tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.comments2013-01-07T13:27:33.285-08:00Peace is UpstreamHollyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465809546648919967noreply@blogger.comBlogger213125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-32309079957911706372013-01-07T13:27:33.285-08:002013-01-07T13:27:33.285-08:00i love mama musings ... especially mama's who ...i love mama musings ... especially mama's who write well and appreciate all that her little person does and is. so happy for the three of you, cjCJ Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06239205319248917037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-32186503674506504612013-01-07T08:40:27.734-08:002013-01-07T08:40:27.734-08:00So so wonderful. So so wonderful. The Ingramshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09684871876337111752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-62764951397300370892013-01-07T05:25:51.380-08:002013-01-07T05:25:51.380-08:00Such an apt description of this tiny tot. Great wr...Such an apt description of this tiny tot. Great writer, great mommy. xoxoDiane Harris, Stash Bandithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06633133816070117011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-33329414615126591352012-10-24T12:44:00.507-07:002012-10-24T12:44:00.507-07:00Holly, thanks for sharing this and for being a sou...Holly, thanks for sharing this and for being a source of love and support for your brother. loverstreethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15423746509372224353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-26256585900749156852012-10-23T22:15:32.210-07:002012-10-23T22:15:32.210-07:00What a powerful message of your brother's succ...What a powerful message of your brother's success story and your experience as a mom! Such eloquence and beautiful truth. WOW.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-25312838035569904182012-10-23T21:45:36.248-07:002012-10-23T21:45:36.248-07:00SO proud of you Holly!SO proud of you Holly!The Ingramshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09684871876337111752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-55850266767721176062012-10-02T13:30:07.731-07:002012-10-02T13:30:07.731-07:00This will forever make me laugh out loud. I love i...This will forever make me laugh out loud. I love it so much.Diane Harris, Stash Bandithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06633133816070117011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-42271115497980565082012-10-01T09:49:59.197-07:002012-10-01T09:49:59.197-07:00Ha! This was amazing and adorable.Ha! This was amazing and adorable.Maryannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15865894549610060771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-24239675542800371082012-09-24T08:36:30.795-07:002012-09-24T08:36:30.795-07:00Gosh, so many precious memories right here. I cann...Gosh, so many precious memories right here. I cannot believe how big Duncan is getting - what a precious boy!The Ingramshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09684871876337111752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-56556948121132965322012-04-13T11:10:58.767-07:002012-04-13T11:10:58.767-07:00i adore brene brown. thanks for sharing!i adore brene brown. thanks for sharing!loverstreethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15423746509372224353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-58839298542720886772012-03-31T11:49:08.590-07:002012-03-31T11:49:08.590-07:00Oh my gosh, you never fail to crack me up. And eve...Oh my gosh, you never fail to crack me up. And even though you left my hula hoop far far behind, I'm so glad you're happy and I wouldn't change a thing. Unless they could build an airport near Bladen. I might change that. Cuz I'm really needin' me a jelly-filled Donut.Diane Harris, Stash Bandithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06633133816070117011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-63684391491237976722012-03-31T11:44:57.528-07:002012-03-31T11:44:57.528-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Diane Harris, Stash Bandithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06633133816070117011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-39057828552107708422012-03-31T00:49:59.224-07:002012-03-31T00:49:59.224-07:00This post made my night! I love your writing to D...This post made my night! I love your writing to DEATH. And donut too.Maryannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15865894549610060771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-42832934799469577792012-03-30T20:13:01.689-07:002012-03-30T20:13:01.689-07:00Sniffle, sniffle. We sure have a tough job, don...Sniffle, sniffle. We sure have a tough job, don't we?<br /><br />This is the best post ever. I love you guys!!The Ingramshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09684871876337111752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-1457920503518921252012-03-24T22:32:56.333-07:002012-03-24T22:32:56.333-07:00made it tonight and it was incredible! thanks for ...made it tonight and it was incredible! thanks for sharing holly!loverstreethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15423746509372224353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-30276722986142063482012-02-23T14:30:35.535-08:002012-02-23T14:30:35.535-08:00To my faithful commenting posse...
