Got More Milk?

This blog is dedicated to my sister Tarisa who found this story funny. The name of my blog “Wiferhood” was coined due to my status as a new wife and mother. As would any person learning something new, I diligently read the books and manuals provided to the first time moms. According to the manual, breast fed babies drink about 2 ounces each time they nurse. This pattern continues until they are about 3 months old. So I did not think it strange when NyCee would nurse several times a day. According to “the book”, the normal nursing pattern was about 8-12 times a day. So of course, that is what I did.

NyCee and I were in Michigan visiting with family and they noticed that I would leave the room several times to nurse and return in about 15 minutes. Again, I thought it was normal. NyCee began getting formula as a supplement around 8 weeks old or so as I prepared to return to work. I would carry the formula in her diaper bag and would use it when nursing was not convenient.

One day we were visiting my Grandmother Grace and finally she asked why I only nursed for about 15 minutes. I explained NyCee’s eating habits. My mother asked, “How much are you giving her?” I replied, “2 ounces.” My family broke out in hysterical laugher. I was confused as to what was funny. My mother gently explained that newborn babies are given 2 ounces of milk in the hospital and that NyCee should be way past that point. My sister Boonie chimed in, “Feed the child.” Tarisa just laughed. My grandmother explained that when I was 8 weeks old, she began feeding me mashed up navy beans and corn bread. Okay seriously, that is a bit weird. Nonetheless, I pleaded my case by advising what “the book” said. I don’t remember who said it, but I remember hearing, “We are black! Throw that book away and feed the child!”
Well NyCee is now up to 4 ounces a day.

Come on people. Look at her. Does it look like she misses any meals? Honestly, what do you expect from a mother who could eat a piece of chicken and have a glass of water on Monday and cite that it would carry her until Friday?

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Many of my loyal readers wanted to see pictures of my wedding cake. This was in response to the blog titled "As Good As the First Time."
Before

After

I said it was as good as the first time. I did not say it was as pretty as the first time.

Oh Happy Day!

Today was a normal day. Nothing exciting took place. I woke up this morning, took the baby to the daycare, completed my homework assignments and cleaned the house. Why is this blog titled “Oh Happy Day” you ask? Because I realized that no matter what obstacles come my way, I am truly, truly blessed beyond measure. I have a beautiful home, a wonderful husband and a little darling of a daughter who is the light of my life. My career is headed on the path that I desire and Jesus gave me another day to enjoy these things.

Let us take the time to appreciate and enjoy what we have. Yes, we should strive to achieve goals. But let us not neglect the items over which we are stewards.

“But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own." Matthew 6:33-34 amp
Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." 1 Peter 5:7 amp

As Good As the First Time

My sister emailed me and asked if Lewis and I ate the top tier to our wedding cake on our anniversary. To be honest, we totally forgot that it was in the freezer. After reading her email, I proceeded to the freezer, placed the cake on the counter to begin the process of unthawing, and sat back down on the couch.

I told Lewis what Tarisa said about the cake and he admitted that he too forgot that it was in the freezer. (Note: we were already a day late—our anniversary was 06/25/06. We took the cake out of the freezer on 06/26/06.) What kind of newlyweds are we?

My aunt made my wedding cake as a gift to Lewis and me. Everyone ranted and raved about how wonderful the cake was. We only had one very small piece at the reception. Well, the cake unthawed and wouldn’t you know that it tasted as good yesterday as it did on our wedding day. I was so amazed. It was not freezer burned or anything. How is it that a cake can stay fresh for one year yet steak gets freezer burned after 2 months?

Down but not out

Today has been an interesting day. I received some news which I anticipated but the reality of it was a little like "WOW!" so this is it. It caused me to remember a sermon that I heard Joel Olsteen preach on television. He stated that we have the power to decide whether or not we will accept the negative things in life or whether we will turn the negative experiences into a positive. On the surface, that seems simple. But when you are faced with the situation, it takes a lot of courage to look at the problem and declare that you will not be defeated by it.

