7 months - How I Feel Now

       For the last month I've been hungry! Like similar to when I was pregnant accept this time more like a teenage boy because I'm not nauseous. Even if I eat until I feel like I'm going to explode, I will be starving an hour later. When I get really hungry then I get tired so getting up in the morning with Nico is hard because I'm so hungry, tired and weak. His smile gives me just enough energy to get him up, changed and in his high chair so I can get a bowl of cereal in me. In the afternoon I crave fast food. I know it's crap and I really want healthy food but I'm so hungry that I just want food now, not in half hour when the good food is done. It's terrible. I want wine everyday almost too. I figure I could drink a glass as soon as Nico goes to bed and be good to breastfeed by the time he wakes up again. Usually it's a 5 hour gap but I haven't done it yet.
     I also weigh 5 pound less than BEFORE I got pregnant! I still have no stomach muscles so it's still a little pouch and when I eat it looks like I'm 5 months pregnant. I'm not confident enough yet to wear a bikini because of my stretch marks. I keep saying I'm going to get back to my workout DVD but I haven't yet.
    I'm convinced that I'm lighter than I was and hungry all the time because Nico is literally eating me. My body is working so hard to produce all the milk that he demands that it's taking it from where ever it can. I'm not eating properly or enough to supply it with what it needs. Isn't that terrible! A hard cycle. So my advice to all moms feeding 7 month old is to eat, a lot. Plan meals, get help and don't feel bad about eating like an elephant.
 
    Also, I miss my friends finally! It only took 9 months after moving away. I want to go out with the girls. I need to go dancing and get dressed up and just not care for an hour or two. I haven't put a pair of heels on in almost a year. I just have no where to go and no one to go with! We've had a lot of friends and family come to visit so that's been great. I think that's why it took so long for me to get lonely. We've had lots of guests. Now, everyone is gone. My hubby will take me out whenever I ask which is great but we always bring Nico with us, which is also nice. I love going out as a family but a girl needs girls night out once in a while.

    Overall though I'm pretty happy. I still can sit and watch Nico do whatever it is that Nico does for an hour without getting bored. I like getting stuff done around the house and not having to go back to work.  The things that I "miss out on" because Nico is too young to go I don't feel bad about any more. I'm starting to look forward to doing them with him next year or in a few years. I'm learning to say no to invitations to things I normally would jump at. I can't just get in the car if someone calls and wants to go paddle boarding. I'm learning to be ok with that. I even like having something to do 24 hours a day. I thought that I'd get tired of that but I enjoy it now. As long as I get a break everyday or every other day even if that just means a shower. Most times Nico's nap is enough of a break to get recharged. I love being a mom.

Pets and Baby

Every dog and cat has their own personality so there is no "one size fits all" way to introduce pets to a new baby. I can only tell you what I did and how it's going. I have two dogs and a cat. They don't get along :( so the cat has it's own room. I also started training my dogs (who were my husband's dogs) the moment I met them. While I was pregnant all the rules and attention slacked. I wish I could tell you that after the baby I whipped them back in shape but I can't. But I can tell you that I haven't had a single issue with the animals and baby. NEVER LEAVE BABY UNATTENDED NO MATTER HOW GREAT THE DOG/CAT BEHAVES. Here's what I did:

1. I knew what I wanted from my dogs and made it clear to everyone. I pictured what I wanted the relationship to be between the dogs and the baby from Day 1 and what I wanted it to be in 5 years. I didn't want dog hair on the baby or on his stuff. I didn't want to worry about the baby accidentally getting hurt. My dogs are big, I have scrapes and bruises from them stepping on my toe or playing with them and I will not tolerate anyone, even my fur babies, hurting my real baby. I did not want the dogs to touch Nico. I did not want them licking him, nothing. In 5 years, I can imagine them running around and playing in the yard. Here is my plan.
2. Establish boundaries. The dogs always slept next to our bed. About a month before Nico came they got kicked out. boo hoo hoo. No one, human or dog, liked it at first but when the baby came everyone understood and was ok with it. First, we moved them to their crates in the kitchen to sleep. Now, they are allow to be loose in the house while the nursery and our bedroom door are closed. 90% of the time they will not go in either room even with the doors open but I don't take chances. I also put a piece of painter's tape on the floor into the kitchen when we moved in. The dogs are not allowed to cross the line. The nursery (and guest room) is on the other side of the kitchen so they know to stay away.


