Extreme Pumping

I've invented a new sport!  I can't believe I didn't post about this sooner!!!

Last Friday, I strolled into my makeshift mothers room for my morning pump session, and came to the frightening realization that I had forgotten my pump.

Panic strikes...WHAT IF I CAN'T PUMP ALL DAY?!....I'LL EXPLODE!!!!!   

After calling my mom, Casey, and my dad, I decide to meet my dad halfway between my office and Fountain Thrills to pick up my pump.  This is all well and good, except loads AND LOADS of time are being wasted.

Then...a flash of brilliance...YES!...I will pump while I drive, in an effort to recoup some of my lost morning!!! It can't be that hard, right?

Wrong.

I drive a manual.  And the route to and from my office happened to be under construction that morning...  So there was a lot of stop and go, and A LOT of staring.  I can only imagine the number of people that saw my ladies in action that morning....pretty much anyone in a truck or SUV could look right into my car.  It didn't matter to me though, because I was on a mission.  It all worked out in the end; I got my pumping session and Lulu had milk for her next time at Auntie Fallon Daycare*. 

Maybe I'm falling into a pattern of extreme breastfeeding in general....first I was the boob dangling momma, and now I'm the extreme pumping momma!  The things I do for this sweet face...

*Auntie Fallon has taken over daycare duties for the time being, due to some medical issues Grandpa is facing.  Post on that to come...

Confessions of a Pumping Mother: Week 3

Confession #6:  Mrs. Right produces a lot less than Mrs. Left.  I'd venture to say about half as much...  I'm actually a little embarrassed for her.

Confession #7:  (completely unrelated to breastfeeding) I actually prefer my Infantino carrier to the Moby wrap.  Gasp!

Confession #8:  It finally happened...twice actually...someone was in my makeshift mothers room when I needed to pump. I ended up in an empty cubicle on the unoccupied portion of our floor....verrrry awkward, to say the least.

Maybe confession #5 jinxed me.....

Funnies

In these few months that Lucy has been with us, I have laughed more than ever before in my life.  I decided it necessary to start a list of all the good times....and of course share it with everyone!  Enjoy!!!

On our second night together, still in the hospital, Casey said to me, "I think she's pooping." and I said, "How do you know?"  Casey proceeded to imitate Lucy's pooping face.  

When my milk came in, my boobs transformed into miniature watermelons.  It literally hurt to lift my arms in the shower.  At one point Casey gave me the lightest of hugs, I don't think his arms were completely around me yet, and I yelled, "Not so tight!" 

One night, still half asleep, I groggily asked Casey to help me switch Lucy to my other boob.  He sat up to do so, and panicked.  Which made me panic.  In between us slept our dog, Daisy Doodle; but in our sleep deprived stupor we thought it was Lucy.  At this point Lucy was still sleeping in her bassinet, so I immediately yelled, "How did she get in the bed?  And why is she naked?!"  

During a recent family shower, the three of us were bouncing around, cooing and smiling in the water, and then all of a sudden...the poop face flashed across Lucy's face...quickly followed by a toot....and the immediate realization that Goose had just pooped in Casey's hand and all down his leg.

A recent trip to Costco was interrupted when the professional baby wearer (me) felt her feet getting splashed.  I looked down and said, "Oh my God she's peeing!"  Casey, my mom, and I just looked down to the floor, that was quickly pooling with pee, and froze. 

The most recent knee slapper was Lucy's first time swimming.  After a mere five minutes in the pool, Lucy spit up.  Like hugely spit up.  IN.THE.POOL.  

I expected being a parent to be rewarding.  I never expected it to be so funny!

The Three Stooges

My baby is phat.

Not FAT. 

Both of my siblings, most of Casey's siblings, Casey, and myself were all big babies (90th percentile and above).  My brother actually weighed 10 pounds at birth.  It was only natural for Lulu to follow in our footsteps. 

We love our big girl.  Big babies are the best babies.  Big babies are all I've ever known. 

I do not overfeed her.  And she is not a formula baby (no one ever believes this).  She is a perfectly healthy, perfectly beautiful baby girl.  We love each and every little roll on our Goose.

Today, at Costco, some jackass came up to me and said:

"WOW!  She's bigger than my six month old!"

And my response:

"WOW. I don't care!"

Happy as a clam, before "the incident"...

