Home Alone with a Newborn: Help!

A friend just had a baby. It got me thinking about my days with a newborn. So, I came up with some notes for reference. This will help me when I go through this again in a few months! Here we go..

You are probably one of those naturals. Everything comes so easy to you and you know just what to do even though this is your first baby. Lucky you.

I wasn't quite so lucky. Not that I was scared out of my mind to be alone with my newborn but....nervous...is a better word for it. What am I supposed to do? I know I have to feed and change him. But...what else do I do with this little bundle?

Of course, my knowledge came from my mom and my experience of trying things out and figuring out what works best for us. John spent 2 weeks at home with us and I was spoiled to always have someone there to help me if I had trouble soothing baby or getting baby to sleep etc. Then...he went back to work and I had about 9 weeks of home alone days with Evan. It was tough at first, getting use to that.

I had trouble picturing what our days would be like. I'm a planner, I like to know what to expect. With a newborn, that's tricky. Yet, after experimenting with different routines, schedules and activities, we found one that kept us all happy.

So, here are my tips and pointers to all the new mommies out there:

1. Make a point to get out of the house each day. Whether it's a quick dash to the grocery store or an afternoon strolling the mall, you need time away from home. I think it's important to change your environment so you don't get cabin fever and also to give baby a new experience. When Evan was a newborn it was summer time and I had to plan around the awful heat that we experience in the southwest (well over 100 degrees). I would often go out early in the morning to avoid the extreme temps.
2. Play music in the background. I had the radio (on a mellow station) playing softly for a couple of hours a day. I like silence but days and days of it can take its toll on me. It also helped Evan be able to sleep with noise (I didn't want to have to tip-toe around him while he slept). AND most importantly, it presents the opportunity to dance with your little one, ah a priceless memory.
3. Take a walk outdoors. Gives you both some fresh air, change of environment and introduces new things to baby (new noises, the feeling of wind and sun on their skin etc). Evan and I would stroll down our street (just a quick 10 minute walk) and I would narrate what we saw and heard.
4. Sing! I have always sung to Evan but when people were at home with us I would be a little more reserved about it. When no one else is there, it's easier to sing and not be embarrassed if you don't know all the words or your tune is off or make up your own! As baby gets older you can get crazy and make faces and dance for him. I do this even now, and I get a ton of smiles and laughter.
5.  Do some chores or answer emails....I carried Evan in the moby often. This allowed us to be close but I could still do the dishes, laundry, vacuum or catch up on blog reading. Carrying him helped me because I would feel terribly guilty if he was just sitting in his bouncy chair staring at me while I did chores. It kept our bond strong yet gave me some hands-free time. Plus, he got use to the motion and sounds of household activities.
6. Tummy time. Of course! Lay baby on a soft blanket on the floor to help him workout his neck muscles. Lay a few toys near by for added excitement. To add to the sensory workout, let him feel different textures: a towel, a knitted blanket, a plush toy, a feather on his palm. Of course this is only for a couple of minutes a day as a nb, you don't want to overload them, they'll just shutdown and be cranky. At 2-3 months I let him lay under a baby gym with dangling toys, he really liked that.
7. Sleep!! You might be experiencing many wakeups at night, so when baby sleeps you should too! I'm serious, do it.

And just remember....enjoy it. Be in the moment. This phase will pass.

Filling in the Blanks

Today I helped my friend A build her baby registry. I had so much fun. It brought back memories of doing mine last year. As we walked through each section of the store, I pictured Evan using the various items throughout his 1st year. I had to choke back a few tears more than once. His 1st year flew by. He no longer uses his bouncy chair, is too big for a baby bath tub, doesn't wear 3 month old clothing and said good-bye to breast milk months ago.

Planning my son's 1st birthday party has made me run through these memories, too. It's fleeting.  It's a bittersweet thing, this 1st birthday. My squishy newborn is gone and my explorative toddler is emerging. Hours of cuddling are distant memories and his independence is strong. I'll stop before the tears come and I can't make out the computer screen. Of course, I'll do all kinds of gushing in his 12 month post.

John and I have survived Evan's 1st year. Through the tough sleepless nights, fussy days and teething pain to the amazing milestones like smiling, laughing and crawling. We made it. I don't want to forget the details.

So, after leaving my friend A, I began to think of all the things that helped get us through it. I plan on writing a series of posts related to baby's 1st year. Recording my notes on anything from how we spent our days after John went back to work (alone with the baby for the first time ahh!) to finding our routine and even baby care. I hope this helps your need for real life application but it will also be my reference so I don't forget the details if I am ever blessed enough to have another child.

