A post of otherness which contains talk of breastfeeding, you have been warned

First and foremost we took the little M into the pediatrician today for another weight check. He had his six month check up on the 31st and hadn't gained enough weight for the pediatrician's liking. The pediatrician (whom I LOVE! I would recommend him to anyone in the SLC area who is looking) was concerned that the little man wasn't getting enough to eat and wanted me to top him off with formula to see if he was still hungry, then come back a few days later to check his weight. I was really unhappy with that plan because I had made it my goal since before he was born to breastfeed him exclusively. However, having the tiny's best interest at heart I did attempt to top him off for the few days, but I did my best to get him to nurse as much as possible before I offered him a bottle. The most he took at one time was about half an ounce, so once I really started pushing him to eat he was getting enough. I started feeding him every two hours, whether he acted hungry or not. We went back in for a weight check last Friday and he had gained an ounce, which wasn't too shabby for three days, but still wasn't what the pediatrician was looking for. We were offered two choices, one was a three day blitz where I pumped constantly and feed Malcolm pumped milk combined with formula to see how his intake versus my output compared. The other option was a one week test to see how much weight he would gain if I continued really pushing him to eat. We chose the one week and it was up today. We went back to the pediatrician hoping for at least three ounces of weight gain. He gained EIGHT ounces! All of us were ecstatic and the pediatrician said I was doing the perfect thing and wants us to come back in two weeks to see how he's progressing, we're looking for 12-16 ounces of weight gain in the next two weeks. Hopefully Malcolm and I can keep this pace up, but if you are looking for me at Uprising I'll probably be holed up somewhere comfy and shady feeding the little man.

Quick formula/breastfeeding disclaimer. I don't have a problem with formula, I know it's the perfect option for a lot of families...I just didn't want to deal with it. My not wanting to give Malcolm formula is all about my own personal goals, and having done it for a few days I can say that for my situation it was a MUCH bigger pain in the rear end than breastfeeding.

This week's goals and what I did on Monday

IRCC goals for the week:

1. Assemble Orange slashy doublet This is taken off my list because I somehow forgot that I needed to make lacing strips for the waist and arms before I could assemble the doublet, therefore:
2. Start lacing strips for orange slashy doublet
3. Cut out brown doublet
I haven't chosen the lining, yet...I'm thinking of maybe tea dying some linen, but I want to do some subtle embroidery on the velvet so I got the important part cut out
4. Purchase/find in stash orange embroidery thread (I haven't found anything I love so this may be deferred to Uprising where hopefully I can find something wonderful)
5. Test Dennis's pants pattern
6. Start Orange fabric buttons (ohhh Noelle, do you have a magic trick for cutting these out? Thank you Noelle!)
7. Test version of partlet Post with pictures to come

Other sewing goals this week:
Assemble and attach to skirt new version of pink linen bodice (which is also a test run of my IRCC bodice)
Assemble purple kirtle
One more other undecided kirtle
New whites for everyone
Two pairs pants for the tiny one
Doublet for the tiny one
Finish black doublet

You can't tell that it's the week before Uprising, can you? My to-do list difficulty is being compounded by my darling mini. He is not gaining weight as fast as the pediatrician would like, so we're back to nursing every two hours (measured from start of session to start of session) during the day, he nurses for 30-60 minutes each time, so that means everything has to be done in hour long chunks. However, the alternative is not one I'm willing to face without exhausting all other options.

Yesterday I spent baking and not touching a piece of fabric at all. There is a couple that we met through church who has become good friends with my entire family. The husband's health has been poor the entire time we've known them. His goal had been to make it to his 90th birthday next week. Unfortunately he passed away in his sleep last week. His wife asked me to make a birthday cake to celebrate his life for the reception yesterday. A 90th birthday deserves an awesome cake.

On top of the top tier it says "Happy 90th birthday Stan". The paw print is for his dog who adored him. She was so loyal to him that during a recent, unexpected hospital stay she chewed her way out of her crate so she could go look for him. On the bottom tier is a blue star for his 40 years of service in the US Air Force and a red maple leaf for his years in the Canadian Air Force. On the middle tier is a heart with their anniversary in it and around the top it says "I'll always remember I love you". Stan was in the hospital once and was very disoriented, he couldn't remember any of the standard questions (name, date, where are you). His wife asked what he DID remember and he said "I remember that I love you." After that he told her every night when they went to bed that he would always remember that he loved her.

Happy birthday Stan. We'll miss you.

No sewing update, but...

I have new carpet!  Our house was a rental before we owned it and the tenants did a number on it.  Spots on walls that won't come off, cupboard and drawer fronts hanging off, but the worst was the living room and stair carpet.  We had steam cleaned, but there were still giant stains that would not come out (of course, the upshot of that is we got the house cheap and already owe less than it appraises at).  My parents-in-law most kindly replaced the carpet in our living room, the main half flight of stairs, and the upstairs hallway.  It is now a beautiful silver/gray color and is extremely comfy to the feets.

A sewing update later today, though...I promise. :-)

Mrgllgrgl

I had a whole post disappear. One minute there was a post about my son's baptismal gown, the next it was gone! I can still view the comment on it, but no post. :(