Confessions of a Pumping Mother: Week 2

Confession #3:  I am terrified of someone walking in on me while pumping.  I used to sit in front of the door, as a human barricade, but then my pump batteries died....so now I sit near the electrical outlet, opposite the door.

Confession #4:  I find pumping to be mildly uncomfy.

Confession #5:  I worry that this abandoned room used to be someone's secret hiding place before I converted it to a Mothers Room.  I dread the day that I walk into the room and someone else is already in there.

Reverse Cycling: A Working Mom's Worst Nightmare

Remember how Lucy wasn't the hugest fan of daycare not so long ago?  Well...she still doesn't *love* it, but she has adjusted somewhat over the past three weeks.  See:

That's a content Goose, if I've ever seen one.

That first week, though, THAT was brutal.  After finding a bottle that Lulu would accept, she suddenly decided to stop eating for Auntie Fallon and Grandpa.

Can you say stressful? 

As a new mom, already experiencing massive loads of guilt from returning to work, this killed me.  Day after day my dad and sister would tell me, "She's not eating" or "She's had two ounces over the last eight hours".  WHAT?!

I contemplated going home, meeting my dad halfway between home and work to feed her, and even taking time off work (permanently).  None of the above made any sense in the long run.  I called the pediatrician, who confirmed the obvious:  that she wasn't eating enough.  Big help doc, thanks a million!

One friend mentioned the possibility of Reverse Cycling (thanks, Kim!), and directed me to this website.  Kellymom has always been hugely helpful with all of my breastfeeding questions; I was actually kind of embarrassed that I hadn't thought to check there!

Reverse cycling is when a baby eats very little while momma is away, just enough to curb their hunger, and then nurses frequently and for longer periods when momma is home.  Apparently some women encourage this behavior so that they can pump less during the day.  I am not one of those mothers!

Reverse cycling is most common in breastfed babies that are just starting out on the bottle, but newborns can also experience it when they get their days and nights mixed up. 

While reverse cycling isn't anything to worry about, it is important for caregivers to monitor wet diapers and signs of dehydration.  Our pediatrician actually brought up the possible need for Pedialyte (also known as Baby Gatorade), should Goosey continue to not eat.  Thankfully it never came down to that!  After five verrry long days, Goosey started eating regularly; and we haven't had any problems since! 

 I eat so good now, Momma!  No more worrying!!!

Father's Day Festivities

You see that banner up there?  Lucy made that.  She and I busted out the finger paints and made cutest, most thoughtful Fathers Day gifts there ever were.  Not the easiest task, but definitely a fun one!

Casey is a little bit slobbish (his one flaw - sorry dear, you know its true)...  And so Lulu thought the perfect gift would not only make her Daddy smile, it would also make him organized!  Such a smart girl!  So she and I bought a little white pail, and covered it with her baby feets.  Needless to say, Papa Goose LOVED it!
 

After presents we headed out to brunch at one of our favorite restaurants.  Its always a good time maneuvering a car seat and a tray down the buffet line.  

We made our rounds around Fountain Thrills, spending some time with our families, and finished the day with the first swim of the summer:

Lucy didn't make it into the pool this time (we hope to bust out her bikini next weekend), but she DID rock her sunglasses poolside.

Lulu is three months old.

Hello, Beautiful!

Does anyone else feel like their life is on fast forward?  How did this girl get to be three months old already?!

Since we switched to bi-monthly doctor visits, your three month stats are courtesy of Dr. Dad and Nurse Mom:

Length:  24 inches (50-75th percentile)

Weight:  15.5 pounds (95th percentile)

(both approximations)

 

So lets talk, Lulu:

Right now you love your wiggle worm mat, Katy Perry, and mirrors.  

You tolerate tummy time in 7 minute intervals.

You've been sleeping phenomenally for weeks - only up once a night for a quick snack! 

It took some time, but you're now accepting the bottle while at Grandpa Daycare!

You and Daddy are best buds.

You are verrry talkative (just like your momma bear):

You are the sweetest, happiest, and most beautiful baby that your Daddy and I have ever seen. We love you more than you'll ever know.  I have so many hopes and dreams for you.  Mostly, I hope that you will always love us as much as you do now.  Because we love you to the moon and back, Goosey Girl!  And we always will.

Shelton Family Meal Plan

On Easter day Casey and I decided to actively start losing weight. 

So what did we do?  We turned to the good ol' Food Network for inspiration.  We watched this (short) video, and we learned what a healthy diet really consists of...

