milky, change and an update on Sugar Bear..

The milk finally arrived!

After running around, calling people, and finally getting all the right supplies, My Mom sent our box of breast milk off with the UPS delivery guy in hopes that it would arrive safely.

The cost was outrageous!

I guess being that it weighed over 30 lbs, and was to be sent overnight, they felt the need to charge an arm and a leg.

We bit the bullet, paid the $600 and waited....

It took 2 days from the time they picked it up, to the time it arrived on my doorstep.

Joe anxiously ran out and helped the UPS guy get it off the truck.

We video taped the opening of the box, and thank God, it was all still frozen solid!

There was only a tiny sliver of dry ice left in the styrofoam cooler.

We now have a freezer full of frozen donated breast milk, and are happy as can be!

Of course, the day it arrived, I got a message on facebook from a mama on Maui that has milk she is willing to give to us.

Wouldn't ya know?

I have been searching high and low, with no luck of a milk donor in Hawaii.

As soon as we pay a butt load of money, and have some shipped all the way from Kansas, I get a reply.

Oh well, I guess that for whatever reason we were meant to have that milk shipped.

We actually did really need it, because although I was contacted by a girl on Maui, she only has 50 oz right now, but is going to continue pumping for us and we will arrange a pick-up in about a month or so.

Then, about 2 days later, another girl contacted me.

She is on Ohau, and has about 100 oz to donate.

Her friend is coming to Kauai in the next few weeks, and will bring it with her.

I swear, the world works in mysterious ways!

I'm just happy to have milk for my baby, and feel so grateful to the women who so graciously donate.

We have still been giving it to little Hallie Rosebud sparingly (well kinda), and trying to push more foods and water.

She ate a ton of pasta today for lunch, and kept making an "mmmm" sound the whole time she was stuffing it in.

She then took down 4 oz of milky, and fell asleep.

We are going to make the 1 hour drive to Island School (Jalen's school) this evening for a fundraising event.

I am volunteering at the 7th grade game, which is the 2 liter ring toss.

I thought this might be a way to get to know some of the kids and maybe even parents.

Jalen has started a robotics after school class, which he loves!

The first day he said his group wasn't serious enough about it, and were goofing off more than building the robot.

Luckily, the 2nd day, he switched groups, and had a much better experience.

The only downfall is, we have to go pick him up at 5pm, all the way at his school.

We just got a 2nd car yesterday, so it will definitely make things easier.

Joe will be able to go get him, or I can go without Hallie.

Its just way to long for her to have to be stuck in that car seat.

Joe and I have both been running on the beach the past few mornings.

Yes Joe, who hates working out, is running on the beach and actually liking it!

He drops Jalen off at the bus stop at 6:35am, then heads over to Hanalei Bay Beach.

When he gets home,  I go.

I am sore today from my run yesterday. Its amazing how many more muscles you use running on the sand compared to running on the street or treadmill.

We hope to keep it up!


Just a little update on our little Sugar Bear..munchkin..boo boo..love bug...

~her yellow breast milk poop, has just recently turned into "big people poop", and she is NOT happy about it...haha, sorry if that was TMI:)
~she loves dogs. makes the high pitched squeal every time she spots one.
~she loves her smoothies. we give them to her in a cup with a lid and straw. she drinks it down!
~she can say "daddy, mama(or sometimes mommy, but not often), "day" (jay)
~she signs "more" and "milk"
~when we ask her if she wants to go to the beach, she shakes her head "YES"!
~she has her top 2 teeth and bottom 2 (more are going to be coming through soon, I can see them buldging)
~she loves water~bath, hose, baby pool out back, ocean..
~she hardly ever gets to take a bath, because we always take an outside shower together. daddy sometimes comes down to help wash her, and then wraps her up in a towel(which she loves)
~she loves this new coconut mix stuff we recently bought at the health food store. its called Laughing Giraffe, and they have different flavors. she signs "more" any time we give her some
~her favorite foods are smoothies, toast with butter, peanut butter, or almond butter, scrambled eggs, yogurt, black beans, pinto beans, and brown (or white) rice.


She is a dream baby and we still pinch ourselves everyday!

Joe and I are very happy, and in a great place in our lives right now.

We feel so blessed to have the 2 most awesome kiddos, living our dream in Hawaii, and happily married:)

Got breast milk?

For the past few weeks, we have been running low on our "liquid gold".

Or should I say, Hallie's life line?

We came to the islands, with 2 coolers packed to the brim with donated breast milk.

We emptied out our deep freeze, and even added to it some that a local donor in Kansas had given us just days prior to leaving.

Well, we are down to about 28 bags of frozen breast milk left.

I get a nervous tummy even thinking about it.

Hallie loves her milk. And we love feeding it to her.

I am still pumping twice a day, and producing about 10 oz/day.

I feel really good about that, but it just isn't enough.

She drinks 4 oz bottles, and on a low intake day, will want at least 5 bottles in a 24 hour period.

