Updates on Things

Well just to follow up on the last post, I went in to my doctor to have them check on my IUD since it was driving me crazy. She cut the strings really short and for the most part I haven't had any more issues with feeling it. Sometimes I do, but it's nowhere near as annoying! And I think I've finally stopped bleeding (yay! I felt like I've been bleeding for 2.5 months straight!) I really like not having to worry about birth control, and I feel like it's a very secure method, so I am not worried about any oopses!

Baby Jake is doing great, he's definitely bulking up! The cloth diaper thing is going awesome... Still trying to work out a fool-proof washing routine... and today I think I got it. I know you're not supposed to use Tide on them, but I was reading in the diaperswappers.com forum that some ladies were using Tide original and loving it and not having any issues, so I've been doing it too. I just rinse the heck out of it after and they smell wonderful and any stink stays away! I also am so disappointed when I can't get them into the sun on time, because that does wonders for any smell too. The only issues I've been having with leaks is when my hubby or mother in law doesn't make sure it's tight around his legs and then they leak around the legs, or they dont change him withing the 2.5 hour window. I've started sneaking hemp doublers into the diapers I pack for them in the diaperbag so in case they wait to long it's not getting several outfits a day left.  I sold several of my diapers that I didn't love so I could buy more of the kind I like...and I am currently waiting for them to arrive. But in the meantime I am down to about 16 diapers so I am washing everyday. I also have about 40 disposables in size 1 left and I have been trying to use them up (I hate wasting things) so he's been in a disposable occasionally. I am so used to the fluffiness of the cloth diapers, that when he is in a disposable it's like his butt is missing! He feels so much more itty bitty to me in a disposable!

I went to a baby shower the other day and lots of gals asked about cloth diapering and they were so surprised how far it had come. That tends to be everyone's reactions. I dont think any will be making the switch anytime soon, but how can you be against something that saves so much money??

I also invested in some cloth training pants for Cohen to wear when he's sleeping since he's not 100% night trained. Those work pretty good, but he's such a heavy wetter I put in a microfiber insert in it so it's extra absorbent. That's a trial and error thing too...I'm so tired of changing wet sheets! I am so tempted to go back to disposable pull ups, but I don't want to spend $30 a month for something for him to pee on if I don't have to!! Any suggestions? I googled night training and I think I am going to stop giving him drinks at 7pm since he goes to bed around 10...hopefully that will buy him some time?? Well, that's all for now. Peace out!

IUD Woes...

So, just a warning, this post might not be fun for guys or anyone really who's not a fan of TMI. I will try to keep it to a minimum, but we'll see.

A month ago at my 6 week appointment I had an IUD put in. I went into the appointment not knowing what I wanted to do with birth control. A lot of our marriage has been spent TTC... more than half of it, and then add in 2 9-month pregnancies, and one 4 month pregnancy... we didn't really have a need for birth control. Now that I am in school, and about to enter the nursing program at my school that is very hard, we decided we can't have another till I am done with school.

I wanted something very effective, easy, and a low dose of hormones. Something that I could go off of when the time was right and get pregnant fairly soon.  So, the PA I met with and I decided a Mirena would be worth a try. So, I was able to get it put it in that day and it was 100% covered by my insurance! It hurt going in, like labor contractions, and it made me start bleeding.

I bled postpartum for 3 weeks and then I was done, until I got the IUD, and I've been bleeding since and it's been about a month. I've heard off and on bleeding is common, irregular periods, and cramping are normal, but for a month? Its so annoying!! I have felt like I have my period for a month straight!

So recent developments, I feel like I can feel the IUD. Only sometimes, but I can feel it poking my uterus. Is that normal? I am thinking about calling up my doc and having them check it...it would suck to not be in right and then I get pregnant because of it! It is annoying, because if it is in wrong, there goes my $800 birth control, and my insurance won't cover another one, so its back to the drawing boards. I am really hoping it's in...I suck at pill taking, and I refuse to take the patch or pill. Nuva ring doesn't sound too fun either. Ugh. What a pain...

In other news, Baby is doing great! 2 months old and growing like a weed! We moved him into his crib in him and his brother's room last night and he did perfect! Lets hope night #2 goes good too! I was kinda sad at putting him in there last night... I think I am very attached to this little one. I don't want him growing too fast since I know it will be a while till I have another. He's smiling and laughing and cooing now, and I just love him to death. I have 2 really great boys!