We have all heard the cliche' "when one door closes another door opens." I believe that is true. I had to make a decision. Either stand and stare at the closed door or look for another way to get to the expected end. I decided to look for the trap door. I am looking for great things to happen for me. Today's blog is meant to encourage not only me but someone else who is facing challenges and looking at a closed door.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11

One Year Ago

One year ago on this date, I became Mrs. Lewis J. Thompson, Jr. It seems like only yesterday that I was planning my wedding and now it has come and gone. The past year has been a year of significant change, most notably, the birth of my daughter Taylor. She is by far the most precious gift that God has ever given to me.

Lewis and I did not do anything exciting today. We went to church this morning, came home and took a nap. Lewis had to work this afternoon. I really don’t know what one should do on a 1st anniversary. It is significant as many individuals do not make it this far. Our year has been a year of adjustments, change, and growth. I’m just glad that he no longer wears outside shoes in the house. Lewis asked what I wanted for my anniversary—I replied “Whatever!” Honestly, I just want more years of growth, development, love, peace and joy. I want to grow old together, watch the children grow up, and enjoy evening walks and sunsets. Simplicity and happiness--that’s all I really want.

A Giant Leap

It is with great pleasure that I announce that Taylor "Ny-Cee" Thompson slept in her crib all night uninterrupted. Applause! Applause! Cheers of joy fill the room! One small step for the Thompson's..One giant leap for new moms everywhere.

Success...it's within reach

Last night Lewis walked upstairs into my bedroom with Ny-Cee when she fell asleep. I asked him to place her in her crib in her bedroom just to see what would happen. She laid in the bed for about an hour and then began to cry. I picked her up and rocked her back to sleep.

As I stood up and began walking to her bedroom, Lewis stated that I should just lay her down in our bed and go to sleep. But I decided against that and I placed her in the crib in her room.

About 5:00a.m. I heard her faint cries and whimpers. I went into the room, picked her up, changed the diaper, and of course laid her in the bed next to me. The positive to this is that she slept in her bed from about 12:45 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. I am making progress. I even brought her pack 'n play bassinet downstairs to use during the day. Hopefully, she will adjust soon and begin sleeping in her own bed. If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try, try, try again!

A Family Affair

Several members of my family are serious bowlers. And wouldn’t you know that I married one. Every Friday night, Lewis meets his friends at the bowling alley for their weekly stress relieving session.

My mother contacted several of my family members and they met us at the Port Huron Lanes.

Let the games begin...

A practice session.. 5 minutes only

What a wonderful time of fellowship!

We had a great time. The final game spoke volumes. Lewis showed the crowd how bowling is done in the ATL. He had 8 strikes in a row. In the 9th frame, he bowled an 8 count and broke the streak. His final score was 254. I could not let him leave the P.H. (Port Huron) without going out on top. Of course, everyone vowed a re-match and Lewis gladly accepted.

Show Off

Ny-Cee tried a new look this weekend. She donned the matching hat to her outfit. At first she didn’t care for it...

But after a while she loved the look

Then she just became a show off!

Auntie's Little Helper

My niece Taliyah was such a big help to me with the baby while we were visiting in Detroit. She would hand me the items to change her diaper and make a bottle. Whenever Ny-Cee cried, Taliyah would run in the room and talk to her. On occasions Taliyah would tell me when Ny-Cee was hungry and that I should make her a bottle. Taliyah has advised me that when she grows up, gets married and have children--they will not be breastfed as "that is nasty." I attempted to explain to her that breastfeeding is natural and healthy. Taliyah didn't buy that explanation.

Prune Juice Anyone?

After Ny-Cee was born and we were still in the hospital, the nurse would come in every few hours and ask if she had a pee-pee diaper or a poopie diaper. I believe this is where my obsession with my child’s evacuation pattern began.

Everyday Lewis and I discussed whether or not she made poopie. Well she went about four (4) days without pooping. As a new mother I grew concerned that the waste was backing up inside my child and damaging her intestinal tract or something. I was ready to rush her to the doctor’s office. Come on people! It is completely unnatural to not make poopie for four (4) days. I am not hysterical.

