GEMs is official!

This week our new flyers and posters arrived, professionally designed and printed with the hospital logo! We are officially a hospital-associated-and-supported group!

We had a couple of new faces this month, along with some familiar beauties!  We talked about different scenarios for transitioning the babies to breast, and about finally initiating feeds, making all the pumping worth it!  We also discussed low supply: medications (Reglan, Domperidone, Fenugreek) and pumping tips to increase supply (pump both breasts at the same time)!

We also had our friend and colleague Celeste join us, she just certified to become a Breastfeeding Counselor and will be a huge resource to our moms, especially on night shift!  Another friend/co-worker, Emily, attended and spoke about her ability to better help our NICU moms as she is a breastfeeding/pumping mom herself!  I would love to see more of our colleagues show an interest and attend our meetings...they will learn so much about our moms, and how to troubleshoot any problems!

Our giveaways this month: another framed Alphabet Print by Almost Sunday Designs and a Boppy Cover by Bibs, Blankets, and More!

Mmm...seasonal pumpkin muffins made by Kim, and who doesn't love a doughnut hole?!

Thanks for joining us this month ladies!  What you're doing is amazing, and despite all the stress and downfalls you continue to dedicate yourselves to providing your precious baby with potentially life-saving and definite life-improving nutrition!

Back to school, back to GEMs!

This month we met with five beautiful and committed women!  Each were willing to share her story and her frustrations with pumping, low supply, and breastfeeding.  Most of all, they were there for each other, offering suggestions and personal experience.  Almost every mom commented that the most helpful part of the group was hearing each other's experiences and tribulations.  One mom said, "it was very uplifting, made me feel more calm about the whole thing", and another mentioned it was helpful "just being able to hear other people have the same issues".

We discussed the common problem of low milk supply, as well as the frustration of pumping and pumping and pumping, when a baby is unable to even begin feeding yet.  It is important to acknowledge the hard work and effort (mental and physical) that goes into pumping breast milk eight times a day!  It is so easy to say "Enough! I'm done!".  But for one reason or another these moms push through, and it is important to encourage them, cheer them on, and let them know how important their breast milk is for their child's recovery...something no doctor/nurse can provide!

I applaud all of you moms out there who are pumping for your babies, especially the sick little ones!  It's also good to be there for each other, share your successes and frustrations as you may inspire and help another mom!  No matter your milk supply, keep it up, even the smallest amounts of milk can provide HUGE protection for your infants!

We also had a couple of moms who were transitioning their babies to breast, and we discussed optimal feeding schedules and ways to advocate for their desire to successfully breastfeed to the medical teams!  With the right support from nurses, practitioners, and doctors, breastfeeding a once-sick, NICU baby can be successful!

Our dedicated Mamas!

We offered Fenugreek tea to help with low milk supply!

Delicacies provided by our friends Sherry and Rebekah, NICU Breastfeeding Committee members!

Our giveaway, courtesy of Almost Sunday Designs!  How cute!

Thanks for a wonderful group this month!

Feeling refreshed...

Next Friday we are resuming our monthly GEMs meetings!  The group will meet every second Friday of each month, same location, same time...so hopefully our Moms can better anticipate the sessions!

Thanks to my wonderful collaegue and friend, Ali, we have exciting giveaways to last us through the end of the year, as well as special events for the Moms!

Next week, we will be raffling off two Framed Alphabet Prints from Almost Sunday Designs, which can help cozy up a hospital room, or compliment a nursery!

Sorry Mamas and Friends...

...July and August have been slacking!  Our GEMS group last month brought in one NICU mama, and although she was grateful for the individual guidance, I was a bit deflated!  So, we took a break in August to regroup, and to find more donations from awesome Etsy shops to gift to our moms!

My friend Ali has been stalking Etsy diligently to find awesome, whimsical, therapeutic gifts for our moms!  Some of the things our participants will be gifted are framed wall art, nursing covers, boppy covers, baby wraps, burp cloths, and massages (yes!)!

Kim and I are also rescheduling our group to every second Friday of each month, so moms can better anticipate the meetings!  Our next meeting will be Friday, September 14th!