I've already posted about preparing for and surviving labor and delivery (part 1 and part 2), useful baby items for 0 to 6 months, my personal account of L&D, and my life as a mama-the early weeks along with many other tid bits and insights in mamahood. I want to fill in the blanks. If you're like me you'll read the books, visit the popular baby websites and begin by strictly following them. Good! You're a good mama. Yet, I also think you'll find your own rhythm by combining the books, other people's experiences and your own style.

Maybe it's because my confidence has grown as my child reaches new milestones. Maybe it's my need to share with my peers. Maybe it's because I feel I'm leaving behind the title of "new mom" as we begin year 2.

Are there any topics you'd like to hear about? Leave me a comment!

Is your baby turning 1 soon? Lets cry and smile together.

Homemade Baby Food: Fruits

I didn't wait very long to introduce fruits. I know you often hear not to introduce fruits until baby has a good relationship with veggies because you don't want them to get hooked on the sweetness of fruits. Makes sense, I just did what felt right to us. After Evan had been eating veggies like broccoli, carrots and sweet potatoes for about 2 weeks, I let him have some fruit. I'll let you catch your breath. He's totally fine.

We serve a balanced amount of fruits an veggies through out the day. I think the trick is not to let them eat only fruit. I also am sure to start the meal with the protein and veggie and end the meal with the fruit, like a little treat. I use the same cookbooks that I did for the veggies and once I got comfortable, I struck out on my own path based on what we have on hand, what's in season or what our budget of time and money allows for.

The idea is the same as the veggies: they need to be soft so they can be pureed or cut up into cubes to be crushed by little gums. I also store them the same way I store the veggies. So, without further ado, here's the list of fruits (and how I prepare them) that I make for my baby boy:

1. Apples. The sweeter variety. Peel, core and dice. Place into steamer until fork tender. Puree OR leave whole for baby to pick up. I also tried frying slices in butter with a bit of cinnamon (tried at 9 months) and he loved it....I love it, too. This works well with pear slices also. 
2. Pears. Treat the same as the apple. I like the d'anjou pears best. If you let them get really ripe, you can just peel and slice as is. Evan and I often share a pear. I'll keep it whole and start taking bites out of it, then he'll take little bites out of it.
3. Bananas. It's important that they are very ripe. No cooking required. Mash with a fork or cut into dices for baby to pick up. They are slippery and can frustrate the little one so dusting them with cheerio dust or even wheat germ helps the grip-ability. 
4. Grapes. I waited until 10 months for these (with 3 teeth). Okay this is going to sound gross to some, but hey, it works. I just peel the grapes then give him the meat of the grape and he loves it. He does fine if I just cut them in half but, to me, that just feels like a choking hazard with the skin on and all. 
5. Blueberries. He loves bb's. I started these at 8 months. Just cut them in half. You can squish them a bit if you feel like it. 
6. Watermelon. Super easy for baby to crush. Just dice and let them have at it. 
7. Kiwi. Peel and dice or slice into strips. The seeds never posed a problem for us. He thought it was tart but kept eating them. 
8. Mango. Evan loved mango. Peel and puree, adding liquid if needed OR finely chop and spoon feed baby. I also mixed with finely chopped banana and that was a hit.

I use these fruits and methods as a base and then use my imagination for different combinations. It's also great to use fruit puree as a dip for toast or mixed into oatmeal or cream of wheat cereal. I admit I did cheat and buy a few jars of fruit (apricots, berry mixture etc) because sometimes the produce wasn't very tasty or not in season. Just remember: no need to add sugar and have fun!

Next up: Homemade Baby Food: Snacks and Desserts

Homemade Baby Food: Veggies

After the initial introduction of solids, I moved into veggies for lunch and dinner. This happened at around 7 months. At this point I also started sending food to daycare. Like I explained here, I focused on thick purees for daycare and soft chunks for eating at home. By this time Evan's gag reflex had passed and he was really excited to try more things. He still had the same amount of breastmilk/formula intake, the veggies were added for exploration and experience. They also helped him feel satiated for longer (since he was actually getting the veggies down), so it helped him sleep through the night!

Since 7 months I have been making the same veggies and adding different varieties or preparing them in different combinations as he gets older. I refer to Cooking Light's First Foods baby cookbook often (for a bit more description check this out) . I also used From Animal Crackers to Wild West Beans which has a bunch of great ideas geared toward the vegetarian baby. At 7 months I followed the recipes, then started experimenting on my own at 8 months. I didn't let the book dictate what recipes I was "allowed" to make. Even if a recipe was listed in the 8-12 month section but I was cooking for my 7 month old, I adapted the recipe to fit his abilities. I like this cookbook because they provide recipes that are healthy and great for the whole family. Low in sugar and fats, they use seasoning and natural flavors to give the dishes taste. I love it!

