There are a ton of common questions people get once they get to certain ages, and they are mostly super annoying after a while. There's the "when are you guys going to get married?", then once that happens, it becomes, "so... when are you having kids?" And now I'm finding out that once your baby turns one, I'm fully expected to pop another baby out.
DH and I went to his former place of employment last week, and pretty much everyone asked this question. Okay, yes, I'll let you, a virtual stranger to me, know that DH & I are planning on having sex... lots and lots of sex. Because you know, you have to have sex to make a baby, and since we're working with PCOS here, it pretty much means that it'll take a while again. I realize that when people ask this question, they're not really thinking about the sex part. But it feels like everyone is nosy about our sex life... from my perspective anyway. And yes, I realize the irony from complaining about this nosiness and then writing about it for all to see. But we're all friends here, right? Right.
Anyway, the whole point of this post is just to get it out there, officially.
No, we are not "trying" for another baby yet. Maybe some time soon-ish, but at this point, I'm not so eager for another c-section so soon after the first one. It sucked, yo. I wouldn't classify it as a traumatic experience, but until I want another baby super badly, which I don't yet, then it can wait. That, and I am really enjoying my solo time with Matthew. Yes, I'm sure he'd love a sibling to pick on.... I mean, play with. He'll probably get one. Just not right now, and that is okay.
August 31, 2013
August 17, 2013
Cloth diaper total costs after 1 year
When I was first researching the best brands to get, I'd heard the brand "Alva" mentioned quite a bit. Alva is a diaper made in China, and sold ultra cheap... about $5 a diaper, which is amazing. But I assumed the quality was lower and didn't want the hassle of cheap diapers. However, we were gifted an Alva, and once it started fitting Matthew, it quickly became one of my favorites. Don't get me wrong, it is a lower quality diaper when compared to one that was made in the US, but it works and has held up great so far. So I started looking in to buying more of them, and came across a co-op group on Facebook. The hosts regularly hold a buy where the members can order diapers/inserts/wetbags, and the more items purchased, the prices drop. On some of the bigger buys, the diapers get as cheap as $2.50! Insane!
And how it works, is once the buy is closed, every person who ordered sends money through Paypal to the host, and then the host orders everything. The diaper company then sends all the packages (usually about a dozen big packages) to the host, where then they sort, package, invoice for shipping, and then ship all the individual orders. The whole process takes a month or two, so you can't go in with an immediate need and expect it on your door in 3 days. I haven't bought any Alvas yet, but I have bought 2 other kinds of cheap Chinese diapers... JC Trade (aka Cartoons) and Happy Flute. The Cartoons have mostly been a flop, as they leak through the rise snaps, which should NOT happen. The Happy Flutes are awesome though, so I might look into buying more at some point. But next up on my list are the Alvas. There will be a buy coming up in the next few weeks, so I'm making my list!
Anyway... I've been lax in keeping up with my total cost list, but I've finally finished my inventory sheet and came up with how much I've spent so far. The number is about where I expected it to be, and while cd'ing could have been cheaper had I done things a bit differently, I'm fairly happy with my stash.
The total was $781.66. But I'm at the point now where I'm starting to sell off the ones I don't like enough to use constantly, so within the past week or two, I've gotten back about $80 of that. So the total is right around $700 now. I'm pleased with the rate of return on the diapers... averaging about 80% return, which is pretty good for used diapers. I have more waiting to be listed, too, so that total number should drop even more, although when I buy the Alvas, what I make back might be mostly negated. We'll see.
August 7, 2013
I'm here
So in true Jaime fashion, I've fallen off the blogging bandwagon again. A lot of stuff has been going on, but that's life, right? And then, every once in a while, I'll think of something fun to write about, but when I get the time to sit down and write it all out.... poof!... there goes my motivation.
I can't guarantee a timeline of my return, but I do promise to try to write when I have things to say. :)
I can't guarantee a timeline of my return, but I do promise to try to write when I have things to say. :)
June 17, 2013
Groceries, week 4
So, after not posting the last 2 weeks, I'm back with how I'm doing in trying to save money while grocery shopping. I'm realizing that using coupons to achieve this isn't going to be as easy as I thought. Coupons don't roll over all that often, and the ones that do come out, we don't use the product being promoted. I realize that it would be a good way to try new things out, but I'm really not that adventurous in meal making. Sometimes I'll try out something new, but on the whole, I know what I like and I like knowing how to make it.
