...a changin'. Gosh, I love me some Bob Dylan. No joke. I got turned on to him sometime in high school and have loved him ever since. I've seen him twice in concert, when he's played in Syracuse. Both times equally amazing. I love a good live show!
Alas, Bob is not the topic of today's post! (so sad, I know!) Instead, I'm sharing the story of how we came to use cloth diapers. We've been cd'ing for a grand total of five days-yes, *5* days. On our second day, we had a wedding to go and I managed to cd the whole day! It was a true test and was not as hard as I thought it would be. There was no diaper changing area (or makeshift for that matter) of any kind in the ladies' room so I changed Meghan's diaper on one of the chairs in the reception room! Luckily, she didn't poop while we were there, that would've been a bit more difficult!
But, I digress. When I was pregnant, I had considered cloth diapering because I knew we wouldn't have a lot of money for disposables and wipes and because of the environmental benefits. When I shared my wish to cloth diaper with friends and family, I was shot down by everyone-including my own mother who had cloth diapered my sisters and I! I was shocked to say the least. Everyone said it was gross and too much work, etc. So, I dropped the issue. Until I found myself spending ungodly amounts of money on disposable diapers and wipes! At 9 months old, Meghan was going through $50-$70 in diapers and wipes a month. And that's the conservative estimate based on BJ's prices (a wholesale club), when in actuality I was more likely buying them at Walmart due to the store's proximity to our home.
So, I started doing some research and discovered a plethora of information and products for the "crunchy mom". I had no idea that cloth diapers had come as far as they have. There are just so many options to choose from-flats, prefolds, covers, wraps, plastic pants, fitteds, all in ones, all in twos, the list goes on and on! (Not to mention the materials they are made out of-cotton, pul, minky, plastic, indian cotton, chinese cotton, organic cotton, bamboo, micro fleece...)
When I mentioned to my Dad, about a month ago, that we were definitely switching to cloth, the first thing he did was give me a sideways look and ask "Oh, you're getting a diaper service then?" Of course, he had been through cloth diapering my sisters and I, with my mother, in the 1980s and I can imagine the horror. No fancy pants then. Ha, I am so glad for the advances in cloth diapering!
If I had an unlimited supply of moolah, I would most likely go with all in ones. Simply because they are the most similar to disposables and easy peasy for everyone. But since we are not millionaires, we went with prefolds and econobum covers. I had a package of 6 Gerber prefolds that I had received at my baby shower, you can find these in any big box store. They are similar to birds eye cloth and thus are not nearly as absorbent and the organic cotton prefolds I bought later on. For our initial stash, I bought 4 econobum covers (12 prefolds came with them), a pack of 6 osocozy prefolds, a kissaluvs diaper pail liner, 200ct biodegradable/flushable grovia bioliners, 8 pcs diaper pins, tea tree oil (for wipe solution), plastic spray bottle (wipe solution) metal drying rack, plastic garbage can + lid (for a diaper pail) for about $130. That's 2 months of disposable diapers and wipes. And Meg will be in diapers for at least another year, if she potty trains by May 2012, it will have saved us $500-$700!
I made my own cloth wipes by cutting up some flannel scraps I had on hand and a 5T flannel long sleeved boys shirt I got on clearance at Walmart for $1. (I got about 18-20 wipes for $1, sweet!) I made my own wipes solution today with 2 cups warm waters, 2 tablespoons baby oil/baby wash/baby lotion and 4-5 drops of tea tree oil (natural anti bacterial/microbial). And it's been working great so far!
At the wedding we went to over the weekend, I got a surprise from my mil, not only a gift, but also the knowledge that she reads my little blog. (Hi Kim!) She gave me a mother ease wrap (with an adorable zoo animal print) and 4 snap fitteds and 4 snap in doublers! Bonus for us! She had gotten them from someone else and had used them for swim diapers. Meg used them yesterday and did great! I did great because there were no pins to prick myself with! The fitteds do take the longest out of everything to line dry, but I'm ok with that, I've got plenty of prefolds, so I'll never run out.
Drew is slow to hop onto the cloth diaper wagon. He usually only changes Meg's diaper once a day because he's only home from work for a few hours before she goes to bed. The first couple of days, he only happened to be around for a #2 diaper (you know-number two) and he "didn't want his first diaper to be a poopy one." Which is fine with me, I totally get it. And he did watch me change a couple to see what he needed to do. Yet every night, I end up taking over to make sure the prefold is snug enough and that everything is leak proof for overnight. Hopefully he'll be a pro in no time. :)
(Also, I started this last Thursday, it is now Wednesday night/Thursday morning!)
