Pump! Pump the Jam! Pump it up!

Eventually Lydia will need to get nutrition without me therefore, the transition to pumping has begun. I tried to pump the very first few days that she was born but once the goods came in the focus was on her getting the juice rather then the latter. Once again I found myself in unfamiliar territory, I placed the plastic funnel looking thing on my breast and turned on the machine. This is of course is after a tube connects to the pump to the funnel and the funnel connects to the bottle with something that filters the milk called a membrane. Everything is in its place and we are off. After 20 minutes of pumping, a small bit less than two ounces was retrieved from both breasts. Frustrating. Is this normal?

I began my search for information. I sent out a text APB to all my mommy friends: tell me about this pumping thing. The consensus was that pumping is like everything else, takes practice.  Most folks confirmed that early on little would come out and after a while more would come. There were variances in format whether manual or electric but that seems to be more of a preference issue. It's better to pump in the morning because you have more of the goods. It's good to be relaxed and any connection you can have with your little one helps so looking at pictures or having a blankey around that she used would be helpful. All this amazing advice does help mostly to ensure that I am relaxed and know that it's a process. It is nice to realize that you aren't broken. I pump. I get milk. And I dream of the dairy I will open in a few weeks. It turns out...I am perfectly normal.

On another baby reporting note, Lydia has baby acne. This too is normal, sigh. Although, I knew about this one, it doesn't completely alleviate the bit of stress of seeing your baby with tiny zits all over her forehead and some on her cheeks. There is nothing really to do but wash her face and wait for it to clear up. It's much more bothersome to me than it is to her, oh and her Abuela is suffering even more.

Lydia has always been very good at noticing things. She loves the fan and when the fan is off she looks at it and she will look at us as if to ask, "What's wrong with the spinning thing?" She is really getting more into the bouncy seat and swing. She loves staring at the animals that hang in front of her and the other day, she hit the hanging toy in front of her on her bouncy seat. She is less than a month old--my child is truly gifted!