On another note, last week was World Breastfeeding Week, and the United States Breastfeeding Committee announced that August is now officially Breastfeeding Month!!!  I want to congratulate all of you who have struggled or succeeded in breastfeeding or pumping breast milk for your babies (no matter for how long), and to those of you who have educated and supported a mom's wish to provide human milk for her baby!  It is not always an easy task, and I hope with the right education and support you continue to try and provide the best nutrition and infection protection for your little ones!

A special shout-out to my colleague and friend, Mary Lou, who won the Hospital Wide Breastfeeding "STAR" award for Breastfeeding Resource Nurse! She and 6 other nominees were acknowledged for their Support, Teaching, Advocacy, and Resource to staff and moms in the hospital!

Some awesome sites to visit:

www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org
www.bestforbabes.org
www.usbreastfeeding.org

June GEMs

We welcomed Five new moms to the group this month!  One participant was even from a unit other than the NICU!

We discussed mostly about building up milk supply: frequent pumping, completely emptying the breasts at each pump, keeping a pumping log (they have Apps for this!), staying hydrated, skin-to-skin, Fenugreek/Fennel, and Domperidone (prescribed by the OB).

One mom suggested handing out written information on supply and other troubleshooting, which is a great idea!

Three moms walked walked away with donated goodies : one Boppy, donated by our own NICU Preemie Committee, dressed with a handmade cover by Little Fingers Gifts; a Gift Certificate to a wonderful baby boutique, Nurture; a boppy cover hand created by Bibs Blankets and More.

The mouth-watering refreshments were donated by Kristin and Lindsay, both NICU Breastfeeding Committee members.

Thanks for all the donations, and a special Thanks to our moms for a great group!

Best for Babes

Diane Spatz, my friend and mentor in all that is related to my career advancement into lactation, just provided an interview for Best for Babes!  This website is dedictated to helping moms overcome the obstacles (cultural, social, physical) that may hinder their goal of breastfeeding their baby!

Diane's interview, "Booby Traps Series: How to to beat the Booby Traps in the NICU", discusses her "10 steps for Promoting and Protecting Breastfeeding for the Vulnerable Infant", which we successfully follow in our clinical setting at CHOP.  Diane has fought for culture change related to breastfeeding and the importance of Human Milk in the NICU.  We view breast milk not only as optimal nutrition, but as infection protection, and as a medical intervention.  We can proudly say that the majority of our NICU moms are pumping, and we are working with Nursing (and G.E.M.s!) in acheiving that last step towards transitioning the once-sick-but-now-healthy infant to the breast for feeds prior to discharge.  Click on the link above to read Diane's interview!

Success!

A NICU mom recently went home, worrying about supply and milk transfer at the breast.  She was also a little discouraged from the start of her baby's NICU experience when she was told that her newborn would probably be supplemented with formula until her own milk came in.  Many moms make the decision early on in the pregnancy (or before!) to provide only breast milk for their child.  Although a NICU stay entails greater obstacles with going directly to the breast, we have great double-electric pumps to mimic breastfeeding and help moms produce milk for their babies.  This particular mom was heart broken by the fact that her baby received formula in the first few days of life while her milk slowly came in.  She came to one GEMs meeting and I think it help her regain her confidence in her decision to only feed her baby breast milk, and to eventually breastfeed.  With the help of a few Breastfeeding Resource Nurses on the unit, baby was on his way home breastfeeding some of the time.

Then I received an email: "Rosie, you would be so proud.  [We] are successfully nursing in less than 12 hours of being home...omg so happy...I could not have done it without the support from you, Kim, and Mary Lou...no formula in this house!"

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Another NICU baby was just discharged home a week ago.  Mom was a frequent GEMs participant, as her child was born extremely premature and had a long NICU stay.  She was dedicated to pumping to provide her little girl with breast milk, as she breastfed her other children.  Some preemies, even when they reach their full term age, have difficulties feeding by mouth, and often go home with a feeding tube.  This mom was able to attempt at-breast feeds, but baby could not exclusively feed at the breast and went home with a tube.  Mom was also having issues with a decrease in milk supply as the discharge date approached.  She attended the Medela Bra Event, and I was able to give her some at-home pumping advice, and recommended a hands-free pumping bra, so she could pump and keep her other kids busy at the same time!

Once home, Mom emailed me: "Pumping is going so much better...sometimes she breastfeeds. Thanks so much for your support it made all the difference.  I told my husband that some day I want to help other moms breastfeed...I learned so much about it at the hospital, a lot of that is thanks to you!"