Cloth Diapering

Well, I know I said my next post was going to be on the emotional postpartum-ness, but I don't feel like blogging about that just now, so I wanted to blog about my cloth diapering experiences. We've been cloth diapering full time for few weeks now and I have to say I love it!! It really is super easy and not a lot of extra work. I kinda enjoy diaper changes, if that is even possible!

I started the cloth diapers after his umbilical cord fell off and his circumscision healed. The first day I put him in pockets and he kept leaking onto his clothes even though I changed him every 2 hours or so. Then I realized how huge of a gap there was around his skinny little legs! My sunbaby's (I have 2) were the only pockets that fit him really well because of the hip snap. My Kawaii covers fit him better, so we used those a little bit with a microfiber insert with a liner on top to keep the microfiber away from baby's skin. Then, someone reminded me about prefolds, so I used those with a cover over it, and they worked great so I ordered about a dozen or two high quality prefolds (I just had some gerber ones, not the best). But, by the time I got them in the mail, the pockets were fitting him great. So I am currently trying to sell the prefolds...and if I don't I'll be gifting them to my little sister who I think I've convinced to cloth diaper as well. Anyways...

Jake's not a heavy wetter, so he can go about 2-3 hours before a change, but the thing is he's had a cold and has had super bowels and has pooped atleast twice every hour. It concerned me, it looked like breastfed poop, but I'm not BFing, so I thought something was wrong. I think he just had a cold and it was just super strange and mucousy. Anyway, sorry about the poop detail. My point of telling you that, is I am soooo glad I made about 30 flannel liners for my diapers. I made them mainly for my diaper covers that use the microfiber inserts but those liners have really protected my diapers from neon orange baby poop stains! And my hubby installed my diaper sprayer and that makes cleaning them off super easy!

Washing them has been great too.  I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to pull it all off. We recently bought a washer and dryer set, a front loader, and I think we probably bought the only one in the world without a "just rinse" setting. I wanted to rinse the diapers in cold first before washing in hot with detergent. So, what I do is put the diapers in the machine, run a "speed wash" cycle on cold with an extra rinse. That takes about 30 minutes total.  Then I put in my country save detergent and run a hot cycle, on heavy soil, with an extra rinse. I have been hanging them on my wooden drying rack if I can get them out early enough (I only get sun on my deck until noon). So far I've had no issues with ammonia smells, no funky smells, and the sunning has gotten rid of any stain on the diapers or inserts. Oh, and by the way, the diaper pail really does not smell. I mean it does when you open it, but you cant smell the diapers at all when it's closed, and I was very skeptical about that before!

I am so glad I decided to look into the cloth diapering thing. We only had to buy 1 pack of disposable diapers since Jake was born, and that was b/c he still hadn't healed completely from his circumscision, but that's $9.99 that we spent in 7 weeks! Awesome!!  This week I am going to start using my cloth wipes. I've just been using disposables b/c I had a ton left from my son needing them. My hubby is not too keen on the cloth wipe idea for some reason, so I'll probably still by sposie wipes to appease him, but I'll use the cloth. Anyway, that's all for now. Enjoy some cute fluffy bottom pics below!

 Harley Davidson cloth diaper by TKCuddlers

 This cow print is actually and ebay diaper from China sold by seller Grape-Apple. I love these diapers and they were less than $5 a piece!

 Jake in a green Kawaii cover

Jake in a blue and white sunbaby 4.0

Postpartum

So, Jake is here and is doing great. He is such a good baby I count my lucky stars that he lets me sleep and go places without too much trouble. I think I had a pretty easy and quick delivery. I was very worried about the week after, with my son it was a hard week for me. No one ever seems to talk about the postpartum weeks and what you experience. So, I figured it would be ok to talk about it on here. So, here's what I have dealt with this time around...