3. Start training before the baby comes and think about what you will need from the dog. I knew I didn't want the dogs to touch the baby so I practiced "leave it" command as often as i could. I use "leave it" so they turn from the baby and/or his toys. I taught them "back up" and "go" so that I could walk into a room and they won't crowd me or if I'm sitting they can give me some space. This is important when I come home with Nico in my arms and the dogs come to greet me. I can tell them to give me space to get in without having them sniffing or rubbing on me or Nico. If I'm sitting with Nico on my lap I tell them to "back up" so they won't get too close to him. I use "in your crate" about 100 times a day! This just gets them out of my hair whenever I need them contained and they always go in their crate when food is out. Basically, all the commands to leave me the @&#%^ alone. Also, keeping up with sit, stay, down, all the basics  are important in reminding your dog that you're in control and making sure they learn the baby is "above them" in the "pack order".
4. Teach them that baby is not a toy or something to be scared of. Everything I read said to bring home a baby blanket for the dogs to smell before you come home. I had my mom do that. She said they smelled it, didn't seem too interested and didn't try to take the blanket. That is actually the reaction I wanted. When I walked in the door, I greeted them for a minute or two until they calmed down then my hubby came in with the baby (in the car seat). We let the dogs smell the car seat but did not put it down or let them touch it. I kept the baby and dogs separate most of the day for the first week. It wasn't hard. I spent most of my time in the bedroom with baby anyway. Don't feel like you have to rush this issue. You are establishing something that will last for years. If you don't feel up to it then just keep them separate until you're ready. You don't want to rush and have things not go the way you want. I slowly introduced them by having my mom sit on the sofa with baby and I brought the dogs in one at a time on leash to come in the room and lay down near my mom. They could smell and see the baby while laying down. If they got excited I pulled them back and made them lay down again. I did this a few days. Then I had my hubby sit next to me and allowed the dogs to come in the room without a leash. Still made them keep their distance and lay down. Eventually, I felt comfortable to let them both loose while I was alone with Nico. The dogs understand that they are not allowed to touch Nico but they can get close and we go about our daily lives without worrying. Now, that Nico is 6 months old, he has started reaching out for them and I allow him to touch the dogs but they are not allowed to come to him to be petted. Nico is the one in control of when he touches them.

5. Teach "leave it" with all of babies toys, high chair, bouncers, clothes.... It takes constant attention but my dogs leave all the toys that Nico throws off his high chair and they don't touch clothes left on the floor. I found one toy ring chewed to pieces when I came home from spending the day at grandma's. I figured that's not a bad record.

6. Spend time with the dogs. They still need excerise and attention. You can't expect them to behave if they have tons of pent up energy. If you have to have your friend come to walk them or play fetch or your hubby watch the baby while you take the dog for a walk then do it. I wasn't putting the time in that I thought they deserved so I actually bought Bark Boxes. I figured having new toys would not only occupy their time and attention but it would force me to spend time with them. It was something we could all be excited about and enjoy together. I've only gotten two so far but it works for us so far.


The cat was easy. I let him in the room. The cat ignored Nico the first 3 times they were together. The 4th time, he came over, smelled him and walked away. The cat is not allowed to lick Nico or in Nico's crib. Nico loves to watch the cat's tail as he walks around the room. He has tried reaching out to touch the cat but usually the cat walks away or stays just out of reach.


There are a ton of training videos online. Buy lots of treats and get training! Have fun. If you are scared and nervous your pets will be too and that's not going to be good for anyone.

Let's talk about baby clothes sizes

Baby clothes. They're cute. You won't have a clue until you start using them what they will mean to you. After 3 months you will be an expert.
First, don't register for clothes. Ok, u can scan that super cute one or two that you can't live without but that's it, no more outfits. People love to buy baby clothes and trust me they will buy you cute stuff.

I would wait til after the shower and a month before you're due to buy anything for the baby. Even then you shouldn't buy much until that bugger is born and you know what size he/she is.

You need to know sizes. ALL COMPANIES SIZES ARE DIFFERENT. A Gerber 3 month onesie is not the same as a Carter 3 month.
In my opinion Carter is the closest "true to size". And they're the most common. At least around here. Macy, jcpenny, toys r us..Everyone sells Carter.
Next, is Gymboree . Besides their pjs, I think they are the closest to Carter and my second favorite.
Gerber runs small but has great stuff for newborns. All the essentials are good. Usually, thin material though which is great for hot weather but not for keeping baby warm.
Child of Mine at Wal-Mart is not bad, again sometimes really thin material but sometimes who cares when babies grow so fast.
Circo at Target runs a little big, they were the only things that fit Nico before I gave it and just started buying for his size not his age. He now wears 12-18 month clothes and he just turned 7 months old!

