I am looking for some new blogs to read, as I have been reading review blogs for months now and missing out on my personal blog buddies 
. If you have a blog, or know of a blog you would like to share with me, please feel free to let me know about it. I am working on a favorite blogs/reads page 
I have never been the materialistic type of girl. I would buy one to two hand bags a year and I have the same shoes I had since I was in high school (even the same clothes). I have been carrying around the same purse for over a year. My husband bought me a really nice Guess purse for Christmas and it was my favorite. I don’t like to spend a lot of money on accessories, so I never purchased another one. But, when I was tired of the Guess purse, I just stuck it in the closet and pulled out a purse I was using two years prior. My husband must have noticed this because he came home one day with my Valentines Day present, although it was three weeks early. When I seen the Dillards bag, I knew what was inside: A COACH PURSE! Okay, most of you may own Coach purses, but this is a huge deal for me. I (myself) wouldn’t pay more than $50 for a purse. I have always wanted a Coach purse, I just never told my husband. They are just too expensive for me. My lovely husband, who loves me so much, went and bought me one and picked it out himself. I loved it, it was pink and flashy. The only problem was the material. I am a little rough on purses and the material was a satin type. Therefore, I returned the purse and picked out one that had a different type of material and more of myself. It’s flashy, cute, and young. I like to feel young even though I am a mom now. The Coach purse I picked out is brand new, was just put on the shelves and I’m obsessed with it.
The purse is from the Poppy Collection and fits my style and personality. I just want to thank my husband for spoiling me with something I have secretly always wanted.
For Valentines Day, my husband actually has a four day weekend, so we will be spending a lot of time together. We are going to Blowing Rock, NC because I want to go to the Tanger Outlets and look for a Coach wallet to go with the purse. Dillards was sold out of wallets. Now, I just need to get him something super awesome in return and I don’t have any clue what that would be.
Our little girl has reflux. I knew she had it since she was two weeks old. I discovered she had it after talking to Amanda about all of her symptoms. I have taken Hannah to the doctor twice over her vomiting. She doesn’t spit up, she VOMITS. It’s forceful, comes out of her nose, and she always looks like she’s in pain. There are four doctors at her pediatric office, we seen three guys. Each one of them told me I just had a laundry problem. After our visit to Kentucky, I noticed it was getting worse. I thought it was my breast feeding, so I went to the lactation consultant. She watched Hannah eat and watched how she was acting and told me that she had G.E.R.D. I explained to her that I had contacted the doctor’s office plenty of times and they just keep saying “let it pass, wait two weeks, you have a laundry problem.” Finally, I got fed up with being “brushed off” so I made an appointment yesterday.
I seen a woman, women are much more sympathetic. Although, she did bring in a graph paper to show me that Hannah was gaining weight perfectly (weighing 7lbs5oz). I knew they were going to do this, they keep telling me if she has her wet/poopy diapers, she is fine. Well, the only reason Hannah is gaining weight and having the recommended amount of diapers is because I am feeding her every hour to every hour and a half. Her belly is always getting milk. Here is how the conversation went:
Doctor: How is Ms. Hannah doing today?
Me: She is still vomiting and I have brought her in the office with this before. It’s just a real concern now.
Doctor: She’s gaining weight perfectly. Is she having wet diapers and poopy diapers?
Me: Yes and the only reason she’s gaining weight is because I’m doing nonstop feeding. I am not getting any sleep and neither is she.
Doctor: Well, let’s check her out.
Me: *picks Hannah up, she vomits everywhere (thanks Hannah for vomiting)*
Doctor: Oh wow, that’s a lot. Well, it looks like your daughter has reflux. My daughter had it. I am going to give her Zantac.
Me: THANK YOU!
We got the prescription filled and I was more than happy to shoot that medicine into her mouth. Although, Hannah hates the medicine. It smells like peppermints and she gags when you put it in her mouth. But, after asking other moms how to give medicine. I have discovered that I can squirt it all in her cheek and blow in her face. I am going to try this today to see if it helps with swallowing. I am also going to try to keep her upright, even though at night time it can be a pain when I can’t even see straight. I am going to watch my own diet and do whatever I can for my little girl. I just hope she gets relief soon.
Hannah’s G.E.R.D Symptoms:
*Vomiting (projectile)
*Arching of the back
*Constant crying
*Wet burps
*Gas
*Hiccups
Hannah’s Relief (hopefully):
*Sitting upright
*Changing mom’s diet
*Zantac
*Possibly buying a swing
*Giving her lots of cuddles
My husband and I had to take an emergency leave to Kentucky. His dad is dying from liver cancer. We left on a Thursday night, expecting to arrive within 5 hours. We didn’t realize that having a child will set you back about two hours. Therefore, it took us more than seven hours to travel a four and a half hour trip. Hannah does very well with car trips, which we are excited about. We love to travel and travel a lot. Our dog, Coco, was crying/whining more than Hannah did. She only cried before a feeding and after a feeding when she was fighting her sleep. Of course, feedings take almost an hour at a time because of nursing on both breasts, burps, and diaper changes.
When we arrived in Kentucky, we both had absolutely no sleep and haven’t slept in 24 hours. There were more than ten visitors within a couple of hours of our arrival. It was great to see everyone, but I started to worry about germs. Everyone was playing with her hands, getting into her face, kissing her cheeks. I seriously went into panic mode and made people use hand sanitizer any time they touched her. After a few visitors, we headed up to the hospital an hour and a half away to visit his dad. It was the first time I met his dad, but it was great for him to meet Hannah before he passed away. He broke my heart when he said, “aww, papaws baby!” You see, Hannah won’t have a papaw. My dad passed away when I was 18 years old and Anthony’s dad doesn’t have much longer to live. I wish we could adopt a papaw for her.
