All last week my husband was sick and stupidly I thought "I'm not going to get that". I didn't get my friends horrible cold... Eirik didn't get it either. I thought I was safe. I thought wrong. I've had colds... but nothing like this in ages. This my friends was one of those colds that knocks you off your feet and in to bed... literally! Sunday was spent mainly in bed reading a book while Eirik played with Daddy. I had a fever of 101 on and off all day. Thankfully by yesterday the fever broke and I had some sort of energy but now I am left with a cough... one of those dry hacking coughs that hurts your chest and kills your throat. At this point I have almost no voice. I must sound pretty amusing! At work today I said someones name and it came out more like "dad" then "dan". I am keeping everything crossed that the little man doesn't get this horrible illness!
Speaking of the little man he went for his 5 month shots today. They didn't weigh him, but I weighed him at home over the weekend and he clocked in at 21lbs! Not shocking considering at his 4 month appointment he was 18.9lbs. I'm gonna have some nice biceps from carrying him around the house!
So now I am off to bed. Here's hoping that a good nights sleep will be had by all...
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
More Cloth Diaper Fun!
As promised, more cloth diaper reviews!!
Fist off we have DreamEze All In One:
These actually have been discontinued since I purchased them. The biggest thing I like about these diapers is the fact that they are trim as you can see! They fit him REALLY well. Also its an all in one diaper... no stuffing! That being said they are not one of my favorite diapers for two reasons. First is the side snaps... which I find a pain in the butt. Secondly is the way the insert is. You can't see it from the picture, but if you go here you can see what they look like inside. Its kinda a pain to put on sometimes. They are pretty absorbant however and we've never had leaks, even overnight! My husband HATES these diapers, but i am just so so on them. Overall I give them a 7 out of 10!
Next is the Gro Baby Diaper.
Technically these were discontinued as well, but in reality the name just changed to GroVia. Its pretty much the exact same thing, different name. Confusing huh? Anyway, these are a system very similar to the flip with an insert that snaps in and pulls out so that you don't have to change the shell every time! The idea is you buy a few shells and lots of inserts. Overall I like these a LOT better then the flip! The insert snaps into place so not as much shifting goes on! I also love the adorable patterns that the diapers come in. Its so hard to find cute patterns! Another bonus is the hook and loop closing (AKA Velcro) is pretty neat. It doesn't seem to have a lot of the issues my other diapers have with wear and tear! So far i'm impressed! My biggest complaint with these diapers is that, like the flip, sometimes the poop doesn't stay on the insert... so in my experience you end up changing the shell when you change the insert. Maybe this will change as he gets older? We'll see. Overall an 8 out of 10!
And lastly we have the BumGenius 4.0!
I LOVE my BumGenius 3.0's! They are one of my favorite overnight diapers! When the 4.0's came out I allowed myself to buy 2 because I had a credit with the woman who I buy my diapers from. I have to say I was NOT disappointed! I went for snaps because honestly the hook and loop closings just don't last as long. The diaper itself seems to fit better then the 3.0's did. I LOVE the snaps too. They are a lot like the flip. Another thing that has changed is the back section stays down! With the 3.0s I noticed that sometimes the little back flap of fabric had a tendancy to fold outwards however I have not had that problem with the 4.0's! Overall I LOVE these diapers! =) I give them a 9.5 out of 10! Only reason its just a 9.5 is stuffability. They are easy to stuff, but not as easy as other diapers.
And finally, a detergent review! I've been having some smell issues for a while now and thought it was my washing method. Nope, it was my detergent! We've been using rockin green hard rock and its amazing. I highly recommend it to those using cloth diapers! My diapers smell clean when they come out of the wash now and don't stink horribly when they are dirty!
Stay tuned because in another month or two I'll have some more diapers to review! I have some large sized all in ones that he will fit into shortly. I swear I don't have a cloth diaper addiction... honestly!
Fist off we have DreamEze All In One:
These actually have been discontinued since I purchased them. The biggest thing I like about these diapers is the fact that they are trim as you can see! They fit him REALLY well. Also its an all in one diaper... no stuffing! That being said they are not one of my favorite diapers for two reasons. First is the side snaps... which I find a pain in the butt. Secondly is the way the insert is. You can't see it from the picture, but if you go here you can see what they look like inside. Its kinda a pain to put on sometimes. They are pretty absorbant however and we've never had leaks, even overnight! My husband HATES these diapers, but i am just so so on them. Overall I give them a 7 out of 10!
Next is the Gro Baby Diaper.
Technically these were discontinued as well, but in reality the name just changed to GroVia. Its pretty much the exact same thing, different name. Confusing huh? Anyway, these are a system very similar to the flip with an insert that snaps in and pulls out so that you don't have to change the shell every time! The idea is you buy a few shells and lots of inserts. Overall I like these a LOT better then the flip! The insert snaps into place so not as much shifting goes on! I also love the adorable patterns that the diapers come in. Its so hard to find cute patterns! Another bonus is the hook and loop closing (AKA Velcro) is pretty neat. It doesn't seem to have a lot of the issues my other diapers have with wear and tear! So far i'm impressed! My biggest complaint with these diapers is that, like the flip, sometimes the poop doesn't stay on the insert... so in my experience you end up changing the shell when you change the insert. Maybe this will change as he gets older? We'll see. Overall an 8 out of 10!