(I purchased my stash in 3 transactions from 3 different websites: www.kellyscloset.com, www.diaperjunction.com, and www.tendercare.com due to what each store had in stock that I wanted to buy)
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
in other news...
...I started a new blog! This blog is for me to post all the giveaways and contest that I enter online. I wanted to stop cluttering up my personal blog with all the stuff I've been entering and also it will stay organized for me, so that I know what I have and haven't entered.
Plus it benefits my readers, too! A one stop shop for those who are looking for fun giveaways to get in on the action!
Good luck to everyone and here's the link to the new blog again!
Plus it benefits my readers, too! A one stop shop for those who are looking for fun giveaways to get in on the action!
Good luck to everyone and here's the link to the new blog again!
new news...
...just a little update here on the homefront. We are all doing well. Drew's been playing with his band a whole bunch, practicing during the week and playing every other Thursday at a bar/hotel in our hometown. He has a love/hate relationship with the band and the guys in it. One week everything is hunky-dorry and the next he doesn't want to play anymore. I don't know, I say make a decision and stick with it. There are other people he could play with.
At any rate, Meghan and I are good. Nothing new to report with her. She is up to 6 teeth and I find myself getting bit more and more! I noticed she was spitting up quite a lot so I cut back on the amount of solids I was feeding her and she seems to be doing much better now. (almost) Every day she has a lunch of 1/2 jar veggie and 1/2 jar of meat mixed together and 1 tablespoon baby cereal mixed with 1/2 jar of fruit. So today the menu was beef and carrots, peaches and oatmeal. And man, does she love her fruit! I feed her the meat/veggie first and she just stares at the fruit/cereal container knowing that I'm holding out on the good stuff! :) Usually we do all breastmilk on the weekends or if we go out for the day. I see no reason to lug around baby foods when I've got all I need ready to go anytime!
This weekend we are going to Drew's cousin's wedding. I am super excited! I love weddings and his aunt (not the bride's mother) is making the cupcakes which will be super yummy! His aunt made the cupcakes for her son's wedding in December and they were awesome! This will be Meghan's 5th wedding in a year (if you count ours in utero :) Five weddings in a year! Love must be in the air...
Also, another of Drew's cousins (he has ~50 mind you!) announced today that she is pregnant with her 2nd child and is due in January. I am excited for her and her family but also a little sad and jealous that I am not pregnant again yet. I asked Drew the other night if he thought we would have more babies and he said 'yes' right away, which made me feel better. But I still have this nagging feeling that it hasn't happened yet. At least I don't have that monthly reminder that I'm not pregnant again as I'm still nursing Meghan quite a bit. And I know this is why we haven't gotten pregnant again yet, but I can't help but think those bad thoughts that there is something really wrong. :( Aww, sad face for me... :) There, that's better!
Well, I guess that's all for now, night all!
At any rate, Meghan and I are good. Nothing new to report with her. She is up to 6 teeth and I find myself getting bit more and more! I noticed she was spitting up quite a lot so I cut back on the amount of solids I was feeding her and she seems to be doing much better now. (almost) Every day she has a lunch of 1/2 jar veggie and 1/2 jar of meat mixed together and 1 tablespoon baby cereal mixed with 1/2 jar of fruit. So today the menu was beef and carrots, peaches and oatmeal. And man, does she love her fruit! I feed her the meat/veggie first and she just stares at the fruit/cereal container knowing that I'm holding out on the good stuff! :) Usually we do all breastmilk on the weekends or if we go out for the day. I see no reason to lug around baby foods when I've got all I need ready to go anytime!
This weekend we are going to Drew's cousin's wedding. I am super excited! I love weddings and his aunt (not the bride's mother) is making the cupcakes which will be super yummy! His aunt made the cupcakes for her son's wedding in December and they were awesome! This will be Meghan's 5th wedding in a year (if you count ours in utero :) Five weddings in a year! Love must be in the air...
