3 years ago
Sep 16, 2009
Sep 14, 2009
Two Months Old!
I'm probably going to cry while writing this. Motherhood has made me a crier.
Going to month two has brought all kinds of changes. We regularly see her dimples now (yay for something from Mummy!), and she still reserves her best smiles for her two favorite people- Mum and Dad. But she's starting to smile for other people now, too.
I've packed up all her newborn clothing and diapers, which i CANNOT believe she grew out of so fast! I want her to stay my snuggly baby forever, but i'm pretty sure she's going to go off to college in a second...
She has REALLY good head control now. In fact, she fusses if we don't hold her over our shoulder- she wants to practice holding up that noggin. She also pushes herself up to stand when we have her over our shoulder!
She sleeps REALLY well. While I can't seem to get her to sleep through the night (if I feed her at 10 or 11 she still wakes up) she usually only gets up once in the night, for about 30-40 minutes. So I'm feeling pretty well rested. :) She also takes great naps.
This month has brought an addition to our family: Calvin. Calvin is what B has named the glow seahorse that my friend Tanya (the genius!) told me about. Calvin is a remake of the old gloworm of my youth.
He plays music and lights up. And C LOVES HIM. Seriously, we lay her down for a nap and her eyes are GLUED to him. And we only rarely have had to re-start him (he plays for about 5 min), usually she falls asleep during that 5 minutes! What's great about him is that we can bring him with us! We'll be doing a LOT of traveling these next few months, and C will always have Calvin with her. :)(Note, this picture is NOT of her. Calvin "sleeps" in the corner, quite far from her. Babies this size don't really snuggle with their stuffed animals- this pic kind of made me giggle!)
Our awesome friends Brian and Beth brought us to a Red Sox game Sunday night, so C has been two TWO Red Sox games in the two months she's been alive. Craziness. We had a fun time with them, as always, and, the Sox won! Yay! :)
Next Week C will go in for her two month check up, so i'll have the official stats then, but by home scale, i think she's about 13 pounds! But you can REALLY tell how much she has changed by looking at these pics.
The second onesie i made is the same size as the first- i couldn't even BEGIN to be able to button it! I had to make another one-in the 6-9month size!! (though, this brand runs REALLY small). But anyway, you can see that Month One fits, while Month two, does not! She's a good eater, alright!Speaking of eating, she IS a good nurser..but she HATES the bottle!! We've had such a hard time with getting her to take one. She does take it a little bit, but it is hit or miss whether or not she will take a whole feeding. Hopefully by the end of the month she'll be better- at my friend's wedding that i'm in she'll need to take a bottle from her babysitter! The girl does NOT like latex or silicone. She won't take a pacifier either. (i've tried 3 brands of bottles and 5 pacifier brands... I'm giving up hope!)
She is starting to find her hands and realize cause and effect- if i touch this, it makes noise. She doesn't REALLY get it yet, but she's starting to. (like, if she hits it by accident, she's happy that she did it and tries again....sometimes!). She DOES like to suck on her hands, when they (accidentally) make it to her mouth. Blankets are also a-okay to suck on. (but not plastic, latex, or silicone!)
Today we went to our first Strollerstrides class. Strollerstrides is TONS of fun AND a good workout. We jog and do calisthenics and use rubber resistance bands while interacting with the babies... For example, we sang songs to the babies while doing squats. Hopefully this will help me get the edge during the SBL! C seemed to like it, for the most part. It was fun seeing older babies look at all the mommies. This week (Hopefully) we will be going to a "Mommy & Me" Yoga class, with some of the women I did pre-natal yoga with! Should be fun!
Sep 11, 2009
Cassie goes to Boston (& SBL Update!)
C & Me @ Boston Common
We had a busy Labor Day weekend with our friends Seth & Jennifer in town for a wedding. We didn't get to hang out with them as much as we would've liked (we are still learning to budget our time travelling with a baby, sorry again guys!) But it was a lot of fun. We intended to go to Boston with Seth and Jennifer, but we lost them right around Boston Common (our intended destination). B&C and I had fun, though we were missing our friends!
We took C to Boston Common because it was such a beautiful day. We went to see the Make Way for Ducklings (a children's book that takes place in Boston) statue.
We also wandered around and made our way across Newbury Street over to Trinity Church for B to take some pictures. We then walked over to the Prudential Center for me to check out some stuff for C.Here's a map of our walk...
View Larger Map
We ended the day by taking a ride on the famous Swan Boats . It will be fun to do these again when C is old enough to appreciate the boat ride. :) We sat on Boston Common for awhile seeing people play frisbee and hang out with their dogs... It was a great family day! :) We are looking forward to doing it again, if it doesn't get too cold soon!