And lastly we have the BumGenius 4.0!
I LOVE my BumGenius 3.0's! They are one of my favorite overnight diapers! When the 4.0's came out I allowed myself to buy 2 because I had a credit with the woman who I buy my diapers from. I have to say I was NOT disappointed! I went for snaps because honestly the hook and loop closings just don't last as long. The diaper itself seems to fit better then the 3.0's did. I LOVE the snaps too. They are a lot like the flip. Another thing that has changed is the back section stays down! With the 3.0s I noticed that sometimes the little back flap of fabric had a tendancy to fold outwards however I have not had that problem with the 4.0's! Overall I LOVE these diapers! =) I give them a 9.5 out of 10! Only reason its just a 9.5 is stuffability. They are easy to stuff, but not as easy as other diapers.
And finally, a detergent review! I've been having some smell issues for a while now and thought it was my washing method. Nope, it was my detergent! We've been using rockin green hard rock and its amazing. I highly recommend it to those using cloth diapers! My diapers smell clean when they come out of the wash now and don't stink horribly when they are dirty!
Stay tuned because in another month or two I'll have some more diapers to review! I have some large sized all in ones that he will fit into shortly. I swear I don't have a cloth diaper addiction... honestly!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
5 months!
My little man just keeps getting bigger! It never ceases to amaze me how much they change so quickly... sometimes literally overnight! Right now he is at this stage where I can see him trying to figure out how to do so many different things! I can tell that sometime soon he's going to have one of those weeks where he learns how to do a bunch of stuff at once!
The biggest thing he can do now is sit on his own with no problem. I don't really fear him topping over anymore. I do put pillows down around him, but the reason he falls over now is because he wants to get something and can't reach it. He looks for toys when he drops them and attempts to reach and grab them. I don't quite know when he started doing this... it was one of those things I just suddenly noticed! He is also really good at standing! He hasn't pulled himself up yet, but now when he stands he just clings to my hands instead of having me support him! Yesterday he was trying to be sneaky and only hold on to one of my hands! I think he thinks he has better balance then he does! Also he's making some serious moves towards crawling soon. He can scoot himself backwards pretty well, but he wants to go forwards. He can get himself on all fours for a few seconds now and does this little wiggle worm thing where he puts his butt up, then drops it, then puts his hands forward. I can see him trying to figure it out!
The other really neat thing is in the past month his sense of humor has started to develop! Before he would laugh if I ticked him, but now he laughs at other things. Its the best noise in the world! He'll play peek a boo and finds it hysterical when we pant like a dog at him. Its fun trying to find new ways to make him squeal with laughter! He is still overall a pretty relaxed baby unless he's tired or really hungry. The teething is making him a bit grumpier at times... but nothing too horrible.
Speaking of teething, no teeth yet! i feel like there should be based on all the drooling, fussing, and gnawing... but nope, nothing! Teething tablets have been a lifesaver I have to say!
We are getting better with sleeping, which is great for me. Its still hit or miss... but some days he'll sleep 6 - 8 hour stretches! Other nights however he's still up every 3 or 4 hours. He's also doing a lot better with naps. We cut out the swing so for a while his naps were short and getting him down was a huge fight! Well, yesterday he took a 2 1/2 hour nap upstairs in his cosleeper! It was awesome!
I realized I haven't talked much about breastfeeding recently because honestly its going really smoothly at the moment! I'm still pumping at work and am making more then enough for him... i end up freezing about 20oz a week. My freezer is quickly becoming filled! Hes starting to go longer stretches between feedings which is nice for me. I honestly don't keep track of when I feed him at night or on the weekends. I probably should... but I have always been horrible about keeping track of that stuff! And he's growing, so thats what matters right?
Speaking of growing this weekend we moved him up to 18month clothes! Yes, you read that correctly people! His 12 month clothes were starting to get snug, especially when it came to one piece things. Pants he can still do 12 months because they are super long. I'm not sure what his weight is, but he is going in on Tuesday for shots so we'll find out then.
And finally, pictures of him from this morning playing with a sippy cup! He is really starting to show an interest in food so I decided I'd get him a sippy cup and just let him fool around with it and see what he thought. I know it looks like he's drinking out of it, but in reality he is just gnawing on the spout.