Also, another of Drew's cousins (he has ~50 mind you!) announced today that she is pregnant with her 2nd child and is due in January. I am excited for her and her family but also a little sad and jealous that I am not pregnant again yet. I asked Drew the other night if he thought we would have more babies and he said 'yes' right away, which made me feel better. But I still have this nagging feeling that it hasn't happened yet. At least I don't have that monthly reminder that I'm not pregnant again as I'm still nursing Meghan quite a bit. And I know this is why we haven't gotten pregnant again yet, but I can't help but think those bad thoughts that there is something really wrong. :( Aww, sad face for me... :) There, that's better!
Well, I guess that's all for now, night all!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
are you ready...
...for this? Complete and udder disbelief was my initial reaction. How can we limit something as natural as breastfeeding? Who cares how old the child is. I read the following stats somewhere on the internet:
+humans naturally wean between the ages of 2.5 to 7 years old
+WHO (world health organization) recommends breastfeeding until 2 years old and beyond if mutually agreeable between mother and child
+humans are the only mammals that consumer another mammal's milk past infancy-like cow's or goat's milk. all other mammals feed from their mother until they wean and feed on their own
These facts really stick in my mind for some reason, I even spouted the WHO fact to my little sister who is pregnant and is planning on breastfeeding her baby. In the same conversation, she mentioned she would breastfeed for at least a year and then wean. I told her that I originally would do the same, but now that we've been going almost 10 months strong and all the research I've done, I'm going to let Meghan wean when she's ready. I love it, she loves it, it's not hurting anyone and she continues to reap all the benefits. In addition, I haven't had a period since October of 2009! I can't tell you how much I love that! :)
But I digress. What is that city thinking?! They are slumping breastfeeding into the same category as public nudity and adult entertainment. (!) How is it possible to equate nourishing our children with adult non-tertainment? I certainly do not think of naked ladies when breastfeeding. I think about how I am providing the absolute best nutrition for my child so that she gets the best start in life.
I signed the petition because this is an issue I feel very strongly about. It was at 214 signatures when I signed earlier and now they're up to 422! When I was pregnant, I decided to breastfeed because my mother did and my older sister breastfed my nephew for 6 months. I knew I was going to be a sahm so I could easily breastfeed for a year.
Well, Meghan's birthday is in July and I don't see the end in sight! Happy nursing! :)
+humans naturally wean between the ages of 2.5 to 7 years old
+WHO (world health organization) recommends breastfeeding until 2 years old and beyond if mutually agreeable between mother and child
+humans are the only mammals that consumer another mammal's milk past infancy-like cow's or goat's milk. all other mammals feed from their mother until they wean and feed on their own
These facts really stick in my mind for some reason, I even spouted the WHO fact to my little sister who is pregnant and is planning on breastfeeding her baby. In the same conversation, she mentioned she would breastfeed for at least a year and then wean. I told her that I originally would do the same, but now that we've been going almost 10 months strong and all the research I've done, I'm going to let Meghan wean when she's ready. I love it, she loves it, it's not hurting anyone and she continues to reap all the benefits. In addition, I haven't had a period since October of 2009! I can't tell you how much I love that! :)
But I digress. What is that city thinking?! They are slumping breastfeeding into the same category as public nudity and adult entertainment. (!) How is it possible to equate nourishing our children with adult non-tertainment? I certainly do not think of naked ladies when breastfeeding. I think about how I am providing the absolute best nutrition for my child so that she gets the best start in life.
I signed the petition because this is an issue I feel very strongly about. It was at 214 signatures when I signed earlier and now they're up to 422! When I was pregnant, I decided to breastfeed because my mother did and my older sister breastfed my nephew for 6 months. I knew I was going to be a sahm so I could easily breastfeed for a year.
Well, Meghan's birthday is in July and I don't see the end in sight! Happy nursing! :)
Sunday, May 15, 2011
one...
...smiley monkey, once again! they have a giveaway for earth monkeys eco friendly baby products like a pacifier holder, change mat, etc. super cute and good for the earth too!
another great...
...giveaway over at one smiley monkey!! grow upcycle is a great company that takes gently used clothes and turns them into super cute onesies and other items! check it out!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
baltic amber...
teething necklace giveaway over atmummies nummies! I'm sharing this giveaway because I would love to get Meg an amber necklace, but it is not in the foreseeable future and yet her teething rages on. Rages. On. Seriously, this sweet baby girl can turn nasty at the turn of a hat. She gets super cranky and fussy, won't nurse. Today she wouldn't nurse when she was tired (she falls asleep nursing) which is just so out of character. I had to give her a bottle, I hate to do it, but when she woke up 2+ hours later, she was back to her normal self and nursed well the rest of the day. At any rate, nothing seems to help her aching gums so I want to get her an amber necklace, but cd's and a new car seat are more important and are coming first! That's all for now!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
happy...
