Trapped

I'm feeling a little trapped lately... James has reached the distractible-eater phase where he will NOT eat if disturbed in any way; any tiny amount of sound or movement causes him to pop off suddenly (ouch!). And he doesn't just pop off to observe what's going on then go back to eating, he pops off and gets MAD then refuses to eat again; he acts like the breast is offensive to him, screaming at it until I take it away (then he smiles). This makes feeding him anywhere other than his quiet room a problem. So basically, not only does James not let me get of the house without him (since he won't take bottles*), but now he won't let me get out of the house with him! I guess a second child has to do what he can to get mom's undivided attention...

Thankfully, I know this is only a phase. It's a pain that not only can I not get out of the house and I am often confined within my own house, but truthfully the biggest problem is what to do with Drew! The suggestions I've read for dealing with this phase include feeding the baby in a quiet, dark room, and trying side-lying nursing in bed. Great suggestions.... when he's your only child! But I have a toddler that is usually right at my side and keeping a 2-year-old quiet and still is like trying to keep your cat off your legs when you're opening a can of tuna. It's impossible.

These are some things I've tried (and the problems with them):

Strategy: Letting Drew watch Sesame Street downstairs while I feed James in his room upstairs (the TV is, of course, too much of a distraction for James). Problem: a) I am NOT okay with using the TV as a babysitter, and b) I am not okay with Drew being unsupervised for that long.

Strategy: Letting Drew play with the iPad. This is a normal "treat" that he only gets to do when I nurse James. Problem: the iPad is noisy and Drew generally wants me to help and interact with him while he's playing.

Strategy: Giving Drew a hands-on activity, like coloring or a Pinterest "messy" activity, to do while he's strapped in his booster seat at the table. Problem: he usually ends up screaming for me.

Strategy: Lock Drew in his room to play with his train table and books. Problem: Mommy guilt. This is actually one of the better solutions because he's usually quite content to play alone in his room, but I feel bad trapping him.

Please, other moms... what did you do during this phase? James has been waking at night; I think it's partially due to the fact that he's learning and practicing his rolling skills, but I've also read night-waking is not uncommon during this phase because the baby may not be getting sufficient calories during feedings throughout the day. I often can't get him to eat for more than a few minutes on one side only (and whenever he doesn't "finish" he leaves me worrying about getting mastitis again). I know moms of multiple children have to have things that worked for them- it's just not feasible to hole up in a room for every single feeding! All suggestions welcome (even if you're not a mom of more than one)!

* James is actually getting better with the bottle. Just yesterday he took 4 oz from dad while I went out to grab some groceries and get my eyebrows done (it is amazingly sad how much I enjoyed grocery shopping alone). I believe he eats more than that when he nurses, but at least I can trust that he won't starve himself if I go out for an evening (some is better than nothing)!

James after a bottle from Daddy