All the companies list weight/height ranges on the tags or on a sign in the store for their sizes so make sure you check that.
Example: Nico is tall so if I'm buying one-piece outfits like footy pjs then I have to go by his height to find his size. The weight doesn't matter as much. When I'm buying onesies, I go by his weight because his legs aren't even in it. That's only if he is on the edge of the size range.

I'll write about my favorites, what I used/bought and how many I need next time.

Connecting with baby

Everyone says that they didn't know love until they had a child. They never loved anything the way they love their baby. They LOVE their bump and the lil peanut inside.

Well, as usual, my messed up self didn't feel that way. I didn't feel "connected" to the moving alien in my belly. I didn't feel like it was my "son". It was just a new thing. A thing. I know, terrible, right? I felt bad about it. I got nervous that I didn't love my baby. What if I didn't feel that way about my baby. It was so weird because I have always been around and worked with kids. I've always connected with them and loved them. I even shed a few tears when I saw a student for their last lesson. So I'm not heartless!

I thought , when I know if it is a he or she then I'll be able to connect. Well, that day came and went. Then I thought when I can see him on the ultrasound and he looks like a baby, then I'll start getting feelings....nope. I thought it was cool and started to get more excited but still didn't feel love. I thought for sure when he's born, I'd have to be cold blooded not to fall in love with my baby once I go through labor and I can hold him in my arms for the first time............
......
......
I know. I know. I shouldn't admit this and I hope my son never reads this ever but I didn't feel the way everyone said they did or the way I "should". I felt horrible about it. The first time I held him I think I was in shock. Then I was just looking at him cuz I'd never seen a fresh newborn baby before. Then I was just studying him to see that he had all his parts and how he moved. He was so interesting. I didn't feel like a mom, just that there was this new baby. When it was all said and done and I was alone holding him I just looked at him. I looked at him for as long as I could for days. I still just like to watch him. Everything he does is interesting and new for me. That's how I feel that I learn about him and connect with him. Now, I know him so well. I know what his moments mean, I know how he feels and what he wants before anyone else because I know him so well. That makes me feel great. That makes me feel like his mom. Changing diapers, breastfeeding and taking care of him didn't make me feel like a mom. I've done all those things for other kids all my life  (not breastfeeding lol). I couldn't tell anyone that I didn't feel this amazing, one of a kind love for this baby that I should feel. For weeks I stressed about it and tried and wondered about it.

As time went on I did grow attached to his cute chubby butt. I noticed it most when other people held him or the first time I left him. I missed him. I wondered how he was doing. I couldn't wait to get back and hold him. I didn't stress the way I heard other moms explain it. I didn't cry. I enjoyed my time out (and my glass of wine). I felt a little guilty for having such a good time and almost forgetting for a while that I was a mom. I was just me.

Then I stopped and really thought about it. Here's what I figure:
1. I'm not a terribly emotional person.
2. I shouldn't ever feel bad about how I feel. It's just how I feel and I have the right to feel how ever I want.
3. I am a good mom. My baby is happy and healthy and I don't have anything to feel bad about .
4. Everyone handles situations differently. I won't feel the same way everyone else does and that doesn't mean I'm wrong.
5. MOST IMPORTANT I do love my son. More and more everyday. But I didn't feel this new overwhelming sense of love for him because I already know that type of love. It's not new to me. My mom loves me with that same love. Most important my God loves me with that type of love and I have always lived in that. I could always turn to it when I felt down and bathe in it when I was happy. Because I know that love towards me, it's the same love I give out. I love unconditionally, with all my heart, it's the only way I know. 1 Corinthians 13 is where I learned to love. That explains what love is and what it looks and feels like. I do my best to always love like that. So, no I didn't feel a new kind of love. I honestly didn't feel love towards Nico at all for a week or two. I had to come to my senses and accept that this baby is mine and I'm a mom. I still sometimes don't feel like a mom. Mostly because when I think of a mom, they're all old. My friends have kids but they're my "friends', they're not "moms". Lol

I know everyone who reads this is going to think I'm a terrible person but I really think women need to know that it's ok to feel how you feel. Feeling bad about how you react isn't going to help anyone. Stressing about it will hurt you and your family. Use your support people that I've mentioned before and talk with them. Or me, clearly, you can tell me anything and I'll understand or at least listen. Lol

Anyway, just so we are all clear, lets recap: it was hard for me to connect with the baby while I was pregnant and even after he was born but now I love my little pumpkin and I understand that I will continue to grow this love I have for him and it will be special and different and I'm excited about it ..ok?....ok

Second Trimester (Week 13-27)

This was much better for me than the first trimester. It was so much more exciting. You start to show, you can feel the baby moving, you start to feel better. People around you start to get more excited too. My favorite is that I eventually got my appetite back. I couldn't eat as much as I wanted but I could eat and not feel nauseous.

