Another Thrush update ;)

Okay, I realize you are probably all sick and tired of hearing about thrush, but I am sick and tired of dealing with thrush!!!

My last post on it was Friday, so I will pick up from there.

Things didn't get any better over the weekend, in fact they got worse. Sage started refusing to nurse. I really can't blame her, I mean, would you want to nurse if every time you latched on, your mom was gasping in pain?! I know I wouldn't!!

So Monday morning I started calling some walk-in clinics, to see what their hours were, and what would be the best time to come in. One of them opened at 8am every morning, and took only walk-in patients between 8 and 9am. That seemed like the easiest time for me to go, and the most likely time to get in, so I decided to go with that one.

First thing Tuesday morning, I left Gairod at home with the 4 older kids, and Sage and I headed into Airdrie. The doctor was awesome!! She checked both Sage and I, went over everything I had previously tried, and questioned why Sage hadn't been treated at all by my family doctor! She got me on two weeks of Fluconazole, and Sage on one week of Nystatin. She also told me to use the Nystatin topically.

FINALLY!!! A doctor who listened to me, knew about thrush, and was willing to treat it aggressively in both me and Sage!! :) I feel such a HUGE sense of relief, and I am confident that we can finally start to get this cleared up!!

My Baby is ONE!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Update

Okay, after doing some Googling, I think Sage is on a "nursing strike", rather than self weaning.

From what I read, I need to just keep offering it to her. I also read that they are more likely to nurse when they are sleepy. Well, Sage just woke up about half an hour ago (at 9:30pm), and instead of just giving her her soother, like I normally would, I decided to try nursing her................and she nursed!!! I feel such a huge sense of relief!

Self Weaning?!?!

Sooooo, I think Sage is self-weaning!! :(

She nursed this morning when she got up, but for the rest of the day she refused to nurse!!! I figured she would AT LEAST nurse before she went to bed tonight, but she only nursed for about 30 seconds and then didn't want anymore :( :( :(

I HATE THIS DAMN THRUSH!!!!

Dropping the Ball

You've all heard the expression "dropping the ball" right?! Well, I feel like I am constantly dropping the ball.

I feel like a juggler, trying to keep too many balls in the air. I can't possibly keep them all in the air at the same time, so I am always dropping one or two, and picking up a couple that are on the ground.

I want to homeschool. I want to spend leisure time with my kids, I want to spend leisure time with my husband, and I want to spend leisure time by myself. I want to keep a clean house, a clutter-free house, and an organized house. I want to bake, and make homemade meals. I want to be a healthy weight, have a healthy relationship with food, and be happy with my body. I want to be a happy mom, and a fun mom. I want my kids to have wonderful memories of their childhood, and I want have wonderful memories of their childhood.

Do I try and do too much? Are my expectations too high? Does anyone else have this problem? Or is it just me, and my laziness, and my lack of motivation? Why can't I seem to keep a healthy balance of all of these things?

Why am I ALWAYS dropping the ball??

Thrush Update :(

Let's see, I last posted about this on Sunday, right?!

On Monday I got a call from a La Leche League lady, and she said that it definitely sounds like I have thrush, and that I need to get some prescriptions from a doctor. She said I need an topical cream, a systemic anti fungal, and an oral anti fungal for Sages mouth.

SO, I called and got an appointment for Wednesday. On Wednesday I went in (to my regular doctor, the same one I saw the previous Wednesday), and this time he didn't even look at me. I told him I have open sores on my nipples, and he didn't even ask to see them. I showed him the pamphlet on Thrush that the LLL lady emailed me, and he looked over it, and said that most of it was wrong. Oh, did I mention that he didn't even know what LLL was?!?! So, he said he would get me an appointment with a lactation consultant. I managed to get him to write me a script for an anti fungal cream (Lotriderm), but he would give me anything systemic, OR give me anything for Sage's mouth, so that she doesn't keep passing it back to me. So yeah, I was NOT very happy when I left his office, but I was happy that I was at least going to get see a lactation consultant, who would surely be able to help me! Or so I thought.....

When I got home (we had Cole's speech therapy that afternoon, so we didn't get home until a few hours later), there was a message from the doctor's office, saying that I had to call and make the appointment myself. They gave me the name and number, and said to call as soon as possible, because she only had one appointment left for next week! So I called, gave the LC a brief history, and she simply said "You need to call Communicable Diseases, they'll deal with that, here is their number" and pretty much hung up on me. I stood in the kitchen fighting back tears. All I want is some help. I just want someone to give me what I need, so I can start getting this cleared up. I can deal with the pain, if I can at least see the light at the end of the tunnel. Right now it is still dark.

So I posted something on Facebook, and got tons of responses! Apparently a lot of people I know have had thrush! lol! So I got a few ideas of some over the counter stuff I could try.