After a visit with his dad, we headed back to my mom’s house where we stayed for three more days. We were snowed in due to the crazy snow storm and enjoyed staying cooped up in a bedroom. It was nice being able to sleep while people held her and entertained her, but it was also very nice to come back home. Since having Hannah, everyone tries to tell me how to raise her. I am already set in my ways on how I want things to be done and anyone elses advice goes through one ear and out the other. Of course, I will listen to things I think are important, but when people tell me I am burping my daughter the wrong way – I get heated. After arguing with relatives numerous times, I just came to the conclusion: “you cannot stop people from telling you what to do and how to do it.”
My husband and I were able to go on a date night while we were in Kentucky. We enjoyed a dinner at Applebees while my mom babysat. I really wish we had people around us who we could trust that would babysit Hannah. We do not know anyone here in North Carolina and the people we do know, we don’t feel comfortable leaving Hannah with them. Therefore, we soaked up the opportunity to have a nice dinner with one another, because we probably won’t have another one for months.
All in all, the trip with Hannah was great. She is a wonderful traveler and I cannot wait to go on more adventures with her. Hopefully I will not have to tackle those adventures without the husband.
It is hard to believe it has been a month since I have given birth. Time truly flies by when you’re a mom taking care of a newborn. I cannot believe how fast it has been. Hannah has changed so much since day one. I remember the first week when she was always sleepy, having to wake her to feed, her little body on a biliblanket and sleeping comfortably in her pack ‘n play bassinet. Now, at one month old, she awakes when she’s hungry, she stays awake while she eats, and she will not sleep anywhere but our bed. I know. I was one of those people who were all, “my baby is never sleeping with us, that is our bed not hers!” Well, after you spend nights (for many days) trying to get her to sleep anywhere, you will do anything. She sleeps so peacefully and so much longer when she sleeps in my arms. Having her to sleep with us scares me. I am terrified of suffocating her, rolling over on her, or putting the covers over her little face. So far, everything has been okay. I am hoping within the next couple of weeks she will get used to sleeping in her bassinet again. I am too afraid to move her to her crib, it’s too far away right now (although the room is connected to ours) and I just feel way more comfortable having her sleeping in a room with us. I will be moving her to her crib when she’s around 12 weeks of age, only two more months to go.
Although, her sleeping in her crib would be like..the perfect idea. Her nursery is fully equipped with everything I need to be comfortable while I breastfeed. Right now, I just feed her in the bed and my back aches while doing so. The nursery has this super awesome comfortable glider, I am just too lazy in the middle of the night to go in there and prep everything for a feeding. Once this nipple shield is thrown out the window (literally) I will be more willing to go sit in her nursery with her.
In the one month Hannah has been home, I have gotten frustrated/upset more than I thought I would. You see, girls pee on themselves too when you change their diapers. It’s not just a boy thing. Of course, it doesn’t’ shoot up in the air and land on her face or anything. Instead, it pours everywhere and when you pick her up she is soaked in pee all the way to her hair. Then, you have to take her to the sink and wash her off, because who lets their baby lay in pee? Here is usually how a diaper change goes:
*Take off dirty diaper
*She screams
*Clean her up
*She starts peeing
*Clean the pee up
*Put fresh diaper on
*While putting fresh diaper on..
*She poops, IN YOUR HAND
*You clean up the poop on your hand
*Clean her up
*Put another fresh diaper on
We go through about 2-3 diapers at a time during a diaper change alone. Not to mention the diapers we go through during her little “wet fart” spells, which happens about 100x a day.
So, yes, I do get a little frustrated from time to time. I cry, I scream, I go to the bedroom and yell. But in the end, when I am holding my little girl, I always sit and think “how could I ever get so frustrated with you?” She’s just a baby, she doesn’t know what she’s doing, she doesn’t even know what’s going on. I try to imagine how she feels. She was comfortable in mommy’s womb for 36 weeks, she was taken out, thrown into this crazy world where it gets cold at nights, where she has cold wet wipes placed on her bottom in the middle of the night, where feeding is a task in itself, where dogs bark all day long, and where her little nose has to be suctioned on a daily basis. It’s just as hard for her as it is for me.
Hannah,
You are a sensitive girl, just like your mom. You are over dramatic, you cry when nothing is wrong with you. You are demanding, when you want something you want it right then and there – even if we have no idea what it is. You love to be held, tucked away in your mommy’s arms or on your daddy’s chest. You feel everything, even the slightest touch. You are sensitive to light and smell. You dislike for your feet to be covered up, you hate blankets. You will not take a pacifier, but you love sucking on your little fists. When you have tummy aches, we rub your belly to make the pain go away. You break our hearts when you make the pouty face during your sleep. You lighten our lives when you smile, even if it is just gas. When you hurt, we hurt. You have already taught us so much in life and you have only been here four weeks. You have taught us to trust in God more, to be patient, to have strength, and that it’s okay for us to cry too. We love you and even though we may get frustrated from time to time, we’re still learning and we still have a long way to go. We will look back on the first four weeks one day and laugh, realizing how easy it was.
Love,
Mommy
After passing up the exit and having to turn around, we finally made it to the hospital. Thanks to my mom’s handicap parking permit, we had front door access. I am still wearing the clothes that are wet from my water breaking, as I’m wobbling to the elevator. Once I reach Labor & Delivery, I tell them my name, get my bracelet, and head straight to the room. I take off my clothes, put on the hospital gown, pee in a cup, and wait for the nurse to check me. The nurse checks for amniotic fluid with a strip and come to find out, my water didn’t break! I just peed on myself. Yes, PEE! I was walking around with pee on me and had no idea. Anywho, she checked me and she said what I’ve been wanting to hear for a long time “You’re 8cm!”
