Week in review

The past week or so has been so busy! I got new glasses. Still trying to adjust to them, but I'm getting there. I can see under the glasses, so I am constantly misjudging how far away the ground is. I take larger steps than needed sometimes, and my kids laugh at me. I've laughed a few times, what else can you do? I am still getting used to driving with them. I do like them, and think they look pretty good on me!

While I was looking through allllll the thousands of glasses they had, Gianna decided she wanted to try on a pair. They're just demo lenses, so no worries on harming her eyes. She looks so intelligent here! My little intellectual!

My package of Boogie Wipes came in finally! Be on the lookout for a giveaway soon ;) 

Have I ever mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE Boogie Wipes!? No, let me tell you one reason why. They get EVERYTHING off. Not just boogies. Makeup ... yep, makeup. Specifically mascara. I don't wear makeup often, so I don't own makeup remover. I actually only bought some makeup recently because my SIL got married and I was her MOH. Naughty Gianna was supposed to take a nap, but she faked me out. Instead of napping, she decided to put my mascara on. Thank God for Boogie Wipes! One wipe removed it all!

Before and After  

Yesterday, we were involved in a minor accident. It was extremely minor, and no one had any injuries, thank God.

As you can see, only my bumper suffered any damage. I was passing through an intersection and a woman coming from my right blew right through the stop sign. She admitted fault, so it makes this all so much easier. I slammed on my brakes when I realized she wasn't going to stop and also laid on my horn. At that point, she snapped back from whatever she was daydreaming about, and stepped on her brakes as well. She hit me hard enough that her license plate and the holder ripped right off of her car. I immediately called the police when she hit me. She seemed extremely upset at her license plate ripping off. All I could think about were my kids. They had NO idea that we were even in an accident. They just thought that we were stopped for whatever reason. My BIL was sitting in the front passenger seat, and he wasn't injured either. I was extremely shaken up, and had to take one of my anti anxiety medications because I felt an anxiety attack coming on. 

After I got home, I called my insurance to report the accident and get the claim started. Because I had car seats in my car at the time of the accident, they HAVE to be replaced. Even a minor accident like that, they absolutely have to be replaced according to the manuals (always be sure to read your car seats manuals for important information like this). I have been advised by others to call the car seat manufacturers to see if they recommend replacing, just in case. 

So, that's my super eventful week in review. The best part? The absolute best part of my week was the letter I received in the mail today. Remember the person who called CPS on me? I have been waiting for this letter for a while now. It came in, and I couldn't be any happier. It means this nightmare is over, FINALLY.

Shame On Me

As I've stated before, my daughter receives donated breast milk. It helps to keep her healthy, and since she doesn't eat a lot of solid foods still, it gives her the nutrition she needs. Her doctor knows her eating habits, and actually encourages us to keep seeking donor milk. I am running EXTREMELY low on our freezer stash, and put a status on my FB asking my friends and family to keep an eye out if they happen to know someone who has extra and would like to donate it.

I have always struggled with low supply. But we managed to make it to almost a year old. A few weeks before she turned one, I had to have a few moles removed. Two of them were on my back. I knew it was going to be hard to hold her comfortably so that she could nurse. I mentioned the thought of looking to see if anyone had any extra milk to tide her over for a few feedings for a few days (I planned to nurse, then give her the bottle when it started to hurt). Anthony was not on board. He said to just give her formula when she needed to eat. Since we had a few samples from Enfamil, I made her a bottle right then and there to see how she would do. She took one suck off the bottle, and spit it right out immediately after. Then she threw the bottle at me. Clearly, she was not interested in it. Anthony saw, but still wasn't comfortable. It took a few days of convincing him it was for the best. Why is it acceptable to give her formula that was made from cows milk in a factory, cows that we don't even know how they're treated, what they eat, how the farmer handles them, if the machines are clean, etc. I can talk to the mother who is donating milk to us, and even request a blood test to ensure that she is healthy. He agreed that it was better, and so I began the hunt.

Fortunately, I was able to find milk with no problems. I met with a few different women, and had my freezer fully stocked in the event that something should go wrong and I wouldn't be able to nurse her myself. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. But, starting her on donor milk was the best thing that I have ever done for her. She immediately went from the 3rd percentile in height/weight, all the way up to the 85th. Her immune system was much better. Instead of being ill 3 weeks out of every month, she was ill once. She faced the possibility of another blood transfusion while ill. I gave her more donor milk, and her numbers shot up immensely. So much so, that she didn't need the transfusion. She has never been healthier since giving her donor milk.

To this day, we are still using donor milk. I plan to continue until she is at least 2 years old. I do still nurse her as well. We go through about 8-12 oz of donor milk a day. Like I said earlier, I had posted on Facebook that I was in need of more, and for my family and friends to please let me know if they know someone who is looking to donate some. While I was out with Gianna at Walmart filling AJ's new prescription for his ADHD, my phone buzzed. When I looked at it, I saw that it was a FB message. I brushed it off because I was busy, and I could wait until I got home to deal with Facebook. But something about the first few lines that showed up in the preview really bothered me. After a few minutes, I couldn't take it any longer, so I opened it. This is what it said:

A few things didn't sit right with me about this message. First off, my daughter is only 21 months old. She's not even two yet. So, where she came up with three is lost to me. Second, she is NOT underweight by any means at all. She is 26 lbs. The WHO growth chart puts her in the 75th percentile. Again, she is not underweight. Third, her baby isn't that much younger than Gianna, from what a friend of mine told me. This friend knows her personally, as they used to be friends. Fourth, I'm not sure where she gets the idea that my baby doesn't need it. Pediasure will not help her immune system. It won't help her numbers to remain at a healthy level.  And last, she blocked me IMMEDIATELY after sending this, so I couldn't even reply back to her. 

I'm not sure why she thought it was okay to message that to me? I am a mother of a child with a blood disorder. I am doing everything that I can to ensure my daughter is healthy. I don't take milk out from underneath other babies. As a matter of fact, I informed this mother of 2 other moms who had milk to donate and gave her their contact information so that her daughter would have milk. All I am is a mother who is doing her best to keep her child healthy. Not selfish by any means. She may have tried to shame me, and guilt trip me, but I will not stand for it. 

For the time being, I am still on the hunt for milk. I'm not having much luck locally, though. I did have a mom willing to pump and ship to me, but we can't afford the shipping costs right now. If you happen to know of anyone who has milk they're looking to donate, please point them my way! Maybe one of them are close enough that we could work something out.