottles I learned that it's really not much different. Also, the old bottles (which I had one) still contained BPA. After learning of this and calling the company and figuring out that one of my bottle was not safe I decided that I didn't want to risk it at all and I changed bottles again.


3. Think Baby- I discovered this bottle at my favorite baby store Future Generations in Nevada City. First of all it's BPA free and after my panic over the breastflow bottles this is an important factor. It's got a typical cylindrical nipple, but it boats an anti colic nipple with a simple one piece system built in so you don't risk loosing parts. My favorite part of this bottle is that is grows with the baby by adding handles, then turning into a sippie cup. This one adds up to about $8 dollars a bottle and I liked it so much I bought 2 and a set of extra nipples totally almost 30 dollars.

4. Born Free- Nothing all that special about this one past the standard advertisements: BPA Free and Anti Colic. Same round nipple as all the other bottles and their new innovative air vent. This one at least was free when I registered at babiesRus otherwise it would have put me out around $9 dollars a bottle.

5. Gerber- Just your good old fashioned bottle that I only purchased for around a dollar each at Target. I actually only have this bottle because it fits perfectly on my pump and the bottles cost a hell of a lot less than the Medela ones they want you to buy.


6. First Years Soothie- "The same brand hospitals trust and use". Load of bullshit if you ask me. I'm not doubting that hospitals use this bottle, just doubting that it's necessarily their first choice. Hospitals use what they are given, just like when I go to leave they give me a bag filled with simalac formula. "Hospitals recommend simalac".... No, hospitals recommend breast feeding (unless your some pathetic junkie of course) and the simalac is given to them for free, a dirty ploy by the formula companies to keep woman from breastfeeding. Okay, stepping off of my soapbox now and getting back to the point. I'm not so certain that the hospitals recommend this bottle and pacifier as much as it's just right there free and convenient. My other issue with this bottle is it's the same one for the breatflow bottle. Yes, the new ones are BPA free, but I'm still bitter that they were making one that wasn't BPA free for as long as they did (only changed recently).


7. Playtex Drop-Ins- Everyone has seen and tried this bottle, and I'm no different. I have several different type of nipples for this one (round, oval, and orthodontic) and it runs about $5-7 dollars each in the store


8. Nuby Softflex Natural Nurser- I love the pacifiers (although Evelyn hasn't taken those either, I want her to) so I was hoping that a bottle with the same nipple as her pacifier would be an excellent plan. I even got a recommendation (from some random stranger who didn't seem all that bonded with her child) that these bottles are supposed to be really great. This bottle features a 'breast size nipple' (not sure where they found a breast that looks and feels like this, but whatever) 'that encourages the baby to latch'. It features more anti colic valves, and nubs that massage the baby's gums. The fancier Silicone Nurser (priced at $10 when the simpler model was only $5) even has a silicone base so that the parent can help with the feeding by squeezing the sides. That sounds like a great idea, lets drown our baby...

9. Nuk Natural Nurser Wide Neck Bottle- A friend suggested this bottle about how her daughter refused every bottle until she tried this one. 'The innovative nipple shape is designed to conform to Baby’s mouth just like mother’s breast during feeding so it’s more than just a bottle or pacifier, it supports switching between breast and bottle allowing Baby to feed naturally'. I'm realizing that this is becoming a common claim, that one bottle is just like my breast.... apparently the designers don't have breasts of their own. Yes, the shape this nipple is unique (other brands just call it orthodontic) but what I liked about this bottle is the 'air vent' that is supposed to prevent a vacuum and allow saliva and milk to mix (haven't fully figured out the benefit of that yet). I got this also purchased extra nipples for the skinnier bottle.


10. Dr. Browns Wide Neck- Desperation lead me to the internet where several people suggested this bottle as the only successful one they found. One of my best friends also uses this bottle (the glass one) for the anti colic feature. It has a 2 piece internal vent system that keeps a positive pressure flow and air never mixes with the breast milk or formula which minimizes oxidation and helps maintain essential nutrients like vitamins C, A and E. I'm not sure how important that really is since I have to shake the milk before feeding because it separates and wouldn't that cause the same oxidation it's referring to? I can't imagine that a few more bubbles of air passing threw the milk are going to make that big of a difference, but the bottle is pretty interesting all the same. I made a trip to pick up one of these bottles (as well as it's skinnier counter part just in case) and got one for just under 10 dollars a bottle.


11. Playtex Vent Air Advanced Wide Bottle- This bottle also claims less gas, spit up, colic, and other discomforts of bottle feeding. It has the same nipples as the drop ins only they are wider (to imitate the breast). Another good friend suggested this one to me after her fussy baby refused other bottles. I found it at a few stores running $7 dollars each. The thing I was really not found of about this bottle was that it unscrews on the top and the bottom. I can't figure out any situation when that would be needed but apparently someone thought it was a good idea.

I've realized many things in my search for the perfect bottle. First, there is no perfect bottle, if your baby is going to refuse them she will. Second, I'm realizing that Anti Colic advertisements are on just about every bottle. I'm thinking that bottle companies don't really have any clue how to truly prevent colic since there are so many different kinds of Anti-Colic systems: air vents in the bottles, vents in the nipples, vents in the bases, 2 part venting system, 3 part venting system, milk in bags, collapsible bottles... the list goes on. And yet, none of them seem to work for any given baby the same.
~Almost all bottle claim to have a more 'breast like' nipple.
~Orthodontic really just means it's shaped closer to your nipple when the baby is sucking on it.
~Wide neck or Wide base bottles all claim to be easier for switching from bottle to breast and back again.
~BPA-free advertisements like it's the more important than the bottle itself(of course since it's the newest thing to worry over I'm not really complaining).
~A little bit of plastic and silicone sure seems to be overpriced

12. Prince Lionheart Silicone Bottle- This bottle collapses so that the baby drinks less air (wait a minute, haven't I heard this speech before) causing less gas and therefore less colic. Whatever, at this point I'm just collecting bottles hoping to find the magical one that works. This one only put me out $11 dollars at least (at this point it's very sad that I'm okay with shelling out $11 bucks on a CUP). Even more fantastic is that by some amazing chance, she actually took a full meal out of this bottle. I'll cross my fingers that she takes it again too, but for now I know WAY too much about baby bottles, spent WAY too much money on WAY too many of them, but hopefully I won't have to be at work for 9 hours a day worrying about how my baby girl is starving herself.

12 Bottles

Not taking a pacifier leads to not taking a bottle and since I was supposed to be back at work last week this is a HUGE issue. Same as with the pacifiers, I've got over 12 different kinds of bottles and nipples, and she's only taken one of them from me a couple of times. The bigger problem, she's never really taken a bottle from anyone else and that's who will be giving them to her.. someone else!