Well, Titus has put on some weight. He weighed 7lbs. 7 oz. at the Dr. on Wednesday. But, I met with the nurse practioner who works with breastfeeding moms. She found that Titus has a tongue thrusting problem that is causing him to not get much milk. He pushes the nipple out when he sucks instead of sucks it down into his mouth. So, this explains why I was having pain and probably why he wasn't gaining weight very fast. He wasn't getting very much milk. This is a problem that can possibly be fixed. He has to relearn how to suck. So we are giving him bottles and working on teaching him how to suck properly. I am pumping away to give him as much of my milk as I possibly can, hoping to eventually be able to give him all my milk. Wednesday was a very hard day for me because I was expecting good news. I had weighed him at the breastfeeding clinic and felt encouraged so I was disappointed that there was still a problem. I really want to breastfeed him and I am committed to getting him breastmilk, but I'd rather it not be permantly from a bottle. My big fear is that after a few days of bottles, he won't want to go back to breasfeeding. So, I am cheating a little bit and letting him nurse after his bottle a couple of times a day. He still is interestd even if it's just for comfort. As you can imagine, pumping every 2 hours is quite a time committment and I am struggling to figure out how to make it all work. There are lots of moms who have pumped exclusively long term successfully, so I know it can be done. My friend Chelsea had to do it with her first, so she has been a great support in all of this. But, there is some good news. Titus' newborn screen finally came back with everything normal. Thank you Jesus! After all the pricks and scares(Thank you the State of Kansas), we now have peace of mind that everything is fine.
We appreciate all our prayer warriors out there that remember us and lift us up. Here are some specific prayer requests for this week. First of all, that Titus would learn to suck correctly and that he would be able to go back to breastfeeding. Second, that I would figure out how to juggle pumping, feeding and taking care of him and the household chores. Third, both Jeremiah and I are feeling pretty worn out, so prayer for energy and strength for the both of us. Lastly, the church is getting ready to move into their new building. This means a very exciting but busy time for Jeremiah. Please pray that things would fall into place for the move and that it would be a place that lives are changed and people meet Jesus.
I look forward to seeing many of you this weekend in Topeka. Titus loves to be held so I hope your arms are ready:) I am thankful for the blessing that sweet Titus is in our lives. It is hard right now, but he's so precious it's all worth it. It is all because of what Jesus did on the cross that we live and we have reason to celebrate.
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