Well before I contacted the EMS and rushed her to the ER for this minor situation, a friend of ours told me to try prune juice.

Okay, I know what you are thinking. You are secretly praying that the friend provided clear, concise instructions on how to administer the prune juice to my child. (I am the same individual who had no idea what the little red stick was for on the mailbox). Not to worry! She told me to dilute the juice at a ratio of 2 to 1. Two parts water to one part juice. I followed those instructions. While I have never tasted prune juice the stench emitting from the can let me know that Ny-Cee was not going to ingest this calmly.

The bottle ended up being about three (3) ounces—she drank less than one (1). About an hour later she made poopie. Yeah! Why is it that parents get excited when the child makes poopie? Anyway, it was potent but Lewis cleaned her up and we both relaxed and felt a sense of comfort that she was flushed out so to speak.

10 minutes after he cleaned her up she went again. No sweat! Just a little residual that needed to be released. Cleaned her up and relaxed. 15 minutes later she pooped again. This process went on for about an hour. So now I am panicking because at first she couldn’t make poopie and then she couldn’t stop.

Eventually the river dried up and all returned to normal. Except for the fact that now my child has gas like a truck driver. It's pretty fierce. Why is it that we as parents are allowed to conduct these experiments on our children? I had no idea how that prune juice would impact her. Can you image if I had given her the entire bottle—all three (3) ounces? Let’s not focus on that.

What is a new mom to do?

Often times when I speak about my daughter, I tell the story of what a good baby she is. Ever since Ny-Cee came home from the hospital she has slept pretty much through the night. In the beginning she would wake up about 4:30 a.m. or so but now she will sleep until about 6:00 or 7:00 a.m.

Normally I do not let her sleep past 9:30 a.m. When I wake her up, she gets a bath, eats breakfast and plays for a couple of hours. Then I put her down for her nap. Throughout the day, she will nap anywhere that I lay her. The couch, her carrier seat, swing chair—wherever. Except at night.

Last night, she fell asleep in my arms downstairs on the couch. When I say fell asleep, I mean, mouth open, snoring, dead weight sleep. I walked up stairs and laid her in the bassinet. I went into the bathroom to prepare for bed and not five minutes later she was crying. It is absolutely amazing that she wakes herself up when I lay her down. How does she know that she is not in my bed? So I am blessed with a child who sleeps through the night but stuck with an unused crib and a bassinet that has become the diaper, clothes holder thingy in my bedroom.


On one hand I know that I should get her in the habit of sleeping in her bed. However, the flip side is that she sleeps through the night and I choose not to fight with her at 2:00 a.m. Any suggestions?

Look Who's Talking Now!

Ny-Cee discovered that she can talk and she loves to hear her own voice. At first it was very exciting to hear her making sounds other than screams and cries. Well now, my child has discovered that if Lewis and I do not acknowledge her she needs to raise her voice as if we can not hear her.

Last night we were watching the evening news and Ny-Cee began to talk along with the newscaster. Neither Lewis nor I acknowledged her and she began to talk louder and louder. It actually became comical to listen to her try to inflect her voice to gain our attention. Well she won. Lewis cracked and began talking to her. Of course then she stopped talking. So basically, she wanted to be the center of attention. I have no idea where she gets that from (smile)!

Lewis' Daughters

Lewis has twin daughters—Imani and Nia. They graduated from pre-school yesterday and now they get to go to “the school for big girls—kindergarten. “ We just wanted to share a couple of photos as several individuals have not had an opportunity to meet them. Enjoy!

(Left Nia; Right Imani)

(Nia, Ny-Cee and Imani)

Peace At Last! Peace At Last!

What does a new wife and mother do when her husband and child have left her home alone?

If you guessed put my feet up and relaxed--you guessed correctly. Although I have a confession, I did miss Ny-Cee while she was with her dad. However, do not misunderstand me. I did not call to have him rush home. I enjoyed a chick flick and the silence.