Cooking for Evan has made me change my eating habits and try new things, too. When I prepare dinner, I don't want to make a dinner for Evan and a dinner for John and I just because we are eating something unhealthy. It's been eye-opening to evaluate what I've been eating!

Below I list the veggies I prepare. I use a pot of water and metal steamer to steam. I use the magic bullet or a potato masher to mush stuff up. For freezing purees, I drop cooled food into ice cube trays, freeze then transfer to a ziploc bag. For freezing chunks, I put them on a cookie sheet (to prevent a huge block of food from forming) and freeze then transfer to ziploc bag.

Here's a list of veggies (and how I prepare them):

1. Sweet potatoes. Wrap tightly in foil, place on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool, remove skin and either puree add breastmilk/water as needed OR cut into chunks for baby to pick up. 
2. Butternut squash/Acorn squash. Cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, place face down in a pan with a half inch of water and cook in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool, cut out flesh and puree OR cut into cubes. 
3. Peas. Steam frozen peas for 6 minutes then puree, adding liquid if needed OR serve leave whole for baby to pick up. 
4. Broccoli. Cut "trees" and steam until fork tender or soft. I never pureed because the built-in handle was so great for Evan to practice with. 
5. Parsnip and apple soup. Peel, trim and dice the parsnip and apple. Place parsnip in boiling water, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add apple and cook 10 more minutes. Drain and puree. 
6. Carrot soup. Saute diced, yellow onion and a bag of baby carrots in a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil for 10 minutes. Add a bit of chopped ginger and cook 1 more minute. Add a carton of chicken stock or vegetable stock (you could even do half a carton and a cup of water). Simmer 30 minutes. Let cool a bit then puree in batches or use an immersion blender. I eat this and it's yummy!
7. Zucchini. Peel, cube, steam then puree OR leave whole for baby to pick up.
8. Asparagus. Trim, cut into 1 inch pieces and steam for 10 minutes or until very tender. Puree adding liquid as needed OR leave the very tips (the softest parts) for baby to pick up.
9. Mixed veggies. Steam some frozen mixed veggies (like peas and carrots or green beans, corn and carrots) until soft then puree OR leave whole for baby to pick up.

Of course, this is only a small portion of what I make. I use my imagination to combine veggies or pair with pasta, rice or couscous. You can't go wrong, really, just don't use salt! Also, don't underestimate your baby's taste buds, they want to explore this new world! 

Homemade Baby Food: First Bites

Rice cereal. Bland, boring color, blah. I'm sure that's what Evan was thinking when I first gave this to him at 6 months. He did not appreciate being underestimated like that. I tried many times with the rice cereal but he was much more interested in what we were eating. Of course! Color, smells, textures, fun! I abandoned the cereal and instead allowed him to explore food like mashed up banana, avocado and zucchini. I started with food that had a lighter taste and smooth texture.

My philosophy for introducing solids is a mixture of baby led weaning (BLW) concepts and traditional purees. Baby led weaning is a method of food introduction that allows the baby to be in control of the process. Basically you offer your baby (when he show signs of readiness, of course) chunks of food to inspect, play with, smell and gnaw on. He feeds himself from the start. It's brilliant. It facilitates hand eye coordination, meal/food enjoyment, appetite control and much more. In BLW you offer hunks of food in shapes and sizes appropriate for your baby. He picks up the food and gnaws with his gums. Blending this method with the traditional mashed food/purees was what was right for our family and we have been very happy with it.

Introducing solids isn't about anything more than getting baby used to texture and new tastes, in a word, exploration. Baby gets all the nutrition he needs from breastmilk/formula at this point. The focus is not to replace milk feedings with solids. Weaning (gradually changing from a breastmilk/formula-only diet to having no breastmilk or formula) can take 6 months or more to achieve. Once I understood that the early months of eating solids were not focused on the need for extra calories or vitamins and that how much he actually swallowed wasn't important, I calmed down and didn't stress out.

In the very beginning I held Evan in my lap (he didn't like his high chair until around 7.5 months but I would put him in it each day for a few minutes) at the table and he would take food off my plate. I made sure that what was available to him was soft/safe, of course. It was VERY messy but he enjoyed himself and quickly began reaching for every kind of food in front him. He gagged a lot in the beginning but it never discouraged him from continuing on. The reflex disappeared after a month. I was nervous about choking but I just watched him closely and if something wasn't sitting right in his mouth he coughed it out or put his finger in and moved the food to his cheek so his gums could mash it. The 6 month post describes Evan's intro to food-here.