Wow!  My goal is to educate and empower our moms...but to inspire them to help other moms is BEYOND my expectations, and makes me so proud!

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These stories keep me motivated, and reminds me that the need for lactation education and support is essential for moms of hospitalized babies to provide breast milk and/or breastfeed their infants.  These moms went home with a feeling of accomplishment and pride in knowing they are providing the best nutrition and immune protection for their baby, despite a hospital experience during which they felt they could do little else for their baby's recovery!

Keep your stories coming, Ladies...they are truly inspiring!!!!

Bra Fitting Event!

Thursday, May 31st, 10am to 2pm!

Did you know a snug or underwire bra can occlude milk ducts, which can lead to clogged ducts, mastitis, or low milk supply?  Women's breasts increase in size during pregnancy, and even more after delivery, through the first few months of breastfeeding, deeming it necessary to purchase a proper-fitting bra!  Also, the clasps on nursing bras offer easy-access for breastfeeding and also pumping!

Medela representatives will be on site at the hospital to perform bra fittings for our pregnant/nursing/pumping moms and employees!  Everyone will have the opportunity to purchase a custom Medela/Bravado brand nursing bra at a 10% DISCOUNT!

Complimentary Medela products and refreshments offered!

New Moms in May!

I am excited to announce that we had SIX new Moms join the group this month, and one return participant!

The best advice I gave?  Don't worry about washing pump parts after EACH pump!  Pumping is so tedious and time-consuming, and many moms still have to wake in the middle of the night to pump...and by the time they're done setting up the pump, pumping for 15-20 minutes, labeling/putting milk away, and then CLEANING pump parts....it's time to start the routine all over!  When I was pumping, the BEST advice a mom told me was that breast milk is bactericidal (we give this to our babies to protect them from infection!) and breast milk is good for up to 10 hours at room temp (various resources tell you various times), so why not pump and leave your pump equipment sitting until the next pump, and then clean them after the second pump?  Ok, so I wouldn't leave them in a hot, sunny spot, or for a whole 10 hours between multiple pumps without washing with dish soap, but surely you can skip one cleaning in between two pumps!  Remember, always sterilize your pump equipment once a day...you can use the simple-to-use Medela steam bags, or boil pump parts.

Other alternatives: buy extra pumping equipment (flanges/membranes) so you can alternate between sets and not have to clean after each pumping session.  OR, delegate to your husband, mom, dad, brother, sister, friend to wash for you!  Medela also makes Quick Clean Wipes, that is safe to wipe down pump equipment if dish soap unavailable!

We also discussed Breast Milk Donation for our moms who have an overabundance supply of breast milk!  The Milk Bank of Ohio accepts breast milk from eligible moms, and they test and pasteurize the milk so that other vulnerable infants all over the country can receive the benefits of human milk when it is otherwise unavailable to them!


This month's Giveaway was two handmade nursing covers and burp cloth by Seenie Bee.  Also, we gave away a gift certificate for one custom order nursing bra, at our Medela Bra Fitting Event on May 31st!

Our lovely May Group!

Only crumbs left of this delicious Apple Cake!

Thanks, Ladies, for a great meeting!  Keep up the great work, your babies are so grateful for the milk you are making for them!  I hope to see some of you at our next meeting!

May Flowers...

...hopefully bring in new Mothers!  Our May meeting is next week, Friday May, 18th!

I am so excited to update everyone on one NICU mom who was discharged, BREASTFEEDING!  She emailed me and said, "The group was very helpful, keep it up as I am sure you will help many more moms!!!!"  I'm so proud!

I hope to see new faces next week, since some of our repeat participants have been heading home (which is amazing news)!

May's giveaway will be two gorgeous nursing covers, and a burp cloth, made by a close (and talented) friend at Seenie Bee!

Also, stay tuned for an update on our first ever Medela Bra Fitting Event, being held for all staff, patients, moms at the end of the month!  Women will be properly fitted for nursing bras, and can custom order their own bras!  One lucky GEMS participant will win a free custom order bra!

April Tea Time!

