How on earth do I have a 10 month old? Jack turned 10 months old on September 2nd and he is such a busy little guy. He crawls very quickly and pulls up on everything. He learned to clap and wave at the end of August and now he waves at everybody as well as his own reflection. It’s so stinking cute. I know all babies go through these milestones but it sure is fun when it’s your own child. Jack also imitates people now. If you clear your throat he’ll mimic the noise, and if you move your lips like a fish he’ll do the same thing. He also likes to point at things. We attended a family reunion in Georgia over Labor Day Weekend and he was very social and happy with anybody holding him (as long has he wasn’t hungry or sleepy). He still loves pretty much all foods although sometimes he will refuse avocado and he still hates bananas. Our flight from Kansas City to Georgia went well but he was so stimulated that he couldn’t take a nap…which made for a very long trip for this momma. Thankfully my seat neighbors were nice and they helped entertain him.
Jack learned how to play peekaboo this past month and will play it with anything: a towel, sheets, his bib while he’s wearing it, a tiny piece of paper…it’s pretty funny. He gets so excited sometimes that he holds the item all the way over his head so you can see his face, but he still pulls it down and you have to act surprised. It makes me laugh so much!
Jack STILL has no teeth. He’s been pretty drooly lately though and he’s showing some other teething signs, so maybe he’ll have one by the time he’s 11 months old. We’ll see.
As for nursing, it is still going well although my supply isn’t what it once was. He’s so busy during the day that he’s often not all the interested in sitting still and nursing. I have to go to Wisconsin for a week starting on Sunday (Army Reserve duty) and I just don’t have enough pumped and frozen to carry him for the week, so we’ve given him a few bottles of formula just to make sure he likes it. Well, turns out he loves it…which is a little insulting to me, but it also makes me feel better about only leaving enough breast milk for one or two bottles a day. My goal had been to never give him formula his entire first year, but sometimes life throws you curveballs and you just have to adapt. I’m planning on pumping while I’m gone because I want to continue nursing once I get back, but I am unsure about what to do with the milk. Has anybody flown with frozen milk before? I have to stay in military barracks and I don’t think there will be a freezer, so I’m anxious thinking about the logistics of it all. Thinking of pouring it out makes my heart hurt because that stuff is liquid gold! I really want to bring it home so I may bring a cooler with me and find some dry ice for the flight home. I’m assuming Delta will let me check it?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I had to get formula for London when she was 4 months old, because we ran through freezer stock and didn't have enough to fill bottles while I was away working over a weekend. As with Jack, it turns out that London loves it. We've started giving her one bottle of formula as her last feeding at night, and it's helping her transition into sleeping through the night (sweet relief for this full-time working mom!!).
Anonymous
September 15, 2016 / 6:51 pm
Have you considered donating your breast milk? We had a medically fragile toddler at our church, and donated breast milk made such a difference in her health. If there is a breast milk bank near where your Reserve duty is located, you at least would not have to worry about taking it on a plane. Good luck whatever you do! Beth
I felt so guilty at first because I know "breast is best" but I figure a bottle of formula here and there won't hurt. When I did my Reserve annual training and when I go to physical therapy we take Jack to the hourly daycare on post and you have to bring one bottle for every 2 hours they are there. I had zero freezer stock because we had just moved, so formula was our only option. I'm so glad I'm over the guilt because in the end, the baby needs to be fed and you've gotta do what you've gotta do. I can only imagine how tough it is working full-time, and I know you have no down time whenever you do a wedding. You're doing an amazing job, Sarah!
I've flown with breast milk. It is a bit of an ordeal but manageable. I bought dry ice at Hy-Vee for $1/lb and brought it with me in a small cooler. I live in Kansas City – not sure if you have Hy-Vee in Manhattan or not. You can only bring 5 lbs with you on the airline. They asked me for the receipt to prove that I wasn't bringing more than 5 lbs. Bring gloves b/c the dry ice will burn your hands! I carried on my breast milk — it doesn't count as a carry-on bag because it is medical (same with your breast pump). Good luck!
Thank you so much for your tip! I ended up flying with it in a cooler with dry ice and it was a piece of cake. Dry ice made me nervous at first because my only experience with it was when people use it at halloween, but your post gave me the confidence to try it out. I'll definitely use it again if I ever fly with breastmilk!
I had to get formula for London when she was 4 months old, because we ran through freezer stock and didn't have enough to fill bottles while I was away working over a weekend. As with Jack, it turns out that London loves it. We've started giving her one bottle of formula as her last feeding at night, and it's helping her transition into sleeping through the night (sweet relief for this full-time working mom!!).
Have you considered donating your breast milk? We had a medically fragile toddler at our church, and donated breast milk made such a difference in her health. If there is a breast milk bank near where your Reserve duty is located, you at least would not have to worry about taking it on a plane. Good luck whatever you do! Beth
I felt so guilty at first because I know "breast is best" but I figure a bottle of formula here and there won't hurt. When I did my Reserve annual training and when I go to physical therapy we take Jack to the hourly daycare on post and you have to bring one bottle for every 2 hours they are there. I had zero freezer stock because we had just moved, so formula was our only option. I'm so glad I'm over the guilt because in the end, the baby needs to be fed and you've gotta do what you've gotta do. I can only imagine how tough it is working full-time, and I know you have no down time whenever you do a wedding. You're doing an amazing job, Sarah!
I've flown with breast milk. It is a bit of an ordeal but manageable. I bought dry ice at Hy-Vee for $1/lb and brought it with me in a small cooler. I live in Kansas City – not sure if you have Hy-Vee in Manhattan or not. You can only bring 5 lbs with you on the airline. They asked me for the receipt to prove that I wasn't bringing more than 5 lbs. Bring gloves b/c the dry ice will burn your hands! I carried on my breast milk — it doesn't count as a carry-on bag because it is medical (same with your breast pump). Good luck!
Thank you so much for your tip! I ended up flying with it in a cooler with dry ice and it was a piece of cake. Dry ice made me nervous at first because my only experience with it was when people use it at halloween, but your post gave me the confidence to try it out. I'll definitely use it again if I ever fly with breastmilk!