Caturday!!

Today I thought i'd post a bunch of pictures of the cats. Its mothers day today and the cats always will be my  babies. So many people i've talked to say "oh, once you have a baby the pets aren't important anymore". That couldn't be any less true! The guilt I felt those first few days locking my cats out of the bedroom and hearing them yowl at night, not being able to bend over and pick them up because it hurt too much, and Caligula not being able to sleep in his favorite spot, curled up on my chest. Please don't get me wrong here, i'm not comparing the love I have for Eirik to the love I have for the cats... i'm just saying that my love for my furbabies has not diminished in the slightest and I realize that I haven't posted anything on them in a while.

First we have caligula sleeping in his new "cat bed" aka the boppy:



Next is sebastian and Laia sitting together on the couch. A rare moment of peace between the two:



And finally my boys in their favorite sleeping spot:

Some Random Photos!

No big exciting posts today, just some photos. I swear I must take a picture of him a day! Good thing its all digital... i'd be spending a small fortune in photo processing!





Big smiles for daddy. =)

The Best Advice...

If you thought all the comments and advice while pregnant was bad, wait till you have a baby. It gets worse. It seems like the second anyone sees me and sees the baby advice comes spilling out of their mouthes. Some people I know mean well but others I just end up smiling, nodding, and putting the advice right out of my head. Everything from what diapers to buy (all babies are different, try an assortment of brands/kinds), how long to breastfeed, if you should breastfeed, what to eat while breastfeeding, what clothes to buy, how often to give them a bath, how to get them to sleep through the night, EVERYTHING. There is however one great piece of advice I was given by a coworker which I will now pass on.

Every morning have a shower.

Seriously, it sounds crazy, but after a long sleepless night with a fussy baby it feels AMAZING to just simply close the door and stand in a warm shower. You come out feeling refreshed, happy, and ready to face another long day (and probably night to). Its part of my morning routine now to hand my husband the baby and give myself that 10 minutes of alone time to just refresh myself. In fact, I am now off to do just that. =)

Mommy Guilt

Yesterday I had my first real experience of mommy guilt. I was in DIRE need of a haircut. I totally destroyed my hair at the hospital... not brushing it for 4 days after being in labor and having a c-section can do that to it. I needed a haircut to begin with as well and its been horribly hot. So, last night my parents were here and I asked if they would watch him for a quick hour while I just ran down the road to get a quick cut. Nothing fancy, just quick. I had fed him and as soon as he drifted off to sleep I ran out the door. I left my parents with a sterile bottle and a little pumped milk, just in case. I got home 45 minutes later to a hysterical baby who apparently woke up about 10 minutes after I left the house. My parents tried everything to calm him and were just about to feed him when I walked in the door. I felt horrible! How could I leave him?! I almost cried as I sat there feeding him. I know he was fine, and he did have food so he would have calmed down, but the immense sense of guilt was overwhelming! I have to leave him tomorrow for 3 - 4 hours... its going to be so hard!!

5 week checkupi

So we went in today for our 1 month checkup. Yes, he's 5 weeks, but since we took him in at 1 week for his first check up we went back a bit later. I'm getting better about getting us out of the house on time! I have learned that the trick is if I know we have to be somewhere the next day pack the diaper bag the night before! This way all you have to do the next day is grab and go instead of spending half the morning attempting to feed, shower, eat, feed again, and pack the bag!

And now, the part you are all waiting for ... his 5 week stats!

He's 13.6lbs, 24inches long! Holy Crap! My baby is huge! He's off the charts for both! His head however is only in the 75th percentile. I knew he was getting big, but I wasn't quite prepared for that weight!

So, my next big priority is buying a new carseat. The infant carseat, which seemed like such a wonderful idea at first, will probably not last him much longer. It goes up to 22lbs or 29inches long. At this rate he'll be grown out of it by his 3 month appointment! So, convertable carseat hunting I go! I've done a little research already and there are two on sale at Babies R Us this week, so i'll probably get one of those. I have a 20% off coupon for one baby item as well as a small giftcard.

I also now need to rush and buy some more larger sized cloth diapers as this guy is going to be in the next size up VERY soon. The fitted and the covers we have only go up to 16lbs! I did order a few BumGenius 3.0 One Size Pocket diapers yesterday. I'll post my thoughts on those after I try them out. =)

Big Grins!

So for ages now i've been trying to get a picture of Eirik's smile. The SECOND the camera comes out he stops. Today I finally got one!