Diflucan is the systemic anti fungal that my doctor wouldn't give me. He said that you can't take it while breastfeeding. BUT, everything I have read says that that is what you need to take for thrush. So, I learned that you can get it over the counter (CanesOral), so I got it, and I took it. I was also told that you can use the Canesten cream on your nipples, so I got that too.

According to the box, it may take a couple of days for the CanesOral to start working. I only took it yesterday afternoon, so I am still waiting. As for my poor nipples, they aren't getting any better yet either. I am using the Lotriderm twice a day, the Canesten twice a day, and last night I started using the GV again. Nursing still hurts SO BAD!! I STILL have open sores, and it seems just when they start to heal, they open back up again :( Now my nipples are looking quite red and sunburn-ish. I am eating yogurt, and I am taking Odorless garlic (it's supposed to help clear the yeast out of your system).

I am REALLY hoping that things start to improve over the weekend. If they don't, I will go to a walk-in clinic, and see a DIFFERENT doctor, early next week. This is seriously wearing me down, physically, AND emotionally. I have been dealing with thrush for 2 weeks already, and I just want it to start getting better.

Eat like a thin person?!

As I sit here snacking on mini chocolate bars, wallowing in self pity over my boob pain, I have decided to write a post about my fatness. Haha - No, I'm serious.

I NEED to lose weight. I KNOW I have said this a MILLION times before, and I probably sound like a broken record, but it is true, I DO!!

We went to a wedding this weekend, and as I squeezed my fatness into a nice black dress (which of course I made look horrible!), I realized that I used to enjoy getting dressed up and going to weddings, but I don't anymore. I hate being "the fat lady" at the wedding. I hate feeling like everyone is looking at my fatness as I walk across the room, I hate not dancing, because I am so self-conscious of how I will look. I hate constantly worrying that someone I don't know, or haven't seen in a long time, is going to ask when I am due. I also realized that none of that is going to change, unless I do something about it!!

I recently read on a message board, about an on-line acquaintance who lost 20 some pounds. When people asked her how she did it, she simply said she didn't concentrate so much on dieting, but focused more on "eating like a thin person". So that got me thinking. How does a "thin person" eat?! I KNOW there are some thin people who read my blog (hell, you are probably ALL thinner than ME!!), so I want to know how you eat! What do you eat for breakfast? What do you eat for lunch? Do you snack? If so, how often, and on what? What are your tricks of the thin person trade?!

I KNOW I have terrible eating habits. I eat too much junk, and I eat too much portion wise. Maybe if I try "eating like a thin person" I will one day become one! ;)

Pain.

I am in so much pain, I want to cry.

Nursing hurts SO BAD right now, that I hate it.

But what I hate even more, is that I don't even know *for sure* what is wrong, so I don't know if what I am doing to try to heal it, is even helping.

As of Friday, I now have open sores on my nipples. Yes, you read that right open sores. And how do you think open sores feel when a baby sucks on them?! Let me tell you: NOT GOOD!!!

I have used Gentian Violet for 3 days now, tonight will be my 4th day. I really don't know if it is helping. I guess the deep pain is gone, but now the sores on my nipples hurt SO much, that nursing really isn't feeling any better. So yesterday I bought some Lansinoh nipple cream. I am hoping that it will help to heal the sores.

I put a call into La Leche League tonight, and I am hoping they will get back to me tomorrow, and at the very least be able to point me in the direction of a lactation consultant, or confirm/deny my self diagnosis of thrush.

I just want the pain to go away. I want to enjoy nursing again. My mom suggested weaning, since I was originally planning on weaning soon anyways, but I REFUSE to end on a bad note!! But honestly, the pain is SO bad, that I don't know how much longer I can take it. :(

Some School Pics!

Here are some pictures from school time yesterday! ♥

The triplets were working on cutting skills, by cutting out circles. Jade was working on Math in the picture I took of her.

Look at those AWESOME circles!! :)

I am really becoming more confident with our homeschooling, and things are running quite smoothly! SO, I have decided that on Monday we will add Social Studies/Science to our daily activities! We will start a unit study on Giraffes, and dive into the world of Lapbooking!!

I have to admit, the idea of Lapbooking really didn't appeal to me at first. I am NOT a very crafty person, and I would much rather just write a report on something! lol! BUT, Jade is very crafty, and I think she is going to LOVE lapbooking!! I found a cool template for a Giraffe lapbook, so we are going to try it out!! :)

Thrush?!

About a week ago, my boobs started hurting while I was nursing Sage. It kind of felt like she was not latched properly, but I knew she was.

As the pain started to get worse and worse each day, I started to wonder, and I started to "google"! lol!