The biggest thing he can do now is sit on his own with no problem. I don't really fear him topping over anymore. I do put pillows down around him, but the reason he falls over now is because he wants to get something and can't reach it. He looks for toys when he drops them and attempts to reach and grab them. I don't quite know when he started doing this... it was one of those things I just suddenly noticed! He is also really good at standing! He hasn't pulled himself up yet, but now when he stands he just clings to my hands instead of having me support him! Yesterday he was trying to be sneaky and only hold on to one of my hands! I think he thinks he has better balance then he does! Also he's making some serious moves towards crawling soon. He can scoot himself backwards pretty well, but he wants to go forwards. He can get himself on all fours for a few seconds now and does this little wiggle worm thing where he puts his butt up, then drops it, then puts his hands forward. I can see him trying to figure it out!
The other really neat thing is in the past month his sense of humor has started to develop! Before he would laugh if I ticked him, but now he laughs at other things. Its the best noise in the world! He'll play peek a boo and finds it hysterical when we pant like a dog at him. Its fun trying to find new ways to make him squeal with laughter! He is still overall a pretty relaxed baby unless he's tired or really hungry. The teething is making him a bit grumpier at times... but nothing too horrible.
Speaking of teething, no teeth yet! i feel like there should be based on all the drooling, fussing, and gnawing... but nope, nothing! Teething tablets have been a lifesaver I have to say!
We are getting better with sleeping, which is great for me. Its still hit or miss... but some days he'll sleep 6 - 8 hour stretches! Other nights however he's still up every 3 or 4 hours. He's also doing a lot better with naps. We cut out the swing so for a while his naps were short and getting him down was a huge fight! Well, yesterday he took a 2 1/2 hour nap upstairs in his cosleeper! It was awesome!
I realized I haven't talked much about breastfeeding recently because honestly its going really smoothly at the moment! I'm still pumping at work and am making more then enough for him... i end up freezing about 20oz a week. My freezer is quickly becoming filled! Hes starting to go longer stretches between feedings which is nice for me. I honestly don't keep track of when I feed him at night or on the weekends. I probably should... but I have always been horrible about keeping track of that stuff! And he's growing, so thats what matters right?
Speaking of growing this weekend we moved him up to 18month clothes! Yes, you read that correctly people! His 12 month clothes were starting to get snug, especially when it came to one piece things. Pants he can still do 12 months because they are super long. I'm not sure what his weight is, but he is going in on Tuesday for shots so we'll find out then.
And finally, pictures of him from this morning playing with a sippy cup! He is really starting to show an interest in food so I decided I'd get him a sippy cup and just let him fool around with it and see what he thought. I know it looks like he's drinking out of it, but in reality he is just gnawing on the spout.
Friday, August 27, 2010
May I Have Your Attention Please...
Ahem...
I am at pre-pregnancy weight!! This morning on the scale I was 179.6! Not only am I at pre-pregnancy weight I can also fit into 3 pairs of my pre-pregnancy pants!! No longer do I have to wear maternity pants!! I'm SO excited!!
While I am at pre-pregnancy weight and my pants fit, I still have about 20lbs to go thanks to trying to conceive stress eating... but this is a great start! So HA to all those studies that say "you only need to gain 35lbs because you'll have a hard time loosing the weight afterwords"! My body knew what it was doing gaining 55lbs! I will say however that my body is not where I want it to be... I really need to exercise and tone up a lot. While my dieting is going great I now need to focus on exercise so starting next week I am going to be good about exercising at LEAST 3 days a week. This will mean weekends and at least one day in the week after work.
In other news my hair is falling out left and right. I know after you have a baby your hair falls out, but this is getting crazy! I have always had fine thick hair... but now my hair is falling out its making it look rather limp and blah! I have a nice natural wave to my hair but sadly now my hair just looks like i've tried to add wave but failed. It also doesn't help that Eirik pulls chunks out left and right! I'm thinking its time for a new haircut! Something to help hide the fact my hair is falling out and thin and disgusting. We'll see... I need to find someone I trust to cut my hair rather then just going somewhere random. Oh, to all my pregnant friends and those who recently gave birth the hair thing didn't start until about a month and a half ago... and now every morning i am pulling chunks out left and right in the shower!
So that is my update on me! Eirik will be 5 months old this weekend so I'll do a big 5 month recap for him later this weekend!
I am at pre-pregnancy weight!! This morning on the scale I was 179.6! Not only am I at pre-pregnancy weight I can also fit into 3 pairs of my pre-pregnancy pants!! No longer do I have to wear maternity pants!! I'm SO excited!!
While I am at pre-pregnancy weight and my pants fit, I still have about 20lbs to go thanks to trying to conceive stress eating... but this is a great start! So HA to all those studies that say "you only need to gain 35lbs because you'll have a hard time loosing the weight afterwords"! My body knew what it was doing gaining 55lbs! I will say however that my body is not where I want it to be... I really need to exercise and tone up a lot. While my dieting is going great I now need to focus on exercise so starting next week I am going to be good about exercising at LEAST 3 days a week. This will mean weekends and at least one day in the week after work.