8CM! My gosh, that means only two more centimeters and I will be pushing. Wait, pushing! I’ll be pushing a human being out of my twat. Oh no. I WANT THAT EPIDURAL AND I WANT IT NOW!
This is what went through my head. You see, I wanted a natural birth. Heck, I’ve gone through the back labor long enough, I can handle it. But, once they told me I was 8 and I knew I couldn’t wait too long for it, I started to demand it ASAP. Although, I was informed by the nurse that it doesn’t work that way. They have to monitor contractions, take blood, etc. Fun, now I wait for two hours for an epidural.
During that waiting time, I felt like I had to poop and freaked out. She checked me and I was now 8-9cm and the pooping sensation was the baby’s head coming down. After two hours of waiting, I finally get the epidural at 8-9cm. The epidural is not painful at all, seriously, the IV was way worse. Of course, I stuffed my head into the pillow (thinking that’s what they told me to do) and couldn’t breathe. The epidural took about 15 minutes, you feel a cold sensation down into your butt and within 20 minutes my legs were numb. I felt fabulous. I felt like I could sleep forever. I didn’t get any sleep though, we were all too excited to sleep. My water still wasn’t broken and I was still concerned about the doctor at home sleeping.
I was informed by my super awesome nurse that doctors like to come in when the baby is crowning. Nurses do absolutely everything doing labor, the doctor basically catches the baby. So, after 10 hours of laying in the bed, my doctor comes. She checks me and I am 9.9cm, so she breaks my water and leaves the room, informing me a new doctor will be coming in. I found out the doctor I was having was the doctor I didn’t like too well, only because she was famous for delivering bad news.
All of a sudden I felt an urge to poop, and I mean to poop bad! This was about 3 minutes after my water broke. The nurse looked down there and said “Yes, start pushing!” I started to push to make Ms. Hannah come through the pelvic area (I’m guessing). I was pushing for an hour and a half before the doctor arrived. I have to say, when I felt like I had to push I wouldn’t say “I have to push!” I would say, “I have to poop!” Or, I’d say, “Ya’ll ready, I have to poop!” POOP was seriously all I could think about, my husband thinks it’s because I have this weird obsession with pooping. I think it’s because the nurse told me it would feel like I had to poop. Either way, the doctor and nurses got a kick out of it. Ironically, I pooped the entire time I was pushing. How could you not poop when you are pushing so hard? I was thankful though, because I was scared of having a bowel movement after delivery.
During labor and pushing, I was twittering, I was texting, and I was making jokes about a Baby Story. I was upset the whole time that the experience was nothing like what they show on a Baby Story. While I pushed, I held my breath, hubby counted, doctor coached and I kept feeling more and more pain. I thought the epidural was suppose to make all the pain go away! I felt my leg, and I COULD ACTUALLY FEEL MY LEG. I started to panic. I was out of epidural medicine. My medicine had ran out three hours prior to pushing and we had no idea because it never beeped. They paged the Anesthesiologist who came in to give me a dose of medicine that would last for an hour. I knew I would have to get this baby out in one hour if I didn’t want to feel anything. But, just to let you know, I felt everything. I discovered that the epidural only helps with contractions and the awful back pain. It did not take the pain away in my vagina. I felt the burning, I felt the pain, and I felt Hannah come out.
Hannah had other ideas. She was stuck for a long time. The way she was positioned, her head wanted to come out seeing the world, instead of crowning like a normal baby. My doctor was wonderful, she assisted Hannah in moving her head, and even did the perineum massage with mineral oil while doing so. Each time I pushed she worked with Hannah’s little head.
After 2 1/2 hours of pushing, Hannah decided to come out. During the last 15 minutes of pushing I was given oxygen. Since I am a very panicky person and the staff knew that, they just told me that the oxygen was a routine procedure. I later discovered that her heartbeat was dropping well below 100. Thank you doctor for not telling me that. Hannah was placed on my chest and cleaned up/suctioned while my doctor worked down there. I didn’t feel the placenta delivered, it happened spontaneously, but the doctor had a problem getting my uterus to clamp. After pushing for so long, I guess my uterus was done for. Therefore, she had to push down on my belly many times to stop the bleeding. I could actually feel the blood pouring down my butt. I even heard her say a few times “we cannot get this to clamp!” And I asked “What happens if it doesn’t clamp?” I was told to pay attention to my baby and not to worry about things going on down there. The uterus was finally clamped after losing a lot of blood and my husband and I enjoyed our baby girl.
Since the doctor massaged me down there while trying to get Hannah’s head to turn, I didn’t tear. No stitches needed for me . I was more than thankful for her kindness in massaging me. Most doctors will not do this, but midwives will.
Hannah was bathed, checked, weighed, and inspected right next to me. She didn’t have to leave the room once. During our hospital stay, she was diagnosed with jaundice, sent home with a biliblanket, had trouble breastfeeding, sent home with nipple shields, passed a 2 1/2 hour car seat test, and was given the A-Ok from a pediatrician.
I have so much I want to tell you pregnant women out there, but I am going to save it for the next story, “The Aftermath!” You will definitely need to read this, especially if you want the truth.
When people ask me how long I was in labor for, I like to tell them seven weeks. Seven long, painful weeks. I was put on bed rest at 29 weeks of pregnancy due to pre-term labor. I had no idea I was in pre-term labor, I just felt back pain and crampy sensations – like a period. After spending six hours in a hospital bed with contractions two minutes apart, I was put on the strict bed rest. I was only allowed to shower, pee/poo, and eat. Try telling someone this when they have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder when it comes to having a spic and span house.