Anyway, my week 4 experience is also a little out of the ordinary, as we're going to be shopping around what we get as part of our share from the CSA we signed up for this summer. So the whole summer's shopping trips will be a little out of the ordinary. But we'll be eating out of the freezer this week, so there is no meat bought this week. Also, DH has decided he didn't want sandwiches.
The total for this week's trip was $54.85. It could have been significantly less had I not had the craving for puppy chow as I was making the shopping list. Or not bought detergent. Or the Powerades. But my justifications are good. One, I need my chocolate, so I was going to buy it in one form or another. The total for all the ingredients are kind of pricey, but this will make a ton of puppy chow. Two, the detergent was buy one, get one free, and we use that brand. Three, with DH being outside a ton in the summer, he'll go through Powerades quickly. And the sale was buy 15 for $10. So it was a great deal. Oh, and the box of pancake mix was free with the purchase of the syrup. I was going to buy syrup anyway, so I figured why not?
On the bottom of the receipt, it says I saved $14.28, so I consider this week a win, even if I didn't go into the store with any coupons.
Anyway, my week 4 experience is also a little out of the ordinary, as we're going to be shopping around what we get as part of our share from the CSA we signed up for this summer. So the whole summer's shopping trips will be a little out of the ordinary. But we'll be eating out of the freezer this week, so there is no meat bought this week. Also, DH has decided he didn't want sandwiches.
The total for this week's trip was $54.85. It could have been significantly less had I not had the craving for puppy chow as I was making the shopping list. Or not bought detergent. Or the Powerades. But my justifications are good. One, I need my chocolate, so I was going to buy it in one form or another. The total for all the ingredients are kind of pricey, but this will make a ton of puppy chow. Two, the detergent was buy one, get one free, and we use that brand. Three, with DH being outside a ton in the summer, he'll go through Powerades quickly. And the sale was buy 15 for $10. So it was a great deal. Oh, and the box of pancake mix was free with the purchase of the syrup. I was going to buy syrup anyway, so I figured why not?
On the bottom of the receipt, it says I saved $14.28, so I consider this week a win, even if I didn't go into the store with any coupons.
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| Non-produce purchases: 15 bottles of Powerade, 2 laundry detergent jugs, 1 jug of maple syrup, 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, 1 jar of peanut butter, 1 package of pancake mix, 1 frozen pizza, 1 bag of chocolate chips, 1 box of cereal, 1 quart of milk. |
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| Produce purchases: 1 container of strawberries, 1 container of raspberries, 3 spaghetti squash, 6 bananas, 1 red pepper, 1 head of cauliflower, 1 mango, and 4 ears of corn. |
May 26, 2013
Challenge accepted!
Something needs to be done. Seriously. It shouldn't cause me this much stress, but it does. And I have to subject myself to this 4-5 times a month, every month, forever and ever. What is it? Grocery shopping.
Funny thing is, I used to L.O.V.E. grocery shopping. I used to go multiple times a week. But that was back when I worked, and for the most part, DH & I each got our own groceries with our own money, and made our own meals. Once we started living off of only one income, we consolidated our lists and money into one, and I began shopping once a week, and cooking most meals. And then once we started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, the whole ballgame changed. I now H.A.T.E. grocery shopping. It stresses me the F out.
Our budget for groceries is a strict $400 a month, which seems quite high for only 2 people. In our defense though, we eat very little packaged, processed food, which is usually pretty cheap. Most meals are made by scratch, and we spend a little more to get better cuts/quality items. So that accounts for most of our $400 a month. The thing is, some months, that $400 is gone super fast. I try to keep each week's groceries to $100 or less, but sometimes I fail to realize that there are occasionally five Sundays in a month instead of four (I shop on Sundays), or special events take place which requires me to spend a little more in a trip. Groceries are also getting more and more expensive. So by the time the last Sunday of the month rolls around and I look in the grocery envelope, I often find only $50 or so. DH's sandwich stuff alone takes up about $25. Like I said, it stresses me the F out.