Here's a list of foods (and how they were prepared) that Evan was introduced to in the beginning (6-7 months):

1. Zucchini. Peel, cube, steam then puree.
2. Avocado. A very ripe one mashed into a chunky consistency (added breastmilk if needed).
3. Banana. A very ripe one mashed with a little breastmilk. 
4. Butternut squash. Cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds, place face down in a pan with a half inch of water and cook in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool, cut out flesh and puree (or cut into cubes) adding liquid if needed.
5. Rice. Plain white rice (we used Jasmine rice because that's what we have on hand) cooked in a rice cooker or on the stove with regular directions (maybe add a bit of extra liquid).
6. Cucumber. Cut into a thick finger. Evan just gnawed on this and was never able to bite off a chunk but I watched him closely. He like the coolness on his sore gums.
7. Sweet potato. Wash, wrap 1 tightly in foil, roast in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool, remove skin and puree flash adding liquid if needed.

I put the purees in ice cube trays and froze then store in ziploc bags for no longer than 3 weeks. These went with Evan to daycare for lunch or were dinner backups. I would hold Evan on my lap at dinner and he would grab food off my plate. Here's a list of things I let him eat off my plate:

1. Rice
2. Pasta sauce. He would dip his hands in the sauce and put the whole thing in his mouth.
3. Angel hair pasta, cut up.
4. Mashed potatoes.
5. Shredded cheese.
6. Finely crumbled taco meat. (Ground beef with taco seasoning).
7. Bread/toast, no butter.
8. Sandwich. He would put his mouth on the sandwich and pretend to take a bite. He never got much but he could still experience the taste.
9. The flesh of zucchini and yellow squash.
10. Soft cooked broccoli. The stem was a built in handle and Evan would gnaw on the crowns. 
11. Thick stick of carrot. He would just gnaw on the them. They were great for teething. 

Getting used to his highchair

Wipeable bibs with pockets help control the mess. Or better yet, just let 'em go shirtless, foods wipes right off! Don't forget to have your camera near by for messy pics and videos!

Check out:
Homemade Baby Food: Veggies
Homemade Baby Food: Fruits

Part 3: Baby Items- 0 to 6 Months

This is a list of all the items that were used during the first six months. There were a lot of things that I tried and they didn't work for me or that I bought and never used. So many things in the baby stores and online look like you can't live without them or that they would make life so much easier. I fell into that trap and ended up wasting a lot of money and time on baby stuff. I am typically a pretty frugal person but when it came to baby stuff, that went out the window. I know now that you don't need a lot of fancy gear and gadgets to survive. Here's my list of baby items (along with the mistakes that I made along the way). I've organized the list into feeding, sleeping, out and about, diapering and activities.

Feeding (I breastfeed and supplement as needed)

• Boppy. I didn't really start using the Boppy until Evan was heavy enough to make my arms tired (around 4 months). Before then I would try to use it but it proved pointless because he was light enough for me to hold myself and not get tired and if I let him rest on the Boppy I would have to lean forward for him to reach me which strained my back. Also, he would just end up in the area between the Boppy and me and not actual rest on top of the Boppy. It was never comfortable until he was a bit bigger. Now, nursing at over 6 months, I can't do it without the Boppy. I also use to give him protection when he is sitting up (in case he slumps backwards he'll land on the pillow and not the floor). When he was about a month and a half I used it for tummy time. It would give him some lift so he could look around and work out his neck and back muscles. 

Look at my cute little newborn! Sorry about the bad picture quality, this is just for an example.

• Bottles: Playtex drop-in system and Medela bottles. These have been around for a long time. We tried Nuk, Playtex ventaire, Tommy Tippee and a few others. Evan had a hard time latching on to all of them which made him upset and increased the amount of air he was swallowing. The drop-ins and the Medela bottles were the only to that he would accept. I really like the Medela ones because you can just pump directly into the bottles. The drop-ins are bags so after he finished a bottle you throw the bag out which was nice because there was less to wash but I felt guilty adding to the landfills. You also have this ongoing expense because of the need to buy more bags, I didn't like that. We have 8 bottles that are 5 ouncers and 3 that are 8 ouncers. Strangely, we only have 4 nipples and caps (the Medela pump comes with bottles that just have caps).

• Bottle warmer. Evan liked warm bottles of formula, then when I was pumping it made it easy to warm up the breast milk bottles. We have the Munchkin one from Target for around $20.

• Lots and lots and lots of burp cloths. My dude spit up a lot so I had about 20 burp clothes on hand.

• About 10 bibs. My baby spit up a lot and these kept me from having to change his clothes every hour.

• Electric double pump: a must for working mommies. I actually manually pumped for a month because I didn't want to spend the $275 for the Medela Pump In Style. It.Was.Worth.It. That thing pumps both sides in 10 minutes rather than the 25 minutes I was spending doing it manually. 

• Bras/Tanks: 3 nursing bras and a sleep bra. In the early days I wore the nursing bras that are not padded but now I wear the padded ones which also offer more support. Motherhood has a great selection. The sleep bra prevents sagging and helps you be supported through the night. My mom bought me 3 nursing tanks that were so nice. It was easy to just wear one of those day or night with easy one handed access.