When people ask me when true labor start, I tell them around 34 weeks of pregnancy. At my 34 week exam I was 3cm 80% effaced and was told I would have my baby over the weekend. Baby never came, I was left miserable. At 35 weeks, I was told I was 3cm 90% effaced and was given a growth ultrasound because my belly wasn’t measuring right. Come to find out, our little Hannah was measuring behind and another ultrasound was scheduled to determine her growth. IUGR was being discussed, as she was measuring 33 weeks and weighing 5lbs 1oz.
We never made it to the 37 week growth ultrasound. On Sunday December 27, 2009 I was allowed off bed rest. My urge to clean took over and I was scrubbing down bathtubs, straightening up Hannah’s room, and just enjoying being off the couch. This is when my absolutely true labor started. All night I was in pain. My back ached. I never experienced the belly pain, as I had back labor. The way she was positioned took a toll on my back and tail bone. I had contractions all night long, but I was used to these contractions, I had been having them since I was 29 weeks pregnant. But, I felt different and a little “off.” So, I decided to make an appointment on Monday morning to get checked out.
Monday: December 28, 2009: I was examined by a midwife where she discovered I was now 4cm 90% effaced. I was (of course) sent home and told to drink plenty of fluids and relax. I did as I was told and still had contractions that were 10-15 minutes apart lasting 60 seconds. My husband and I decided to take a walk to see if anything would happen, although this probably wouldn’t have been advised by a doctor since I was only 36 weeks 1 day. I was left miserable, in pain, and wanting to die.
Tuesday: December 29, 2009: Decided to go to the OB again and get checked out, I was in miserable pain and wanted relief ASAP. I discovered I was 5-6cm 100% effaced and told we were having a baby TODAY. We were excited, I was trying to pull my pants up and rush out the door. I wanted to get to the hospital and have our little Hannah. I went through the same routines of undressing, putting on the ugly gown, and peeing in a cup. I was strapped up to the monitor where they couldn’t see ONE contraction. Where I was in back labor and all the pain was in my back, not one contraction would pick up on the screen, so I was told to count them/monitor them. The contractions were 10 minutes apart lasting 60 seconds still. I was told to lay there in the bed (my gosh the worst advice ever when your back is killing you) and relax. I wasn’t allowed to do anything to progress labor and neither were the doctors. GREAT! I laid there for 17 hours in pain, wouldn’t take any pain meds/sleeping pills as I didn’t want to harm my little girl. I was released at 8 a.m. on December 30, 2009 at 6cm 100% effaced. I went home, took two Tylenol PMs and slept.
Wednesday: December 30, 2009: I slept most of the day, laid on the couch, drank plenty of water. I was using a heating pad on my back because I couldn’t tolerate the pain anymore. The contractions were very inconsistent and I was just sleeping them off. My husband decided to go to the grocery store, because it was snowing and we needed food. My mom and I relaxed on the couches and watched T.V. as I tried to breathe in between contractions. I decided to go lay down at 10:00 p.m. and sleep everything off. I went to go pee and something felt weird, I felt a pop when I was peeing. I got scared and went to the bed to lay down. I got back up because I still felt like I had to pee. I was peeing and I stood up and started to get panicky. I prayed. I said, “God, I don’t know if I am in labor or not, please give me a sign Lord, for I am scared.” Boom. I started leaking water all down my legs. I started waddling through the hallway yelling at my mom. My mom is not the person you want with you when a crisis happens, she cannot handle stressful situation. But, I was proud of her and how quickly she acted. I called Labor & Delivery, she called the husband.
Hubby had to leave all the groceries at Wal-Mart, meet us on the interstate, and lead the way to the hospital. I was told once my water broke Hannah could come instantly, I was hysterical, hubby was trying to calm me down. The roads were slick and there was that stupid full moon. We missed the exit and had to turn around..
(Side note: My mom was here during all of this and she kept saying we would have Hannah during the full moon which was on the 31st. I kept saying “If I hear one more thing about that stupid full moon I am going to scream!”)
How do mom’s do it? How do they clean house, take care of children, and work? My goodness, I only take care of an infant and I don’t even have time to shower, or brush my teeth. I was wondering today, “How do mom’s even have time to blog?” I know how, they sacrifice something very important to write down a few words. This is what I’m doing right now. I’m sacrificing my sleep, my eating, and my personal hygiene to write a post. Kudos to you mom bloggers out there who have enough sanity to blog daily. I admire your work ethic, I admire your determination, most importantly I admire your skills!
I don’t even see how my husband can find me sexy anymore. My new wardrobe is nursing camis with leaky spots around the nipple area and vomit all down my back. My hair is moisturized with vomit, my pants have nice poop stains on them. And he still finds me attractive? PSHT. He is just saying that to make me feel better. I cannot even find myself attractive when I haven’t brushed my hair in days and I stink. Dude, do I seriously stink.
I am exhausted. No, I do not have a schedule, I just go with the flow. I feed on demand, change diapers on demand, and sleep on demand. I find it easier for me to do what she wants me to do, because she’s her own little person. From day one, she has made the decisions and for now that is okay with me.
Please be patient with me when it comes to my blogging. I thought I’d be able to write daily about poop, pee, and how joyful it is to sleep 14 hours straight at night with my little girl. Boy, was I ever wrong.
