Melanie ~ look at me with starry eyes...

My birthday present is an upright freezer! I've been drooling over them for years, and Tim has always balked at giving things like appliances for birthdays, but I tell you, it thrills me to get appliances. Now I can fill it with sauces and casseroles and cookies and homemade ice cream (when I'm back on dairy) and MEAT. I'd love to buy half a cow sometime.

Awesome gift, and he was smart and got it off of craigslist, so it's a current model for way less. Around here people like to spend money, but they move so often that it's a great way to get things for cheap. Throw away society FTW!

I thought it was very thoughtful of Tim to get it, he paid attention to what I've been going on about for ages!!

Baby is in his first wrap right now, nice to have my hands a little more free. He really hasn't been out of our arms since he arrived home, which I like. Paxton and I sat on the back porch, enjoying the sun (from the shade) and the warm breeze. Good for both of us to be breathing that fresh air.

Tim did a bunch of errands this afternoon, he's so helpful.

Pax had his first explosive poo, all over his cute outfit. Most the time he's naked (except for diaper), of course the one time I had him dressed, pee and poo everywhere.

We had a nice switch last night. Went from me not being sure how I was going to nurse through the night, my nipples were so tender and bruised feeling, but then when I woke up to nurse him, there was no pain with the latch, same with his next feed and his feeds today. He finally seems to be opening his mouth wide enough, and not flicking so hard with his tongue. I stopped trying to force his latch, and just let him play with the boob and the nipple, and he's started getting better at latching himself. I still help a bit, but not like what I was doing before.

So funny though, he sleeps the first half the night on Tim's chest, and then last night when it was time to nurse, he was grunting and pushing and trying to roll and using his feet and hands to push himself right over to me. I was right beside Tim, and Paxton obviously knew I was there. He's so strong, he pushes himself right up onto his elbows and his knees on me and pushes himself to my breast when he wants to feed. Even when he was born and in the nursery right after, with Tim, he pushed himself up onto his knees and elbows. He sleeps the second half of the night on me, and it's working for us so far. I was a big nervous of co-sleeping, but Tim really encouraged me to try it, and it's good. I know it isn't for everyone, but I feel comforted knowing he's right there.

My friend Susie stopped by with a bunch of outfits for the baby, and had some snuggle time. She's been trying for a long time to have a baby, and she's told me that people get a bit weird and don't want to talk about their pregnancies with her, or about their babies too much. I think they are trying to be sensitive to her, but she wants to hear and see. I told her she's welcome to come for a baby snuggle whenever she needs one.

I'm able to go longer without my drugs, before I was counting the minutes of the last hour before it was time, and now I'm finding I go an hour over, although I'm not ready for that yet because I end up hurting a bit too much. I cannot wait to be done.

( too much gross information )