 I started to get my energy back, meaning I could make it to the bathroom and back to watching tv without needing to take a nap. Although, as I got bigger I started getting shortness of breath once in a while. I wanted to get out and do stuff now that I was feeling better. I regretted going shopping every time. Not only because I had to look at all the cute clothes that I couldn't fit but also because my feet would kill me by the time I got home. It got much worse in my third trimester. I could only wear supportive flip flops because my feet were swollen. Now, my feet are a size bigger than they were. The shoes I bought to give my feet relief actually are the only shoes that fit me now so don't go cheap.
I also started rubbing cocoa butter on my belly every night. I left the bottle on the nightstand so I wouldn't forget. I didn't want stretch marks. I didn't get any either until the last two weeks I was pregnant which also happened to be the same time I stopped using cocoa butter. Coincidence? I don't know but next time I won't stop. It looks like a cracked egg shell on my belly now, aagghh.

Sleeping:
I know these look dumb and people say they cause so many issues in the bedroom with their husbands but they work. Not that I know personally because I was too cheap to buy one but everyone I know bought one and said they were AMAZING:

I just slept with a pillow between my legs, one under my head, holding one and one behind my back, I basically made a nest and wiggled into it every night. You gotta do what you gotta do in order to sleep. Tell your husband to get snore strips. I even asked my hubby to sleep on the sofa a few nights because I was so tired and badly needed a snore free night of sleep. I slept on the sofa a few times too just to be fair. (with lots of pillows)
I got leg cramps a few times at night. They felt like death in my calf. It woke me up and I had no clue what was happening. I screamed and my hubby ran in. Once he figured out that I was not in early labor he helped hold and stretch my leg. His idea, not mine. I wanted to cut it off to stop the pain. Luckily he knew better. Doctor said that stretching before you go to bed should prevent them. The same stretches will make them go away once you get them, if you can manage to get up and do them.
These ones: (against a wall, she's not double air high-fiving)
I did get a wedge to I could sleep propped up when I got really big.
During the day I still put a pillow or two on it and it's prefect for reading books. Not to mention it's great for sex. He he he. They sell them pretty cheap on amazon and when I was looking for one I noticed that some of them were in the sex category. I thought what in the world...oh. So of course when mine came I had to try it and it was great...

While on that topic. Since I felt better in the second trimester, sex was on the table again. I actually had to call off sex in the middle of it because the back and forth was making me nauseous. I even threw up after sex once. Not sexy. But all the crazy hormones will make you horny. I just went through a phase, a few weeks of wanting it all the time. And after that not so often but when I did get horny it was strong. It was a need to happen right now kinda feeling. If you continue to have sex through your pregnancy it won't be so awkward. You'll adapt and figure it out. Remember that you won't be having any for a while after the baby comes so you might as well get it in while you still can.

You will be an emotional wreck. Crying during commercials or being super sympathetic or whatever. You're just gonna have to deal with it and so will everyone around you. They'll get over it, scream at them but always end it with "I'm pregnant, ok!" lol

I became super forgetful and it just got worse as the weeks went on. I couldn't remember the names of people I've known my whole life or the people I saw every week. Get paper and pencil and leave them around the house. I had post its everywhere! I had lists on the table of things I needed to do or get. I downloaded a "note" app on my phone. I still use it. One of the nurses told me that your brain starts working again 6 months after the baby is born. Mine is just starting to kick in again. Just don't make any big decisions while pregnant. If you have to then give yourself time to think it over and revisit it on different days to make sure you still feel the same way.