I received the MilkSaver in the mail, finally. I would have to say, it’s nothing like I thought it was. The MilkSaver is bulky. I knew it wouldn’t be discreet under my size B cup bra. But, I gave it the benefit of the doubt and tested it out. First off, the MilkSaver comes with a case that can be used for storage, or used as a stand for your milk once you collect it. The MilkSaver is kind of a hard plastic material, which makes it uncomfortable at times underneath your bra. I thought it was a flimsy, gel-like material. I was right, the MilkSaver is definitely not discreet under my bra. My bra doesn’t even cover it up. The MilkSaver sticks out about 2-3 inches on the top of my bra. I bought the MilkSaver to collect milk, not for “prettiness.” The MilkSaver is perfect at collecting the milk, I have been able to collect 1/2oz of milk during each feeding session. I did not have any problems with removing the MilkSaver and losing any milk, like I did with the Medela Breast Shells. Overall, I would recommend the MilkSaver only to people who are in serious need of every last drop of milk (like me!). I do not recommend the MilkSaver to anyone who has small boobs/bra sizes, because you will not be able to wear the MilkSaver in public. Worn underneath your shirt, you will look like you have a massive size D cup boob and one small A-B cup boob. Plus, it’s not that comfortable. The MilkSaver is kind of pricey at $32.90, when you can purchase the Medela Breast Shells for only $12.99 at Babies ‘R Us (and it helps with flat/inverted nipples).
I don’t know what day it is half the time. I am so exhausted. I cannot wait to go see the lactation consultant tomorrow, I hope my boobs are producing the milk she needs and I hope they will tell me that I don’t have to pump after every feeding anymore. It will make life so much easier. I love the lactation consultant here (it’s free!). They have this special scale where you weigh your baby before feeding and weigh your baby after feeding and it will let you know how much milk your baby is getting from each boob. Last time, I only got 20cc’s from the right boob and 10cc’s from the left. And with all the leaking I do while breastfeeding, I got 5ccs from a leaky boob. That still wasn’t enough for her, she needed 45cc’s each feeding because of her weight. Now, my milk is more established and I feel like she is getting way more than what she was. She is getting 6 dirty diapers a day and over 10 wetties. This is a great indicator that she is getting all the milk she needs. I am going to also talk to the lactation consultant about weaning Hannah from the nipple shield in two weeks. Breastfeeding will be so much easier without everything I am having to do right now.
Now, for the leaky boobs. No one ever told me that I would leak like a cow while breastfeeding. I was using a breast shell to gather up all the milk I was making, but with the design, I was ending up with more milk on my bra/clothes after removing it than I was in the shell. This is probably because of the shape of my nipples. I don’t want to talk about the shape of my nipples, but it has caused me to lose a lot of milk in the shell. I recently ordered the MilkSaver and waiting for it to arrive. I really hope this works because the milk I am losing is valuable milk. For the past few days, I have been just catching the milk in a nursing pad or trying to get the nipple to stop leaking. Either way, this is frustrating.
I think Hannah is going through a growth spurt. She is eating like every hour (sometimes every 45 minutes) and she isn’t sleeping too well. I think she’s using the breast for comfort, because after feedings she will still want the boob. She doesn’t actively suck, she’ll do “comfort sucking” for a few minutes. So, we have introduced the pacifier and she loves it. I hope it helps from now on. I’m exhausted from not getting any sleep during the day or the night, but I’m slowly getting used to it. She isn’t getting much sleep either, she’s only sleeping 45 minutes at a time (if that). I think it’s because she hates sleeping in the same place, which is currently the bassinet in our bedroom. We are testing different areas, like her crib, the bouncer and car seat.
We have been parents for 12 days, we are still learning. We never thought we’d be going through 20+ diapers a day. Our little girl has “wet farts” all the time where she actually has poop streaks. She does this more than five times a day, plus pooping and peeing after every feeding. It is a very expensive habit, that’s for sure.
Hannah Grace was born on December 31, 2009 at 9:40 a.m. She weighed 5lbs 1oz and was 19 inches long. She was 3 weeks 3 days early. Therefore, she is considered a late preemie. She did very well, she didn’t have to be put on oxygen, she was able to room with us, and no trips to the NICU. Me, on the other hand, was left sore and miserable for 24 hours after delivery. No one ever tells you the process of birth/delivery and the after affects. If you ever watch Baby Story on TLC, it’s NOTHING like that. We spent 48 hours in the hospital due to her being a preemie, during this time, we were trying to get her to breastfeed, but not having any success with latching, so I spent many hours pumping (and still do to this day!) Since she was born early, she didn’t have her sucking reflexes. Therefore I have to use a nipple shield during feedings, but it’s okay with me, because she is getting the best milk out there. I have to use the shield until she would’ve been 39 weeks gestation, then wean her from it. I was afraid my milk wouldn’t come in, but it did on the third day (and engorgement sucked). Since she has been home, she was on a biliblanket for 3 days, her levels finally dropped. She sleeps 2-3 hours a night, sometimes an hour and a half. I feed, then pump, so I spend approximately an hour and a half a night feeding then I get an hour and a half sleep before she wakes up. But, the funny thing is, my body handles it pretty well. It’s like women are designed to have zero sleep. Hubby has been a God send. His “maternal” instincts kicked in immediately. He was changing diapers in the hospital, taking care of me and her, and has been doing a wonderful job at home. He cooks, cleans, and does everything. Although, I am going to be sad when He has to return back to work soon. Since delivery I lost 17lbs (WAHOO), only a few more to go. My belly has gone down dramatically, thanks to breastfeeding and pumping. Sometime after I get lots of sleep and can function again, I will write up my labor story to prepare those who are currently pregnant. Yes, I will go into the juicy details, because it is something every expectant mother needs to know.