It is not only her nutrition, but a comfort for her when she goes to sleep.

She likes to suck and likes her belly full.

I even feed her sometimes a few ounces in the middle of a nap, and it most definitely keeps her asleep for at least another hour.

Not only are we running low on the frozen breast milk, I recently ran low on my domperidone, the medication I take to produce milk.

So, I ordered more, but unfortunately ran out while waiting for it to come.

Those few days were kind of stressful for me.

I didn't want my milk to dry up, and I knew we were running low on the frozen.

My domperidone finally came, and I am back in the game. I'm pumping right now, as I type, and usually get around 4 oz.

I'm hoping my supply will increase over the next few days.

I finally found a donor in Kansas, and so my gracious Mom went and met her to pick up the milk.

She then did all the research and running around to get it prepared to ship to Hawaii.

It is supposed to go out today.

THANKS MAMA!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!

Luckily, Hallie is starting to eat more and more food.

We have been offering her food since she was like 6 or 8 months old, but she just never really showed any interest.

She would just suck on certain things, or throw it on the floor.

Just this week, she started actually gumming the food, and swallowing a substantial amount of it.

Some of her favorites are black beans, brown rice, yogurt, raisins, dry cereal, fruit, and she LOVES smoothies!!

We put so much good stuff in our home made smoothies, so it makes me feel really good when she drinks up a glass of it!

I know things will work out just the way they are supposed to, but it makes me really nervous when my Sugar Bear isn't eating alot of food, and her milk supply is dwindling.

I have just been trying to stay calm, and say a prayer that God helps everything work out~ so that we have a happy baby. Not a hungry, "I want my milky" baby..

We are trying to cut back on the milk, and make a push towards more water and food.

She is receiving it fairly well.

She still loves her milky, and will point to it and baby talk, as if to say "I really really want some milk, so if you could please get me some that would make me really happy"!

When we get it for her, she smiles, and walks around with one hand on the end of the bottle, drinking away! (she is holding her own bottle most of the time now)

SMOOTHIE RECIPE

1 cup frozen organic strawberries
1 cup frozen organic mango
1 organic banana
1/2 cup frozen organic blueberries
1/2 cup plain non-fat organic yogurt
heaping full of raw organic honey
1-2 T organic cinnamon applesauce, or dash of cinnamon
1 T chia seeds
1 T hemp seeds
1 big handful of organic spinach leaves (or any type of lettuce, but spinach is the best)
fill almost to top of fruit with cold water, and blend on high until smooth and creamy!!

I like to pour in a big tall glass, and add some frozen blueberries on the top...its delish!!

Our family absolutely loves our smoothies, and we even have them for dinner sometimes if we are not very hungry, or maybe had a late lunch.

This recipe will make alot, so be ready to share with friends and family. If there is leftovers, just leave in blender (or pour in a glass), and stick it in the fridge for later.

Happy smoothie drinking:)

~Milk Sharing~

Milk sharing is a term used for women who do just that.

They share their precious "liquid gold" (breast milk) with other babies who are in need.

May it be a baby who's mother is unable to breast feed, an adopted baby, or even sick babies who are in need of an immune booster, which breast milk is the best thing for.

Before looking into adoption, I had never heard of, or even given this concept any thought.

I just assumed that if a baby was unable to get breast milk, for whatever reason, that the baby would be put on formula.

I am very thankful that I was introduced to this awesome way of helping our baby be the healthiest she can be, and giving her the best start possible.

Our little Sugar Bear is almost 7 months old, adopted, and has never had an ounce of formula, and never will.

I pump twice a day, and usually get about 6-8 oz each time (see my entry on adoptive breast feeding). All of her other feedings are that of donated breast milk from generous women in our area.

We have a deep freezer FULL of it!!

These gracious women who donate, **do not ask for a dime**. They do it solely out of the kindness of their hearts.

They are feeding the same milk to their own baby, and most of them are health conscience, and have an abundant supply of milk that they would rather share then throw down the drain.

A Dr's screening is provided, if requested by the recipient, showing that the donor mother does not have any illnesses, and is healthy.

I feel very confident we are doing the right thing by giving our daughter donated breast milk. She is very healthy and happy. She has never been sick and I thank God everyday for the donation of breast milk to keep my baby healthy.

Thanks to a global organization who operates on facebook, called HM4HB (Human Milk 4 Human Babies),  women who feel the same way as my husband and I, are able to post if they are in need of milk,  or if they want to donate milk.

Its awesome!!!! I am so beyond thankful that I was introduced to this way of life for my baby girl. I have a feeling she would thank me:)

As a mother, nurse, and person who follows my instincts, I 100% feel like I am doing the right thing.

I want more women to know that this is an option for them.

~~~Breast is best, pumped milk is 2nd best, donor milk is 3rd, and lastly formula~

www.hm4hb.net/

Daddy filling up our freezer