Pumping and Breastfeeding - Update

Hopefully the title either sparked your interest (as in you are doing the same and are wondering what my experience has been) or discouraged you from reading the post so that either you are ok with reading the probably tmi post I am about to write or you have choosen not to read because it is tmi.

Either way, I apologize if this is tmi but this blog has become my journal from which I can reference back and this post in particular will be helpful on my next children so, SORRY if it is too much. You can stop now if you are worried of that...

Pumping and breastfeeding for the most part has been successful. I wanted to keep track of my progress so I could resort back in the future for reference. The reason I thought to do this is becasue I just recently made the decision to cut out two pumps.


I didn't pump until I went back to work (except to stock up the necessary amount for E while I was at school) and when I came back to work on the first day of school in August, pumped at 4am before going to the gym. That pump was enough for E to eat when she got to mom's around 6/6:30. I then pumped on my way to school around 7 and then at 9:45 (planning), 1 (because that was when E was eating next) and then at 3 when school was over. If I could make it home by 6 I would feed her and then again at 9 before bed. If I had to work late, I would pump on my way home and then just feed Eleanor at 9.


After a couple of weeks, my principal asked me to cut out the 1pm feeding and instead pump at lunch which forced me to drop a pump. I know the comments will come that that was not allowed but I chose to not fight it and complied. Because of that, I did have to start supplementing with formula. I was upset about it at first but it has been fine since and definitely took off the stress of "would I pump that extra ounce to get enough or would I have to pump at midnight just to make enough?"


We supplemented with a bottle of formula a day until she started solids. I feel like at that point, my supply started dwindling. I still made enough to keep her happy on solely nursing on the weekends but my pumps were nowhere near the 8oz. I used to would get in one pump. Lately, I am lucky to get 3 or 4oz.


Over Christmas break my intentions to get up at 4 and still pump were shot when I wanted to sleep in and so I think that might have messed me up a little as well. Eleanor is now getting ONE BREASTMILK bottle and the rest formula during the day. I feed her at night and somehow make enough milk during the day on the weekends to make her happy. She sometimes will get frustrated at night though and we will give her a 4oz. bottle (1/2 of a full feeding).

Other new developments are her top teeth. When her bottom teeth came in at about 4 months, she bit me a few times, more when she was finished and would get bored and just KNAW down. She quit that though but since her top teeth in have bit me a couple of times. One time so hard that when she nursed the next few times it felt like the first few times I ever breastfed - QUITE painful.

Eleanor is also probably getting frustrated with the extra work she has to do when she nurses as opposed to the bottle as she will often suck for a bit and then sit up, then lay back down and the cycle continues. I don't feel like she gets as much as when she eats anymore so anyway, I am thinking we are nearing the end.

My goal at first was to make it to 6 months which we did easily. After that, it kind of just became a month to month thing - you know my competitive nature...wanting to make it to the next month each time. SO we have made it 8 months and are close to 9 months, so that is the current goal!

Sale - Baby Stuff!

notfindingout.com is having a SALE!

Dallas/Ft. Worth residents enjoy 10% off your entire purchase when you use promo code "DFWBUMP"

You must have it shipped to a DFW zip in order to get the discount. I have blogged about this website before...they have everything you would need from Babies R Us or Buy Buy but also more unique gifts. You can also register with them and more importantly do so if you aren't finding out what you are having and they have an exciting system for those of you who are patient enough :)

Eleanor is 8 Months Old!

My sweet baby girl turned 8 months old yesterday! I can't believe how the time has flown! SO MUCH has happened in this 8th month!

It has been incredible to see her growth especially now that she is crawling, which she began in her 8th month...NYE 2010 to be exact! She also has started to bud her top teeth. They are adorable coming in, much bigger than her bottom teeth which of course makes sense but it will be so weird to see her smile look so different. You can see them if you lift up her lip but they of course will take a while longer to come down all the way.