...mother's day! to all the mommas and mommas-to-be and those who are like mommas but might not actually be a momma or never will be a momma. Today was my first mother's day with Meghan. And it was glorious! I got to sleep in an extra 2 hours! Drew got out of bed and brought Meghan into our bed so I could nurse her for the 1st feed of the day and then took her out to the living room so I could sleep in! I'll admit, I didn't sleep the whole time, sometimes I just laid there and listened to her babble and banter with her daddy through the door. It was love-a-ly.
We lounged around for a few hours-during which Meghan did not take a nap and mostly screeched like a pterodactyl. Yes, you read that right. My daughter sounds like an extinct dinosaur. And it's not just your normal run-of-the-mill high pitched screaming in excitement when she sees something she wants. It's like this crazy mix of pitch and scratching and possessed-by-a-demon like sound. It's intense to say the least. My ears ache from it. Literally. :) It is quite hard to not laugh every time she does it though!
After we got our move on, we headed out to our hometown to have dinner at my mom and her husband's house (I don't use the word step-dad. I'm 25 and my mother's been married 3 times.) When we arrive there, I realize that she's invited everyone she knows. Well, not really, but there were a ton of people there I didn't know she was inviting. This information would have been crucial this morning when I was putting together the dessert to feed all these people!
It seems that no matter how many times I told everyone that Meghan had not napped and had not even met half of the people there, it was my fault she was so cranky because I never leave her with anyone. I took this as a personal dig because I'm a sahm and it seems like no one is supportive of this (except my husband's side of the family, because it's the norm for them) I'm sure I'm being compared to my older sister, Lacie, who has a completely different situation/parenting style/life than me. My sister didn't get married when she got pregnant on purpose and supplemented with formula for 6 months when she went completely to formula and also returned to work because the father of her baby ruined their finances.
Sorry about the vent there. But it is really frustrating when it seems like no one is on my side besides dh. I know I have a faithful supporter in him, we trust each other to make the decisions that we do. For example, I have always been curious about cloth diapering. We are a single income family and it is hard to get everything paid and then shell out an extra $50-$70 a month for disposable diapers and wipes (even more when Meghan was a newborn). It just doesn't make sense.
My mother cloth diapered my sisters and I do to finances and I've also watched my MIL use disposables for her last 2 children and I don't know how she did it with all 12! Slowly but surely I've been turning dh over to the cloth diaper side and we will soon switch from disposable to cloth. His concerns were the amount of extra laundry/money for the laundry machines because we live in an apartment building. I explained that it would only be an extra 2-3 loads a week once we have a full stash and I can air dry inside in the winter and on our veranda in the summer. By the time Meghan is potty-trained, we will save about $1000. Imagine the savings when we have our next baby if we cloth diaper from birth!
At any rate, after the awkwardness at my mother's house (and the dessert non-fiasco) we headed over to dh's family's house to visit them. His brothers and sisters just adore Meghan and love on her like she's a new puppy! Drew's mom was also glad to get to hold Meghan for a long time today as the last time we saw them was Easter and she was sick and did not want to pass her germs (which I am always grateful for!) It was very nice to sit and visit with them, I hate to say it, but I always feel more at home with them than I do with my own family. Sad, I know, but that's how it is!
I will not end this on a sad note! Over at One Smiley Monkey, there is (another!) fabulous giveaway for an organic hooded baby jacket by Green Bean Baby. It is super adorable, with green vine stitching detail around the hood and both sides of the zipper, too cute! Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out!
We lounged around for a few hours-during which Meghan did not take a nap and mostly screeched like a pterodactyl. Yes, you read that right. My daughter sounds like an extinct dinosaur. And it's not just your normal run-of-the-mill high pitched screaming in excitement when she sees something she wants. It's like this crazy mix of pitch and scratching and possessed-by-a-demon like sound. It's intense to say the least. My ears ache from it. Literally. :) It is quite hard to not laugh every time she does it though!