Motherhood is great, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I guess I’m a mommy blogger now
#15 Kelly said:
My baby isn’t due until Feb so I don’t have a routine yet. I have been prepping all the diapers I’ve been getting in though. So far I’ve only used All Free and Clear. I would love to try a wash made for cloth diapers!
Congrats Kelly! You have 48 hours to respond to my e-mail.
My lovely friends over at Thirsties Baby sent me some of their cloth diaper Pre-Wash and cloth diaper Super Wash to try and review. As most cloth diapering mamas (and papas) out there know, washing the diapers is simple but the actual detergent you choose to use can either make or break your cloth diapering experience!
When it comes to using detergent you need to use a good, solid formula that is 100% non-toxic, biodegradable and contains no perfumes or dyes. If you use the wrong kind of detergent, you will end up with residue on your diapers which will result in leaks. Finding a formula that meets all the requirements of a good cloth diapering detergent yet will also CLEAN your diapers, is hard to come by these days and that is exactly where Thirsties comes into the picture.
Pre-Wash: The active antimicrobial ingredients in the pre-wash will wash away bacteria on your soiled diapers and help losen the waste so that it can easily rinse away, which also help remove and prevent stains. You only have to use 1/2 oz in your initial cold wash/rinse and the dispenser makes it SUPER easy to measure the correct amount and pour it into your washing machine!
Super Wash: Well, I can’t really say it any better than the Thirsties website does… The amazing probiotic component of Thirsties® Super Wash actually introduces constructive bacteria to your wash which reduces odors and diaper rash. It really is amazing stuff. Again, you only have to use 1/2 oz in your hot wash (and add an extra rinse for good measure) and the dispenser makes it SUPER easy to measure the correct amount and pour it into your washing machine.
My Opinion: GREAT stuff!! This stuff has been added to my “Top 2″ list of cloth diaper detergents and I will be using this on all of my diaper laundry for now on. I’ve even started using it on my daughter’s clothing! My diapers are smelling fresh and clean these days.. My diapers haven’t been THIS clean since I started cloth diapering and my microfiber inserts that were repelling are absorbent again. $19 for the Pre-Wash, $20 for the Super Wash or $32 for both and each bottle does 64 (SIXTY FOUR!) loads of laundry. That means that if you wash your diapers every other day, these bottles will last you about 3 MONTHS! Maybe even longer!
My Advice: If you have leaky diapers and are looking for a good diaper detergent to use, try this stuff out! It really is amazing. Also, I soaked all of my inserts in hot water in my washing machine with 1 oz of the pre-wash and then did another soak in 1oz of the super wash in hot water as well. I did this two times due to the amount of build up and residue on my diapers and they are FANTASTICLY brand-new again! They are clean, smell great and are whiter than ever before.
The wonderful crew at Thirsties are giving away a Pre-Wash/Super Wash set to one lucky viewer!
Just leave a comment on this entry telling me what your CURRENT diaper wash routine is (what kind of detergent, how often you wash, how you wash, etc.). This entry will end December 30th at 9:00 AM CST! Good luck!
I LOVE to smell good almost every day. The only problem I sometimes run into is that many of the popular scents have the same undertones and ingredients. I enjoy trying new scents and venturing out from my usual signature sweet scents. I also hate the perfumes that smell beautiful, but the smell fades within ten minutes. After much searching I stumbled across Wiggle Perfume. First it was the name that caught my eye since it’s quite cute and catchy, but then I looked a little deeper into her shop. The shop contains perfume oils, which are more concentrated than the watery overpriced perfumes we buy in stores, and they last a whole lot longer. She has dozens of scents, none of which mimic each other, and there is bound to be a signature scent in her shop for anyone.
I was fortunate enough to have a whiff of a few of the perfume oils from Wiggle Perfume. My fave one of them all was Maggie. It’s kind of like a grown-up lemon cookie sexy scent layered with cinnamon and Egyptian musk. And another good thing, they last ALL day. No joke. I will put the scent on in the morning and come back in the late afternoon/evening and still smell like Maggie. It’s awesome! Another scent I like a lot is 27. It smells clean and fresh and, even though it’s technically a men’s fragrance, I still walk around wearing it. It’s a scent that contains sweetgrass, hemp, tomato leaf, pine, and woodsmoke. And odd combination it sounds like, but it smells absolutely fabulous. I also love the fact that many different areas of the United States are used to name and describe her scents, including one of my favorite spots (Little 5 Points) in my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. As for my sweet tooth, there was a Pumpkin Amber scent that was so sweet and reminded me of Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. There were many more scents that I liked, but I’ll only name a few. No matter what your perfume style is, Wiggle Perfume is bound to have one scent you’ll love. Find your signature scent today!
What’s even better than vegan and natural body products? Vegan and natural body products that smell like chocolate! Yes, everything somehow reverts back to chocolate in my life. From eating it to smelling like it, it’s great in any state. One thing I’ve never tried was solid perfume, because I never really got the point. I always thought, what’s the difference between using that and putting on scented lotion? After trying milk chocolate solid perfume from The Dirty Housewife, my opinion of that was changed. It comes in a little tin, sort of like lip balm, and the scent lasts for quite a while. And, since it contains beeswax, shea butter, and olive oil, it softens your skin as the scents are released. Placing it on your pulse points helps release the scent, and it’s great during meditation as well. It smells like milk chocolate, but nothing like the cheap chocolate scent you get from other chocolate products. It smells like deep, sweet, creamy chocolate, which is a definite change from many of the other commercial chocolate products that we smell.
