Yesterday was Natalie and my first outing when I knew I'd have to breastfeed while we were away from home. I timed it that way so that I'd get some practice in. I love that she falls asleep almost instantly upon being strapped into her carseat, but as soon as we pulled in to our destination, she was up and hungry. Scotty and I pulled up a park bench outside of the store where we wanted to shop and I managed to situate her, myself and the sling in such a way as I could feed her discreetly. Of course, discreet is not as important here as it would be in the states, but I'd like to practice discretion nonetheless. She did alright and it was a great chance for Scotty and I to enjoy the gorgeous weather, stare at the mountains, and talk- I had been wanting a chance to sit outisde since she was born, and I think that was the first time I got to do it. Then Scotty asked if we could continue feeding her while we walked around the store- sure! So, I finished up the feed, in her sling, while looking at cool Bolivian handicrafts. After that, we took a stroll around and did a bit of window shopping, making sure not to push myself too hard while I continue to recover from the surgery. We drove home with me feeling like I had conquered a big fear of breastfeeding in public and realizing that I'm finally reaching a point where I can do more stuff with her outside of the house. After lunch, we went to Greg and Faith's so that they could see Natalie and we could chat unhurridedly with them- something we rarely get to do but always desire. We had a nice time hanging out in their living room, talking politics, movies, and baby and loving that these are our close friends and coworkers on the field. Then I had a few visitors that evening and realized later that I had maybe tried to do too many things that day. Thankfully, Natalie had a pretty good night of sleep and so we got some rest too.
Today, I was looking forward to a day in the park with my good mommy friends. We had another beautiful day of sunny skies and warm temps and spent a couple hours on blankets, surrounded by ducks, a small lake, flowers, and good company. We talked babies, I got lots of needed advice, we took tons of pics, and Natalie did great! She stayed awake the whole time, no crying, and seemed to really enjoy lying on a blanket next to some older, chatty babies. She didn't say a whole lot, but we'll get there eventually. Although you can see in the pic that she's quite a bit smaller than her friends, we measured length and feet and her feet are the same size as her 6 month friend and her length just a hair shorter than her 5 month friend. She's a long girl! Later in the day, I had an emotional moment and started to feel all those yucky thoughts surging into my mind of how I don't know what I'm doing- how could I let my baby get diaper rash? how am I going to know all the stuff I need to get for her while we're home so that I'm prepared for the next 6 months? what if her eating/sleeping doesn't even out a bit before we have to travel? etc... It's nasty and shows me that I still desperately need to rely on God, trust in Him, and not let myself dwell on the fears that arise. I prayed, had a nap, and am feeling much better. I realize that I don't allow myself to rest enough during the day and can become overwhelmed by the work of being a new mom, not to mention all the questions. I am constantly challenged to bring all my needs before the Lord, with thanksgiving, and know that His peace will surround me. What a great God we serve!
Yesterday was Natalie and my first outing when I knew I'd have to breastfeed while we were away from home. I timed it that way so that I'd get some practice in. I love that she falls asleep almost instantly upon being strapped into her carseat, but as soon as we pulled in to our destination, she was up and hungry. Scotty and I pulled up a park bench outside of the store where we wanted to shop and I managed to situate her, myself and the sling in such a way as I could feed her discreetly. Of course, discreet is not as important here as it would be in the states, but I'd like to practice discretion nonetheless. She did alright and it was a great chance for Scotty and I to enjoy the gorgeous weather, stare at the mountains, and talk- I had been wanting a chance to sit outisde since she was born, and I think that was the first time I got to do it. Then Scotty asked if we could continue feeding her while we walked around the store- sure! So, I finished up the feed, in her sling, while looking at cool Bolivian handicrafts. After that, we took a stroll around and did a bit of window shopping, making sure not to push myself too hard while I continue to recover from the surgery. We drove home with me feeling like I had conquered a big fear of breastfeeding in public and realizing that I'm finally reaching a point where I can do more stuff with her outside of the house. After lunch, we went to Greg and Faith's so that they could see Natalie and we could chat unhurridedly with them- something we rarely get to do but always desire. We had a nice time hanging out in their living room, talking politics, movies, and baby and loving that these are our close friends and coworkers on the field. Then I had a few visitors that evening and realized later that I had maybe tried to do too many things that day. Thankfully, Natalie had a pretty good night of sleep and so we got some rest too. 
2 comments:
I'd like to see a photo of the nursery ... so far we've seen close-ups of Natalie which is a good thing, but I'm curious about how her surroundings look as well.
Gosh, Lisa. I can relate to so much of this. Thanks for writing so candidly...it helps me to hear of how you are coping with all these challenges in the moment. Esp. about pushing too hard, doing more than I should, the moments of anxiety, the tremendous power of prayer and naps. :) It sounds like you're making great progress and pacing yourself well.
I know you're probably booked by now (and that's totally fine), but I would love to hug you, give you a gift and meet Natalie when you're here if it's possible. No pressure. :)
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