Eleanor has known who we are for quite a while and when we say "Where's _______?" concerning me, Andy, Marmi, or Pop Pop, sometimes the Aunts too, she knows. It wasn't until recently that we would say, "Where's Pop Pop?" and she would look at him and start making the Pop Pop Pop Pop movement with her lips. A slight whisper sometimes come out like she is breathing and saying it but it is definitely her word for Pop Pop. SUPER cool! So we haven't decided if it is her first "word" persay, because she doesn't really voice it.

In reference to her noises - she also still does the bah and mah sounds and has recently discovered her HIGHEST pitch. It is hilarious, she talks in a little chirping high pitched noise and all the time. She loves to talk to herself now, especially in the car or when she is trying to make herself fall asleep at night. The funniest instance of this was when we were driving to Andy's dentist appt., I was driving, and in a rush. I was speeding of course and flying around cars - nothing less than you would expect from a typical Dallas driver on a mission to get somewhere, and Eleanor is doing her high pitched scream and Andy is narrating behind each shriek, "Oh no, Mommy is going to KILLLL USSS!!" You had to be there I guess and of course E wasn't shrieking in response to my driving...let's hope :)

On the crawling note, she is going EVERYWHERE! Not just to get a toy a few feet away. She now crawls circles around and through her room/bathroom/hallway when we are getting her bath ready. She crawls into our bathroom and all around the apt. The funniest is when we are getting ready and she crawls into our bathroom which has mirrors over the closet doors and laughs at herself in the mirror. She has always loved looking at the mirror but when she is as clsoe as she can get on the floor, she will run into the mirror like a little bird in glass - luckily she doesn't splat like the bird! I was also told today that, at Marmi's house, she followed Pop Pop from the living room all the way to his bathroom to watch him shave. I used to do that when I was little too and he would pat aftershave on my cheeks like him and then I would shine his shoes with a towel. Oh memories :) Maybe Eleanor will get to help him do that too!

We have always thought our little one to be strong, she was lifting her legs to her face at a young age and has always been able to pull herself up. She now has accomplished the feat of lifting what I would think heavy toys and moving them. She has a little toy train that she literally lifted with the handle and moved from one side of her body to the other while sitting. She didn't drag it, she lifted it. I know this is silly for me to be raving about but I couldn't believe it. She is getting SO BIG!

Also in reference to her movement, she is starting to try to pull up on things. She pulls up on the couch on me and other toys. I most noticed this when she and her friend Katie were playing with her piano. They were kind of not sharing well so I took the piano away and put it on the couch. Eleanor crawled over to the couch and tried to pull up on it to get to her piano! Crazy girl! On that note, she is very assertive already and knows exactly what she wants - I am in trouble!

In the food department, Eleanor has tried more foods and has even accomplished the feat of drinking through a straw! She still snacks on her little puffs but because she is expending so much more energy with her crawling has switched to three meals a day and a couple of snacks in between. We are still trying to work out what she should have aside from the puffs which she, as a friend put it, "is addicted to them like crack" but she has had little pieces of cut up banana (super slimey though) and then just sometimes gets smaller versions of her meals fed to her. She is taking 8oz bottle feedings when she gets a bottle and when I feed her (I always feed her when she is with me, she is still getting bottles at mom's during the day.) and eats about 4-5 times a day from the breast or bottle. My milk supply is really down though...not sure why...so she only gets about a bottle a day of breast milk plus I feed her at night so is getting 2 - 3 formula bottles but somehow is satisfied on the weekends when I alone feed her. She has added the following this month to her diet:

- green beans

- apples

- pears

- mangoes

- butternut squash

- egg yolks scrambled (didn't really like but they have a pretty strong flavor anyway, I need to try again)

Eleanor also still LOVES to read books, especially before she goes to bed. Her favorite books are, "I Love You, Goodnight", "Goodnight Moon", and her two bilingual books, "Animals/Animales" and Colors/Colores." She absolutely loves "I Love You Goodnight" as she laughs and smiles everytime we read it and even now when I am feeding her her night feeding in the rocking chair she pulls off, reaches up, and grabs for it! This makes my heart melt not only because it is so cute that she recognizes something she likes but also that she likes a book that is nothing but a bunch of SIMILES! The R/LA teacher loves this! :)