In other news my hair is falling out left and right. I know after you have a baby your hair falls out, but this is getting crazy! I have always had fine thick hair... but now my hair is falling out its making it look rather limp and blah! I have a nice natural wave to my hair but sadly now my hair just looks like i've tried to add wave but failed. It also doesn't help that Eirik pulls chunks out left and right! I'm thinking its time for a new haircut! Something to help hide the fact my hair is falling out and thin and disgusting. We'll see... I need to find someone I trust to cut my hair rather then just going somewhere random. Oh, to all my pregnant friends and those who recently gave birth the hair thing didn't start until about a month and a half ago... and now every morning i am pulling chunks out left and right in the shower!
So that is my update on me! Eirik will be 5 months old this weekend so I'll do a big 5 month recap for him later this weekend!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
The Good, The Bad, and The Meh - Round 2!
Yes folks, another round of the good, the bad, and the meh! Its been a few months and there are some things that have been wonderful, some things that have been awful, and some things that are just so so or its to soon to tell!
The good:
The jumparoo - he LOVES this. If we would let him I think he would spend hours in there! Sometimes I don't even fully get him in before he's jumping away! A lifesaver for those moments when you have to do something!
Toys that crinkle - if it crinkles, he likes it. He has a block that crinkles which is currently his favorite toy! He enjoys rattles too... but crinkles win over rattles any day of the week!
Pack and Play - At first I never thought i'd use this but now we use it EVERY day. Its way to hot upstairs for Eirik to nap in his crib so he takes his naps downstairs in the pack and play! Its awesome! And then when I go somewhere and need to have somewhere for him to nap... pack and play it is!
Rockin Green Laundry Detergent - we've been having some smell issues and leak issues with my cloth diapers... it was driving me batty! Rockin Green has helped with both! Smells are gone, leaks are gone! Its AMAZING!
Ergo - I LOVE my ergo. I got it for a great price from a daily steal site... and it was worth every penny I paid! I can walk for ages in it with Eirik and it doesn't hurt my back! Eirik loves it too. He falls asleep in there all the time!
Bumbo - he really enjoys the bumbo right now!! I really wish it had a tray so his toys would stay in front of him though! However at this point he's going to grow out of it soon so I'll just have to live without the tray.
The Bad:
Huggies wipes... got them on sale one week and will NEVER buy them again! They stuck to each other and then were like using a paper towel and left little bits of wipe over Eirik... not good!
The Meh:
Thirsties Duo Diapers - Okay... i LOVE these diapers... but i hate their velcro! I have had them less time then my BumGenius 3.0 and already the velcro on the thirsties is going! Its so frustrating!! The diapers fit well, they have the awesome insert... but this velcro thing is just blah! I'm going to have to look into a replacement velcro kit for them soon!
Pacifiers - So I put this under the meh category. Eirik is only ho hum about pacifiers... they are more a lifesaver for me. He is one of those "i need to suck on something to sleep" babies so its either a pacifier or him attached to my boob to sleep. Honestly he only takes his pacifiers for sleeping... sometimes it'll help calm him down but he tends to projectile spit them across the room or pull them out of his mouth and gnaw on them!
Crib - yes folks, thats right, Eirik has yet to actually use his crib. Its currently being used as storage for all the crap that needs to get organized in his room. My goal this weekend is to clean out said crib and his room so he can start trying to nap up there once it cools off a bit... we'll see what happens...
So... not much bad at the moment! Nothing we've gotten or used except for those wipes has been horrible or not used at all! A large part of this is because I am borrowing a lot of stuff from my friend!
Stay tuned because this weekend we're doing another cloth diaper review !
The good:
The jumparoo - he LOVES this. If we would let him I think he would spend hours in there! Sometimes I don't even fully get him in before he's jumping away! A lifesaver for those moments when you have to do something!
Toys that crinkle - if it crinkles, he likes it. He has a block that crinkles which is currently his favorite toy! He enjoys rattles too... but crinkles win over rattles any day of the week!
Pack and Play - At first I never thought i'd use this but now we use it EVERY day. Its way to hot upstairs for Eirik to nap in his crib so he takes his naps downstairs in the pack and play! Its awesome! And then when I go somewhere and need to have somewhere for him to nap... pack and play it is!
Rockin Green Laundry Detergent - we've been having some smell issues and leak issues with my cloth diapers... it was driving me batty! Rockin Green has helped with both! Smells are gone, leaks are gone! Its AMAZING!
Ergo - I LOVE my ergo. I got it for a great price from a daily steal site... and it was worth every penny I paid! I can walk for ages in it with Eirik and it doesn't hurt my back! Eirik loves it too. He falls asleep in there all the time!
Bumbo - he really enjoys the bumbo right now!! I really wish it had a tray so his toys would stay in front of him though! However at this point he's going to grow out of it soon so I'll just have to live without the tray.
The Bad:
Huggies wipes... got them on sale one week and will NEVER buy them again! They stuck to each other and then were like using a paper towel and left little bits of wipe over Eirik... not good!