In the hospital Jake latched on and breastfed like a champ. It didn't hurt and he was getting enough to eat. About the same time we got home from the hospital my milk came in, and no one ever tells you how badly that hurts. I expected it this time, since I remember the pain so clearly from the first time, but boy does it hurt. Rock hard does not even begin to cover it! I became so full and engorged that every time Jake would latch on, I could barely breath because of the pain. It was excruciating!! After the first minute, the pain stopped, and then my uterus would start to contract. That hurt so badly! So between the first latch and the contractions, breastfeeding was a painful experience. I dreaded it!  I knew that to ease the engorgement I needed to get Jake to feed as often as possible, but he just wasn't interested. So I hurt because he would refuse to feed. I thought about pumping, but I didn't buy a pump this time because I didn't know if I would be able to breastfeed, so I couldn't relieve the pain by pumping. On our 3rd night home, I was up late at night, tired, hurting so badly, and found myself begging Jake to eat but he wouldn't eat.  I sat there thinking about how I planned on switching to formula when I returned to work and school, and made the decision to switch to formula and let my milk dry up. So, after letting my hubby know how I felt, we decided to switch.  I woke up several times in the night to puddles of milk in my bed, and yet I was still so engorged, so I read up on ways to dry up milk fast and everything said cabbage leaves. So I walked around the last few days with cabbage leaves in my bra, and it is zapping my supply quickly, and they are almost pain free now! I also iced them when they hurt.  Oh, and a tight bra is a must!  Jake is now 100% bottle fed and he is doing great. Eating every 3 hours! It was quite an emotional experience to make this decision. I felt so much guilt that I wouldn't be giving Jake everything I could, but in the end I decided that Jake needs a happy Mommy, and this is something I had to do to keep my sanity.  I do take pride in how long I actually was able to breastfeed Jake and just knowing that my body worked enough this time to make it happen is comforting. And speaking of emotional roller coaster... I think my next blog will be about the emotional side of the postpartum time.  But for now, this tired Momma is gonna sleep since baby is sleeping!

Jacob Spencer is Here!

Well, after 19 long months of trying to get pregnant, 2 devestating miscarriages, 9 months of a surprisingly uncomfortable pregnancy, and 6 hours of labor....

I am thrilled to introduce to you our newest Morris! Jacob Spencer Morris was born on May 26th (a week early from my original due date, but perfectly on time with my ultrasound date) at 4:33am. Weighing in at 8lbs 5oz and a lengthy 21.5inches. He is just precious and the perfect fit into our family.

Wednesday the 26th I had a doctor appointment, and my doctor had already told me she would strip my membranes and try and get labor moving. When she stripped them, she said, "Oh yeah, that's gonna do it, that was a good-quality stripping. I'd give it a day or two, but I doubt you'll be pregnant this weekend." As soon as I sat up I had a painful contraction, and got excited that it just might work! So I left and went to my chiropractor and got adjusted, and was having some steady braxton hicks, so I decided to go walk and see if anything came of them. So I walked around walmart and they stayed pretty consistent, but I decided to head home because they weren't hurting and were about 8-10 min apart, like they'd been for weeks now. So I get home about 7pm, and they start picking up in strength. I tried to stay active to help them do some work, so I cleaned the house as best I could. By 8pm I was calling Spencer, they were getting to be about 3-4 minutes apart, and starting to hurt. By 9pm they were under 2 minutes apart but weren't hurting. They were uncomfortable, but they weren't demobilizing like every book says they are, so I called the hospital and asked them if I should come in. They said if it didn't hurt, it wasn't labor, so wait until it hurts. Spencer was heading home and they were still coming less than 2 minutes apart, so I told Spencer to hurry and that we were going in anyway. I made sure we had our bags packed, got Cohen in his jammies and ready to go to his grandpas, and as soon as Spencer got there, we left and dropped Cohen off. We made it to the hospital about 10:30pm. My contractions slowed a little in the car to every 4 min apart, and I was starting to worry they'd send me home, so I applied the pressure points I'd been using, and when we were walking into the hospital I had 3 really painful contractions about a min apart. I refused the wheelchair and as we approached the L&D desk one of the nurses says, "Oh boy, holding her belly and panting, looks for real!" So I got checked into a room and the nurse checked me and to my surprise I was already 6-7cm dialated!! The nurse also looked surprised, so she said, "Let's get that epidural for you!" and by 11pm I had my epidural. It wasn't the most pleasant experience getting the epi this time, when he went to thread the catheter through the epidural needle I could feel it going into my spine and that hurt, so he had to remove it and place it again, which was much better! They checked me again after about an hour and I was at 8cm, so they went to go call the doctor and see if he wanted to break my water, and I think he wanted to wait for whatever reason, so they let me get some sleep for a few hours and at 4am they checked me and I was 10cm and my bag of water was buldging, so in came the doctor and broke it. Then he must have realized he forgot something, because he stepped out really quick and the nurses looked a little confused, but they set me up to push and said they wanted to see how I push. They could instantly see his head and asked me to wait for the doctor. I could sort of feel when I was having a contraction. The doctor was a great coach, and helped me push Jake out in 3 contractions, so about 12 pushes, and I didn't even tear! They put Jake on my belly and cleaned him off, and he cried out once, but after that was very quiet but super alert and big-eyed.