Maybe next time i'll get one of his really big grins. =)

Someone Turn Down The Heat!

Yet again we are having a crazy spring heat wave. This is the kind of weather we usually have in July and August, not May! Yesterday it was almost 90 and today its supposed to be over 90! Needless to say Eirik and I are hanging out downstairs. He's in his bouncy chair sleeping with a fan pointed on him! I have to say it must be nice to be a baby... he can hang out in his diaper and no one cares!

Yesterday we went out to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I've been going with my mom for years and half of the reason they made sure to be here for this weekend was so we could go. Its a mixture of people showing sheep and selling farm equipment and sheep and whatnot and also people who sell wool and knitting things. There are also general craft things too now... it really gets bigger every year! The event is hardly advertised anywhere yet its always packed!

We got there early because we knew it was going to be hot. Eirik did pretty well at first. We walked around and got a drink and then watched the sheep dog demo (they have working sheep dogs that herd some sheep through a little course) and Eirik lay on a blanket under a tree and enjoyed nature. He even picked a dandylion! I don't think he realized he'd picked it... but it was still cute. =) After that we went and got some lunch and looked at a few more stalls before Eirik started fussing again. I found a small spot in the shade and fed him and rehydrated myself. Up until this point i'd had him in a onesie in his carrier but since it was so hot I just left him in a diaper. We looked around a bit more and then decided to get some ice cream on the way out. Well, while standing in line Eirik decided he was hot and done. Not that I can blame him as both my mom and I were hot and done too! We made a beeline for the car and the second I placed him in his carseat he passed out asleep. It was just too hot to be outside pushing through crowds of people.


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=32466643&l=153d478108&id=52200507

A photo of Eirik and I hanging out under a tree.


I have to say, some people were insanely rude! It was obvious I had a baby in a carrier, yet people were bumping into me and refusing to get out of my way! I was shocked! I was however impressed to see lots of people wearing babies in a variety of carriers as well as people sitting and breastfeeding! I also got a reality check of just how big Eirik is... everyone we saw had 3 to 6 month olds who were smaller or the same size as him!

I guess we'll find out tomorrow just how big he is... we're going for our one month checkup!

My First Failed Night Out

So last night I had my first night as a parent where you are about ready to tear your hair out because your child will not settle down and its the worst possible time. My parents are visiting as you all know and some friends of theirs decided to throw them an open house. Since its a lot of family friends I was invited as well. Eager to get out of the house and show of my well behaved happy baby I said of course i'd go! Originally it was on a night when my husband could come so we would drive separately from my parents, but due to the volcano it was moved to a night where he couldn't come. Still, I wanted to go and my parents assured me it was no problem. So I packed extra things and off we went.

I should have known it was going to be a long evening when he didn't sleep in the car. No, he was wide awake the entire drive. We got there and he was happy and content to be held... until of course he decided to pee through his outfit. He actually managed to miss most of his outfit and pee right onto my mom (how he did that i'm still not sure!). A quick change and feed later we were back downstairs and he was asleep. I thought "oh good, he'll sleep for a while and it will be fine". Nope, no such luck. Within 20 minutes he was awake again and before long, fussing. So, more feeding and then back downstairs again. I thought he'd go to sleep if I walked him a bit and for about 20 minutes he was happy but before long he was wailing and screaming again. So, back upstairs where I stayed for the next hour and a half rocking, feeding, jiggling, walking, etc to get him to calm down. He would calm down for a few moments but then he wanted to eat again. By this point I was in tears just about, feeling like a failure as a parent. Yay hormones...

He did settle a little bit when my step father came and held him. We have no idea why, but Eirik LOVES Jeff. Jeff can hold him and he calms right down. My mom and I both had tried and nothing but Jeff holds him and POOF calm baby. So we went downstairs where he stayed calm while we got a photo of my brother holding him (note here my brother is very anti-baby) and I ate some cake. But, before long it was back upstairs to yes... yet again... feed him. I had bought his pacifier in hopes that he would suck on that and stay calm but that was rejected after about 5 minutes. Finally we got home where I thought to myself that i'd take him upstairs, change him, feed him, and he HAD to sleep. He'd been awake pretty much all evening and I could see the look of utter exhaustion in his eyes. But did he? No. He fussed and squirmed and squawked at me. At this point I broke down, handed him to my husband, and said "put him in the swing". I was pretty much crying as I said it because I felt like a failure and here I was, handing him off to my husband to put in a swing instead of comforting him myself.