The Meh:
Thirsties Duo Diapers - Okay... i LOVE these diapers... but i hate their velcro! I have had them less time then my BumGenius 3.0 and already the velcro on the thirsties is going! Its so frustrating!! The diapers fit well, they have the awesome insert... but this velcro thing is just blah! I'm going to have to look into a replacement velcro kit for them soon!
Pacifiers - So I put this under the meh category. Eirik is only ho hum about pacifiers... they are more a lifesaver for me. He is one of those "i need to suck on something to sleep" babies so its either a pacifier or him attached to my boob to sleep. Honestly he only takes his pacifiers for sleeping... sometimes it'll help calm him down but he tends to projectile spit them across the room or pull them out of his mouth and gnaw on them!
Crib - yes folks, thats right, Eirik has yet to actually use his crib. Its currently being used as storage for all the crap that needs to get organized in his room. My goal this weekend is to clean out said crib and his room so he can start trying to nap up there once it cools off a bit... we'll see what happens...
So... not much bad at the moment! Nothing we've gotten or used except for those wipes has been horrible or not used at all! A large part of this is because I am borrowing a lot of stuff from my friend!
Stay tuned because this weekend we're doing another cloth diaper review !
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Being Stalked
The older Eirik gets the more interested the cats are in him. They still mostly keep their distance, but they are starting to realize that he moves and does things and is alive rather than just a sleeping bundle all the time. Its rather amusing because now when I play on the floor with him one or two cats keeps a close eye on what is happening... at a safe distance of course.
Note the cat in the background.
These cats better watch out though... this little man is going mobile and soon he'll be chasing them! While he still isn't crawling per say... hes scooting. Yes, he can push himself backwards along the floor! Its quite amusing to watch because he is reaching out in front of him for a toy but in the process of trying to crawl forwards he pushes himself backwards. He quite likes being able to move around on the floor and get to new places. I put him on his stomach on a blanket and he got angry because he couldn't get anywhere. But on the hardwood he can move and he loves it! And boy is he working hard at figuring out crawling! If he could get everything timed perfectly he'd have it down. But, for now, I'm glad all he can do is slowly push himself backwards across the floor.
For the moment its Cats - 1 Baby - 0 ... we'll see how much longer that lasts!
Note the cat in the background.
These cats better watch out though... this little man is going mobile and soon he'll be chasing them! While he still isn't crawling per say... hes scooting. Yes, he can push himself backwards along the floor! Its quite amusing to watch because he is reaching out in front of him for a toy but in the process of trying to crawl forwards he pushes himself backwards. He quite likes being able to move around on the floor and get to new places. I put him on his stomach on a blanket and he got angry because he couldn't get anywhere. But on the hardwood he can move and he loves it! And boy is he working hard at figuring out crawling! If he could get everything timed perfectly he'd have it down. But, for now, I'm glad all he can do is slowly push himself backwards across the floor.
For the moment its Cats - 1 Baby - 0 ... we'll see how much longer that lasts!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Laughter
Nothing makes a bad day great again like the laughter... and the laughter of your own child can turn the worst day into the best! Eirik is just full of smiles and grins for me whenever I get home from work. I don't think he misses me when I am gone at this point, but he is certainly glad to see me when I come home! Every day I am greeted by a huge welcoming grin and sometimes if I'm really lucky that's followed by laughter. No matter how stressful the day was or how horrible the commute home was this seems to make everything better again.
Below is a video of the little man playing peek a boo with me over the weekend. Its insanely long, don't feel like you have to watch the whole thing! I hope that if you are having a bad day this can bring a smile to your face. =)
Below is a video of the little man playing peek a boo with me over the weekend. Its insanely long, don't feel like you have to watch the whole thing! I hope that if you are having a bad day this can bring a smile to your face. =)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Matching Teething Pain
Eirik and I are having matching teething pain at the moment. He is being extra grumpy today, and I know its teeth related. He keeps gnawing on my fingers, his tongue, his hands, his feet... pretty much whatever he can get in there! We've been giving him teething tablets which is definitely helping, but it still makes for a grumpy baby. To make things more fun my wisdom teeth have decided to act up. Yes, that's right, I still have my wisdom teeth! They are actually trying to come through which is what is causing all the pain. I've got a feeling they are going to have to come out... we'll see what the dentist says. I'm starting to wonder about taking his teething tablets to see if they help me too!!
Even though he's been a little grumpy I still got some adorable happy baby pictures this weekend.
Now I have to go finish my finals for my classes! I am looking forward to my 2 week break before fall classes start. I have some serious knitting to get done!
Even though he's been a little grumpy I still got some adorable happy baby pictures this weekend.
Now I have to go finish my finals for my classes! I am looking forward to my 2 week break before fall classes start. I have some serious knitting to get done!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Similac Sensitive Anyone?
Do any of my blog readers use Similac Sensitive? The reason I ask is the formula company must have gotten my name and they sent me a free sample can! I would love to give it to someone who I know before offering it up for free on my local craigslist! Any takers??