Your encourage...To my faithful commenting posse...<br /><br />Your encouragement (and incredible story, Brittney!) is just what the doctor ordered. Writing it out was great practice for getting used to TRUSTING MY GUT.<br /><br />There's another great post on mightygirl.com today about the link between breastfeeding and depression. And HOLY COW. The stories that are popping up are eye-opening and humbling. I didn't write about this part, mostly because I'm still sorting it all out, but I know that part of why I decided to stop breastfeeding is feeling myself slip toward depression from the stress of it all, and it's fascinating to hear about other women's similar experiences. <br /><br />Here's to women lifting each other up instead of being crabby jerks! Let's stick together! Woot!Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16465809546648919967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-58728891434916028402012-02-23T08:00:22.528-08:002012-02-23T08:00:22.528-08:00days turned into weeks which turned into months. i...days turned into weeks which turned into months. it consumed my life. i would sweat profusely and feel like i was walking in the sahara, i was so parched. i hated breastfeeding, i didn't feel an emotional connection to my child while doing it. in fact, i felt a lot worse about myself and about emma while i nursed. every day was a new struggle. there was never a point in time where she would latch on, eat for ten minutes (or even twenty or thirty minutes) and be done. it was keeping her awake, keeping him latched on, repositioning, and latching again. for some absurd reason i nursed for four months. let me say that again, four MONTHS. i felt like i had to nurse her. like i would let a large amount of people down if i couldn't successfully breastfeed my child. i knew it was best for her and it was free. <br /><br />i wish someone would have slapped me across the face. really, really hard. and then hand me a whole bunch of formula. <br /><br />maybe i wasn't feeding my child the better milk when i stopped nursing but, i was a better mom. i was happier, i enjoyed my baby more. i felt better about myself and about my child. she enjoyed eating and left satisfied. something i could never say about nursing.<br /><br />i am happy to say that i am now okay with being a formula feeding mom. more than okay actually, i am proud. i am proud i attempted and gave it my all. i feel no shame, not one ounce, for giving my child a large bottle of the powdery stuff. i am also happy to say that i breastfed my second child, harrison (14 months younger than emma), for three months. it wasn't easy, i didn't like it, and i still felt very down while nursing but, it wasn't nearly as traumatizing as with emma. i easily and happily made the transition to formula without any of the guilt i felt with emma. if and when we have more children i will try it again. only this time i will stop dead in my tracks if i start to walk down that dark road again. i am a happier and better mom because of my decision.Brittneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13364772939649976108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-28322810685772595852012-02-23T07:59:54.194-08:002012-02-23T07:59:54.194-08:00Holly:
I learned of your blog from my friend Shan...Holly:<br /><br />I learned of your blog from my friend Shanna Funk-Winer. I wanted to share my breast feeding story with you:<br /><br />when my first born, emma, was born i quickly tried, as everyone encouraged me to, to nurse her shortly after she was born, as to get us both used to this whole…thing. looking back now, i can only imagine how painful it was for her traumatized little face to even attempt to nurse. she wouldn't latch on. ever. during our stay in the hospital there was always a nurse, lactation consultant, my husband, or friend, hoovered over my chest trying to get the child to latch. she slept and slept and slept and i continued to try to feed a child that wanted nothing to do with colostrum. my back hurt in ways i could never have imagined from hunching over trying to position my boob into her mouth in just the right way, all while pinching alongside my nipple to release the milk, just like i was taught. i will not, for lack of making you vomit up your breakfast, go into detail of all the other ways i hurt. football hold, laying on my side, the boppy, my breast friend, nothing was working. she was losing weight and i was engorged. on the day we were to go home i remember being a massive amount of pain as she was sucking, and tiredly grimacing up to my sweet friends, nodding that i think she finally had it! only to look down and see a huge bruise a inch away from my nipple. <br /><br />the next few days were filled with tears, pain, raging emotions, ice packs, long hot showers, force feeding and opinions from all surrounding me. my poor husband was probably wondering what in the world happened to his wife. i laid in bed, topless, aching and moaning as i attempted to get emma to latch on at all costs. no such luck. i broke out the pump and i would, ever so painfully, pump out these two measley ounces of breast milk. emma was still losing weight and i was recommended to wake her up every two hours to feed him. every two hours, you say? well it takes me two hours to do the whole process from start to finish. so i'll just keep nursing twenty four hours a day while spitting out the food i was trying to swallow from crying so hard.Brittneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13364772939649976108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-11834640053592584662012-02-22T09:57:59.363-08:002012-02-22T09:57:59.363-08:00holly you are incredible. as a mom and as a woman....holly you are incredible. as a mom and as a woman. i love your honesty and so value that you are putting it out there. may we all be so bold and genuine.<br /><br />a friend of mine from portland (who happens to be a writer w/ mcsweeny's so you know, she is uber-cool) had her daughter extremely premature and had to give up many of her visions of motherhood--including breastfeeding. this is one of her blog posts about it, with a few great links: http://dlmayfield.wordpress.com/?s=breastfeeding<br /><br />while there is an alive and active pro-breastfeeding group that may like to condemn you without pausing to give grace, there are also hilarious moms who say "F it" and move on with doing what is best for their wee ones (i.e. not letting them starve due to pretentious agendas). as you are doing you brave, brave momma.loverstreethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15423746509372224353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-23886076853690128322012-02-22T09:23:01.681-08:002012-02-22T09:23:01.681-08:00I'm with Maryann - I want to shield you from a...I'm with Maryann - I want to shield you from any yucky comments too! <br /><br />Honestly, you are the best one for the job of Duncan's mama and nobody else can make these sorts of decisions for his life. You are doing great! xoxo.The Ingramshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09684871876337111752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-87407773643232815012012-02-22T01:04:37.599-08:002012-02-22T01:04:37.599-08:00I love you so much, Holly, and wish I could shield...I love you so much, Holly, and wish I could shield you from the people who will try to make you feel like your decision isn't the 'best' or 'right' one in their minds. <br /><br />Though I am confident that anyone who knows you at ALL will know and COMPLETELY trust that you are doing what is best for Duncan. And for you! I LOVE YOU!Maryannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15865894549610060771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-66527262151208645162012-02-08T08:11:28.781-08:002012-02-08T08:11:28.781-08:00Yes. I agree with Maryann! Love your post, love yo...Yes. I agree with Maryann! Love your post, love you, love Duncan!! Keep up the good work, mama (and PS the worries will just change over time - I think every mom has to work through that. You are not alone).The Ingramshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09684871876337111752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-84260066076163492202012-02-07T23:55:52.134-08:002012-02-07T23:55:52.134-08:00yaaaay! I love it when you blog. Other things I ...yaaaay! I love it when you blog. Other things I love: your honesty, your heart, you as a whole, and your beautiful baby Duncan.<br /><br />I hope I get to see you Thursday!Maryannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15865894549610060771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-44077713699862001392012-01-13T05:18:17.446-08:002012-01-13T05:18:17.446-08:00You are a beautiful family! So glad you are part o...You are a beautiful family! So glad you are part of ours!:)Congratulations!Janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04003953060419135604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-504428644206265200.post-68807883706674247432012-01-12T20:48:45.549-08:002012-01-12T20:48:45.549-08:00Holly! I am so happy for you! Your labor sounds SO...Holly! I am so happy for you! Your labor sounds SO FABULOUS! I would love to get together to chat and see this little munchkin :) Let me know if you have any questions at all!<br /><br />Love,<br />Amy Hiebert :)Amy Hiebertnoreply@blogger.com