• Breast pads and breast cream. I had 4 pairs of cloth breast pads and since I was doing at least one load of laundry each day I just tossed the used ones in the load. For cream, I used Lansinoh which really helped relieve pain from cracks and other damage. I wish I had tried the soothie gel pads. I hear they offer excellent relief from soreness etc. I was just too cheap. In this case, it would have been worth the pain relief. 

• A back up of formula just in case. I was bound and determined to never need a back up but there were times I had to use it in the early days. We use Enfamil but I have heard store brands are very comparable and save you some money. I just watch for coupons and sales.

• I recommend reading Baby Led Weaning sometime before you start solids. I am a huge believer and follower. This concept is how my 8 month old can feed himself and tries everything and his pincer grip is amazing. 

Sleeping

• SwaddleMe blankets. These were really good for the first few weeks. They are made of stretchy cotton and have velcro to keep it in place even when baby wiggles around.

• Swaddle blankets. I liked the Just One You (found at Target) blankets. They are reversible and are stretchy which made for easier swaddling. I didn't care for the flannel receiving blankets very much. I have a ton and have rarely used them. 

• Pacifier. I was on the fence about using one but we had a rough few months in the sleeping department. Evan only liked the Playtex Binkies, he rejected Nuk and the Avent Soothie. I'd keep 4 on hand. One in the diaper bag, one in the house one in the car and one as backup when one is lost.

• We wasted money on a sleep positioner that someone in the store said she swore by. It was a mistake. Evan scootched down out of it and that could have been dangerous if his face was smashed against the side. Not cool.

• I wish I would have tried the nap nanny. My baby had acid reflux and only liked to sleep in a inclined position for the first 2 months. He slept in his bouncy chair but I think the nap nanny would have been great and even more comfortable for him. 

• Swing. He slept in his swing often. It has to be the full size version, too. The travel swings have such a short range of motion that it didn't calm him and the seat was uncomfortable for him (we tried). 

• Crib. Evan didn't sleep in his crib until he was 3 months.

•  I have 3 fitted sheets which allows for one to always be clean in case of accidents. If there are no accidents, I change the crib sheet once a week. I never saw a need for a sheet protector. I have 2 mattress pads that protect the mattress from any accidents. A breathable bumper is a must! I had the cutesy one on and then I read about how dangerous those are. Air needs to flow through the crib which helps prevent SIDS. Also, we bought one of those packages containing all the bedding in a cute theme (ran us $160). WASTE of money. I don't use any of it! You can't use a comforter because it's too thick and can suffocate them, you shouldn't use the bumper, I used the sheet but it's really scratchy feeling....I do use the crib skirt but c'mon I could have made my own or gone without. 

• Crib mobile. Evan didn't notice the mobile until he was 3 months.

• Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Glow Sea Horse. My lovely friend A got us one and Evan has loved it since day 2 (when we came home from the hospital). He stares at the dull, soothing light of the seahorses belly and slowly drifts to sleep and the music plays for a good amount of time. We put it on for him when he goes down for a nap or at bed time. 

• Lullabies on CD.

Out and About

• Diaper Bag. One with lots of pockets. Chocked full of stuff like a changing pad, wipe case, travel powder, wet bag, bibs, pacifier, nursing cover, diapers, snacks for mom, change of clothes, extra shirt for mom, water bottle for mom etc. 

• Car Seat. We used a Graco Snug Ride 35 until Evan reached 19ish pounds. It's really luxurious feeling with the nice padding and material. Safety ratings are good and it fit into our Graco Stroller. I should have tried a newborn insert because I was always concerned about his head being supported when he was very young. I just rolled up a thin blanket and used it to support his head when he was asleep in the seat.  Even though the Snug Ride goes up to 35 pounds, we switched to a convertible seat at 19ish pounds because he didn't seem comfortable in it anymore and he was too heavy for me to be lifting out of the car in a carseat. We wanted to use the Snug Ride as long as we could because it was nice to lift him out of the car undisturbed if he was sleeping. But he just got too heavy for that. Plus I wanted to hang fun dangly toys from the Snug Ride's handle to entertain little guy. Now we use the Britax Marathon 70 convertible carseat, which stays in the car. This is supposed to be really safe because it has a steel frame, whereas many seats have plastic. 

• Stroller. We used the Snap 'n Go when he was a newborn. Super easy and light. Then when he was interested in sitting upright, we used the full size stroller. 

• Moby. I LOVE this thing. As a newborn, Evan was always in this to be with me every where I went. Some nights he slept in it while I sat in the recliner. This is great for going out, too. Once he hit 15 pounds it got to be a real workout so we used it less and less. Now he just loves to sit in his stroller when we are out. 