Yesterday afternoon we had our third meeting!  We trialed a new day and time, and we had 2 new Moms join the group!  The Moms are amazing, each dealing with her own stresses and milk supply issues...but they were there for EACH OTHER!  I was so proud to see the Moms giving each other advice and suggestions, and for openly sharing their stories!  I think the Moms are finally feeling a little more comfortable at these meetings...for the first time ever, these ladies went straight for the goodies and refreshments, helped themselves, sat down, and just started the discussion on their own!

I have to mention, and I am so proud, that we had a Dad and Grandmom attend the meeting as well!  This lovely Grandmother proudly announced that she was breastfed for 2 years! It was also amazing to see a husband participate, and support his wife.  Although he seemed a little frightened by the topics of conversation, I know he was listening and I know he will be an even better support to his wife.  I strongly encourage spouses and support persons to come to the meetings, because mothers need these cheerleaders to encourage them to keep going when it seems too treacherous/stressful/tiresome/painful/pointless, and they need to know that their decision to provide breast milk for their baby is accepted and supported!  One mom asked me what to say to her husband who wants her to change to formula once the baby is out of the hospital!  He seems a little grossed out by breastfeeding, and especially by the thought of a baby with teeth still nursing.  This can be difficult because some women may give up breastfeeding due to lack of support from their husbands. What I told her?  Tell your husband that the AAP recommmends at least one year of breast milk for ALL babies, and that switching her son to formula may increase his reflux.  Tell him that children SUCK at the breast, they don't BITE to get the milk out and you will be just fine when the teeth start to come in.  Lastly, I said I could talk to him as a health care professional and tell him that his son needs breast milk for as long as it is available, for his digestion, reflux, and immune protection!

We also discussed low milk supply issues, and recommended a lot of skin-to-skin and non-nutritive sucking, where the baby is put to breast AFTER a pump to practice suckling before they are challenged with milk ejection and swallowing.  We discussed some herbal supplements such as Mother's Milk and Fenugreek, as well as daily oatmeal consumption (apparently it helps one relax and therefore increases oxytocin levels).  More frequent pumps can also help, with complete emptying of the breasts, but Kim made a strong point that sometimes a mom responds better with touch/suckling stimulation from skin-to-skin or non-nutritive sucking as compared to a pump.  So hold your babies ladies!  An important thing to remember, too, is that no matter how LITTLE milk you think you are making, it is still a HUGE contribution to your baby's nutrition, digestion, and the fight against infection!

Another topic of conversation was bra support!  Most women's breasts change in size during pregnancy and often again after delivery!  We had a couple of Moms yesterday who were wearing snug bras or bras from a few years ago!  If too snug/too supportive the bra can actually occlude milk ducts and cause clogging or even low milk supply!  We recommended that the moms go to a maternity store and get fitted for a bra, and to steer away from underwire support.  Maybe we can have a representative from a store come to our next meeting for bra fittings?

We had a spread of juice (thanks, Ashley!), delicious muffins (thanks, Chris!), mixed fruit (thanks, Kim!), chocolate "GEMs", and Keurig drinks (again, not a fan favorite):

We also gave away a Boppy with a beautiful handmade cover by Boutique Sweet Cheeks, shown above, as well as three minky/fabric boppy covers made by House of Henderson!

Our group and prize winners!

Thanks, Moms, for your avid participation, I am so proud of your hard work, and of your openness to share your baby's story, and for supporting each other!  Your group yesterday brought joy and tears to one of the lactation consultant's eyes...we are all so excited about your decision to continue pumping for your delicate little ones!  You are each a true Role Model and an Inspiration for other pumping moms!

April Meeting

We're trying out a new day and time! Tuesday, April 10th @ 5pm!

This month's giveaway...Boppy Covers made by House of Henderson!

Three lucky moms will win these beautiful fabric and minky boppy covers, great for nursing and non-nutritive sucking, but also helps support baby's legs/bottom while doing skin-to-skin care (aka Kangaroo Care)!

Thank you to the NICU and Hospital Wide Breastfeeding Committee for participating in the Pick-a-Prize raffle! We've raised more than we could have imagined for refreshments and goodies for our pumping moms!  A special THANKS to our crafty colleagues who donated their goods and art for the raffle..is was such a success!  Winners of the raffle will be drawn this weekend!

Pick-a-Prize!

On Monday some of our GEMs supporters launched a huge raffle for NICU staff to help raise money for the Group!