So one day a few weeks ago, I watched an episode of TLC's Extreme Couponing on Netflix, and it got me thinking that perhaps I should start couponing a little more to help even out my weekly stress levels. I have to point out, that at this time in my life, I don't have the time to dedicate to full-on couponing like you see in those episodes. But I do have time to look through circulars and clip the coupons I want, and I also have time to look at online coupon offerings. I wouldn't get huge stockpiles, just one or two of an item, and since no store in my town doubles coupons, the chances of me getting anything for free is slim to none. Perhaps later on down the line, it'll be worth the trip to Fargo every 2 weeks so I can shop in a store that does double. But for now, I'll stay in town. Anyway, I just want to cut $10 off my weekly trip. More would be nice obviously, but let's start small, shall we?
To keep track, I'll post weekly shopping updates. This week's trip is a little different, in that DH is going to try a mostly fruits and veggie diet. So the produce is about double of what I normally get, and there are no sandwich ingredients. And I didn't go full-on couponing. I did get a few things though. I spent $93.18, and I saved 4.30 through coupons. A nice trial run.
Funny thing is, I used to L.O.V.E. grocery shopping. I used to go multiple times a week. But that was back when I worked, and for the most part, DH & I each got our own groceries with our own money, and made our own meals. Once we started living off of only one income, we consolidated our lists and money into one, and I began shopping once a week, and cooking most meals. And then once we started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University, the whole ballgame changed. I now H.A.T.E. grocery shopping. It stresses me the F out.
Our budget for groceries is a strict $400 a month, which seems quite high for only 2 people. In our defense though, we eat very little packaged, processed food, which is usually pretty cheap. Most meals are made by scratch, and we spend a little more to get better cuts/quality items. So that accounts for most of our $400 a month. The thing is, some months, that $400 is gone super fast. I try to keep each week's groceries to $100 or less, but sometimes I fail to realize that there are occasionally five Sundays in a month instead of four (I shop on Sundays), or special events take place which requires me to spend a little more in a trip. Groceries are also getting more and more expensive. So by the time the last Sunday of the month rolls around and I look in the grocery envelope, I often find only $50 or so. DH's sandwich stuff alone takes up about $25. Like I said, it stresses me the F out.
So one day a few weeks ago, I watched an episode of TLC's Extreme Couponing on Netflix, and it got me thinking that perhaps I should start couponing a little more to help even out my weekly stress levels. I have to point out, that at this time in my life, I don't have the time to dedicate to full-on couponing like you see in those episodes. But I do have time to look through circulars and clip the coupons I want, and I also have time to look at online coupon offerings. I wouldn't get huge stockpiles, just one or two of an item, and since no store in my town doubles coupons, the chances of me getting anything for free is slim to none. Perhaps later on down the line, it'll be worth the trip to Fargo every 2 weeks so I can shop in a store that does double. But for now, I'll stay in town. Anyway, I just want to cut $10 off my weekly trip. More would be nice obviously, but let's start small, shall we?
To keep track, I'll post weekly shopping updates. This week's trip is a little different, in that DH is going to try a mostly fruits and veggie diet. So the produce is about double of what I normally get, and there are no sandwich ingredients. And I didn't go full-on couponing. I did get a few things though. I spent $93.18, and I saved 4.30 through coupons. A nice trial run.
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| Non-produce purchases: Gummy cola bottles, 2 pounds of extra lean ground beef, 2 packages of shredded cheddar, a bottle of Italian soda, a gallon of orange juice, a half gallon of milk, 4 things of baby food, 3 cans of peaches, a bottle of hot sauce, a package of fish sticks, a bag of rice, a container of puppy chow, a microwave meal, and a Sunday paper (I want to see if it'd be worth buying every Sunday just for the circulars). |
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| Produce purchases: a cantaloupe, a container of strawberries, a zucchini, a cucumber, an avocado, 2 bunches of celery, a bag of spinach, a bag of sugar snap peas, 2 pounds of carrots, 5 pounds of potatoes, 2 green peppers, a spaghetti squash, a head of green leaf lettuce, 6 ears of corn, a bag of organic lemons, a head of cauliflower, 3 roma tomatoes, 7 bananas, 3 oranges, 8 gala apples, and 8 kiwi. |
May 2, 2013
Woulda coulda shoulda
Every once in a while, I get brief flashbacks of random things that have happened in my life. I think this happens for everyone to some extent. Anyway, I had one of those occasions tonight while washing dishes. I was thinking of one of my high school friends who is about to report to Army boot camp at the age of 31, and it got me thinking of all the times I was thisclose to joining one branch of the armed forces or another. And college. And both. So this post will be about both.