Daily:  fruit, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts, carrots

3x Week:  fish, yogurt, broccoli, sweet po, avacado

1x Week:  red meat, pasta, dessert, alcohol

NEVER:  fast food, soda, processed food, canned soup, "diet" anything

This gave us the framework for our meal plan.  But we still needed actual recipes and a rotation schedule....

My first attempt at meal planning meant designating a type of meat per night (Monday: chicken, Tuesday: fish, etc.), and then choosing an actual recipe when that day came.   This system was short lived (read: three days).  There were still too many variables for my indecisive brain. 

My second attempt was a little more adventurous....monthly rotations.  I thought by rotating 30 different recipes, we'd know exactly what to cook each night AND we would never get sick of the same old recipe.  This plan, however, was even more short lived than the first.  Since I couldn't come up with 30+ recipes, I never actually implemented this plan.

Then it hit me.  Each night would have a designated meat AND  we would rotate the same recipes every week.  Seven recipes.  Thats it.  I know seven recipes!  This may come off as somewhat anti-climatic, maybe even lazy, BUT it works for us!  So, without further adieu...here is our meal plan:     

Monday:  turkey burgers, sweet po fries, veg or salad

Tuesday:  baked chicken tenders (breaded or naked), couscous, veg or salad

Wednesday:  chicken caesar salad and cornbread

Thursday:  grilled salmon or shrimp skewers, couscous, veg or salad

Friday:  freezer choice

Saturday:  Ethnic night!

Sunday:  whole roasted turkey or ham, mashed sweet po, veg or salad

Is that appetizing or what?!  I didn't go so far as to plan out vegetable side dishes, because we try to buy whatever is in season and/or on sale (the same principle applies to the protein in Thursday and Sunday dinners). 

The logic behind roasting a giant turkey, ham, or whatever, is to have lunch meat for the rest of the week.  You see, we have a dietician in the family, and she recently turned me off to storebought lunchmeat.  Sodium, and nitrates, and preservatives, oh my!  And my momma bear taught me a nifty trick for storing this lunch meat: individual size portions...kept in the freezer.  Genius, I tell you!

And for breakfast, Casey and I eat oatmeal with flaxseed.  Everyday.  I have heard so many great things about oatmeal.  Both oatmeal and flaxseed help with milk production, and oatmeal is a natural fat burner.  What more do you need?

So there you have it.  A plan for every meal in the week.  I fully expect us to get sick of these same seven meals sometime in the future, and when that happens, we'll certainly make some changes.  Until then, we're lovin' our meal plan!  Our diets are back on track, dinner is no longer a mystery, AND grocery shopping is way easy now!  Most importantly, meal planning is a HUGE time saver, which ultimately means more time with Goose.  Double yay! 

I hope everyone will consider giving meal planning a try.  If you're interested, this website is a great resource for organizing your meal plan and recipe inspiration.

In order to avoid a picture-less post, here is a picture of Goosey and Daddy exploring in the kitchen:

Sometimes you accidentally gain 40 pounds...

...and then you lie about it.

I know this is really random, but I finally feel ready to share my deep, dark, embarrassing secret.  I didn't actually gain 34 pounds while I was pregnant, I gained 40 something pounds.  The exact number remains a mystery to this day. 

Why did I lie about those last few pounds?  Because I was really, REALLY embarrassed and ashamed of my lack of self-control. 

I'm sorry to have lied to you guys.  I feel terrible.  Really, I wasn't planning on telling anyone, but I recently told Casey and my mom...and I figured I might as well just get it over with and tell the blog world.

Let this be a lesson to you all!  You canNOT eat whatever you want the whole time you're pregnant, and stay within the recommended weight gain range.  I am determined to do better next time around.  After reading this girl's story, I am truly inspired to exercise and maintain a healthy diet throughout. 

So here I am today, almost three months post-delivery, and still six pounds from my pre-baby weight.  I'm hopeful that the remaining weight will eventually come off.  Casey and I have implemented a healthy meal plan and we've been following it for a little over a month now (still avoiding exercise like the plague though!).  You can look forward to a post all about our meal plan later this week.

The girl who was worth every pound

NEW SERIES Confessions of a Pumping Mother

I spend just under 1.5 hours pumping per day during the work week (3 sessions).  I use an empty conference room on the unoccupied portion of our floor, rather than going down 8 floors to the Mother's Room in HR.