In other news the swaddling trick is working wonders. Today I got him down for his second nap with no problem! I swaddled him up, lay him in the pack and play, and 10 minutes later he was out! And he's been asleep for about an hour now. So much easier then the rocking and bouncing I was doing to get him to take a nap!
Now I'm off to get myself ready to go out. When he wakes up we're going to Target!
In other news the swaddling trick is working wonders. Today I got him down for his second nap with no problem! I swaddled him up, lay him in the pack and play, and 10 minutes later he was out! And he's been asleep for about an hour now. So much easier then the rocking and bouncing I was doing to get him to take a nap!
Now I'm off to get myself ready to go out. When he wakes up we're going to Target!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Back To Basics
When you have a baby you get advice everywhere. Parents, friends, coworkers, the internet, strange people you've never met before... EVERYWHERE. One of the things that a ton of people swear by when you have a newborn is swaddling, sushing and sucking... the 3 S's. I think there may be a 4th one but I can't remember it off the top of my head. For the first few weeks of Eirik's life he was swaddled up every night... then this weird early summer hit and the swaddling went RIGHT out the window. However we never really had any issues putting him to sleep so I didn't worry to much.
Fast forward to now. Bedtime is becoming a nightmare. I always could nurse him to sleep. We'd go upstairs, he'd nurse for a good 20 minutes, and slowly drift off. If that didn't do the trick a few minutes of cuddling while he sucked on his pacifier did the trick. Now however it seems like every night I am doing an elaborate routine just to get him asleep. We've rocked, we've sushed, we've done the pacifier, we've done the hand on their backs... you name it i've tried it. Tonight however I was tired and so not in the mood for a 30 minute fight on sleep. So I pulled out... the blanket.
I was worried he would freak out the second I got him wrapped up. Instead he stared at me and started to blink as if he was drowsy. Was this actually working?? I gently laid him down in his cosleeper and lay on the bed next to him, my hand on his stomach. The blinking got longer and within 10 minutes he was out cold. Yes folks, 10 minutes and not ONE cry of protest. He just slowly nodded off. After he was out cold I gently removed the blanket (its STILL way to hot for that all night) and he is still passed out happy as a clam!
I now have a secret weapon to help get him to sleep! We'll see if this works again of if it was just a one off thing.
Fast forward to now. Bedtime is becoming a nightmare. I always could nurse him to sleep. We'd go upstairs, he'd nurse for a good 20 minutes, and slowly drift off. If that didn't do the trick a few minutes of cuddling while he sucked on his pacifier did the trick. Now however it seems like every night I am doing an elaborate routine just to get him asleep. We've rocked, we've sushed, we've done the pacifier, we've done the hand on their backs... you name it i've tried it. Tonight however I was tired and so not in the mood for a 30 minute fight on sleep. So I pulled out... the blanket.
I was worried he would freak out the second I got him wrapped up. Instead he stared at me and started to blink as if he was drowsy. Was this actually working?? I gently laid him down in his cosleeper and lay on the bed next to him, my hand on his stomach. The blinking got longer and within 10 minutes he was out cold. Yes folks, 10 minutes and not ONE cry of protest. He just slowly nodded off. After he was out cold I gently removed the blanket (its STILL way to hot for that all night) and he is still passed out happy as a clam!
I now have a secret weapon to help get him to sleep! We'll see if this works again of if it was just a one off thing.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Becoming A Parent
Everyone thinks of what they will be like as a parent. It starts when we are still children ourselves... what 5 year old doesn't boldly say "When I have kids they are going to be able to do whatever they want!" or "I'm not going to make my kids go to bed at 8!" As teenagers again we think we know what being the perfect parent entails. We complain about how strict our parents are, how they just don't understand, how their rules are crazy. And then one day as an adult we finally make that realization we are really ready to have kids on our own. We suddenly find ourselves taking a moment to stop and seriously think about becoming a parent and what that entails. And then we become one and everything we thought we knew turns out was wrong.
When my husband and I made the conscious choice to have a baby we began seriously discussing parenting styles. We talked about what our parents had done, what we liked, what we didn't like, what we had seen other parents doing. We had this parenting thing figured out! We knew what we wanted to do and what we didn't want to do. Then we actually had a baby.
The first thing to go out the window was sleeping in bed with us. I purchased the lovely arms reach cosleeper and my idea was this... he'll sleep in there right next to me! Then when he outgrows that we'll transition him to his crib. Well, when your child wakes up every 2 hours to eat and will only stay asleep on your chest things change. Slowly he has wormed his way into our bed. Not the entire night because he does still sleep in his cosleeper, but I have no hesitations about pulling him in to bed at 2am if he's awake and fussing.
Next was the pacifier. I swore I wouldn't give Eirik a pacifier. I actually held out for about 4 weeks however at that point I was tired of being his human pacifier. At night he would fall asleep nursing and the second I would move him away he would wake up and want to latch back on. I couldn't do it anymore so out came the pacifier.