In the napping department, we think she is trying to give/gave up a nap. She takes a pretty good one in the morning and in the afternoon but sometimes doesn't nap in between. She is starting to love to play more and can stay up longer! It is crazy watching her grow! Speaking of growing, you upped to size 3 diapers and are wearing 9 months clothes in Carters and Ralph Lauren and 6-12months in Old Navy/Gap/Gymboree clothes. I don't remember the Target sizes but somewhere around that...in shoes you are wearing 2's but are probably ready for 3s and the little 0-6 month baby UGGs and MEA bought you are JUST now fitting you!

Sweet baby girl, you make your Daddy and I SO HAPPY! We love getting to see your smile when we come home from work each day. No matter how tired we are, you energize us and make our day so perfect! We couldn't imagine life without you and have loved seeing you grow and accomplish so much in this 8th month of your life! We love you and pray in Thanksgiving for you every day!

Lazy Mismatched Days

Modeling her new "style"

So Andy has been gone since Thursday night on a silent retreat and we are locked up on a rainy and cold Saturday. When I got Eleanor out of bed this morning she had wet her PJ bottoms. I would have just put her clothes on but I was about to feed her breakfast and there was no sense in potentially dirtying her clothes so I decided I would just put her baby UGGS on to keep her feet warm and throw the pants in the laundry. Well then she started crawling and rubbed rug burns onto her bare knees so I thought, why not use these leg warmers that are super cute but have yet to find something they would match in her closet. Then, in the spirit of the mis-matched as my sweet friend, EEN would call, "Homeless" look Eleanor was taking on, I added her little snow hat and some pink ruffle butts and we got a "silly Mommy and Daughter weekend in the house with nothing else to do" look. Maybe it will be the new fashion for Winter 2011?

A New Year - Here's to 2011

Eleanor and Garrett playing

Katie's new thing - she loves to stick her tongue out!

Sweet little Garrett, we loved getting to spend some time with him finally!

Blocks were the hit of the night - probably should wash them after the three babies drooled on them so much!

Play time in the morning while all the Daddy's sobered up :)

Silly David...

We decided to take a shot after midnight to toast 2011...Wes and I had Patron, Andy and David had Jack, and Ashley Peppermint Schnapps, and Kortni champagne. I think that was my first shot in over a year and a half ha!

Hard to believe it is only our 2nd New Years together as Reinbergs! And we have a 7 mo. old!

The Vaniceks, Kortni and Wes

The Jones', David and Ashley

The Jones', Reinbergs, and Vaniceks celebrating a new year - 2011!

So sweet! Eleanor loves grabbing feet

The Coaches and their Babies

Eleanor and Garrett playing waiting for Katie to get there on NYE

PS the pictures are backward in order of when they occurred but I can't get my computer to let me move them so in the very "Beautiful Mess" fashion they will stay as is :)
This year we decided we would celebrate New Years with friends who were in the same boat - a baby under 1 and no money to pay a babysitter/spend a lot on an evening out. We all agreed that decision was so much better than anything else we could have done. The Jones and Vanciek Family spent NYE 2010 with us and we had a great time!

Here is what the Reinberg family did to ring in the new year, 2011:

We invited the Vanicek and Jones families over for a New Years Eve celebration, babies and all. With my dad and sister being gone, mom and Kel were so sweet to take the twin beds in the office and offer up all the queen/king beds to us. So each couple got a bedroom and brought their pack n plays for their baby to sleep in. We put the kids down around 7:30 and spent the rest of the night enjoying food and drink!


I wish I could have taken a pic of the food spread. We had appetizers including spinach and artichoke dip, chips and guac, perrano and brie cheeses with crackers and grapes, veggies and hummus, meatballs in an alfredo sauce, and pepperoni pizza bread. I hope I am not forgetting another. Ashley made this really fun poinsetta punch with 1 part vodka, 1 part cran, 1 part pomogranite and 1 part champagne. The girls enjoyed that drink while the guys drank beer and whatever else they could find.