The Dirty Housewife’s most impressive creations have to be the handcrafted soaps. Each bar of soap is a piece of art! Some of them contain silver leaf, mica dust, and one type of bar even contains a small pewter heart as a keepsake! They look AND smell wonderful. I got to sample the Blush soap, which is The Dirty Housewife’s signature scent. It smells of roses, permisson, coconut milk, and deep wood, and makes you smell all flirty and pretty! I liked it a lot. However if you want to smell like dessert, there is a section of her shop dedicated to dessert soaps! Apple pie, milk chocolate, and lemon poppyseed muffin are just a few of the dessert soaps, and there are many more that are beautifully crafted and smell absolutely AMAZING. Also in the shop there are candles, anti-aging products, and body polishes. If you want some great soap or something to have you feeling and smelling good, The Dirty Housewife will clean you up and have you feeling awesome!
Pregnancy is so much fun. I have enjoyed every moment of my pregnancy, even being on bed rest. Yes, I do get sick of lying around, not being able to clean, or even bathe some days. But, I absolutely enjoy my growing belly, feeling Hannah move, and just being pregnant. As most of you know, we tried for years to get pregnant with failed IUI’s and fertility medications. We got pregnant on our own through the grace of God. We wanted to capture every moment of the pregnancy, because it is more than pregnancy to us, it is a blessing. My husband takes weekly pictures of my growing belly, we write in journals, and read to our daughter at night. My belly is constantly growing, I remember when I first got my baby bump, I remember watching the stretch marks appear, and even witnessing my belly button pop. I want to share my growing experience with our daughter. I want her to see what she looked like inside of mommy’s belly. Therefore, I turned to Tummy Tickles and The Tummy Cast.
The Tummy Cast is perfect for capturing your growing belly. Since I was put on bed rest at 29 weeks, I didn’t know how long she would stay in there. I wanted to wait until my belly was big and the Tummy Cast would look perfect. Therefore, last night at 33.2 weeks of pregnancy, my husband and I accomplished the Tummy Cast. I didn’t want to wait too long and not be able to do it and I didn’t want to be so huge that I was uncomfortable. Not only was the Tummy Cast a wonderful experience, it was also a little romantic. The prep time was the easiest, the actual procedure was the best part, and pulling it off was probably the worst.
The Tummy Cast comes with everything you will need to create the perfect casting of your belly. The process is extremely messy, so use the drape provided. My husband prepped the casting, which required cutting strips, getting the water, and setting up the “scene.” Vaseline is included in the kit, USE ALL OF IT! This is probably one of the most valuable pieces of information you will ever receive. We used all of it, but we decided to add some strips near my back and decided not to put Vaseline there. Lets just say I was almost in tears and in pain when pulling the plaster off. But, in place where we applied the Vaseline, the plaster came off smoothly. Another piece of advice, my husband hated using the gloves. He said he couldn’t feel the strips of paper and the paper would crinkle and twist when he used the gloves. Therefore, he did put everything on with bare hands.
The overall experience was very rewarding. The casting takes approximately 20 minutes and you need to wait an additional 10 minutes after placing the last strip before removing the cast. Remove it slowly and wiggle a bit, this helps release it from your skin. I was actually too worried to go down too far with the casting because of hair reasons, so ours didn’t make a full belly shape. But, we kept enough strips to form the cast once it dries. Drying time takes 48 hours and once you fix the cast how you like by sanding, cutting, and adding additional strips, you can decorate. We are going to wait until Hannah is born and put her feet and hand prints on the casting.
Tummy Tickles understands the expectant mother’s desire to capture every moment possible during pregnancy. Therefore, Tummy Tickles is giving away a Tummy Cast Kit to one lucky reader of The Army Wife.
You must visit Tummy Tickles and choose another product you would like to have. Or, you can leave a comment letting me know how you would decorate your tummy cast.
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CONTEST END: December 31, 2009
I absolutely HATE shaving. It’s one of the most tedious, boring, tiring things I have to do in my life and it never seems to get better, especially since I already grow a lot of hair and fast. I tried Nair and Veet and such, which are supposed to stall hair growth for a few days… and that has not been the case. Quite frustrating. Hair removal wax seemed like a decent idea, but I was sort of skeptical about the ingredients in many of them. I finally found a NATURAL way to get rid of unwanted hair – sugar wax. I have never heard of it before! There are absolutely no chemicals in it, just honey, sugar, and lemon juice. Country Heart Gifts was the first shop I found that had this wax and all sorts of other goodies. There is a huge selection of soaps including lemon frosting, monkey fart (haha!), and cherry almond, and many of them are vegan friendly and contain essential and skin-softening oils. Country Heart Gifts also offers tarts, which are wickless candles that you place in a tart burner/melter and place a tealight under them, and they give off their scent as they melt. Pretty cool! They are very aromatic and come in a wide variety of scents.
Using the sugar wax was a very interesting experience, but I can’t say that I was disappointed! I had tried a little wax before, but didn’t ever go through with it. To use, I had the wax, a wooden applicator stick, and a piece of cloth. You’re supposed to apply a layer of wax to the hair, smooth the cloth onto the top of the wax and, when you’re ready, yank it off to remove the hair. This could be done with hot or cold wax… I chose the cold route because I didn’t want to burn myself AND rip my hair out. So, the first round took a while because I had to mentally prepare myself for this ordeal. It took out a good bit of hair, which surprised me! After doing a few more sections more and more hair came out, and even though there were a few strays, those could easily be tweezed or removed with a quick run-through with the razor. The only thing I did not like was the fact that I had to keep washing off the wax and hair from the cloth before I used it again, but it’s environmentally friendly because you’re not using a bunch of disposable strips, so I can’t really complain. Overall it was a great outcome, and anyone having trouble with hair removal techniques and enjoys using natural products in every aspect of their life whether it’s soap, wax, or candles, Country Heart Gifts is your place to shop!