Finally there was the swing. I liked our swing but I wasn't going to let him nap in there all the time. fast forward to a few weeks and yes, thats right, all his naps were done in the swing. He LOVED it. Just putting him in there half the time calmed him down.
There are many things that have surprised me about my parenting style. Before having Eirik I never would have considered myself a "crunchy" mom (for lack of a better word). Sure, I wanted to breastfeed but I was 100% positive i'd never do it in public. However I very quickly realized it was just no big deal. I now nurse Eirik whenever he's hungry wherever we are! I knew I wanted to make my own babyfood... i've tasted jarred baby food and I wouldn't want to eat it! Then I came across the idea of baby led weaning and went "oh wow, that looks awesome!". Now I look at my parenting style and find myself babywearing, breastfeeding, cosleeping, making babyfood, and cloth diapering! Even just a short 5 years ago I never would have imagined that would be me doing all these things!
I'm sure the road of parenthood has more surprises for me. Things I thought I knew will be thrown out the window and things I swore I never do will be done. Ah the joys of becoming a parent.
When my husband and I made the conscious choice to have a baby we began seriously discussing parenting styles. We talked about what our parents had done, what we liked, what we didn't like, what we had seen other parents doing. We had this parenting thing figured out! We knew what we wanted to do and what we didn't want to do. Then we actually had a baby.
The first thing to go out the window was sleeping in bed with us. I purchased the lovely arms reach cosleeper and my idea was this... he'll sleep in there right next to me! Then when he outgrows that we'll transition him to his crib. Well, when your child wakes up every 2 hours to eat and will only stay asleep on your chest things change. Slowly he has wormed his way into our bed. Not the entire night because he does still sleep in his cosleeper, but I have no hesitations about pulling him in to bed at 2am if he's awake and fussing.
Next was the pacifier. I swore I wouldn't give Eirik a pacifier. I actually held out for about 4 weeks however at that point I was tired of being his human pacifier. At night he would fall asleep nursing and the second I would move him away he would wake up and want to latch back on. I couldn't do it anymore so out came the pacifier.
Finally there was the swing. I liked our swing but I wasn't going to let him nap in there all the time. fast forward to a few weeks and yes, thats right, all his naps were done in the swing. He LOVED it. Just putting him in there half the time calmed him down.
There are many things that have surprised me about my parenting style. Before having Eirik I never would have considered myself a "crunchy" mom (for lack of a better word). Sure, I wanted to breastfeed but I was 100% positive i'd never do it in public. However I very quickly realized it was just no big deal. I now nurse Eirik whenever he's hungry wherever we are! I knew I wanted to make my own babyfood... i've tasted jarred baby food and I wouldn't want to eat it! Then I came across the idea of baby led weaning and went "oh wow, that looks awesome!". Now I look at my parenting style and find myself babywearing, breastfeeding, cosleeping, making babyfood, and cloth diapering! Even just a short 5 years ago I never would have imagined that would be me doing all these things!
I'm sure the road of parenthood has more surprises for me. Things I thought I knew will be thrown out the window and things I swore I never do will be done. Ah the joys of becoming a parent.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Dress Up Fun!
I'm glad everyone is enjoying the new background! I figured it was time for a change. One day I'll get some sort of nice custom background but for now i'll keep using whatever blogger gives me. I figured the paw prints were pretty perfect! Or should that be purrrrrfect?
I sometimes think its a good thing I had a boy because if I had a girl I'd be playing dress up with her all the time. While there are cute boy clothes the girl clothing is just adorable... every time I go out I find some absolutely adorable piece of girl clothing that makes me wish I had a little girl to buy it for! And girl clothing stays cute as they get older! Those adorable little easter dresses in the spring and the holiday dresses in the winter. Every time I go shopping I have to stop and think of just how adorable they are. Boy clothes just get kind of blah after a while... its very much plain colors or stripes and sometimes sports themes or cars or the latest video game.
Anyway... i digress... Eirik and I played dress up this weekend! First I put him in his halloween costume again which still fits! Since he sits so well on his own now I got some great shots!
I also decided just for fun to put him in his sunglasses... can you say one cool dude?
He's also wearing an amber teething necklace! I got it 50% off and even if it doesn't help with the teething it looks adorable on him! I'll keep you posted as to if it helps or not!
And finally I will close with the biggest most exciting thing that Eirik has done yet.... HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! Yes, that's right, last night he slept from 8pm to 5:30am. I was in disbelief and shock! I actually had to dream feed him at 3am because I was pretty darn uncomfortable. I am not thinking there will be a repeat tonight... but one can hope right??