Last thing, I YouTubed Prenatal Yoga. It really helped. Even 10 minutes helped stretch and relax me. I felt so much better on the days when I got some yoga in. I mean OnDemand has a few and YouTube has lots. Don't do any standing on your head (although i know a lady who worked out and did hand stands and stuff with her doc approval but she was hard core) but normal easy yoga will do. Even just the breathing crap is helpful :)

First Trimester Symptoms (Week 1-13)

So, this happened to me. I lost 10 pounds in my first trimester. I joked with everyone who was trying to lose weight at the time that all they had to do was get pregnant. I struggled the most with nausea. I threw up twice a day, felt like I was going to die of starvation but the thought of putting food in my mouth made my stomach flip. I was so sick of eating toast and crackers. It continued until half way through my second trimester! My super human sense of smell didn't help. I could smell everything a person had eaten that day simply from them saying hi from across the room. I absolutely hated the smell of popcorn. My sweet husband would call on his way home from work to see if I wanted anything and he would run to the store day or night and get me anything I wanted and I so appreciated it but he would watch a movie and eat popcorn every night before he went to bed. Popcorn already has a strong smell but aahhh the first few days I tried to let it go but by day 3 I almost grabbed the bowl and shoved it down his throat. Luckily, God prevented this from happening and allowed me to speak up and tell him politely that he can no longer eat popcorn in the house at all ever. To this day he asks me before he buys or pops popcorn. lol

Also, I spent sooo much time in the bathroom! I was tired from being pregnant, tired from throwing up all the time, tired from not eating well, and just didn't feel like getting up and walking to the bathroom yet again to pee. I peed all day long. Almost peed myself simply because I was protesting having to get up. FYI your bladder always wins. Not drinking water doesn't make you pee any less and does damage to you and the baby so MAKE SURE YOU DRINK LOTS OF WATER. I mean you're gonna have to go you might as well make it worth it. I hated when I put in the energy to go and then just tinkled. I'd sit there until I at least tinkled twice. Caffeine makes you pee more so start limiting that. It's not great for baby anyway. And if you're dehydrated and drink coffee it just makes you more tired. Science.

Another reason I never wanted to get up is because I got dizzy almost every time I stood up. It would only be for a second or two but it was terrible. Sometimes it would be enough to trigger nausea then I'd really be pissed. I would feel like I was going to faint sometimes and actually did twice in my second and third trimester. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere by myself and basically had to stop driving because I'd end up on the side of the road because I was too dizzy to see straight. Making sure I had snacks and ate periodically (keep my blood sugar from peaking or dropping) helped but it was still a drag.

HERE'S WHAT TO DO:

I don't know that you can prevent any of the symptoms but there is plenty you can do to make life easier.
1. Drink water...lots of water
2. Make sure you always have snacks (healthy snacks I lived on trail mix)
3. Buy Preggie Pops to help with nausea
4. Speak up, if a smell is too much ask the person to stop or go away. People would rather move or change their behavior then have a pregnant lady upset or hurl on them.
5. Make a comfy spot. Get blankets or pillows and make a favorite spot that you can always go to and relax. Keep your stress down and rest your body everyday, doing this before you go to bed will really help you get to sleep.
6. Keep in mind it's all temporary and most likely what ever you're struggling with will go away in a few weeks and it's all worth it.

               GOOD LUCK LADIES!!

Almost 7 months, day in the life of

Nico and I have really hit our stride the last few days. So, I'll give you an idea of what our day looks like:
Unfortunately, he wakes with the sun. I think this is because the blinds don't block much light. If we had curtains or black out shades I think he would sleep later. But I don't mind much because this is about the time my hubby leaves for work. He can come in and see us both awake and happy before he starts his day and I think that is good for everyone. Side note: I read that a babies sleep cycle is 15 min of light sleep before they hit 45 minutes of deep sleep so I don't count sleeping in the car or anything less than 45 minutes a nap. It's not quality sleep if it's shorter than that.

Times vary a lot but I'll give an example day:

6:30am Wake up, nurse, see daddy, open blinds (he needs as much light as possible to wake all the way up) hang in the high chair while I eat breakfast
7:30am Play in the room, close the blinds, read a book
8:00am Nurse and nap (#1 Nap 1-2 hours) I nap too, nothing exciting is going on at 8am anyway
9:30am Open blinds (again, I think light is important) get dressed. Run quick errands or play at home, I usually use this time to play with the pets. Either inside with the cat or outside watching the dogs.
*11:30am SOMETIMES Nico will take a mid-day nap. I always try but sometimes he's just not in the mood or I don't catch him at the right time and he's either not tired enough or too tired. I get in most of my house chores during this nap, catch up on tv shows or whatever. IF he doesn't nap then we keep playing or visit grandma, whatever. I also usually try and give him baby food during this time between 10-1. He will eat and nurse or nurse twice somewhere in there.
2:00pm Nurse and nap (Nap #2 1-2 hours), this is a dependable time. He almost always will go down easy at 2 everyday. YES! I sometimes get a nap but usually have lots of stuff to do.
3:30pm Play time again. Hang out and get things ready for daddy to come home.
4:30pm Daddy time. Hubby comes home, takes a shower and gets handed a baby. I get a little "baby free" time. Usually to finish chores or take a shower. If I get lucky and motivated I'll go grocery shopping by myself or do some other activity by myself. It's just a great break for mommy and much needed daddy time.
5:45ish If daddy hasn't given baby food to Nico, I'll do it now. Then straight to the tub, 5-10 minute bath. PJs, book, nurse and bed.
If i'm lucky Nico will sleep from 7-midnight. Sometimes he'll wake up at 9:30, usually can get him back to sleep in 10 walking around with him.
12:00 Nurse and bed
3:30am sometimes nurse and bed
6:30am Start all over again.