I am already an overprotective mother and our child is still in the womb. I have purchased products that decrease the risk of SIDS, I have purchased products that will prevent falls or broken body parts, and I have even purchased products that are considered top quality for preemies (just in case our little one decides to come too early). In my product buying spree, I was looking for a product that would be safe to use in the bed with us, just in case our little one absolutely hates her crib and the pack and play. I didn’t want to expose her to heavy comforters, pillows, and a tossing/turning husband. I wanted something that was hers, like her own personal tiny bed in our bed. I came across the Supreme Snuggle Nest. I am currently 34 weeks pregnant and went into pre-term labor at 29 weeks. We have been told that we will more than likely have her before 36 weeks of gestation. Of course, we are terrified of having a preemie in our home, this is our first child, we don’t even know how to take care of a full term baby. I became interested in the Snuggle Nest, because of the incline. The incline wedge that comes with the Supreme Snuggle Nest is designed to help baby breathe easier when congested and helps relieve discomfort from indigestion and reflux. Most preemies suffer from reflux and indigestion programs, so I wanted to be fully prepared.
The Supreme Snuggle Nest is going to be very beneficial in our household, even if we don’t have a preemie. Not only does it make co-bedding easier and safer, but it is equipped with many functions to make bed time easier for baby (and parents!). The features include:
*Slide-in light with soothing womb sounds by Pediasleep.com, gentle music, and soft light for calming and checking baby.
*Open-weave mesh fabric inside and out for improved air flow around baby.
*Waterproof mattress with removable, machine washable sheet.
*Mesh-covered positioners help baby stay in proper sleeping position.
*Gives parents easy access for soothing baby, while accommodating baby’s growth.
*Easy-fold Design
There are three different patterns with the Supreme Snuggle Nest, pink, green and neutral. We wanted something neutral, just in case we decide to have another little one after our little girl. The Supreme Snuggle Nest is sold in stores and online with a retail value of $60.00. The Supreme Snuggle Nest would be the perfect baby shower gift and will ease parents concerns during bed time.
It’s hard sometimes to find silver, pearl, and beaded jewelry that’s beautiful without it looking cheap. A lot of the styles often mimic each other too, making it annoying and even frustrating shopping for pretty beaded jewelry. Well, after finding JOS Originals, that disappointment was out the window! She makes gorgeous jewelry from sterling silver and glass beads, and they are all one-of-a-kind creations. She also has the most beautiful pearl bracelets I’ve ever seen. So much for finding something that’s redundant or that someone else has! The jewelry is also priced accordingly because of the precious jewels and stones she uses, and what you get is definitely worth the money you spend on it. You’re bound to get amazing handmade jewelry that you won’t see another person walking around with.
Reviewing JOS Originals jewelry was surely a treat. Jane, the awesome craftswoman, sent a pair of sterling silver earrings with ocean blue beads. The pictures on her site do not do her jewelry justice; the jewelry pieces are so much more beautiful in person. The color is the most astounding blue, and the style features an oval with two blue and two silver beads hanging from the bottom of it. They are very light and can even be worn by people who can usually never wear silver jewelry. This shows that her products are of high value and impeccable quality!
JOS Originals is generously giving away a pair of earrings to one lucky reader of The Army Wife.
You must visit JOS Originals and browse through the lovely jewelry. Come back here to The Army Wife and leave a comment letting me know which piece of jewelry you would like to have.
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CONTEST ENDS: DECEMBER 29, 2009
When you are a mom toting around a car seat, you want your baby to be safe and comfortable. Most car seats come with a canopy to block out the rain, sunshine, wind, and cold weather. But, when we purchased our car seat, I noticed the canopy only covers the baby’s face, not her entire body. There are ways you can be frugal and protect your baby’s entire body, by using a blanket, or a coat. But, blankets and coats tend to fall off very easily, especially in windy weather. I needed something that was easy to use, will cover our little girl, and would not be a hassle for me or baby. This is when I discovered car seat covers and turned to Dittany Baby for the most stylish and versatile covers for your carrier. The Baby Lua is designed to block out the sun, rain, wind, cold weather, and block unwanted viewers from staring at your little one.
I have two favorite features with the Baby Lua. First off, you don’t have to worry about velcro or strapping the Baby Lua onto the carrier. It slides on easily and you can carry your baby around without worrying about the cover falling off. Secondly, I am obsessed with the multi-purpose use of the Baby Lua. Not only can it be used as a carrier cover, but it is perfect as a blanket and a nursing cover, also. The Baby Lua is great for use in the car as an extra blanket, it’s not too thick for baby, and the material is perfect enough for comfortability and keeping your little one warm. Also, if you are a breast feeding mom, you can just take the cover off the carrier and put it around you and your baby while feeding. There is no need to pack around an extra cover for privacy when you have one on your carrier.
I chose the Perfectly Paisley Baby Lua, because I didn’t want my husband to have to tote around bright pink everywhere he went. The Perfectly Paisley Baby Lua retails for only $35.00 and was originally $58.00. Actually, right now, Dittany Baby has all of their Baby Luas on sale for $35.00, with one originally priced at $72.00. This is a wonderful deal, as you get a carrier cover, blanket, and nursing cover all in one. Plus, shipping is only $3.95 every day!
Dittany Baby is generously giving away a Baby Lua of choice to one lucky reader of The Army Wife.
You must visit Dittany Baby and choose another product you would like to have. Come back here to The Army Wife and leave a comment letting me know.
Additional Entries:
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CONTEST ENDS: DECEMBER 30, 2009