Diapering (We have used cloth diapers since week 3)

• For week's 1-3 I used Huggies. I tried Pampers and they left a wierd bubbly substance on Evan's nether regions which scared me. They also stuck to him and I had to peel them off of him. 

• I had 12 newborn sized indian cotton prefolds that I purchased from greenmountaindiapers.com. I used these with 4 Thirsties diaper covers with velcro (aplix). They were definitely bulky on my little newborn but they got the job done and I never had a leak. I had to do laundry each night. If I could do this again, I would not use prefolds. I would use Bum Genius 4.0 one size with snaps. They are trim fitting, grow with your baby so you don't have to keep buying the next size up as baby gets bigger, easy to wash and easy to put on! Yes, they are more expensive but I think in the end you are saving because of the one size element. Snaps are a must: don't wear out like aplix and prevents baby from take the diaper off when they are older. 

• Wipes. Start out with no perfume or a very very faint scent. I made the mistake of buying a pack of the store brand and it was SO perfume-y that it irritated baby's skin. I use the Huggies cucumber and green tea wipes and they are lightly scented but clean smelling.

• Powder. I like cornstarch rather than pure powder. I just use a little sprinkle since the powder can gunk up the cloth diapers. 

• Diaper cream. You are NEVER supposed to use it with cloth but if he's got a little spot of a rash, I just put a thin layer on. 

• A pee pee protector. Especially with little boys! I just use a dry wash cloth to throw it over his nether regions while I prepare the diaper. Even if you think he won't have time to because you are sooo fast, he'll pee. On you. On himself. On everything around him. 

• Cloth diaper detergent. We have hard water so we use Rockin Green detergent.

• Diaper receptacle or wet bag to store soiled diapers before wash day. We use a cheap small trash can with a lid and it works nicely. We line it with a diaper pail liner that I just throw in the wash with the diapers. Easy Peasy. 

Activities

• Large blankets for tummy time and rolling over. Soft blocks, things with lights and music, crunchy books and rattles. 

• Music. From a CD, radio, computer....

• Bouncy chair, jumparoo, baby gym and doorway jumper. Take advantage of craigslist otherwise you will needlessly pay an arm and a leg for these things. I bought the baby gym off of craigslist for $15 and they go for upwards of $60. You just toss it in the washer to clean it up. Evan loved the baby gym from 2 months to 6 months. He loved the jumparoo from 5 months. He still loves his doorway jumper. 

• Baby mirror

Well, that should do it. Sorry such a long post!

Change 3 Things

I am in love with cloth diapers. I love how they reduce waste in our landfills, they are healthier for baby (no diaper rash only soft cotton against his bum) and they save us money. Bonus: They are super cute!

I really like Cotton Babies. They are the makers of my favorite diapering systems: Flip and Econobum. Right now Cotton Babies are trying to raise awareness of cloth diapering and encouraging cloth lovers to spread the word. I wanted to write this post to do my part. I talk a lot about it to people whenever the topic comes up. I wish more mommies knew how easy it really is. I get the surprised look whenever I tell people that we cloth diaper. I get the raised eyebrow and the questions about whether it's gross or not or comments about how much work it must be. Bottom line: You are going to touch poop or have to deal with it's wrath whether you are in a disposable or cloth. It's not anymore gross than disposables and it takes maybe 2 minutes of my time each wash day. You stick them in the washer to rinse, then wash, then rinse and dry. Piece of cake. 

The awareness campaign "Change 3 Things" is encouraging parents/caregivers to commit to a goal of changing 3 cloth diapers a day. The point is that it's not an all or nothing choice. If you cloth diaper part-time you are still going to see the benefits of saving some money, helping the earth and doing something good for baby. I think this is great thing to do. They even have some great diaper deals so you can try it without having to fully invest in a complete stash. It's definitely worth a try. Heck, my husband does it without a complaint. That says a lot! 

Check out their blog post on the revolution:

Cloth Diapers... by Cotton Babies: Change 3 Things - A Cloth Diaper Revolution

Evan is 6 Months!

Holy Moly! My baby boy is a half year old! This can't be. Where is my cuddly little newborn? He has turned into a curious worldly explorer.

Dear Sweet Baby Boy,

I CANNOT believe we have reached the half year mark. You are certainly a different boy than we brought home from the hospital 6 months ago. You are very busy and your top priorities no longer include constant cuddling. You would rather be jumping, rolling all over, practicing pushups or dancing.

This month was rough/exciting/amazing.