Sitting in a room, alone, with a breast pump...well...things can get a little crazy.  My mind wanders.  This series is all about my random thoughts and adventures while pumping in the office.  Thrilling, I know.  I can see your anticipation through the computer screen. 

We all know about last week's mishap.  Here are a couple more confessions from last week:

Confession #1:  Because the floor is unoccupied, the janitorial staff doesn't stop by often...I have unknowingly filled the garbage can in the last two weeks. 

Confession #2:  I have this (slightly irrational) fear of falling asleep while pumping, and waking up to a shriveled boob. 

The time has come....

...to bust out the 3-6 month size clothing.

Lets have a moment of silence for what was once my teeny, tiny baby and her 0-3 month size clothing.

Hold your judgments, please!

Alright, that's enough.  BRING ON THE BIG GIRL CLOTHES! 

Traveling Back East, Part II: Diapering, Breastfeeding, and Family

I assume most cloth diapering families use disposable diapers when traveling.  We didn't have much of a choice on the matter.  Casey and I are, what I like to call, lazy cloth diaperers.  Meaning, we require a diaper sprayer and all-in-one cloth dipes to be successful.  (we still love prefolds, we just love all-in-ones more).  Bringing the diaper sprayer across the country was not an option, and I knew the all-in-ones would never dry in the Connecticut humidity. 

Let me tell ya, we missed our fluff!  In a matter of 7 days we had two poopy blowouts and three leaks.  Believe me when I say this was not user error - I know how to diaper my Goose.  One of the blowouts occurred while walking around Time Square in New York City.  That was fun.  Since our car was parked a few blocks away, I got to wait in the ladies room with (a very unhappy) Goose for twenty some minutes, while Casey ran to get a new outfit. 

One positive note, though, I was finally able to pinch Goosey's bum!  Usually her tush is so buried under cloth that I can't do that.  Heehee.

If I can make one recommendation for those planning to travel with little babes, consider transferring your diaper bag essentials into a smaller diaper bag for times when you'll be doing a lot of walking.  You don't want to lug around any extra weight.  Baby wearing in NYC was quite the workout!  I can't imagine throwing a full size diaper bag into the mix.

Overall, diapering was interesting on this trip.  Breastfeeding was even more so.

I breastfed in some of the weirdest, most public places you can think of:  Carmine's restaurant, seaside in Essex, and the Intrepid (just to name a few).  While breastfeeding at the Intrepid, a female employee came into the restroom and had this conversation with me:

Lady:  Is there a woman breastfeeding in here?

Me:  Yes...(thinking I was about to get kicked out of the family restroom)...

Lady:  Can I get you a chair?

Me:  No, thank you, I'm good!

Lady:  Are you sure?  Its no problem!

Me:  Really, I'm fine!  Thank you...

Lady:  Alright then, well God bless you!  That's terrific to see such a dedicated nursing mother!

Say it with me, folks, "A.W.K.W.A.R.D."  There was probably twenty or thirty other women in the restroom at the time.  The place was mobbed, more than usual, because we arrived just in time for Fleet Week. 

Anyways... moving on...I also created a new breastfeeding position!  Casey likes to call it "The Boob Dangler".  We started out by pulling over every time Lucy got hungry, but that became tedious.  So tedious, in fact, my mom yelled back, "Why don't you just dangle your boob in her mouth?!"  Pffffff bahhhahaha! 

I laughed for about thirty seconds, and then I did just that.  I got on all fours, bent over the car seat, and stuck my boob in her mouth.  I know, I know....I am SUCH an inspiration to breastfeeding mothers around the world.  HAHA.  Just try to imagine this balancing act while driving amongst all those crazies on the Jersey Turnpike.  It turned out to be a *huge* time saver; it was uncomfortable for me, but Lucy didn't seem to mind one bit!

Fortunately, all this hassle was well worth it in the end.  Lucy got to meet her great grandma, great aunts, great uncles, and even some cousins (firsts and seconds)!  Here's a few photos from our trip:

 Strolling through Seaport Village

 Lunch at Carmine's

 Meeting Great Grandma

 The whole gang seaside in Essex, CT

Goosey's new sun hat!!!

 Family photo at Lyman's Orchard

 Four generations:  Lucy, Momma, Nona, Great Grandma

 All the ladies (on my Mom's side)!

 Goosey and Momma

Group photo (with my dad's side)

I'm thirsty.