After we got our move on, we headed out to our hometown to have dinner at my mom and her husband's house (I don't use the word step-dad. I'm 25 and my mother's been married 3 times.) When we arrive there, I realize that she's invited everyone she knows. Well, not really, but there were a ton of people there I didn't know she was inviting. This information would have been crucial this morning when I was putting together the dessert to feed all these people!
It seems that no matter how many times I told everyone that Meghan had not napped and had not even met half of the people there, it was my fault she was so cranky because I never leave her with anyone. I took this as a personal dig because I'm a sahm and it seems like no one is supportive of this (except my husband's side of the family, because it's the norm for them) I'm sure I'm being compared to my older sister, Lacie, who has a completely different situation/parenting style/life than me. My sister didn't get married when she got pregnant on purpose and supplemented with formula for 6 months when she went completely to formula and also returned to work because the father of her baby ruined their finances.
Sorry about the vent there. But it is really frustrating when it seems like no one is on my side besides dh. I know I have a faithful supporter in him, we trust each other to make the decisions that we do. For example, I have always been curious about cloth diapering. We are a single income family and it is hard to get everything paid and then shell out an extra $50-$70 a month for disposable diapers and wipes (even more when Meghan was a newborn). It just doesn't make sense.
My mother cloth diapered my sisters and I do to finances and I've also watched my MIL use disposables for her last 2 children and I don't know how she did it with all 12! Slowly but surely I've been turning dh over to the cloth diaper side and we will soon switch from disposable to cloth. His concerns were the amount of extra laundry/money for the laundry machines because we live in an apartment building. I explained that it would only be an extra 2-3 loads a week once we have a full stash and I can air dry inside in the winter and on our veranda in the summer. By the time Meghan is potty-trained, we will save about $1000. Imagine the savings when we have our next baby if we cloth diaper from birth!
At any rate, after the awkwardness at my mother's house (and the dessert non-fiasco) we headed over to dh's family's house to visit them. His brothers and sisters just adore Meghan and love on her like she's a new puppy! Drew's mom was also glad to get to hold Meghan for a long time today as the last time we saw them was Easter and she was sick and did not want to pass her germs (which I am always grateful for!) It was very nice to sit and visit with them, I hate to say it, but I always feel more at home with them than I do with my own family. Sad, I know, but that's how it is!
I will not end this on a sad note! Over at One Smiley Monkey, there is (another!) fabulous giveaway for an organic hooded baby jacket by Green Bean Baby. It is super adorable, with green vine stitching detail around the hood and both sides of the zipper, too cute! Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
here we go...
...folks! A real post. For reals! So much has happened and I'm sure I'm going to forget most some of it, oh well! You don't need every minute detail, I suppose.
Meghan is now a little over 9 months! Time has flown by so fast, everyday I wish she would just slow down and be a tiny newborn again. I hated it at the time and now I miss it. I miss her sleeping all the time, I miss her tiny fingers and toes, I miss her sleepytime smiles. I do not miss ebf poops, projectile spit ups and that fussy period after dinnertime-I definitely do not miss that! Meghan is so sweet and devilish at the same time! She has a sneaky sly smile when she knows she's getting into something she shouldn't. And she does the most adorable "head hug" (as my sister calls it) where she lays her head down on the shoulder of whomever is holding her when she's sleepy or shy. Oh, she's soooo shy! It is the most adorable thing! I just cannot get enough of her-and I spend all day with her! :)
I'm still watching my nephew, Dylan, 4-5 times a week for my older sister, Lacie. He is just a whirlwind of movement and noise! Always on the go. Something to see, do, touch, or play with. He is a sweet boy when he wants to be, but also has only child attitude, too! When the weather is nice, we walk the less than 2 blocks to the playground and Dylan is just in his element. He loves to be outside, climbing on everything, playing in the dirt, and swinging on the swings. He does not, however, quite grasp the concept of "pumping" his legs to propel himself on the swing. So, if I'm on a swing and Meghan's in the baby swing, then I have to jump off my swing to give him a push every once in a while. He gets pretty cooped up when the weather's bad and it's rained every day here for the past 8 days in a row or something ridiculous like that. Poor kid, every day I have to tell him it's raining or too wet to go outside and that we'll go tomorrow if it the ground dries up. The playground is on a grassy hill but the ground is covered in wood chips where the actual jungle gym is at and they just retain water like it's their job! Much too wet to play!