Feeding: January brought us SOLIDS. This is a huge milestone. We began the month with rice cereal which you weren't to thrilled about. We moved on to zucchini, avocado, carrots, butternut squash, banana, cucumber and sweet potatoes. You really enjoyed the sweet potatoes and the rest were fine but you could take it or leave it. Mommy worked so hard making those foods for you, cooking, pureeing and freezing. Yet, you would rather bypass all of those mushy foods for real food. One night we all sat down to a spaghetti dinner, I held you in my lap (because you aren't all that crazy for your highchair yet) and you grabbed a handful of spaghetti off my plate! You put the handful to your mouth and sucked on the noodles and sauce. You started dipping your fingers into the sauce and sucking them clean. It's clear that you LOVE spaghetti. After that I let you take food off my plate and try it (if it is gummable and you won't choke, of course). You have had beef stew, taco salad, rice and turkey sandwich. It is so funny how you stare at food whenever it's near. It's exciting to see you be so fearless and explorative. You have really shown your independence with food. You DO NOT want us to spoon feed you. You would rather handle the spoon yourself or abandon the spoon for your hands. We still nurse 3 times a day but you do something that surprises me: you bite me! Oh my goodness, it hurts and I can tell when you are going to do it because you pause, look up and puff your cheeks out then clamp down. I am nervous about you getting teeth!

Another milestone for month 6: sitting! Your balance has really improved this month and you can sit for a few minutes on your own. Of course, I sit behind you just in case you decide to throw yourself back or I put pillows behind you to cushion the landing.

Activities: You love your jumparoo now that you have touch the ground and bounce. You chew on anything you can get your hands on. Myron, one of our dogs, has become a source of amusement. You smile and stare at him whenever he's near. The other day you stared at him for the longest time while he chewed on his bone, unaware of his audience. You have also done a few manly pushups by lifting your body off the ground balancing on your hands and toes for a quick second. So strong! Since you love to roll so much, diaper changes have become a challenge.

Rough stuff: You have had a few really tough days this month. I believe they are related to teething and growing. Luckily those rough days are few and far between.

This has been such a fun month. I know I will miss these times. Something tells me you will be on the move soon. Check out the pics! Look at those cheeks, ADORABLE!

I love you, dude. I wonder what month 7 will bring.

Love,

Mama

2011 vs 2010

What a difference one year makes!

January 19, 2011

January 19, 2010

Defeated

Well, I must have jinxed myself with the whole "Breastfeeding Success" post. I have had to admit defeat this week....my heart breaks even thinking about it. See it's always been a struggle since going back to work. The stress, lack of time to pump at work and the drastically reduced number of nursing sessions have really REALLY been tough on our breastfeeding relationship. I fought and fought for it. I would stress every single day about being able to provide enough for Evan's feeding the next day and most days I would just barely sneak by and others I would be short and I would wake up early and pump again to try and achieve the needed amount. Since day one of going back to work I was always just keeping my nose above water. This week I have a cold and added stress at work and stress related to new daycare and my poor baby is going through his 6 month growth spurt....the odds are stacked against me and I've got nothing left. We made it pretty far with a mild amount supplementing during some tough times. I cried last night at this admission. The books say don't beat yourself up if you have to switch to formula. Well, I am. I am proud at how far we have come but I really wanted to make it a little further. This is just another thing that working gets in the way of. I don't look down on people that choose formula or that, like me, have to switch to formula. I just prefer breastfeeding for us because it is FREE and healthy for mom and baby. Also, once we stop my monthly visitor will return......cripes.

I will continue to feed Evan in the morning and at night and I might even try to pump once during the workday just so he gets a little bit of the liquid gold. Yet, I know that introducing more and more formula will wipe my supply out in no time. Since Evan gets bottles at daycare I think he is getting frustrated that nursing doesn't go as fast as the bottle. I knew our nursing relationship would come to an end sometime and I do think I would still be sad. I was just enjoying this phase so much. I am sure the next phase: solids, will be exciting as well. Ahhh these little steps to independence.

Rather than have this post be completely bah-humbug, I should say a few positive things. I am proud to have been able to provide my son with a great start to life through breastfeeding. I was able to help him grow and develop and I am grateful for our bond. I am proud that I continued to fight for it even when things got rough and even when people weren't supportive. I will still count this as a success!

Lets see some pics of Evan to make me smile!

Clutch Purse Sewing and Baby Updates

Lets do baby/pregnancy updates first.

