Saturday, June 30, 2012

4 months

This month was full of growth and new tricks for our sweet Kate. I joke that someone is sneaking her growing beans every night, but a part of me really thinks its true. (My guess is Scully) I feel like every morning she wakes up just a bit heavier, a bit longer, and with a new trick to show us. Exciting and sad at the same time. Kate was a cuddly newborn for such a short amount of time. I want to erase every time I thought that it wasn't good for her to fall asleep on me or when I complained about being on the couch with her all day. She is 4 months going on 4 years and what I wouldn't give for her to fall asleep on my chest again and sleep for hours.

BUT, we are loving this stage as well. Kate is very active and sweet and loves to smile. She takes one good nap which allows me to work but not get much else done for the rest of the day. And that is ok. She loves playing, rolling around, sucking on toys, nursing, being cranky when she is tired, looking at the dogs, being held by her family, and going on walks.

She is our delight.




Friday, June 29, 2012

bridal shower

Last weekend we celebrated Vanessa's bridal shower. She is my long-time friend and is marrying my older brother, Daniel. The shower was sweet and perfect and we could not have asked for better weather on a Saturday in June.



 
Mother of the Bride, the Bride, and Mother of the Groom - beautiful!



 the two youngest (and cutest) ladies in attendance





Our relationship has changed and evolved over the past few years and I am so happy now to call her my sister.

We can't wait for their wedding in September! It is going to be stunning. Just like the happy couple.

Monday, June 18, 2012

dad love

When I imagined having a family with Peter, I always knew he would be a great dad. But nothing, nothing could have prepared me for the absolute love I feel for him when I see him with our baby girl.


Our children will grow up knowing their Daddy loves them, protects them, guides them, and works hard for them. And for that, I am so thankful.

Happy Fathers Day, Peter.



Also, to the two best Grandpas!

Friday, June 15, 2012

my life

I love when other people do "a day in the life" posts. Its fun to catch a glimpse into everyday, ordinary life for other people. And I will admit, when I was working full time and just dreaming about a baby of my own, I would sometimes get jealous of the lives of moms. Did the job seem hard? Yes. But so fulfilling. I was longing for that life. And now I cant believe I have it. Pinch me.

It may be mundane or boring for some. And it can be for me at times too. But I love my days. More than I ever have before. I am so thankful I get to spend my day at home with Kate. For a long time (like everyday for the past three months) I couldn't even imagine starting work again. How would I get things done? Would the baby nap? Would I still be able to make dinner every night? But like everything, God seems to work it all out. I only have two weeks under my belt, but so far I am enjoying being a work at home mom. I am able to take a few hours each day and think about something other than cleaning the house, diapers, nursing, etc. I feel part of a team again, talk with adults, and try to produce thoughtful work. It may not be the best for everyone, but its good for me.

So here is my typical day:

3:30 am - I can hear Kate on the monitor. Something I am thankful for - Kate never wakes up crying. She usually just grunts or makes little noises. I realize this will probably change, so I am very thankful for it now. Helps make these early, early nursing sessions much more enjoyable.

6:30 or 7:00 - Baby wakes up and Peter goes in to get her. She is so happy and smiley in the morning and I know he treasures these moments. He brings her in to me and I nurse her in bed. Some mornings we play in bed for a little bit. Other mornings, she is ready to go go go and wants nothing to do with lounging around in bed.

7:00-8:00 - I fix coffee (essential, currently with Almond Joy creamer) and some breakfast while Kate plays on her activity mat. Playing involves rolling over, chewing on her toes, and sucking on her hands. I check my work email now too.

8:30 - Nurse her again if she needs it, get dressed and ready to go for a walk. I love these morning walks and if we miss one for some reason I feel like my whole day is off. Sometimes I walk, sometimes I jog (more like wog), but I always take my coffee. If I time it right, Kate takes about a 45 minute nap, which is great. If I time it wrong, she cries and tries to launch herself out of the stroller. One these days, we make it to the end of the street and then come back home.

9:30/10:00 - Come home, nurse baby, shower, play. This is usually when I strap Kate in the Bjorn and pick up the house and do laundry. I also try to make my lunch now, so its ready to go after I put her down for a nap.

12:00 - Kate starts to get a little bored of our housework and gets restless. I can usually get a few more minutes out of her by playing with her on the floor. But things tend to go downhill quickly. This means one thing. Nap time. Finally.