C & Daddy waiting for the Swan Boat:
We spent Monday at my Mom's house where I succesfully achieved my goal of dropping a ski. I also managed to do this LAST Labor Day. But since I was pregnant for the majority of the summer, I'm proud i got it at all this year. Maybe next year I'll be able to finally master this skill! B & C hung out most of the day, and I got to snap this sweet picture:
And now for a SBL update. This week, I'm crowned the winner, though both of us feel that we could've made a better effort- we didn't lose much. I'm down 1.18% and B is down 0.873%. Hopefully I can stay in the lead! :) I think my prize may be a pair of Ugg Boots, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. :)
Sep 9, 2009
Sep 6, 2009
Cloth Diapering Part Two...
So a friend of mine had too many questions to comment, so she emailed me. I'll do my best at answering them in this follow up Cloth Diapering Post!
• How many covers do you have for the pre-folds in each size (XS, SZ 1, SZ 2) and do you feel like you have enough?
I started out with 6 newborn (NB) covers. 2 XS Thirsties, 2 Imse Vmse, 2 Bummis Super Whisper Wraps and one by Brookiellen. I ended up buying another from Brookiellen because i loved it so much! I also bought a Thirsties Duo Wrap (size 1) because I wanted to try them out. (I recommend getting those!). But 6 was definitely enough, because I was also able to use Gro Baby's. I'd recommend having @ least 6, because the poop definitely runs onto the cover if you are trifolding (and even if you are snapping but aren't good at snappis yet, like me!)
• How often are you doing PF/cover/Gro Baby laundry? (I combined these questions)
When she was a NB I was able to go 3 full days (washing on the am of the 4th day) because i had SO many diapers (I had some that weren't favorites, but could use in a pinch, plus the gro babys, while bulky, WERE usable from pretty much the beginning, so I could use those on laundry day.)
Now that she is bigger, though, I only use the gro babys. I'm currently having to do laundry on the morning of the 3rd day, if not sooner. (the little stinkers know when you put a clean diaper on, and save their poop for then! I'm told this is NOT a phenomenon that is limited to my child, so be warned). I just bought 4 more inserts for my Gro babys, so I'm not sure where that leaves me.
I wash the covers when ever I wash diapers. With the amount of covers I had, I was able to do it that way. You can also hand wash a cover if you needed to, I never did.
• How many prefolds do you have? What kind of prefolds do you have?
18 orange edge Green Mountain Diapers (purchased as seconds, meaning they may have imperfections- nothing seems wrong with them to me!) These were my favorite diapers. Very fluffy and fit great, not too bulky.
12 Infant PFs from SewCraftyBaby (SCB) & 6 Preemie PFs from SCB- Never really used any of these from SCB, because i didn't feel they were fluffy/absorbant enough. They also were longer but not wide. GMD's claim to fame is that they are wider but shorter so they tend to fit better.
6 Green edge diapers from a friend -these were great for wash days, and when she got a bit bigger.
6 Yellow edge diapers- these were bigger and I never used them as diapers. Great burp cloths/changing pad covers though!
I just packed up all my Newborn diapers/covers (:::tear:::). Some of them WOULD still fit her, but for simplicity's sake, we are using only Gro Baby's now.
• Did you get the "rubber pant" style for night time?
No, those are the cheapest covers you can get, and apparently they DO work, so if you really want to save $, they are the way to go. But the others are cuter and work fine! :)
• How many gro-baby diapers do you have? How many snap in liners do you have for the gro-baby?
I have 11 Gro Baby "shells" (outer part/cover) and (just yesterday got 4 more) 23 snap in soakers. My laundry estimates were based on having 19 soakers. I feel like i could use some more shells (well, at least on some days i feel like that, others, i feel like i have plenty!) I'm waiting for their new pretty prints to come out though!
• Are you doing cloth wipes?If you are then how many wipes do you have?
I'm just using washcloths for wipes. I find it is easier to use cloth wipes (when at home) that I wet with a bit of water (i keep a squirt bottle at my changing area) because then everything from a diaper change goes into the laundry basket. Because I'm just using washcloths, which i obviously use for baths, hand/face cleaning and other miscellaneous baby duties (DOOTIES!!! heehe.. Katie gets this, I know...), I have a LOT of "wipes". Probably like 40? Maybe less, but a LOT. I don't run out though, either. That wasn't very useful of an answer, I'm sure. But wipes are cheap and easy to come by (if you use washcloths, that is). I ran out and bought more at one point, at walmart. Easy-peasy.
• How many diapers are you using in a typical day?
