Tales from Astoria: hurricane

Where did Long Island go?

I'm am pleased to be writing this on Monday! We have power - so far! The winds are gusting but, luckily the wires and trees all seem to be staying up. The high tide is definitely HIGH. The flooding they are talking about is definitely not a joke.

A few years ago, the hubby and I were thinking about buying an adorable little waterfront home in a neighboring town. We are so pleased that it didn't work out. At the time we were really upset, but fact of the matter is there was a reason for it. We would have been evacuated twice in the last two years and our house would have definitely filled with water. Being that it was only one story on a canal, we would have been in deep trouble.

Another thing I am grateful for today is that both my brother and his girlfriend and my in laws made it back to their homes safely. My brother and his girlfriend were at a wedding in Atlanta and returned to DC. My in laws were at a wedding in San Antonio and returned to MD.

As I sit here, I wonder if babies have a sense that bad weather is coming. Little Charlie hasn't wanted to leave my arms in several days and is particularly clingy today. I'm sure some of it is that he senses that I'm tense. But, other times when we got a crazy thunderstorm out of no where, he was going a nuts before hand.

The worst part of the storm is definitely waiting for it to arrive. We are simply sitting ducks waiting to be blown away by these insane winds. Right now, the gusts are pretty incredible. I can't imagine when it actually gets going. They were reporting 53 mph winds at JFK earlier and the airports aren't going to close.

Oyster Bay

Cold Spring Harbor

4:04 PM - lots of popping and cracking but we still have power. Lots of wind and heavy rain now.

Morgan Park

4:36 PM - things are picking up. It should be here within the next hour. The power is going on and off frequently.

4:44 PM - County executive called to say the storm is moving faster than they thought and the surge will be greater than they thought.

4:54 PM - Heard from the cousins in SI. They are w/o power and lots of trees down but, they are OK.

I wrote this post earlier this summer but, I feel as though it is appropriate to repost this based on the path of Hurricane Sandy. For those of you living in Nassau County, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano has put the emergency phone system into place and is urging residents to "be ready". For anyone North of 25A check your evacuation routes. In the event that you lose power, contact LIPA.

Well, this seems to be the summer of storms on Long Island. In Charlie's short life, we've been without power three times and have had countless storms. Last night we received calls from the county legislator indicating that there would be strong thunderstorms with the possibility of a tornado. We made sure we had a bag for Charlie of everything he would need for at least a day and we waited...

Emergency Kit for A Breastfeeding Infant
1) 1 package of diapers
2) 1 package of wipes
3) Hand sanitizer
4) Water (for mom)
5) Wrap/sling/nursing cover
6) Blankets
7) Burp cloth
8) Pacifier
9) First aid kit
10) Medicine dropper
11) Nasal aspirator
12) Changes of clothes

13) Nipple shield (if needed)

Have I forgotten something? Comment below!

As a kid, we never received these ominous phone calls from the local government. While I understand, we need to be informed sometimes I feel like these phone calls make everyone just a little too crazy. There were always warnings on the TV but, those warnings seem much less personal than having a person or a recording call your house.

Charlie was absolutely hysterical as the first large storm was approaching. Can babies sense storms like animals? As the storm passed, he calmed down (THANKFULLY!). We were very lucky that most of the strong weather stayed to the west of us and our power remained on.

Breastfeeding and Emergency Preparedness
As a result of the many storms we have had since Charlie was born, I have become very grateful for the ability to breastfeed. It is wonderful not to have to worry about having enough formula and bottles. As long as, I am there... he will be fed. Woohoo! Go nature!

Breastfeeding and Mother's Stress
With all of the excitement yesterday, I noticed I was not as anxious as I usually am when the weather gets bad. I've been doing a lot of reading about breasfeeding and much of the reading indicates that it reduces the stress level of the mother. This is true for several reasons: Skin to skin contact with your little one automatically relaxes a mother and child. (I mean really... who doesn't like snuggling with a little baby?) Breastfeeding releases a hormone called Oxytocin which is shown to lower blood pressure in the mother. Prolactin is also released which is related to a positive mood and lower stress levels.

Another added bonus!
It has been proven that breastfeeding reduces a baby's pain level. If your child happens to become injured in the storm, it will help to ease the pain!

Links on Emergency Preparedness and Support for Breast Feeding In Disaster Situations
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/healthyliving/childfamily/pages/emergencypreparednessinfantandyoungchildcareandfeeding.aspx
http://www.kitsklub.com/catalog/i1.html
http://www.midwife.org/siteFiles/education/K_Carr_Sept._06_Quickening_article.pdf