 

We are home now and I am loving this little boy more and more. I couldn't be more in love with my boys!!!

38 Weeks!

Had a doctor appointment yesterday. I told my doc about the bad contractions I've been having so she wanted to check my cervix. I have been debating whether or not I wanted it checked at all, but I was just too curious to see if those contractions were doing any work, so I agreed.  I'm 2cm dialated, and about 50% effaced.  When I got to the doctor and had to give my urine sample, I noticed some spotting, and mentioned it to her and she said it was from my cervix starting to dialate. So something's going on in there! She asked me if I was thinking about induction, and I told her I wanted to wait till my due date came to think about that, but I asked her if she'd strip my membranes next week and she said that would be perfectly easy to do, and a perfect time. So, if this little guy stays around till then, he'll be prodded along just a little. I've gained 32 pounds total, and my blood pressure has been slightly elevated above my normal, but nobody seems worried. I also think I lost a majority of my mucus plug last night... but I'm not sure. I am really hoping I go into labor in the next few days, I feel like it's soon!

37 Weeks

3 Weeks to go!
I am begging this little man to make an appearance a little sooner though. I am officially miserable. So far this week I've:

*Burned my belly on the stove while cooking dinner. Yes, I have a burn blister a little bit bigger than a quarter on my belly. That HURTS. I guess that means I am officially too big.

*My stretchmarks- I haven't gained any more this pregnancy, theses are from my previous pregnancy- have started bleeding. My skin literally can't stretch anymore. I feel like my skin is tearing in 2 no matter how much lotion I put on.

*Was woken up from a deep sleep to intense leg cramps in both legs. I couldn't even move my feet to stretch my legs out. It was painful!! My whole leg just seized up! Awful! (and yes, I've increased my calcium intake and potassium and still no luck).

*My ribs have been on fire. After a contraction mostly, but the pain lingers and I am just dying for some relief, I'm not getting kicked there thank goodness, but it's another pain that's driving me nuts.

*I have become a basketcase. Every little think makes me burst into tears- for example my washing machine was making a loud noise after the repair man "fixed" it. I bawled like a baby over it. I'm also sort of ragey and "I don't care"-ish. I just feel miserable.

I am sorry to complain, but I have never been this uncomfortable in my life. EVER. I thought I was uncomfortable with Cohen. I doubt that now!! I am so glad to be pregnant and finally get this baby we tried so hard and waited so long for... but these last few weeks are going to kill me. Come on baby let us meet you soon! BTW here's my 37 week belly shot. Feelin huge in a moo moo. :)

Starting to plan the party

So, I'm about 37wks (38 by ultrasound) and so I figured it would be ok to get things going a little. Mostly prepare things for getting going. I bought some Raspberry Leaf Tea, I drank a ton of it with Cohen. It's supposed to strengthen my uterus and make contractions more effective a making me dialate and then eventually push the baby out more effectively. I drink 1-2 cups a day, I don't LOVE the stuff, but it is good and relaxes me. I also have started an evening primrose oil regimine... 1 capsule a day to soften the cervix to allow for easier dialation (and prevent tearing when pushing). Now none of these things will induce labor, just enhance it and make it a little easier. I had a prenatal massage today and the lady showed me some pressure points that can lead to labor, and she rubbed them a little saying it was not enough to start labor, just to get my body thinking about it. I'm not evicting this baby before he's ready, but I'm sending him a 30 day notice!! lol. Haven't had any more nights like a few nights ago with steady contractions... weird! Anywho...hopefully things get underway soon... the countdown has begun as I am now considered "full term!"

