Holsteins and Jerseys

So Emma's tests told us exactly what we figured they would...or little girl is a little girl :)

After a full day at Children's and Dr King's office yesterday, it was determined that, as the title eludes to, I am a Holstein and Emma needs a Jersey (exact words from Dr King). For those of you who spent anytime around a farm, you will know exactly what that means. For us city folk who sit and scratch our heads at such a phrase, I'll explain :)

Those are types of cows :) Babies need lots and lots of fat to be those adorable chunky monkeys. Holstein cows produce very low fat milk. Jersey cows produce very fatty milk (they're the butter cows). Basically, I produce skim milk while Emma needs whole milk. My milk is very low in fat, and while she has plenty to drink, it doesn't have what she needs in it to gain the weight. 

So it took all that time and tests and worrisome nights to find out that I'm not a fat cow ;)

The remedy is supplementation. I'd already started Emma out with a couple ounces of formula each time I nursed and that was helping but I was only giving her straight breastmilk at daycare. So now I am giving her half and half in her bottles. It's actually a blessing in disguise because now I can actual keep up with my supply while pumping at work! I was really nervous about it before this plan because there was no way I could pump 15 oz a day for her to have at daycare the next day. Nine is much more manageable ;) 

So for the foreseeable future, Emma will be a half and half baby...breastmilk with a side of formula please! Dr King advised us to stop giving cereal because it wasn't adding any nutritional value whatsoever and she has NO reflux (what I've been telling everyone from the beginning) so she doesn't need it to coat her tummy. We're also waiting to start baby food until she puts the weight on. It's more recreational anyways, like the cereal. It doesn't really add nutritional value until they get a lot older. I'm secretly happy about that because it makes me feel like I still have a newborn ;) I know she's not but it makes me feel like it cuz I can say "she's too little for baby food" ;)

My baby is growing up though and will be 5 months old on Sunday! Hopefully, she'll have this cold kicked to the curb by then and she'll be able to enjoy a nice relaxing Labor Day on Monday :)

Hope everyone has a nice three day weekend with lots of football! War Eagle!

God bless!