Our circus!

So I haven't blogged in months and well...a lot has happened to us since my last post...namely a baby boy! With that being said, the thought of keeping up with a blog and two kids is just that, a thought.
But I love the written history I have of my big girl's babyhood through this blog and so with mother guilt setting in (I have tons of posts about that) I'm going to at least attempt to write down some of our new life as a circus (complete with three rings)

I have a bunch of friends who are expecting their second kid and some of them have (very kindly) complimented me on my ability to keep it together and enjoy both of my kids. Here's my secret: I certainly do not have it together and we have days where we're damn near ripping at the seams, but yes I do enjoy them both. But here's the thing hubby and I went into baby #2 with eyes wide open - we knew this was going to be hard and days feel near impossible so we made decisions to help us. Some may not agree with the decisions but it's what has (so far) been best for our family.

1. I am currently staying at home with the baby for the foreseeable future. That being said my big girl is still and will continue to be in full day daycare. This is best for everyone involved. I was not going to mess with her life by making her stay home with mommy and an infant because that would suck for her. And let's face it, it would suck for me to be home all day with both kids too. So baby gets my full attention from morning until around 4 when big sis comes home and then he's a typical second child who needs to figure things out. But we're all happier for it.

2. I am formula feeding my son. Anyone who has read this blog before knows that breast feeding was awful for me. Did not make myself go through it again. I am a better mother for it.

3. We hired a baby nurse. Mike and I slept through the night for the first ten days that we had baby home. Amazing. Best money we ever spent. And we got to help our big girl transition to this new life. We even got to take her to a birthday party and a movie while the baby nurse watched the baby (see #2)

They're so stinkin' cute!

4. I have not missed a book club, Mike has not missed a business trip, we did not miss our anniversary dinner or our friend's birthday dinner and we are not missing my brother in law's wedding in Europe. We have tried to maintain some semblance of our 'normal' life and baby is just stuck going on this ride.

People say going from one kid to two kids is harder than going from zero kids to one kid. I say these people don't have any kids. Two kids is f***ing hard but then there are those days when my big girl goes over to the baby and says "I love you sooo much" and well...it's all worth it.

She's pretty, isn't she?

Oh Gisele...you look so pretty in your Victoria's Secret catalogs and walking the runways.  But seriously, I think you should keep looking pretty and stop talking.
Sorry to be harsh, but after Gisele's lovely comments to Harper's Bazaar UK about how there should be a breastfeeding law...I'm pretty much done with her. She did go on to ::ahem:: clarify her comments on her blog, but at the end of the day you said what you said.

Anyone who knows me well, knows my feelings toward breastfeeding...I've written a lot about my personal experiences here. I get it, it's supposed to be best for the baby.  And maybe it is.  But there's a part of me that has yet to see the proof in that.. I have seen no difference in the intelligence, allergies, or immune systerms in the kids that have been breastfed and those that have been formula-fed.  And I'm pretty sure that if I lined all of Jenna's little toddler friends up in a row, not one person could tell who was breastfed and who was formula fed.  You could even hang out with them for days and never know what their parents fed them when they were little.  You could even go so far as to see their medical records, and I don't think you would see a difference.

We have to stop guilting mothers into doing something that may or may not work for them.  I stand by my choice to formula feed my daughter wholeheartedly.  It made me a happier mommy and Jenna a happier baby.  It gave my husband (and many other family members) a chance to bond with her instantly. It gave me a chance to get a break, knowing that someone else could feed her.  It gave me a chance to sleep a little later in the morning because Mike was capable of taking care of her needs.  To say, as Gisele did, that moms should breastfeed for 6 months, when for many families that's not even an option, especially with many women going back to work after 6 weeks.

Now, here's the thing with me, I tried to do it. I read all the articles that said it's best.  And what mom doesn't want to do what's best for their kid?!? But I think every mom...every parent has to do what works for them.  And I think only you and your family can make that decision. 

So Gisele, mind your business. Thanks.