Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Have you wondered why the garter stitch is called a garter stitch?  It makes me think of weddings and one of our western traditions I hate most---the groom removing his bride's garter from around her thigh in front of a crowd of friends & family who clap, hoot, and gawk.  Why in the world do we do this?  It's disturbing to me.   Anyhow, my baby's garter-stitch-scarf will NOT be around her thigh, but will be cutely styled around her neck instead; though also for a crowd to enjoy!  And all of this leads me to my first mommy topic: breastfeeding :)

As I was knitting my first Debbie Bliss project, The Garter Stitch Scarf,  I thoroughly enjoyed the ease I've come to in my knitting.  Though I have far to go, it is with a smile that I can say I have mastered the garter stitch.  This project was a breeze for me.  Almost mindless.  I could do it while watching television, riding in the car, even while having a conversation!  And it turned out great.  Indeed, I believe I have in fact enhanced my Lily's life by making her such a creation.  

And then it occurred to me: I had come to the same place in my journey with breastfeeding.

If there was one thing that I didn't quite know what to think about in terms of becoming a mom, it was breastfeeding.  I knew I wanted to do it though.  It was healthiest for the baby and had benefits for me as well.  I had had friends and family members do it.  I could do it, too!  Months before Lily's birth, I stumbled upon the book, How My Breasts Saved the World by Lisa Shapiro.  The title alone was enough to convince me of reading it.  However, I was so focused on preparing for labor that I didn't start reading it until I'd gotten home from the hospital with Lily and had already begun to breastfeed.   In actuality, this was the perfect time to read it!  As I was adjusting to the process called breastfeeding, I could read about another brutally honest woman who related to my situation.  It was encouraging....  It was motivating.....  And it was hilarious!

The process at first involved feeding her every two hours, upright (me, not her) with pillows & a boppy all around; both arms in action.  It was exhausting and painful.  In fact, several times I used so much of that lanolin cream that my poor baby couldn't get a grip!  Twice, I went in to see a lactation consultant.   The good news throughout those first three months of breastfeeding was that Lily was certainly getting enough to eat.  I could hear her swallowing and her weight showed that she was healthy.  The first time she smiled occurred during a feeding. There I was curling my toes, counting down the minutes and then it happened: she looked up at me and grinned a big 'ol grin--losing her latch even.  I will forever remember that moment.  God used it to give me the courage to keep going.  There were times I wanted to give up.  It was awkward, and I often felt restricted by it.  But, I continued to persevere, trusting that things could improve.  And I can now say that they have!  I can feed Lily so easily now.  Like my knitting, it's virtually mindless.  I can have conversations, I can change the channels on the television, and I can even do it without a pillow!  

So, cheers to the garter stich!  And cheers to breastfeeding!  Thanks to Debbie Bliss, I now have a delightful little scarf to remind me to persevere in all things, for great is the reward ;)