Success! How to unclog a plugged milk duct...

Yesterday morning I was snuggling on the couch with Finn and he kept kicking me in the chest (which hurt like hell-- more than expected). I was sleep deprived after a long night of baby Bodhi writhing with gas and only sleeping while on my chest nursing. I felt engorged in one part of my right breast and when I touched it there was a huge lump. It must be a plugged duct! Ouch.

what wouldn't I do for that face?

After consulting my favorite breastfeeding resource, I started following instructions-- resting, nursing, pumping, massaging and using hot compresses, but after a few hours there was no change. My cousin Kristen told me how she massaged hers until it hurt like crazy and then squeezed it out like popping a zit. I tried-- no luck. Finally I found a blog (I'll link it later when I find it again) that said to follow the above directions for a few hours and then massage the lump down toward the nipple until a whitehead looking thing appears on the nipple. Then, sterilize a sewing needle and pop it like a blister. Relief! It worked. After nursing, the hard, painful lump was gone.
I was strangely satisfied and proud of myself. 

Questions for my mother {Part One}: How did you keep the house so clean?

 Not a day passes that I don't think about my mom. She died 3 1/2 years ago when I was about 2 months pregnant with Finn. There's a void in my life without her. Becoming a mom has helped me to empathize with her in so many new ways. It has also helped me to heal parts of my own childhood. There are countless questions that I wish I could ask her; so I thought I'd start writing them down and see what reflections arise. I'll start out with a light one...

 #1: How did you keep the house so clean?
I remember our house being pretty damn clean all of the time. How did she do it? I find myself working non-stop day and night just to keep it looking decent (I'm exaggerating here-- I've learned to let a lot of it go. It's more important that I actually play with Finn than clean up the kitchen). Of course, I don't remember when I was 3 3/4 and Conor was just born...maybe it wasn't always perfect then? I wonder if she struggled with it like me? 

Fun with Finn

Here is one of our home-made box pull toys--idea from Made by Joel (I love his stuff). We did laps around the house running with our new mini-dachsund(?) My feral child loved it.



We made a kitty on the day prior, but Finn was mad. He tore off the Kitty's head! No Kitty! I want doggy! Funny, because Finn has now developed a fear of dogs (except for Odin, of course). Yesterday at Tanner's birthday in the park he wouldn't set foot on the ground because there were some big dogs running around. We'll get past it. Yes, we will.



What a goof ball! I love him.