Totally depends on the day! I've learned (the hard way!) to wait awhile after she eats in the am to change her. Sure, she's wet from the night time, but she also needs to poop from not doing it all night... She kept pooping on a brand fresh diaper before I wised up to her game and started waiting her out... Now I put her in the magic "poop chair" (bouncy seat- has the right angle i guess!) and wait till she goes, saving me a diaper change. Enough about her poop. Anyway, it really depends. But if I *had* to guess, I'd say I'm changing her roughly 8-10 times a day, (midnight to midnight), at LEAST once that includes a cover getting pooped on and therefore out of the rotation.
• Were you able to find out when new colors for the Grow Baby are coming out? Is there a blog or something I can look at to hear the rumors?
Gro Baby has a facebook fan page. They announced the new covers are coming out in late september i believe. On their page you can see the prototypes- they are super cute!
• Has the TTO helped with the smell in the bags?
Actually, since C is exclusively breastfed, her poop doesnt stink. I did use a bit of TTO to see if it made the bag smell good (i just poured some onto a prefold) and it did! So i'd guess it will help when she starts eating the real stuff!
• Do you have a big diaper pail in your changing room that you use for the wet / dirty diapers?
Yup. I have what is actually a laundry basket with a Planet Wise liner. Someone suggested that these are a good idea because it helps keep the diapers "breathing" (not locked up tight), but it still has a top (to keep the smell somewhat contained, once the poop smells). Works great! I have two liners, so while one is washing, the other is in the pail.
• Are you rinsing the dirty diapers right away or throwing them into the pail for later? (the ones without solid ish poop, although I guess with her just on B-milk that would probably be most if not all)...
Again, because C is EBF, no need to rinse the poop at all- it's water soluble! (see, this post is now advocating EBF AND CDing!). Later, when she does have more solid poops, I will try to shake them off into the toilet. I may also end up using liners that can be washed & re-used if it is just wet, and flushed if it is poop. (like imse vmse reusable liners...a friend uses these). Other methods include having a diaper sprayer- (basically a kitchen sink sprayer hooked to your toilet's plumbing), or using TP or a spatula to get the poop off. As far as i know, diaper manufacturers do NOT recommend "wet pailing" anymore.
I hope that helps!! :)
Off to check the diaper laundry... :)
• How many covers do you have for the pre-folds in each size (XS, SZ 1, SZ 2) and do you feel like you have enough?
I started out with 6 newborn (NB) covers. 2 XS Thirsties, 2 Imse Vmse, 2 Bummis Super Whisper Wraps and one by Brookiellen. I ended up buying another from Brookiellen because i loved it so much! I also bought a Thirsties Duo Wrap (size 1) because I wanted to try them out. (I recommend getting those!). But 6 was definitely enough, because I was also able to use Gro Baby's. I'd recommend having @ least 6, because the poop definitely runs onto the cover if you are trifolding (and even if you are snapping but aren't good at snappis yet, like me!)
• How often are you doing PF/cover/Gro Baby laundry? (I combined these questions)
When she was a NB I was able to go 3 full days (washing on the am of the 4th day) because i had SO many diapers (I had some that weren't favorites, but could use in a pinch, plus the gro babys, while bulky, WERE usable from pretty much the beginning, so I could use those on laundry day.)
Now that she is bigger, though, I only use the gro babys. I'm currently having to do laundry on the morning of the 3rd day, if not sooner. (the little stinkers know when you put a clean diaper on, and save their poop for then! I'm told this is NOT a phenomenon that is limited to my child, so be warned). I just bought 4 more inserts for my Gro babys, so I'm not sure where that leaves me.
I wash the covers when ever I wash diapers. With the amount of covers I had, I was able to do it that way. You can also hand wash a cover if you needed to, I never did.
• How many prefolds do you have? What kind of prefolds do you have?
18 orange edge Green Mountain Diapers (purchased as seconds, meaning they may have imperfections- nothing seems wrong with them to me!) These were my favorite diapers. Very fluffy and fit great, not too bulky.
12 Infant PFs from SewCraftyBaby (SCB) & 6 Preemie PFs from SCB- Never really used any of these from SCB, because i didn't feel they were fluffy/absorbant enough. They also were longer but not wide. GMD's claim to fame is that they are wider but shorter so they tend to fit better.
6 Green edge diapers from a friend -these were great for wash days, and when she got a bit bigger.
6 Yellow edge diapers- these were bigger and I never used them as diapers. Great burp cloths/changing pad covers though!
I just packed up all my Newborn diapers/covers (:::tear:::). Some of them WOULD still fit her, but for simplicity's sake, we are using only Gro Baby's now.
• Did you get the "rubber pant" style for night time?
No, those are the cheapest covers you can get, and apparently they DO work, so if you really want to save $, they are the way to go. But the others are cuter and work fine! :)
• How many gro-baby diapers do you have? How many snap in liners do you have for the gro-baby?