The Baby Room

I don't think I posted any pics of the baby's room setup, other than my cloth diapering station. So here they are. I made the crib bumpers and crib skirt, bought the red sheet on Ebay, got the crib mobile on amazon. (I've wanted this particular mobile, but couldn't find it for less than $50 anywhere, so I held off on getting it, and ended up finding it when I was shopping for my textbooks for $30 so I got it.) I've woven the bumpers in and out covering 3 bars and leaving one exposed. It made for a tighter fit, and I like the look better. The mobile plays Brahm's lullabye.  I used some leftover fabric from the crib bumpers to make a cover for the changing table. And since he's going to be sharing with his big brother who already had a car theme going on, there's my older son's bed and half of the room. The only changes Ive made since taking these pictures is their names are above each of their beds in wooden letters, and there's a Lightning McQueen poster in between the names, right above the changing table. I think it's a very cool room if I do say so myself. :)

36 Weeks

Had a doctor and a chiropractor appointment yesterday. It was nothing exciting. Had my Strep B test done (oh joy) and got weighed. I've hit the 161lbs already!! Crazy! I am definitely heavier than I was when pregnant with Cohen, but bless my lovely facebook friends and coworkers, and faithful readers who tell me I look cute and skinny and stuff. It sure makes me feel better. I especially like this shirt I'm wearing in the pic, b/c from the front I barely look pregnant! Anywho, back to the doctor appointment. I am measuring at barely 35 weeks, so a week behind- not too worrisome, Cohen measured a little behind too (so maybe I will deliver closer to June than the end of May). Heartbeat's still good. Told her about all my contractions and pains and she said just keep an eye on it all (gee thanks doc). Some days I have a ton of contractions, and some I have a few. They've been coming every 10 minutes on the dot for the last 40 min, so that's kinda interesting.  My chriopractor confused me a lot this last visit. He said my pelvis is really tight and that for as far along as I am, that should be a sign that my labor might be difficult. This is confusing b/c up until yesterday he was saying all my problems have been from my pelvis loosening in preparation for childbirth? He says I must not be producing relaxin yet, but my doc told me that he must not know what he's talking about and not to worry about the delivery. (It wasn't my regular OB I saw, but a PA). She told me I can come back in 1 or 2 weeks if I want, and so I chose 2. No point in going in a week unless there's an issue. I also asked when those super fun cervix checks usually start and she says they do them starting at 38 weeks unless there's a reason. So I have a while, and I'm still debating whether or not I even want my cervix checked. We'll see. So there's the latest update. Somedays I think this baby is coming soon, and others It doesnt feel close at all. But regardless I am ready for him when he's ready to come out!! :)

35 Weeks

So, I'm pretty much done with 35 weeks and will be 36 on Thursday, but here's my 35 week picture. I thought I had posted it already. I am so uncomfortable it's not funny. I'm a pretty chill person too and have a high threshold for pain and discomfort. And I need this baby out now. That's saying somethin. I am starting the Evening Primrose oil once I get my doc's ok tomorrow at my appointment. I am not going past due with this one. (I don't think I will regardless of using the EPO, I have been busy with contractions and a head down baby on my sciatic nerve- this baby is getting ready to come out.) Wanna know the weirdest thing ever? And if you're a guy and get weirded out by lady talk, bounce out now, because I just wanted to say last night I felt this little guy moving (as in his hands by his face or something) directly on my pubic bone. That is a low baby! And I think my skin is streched to it's limit officially. DH has putting some pressure on my lower back last night b/c it was killing me, and any little tug on my skin HURT like a B. I seriously thought my skin was gonna rip apart. Belly is also just growing straight out. I feel like a walking torpedo belly. Haha. My coworker says I seriously look like I've got a basketball tucked under there. I wish, a basketball would weigh less! :) Anyways, this is me, miserable, but so happy to be pregnant and madly excited to meet this little guy in less than a month!

34 Weeks!

Well, I'm 34 weeks now... and of course growing more and more uncomfortable by the day, but it's still not too bad.  I have days when I am so miserable and have constant contractions, and other days when I am perfectly fine.  He is getting heavy though, and I can feel the weight pulling down on my belly. I was walking around Sears and hurting, so I was holding my belly up, and this random lady asked me if I was holding the baby up or in. I told her "up" and she said "Oh he can't be that heavy." That surprised me... and all I could think was "You try carrying around 5lbs of baby, 2lbs of placenta, 2 lbs of fluid all in the center of your body and have it pull on your middle half and tell me that's not heavy." Either she'd never been pregnant, or she carried a squirrel in her belly. haha.