After playing a few games on the Wii to work off all the heavy apps, we sat down to eat an amazing brisket Andy and Wes had smoked all day. Along with the brisket we had a green salad, cornbread, pinto beans, and a very special recipe for green beans and new potatoes we got from the McGehee family where you put the two veggies in the bottom of the smoker to let them steam and season from the brisket drippings. Probably SUPER unhealthy but it was good!


We then toasted at midnight with my favorite, Martini and Rossi Asti Champagne (well it isn't from that region of France so it technically can't be called that but I call it Champagne anyway). All the women then hit the wall as we usually are in bed way before midnight. We tried to stay awake and chat but eventually all petered off to bed. The guys stayed up playing "champagne pong" and who knows what else.


The next morning brought babies ready to party nice and early. I got up with Eleanor and we made blueberry and apple cinnamon muffins and put out a fruit spread. Everyone stayed to hang out for a while and then went home.


Andy, Mom, Kel, Eleanor, and I rotated napping throughout the day and then the Vaniceks came back for dinner. We have made it tradition to eat chicken fried steak ( I refuse to cook it more than once a year) with mashed potatoes, homemade bisquits, and black eyed peas (and of course a salad or some kind of green vegetable to make us feel a little healthy), and gravy on New Years day. Usually it was to sop up all the alcohol from the night before but I didn't have that issue this year. Also, it is tradition to eat black eyed peas on New Years day for good luck in the coming year. Not sure why but we do it...we enjoyed the rest of the evening once again stuffing ourselves and have now resided that meals in the Reinberg home will consist of salad, vegetables, and lean meat - probably chicken breast, until bathing suit season! I have GOT to get the rest of this baby weight off!


We are so blessed to have been given another year of gifts and blessings and look forward to see what surprises 2011 may bring. 2010 was incredible and I don't know how we could top it but I am sure God has many more exciting events in store for the Reinbergs!


Here are our "Top 10 in 2010":
1. The birth of our first child and daughter, Eleanor Ann Reinberg - May 18th, 2010
2. Celebrating our FIRST wedding anniversary - July 18, 2010
3. Eleanor's reception of her first sacrament and becoming a member of the Catholic church in baptism - June 4, 2010
4. Moving to Lewisville, closer to family and St. Ann - April 2010
5. Getting to meet so many of our friends' children all within months of Eleanor (we can count at least 10 and are probably forgetting some)
6. Trips to College Station to visit Andy's family - August, November, December 2010
7. Introducing Eleanor to one set of her GREAT - Grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa of Maverick, Texas - June 2010
8. Eleanor's firsts including smiling, rolling over, starting solids, clapping, talking (in of course her own language), Halloween, Thanksgiving, St. Nicolas Day, Christmas, haircut, crawling, NYE
9. Andy's nearly (by one game) undefeated football season coaching 7th grade football
10. Lindsay's first time teaching 4th grade and every subject (it has been a learning experience)


Happy New Year and Here's to 2011!

Eleanor's Photo Shoot

Below are a few shots of something fun Eleanor and I did over the break. I wanted to use this little "get-up" in her 6 month photos but never got around to getting them done so here are some of us playing on Mommy and Daddy's bed...

We are mobile!

Eleanor is crawling! We witnessed it for the first time on New Years Eve. At first she was only taking a few arm/leg movements at a time but moving forward was key and why we officially dubbed it "crawling" (she has been able to move backwards for quite a while now)!



NOW she can move accross the room! It is amazing! She hasn't quite yet started chasing me when I leave the room but comes when we call her/when she wants something. It is so cool to watch her arm move and then her leg move in conjunction with it. It is just amazing to me that 7, almost 8 months ago she was learning to open her eyes and what her hands were and NOW she can move! The first year of a child's life, I have decided, is completely miraculous! There is no way someone can watch their child grow in the first year alone and not think a higher power thought up when and how that child would go from the beginning of his/her life at conception to a walking and talking little person at age 1! I am SO excited to see what more is to come!



Look out world and Mommy and Daddy's un-baby proofed apartment, HERE COMES ELEANOR!