He slept for 5 1/2 hours.

I slept for 5 1/2 hours.

Thats the first time since he's been born that i've slept for more then 3 hours... and it felt AMAZING.

My mom said it best today... you just can't tell what they are going to do. A different day he could have been happy as a clam going out but last night he just wasn't having it. You just have to go out and do it otherwise you'll never do anything.

Cloth Diapers

So after doing cloth for a few weeks and trying an assortment of diapers I thought i'd post a little review. I know some people who read my blog are considering cloth, so I hope this helps!

We started out with the following:

12 bummis prefolds
6  bumgenius bamboo fitted diapers
an assortement of Bummis super whisper wraps and super brite covers

Since then I have also purchased the following:
1 BumGenius All In One Fitted Diaper
Flip diapering system

Prefolds -

The cheapest way to cloth diaper. They are what you imagine when you think of the old fashioned cloth diapers: the ones that need pins (or in my case snapies) and a cover. While they are economical I haven't found them the easiest to use. It takes a little more work to get them on right, and I have had a few leaks. While I have found they are great to have on hand i'd rather slowly build up my stock of other diapers to eventually replace these.

Fitted -

I really like the bumgenius bamboo fitted! Of course they have been discontinued since I purchased them. They need a cover over them like the prefolds, but you don't have to arrange them at all. Its like putting on a regular diaper and then simply putting the cover on over top! Quick and easy! It is a bit of a pain having to put the cover over top, but buying fitted diapers is cheaper then buying the all in one diapers. While I do love the fitted, once he outgrows them I'm not sure if i'll replace with more fitted or with another system. I think the fitted is a great option for newborns however because its cheaper then an all in one and the one sized systems i think fit babies better once they get bigger.  More on that later. =)

Covers -

I love the covers. I have to say the super brite I like slightly better because they have this extra leg bit to help prevent leaks!

All In One -

The all in one was free with an earth day promotion when I bought the Flip diapering system. While i LOVE how easy it is to use and put on I don't think i'd invest in a ton of them for a few reasons. First off they take MUCH longer to dry. It required 2 dryer cycles simply to dry the diaper. Secondly they are sized diapers so when the baby grows you have to buy new ones. I'd probably like to have a few on hand because they are nice and easy for babysitters, but I wouldn't go out and spend a ton of money on a bunch of them.

The Flip -

This is a neat diaper system! Its a waterproof shell you reuse and then a really absorbent liner that you change every time. Sort of like a prefold diaper but better and easier. The shell part of the Flip is one size too so you can adjust it as your baby grows! I have to admit at first I was a little unsure of the Flip... I was expecting leaks or a mess. But I am happy to report no leaks occurred! I only have 4 inserts at the moment, however that gets us just about through the night. The other nice thing about the Flip is you can buy disposable inserts! That sounds really convenient for going out! I may have to buy a few of those.

Whats next? I'm going to try out some one sized pocket diapers! I love the ease of the all in one but hate the dry time. The pocket is the next best thing because you remove the liner therefore it drys quicker!

Lastly a few other observations. In the one size diapers I prefer Velcro over snaps. The Velcro gets a much more snug fit around the waist while the snaps are close, but not perfect. Prefolds are okay for starting and a backup, but I'm not going to purchase anymore. Instead i'm going to purchase more either fitted or one sized diapers. So far most of the diapers I have are sized which is nice, but I am going to try some one size diapers to see how they fit. I have heard both good and bad about the one sized... so i'll keep you updated!

One Month!

My little boy is getting so big!! Developmentally he really has changed this past week. He's gone from eat, sleep, poop to actually interacting with us! He smiles and grins and coos! The cooing has really picked up the past day or two. Even my mom commented on how when they first got here he didn't do it and now he does it all the time. I have to say I'm LOVING this phase! At first I really was in survival mode but now I can really start to play with him. Its so wonderful to talk and grin at him and get a real response!

I'm pretty sure today he's going through a growth spurt. Since last night he's been very fussy and wanting to eat almost every 20 - 30 minutes. Needless to say its been quite exhausting... even his swing which he loves isn't doing the trick! It'll keep him quiet for a while, but it doesn't put him into a deep sleep. His stuffiness is MUCH better though. We ran a humidifier in our room last night which I think helped too.