At my weekly doctor appointment we found that my blood pressure is high...lovely. I knew something was up because for the last week I've felt my racing at times or that it's hard to breathe (similar to an anxiety attack). So when the nurse took my bp and took it again the be sure and goes, "Hmm" I start to worry. I think I am a professional worrier. I worry about everything from the known to the unknown. Of course, immediately I start to think of the worst possible things....So the nurse has me lie on my left side for a little while and then comes back to check my bp again. It got a little better but still high. I was ordered to take it easy and rest. They pushed my next weekly appointment up a few days because they want to check my bp again and order labs to check for preeclampsia if my bp remains high. I am still dilated only 1 cm (bummer) but I kinda knew since the contractions haven't been as strong or frequent as the last few weeks. The doc estimates baby to be currently 7.5 lbs! No weight gain for me this week which is good but surprising to me since my eating habits haven't changed. I am getting more uncomfortable each day. The humidity has set in due to the monsoons, so even if the temps cool off from the storms that roll in each day, the humidity makes me feel awful. Sleep is difficult and the leg cramps are just mean. Oh well, it could always be worse! I hope E gets here soon! Officially we are down to 8 days, wow! I can't wait to meet him.

Our neighbor brought over baby gifts and my Dad sent us a huge mountain of clothes/towels/blankets etc! We are ready to get this show on the road and the anticipation is killing me! I feel like I am waiting in line for a really exciting roller coaster ride and the line is barely moving...

This week I began my maternity leave from work and hoped with all my heart that my little guy would arrive...no such luck. So, I cleaned and rested and did a sewing project (which probably didn't help my bp since I got frustrated with it!) It has been nice being able to take naps and stay on top of household chores etc. I even have time to fit in some yoga which always makes me feel great.

Now, onto the clutch sewing project!

I follow Noodlehead (for any crafters out there, there is an awesome blog) and I found this tutorial for a clutch purse so I decided to give it a whirl. I am a very very novice sewer and I have never done anything like this. I had a little trouble which means I got upset at myself, contemplated throwing it into a fire but then decided to take it apart and start again when I had regained my patience. After my temper tantrum, I started over and had a much better result. Have a look!

Yes, there are things that are wrong with it (like the band on the front is totally not straight), but hey, this is my first one and it is still functional so I'm excited. It's a clutch purse with 2 card holders on the inside. The whole project only cost me $7 and I still have enough fabric to make another, I just need another zipper. Plus it'd be nice not to haul around a purse along with the diaper bag. I can just toss this in the diaper bag or stroller and be on my way. I am definitely going to try more of the Noodlehead blog tutorials!

Terrific Tees and Tanks!

I know this is a baby blog but I have to share non- baby news. I had a total confidence booster today. I followed tutorials to spruce up a plain tee and and plain tank and I LOVE them! Recently I have started reading a lot of blogs and some are really crafty. I found this post on the How About Orange blog that links you to a bunch of tutorials for adding ruffles to shirts. I decided to give 2 of them a try. I was so pleased that I was able to pull these off. I feel like I got some style for cheap! I bought 2 tees on sale at Target for $6 each, cut one tee up to add the ruffles on the tank (which I already had, I was actually wearing that in the last belly pic) and to add the "corsage" to the other tee.

Now, these are not maternity tops but I can't wait to wear them so I'll have to layer them with something to cover the ol' belly until the bun is done.

Baby is doing good, I really feel like walking more but it's so hot. He gets the hiccups a lot. Today I started my 38th week...wow I can't believe we are fast approaching the finish line. My last day of work is July 26th even if baby boy hasn't arrived yet. It would be nice to have time to tackle some last minute organization projects and maybe some more crafty projects, too!

My work had a baby shower for me on Thursday. We all got together for tasty treats and presents. They are so kind and generous and they are all rooting for the baby to come soon since I am getting SOO big!

Well, my energy is fading fast....I hope I can get to sleep tonight.

Projects!

This weekend John and I worked on baby projects and I think they turned out to be awesome! John came up with the idea of customizing Evan's name for a wall hanging. He painted the letters, lined them with ribbon and glued on the little guys on the top of each letter. This is huge because he picked everything out which means he had to go with me to Michael's (the craft store) and this is a place he despises. He must really really love his son. I think his project is so cool!

John's favorite character is the dinosaur and mine is the cute little pup.

I took on a sewing project. I use to sew a lot but haven't touched a sewing machine in like a year and a half. I decided to make a boppy cover because I didn't want to be limited to the designs they offer in the stores, plus they are outrageously expensive in my opinion. I was so proud to spend only $12 to make a unique boppy cover! I was inspired to do this after watching a youtube video from spindletosashes.com it looked so easy and quick and they sell their pattern for download for $5! I was so excited that I actually completed the project and that it is functional, I want to do another one! I have literally become obsessed with STS that I want to try a few other sewing projects before Evan arrives.

We recently (like 2 weeks ago) put satellite on hiatus since there were no shows that seemed worth watching plus we have so much to do, there isn't much time to be wasting in front of the tv. I am happy to report that I have not missed tv at all. It has allowed me to explore other hobbies that I have abandoned in order to watch Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. I have actually had time to read, research baby notions, explore crafty projects and actually go to sleep at a reasonable hour!