I aim for 14 hours of sleep. During teething we averaged about 11 which was exhausting for both of us. Doesn't seem like much but u just wait til u have a baby. It took almost three weeks of really paying attention to his natural sleepy time and making naps a priority before I figured this schedule. If there is family around or we are out and about. He can go all day without a nap. I don't know any babies that will do that. Most of them would pass out. So I really had to be persistent with Nico and everyone else to get him to nap twice a day.

He eats about 7 times a day. I feed him when he cries/fussed and before he sleeps. Not all "full" feedings. He will eat half a jar of baby food or fall asleep while nursing. I don't worry about eating as much as the sleeping. Nico is 6 months old and 20.5 pounds. I don't think I have to worry.

Baby in the bathroom; bathing baby and a lil more about poop

Two things in this post that you probably haven't thought of yet:
  1. How to go to the bathroom when you have a baby.
  2. How to deal with your baby going to the bathroom.

Your baby will want to be with you ALL the time. ALL the time. If you're lucky then your baby will sleep well and you'll have enough time to take a quick shower and even use the toilet during naps. Hopefully you have a crib or pack n play near a bathroom that you can leave baby in while you pee. I suggest getting a bouncer.
This little thing is easy to carry around with one hand while you have the baby in the other. You bring it into the bathroom. Put the baby in, strap them in, and you handle your business while your baby sits and watches you. Yup, you get an audience while you take a dump. Welcome to motherhood. Your privacy went out the window when you got pregnant and started to visit the OB/GYN.
I was always too nervous to leave Nico alone long enough to take a shower. I was so afraid he would cry and I wouldn't be able to hear him or dry off and get him in time. I waited until my hubby came home and at least could listen for baby while I showered. Showing became my "mommy time". I took a long hot shower, shaved my legs, washed my hair so that I could come out of the bathroom new, refreshed and feeling like a women again.

2. I already talked about diapers and wipes. I have yet to use baby powder on Nico...what!...yes. I know I know baby powder is a staple when it comes to babies. I used it at every change when I used to babysit. But I didn't want anything extra on my baby and I read all that stuff wasn't necessary. My pediatrician agreed. She said really the only thing I might need is A&D or Vaseline once in a while to prevent or help heal rash. Nico has never had diaper rash or any other skin issue. I even just used a small washcloth with water to clean pee diapers the first few weeks. Now, with solid food and thicker poop I might have to switch to the One n Done wipes that are thicker and can handle more "business".
   Side note: I still haven't bought a diaper pail. I thought a diaper genie was a game changer but newborn diapers don't really smell. We have more smelly diapers now but I keep a bottle of febreeze next to the changing table and just spray when a real stinker goes in. I just keep a medium trash bin so it gets changed every two or three days. I might end up buying one when the diapers get worse but for now, saved money, don't have one.

2 1/2 Bathing baby: I figure this is as good a time as any to throw in a few things about bathing. The first few "baths" were a naked baby on my bed, laying on a towel and I had a bowl of warm water. I had one wash cloth to get babies arms wet, another cloth with baby soap then the first cloth to wipe the soap off. I tried to keep him covered with the towel as I went to keep him from getting cold. I finally graduated to the baby tubs, I mentioned in an earlier post.


Something you would never think about before baby is there are different kinds of washcloths. There are thick and think ones. Pay attention at the store. You want thin washcloths because babies are tiny and the thick ones aren't gonna help until baby is much bigger. I still use the thin ones. Gotta get in all those rolls you know. Same with the towel. There are thick and thin ones. I used the thin ones for newborn and after about two months I prefer the thick towels.

That's it.

