$476

476 dollars could mean paying off more medical bills.
476 dollars could mean going on a fun vacation.
476 dollars could be 26.4 trips to Monkey Joe's (which my kids love)
476 dollars could be 47.6 trips to the kids museum
476 dollars could be 135 cafe mocha's from Starbucks (yummy)
476 dollars could mean several new post-partum outfits from fun stores. (I can dream, right)
476 dollars could mean a really fun swingset for the back yard. (see earlier post)

What did I just spend $476 on?

Flippin' FORMULA!

Most new mothers have visions of cuddling a sweet smelling, soft, happily nursing, new baby. Sometimes that works out great and to those mothers, I say bite me, I mean congratulations. :) That, however, has not been the case for me. Today I am FRUSTRATED! Owen has had some medical problems since about two weeks of age that seriously altered his eating habits. Eating has been a struggle, and not a fun one. We were paying a LOT of money to feed him enfamil nutramigen.Then, recently the doctor suggested we try getting him off the special formula and back on regular. That resulted in screaming for hours on end and profusive vomiting. So, we switched (yet again) to lacto-free formula. Ah - sweet success. Hallelujah. Same price as regular formula and happy tummy= happy baby. We rejoiced! We praised the heavens! We ran out of that can and ran into problems. Couldn't find the lacto-free formula anywhere. What's going on?

THEY DON'T MAKE IT ANYMORE!

I could seriously cry. (Yes, we tried the "gentlease" which is the closest thing to lacto-free and yes, that ended in more tears and puke). So today, I spent $476 on three cases of formula. Thank you enfamil rep. who took pity on me and didn't make me pay shipping and gave me $10 off! That should last us (hopefully) until approx. 8 months of age, at which point, I hope he will be able to handle the gentlease lipil.

What if he takes a turn for the worse and has to go back on nutramigen? Then you will see me desperately trying to sell lacto-free formula on e-bay.

So to all you nursing mothers out there, please do me a favor. Take your $476, buy something practical fun , and send me a picture of it so I can live vicariously through you.