A Hard Day's Night

Due to technical difficulties, I was unable to publish this last night. On Wednesdays she goes to daycare. One would think that she put in 12 hours at the plant. Honestly! And recently, my child has begun snoring. SNORING! She is 2 months old. How embarrassing?

But isn’t this a face that only a mother could love?

This was when I brought her home from daycare. She must have had a good time!

The car ride home. The daycare is less than 10 minutes away. Gotta love it!

Nite Time Feeding Gone Wrong

Okay, apparently something went extremely wrong tonight. I was attempting to feed Ny-Cee her cereal prior to putting her to bed. A few days ago, she discovered the art of sucking on her fingers. Well, during her dinner she decided to practice that skill. Needless to say, she had cereal in her hair, on her cheeks, under her eyes; it was a sheer mess.

Baby Formula: $13.00 per can
Baby Cereal: $1.86 per box
Photos of Ny-Cee eating dinner: Priceless—there are some things that money can not buy. But these pictures are forever.

Smiles and Smiles to go!

To watch the development of a child is by far one of the most amazing phenomenons on earth. There are times when I sit down and think about human development and wonder how anyone can go through life and not believe in the Almighty God—Jehovah the Creative One.

Since Ny-Cee has come home from the hospital she has changed so much. She has lost that newborn look and really developed her features. A few weeks ago she began attempting to hold her head up and smiling. It is absolutely amazing to see that toothless grin that lasts about 3-4 seconds but remains vivid in your mind for hours.

When I took Ny-Cee to Michigan about three (3) weeks ago, she met her cousins for the first time. They immediately took to her. My niece would play with her every chance that she had and Ny-Cee would just smile and smile. I would reach for the camera and instantly she would stop smiling. This went on for weeks. Now she has started making noises with her smiles as if she is laughing. Lewis would coax her into this mood and as soon as I get the camera ready she would stop. Well my patience paid off!

How can anyone resist that face? She is going to have dimples just like her father.

A Mother's Touch

Last night was a bit unusual. Normally, Ny-Cee goes to sleep around 11:30p.m or 12 midnight and will sleep until 6:00a.m. Well, last night around 3:00a.m. I was awakened by her faint whimpers and cries. I laid in the bed a few more minutes to see if she would go back to sleep. She did not and I lifted her out of her bassinet, at the foot of our bed, changed her diaper and laid her in the bed next to me. As I was feeding her, I noticed that she went back to sleep about 10 minutes after the process had begun.

Approximately one (1) hour later, she was fast asleep (I was still awake) so I lifted her out of my bed and returned her to the bassinet. She slept rather fitfully for the next 1 hour and 30 minutes or so. Then she began to cry. Once again, I lifted her out of her bed and placed her in the bed next to me. Within five (5) minutes, she was sound asleep again.

As this scenario played out, I was instantly reminded of times as a child where I left my bed to go get into my mother’s bed. My father would leave for work very early in the morning and almost instinctively, my sisters and I would leave our beds and pile into the bed with my mother. About three (3) weeks ago, we did the same thing. My father left for work and we (my youngest sister, me and my daughter) were all sleeping peacefully in the house. Just like when we were children, my sister and I arose and went to my mother’s bedroom and climbed into the bed with her. The only difference this time was that one sister was replaced by a granddaughter. We laid there for hours, laughing and talking, seeking my mother’s advice and listening to stories from tales long, long ago. Like Ny-Cee last night, we needed our mother’s touch.

I realized that nothing was wrong with my daughter. At first, I thought that perhaps she was feeling ill. She was fine physically—emotionally she just needed her mother. There have been times in my life when I needed my mother’s touch. My mother is never more than a phone call away but it is not the same as curling up in the bed next to her and listening to her words of wisdom. My mother lives over 800 miles away and I know individuals whose mother has gone home to be with Jesus. But I have gained a peace in knowing that when I can not crawl into my mother’s bed for her touch, I can crawl into the arms of Jesus for his touch.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.] John 14:27 (amplified version)

When life turns to chaos and confusion is knocking on your door, meditate on these words and let Jesus’ touch be that mother’s touch you need at that time.