Diapers and Wipes

   ok, ok, ok. Diapers and wipes are everything. It's such a big decision! You wanna pick the right ones. What company? What kind? Cloth or disposable? Do I want to save the environment or just be lazy? Is it lazy to do disposable? Is it better than washing the cloth ones? What do I do with the dirty ones? What diaper pail do I get? How often do I have to throw the trash out? Where do I put it all? Where do I change the baby? What else do I need? Baby powder? Diaper rash cream? A hose attached to my toilet? WHAT?
       CALM THE HELL DOWN. It's poop and pee. Really not that big of a deal. Do you really wanna spend hours stressing over what you use for 1 second to wipe poop of your baby's butt with!? Getting poop off your favorite pair of pants or expensive carpet, now that's something to spend a little time  on but diapers and wipes.....no.

Here's what you do:
     1.Get a great friend to throw you a baby shower.
      2. Relax

Really? really. If it's truly a great friend. She will find a way to encourage people to bring diapers along with a cool gift for the shower. No to mention, everyone knows you will need diapers and will usually buy some anyway. If you're lucky you'll have at least 3 or 4 packs of newborn size and 3 or 4 of size 1. This way you'll have at least a few weeks covered no matter how big or small your baby is. If you're even luckier to have different kinds of diapers then you get to try them as you go through them and decide which ones work best for you. When they're newborns, it really doesn't matter. They wear them for like 2 hours before you freak out and change them anyway. They don't keep them on long enough to make a difference. Mind you, some babies are sensitive. If your baby breaks out or has any reaction to the diaper then yes you have to get rid of the rest of those diapers and try the next kind. Most babies don't. They really don't care what diaper you put them in.

Generally speaking:
    Some people need and swear by the yellow line. Some diapers have a sign in most cases a line that changes color that shows on the outside when the diaper is wet. I thought this was amazing before I had the baby. Now, I'm glad I didn't stick with those. Yes, it's a great way to learn when a diaper is wet. But I'm glad I learned other signs and ways to check a diaper so i didn't feel depended on "the line". I can tell if Nico needs a change without having to take his clothes off to see the line on the diaper. Learning how the diaper feels through the clothes when you put it on compared to just before you change it, is a better thing to learn. Being sensitive to the smell is also helpful but as babies get older their gas can be deceiving lol


I tried Honest diapers first because I thought I cared. I didn't want chemicals in my diapers. Honset company uses natural stuff and they have designs! Two things that mattered to me, until I came to my senses.
Yes, they're cute. Yes, they're great. Yes, I felt better about using them so I don't regret my decision to start with them.
No, I don't like how expensive they are and you use so many when they're newborn. No, the designs really don't matter cuz even though they're cute you never see them because SURPRISE your baby wears clothes. Duh. No, because they don't use chemicals they are thicker than other diapers and I felt like they stretched out the onesies. No, because they felt like bamboo: a little stiff and straight.


Money started to get a little tight so we switched to the most recommended diaper: Pampers Swaddlers. Everyone says they're the best. I think they're the most popular.
Yes, they worked great. Yes, They're soft inside and out. Yes, thinner than Honest and cheaper.
No, there is a mesh webbing that I think keeps the wet diaper from the baby skin. I didn't like it because I felt little strings of mesh would get caught in baby's rolls and parts. I was always picking tiny strings, like lint, off my baby. My friends didn't experience this but I didn't like it.


Money got even tighter and went switched to Luvs. The saying goes "Live, learn, get Luvs" and "Second time moms buy Luvs". I totally agree. We have used Luvs most often to date.
Yes, they're cheap and not in quality. Most moms think because they're cheaper they must not be as good. I loved Luvs. Worked great. They were the thinnest in my opinion. Really flexible, didn't puff up when wet.
No, I hated the little monkey on the diapers, no reason why just hated him. Eventually, Nico got to size 3 and started blowing out of them. Apparently this is something only some babies do. But about 200 diapers in to size 3 they stopped holding his poop. I was constantly changing his clothes and mine because he blow out of them. Don't laugh! It'll happen to you, just wait. A blow out literally means poop blowing out of the back of the diaper and up his back, soaking through his clothes and onto yours or his car seat or whatever he happens to be sitting on.


When we were at our lowest point we bought Publix diapers. Why did I include this particular picture? because it has Publix COOKIES! OMG I love their cookies. I love Publix too. I miss Meijer sooo much but dang Publix BOGO is the bomb and so are their cookies. OK, back to diapers:
Yes, they worked much better than i thought. We used them longer than I thought because they worked well.
No, they look cheap but hey they just catch poop so who cares.
I don't really have an issue with them but I liked Luvs better so we switched back to Luvs.