But I had a Dr. appt yesterday and am weighing in at 155lbs... baby is "head down and ready to go" and his heartbeat is good. My blood pressure is still ok, so no signs of preeclampsia yet (I had it onset with my son around 38-39 weeks).  I have my strep B test in 2 weeks, and then I start going in every week for appointments! Crazy!!

Comparisons

So, I decided to compare my belly today with my 33 week belly when I was pregnant with my son. Here's the results. I am MUCH bigger this time around!

Feeling good so far! No major complaints!! I am getting really excited to meet this little guy!

32 Weeks!

Firstly, here's a pic...I was actually 31 weeks in this pic, but you get the idea. We spent a few days in Las Vegas last week... and being as pregnant as I am, and walking everywhere, my legs hurt so bad and my ankles swelled up so much that my shoes that don't normally fit right (always slide off my heel) fit me snug. It was really painful and I have never ever thought I couldn't walk anymore, but I honestly could not take any more steps once we reached the hotel again. And boy did it cause contractions! I guess walking is a good way to get baby coming! On our way back from Arizona, DH and I both got food poisoning. I have never had it before, and let me tell you I would rather die than get it again. I have never spent so much time in the bathroom. I couldnt even keep water down and got sorta dehydrated. I never felt so thirsty either. Luckily, I was able to keep down fluids, but no food for 2 days. Yucky. Had a doc appt yesterday, I gained another pound and am officially on the 2 week appt. schedule now. I think it's unnecessary, but I'll go anyways, gives me something to look forward to.  While on my trip we got a 3D ultrasound done, and here's one of my fav pics from the u/s. Isn't he just precious?

28 Weeks

Nothing new or exciting to report. I had an appointment this last week and my glucose test. My blood pressure is kinda low, low enough that they mentioned it anyways. I only gained 1.4lbs (yay for not gaining another 9!) and my blood sugar came back normal. I've got low iron too, but I'm not anemic. Baby's heartbeat was good, and I am measuring between 28 and 29 weeks based on the measuring tape.

I've begun seeing a chiropractor. I had severe back, shoulder, arm and neck pain a week ago and the chiropractor says it's due to my pelvis spreading out. So I get to wear a fancy pelvic belt to keep it in place. Since going to him, the pain has gotten almost non-existant. I have, however been dealing with leg cramps more and more frequently... and usually in the mornings before I get outta bed. Yesterday I had one so bad I couldn't move my leg or bed my foot! It was kinda scary, and my hubby came and helped me stretch it out. I still have the pain in my calf, but I don't know what else to do for it. Maybe the chiropractor can help.

I have 1 more monthly appointment left, then I get to start going every 2 weeks. That's nice b/c the end is in sight, but it also is annoying feeling like I'm there all the time. Anywho, that's all for now.

Cloth Diaper Stash

So, FINALLY my diapers arrived today. They took forever to get shipped and finally they showed up on my door step today. Again, for those who may have missed it, we are cloth diapering this baby. And trust me, the cloth diapering thing has totally evolved from the dark ages, and they are actually quite easy (in theory, we'll have to wait until June to know for sure) but I feel very good about saving my family money, cloth being better for baby's bum, and also the environmental factor is a bonus. So, I unpacked my diapers and layed them out, and stuffed them, and took lots of pics to share. Now I'm not gonna try and convert everyone to cloth diapers, but I just wanna show you how they are nowadays...I had no clue until a friend mentioned it to me. So, first of all, here's the pics.

 This is a pic of my whole collection of diapers. There are 28 total here, and I have 2 more coming... There are 9 Ebay diapers (mainly the print diapers), and the solids are Kawaii brand diapers. On the far right, there is a stack of diaper covers, and 2 stuffed covers... there are 12 total of those. I will have 30 diapers total...

 These are all Kawaii...specifically, they are the Kawaii heavy duty microfleece diapers. Very soft and fit 8-36lbs. The way pocket diapers work is they have a fleece pocket (fleece against baby's skin wicks away moisture) and you put a microfiber insert into the pocket and put the diaper on like you would a disposable. When the diaper is dirty, spray it off (or use a flushable liner and flush it) and toss in the diaper pail. Then you put on a new diaper!

