Things are going well with our new family. Zoe will be a month old in four days!

I am actually a bit paranoid...kind of waiting for the bottom to fall out from under us. I have always heard that going from one child to two is life altering but any kids after the second one the baby just kind of fits into your life. So far that has been true for us.

I remember that after Natalie was born I had to rely heavily on my mom (thank goodness for her). So she and I planned in advance for this one. We purchased convenience foods and easy breakfast foods (neither of which we usually have in our home) in anticipation of me sending the kids up to eat with her every morning. I tried to prepare myself for the hormonal, emotional upheaval that was "sure" to come. We delayed starting our homeschooling although the public schools had already started.

But we have all done amazingly well. I am not saying this to brag...I don't really hold any of the credit...it is just something that has happened. I have been getting up at our regular time (around 6:30-7:00), cooking the kid's breakfast, doing school, etc. I also haven't experienced any of the emotional ups and downs that I expected. I've even managed to keep my house clean and to stay on top of the dishes - despite the lack of a dishwasher (until tax refund season!). So it's almost like things are going a little too well, hence the whole "waiting for the bottom to drop out" feeling.

The kids have been amazing with Zoe. Neither have really shown jealously. Natalie sometimes wants to lay on my arm when I am nursing Zoe and gets upset that I can't somehow manage to do both but for the most part they are very protective and loving in regards to her. They have both admonished me when I have had to use the bulb syringe to suction her nose so that she could breathe in order to nurse. I hate doing it but sometimes it is necessary...I don't think Ben and Natalie agree. Natalie has even gone as far as to put her hand over Zoe's nose and order me to stop!

As with when Natalie was a baby, I again have a low milk supply due to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). We are having to supplement with formula but there is no way we are giving up nursing. Natalie nursed for 2 1/2 years and I hope that Zoe does for at least that long.

Zoe has been diagnosed as being tongue tied. This is leading to even more problems breastfeeding when combined with my already low supply. We are having a very hard time finding someone who is willing to do a frenetomy (clip the frendelum under her tongue so as to release her tongue and enable her to latch on properly). I'm not going to go into details because they are long and I will just end up getting pissed off all over again. Hopefully I have found someone who can help (at the recommendation of the lactation consultant at the center where she was born) and I will be calling them first thing Tuesday morning.

As for other important news in our family, my first baby turned seven years old on the 26th of August! I cannot believe that he has grown up so fast. He and I made a monster truck cake for his birthday. We also made a crown for the birthday boy to wear and will be storing it in a safe place so that everyone else in the family can wear it on their special day as well.