Drew still has the same job at the computer repair company. He did get a small raise a little while back for his 1 year anniversary. I, of course, would like to see him in something with a better future. His dad works for the water treatment for our county and it's a great job. I want him to get something that he loves to do as well. He wants to go back to school, to finish his bachelors degree. He has always talked about being a teacher so he could get the summer off! :) Who wouldn't want that?
I spend my days watching the little ones, crafting, scouring the internet for good deals and making our apartment a home. Tonight for dinner I baked some marinated chicken from Omaha Steaks, and made white rice and broccoli to go with it. It was delicious! Tomorrow it's Lasagna, garlic bread and key lime tartlets so tonight was worth it!
My younger sister, Kait, is pregnant with her first baby. She's due on her birthday, 8-8-11. We (everyone I know!) were all in shock when she told us that she was pregnant. Apparently, she was not even in a relationship with the father (she had been previously) at the time she conceived the baby. And she's just one of the those irresponsible people who can't really take care of herself, so we were all mystified as to why she would want to keep the baby or move in with the father! (whom she is still not in a relationship with)
When she first told everyone that she is pregnant, our mother, sister and grandmother all told her to have an abortion because she wouldn't be able to take care of a baby. And I really think that just pushed her in the opposite direction, because she did end up deciding to keep the baby. She said she doesn't believe in abortion and wouldn't consider adoption, either. I advised her to keep all her options open and get all the information she could about all her options. In the end, she's keeping it and I will stand by her and her decision. I want her to have the birth experience that she wants and not the 3 ring circus that I did.
So, I have been trying to share with her all the information I've gained since I gave birth and I also offered to go and stay with her after she has the baby to help her transition into motherhood. Because I know it's going to be so tough for her, because it was for me. I suspect I had ppd but was able to work through it. There were days where I felt like I had been crying for 24 hours straight-and so had Meghan. When I was offering to go and help her out after the birth, I was telling her how that is the normal thing to do and our family isn't like that. It had occurred to me, as I was watching "Bringing Home Baby," or one of those TLC shows, that our family is not the norm. Of all the episodes I've watched, the grandmother goes to stay with the new mom and baby to help them adjust.
I never expected Drew's mom to offer to come and stay with us because she has little ones of her own, but I thought maybe my mom would want to come and stay or come when she could to help us out-especially because I was having breastfeeding issues. But, the offer never came and I never felt comfortable enough to reach out to her with all the questions and concerns I had. So, I turned to the electronic community for answers and I found so much love and warmth and knowledge. It's like an e-family! :)
Kait seemed keen on the idea and I would like to help her succeed. So, depending on our nursing situation, I may spend weeks or just nights or go over during the day to help her out. I'd like to be there at night, because nights are the worst! Right now, Meghan is breastfed on demand during the day and usually sleeps 7pm-7am straight through the night. If we are still in the same situation when Kait has her baby, I may put Meghan down for the night here and then go to Kait's house for the night and be back in the morning in time for the 1st feed of the day. I'm not sure, she may not want me there that much! At any rate, Kait mentioned the other day that I've stepped in for our mother and she's really appreciative-not in so many words, but I could tell from the sound of her voice.
It's getting late, babes, so I'm going to sleep!
Meghan is now a little over 9 months! Time has flown by so fast, everyday I wish she would just slow down and be a tiny newborn again. I hated it at the time and now I miss it. I miss her sleeping all the time, I miss her tiny fingers and toes, I miss her sleepytime smiles. I do not miss ebf poops, projectile spit ups and that fussy period after dinnertime-I definitely do not miss that! Meghan is so sweet and devilish at the same time! She has a sneaky sly smile when she knows she's getting into something she shouldn't. And she does the most adorable "head hug" (as my sister calls it) where she lays her head down on the shoulder of whomever is holding her when she's sleepy or shy. Oh, she's soooo shy! It is the most adorable thing! I just cannot get enough of her-and I spend all day with her! :)
I'm still watching my nephew, Dylan, 4-5 times a week for my older sister, Lacie. He is just a whirlwind of movement and noise! Always on the go. Something to see, do, touch, or play with. He is a sweet boy when he wants to be, but also has only child attitude, too! When the weather is nice, we walk the less than 2 blocks to the playground and Dylan is just in his element. He loves to be outside, climbing on everything, playing in the dirt, and swinging on the swings. He does not, however, quite grasp the concept of "pumping" his legs to propel himself on the swing. So, if I'm on a swing and Meghan's in the baby swing, then I have to jump off my swing to give him a push every once in a while. He gets pretty cooped up when the weather's bad and it's rained every day here for the past 8 days in a row or something ridiculous like that. Poor kid, every day I have to tell him it's raining or too wet to go outside and that we'll go tomorrow if it the ground dries up. The playground is on a grassy hill but the ground is covered in wood chips where the actual jungle gym is at and they just retain water like it's their job! Much too wet to play!