 My Neon diapers. :) Lime green and electric yellow. Won't loose this baby in a crowd!

 Now this one is a diaper cover. It's a little different from the others, as in there is no pocket to stuff. You just put an insert inside the folds in it (as seen below)... in theory you can reuse the cover more than once before washing because it does not get dirty, just the insert. We'll see how well that actually works. Below is the diaper cover open... I got 6 snap closure, 6 velcro closure, and one of each color (except pink).

 Here's my cloth diapering set up. I've got 2 baskets of pocket diapers, one of diaper covers, and a basket of cloth wipes. In the drawers to the right I have stored misc, supplies until I figure out where things will go. And to the left is my diaper pail...don't know if it will stay there or not, but inside it is a Kissaluv's antibacterial washable diaper pail liner, for the dirty diapers. I don't like it being so close to Cohen's bed, and on the other side it would be right next to the crib, so it might find a new home before long.

This drawer is all my inserts, I have microfiber and hemp inserts... different absorbencies and thicknesses. These go inside the pocket diapers, or lay into the covers. In the other drawer I have some basic old fashioned prefold diapers that can be used as burp rags or diaper inserts in a pinch. P.S. Don't you think my boppy pillow has the cutest pattern ever? (It's on top of the drawers).

 

One thing that might be a pain is washing them. They have to be washed in special detergent and have a cycle of a few rinses and washes, but I plan on line-drying them in the summer. The sun also helps remove any stains you might get. Seriously, the sun is a natural stain remover!

So, call me a weirdo, but I am very excited to start trying this. It may loose it's shiney new appeal once baby starts pooping in the diapers, but for now, it's just fun!

26 Weeks

Today I am 26 weeks (27 if you go by ultrasound)! We're getting closer to the end!! My Mom is planning on flying in from Virginia for the birth, and we are already starting to talk flights and dates! I am so excited!! I have been feeling pretty good for the most part. I have started having issues finding a comfortable sleeping position... I've found a pillow between my legs is probably the most comfortable, but even that doesn't cut the cake. I get so uncomfortable sitting on the couch through more than a 30 min show, and that is bugging me. I am still dealing with the painful gas pains... I am thinking it has to do with my hernia... maybe things aren't digesting properly. And I told my friend this, but It's not flatulence (tooting) that's the problem, it's just gas bubbles getting trapped and no where to go. But it has me bent over in pain after every meal, no matter what it is I eat. I called my doctors office and asked them if I could take Beano to prevent it, and they read from a list everything I could take, which was all after-the-fact relief. Gas-X Was on the list, so I found Gas-X prevention (basically the Gas-x version of Beano) and had a gas pain free night last night. I hope I've found a solution. I'd gladly take my heartburn back from my previous pregnancies if I could get rid of this!

I am feeling less huge this week...I guess hearing 9lbs makes you feel huge... but I was able to wear a pre-pregnancy pullover hoodie just fine this last week and barely looked pregnant, so I was happy with that. I doubt the belly shrunk, It was all just a mental thing. I have been getting braxton hicks alot...last night at a little pizza party I spend the whole time (about 30 min) in a constant BH. It was annoying.

Baby Jake sure is moving a lot!! Moreso this week than before. My belly is constantly twitching or "bubbling" (thats what it looks like) and I feel like he keeps brushing his fingers across my belly, which is weird!! He likes to hang out in my ribs, don't remember when Cohen started doing that, but it's nice and annoying at the same time, but I love it. I am so less anxious about this one now that he is moving around.

We are pretty much done shopping for baby. I've ordered all my cloth diapers and supplies, a giant box of sposie diapers for the first few weeks, I bought some blankets, some sleeper sacks, a boppy, made my moby wrap, ordered my sling ring to make a sling-ring-sling... I got a nursing cover... The only things I think I may wanna get is a baby bathtub, a breast pump, and maybe some really small onesies for the first few weeks, since I dont have really any little ones.

Anyways, I didn't get a 25 week pic up last week, so here's 25 and 26 week pics.

