Breastfeeding and decor

About two weeks ago, I just about gave up on breastfeeding (but not breastmilk). I found I was avoiding the times I was supposed to nurse, and looking forward to the first time at night that I could pump. Emberly also got fussier and fussier about eating at the breast, and tended to eat more at night so she could just snack on the breast and avoid a full feeding. I pumped exclusively with Hailey, and missed a lot of the conveniences that came with it. And I liked the control over scheduling of milk expression and feeding that it gave me.

My mom had given me a double ease medela pump that she had bought used for Aubrey, who used it during the month or two that she nursed. But the power seemed weaker than what I was used to, and I suspected that the motor might be too small or just dying. So I purchased a brand new pump to keep my milk supply up for the whole year I plan to feed Emberly breastmilk. I hear a lot of people have a hard time keeping up their supply when pumping exclusively, but I only ran low once with Hailey, and made up for it with more frequent pumping.

Here is the pump I bought. I like it because the bag can be used for other things (about the size of a large diaper bag) and I can take smaller pieces of the set with me as I need them.



I am also excited about my new quilt set. We haven't had a bedroom set in years, and the last one was one of those sets that had a comforter so thick we only used it in the dead of winter.

I wasn't actually looking for new bedding (although I have wanted new bedding in the back of my mind for some time). Angelica had come to visit us, and since she was upgrading to a king size bed, she was looking for a new bed set. We visited Pottery Barn and I was rather unimpressed with their selection. But right across the hallway in the mall is a place called Restoration Hardware. It was my first time inside the store. IT was a lot of faucets and other kinds of hardware, obviously, but they also had soaps and lotions, candles, towels, furniture, and bedding. And there was this quilt, the one I had always halfway pictured in my mind as what I was looking for, middle weight, solid color, soft yet durable fabric, with a pretty and intricate embroidery pattern.

I talked to Michael about it and went back the next day and bought it, along with some European pillow shams (square as opposed to rectangular). Michael says he is used to sleeping with just a sheet that it is something of an adjustment for him, but I absolutely love it. In fact, I love it so much, I make my bed just about every day. And that hasn't happened since...well, I don't think I've ever done that before.




Here is a picture of Emberly in her baby swimsuit and sunglasses. The suit is 3-6 months, and it is already pretty tight on her, so she may outgrow it before we actually get her some real swim time.