Drew still has the same job at the computer repair company. He did get a small raise a little while back for his 1 year anniversary. I, of course, would like to see him in something with a better future. His dad works for the water treatment for our county and it's a great job. I want him to get something that he loves to do as well. He wants to go back to school, to finish his bachelors degree. He has always talked about being a teacher so he could get the summer off! :) Who wouldn't want that?
I spend my days watching the little ones, crafting, scouring the internet for good deals and making our apartment a home. Tonight for dinner I baked some marinated chicken from Omaha Steaks, and made white rice and broccoli to go with it. It was delicious! Tomorrow it's Lasagna, garlic bread and key lime tartlets so tonight was worth it!
My younger sister, Kait, is pregnant with her first baby. She's due on her birthday, 8-8-11. We (everyone I know!) were all in shock when she told us that she was pregnant. Apparently, she was not even in a relationship with the father (she had been previously) at the time she conceived the baby. And she's just one of the those irresponsible people who can't really take care of herself, so we were all mystified as to why she would want to keep the baby or move in with the father! (whom she is still not in a relationship with)
When she first told everyone that she is pregnant, our mother, sister and grandmother all told her to have an abortion because she wouldn't be able to take care of a baby. And I really think that just pushed her in the opposite direction, because she did end up deciding to keep the baby. She said she doesn't believe in abortion and wouldn't consider adoption, either. I advised her to keep all her options open and get all the information she could about all her options. In the end, she's keeping it and I will stand by her and her decision. I want her to have the birth experience that she wants and not the 3 ring circus that I did.
So, I have been trying to share with her all the information I've gained since I gave birth and I also offered to go and stay with her after she has the baby to help her transition into motherhood. Because I know it's going to be so tough for her, because it was for me. I suspect I had ppd but was able to work through it. There were days where I felt like I had been crying for 24 hours straight-and so had Meghan. When I was offering to go and help her out after the birth, I was telling her how that is the normal thing to do and our family isn't like that. It had occurred to me, as I was watching "Bringing Home Baby," or one of those TLC shows, that our family is not the norm. Of all the episodes I've watched, the grandmother goes to stay with the new mom and baby to help them adjust.
I never expected Drew's mom to offer to come and stay with us because she has little ones of her own, but I thought maybe my mom would want to come and stay or come when she could to help us out-especially because I was having breastfeeding issues. But, the offer never came and I never felt comfortable enough to reach out to her with all the questions and concerns I had. So, I turned to the electronic community for answers and I found so much love and warmth and knowledge. It's like an e-family! :)
Kait seemed keen on the idea and I would like to help her succeed. So, depending on our nursing situation, I may spend weeks or just nights or go over during the day to help her out. I'd like to be there at night, because nights are the worst! Right now, Meghan is breastfed on demand during the day and usually sleeps 7pm-7am straight through the night. If we are still in the same situation when Kait has her baby, I may put Meghan down for the night here and then go to Kait's house for the night and be back in the morning in time for the 1st feed of the day. I'm not sure, she may not want me there that much! At any rate, Kait mentioned the other day that I've stepped in for our mother and she's really appreciative-not in so many words, but I could tell from the sound of her voice.
It's getting late, babes, so I'm going to sleep!
Monday, May 2, 2011
super cute diaper clutch...
...giveaway over at one smiley monkey!! adorable, chic and waaaay better than the gallon sized ziploc i've got the diapers and wipes holder in now!
gi' gi' gi'...
...giveaway! over at six in the nest blog, they are giving away an awesome giveaway for the necklace nanny which is like a lanyard necklace that can be worn or attached to shopping carts or car seats to keep busy little ones busy! i would probably wear it while nursing but definitely a car seat/shopping cart staple! check it out!
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