24 Weeks and some change

Well I went to the doctor this last week and had another ultrasound. Baby is growing perfectly, a little too perfectly. He's quite large for his age already, supposed to be around 1 pound, but is weighing in around 2lbs!! U/S Tech says he's got a big head (just what I want to hear...) and he's just "a big boy." Makes me a little nervous about delivery... if he's already so big I'm worried about how big he'll be at delivery, especially if I go past due like I did with Cohen. I have been pretty adamant about not being induced for baby size reasons, but I have scared myself officially with all the possible complications that I am not so sure anymore. The heart issue he had (thick wall of the heart or something) has resolved itself, but the enlarged urethral-pelvic junction is still there, and they want to follow up atleast once more before the end of the pregnancy. Again, they reassured me it was fairly common and that it shouldnt really cause any problems for baby once he's born. I also learned I gained 9lbs since my last appointment 4 weeks ago!! That is a LOT! After I took this picture above, I can definitely see the 9lbs. I am making it a point to be a little more active during the days, I'm gonna start walking on a treadmill or the mall or something. I dont want to loose weight, I just don't want to gain more than I need to. Anyways, here's an ultrasound pic. Hooray for the 6th month!

So tired! 23 weeks

Well, I'm 23 weeks pregnant, and Oh boy am I so exhausted. I've had a long week- and it's not even over yet! I worked all weekend, School all day Monday and Today...then I get to work all this weekend and do the school thing again. I definitely need to muster up some extra energy, I come home and sit and never want to get up! Yet I do, because dinner doesn't cook itself, and laundry doesnt do itself either.

Some pregnancy highlights this week:
~Hubby says (and I quote) "You're huge!" I already feel huge, you need not point it out lol. I can't imagine how big I will look and feel in May... I feel pushed to my limit already!
~By belly has surpassed my boobs.
~According to my inlaw's scale, I've gained 15lbs. I don't believe it, but according to hubby "Oh, I can tell." gee thanks. lol.
~Leg cramps galore. I get them mostly in my driving leg, and ouch that is a pain!

Anywho... thats all for now. Even that little bit has worn me out. haha.

22 Weeks

Nothing new to report...except that maybe the braxton hicks have started this week. Not fun, I forgot how uncomfortable they are! Anyways, thats all for now. Here's my 22 week pic, please excuse my cluttered bathroom. :)

21 weeks!

Was my last post really at 18 weeks? Sorry, I thought I'd posted sooner! Well, first of all, we are having another BOY! The ultrasound was really great and actually showed me measuring a week ahead, so due May 26th. I am still counting on June 2nd though, with DS he was 9 days late. If this one came "early" I'd be pleasantly surprised! Everything on the u/s was good, there was a "prominent urethral pelvic junction" that they wanted to follow up on with another ultrasound, but other than that he's great! He's weighing in at 13oz (probably a little more now, that was over a week ago), has a "fat lil tummy" and at the moment, lies breech, but I don't think I'm to worried about that yet. We were very surprised it is a boy, but couldn't be happier.

I didn't bother posting a pic this time, because I really haven't changed since the last one. There are days when I look and feel more pregnant than I really am, and then days I forget I am pregnant haha. The second trimester is definitely the easiest, no issues with nausea anymore, and I'm not terrified that I am going to loose this one anymore. He moves a lot and kicks strong, so I don't worry as much.  UPDATE: Tonight I discovered I am already making a leaking colostrum (first milk)!!! This is a huge deal to me, since I had issues BFing with my son, and this has NEVER happened, even after my milk came in!! Sorry, but you're probably used to TMI if you're a frequent reader! lol

Started getting things together for him... ordered my first 10 cloth diapers, made my own crib bumpers, about to make my crib skirt, bought a changing table, washed and destained some baby clothes and put them in a drawer in his room. Painted wooden letters for his room. I've kept pretty busy and I'm excited!! Anyways, that's about all for now... enjoy some pics.

18.5 Weeks

Well I'm 18 1/2 weeks now. I am definitely starting to look pregnant! I woke up to the surprise of this bump! It made it a little difficult getting outta bed this morning. I am still getting the leg cramps, and my back has started killing me, but overall I am feeling good and everything is moving right along! I am still feeling baby move, but this weekend I've been pretty busy and haven't noticed much. The heartbeat has gone down a little bit and is hovering around 140-150. I have my gender ultrasound in a week from Tuesday. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Still not needing maternity pants, but the shirts are definitely more comfortable. My scrubs at work are starting to feel a little snug... it's a good thing they provide 3 bigger sizes for me if I need! Anyways, thats about all for now.