Determination vs. Ignorance

Breastfeeding should be a primitive instinct for babies...right? That's what I heard, and I kept getting my hopes up that Kara would successfully latch and the never-ending chore of cleaning bottles and pump accessories would wane.

On Tuesday, Kara latched! I was so excited! This was it!

However, how long is too long to be feeding?

Sometimes we would have "short" feeding sessions...these lasted an hour to an hour and a half.

Sometimes we would have "LONG" feeding sessions...I'm embarrassed to say that these would last over 3 hours. I just kept switching sides every 30 minutes. Then we would have to give her a bottle so she would finally be full.

Why wasn't she ever satisfied?! My expression of milk was fine, my technique was good, and darned if anyone had more patience to sit there and wait on her to finish.

Finally, I had to get over my denial. She is just a bad sucker, and this was no way for either of us to be spending our time.

I have nothing against bottle feeding; I just kept thinking a light would go off in her little baby head or the Lord would lead her to breastfeed effectively. Neither happened, and I think we're both content to go back to plan B (breastfeed for 10 minutes on each side, bottle feed, then pump). It's a bit of a routine, but it's better than the other option where we sit for hours and she never gets enough.

One Week!

We made it. All three of us! One week of being a family of three has been trying and fun, more on the fun side.

a sound sleeper

Kara started out by getting a 9 on the Apgar test (out of 10). Very cool. It was then discovered that she was tongue tied (extra long frenulum). After discussion and prayer, we had the neonatologist perform a frenectomy. She can now latch and suck for breastfeeding, which she still doesn't enjoy (which has lead to some long nights and family crying sessions). So, in order to feed her, Ashley has been pumping breast milk. Which means we both get to feed her! (bonus for daddy!)

dinner time

getting a little sun with Kermit

We've had lots of family come over and help around the house and give us food. Perhaps more importantly, they get to spend time with Kara.

Kara James

Kara James entered the world at 6:13pm on January 12, 2010! She weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces and is 19.5 inches long. Ashley labored for right around 24 hours (from water break to delivery), and pushed for about 1.5 hours.

From Kara James Birth

From Kara James Birth

All the grand parents were present and were very supportive.

Houston Restaurant Review

I love going on dates with my husband, and since we will have a very demanding addition to our family soon, Lee and I decided to take a date weekend vacation before our family becomes a trio.

This past weekend we went to the Houstonian Hotel and had an incredible stay complete with massages, mints on our pillows, and valet car service. However, everyone already knows about the Houstonian, so I want to tell you about two of the restaurants that we went to and strongly recommend to anyone living in Houston or just visiting.

First, The Breakfast Klub, an awesome restaurant located in the 4th ward (Midtown area) where their slogan is "If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, why not have it twice?" Probably because if you ate here more than once a week, you'd have a heart attack within a year. Their two signature breakfast dishes are fried catfish with grits and fried chicken wings with waffles (Lee had the latter). The atmosphere is incredibly lively and spirited, they celebrate African American culture through the dishes they serve, in the music they play, and through the colorful decor. The staff is loud but courteous, and it seems like a place most of the patrons feel at home. The food definitely has a down-home, southern flair...something I like to call "greasy done right". However, if you do go here, go early because the longer you wait the longer the line gets. By the time Lee and I were done eating, the line was out the door and around the corner.

http://www.thebreakfastklub.com/

Second, Hugo's, located in the Montrose area. I'm not sure that I have had authentic Mexican cuisine in the past, but they claim that this is it. If so, I would like to move to Mexico. The food was simple but wonderfully flavorful, and we had the best dessert ever (churros injected with dulce de leche, served with sides of homemade chocolate ice cream and Mexican hot chocolate). YUM! I liked the meal so much that on the way back to the hotel I actually felt sorry for the people who were settling for "sub-par" Tex-Mex restaurants along Westheimer. Hugo's has more of a romantic atmosphere, and is a great place to go if you are planning on a special/expensive dinner. Here's a note of practicality regarding the menu, if you can't read small font in dim light bring a pair of cheaters or a flashlight.

http://www.hugosrestaurant.net/

Kountdown to Kara: Part 2 and Happy New Year!

I'm not sure what everyone else did for New Year's Eve, but we were preparing for the arrival of our little one. We've been working through the process of choosing a color for her room (getting input from both grandmothers and looking at the colors at various times of day) during the past weeks, and yesterday we settled on a color - Practical Beige. Another piece of preparation was the selection of a ceiling fan. This selection was actually made some time in August and the fan has been sitting on the floor since then.

Today, we are about an hour of painting away from being done with the room setup (save the stuff organization and hanging of pictures). My parents came up yesterday and helped us get things rolling (figuratively and literally). My dad and I installed the ceiling fan while Ashley and my mom picked out paint and started cutting in the room. By 12:30 AM, Jan 1, 2010, we had a mostly painted room that was lit by the lights of a new ceiling fan.

And since this is a somewhat boring post, here is a picture of Ashley at 36 weeks.