I also am proud to say I am getting the hang of nursing in public. Yesterday I nursed in Starbucks at the mall! I was so proud of myself. My mom asked if I was okay or wanted to move and I just shrugged and said we were in as good a place as any. I don't think most people realized what was going on anyway. I think its good me getting out with my parents and doing things because its forcing me to nurse in public, something I was nervous about. By the time they leave i'm gonna be a pro at it!

I also have to add here that breastfeeding is 100X better. My nipples are still a bit sore at times, but his latch is getting better and i'm no where near as sore as I was. He also seems to be eating quicker and more efficiently. I have to admit those first weeks were really trying and at times I wanted to give up but now things are going great!

Now off to do more adventures. Today's shopping agenda: New shoes. I totally stretched mine out thanks to my swollen feet! Ack!

A Real Day Out!

So first off, my parents are here! YAY! Its so wonderful to have help! I hadn't realized how wonderful it is to just have someone else hold him for a while!!

Yesterday I actually went out! As in, out out! Originally it started as a trip to Target so my parents could get a few things. Well, we were doing good and decided to go out to Trader Joes grocery shopping and then went to get some coffee and relax. I actually was out and about with him for a good 5 hours. It was so wonderful to be out of the house doing normal things! I felt wonderful! And he did great! I used my carrier and popped him inside and he was happy as a clam! We had a little fussing at Target originally but after walking at a faster pace he drifted off to sleep. It was so wonderful!

His congestion seems to be better in the day and then horrible at night. Overnight last night the only way he would sleep was propped up on my arm, which isn't very comfortable around my incision area for long periods of time. So, today we are going to get a humidifier to see if that helps keep him unclogged at night. His sleeping was all sorts of weird yesterday. He actually crashed and was asleep from about 9 to 11:30 so i got a few good hours, but after that he didn't sleep well all night. Yesterday afternoon however he was totally out for about 5 hours!! If only he could do that overnight I would be in heaven. I actually had to wake him up to feed him because I was uncomfortable!

And, my baby is one month old today! AH! How did that happen??? It doesn't seem like its been a month!! I promise to post a 1 month photo later today. Now I am off to eat breakfast before he wants to eat breakfast! Or second breakfast at this point. ;)

Bigger and Smaller

So I decided that I am going to start keeping better track of my baby weight loss. I told myself I wasn't going to do any serious dieting or exercise until at least 6 weeks (thanks to the c-section the exercise thing is definately out) but I am curious to see how I am doing. I am embarrased to admit I gained a LOT more this pregnancy then I wanted to... however it wasn't because I ate horrible food. In fact I tried all sorts of different eating habits and nothing seemed to change how much or little I gained. In the 1T I had to eat almost 24/ or else I felt sick, and then in the 2T and most of the 3T I was hungry all the time. I tried to eat healthy foods, but still, at my 42 week appointment I was up 53lbs. Yes, 53. Not a number I am proud of, but it is what it is. My last weight was at 234 and I started out this pregnancy weighing 180. 

As of this morning I am 198! So, while I still have quite a way to go, I am happy that the weight is coming off. Of course I still also have to loose the 15lbs I gained while trying to get pregnant so that puts my total current weight loss goal at 30lbs. Honestly I'm okay with this. I know I still have quite a way to go, but its only been 4 weeks so I am not stressing about anything yet. Now if in 4 or 5 months I still have this much weight to loose its gonna be another story! Hopefully in 2 weeks I will get the OK to start exercising again and then I will get back into tracking my food and get the rest of this baby weight gone!

So while I am getting smaller my little man is getting bigger! Today I pulled out the 3 - 6 month clothes and began to wash them because his 0 - 3 months are just getting smaller and smaller. He's getting so big so quickly!!! I just want to stop him from getting bigger. I was looking at a picture of him in the hospital and I can see how chubby his face is getting!! Everyone told me they'd get big really quick but sometimes I feel like every morning he wakes up and looks bigger!