I'm a Big Kid Now!

The blog is from Ny-Cee. She wanted everyone to see how much she has grown. Also, she wanted to show off her new earrings.

A Flight Attendant Humbled!

In 1998 I joined the friendly skies and became a flight attendant. It is by far the most wonderful job I have ever had. I am paid to travel the country (in some case the world), pass out Cokes and peanuts (which takes all of 20 minutes) and sit down and read a magazine for the next 1 hour and 40 minutes of the flight. How cool is that?

Well, prior to motherhood, I would encounter the woman who would walk to my aircraft door with puppy dog eyes asking for my assistance with getting situated on the plane. Of course my thought process was, "Let me get this straight." You made it from the inside of your house to the garage. From your garage to the airport parking lot. You retrieved the items (luggage, stroller, car seat, and child) from the car, walked with them to the ticket counter. Made it through the security checkpoint and down the jet bridge to the plane. And now you need my help?” YES, SHE NEEDED MY HELP. Let me tell you a little story.

On Saturday, May 13, 2006, I had to travel to Michigan alone with my 2 month old daughter. I am a seasoned traveler, right? I do this for a living. How hard can this be? Lewis drives me to the airport and we proceed to the ticket counter. The line is wrapped around the corner. (Keep in mind as a flight attendant, I generally do not check luggage so I bypass that area.) Thankfully, I saw a co-worker who took care of us and provided Lewis with a gate pass to get through security to help me with Ny-Cee. So far so good. This is a cake walk.

No so fast. I am given a boarding pass and must kiss my husband good bye. I place Ny-Cee in her "Convenient Travel Center" (car seat/stroller contraption) and proceed down the jet bridge. I removed the diaper bag from the undercarriage and placed it on one shoulder, my purse on the other, and Ny-Cee is in my arms. Okay--now I have to disconnect the car seat from the stroller in order to collapse it. WOW! How am I supposed to do that? So here I stand, the flight attendant, at the bottom of the jet bridge, looking at the aircraft door trying to figure out how I am going to pull this off. Immediately, I realized that the “convenient travel center” is not so convenient.


One of the flight attendants assigned to the flight recognized me and came to my rescue. He placed my carry on bags in their proper stowage location, collapsed the travel center contraption, and guided me to my seat. (One truly would have thought that was my first time on an airplane—who cared? I was thankful for the assistance.)

The flight went very smoothly as Ny-Cee slept the entire time (even through a diaper change). I was able to catch a few ZZZ’s myself. Just when I thought I had the hang of things the pilot announced, “Landing Check.” For your laypeople, Landing check signals the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for landing. Landing. Landing means deplaning. Deplaning means starting the process all over again. Sweet mercy of God in Heaven. I totally forgot that I would have to get off the plane—alone. WOW!

Yet again, that kind flight attendant retrieved my items from the overhead bin. Assembled the “convenient travel center” and helped me get underway. I was doing well until I reached baggage claim. I packed all of Ny-Cee’s and my things in one suitcase in an effort to make my life easier. Problem—it weighed 700 tons! Oh by the way, I forgot to mention, my child decided to wake up while we were in the rental car line. So of course, I am standing in line with a screaming child turning beet red with tears welling up in my eyes. I managed to pacify her with a quick little bottle until we made it to the car. The car. The car is outside across the street. I have to push the stroller, pull the luggage and pray that my child will remain calm until I can reach the car.

Well, finally we made it to the car. Immediately, she began screaming out of hunger which I had to attend to. You see, my parents live one (1) hour from the airport and I needed to ensure that she was situated before we began that part of our adventure. What is the moral to this story? I will never again look at a woman with her child who approaches my airplane with discontent. In fact, I will probably be the first to help her since the courtesy was extended to me.