Pregnancy has forever altered my body; and, I'm not talking about my fifty-five stretch
marks (yes, I've counted them).  My first, and lingering, pregnancy symptom has been the most uncomfortable, insatiable thirst.

If I'm not drinking water, I'm thinking about water. I can't make the seven minute drive to my parents house without a bottle of water.  I drink at least two of those giant, 30 ounce hospital mugs just at night.

I'm not pregnant at the moment, I don't think, so why can't I get enough water?!

The answer:  breastfeeding.  Thirst is a sign of good let down.  Who knew, right?  You can read more about that here.  I feel like Pavlov's dog.

So...to all my pregnant gals, you can look forward to that!  Heehee!

Hey Mom, MOM!  I'm thirsty too!!! 

Look, we're TWINS!

Moi, at 8 weeks

Goose, at 5 weeks

Two tiny (and awesome) differences:  she has Casey's strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes.

That REALLY just happened...

Lesson learned:  Do not transfer breast milk from pump to storage bag over lap.

Traveling Back East, Part I: Packing, Flying, and the Car Seat

Let me start by saying, packing for this trip was a nightmare.

I'm a list person; I require an itemized list to complete almost all tasks:  grocery shopping, household chores, miscellaneous to-do's, PACKING.  I admit, this behavior is a tad OCD.  Prior to embarking on this great journey, I googled four separate infant packing lists.  They were all pretty similar, BUT I had to be sure.  There seemed to be this recurring theme of packing doubles: two outfits per day, two sleepers per day, two hats, two this, two that.  All this makes for a suitcase twice the size of acceptable carry on luggage. 

I eventually decided that packing that much for one little, tiny baby girl was just plain insanity.  And so, we planned to wash clothes a couple of times while staying at my aunt's house (thanks Auntie Judy!).  In the end, it was the perfect solution; I recommend doing this if you're staying with family or friends.

Here's a pic of alllllll the stuff we packed for Goose (not including disposable diapers and diapering supplies):

Naturally, all this packing fun took place at the absolute last minute.  I literally zipped up our suitcases, and we headed out the door for the airport.

My mom made all the travel arrangements, and she so brilliantly chose a red eye flight to Connecticut.  That's right mom, I just called you brilliant - you're welcome.  Goose fell asleep on the drive to the airport, and stayed asleep through most of security.  Apparently just one, short month ago the FAA decided babies must be removed from carriers of all kinds (including the Moby).  Naturally, Lucy woke up, and stayed awake through boarding.

Goose was a perfect angel walking through the airport.  When we got to our gate, she was ready to eat, but we wanted her to hold off until take off (the swallowing helps babies ears adjust).  The six of us took turns trying to bounce her and distract her, but ultimately, papa bear had to request that she and I pre-board, so that I could start feeding her.

Once in flight, Lucy drifted in and out of sleep.  I had a hard time figuring out how to position her, because she hates being cradled.  At one point I was burping her over my shoulder and she fell asleep within seconds.  For those who plan to travel with their babies, keep that sleeping position in mind!


The flight was surprisingly short, less than five hours!  We landed in Newark around 6 AM local time, and headed to the rental car pick up.  Our chariot for the week was a sexy 2011 Dodge Caravan.  Casey and I loved it!  We hope to get one in the next year or so.  It was SO roomy, and perfect for large families - eventually we hope to be a large family!

My one complaint, completely unrelated to the van, was the car seat we rented.  When we found out there were car seats available for rental, we were ecstatic.  Who actually wants to lug a car seat across the country?  We assumed that the rental company would provide a good quality car seat, considering the liabilities...  Well, we assumed wrong.  The car seat we received was pretty damn ghetto, to say the least.  The handle had been ripped off, there was no head support for Goose, and the strap used to tighten the harness wasn't working properly.  So...for those traveling with babies, bring your own car seat!!!  It is worth the hassle. 

 Despite all this, Goose had no problem getting cozy!

Stay tuned for Traveling Back East,Part II:  Diapering, Breastfeeding, and Family!

7 hours 36 minutes

That's how long Goosey slept last night, completely uninterrupted.  Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!

Can I just say one thing? 

I loved waking up and cuddling with my love bug this morning.  We laid there "talking" for about a half hour, and now we're both enjoying breakfast on the couch.  God bless the weekends!

Our sleeping angel

Introducing the bottle to the breastfed baby

FINALLY!  Sorry for the delay on this one, folks!