It is a "pick-a-prize" raffle, where one can purchase an unlmited number of raffle tickets and place them in any bucket corresponding to a prize!  One ticket = $1.00, OR 8 tickets = $5.00, it's a steal!  The items being raffled (all donated by our crafty NICU nurses!):

A personalized baby onesie/burp cloth

 A basket of baked goodies

 A Nursing Cover (donated by Liliacs & Lollipops)

 Mugs and Keurig Cup Basket

 Framed Professional Photograph of an Italian Getaway

 Decorated ID Badge Clips

 Hand Knitted Item of Choice

Thank you to Jennie and Kim K. for putting it all together, and Ali for all of your help!  Also, MANY, MANY, MANY thanks to our crafty creators for donating their art and goods for this raffle: Redell, Liz, Jenn, Pam, and Morgan!  Staff are really excited to purchase tickets and participate!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Great group on Saturday!  It was intimate, and all familiar faces from our previous meeting! I felt we were able to discuss more at length about some of the concerns the Moms have!  Our moms were also offering advice and support to each other, it was awesome!

One important topic we discussed was how to continue pumping when returning to work! This can be so stressful for any mom, trying to fit in an appropriate number of pumps in a work day.  It is especially stressful for a mom with low milk supply who is eager to give her sick child the best nutrition and immune protection!  It is essential to communicate with colleagues/manager about your plan to pump, and about appropriate locations for pumping, NOT in a bathroom or closet!!  Although difficult to pump every 3-4 hours while at work, it is important not to stress, and to fit pumps in when you can: before going to work, at lunch, and before heading home, before bed.  On the weekends or days off continue with a 6-8 pumps/day schedule.  Too much concern about the perfect pumping schedule is more likely going to lead to quitting, but even four pumps in a day is better than zero!  Also try cutting vertical slits in a sports bra to hold the pump flanges in place, to make the session hands-free!

 "What is Speech Therapy"?  ST assesses our NICU babies for readiness to safely feed by mouth.  They listen and look for suck, swallow, and breathing coordination to make sure the infant isn't aspirating milk into the lungs.  For moms who intend to breastfeed, ST should assess the baby at the breast!  Babies often perform milk transfer better at the breast than by bottle, as they can control flow better!

Cloth versus disposable breast pads?  We recommend using disposable breast pads, as there is a risk for yeast growth in the cloth pads, which can lead to mastitis.  NICU moms often use the hospital washing machines and it may be difficult to optimally wash cloth pads, which should be washed frequently and dried completely to prevent yeast/bacterial growth.  Disposable pads should be changed as they get saturated.

Below is our spread of free goodies for the moms who attended!  Each mom received a hand-sewn satchel for her pumping equipment, Medela lanolin, clean wipes (for cleaning pump parts on-the-go!), breast pads, and our GIVEAWAY of the Month: Tator Tops Nursing Boutique nursing covers and burp cloths!

Winners of our Tator Tops giveaway!

Thank you to my NICU colleagues Sherry, Liz, Ali, and Kim R. for the delicious treats and refreshments!  Kim K. also found Godiva chocolate "GEMS", perfect!

I congratulate all of our NICU moms who continue to pump through the emotional and physical ups and downs!  Remember, breast milk and skin-to-skin are incredibly important to a NICU baby's recovery, and unmatched by anything a doctor or nurse can provide!  Our pumping moms are doing their part in their infants' healing, and we should praise these wonderful ladies for the hard work they put in!  Great Job!

Fundraising!

 Thanks to my friend and colleague, Morgan, for making these beautiful and fun ID Badge Clips!

These clips dress up our BORING employee badges!  They were offered for purchase to staff in the NICU, as well as to members of the CHOP Hospital Wide Breastfeeding Committee!  Our goal is to reach out to other units to raise more funds!

Funds raised go towards refreshments and snacks, and for special gifts for CHOP moms who attend the GEMs group!  Thank you to all who have contributed, either by donation or clip purchase!!

Later this month we hope to hold a small Pick-a-Prize Raffle, featuring items donated by some of our crafty NICU staff!

Stay tuned for updates on our upcoming GEMs meeting, Saturday March 17th, St. Patty's Day!!!

Our next meeting...

...St. Patrick's Day!