I sometimes think its a good thing I had a boy because if I had a girl I'd be playing dress up with her all the time. While there are cute boy clothes the girl clothing is just adorable... every time I go out I find some absolutely adorable piece of girl clothing that makes me wish I had a little girl to buy it for! And girl clothing stays cute as they get older! Those adorable little easter dresses in the spring and the holiday dresses in the winter. Every time I go shopping I have to stop and think of just how adorable they are. Boy clothes just get kind of blah after a while... its very much plain colors or stripes and sometimes sports themes or cars or the latest video game.
Anyway... i digress... Eirik and I played dress up this weekend! First I put him in his halloween costume again which still fits! Since he sits so well on his own now I got some great shots!
I also decided just for fun to put him in his sunglasses... can you say one cool dude?
He's also wearing an amber teething necklace! I got it 50% off and even if it doesn't help with the teething it looks adorable on him! I'll keep you posted as to if it helps or not!
And finally I will close with the biggest most exciting thing that Eirik has done yet.... HE SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!! Yes, that's right, last night he slept from 8pm to 5:30am. I was in disbelief and shock! I actually had to dream feed him at 3am because I was pretty darn uncomfortable. I am not thinking there will be a repeat tonight... but one can hope right??
Sunday, August 15, 2010
I Think I Can...
Sometimes Eirik reminds me of the little engine that could. You can see he is willing himself to move and crawl even though he can't figure out how to do it! I have to try so hard not to laugh while I watch his attempts to move forward. He gets his hands on the floor and you can see he is using all his strength to attempt to pull himself forward. Ultimately he ends up yelling at me as if to say "come on already!! I want to MOVE!" He can get his entire chest off the floor now and he can also get his butt off the floor... he just can't do both at the same time! I talked with my mom today and she had pulled out my baby book and was reading off to me when I did things. It was kind of interesting to hear when I did things compared to when Eirik is doing things.
I have some great new pictures of the little man, but I haven't had a chance to move them from the camera to the computer. We played dress up again this weekend... his dragon halloween costume still fits!! You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see those and instead you get a video of him trying to move. =)
I have some great new pictures of the little man, but I haven't had a chance to move them from the camera to the computer. We played dress up again this weekend... his dragon halloween costume still fits!! You'll have to wait until tomorrow to see those and instead you get a video of him trying to move. =)
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Happy Baby!
Over the past week Eirik has really started to have what I would consider a sense of humor. Before we could get laughter out of him when we did things like tickle him or gnaw on his belly, but now it seems like he laughs at EVERYTHING! All I have to do is stick my tongue out at him and he's in hysterics. Its adorable and wonderful all at the same time. You can't help but laugh back at him when he does it! He also has really discovered his vocal ranges... including squealing at the top of his lungs and then laughing about it. He even has his "i'm grumpy and angry noise" Its nananana.
So here is a short video of the little man squeaking and grinning and giggling!
So here is a short video of the little man squeaking and grinning and giggling!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Sleeping Update!
First off it makes me feel good to know I'm not the only one still sporting maternity pants! =) I actually tried on a pair of pants today and they are SO SO close to fitting! It was really exciting for me. I think however I am being ambitious to think i am going to get back into pants I haven't fit since I was in college!
I have to say things are actually going pretty well without the swing! He is napping less in the day but doing FAR better at night! 3 out of the past 4 nights he only woke up once! Yes folks, i'm getting SLEEP! He seems to be going down about 7:30 or 8 and sleeping until about 1:30 or 2. He then is waking up again about 5:30 or 6 and then taking another short cat nap until about 7. Since my alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning this means I am only getting up to feed him once a night!
Naps in the day are going well. At first he was taking lots of short 20 - 30 minute naps, but my husband said today he did an hour nap and a 45 minute nap, which is awesome. He still needs to be physically helped to sleep... either nursing, eating, cuddling, or rhythmic sushing... but we're getting better!
Do I regret using the swing? Nope... but I think I was relying on it a bit too much. However I have to admit during those first few weeks when sometimes it was the only way for him to sleep at night it was a lifesaver! My sanity was close to breaking sometimes! I'm hoping this sleeping at night trend will continue. Fingers crossed... =)
I have to say things are actually going pretty well without the swing! He is napping less in the day but doing FAR better at night! 3 out of the past 4 nights he only woke up once! Yes folks, i'm getting SLEEP! He seems to be going down about 7:30 or 8 and sleeping until about 1:30 or 2. He then is waking up again about 5:30 or 6 and then taking another short cat nap until about 7. Since my alarm goes off at 5:30 every morning this means I am only getting up to feed him once a night!
Naps in the day are going well. At first he was taking lots of short 20 - 30 minute naps, but my husband said today he did an hour nap and a 45 minute nap, which is awesome. He still needs to be physically helped to sleep... either nursing, eating, cuddling, or rhythmic sushing... but we're getting better!
Do I regret using the swing? Nope... but I think I was relying on it a bit too much. However I have to admit during those first few weeks when sometimes it was the only way for him to sleep at night it was a lifesaver! My sanity was close to breaking sometimes! I'm hoping this sleeping at night trend will continue. Fingers crossed... =)
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