I have 11 Gro Baby "shells" (outer part/cover) and (just yesterday got 4 more) 23 snap in soakers. My laundry estimates were based on having 19 soakers. I feel like i could use some more shells (well, at least on some days i feel like that, others, i feel like i have plenty!) I'm waiting for their new pretty prints to come out though!
• Are you doing cloth wipes?If you are then how many wipes do you have?
I'm just using washcloths for wipes. I find it is easier to use cloth wipes (when at home) that I wet with a bit of water (i keep a squirt bottle at my changing area) because then everything from a diaper change goes into the laundry basket. Because I'm just using washcloths, which i obviously use for baths, hand/face cleaning and other miscellaneous baby duties (DOOTIES!!! heehe.. Katie gets this, I know...), I have a LOT of "wipes". Probably like 40? Maybe less, but a LOT. I don't run out though, either. That wasn't very useful of an answer, I'm sure. But wipes are cheap and easy to come by (if you use washcloths, that is). I ran out and bought more at one point, at walmart. Easy-peasy.
• How many diapers are you using in a typical day?
Totally depends on the day! I've learned (the hard way!) to wait awhile after she eats in the am to change her. Sure, she's wet from the night time, but she also needs to poop from not doing it all night... She kept pooping on a brand fresh diaper before I wised up to her game and started waiting her out... Now I put her in the magic "poop chair" (bouncy seat- has the right angle i guess!) and wait till she goes, saving me a diaper change. Enough about her poop. Anyway, it really depends. But if I *had* to guess, I'd say I'm changing her roughly 8-10 times a day, (midnight to midnight), at LEAST once that includes a cover getting pooped on and therefore out of the rotation.
• Were you able to find out when new colors for the Grow Baby are coming out? Is there a blog or something I can look at to hear the rumors?
Gro Baby has a facebook fan page. They announced the new covers are coming out in late september i believe. On their page you can see the prototypes- they are super cute!
• Has the TTO helped with the smell in the bags?
Actually, since C is exclusively breastfed, her poop doesnt stink. I did use a bit of TTO to see if it made the bag smell good (i just poured some onto a prefold) and it did! So i'd guess it will help when she starts eating the real stuff!
• Do you have a big diaper pail in your changing room that you use for the wet / dirty diapers?
Yup. I have what is actually a laundry basket with a Planet Wise liner. Someone suggested that these are a good idea because it helps keep the diapers "breathing" (not locked up tight), but it still has a top (to keep the smell somewhat contained, once the poop smells). Works great! I have two liners, so while one is washing, the other is in the pail.
• Are you rinsing the dirty diapers right away or throwing them into the pail for later? (the ones without solid ish poop, although I guess with her just on B-milk that would probably be most if not all)...
Again, because C is EBF, no need to rinse the poop at all- it's water soluble! (see, this post is now advocating EBF AND CDing!). Later, when she does have more solid poops, I will try to shake them off into the toilet. I may also end up using liners that can be washed & re-used if it is just wet, and flushed if it is poop. (like imse vmse reusable liners...a friend uses these). Other methods include having a diaper sprayer- (basically a kitchen sink sprayer hooked to your toilet's plumbing), or using TP or a spatula to get the poop off. As far as i know, diaper manufacturers do NOT recommend "wet pailing" anymore.
I hope that helps!! :)
Off to check the diaper laundry... :)
Sep 4, 2009
Biggest Loser!
No, I'm not referring to my high school self in the title. (But speaking of high school, uhm, my ten year reunion will be next year! Yikes!) Some friends of mine are doing a "biggest loser" competition. Although I've never watched the show, I could use the accountability to lose my "baby" weight. (aka "eat-whatever-i-want-to-because-i'm-pregnant-weight"...), so I joined up!
Then I remembered my friend from college, Heather, did some sort of competition with her husband. (I think, I could be making this up, LOL). So I challenged B to the Smith Biggest Loser Competition (SBL). The picture above is a good "goal" picture for us. Pre-post-wedding, post-moving and living in a hotel only eating out for 2.5 months- weight gain! :)The timing will be the same as my other competition. I think BL with my buddies ends 11/13/09, which is when the SBL will also end. I need to figure out what my prize will be (besides a new wardrobe! I threw out a lot of my too small clothes today!), if I win. Any ideas?
We weigh in on Fridays, so check back each Friday/Saturday/when i get around to it, but hopefully weekly, to see who's winning!
We both have a good bit to lose, but we won't post our weights, just percentages. :) I have a small advantage because I am breastfeeding, but seeing as how that hasn't really helped me drop the weight yet, I don't think it is a real advantage! :) Brian has a gym membership (I can't go till C is 6 months old and can be in childcare), so that's his advantage! But C and I are going walking everyday!!
Wish us luck!
Sep 2, 2009
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