FormulaGate

My mom has since given up on telling me to chill out whenever I get stressed, she just pauses and tells me "go have another drink" - its like she knows I've had one and that one is just not cutting it. Enabler? Well, that is another story.

So yeah, I'm still breastfeeding...when Finn hit about7 1/2 months I thought, self, it is time to start weaning... I had a couple tins of formula and so over the course of the last couple months, I've slowly introduced Finn to formula. He didn't buy into my plan at first ...that is until Dad and I came up with the "Banana smoothies" for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Damn - we are brilliant or so I thought. Finn actually liked them so much that by the 8 1/2 month mark, he was not really interested in breastfeeding during the day. I was actually a little sad...

Since I never really worried about formula before (or how or where to get it) and I was doing the slow introduction, I wasn't really paying attention to how fast I was going through this stuff. Well, that is until 3 weeks ago when Auntie Katy and Coco brought the last tin and gasp....I was going through it quickly. I STILL don't panic because hey, we only have a few weeks until we head back to the US - and hey, I live in Japan now (not China) and they have safe formula here. Even Will's office manager told him EXACTLY what she used and translated the tin and all was good. That is until Finn starting having GI issues.... What? huh? I didn't have to worry about constipation or diarrhea while I was breastfeeding...Could God give me a freakin' break?

I panic, but not too much because I tell my friend in the US to please express ship some formula - I'm desperate - but obviously my desperation didn't come across well enough because she sent it international priority which wouldn't arrive for a week. Yoga breathing is kicking in at this point as I scrounge to find a small sample tin that someone randomly gave me 2 years ago - thank goodness - but wait - its SOY formula. Since I'm certifiable at this point, I remember reading online (the dangers of reading too much online baby info has yet to be quantified) about how giving too much soy can cause issues, but I figure I'll pump more, ration the formula, dilute it - I can make it for a few more days and EUREKA - my friend in CHINA (yes, China) can buy US formula in Shanghai (available there but not in Osaka!) and then have Will's boss bring it with him next week. Fabulous - only 4 day of rationing formula and by now Finn's poops have returned to "soft serve" consistency!

Damnit - I just ran out of wine...but I digress...

Then I find out Thursday afternoon that Will's boss is not coming on Monday, but Wednesday. I'm telling you folks, this would have caused the Old Tracy to go ballistic, but once again, I took a deep breath and realized between my milk and my SMALL tin of soy we were still gonna make it. (insert Laverne and Shirley them playing in the background). But as a back-up I had my friend go and buy a can of formula so Will's boss can bring it with him to Osaka on Wednesday.

Come Tuesday morning, I'm chill - formula is going to make it all the way through Wednesday! I rock... until about 10am when my husband forwards me a message with the title "I messed up." Do you really want to read an email with that title? I didn't. Yeah- his boss left the tin of formula that my friend purchased in Shanghai on the table in his locked apartment. Will, the trooper knowing his wife is hanging on by an ever thinning thread (read: Tracy needs a break from Asia).... called his stepmom to have her assistant at work go buy and pick up and fed ex overnight - internationally mind you - a $25 can of formula. Hold that thought...

Just have Shanghai overnight the can of formula Tom left at his apart... wait ...its locked... ok - go buy another 200% marked up can of international formula - still cheaper than sending it from the US. Done.... and to the Chinese post office.... and ... what?? come again?? Beijing has yet to lift the ban on shipping powdered anything since the Olympics? I'm not sending crack or Anthrax just some damn formula - sealed..container...baby on the label....

This is where the third glass of wine would have come in handy..but aaaah the blog is an amazing cathartic resource in itself and I feel better already .....

got milk?