Let me start by saying, we did this completely wrong.  We waited far too long to introduce the bottle to Goose, and, ultimately, it has made the experience so so SO much harder than it needed to be.

When Lucy was a whooping four days old, her pediatrician was concerned about her weight loss (13 percent of her birth weight - anything over 10 percent is alarming); she said that we needed to supplement each feed with formula to get her weight up.  This broke my heart.  I instantly started crying in the doctor's office, and I was sobbing uncontrollably that night as Casey tried to feed Lucy by bottle.  But that girl wouldn't have it; Goose refused to use the artificial nipple.  Casey eventually got a few drops in by syringe, but Lucy spit it up within minutes.  Fortunately for us, my milk came in the next day and all was well in the world.  So...as you can see, my little Goose has hated artificial nipples from day one.  Cool story, huh?

I had read that the ideal time to introduce the bottle was between four and six weeks, in order to avoid nipple confusion.  Our first attempt was May 4 (Lucy was just over 6 weeks old), and it was a massive fail.   

We got loads of advice from friends and family beforehand.  One friend told us about Breastflow bottles; the nipple on these bottles is supposed to be very supportive of breastfeeding.  So we stocked up on Breastflow bottles, and only Breastflow bottles.  Many people had told us, "It's trial and error, you need to try out different brands to find what she likes."  And I thought, "Nah...I want a nipple that will support breastfeeding.  Surely she'll love the first brand we try!"  Not the case, my friends.  NOT.THE.CASE.

The second time Casey tried, she took the bottle.  He had to fight her for 45 minutes, but she eventually ate.  Well after that second attempt we had a whole lotta inconsistency.  Sometimes she'd take it, sometimes she'd play with it, other times she would have no part of it.  All the while we insisted on using the Breastflow bottles.

Fast forward a few weeks, and we fly across the country for my last week of maternity leave (post on that to come, I swear!).  Lucy didn't get a single bottle that whole week.  Needless to say, we were all a little worried for her first day at Grandpa Daycare.  What if she won't eat?  What if she's inconsolable?  Well, thankfully, that big bag of bottles paid off.  Grandpa found a brand (Medela) that Goosey would tolerate...by trial and error.  Lucy continues to improve each day with the bottle. 

Side note:  Goose is still doing great with breastfeeding.  She only gets the boob when I'm around. 

I hope this post will come in handy for those who plan to bottle feed eventually.  Despite our stubborn attitudes in the beginning, I really think trying out different brands is key.  I also think starting the bottle closer to four weeks would significantly lessen everyone's stress once the momma returns to work.

Someone has a full belly!

Lucy is not a fan of daycare.

Granted its only been two days...

We are very fortunate to live in the same town as Goosey's grandparents (on both sides), and we are especially lucky because my dad is retired.  He and my sister watch Lucy during the day, from 7:00-3:00.  Not only is it a HUGE money saver, but it is also a huge comfort to know she is with family.

This transition certainly could have been smoother - traveling the last week of maternity leave was not the brightest idea.  Before yesterday morning, Lucy had only stayed with my parents a handful of times, and only for a few hours at a time.  And on top of that, we really hadn't perfected bottle feeding (I know, I know...I owe you guys a post on introducing the bottle, and I promise its coming).

Auntie Fallon said she was actually starting to get a little worried at one point yesterday, when she couldn't calm Lucy.  Because Lucy is a bit of a nipple snob, she only ate about two ounces between 7 and 3 ( she should have eaten about twelve ounces...).  She spent the majority of her time awake crying - thankfully she slept a lot.  When Lucy gets really, REALLY upset, she coughs from crying so hard....tears stream down...and her eyes get really red.  It is heartbreaking, to say the least.

I basically dropped her off with a bag of different bottles and nipples for them to experiment with; towards the end of the day they discovered that she would tolerate the Medela brand nipples.  This discovery is what made today's experience MUCH better than yesterday; today she ate five ounces - not great, but an improvement.  She still cried a lot - she was fussy almost the whole time she was awake - but she wasn't hysterical. 

We are all praying that she will adjust over time, the sooner the better!  I feel like I am causing her pain, because I left her.  And there is nothing I can do about it until our budget allows for me to stay home.  In the meantime I've applied for the Flex Time schedule at work; once approved I'll be working 7-3:30, instead of 8-4:30.  Its a start, but still not enough. 

And now, I shall leave you with a pic of Goosey taking the bottle like a champ:

YAY Goose!