Now I have to go get things ready... my parents are actually coming today! Their flight is in the air! I'm so excited. =)

Cloth Take 2

Yesterday we restarted with the cloth diapers. His diaper rash cleared up nicely and I purchased a cloth diaper safe diaper rash cream to use... so we have been disposable free for 24 hours now! I've discovered that I probably need to purchase a few more diapers to make it through a full 2 days without needing to do laundry. Right now we are at about a day and a half. I have tons or prefolds, however we only have 6 fitted and we are using the fitted overnight and prefolds in the day. The reason? Its easier to put a prefold on in reduced lighting when you are half asleep. =)

After 24 hours of cloth I have to say, its really just as easy as disposables. The actual time it takes to change the diaper is exactly the same! I'll never have to worry about running out of diapers and needing to run to the store because I know when I am low and can just throw them in the wash! Sure, the diapers themselves are a little bulky compared to disposables but its so much more cost efficient this way not to mention better for him! I've heard stories of babies getting chemical burns from the stuff that is put in disposable diapers to make them super absorbent! My next step is to purchase a few all in one, one sized type diapers to see how I like them. I like the prefolds and the fitted, but the all in one may be easier for going out.

Eirik is still stuffy, but doesn't seem to be having any other real symptoms so we're still keeping an eye on him. No chest congestion, cough, etc. His new thing however is that he refuses to sleep in his cosleeper... he wants to sleep on me. I'll put him in his cosleeper while he's fast asleep and within 5 - 10 minutes he's grunting, thrashing, and awake. I'm not sure if he just doesn't like being on his back or if he's got some mild stomach issues that make sleeping on his back uncomfortable. He'll sleep in bed next to  me in the crook of my arm so that his head is propped up. I'm thinking of getting one of those slightly inclined sleep positioners to see if that helps. Not that I don't love to cuddle with him, but my back is killing me in the morning!

Hopefully tomorrow night my parents will be here! They have rebooked their flight, so fingers crossed nothing else happens! Now I am off to have a quick shower before Eirik wakes up again!

Breastfeeding Success!!

After visiting the lactation consultant yesterday Eirik and I started the process of relearning the latch. Needless to say, last night was more then a little frustrating. He kept trying to latch on the way we had been and when I tried to get him to do it the right way he would get frustrated! It doesn't help that he loves to try and shove his hands in the way so I can't see what I was doing. To make things even more fun he has some sniffles which means he didn't sleep well either.

Today my husband and I had decided to go to Target. Previously i'd just been sending him, but after the success yesterday at Trader Joes I decided today I was going to visit Target! We arranged and timed everything so we left the house as soon as he finished eating. The plan was to go to Target and get everything done before he woke up again. The store is 10 minutes down the road and I didn't need that much stuff so I had hoped that he would sleep the entire time. We made it through almost the entire store and then, in the check out line, he awoke. My husband and I went over to the starbucks in Target, got some coffee, and I sat in a quiet area in the back and nursed him. Even though I knew no one could see me it was the most nerve wrecking experience! I kept looking around feeling like someone was going to see something or come ask me to move or that I was going to accidentally flash someone. But instead all that happened was he latched on almost perfectly and ate! Yes, thats right, after a frustrating night of not latching correctly for some reason today in Target he decided to do it first time!

Now I am just keeping everything crossed his snuffles from last night and earlier this morning don't turn into a full out cold. He was really congested this morning but i suctioned it out and he's seemed to be fine since then. No fever or any other real cold symptoms. I'm really hoping maybe something just stuffed him up! The last thing I need is a sick baby!

Out and About!

I finally made it out today to do something!! It was so wonderful!! It wasn't exactly an exciting one, but its the first time since Eirik was born that i've done something other then be in the house and go to the midwife!

We actually did go to the birthing center today. They do free lactation consultants and Eirik is still having some latch issues. He's getting better slowly, but still not perfect. So we decided today to stop by and get a free consultation. I have to say, it was great! The woman was so helpful and quickly adjusted his latch! His latch wasn't deep enough which was causing him to spill milk and probably not eat as well. I'm hoping that the new latch will help with his fussiness. The hold is also MUCH more comfortable then the one I had been doing. She also sized me for a bra. I found out that while I had purchased the correct size bra, the next size up was MUCH more comfortable. So, I now have another really well fitting nursing bra!

Afterwards we went to Trader Joes to get some groceries... and this time I made it in the store! We're going to have to get the babywearing thing down however. Scott had to carry the carseat around the store while I pushed the cart... not the easiest thing to do. So, tonight we are having more time in the carrier so he and I can both get used to it so next time we go out he can simply go in there. But, I digress. It was so nice to be out and walk through the store and do SOMETHING! It wasn't a long outing, but refreshing. Tomorrow I think we're going to do Target!

Now I am off to wake up my zonked out baby because he needs to eat.  He may not think he does, but my body tells me otherwise. =)