Now at 6 months old and after the Luvs explosion phase we use Pampers Cruisers. The blow outs stopped and I have only have one issue with them. They puff up a lot when they're wet. It looks and feels like he has a wet diaper but once you get it off you see it's not really full, barely has pee in it and I end up wasting a lot of diapers this way.

WIPES

I'll be quick. Whatever kind works best for you. In the beginning I suggest the sensitive kind. After a month or so you can try different kinds. They all have different thicknesses, smells, materials, blah blah blah. Make sure you buy the container first and then just get refill bags after. It's cheaper than always buying new containers. You don't need a fancy warmer or anything like that unless your house is super cold. A cold wipe in the middle of the night probably doesn't feel so great on your butt. Other than that I wouldn't waste your money. Room temperature wipes are perfectly fine.


Everyone knows Pampers Sensitive wipes. I used them. They work fine. But when I had the string issue, mentioned above, I changed both diapers and wipes to avoid this.

I had my hubby go to the store and just buy three different kinds of wipes. He bought all Huggies but different kinds. I was upset at first but realized as I used one then the other how different they all really were. I learned that I don't like sented wipes but the unsented ones smelled too. I can't explain how unsented smelled like nothing which smelled like something to me. I know I'm weird but hey. My baby, my opinion, my blog, my choice. I thought the One and Done wipes were too thick and the Fresh ones were smelled way too strong. Besides that I don't mind the others.


Huggies sells these SUPER cute travel wipe cases. They don't hold as many wipes as the wipe refills but that means less space it takes up in the baby bag. It's cuter than a plastic bag. You can refill them. I have had 3 of them come unglued and the top white piece comes off. But they're like $3 so i just buy a new one.

So, lessons learned: Don't stress about diapers and wipes. Use what people give you. when you find something you like then buy more of those....simple.

DONE. BOOM.

****Update: Nico is now 18 months old and surprise my opinion has changed. Since poop has gotten more serious with more grown up foods, I use Huggies One and Done wipes and Pampers Cruisers. Haven't had many issues. Nico still leaks every once is a long time at night but that's usually because he had enough milk and juice between dinner and bed to come out of his eyeballs.

Feeling Baby Move

Feeling baby move for the first time was amazing! I wasn't sure at first if it really was the baby. People said it was still too early but after another week or two I could tell it was baby. I was 18 weeks. Sitting on the floor, playing with the cat...well really looking out the window waiting for the cat to come over and be interested in me. It was quiet, I was calm and then I felt it. It was the smallest twitter. It really did feel like butterfly wings, just two or three wing flaps. It was really low, almost at my pelvic bone. That was really a turning point. I finally felt pregnant. I stopped feeling like I just had this terrible disease that made me super tired and throw up and be hungry and not want to eat and lose control of my emotions. I felt like there was a reason finally. That it's all gonna be worth it. Now, I had something moving inside me. What the crap! I have something moving inside me!? What in the world. Being pregnant is the weirdest thing! I have a tiny bean baby MOVING, INSIDE me. So weird.
   I continued to feel movement a few times a day, sometimes none all day, other days one or four times. It got more frequent and stronger as the weeks went on. Those lil beans really get big and start punching and kicking. I eventually was able to guess if I felt a hand or foot. When he flipped was the most interesting feeling for me. It was almost that roller coaster feeling but not as strong. That's not until you're big. Some people get so big they can see the outline of a hand or foot. That never happened to me. One of my friends said her husband grabbed the baby's foot! That's crazy.
   Another cool thing was hiccups! Yes, hiccups. Nico got hiccups almost everyday the last month. Some people never feel them. You'll know them if your baby gets them. They're tiny lil hiccups. They would last anywhere from 1-10 minutes. A great time for people to feel the baby because it's constant movement for a few minutes. Nico had hiccups a lot after he was born. He still gets them every time he gets really excited. Now, it's cute. When he was born it was scary because they really suck in his whole chest and he can't sleep until they're gone.
  Anyway, I looked forward to the kicks. I thought it was pretty fun. I felt like I could connect with this moving lil alien in my belly as he got bigger. I could learn his schedule, see if he reacted to different foods. My husband didn't get to feel him kick until weeks after I did. I could feel the kick on my hand weeks before he could. But when he finally did, he thought it was pretty cool. It's the first time the dad gets to interact with the baby. Yes, you do have to share time with dad, both of you can't fell the kicks at the same time. So once you learn what time of day baby is most active, sit down together and let him keeps his hands on your belly so he can go through the process of realizing he's about to have a baby.