We are trying to reach out to other units in the hospital besides the NICU.  Next week is the Hospital Wide Breastfeeding Committee Meeting, where representatives from all inpatient units and some outpatient units come to discuss breastfeeding/human milk issues and ways we can best support our pumping/breastfeeding moms and staff.  The flyer for next month's meeting will be handed out so these representatives can distribute to moms on their respective units!

I am excited to feature Tator Tops Boutique for our next giveaway!  We will be raffling off these beautiful nursing covers and matching burp cloths to THREE deserving mommies :)

These Nursing Covers/Hooter-Hiders/Ta-Ta Tents are great for pumping moms in the hospital, as there are limited pump rooms and many moms prefer to pump at their baby's bedside which is anything but private!  For those moms who don't care about letting 'em hang out, good for you! But for those who are a little more self conscious, these nursing covers can help make pumping in public a little less stressful (trust me, as an exclusive pumper, I used a Boobie Blanket to pump in the car, airport, in front of guests...)!

I anticipate more yummy baked goods and refreshments (half-caf coffee and tea were NOT winners at the last meeting) donated/baked by NICU Breastfeeding Committee members! Thank you!!!

I hope we see some familiar and some new faces on March 17th!!!

Our first G.E.M.s Meeting!

It was SO exciting to see seven lovely, dedicated women arrive to our FIRST group yesterday afternoon! All are moms with children in the NICU with differing diagnoses, but all share the common thread of providing breast milk for their vulnerable infant!  We got to know each mom and her baby, and discussed pumping, milk supply, transitioning to breast, as well as myths/truths about breast milk and breastfeeding!
Here is what some of the moms had to say about the most helpful part of today's group:
"Relating to other moms"
"There was just a lot of good, useful information"
"[Learning] to keep a [pump] log to document time interval and amount"

Each mom received a hand-sewn satchel (modeled above by our beautiful participants; thank you Kim!) for storing pumping equipment, and Medela accessories (breast pads, lanolin, quick clean wipes). We provided some decadent muffins, truffles, scones, and fresh fruit...as well as Keurig drinks!

We also raffled off TWO sugar scrubs made by Sweet Sunny Girl. Thank you, Amy (fellow NICU nurse), for your sweet donation!!

Thank you, Moms, for a successful group. I hope you each walked away with some useful information, and ENCOURAGEMENT, as well as the power to advocate for your child and your plans to provide human milk/breastfeed!!!!

I am inspired by your stories and dedication to your babies, and I look forward to the next GEMs meeting in March!

The Inspiration...

...came to light during a conversation between two NICU nurses. 

One day, Kim told me a story of a critically-ill patient who was once on heart-lung bypass and recently had been doing great, was on full breast milk feeds, and almost ready to go home! Wonderful! Except, the baby was bottle feeding every feed and NO ONE told mom that her baby could finally attempt at-breast feeds! 

Most of our NICU moms give up on their plans to breastfeed, deeming it impossible since their baby is hospitalized (it is possible!).  And although some of our moms are committed to exclusively pumping and bottle feeding their child, for most, pumping-feeding-washing all day long is tedious work!  Other moms are never supported in transitioning their baby to breast in the hospital and then unsuccessfully try on their own to breastfeed at home.  Sadly, many moms give up on providing breast milk for their child once they are discharged home (sometimes even before they go home) even though the AAP recommends six months to one year of breast milk for all infants (and especially important for sick infants)! 

So, how can we support our moms???  There are breastfeeding support groups for healthy babies all over the country, but not one that I could find to support pumping moms with hospitalized babies. This is the population that needs the most support and education!   These moms are under a lot of stress, feeling helpless in caring for their child, are often separated from their personal support systems, and feel like they will miss out on the bonding experience of breastfeeding their baby!

Ta-Da!  The G.E.M.s Project was born!  Group of Empowered Moms is designed to support and encourage all moms with providing human milk for their hospitalized infant.  We will educate our moms on the Transition to Breast Pathway and give them the confidence to advocate for their plans to breastfeed to the nursing and medical teams!

I reached out to the Etsy community to help me with this cause, and I am overwhlemed with the encouraging responses and donated handmade goods to gift to our moms!  We have received sweet sugar scrubs, cozy boppy covers, adorable burp cloths, and whimsical nursing covers!!  Thank you to everyone who is helping us make this support group a success!

I hope you continue to follow us along this G.E.M.s adventure, as I will post regular updates and  pictures!!!!