Up a Creek Without A Pump

So the other day, I took my mom to Tulsa (the nearest big city which is over an hour from our house) to pick out a shower door for her new bathroom. As usual when getting ready, I pack up the baby's things along with Beulah. (Beulah is the name I have given to my Medela Symphony. We get to Tulsa, pick out her things, and my pump alarm goes off. "TIME TO MAKE THE DONUTS" and off the van I go. I plug in Beulah and begin looking for my flanges... I don't see them. Dig a little more. Don't see them. Panic is setting in. Frantically searching .. Where are the flanges???!!! Gulp! I'd left them at home. How am I going to pump with NO flanges? I look at my daughter with the puss n boots eyes, "please nurse from me". Now remember, this is the daughter who would only nurse at night or in the shower after I returned to work. I get all lovey and cuddly and attempt to nurse her... She chomps downs and giggles. The breasts are really starting to burn now...She rolls my breast around in her mouth and laughs. "Come on Anna Grace"...she looks on. As a matter of fact she looks at every single person walking by, fumbles the steering wheel, plays with my hair, but will NOT breastfeed. I get her strapped in her car seat, and get back in the van. I know what must be done. With leaking breasts, I make a mad dash to the Target across the street. I get Anna Grace and run back to the Baby Dept to look at their teensy Breastfeeding Supply section. 1 flange is $10! The bottles to attach it to only come in a multipack and are $16.99. Crap! I am not paying that for an emergency bottle! I THINK have a breast milk storage bag in with my pump paraphernalia. So I buy the flange and out the car we go. I dig out the milk bag and hold it under the flange, fire up Beulah, and finally....ahhhh.... SWEET RELEASE!!!! Anyone breast feeding knows this release. Had it been one more minute I surely would have torn my own nipples off to stop the burn.
Oh the things I have learned along this breast feeding adventure. The thing i never thought I'd do. The shirts i have soaked. And always, always, check for your flanges because they are not easy to get!!

R.I.P. Chivalry 1:15 am

Pumping and trying to thaw out. I woke up to pump (after falling asleep on the couch) and was freezing cold. I glanced over at my hubby who was curled up asleep on the other couch. He was all snuggled in with a big cozy blanket. Sleeping, warm and safe. With a big ol content grin on his face. I woke him up and told him to get in bed, that I would pump and be there shortly. On his way to bed he throws the blanket my way letting me know he was done. I felt like Joe Dirt did-eating an apple core for lunch and having someone pass gas in my face after they were all done with it! Chivalry is DEAD!