With the sharp, shooting pain I've been having, I keep coming back to "Thrush". But Sage's mouth seems fine (no white patches), so I'm not totally sure.......but I can't seem to find anything else that it could be. It's NOT a plugged duct, it's NOT mastitis, it's NOT ovulation pain, and I am NOT pregnant.

So yesterday I went to my doctor, but it was a waste of time. He said it's not thrush, because thrush doesn't hurt. Ummm, if you google thrush, every article you find will tell you that thrush can cause sharp, shooting pain in the breast, and nipple pain. Sooooo, like I said, it was a waste of time. He kept telling me it was probably a plugged duct. Ummm, in BOTH breasts?!? I don't think so. Plus, I know what a plugged duct feels like, and this in not the same kind of pain. SOOO, since he wouldn't give me a prescription, I have decided to take a more natural approach, and try Gentian Violet. Yes, it is bright purple, and yes, it STAINS!! BUT, I am in so much pain, that I really don't care, as long as it works!! lol!

So, without further adieu, here is my precious purple-mouthed baby!!! ♥

Encouragement

Isn't it amazing how good a bit of encouragement can make us feel?!

Today I got a call from our homeschooling advisor. With the homeschooling board we are registered with, it is required that we meet with our advisor at least twice during the school year. Once near the beginning, and once near the end. Besides that, it is totally up to us to determine how much contact we want with our advisor. They are available to help if need be, but they will also leave us alone and let us do our own thing if that is what we want. This is one of the things that made me decide to go with this school board. I want to be able to do what I want to do, and not have someone breathing down my neck the whole time! lol!

So our advisor called today, to introduce himself, and set up our first meeting. After talking with him, I am feeling refueled and encouraged!! We seem to have very similar views on how to homeschool, which really makes me feel better about the fact that I don't want to "do school at home", but take on a more traditional homeschooling approach. He told me not to become a slave to the curriculum, but to do what works best for me and my child. He was also very encouraging of my ideas to go with more "child-led learning" for subjects like Social Studies and Science, as opposed to following a curriculum.

So basically, he helped me to validate to myself, that what I am doing is fine, and I don't need to worry about what other people think I should or shouldn't be doing. :)

One more update!

I can't believe I almost forgot the most important update!!!

Sage is back to sleeping through the night!!!! YAY!!! After a couple nights of waking up 2-3 times, and only getting a soother, Sage dropped down to only getting up once for a couple of nights (again, she only got a soother), and for the last 3 nights she has slept through the night!! :)

Updates!

Wow! I didn't realize how long it's been since I have posted!

Things have been going well, we've just been busy!!

The first week of homeschooling was a struggle. It was definitely a major adjustment (for the kids AND me!), but after adjusting a few things (I was trying to cram TOO MUCH into each day!), things are going very smoothly now! :) In fact, Jade just did her first math test today, and got 93%!! It took a few days for her to get used to this math program (if you remember, that was one of our major problems on the first day), but now she is flying through it with ease! School is now taking us a total of 2-2.5 hours a day, which is what I originally thought it would be. I am enjoying having my kids home with me each day, and I am REALLY enjoying watching them learn ♥

Sage is now crawling all over the place, and over the weekend, she cut her fifth tooth!

I am still busy organizing, re-arranging, and de-cluttering! I keep telling myself that SOMEDAY I will get it all done! lol!

5th and 6th nights, and 1st night of "crying it out"

The 5th and 6th nights were pretty much like the others. 5th night Sage was up twice, and 6th night she was up 3 times.

So last night, on a whim (aka - I was crabby and tired!), I decided to try letting her "cry it out". She first woke up at 10pm. I went into her room, picked her up, snuggled her, then put her back down. She was not happy. I left the room, and she cried for about 5 minutes before falling back asleep. She woke up next at 1am. I went into her room, gave her her soother, put her blanket back on, and left. She was fine, and went right back to sleep!! She woke up again at 4am, and again at 5:50am. Both times I gave her her soother, put on her blanket, and left. Both times she was fine and went right back to sleep!!

So it went WAY better than I thought it would!! I am REALLY hoping that tonight goes as well (although it would be nice if she didn't wake up FOUR times!!). Then hopefully she will realize that she is not going to be nursed when she wakes up, and stop waking up!

Sage is CRAWLING!!!

Sage had a BIG day yesterday!!

First of all, at lunch time, I noticed that she had cut her 4th tooth, a top middle one!

Then, after supper........SHE CRAWLED!!!! It took her just over 11 months, but she finally did it!!!

I am glad she finally figured out how to do it, since lately she has been getting very frustrated, but I am sad that my baby is growing up! :(

I guess now it is time to baby proof again! Up until now we have been able to just move things away from her, but now she can get to them! lol!

♥ Sage Crawling! ♥

LOL! She blinked right when I took the picture!