12:30 - 4:00 - I close the blinds, turn the noise machine on, and swaddle Kate from the chest down (arms out since she is rolling over in her sleep). I nurse Kate and put her in her crib, usually not quite fully asleep, and head straight to my office. After reading a few articles about working from home I decided to follow a common suggestion - have a separate office space. This means I do all of my work in there. Not on the couch, not in my bed. It works for me. Usually during her nap, Kate is visited by the 45 minute intruder. Almost like clockwork, 45 minutes after she falls asleep, she starts crying. She is not really awake, so I check on her and just let her cry it out. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes. Sometimes it takes 45 minutes. But she always falls back asleep eventually. And she averages about 3-3.5 hours. This is wonderful for my work schedule and I am so very thankful. When her naps change, I will have to do some adjusting as well.


4:00 - Baby wakes up all smiles. She moves around in her sleep alot, so its always fun to see where she wakes up. Nurse, play, and wait for Daddy to come home.

5:30 - Peter gets home and plays with the baby while I make dinner. She loves to be in the Bjorn with him so he either takes her and Scully for a walk now, or waits till after dinner and we all go together. I nurse her again and we play till the witching hour hits.


8:00 - Things start to get a bit more hairy around here. We can usually squeeze a few more minutes of happiness out of Kate by playing with Scully in the backyard. Then its bathtime and our bedtime routine.

8:30 - I nurse her before bed and lay her down in her crib. Some nights she doesnt make a peep. Other nights, she promptly wakes up and proceeds to roll around her crib for a while. Peter and I (he is better than me) goes in and tries to calm her down. This usually works (that and letting her cry it out) and she falls asleep, waking up once around 3:00 am for a little snack. I feel a little worried sharing this. Like I am going to jinx it or something. But right now, Kate is a pretty good sleeper and we are very thankful. I know once she hits a growth spurt or starts teething things will probably change. But for right now, this is typical. And I want to remember this :) (you all have permission to laugh at me when this all changes in a month and I am up every hour)

9:00 - I finish up any work, check emails, and watch tv with Peter. Then I usually pass out on the couch, only to have to drag my exhausted self to bed.

 I hope to record more of my days. As our life evolves I think it will fun to look back and see what my typical day was like as a work from home mom of a 3.5 month old.



Tuesday, June 5, 2012

cloth diapers

We have been using cloth diapers for over a month now and things are going great! I realize this post may be boring, but when I was thinking about using cloth I loved to read what worked and didnt work for other moms.

So here is what works for us....

I really like the Flip diaper system. This includes diaper covers and inserts. Many people use the prefold inserts, but so far I only have the Flip inserts. They are easy and are working great, so I will continue to use them. They come in packs of three and I could use another pack or two. I think the absorbancy is great. These diapers hold everything in!

I worked on building my stash during my pregnancy, taking advantage of diaper sales and only purchasing gender neutral colors. Once Kate was born, I just had to add a few pink ones to the mix. The Flips come in super cute colors, which although not necessary, is an added bonus.

                          

I spent some time thinking about my diapering process and what would work best for Peter and I and our house. I keep the diapers separated in the changing table in her room. We have one pail (yellow) for disposables (yes, I still use these at night and various other times) and wipes. And another pail (white) for the cloth diapers. I purchased a Planet Wise pail liner (super cute colors) and I am so glad I did. It does a great job keeping in the smells and I can just wash it when I wash the diapers.



If a diaper is especially nasty, I will take it to the bathroom and dunk it in the toilet. However, breast milk poo is water soluble and washes off easily in the washer, so this step isn't really necessary. When Kate starts eating solids, we will probably install a diaper sprayer to the back of the toilet. Other than that I just put the wet diapers in the pail and keep them in there till laundry day. What I like about the Flip system is that you don't have to use a new cover every time. If the diaper is just wet, I usually just have to use a new insert.

Once its time to wash (about every 3 days) I just dump the entire liner full of diapers into the washer (making sure to separate inserts from covers) and rinse on cold and wash on hot. I dry the covers in the laundry room and I dry most inserts in the sun outside. I haven't had any problems with stains or smells or anything.


                         


Overall, I really like using cloth. I think they work great, feel better on Kate's skin, and, most importantly, will save us lots of money over the next few years. Do I really love washing them? No. Does the pail smell when the lid is open? Yes. Like death. But I have learned to hold my breath and work really fast. Poo is poo. On a cloth or disposable. And as a mom, its just part of everyday life.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

3 months

How is my baby already three months? Waaahhh!




                                      
                              

Cutest little goose I have ever seen