As the final quarter of my public school education was starting, I had the sudden jolt of panic when I realized that I'd been completely ignoring the fact that colleges have application deadlines, and depending on which college, essays to write. I still had a little time, so I wasn't screwed, but I think that it made me narrow my focus to colleges that had easier application processes. So I poured over the multitudes of college brochures that'd been showing up in my mailbox, and I was so excited. I was most excited by George Washington University in St. Louis, but the price tag per year was (and most likely still is) appalling. At the time, I believe it was somewhere around the $50,000 mark. Per year. Um. No. If I were going to spend that much, I would go to Notre Dame (my absolute dream school at that point). Then I came across University of Central Florida. But while I wanted to leave Montana, I wasn't quite ready to go all the way down to Florida, even if the school sounded amazing.
Being more realistic, I only looked at colleges that were in Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. So application #1 went to Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, application #2 went to University of Montana, and application #3 went to Jamestown College in Jamestown, ND. I was accepted to all three, mostly because I'm awesome. Unfortunately, I had to turn down Concordia because I'd missed the scholarship application deadlines, and it's quite pricey per year. U of M and JC were comparable in price, and while I loved visiting U of M, JC was offering a lot more in terms of scholarships and there was a great chance that I'd graduate in 4 years, as where if I went to U of M, the average was 5 years, so I ultimately chose JC.
But throwing a monkey wrench into my plans was my interest in becoming a Marine. There is just something about serving in the military that draws me in. I don't want to romanticize it, because I know it's a buttload of work, peril and the life isn't for everyone. But something deep inside has always told me that I would be good at it and that I would love it. However, I was never man enough to take that leap. It's one of my regrets/non-regrets in life. What I mean by that is that I regret that I never took that chance, but at the same time, I can't really regret the choices I did make, because then I wouldn't be where I am now. And I kinda like where I am now. Does this make sense?
And why the Marines? I don't remember exactly why. It could have been that I had a friend who was one, or that they have the best bands (would have been my MOS), or maybe that I liked their uniforms better. It's all pretty hazy now. Anyway.....a friend of mine, who had graduated 2 years ahead of me, was a Marine, and she was stationed in Billings as a recruiter. She knew of my interest, and really worked at me to get me to enlist, but even though she assured me it (BTW, if I'd had easy access to the internet back then, I'm pretty sure I would have worked out my fears of boot camp and enlisted. So I'm not sure whether to thank my parents for not having internet, or curse them :/ )
wasn't all that horrible, the mere thought of boot camp scared the crap out of me. So I turned her down and packed my bags for North Dakota.
As my freshman year was drawing to a close, I was seriously unhappy at JC. I yearned for a larger school/community setting, so on the encouragement of an internet friend, I applied to Montana State University in Bozeman. Of course I was accepted. And while I was figuring out what to do once there, I was playing with the idea of joining the Air Force ROTC they have on campus. But the whole MSU thing fizzled pretty quickly... maybe because I am an optimist and thought "just give JC one more semester". I don't know. All I do know is that if hadn't gone back to JC the next semester, I wouldn't have became friends with the guy I would later marry, and is the father of my adorable baby.
And finally, my last brush with the military came after I graduated from college. I was struggling to find a decent job, and by some chance, I saw a brochure for becoming an officer in the Army... which being a college graduate is one of the very few ways one can be commissioned. And this was the one time in which I was probably the most serious about joining the military... because with the Army, I could have joined the National Guard and stayed here. There would be no moving around, and I could have a regular civilian life, too. It was all doable, and going though boot camp no longer scared the crap outta me, thanks to tons of research and message boards.
But throwing the monkey wrench this time was my BF... now DH. He'd grown up an Army brat, and knew what it would all entail... and he wanted no part of it. He didn't tell me I couldn't join, but that if I did, there was no way he could support me, which in my mind meant that we would have to break up. Because there's no way I could NOT have his support in something I did, and be at peace about it. So I chose him over the military. I don' regret it one bit. Yeah, every once in a while, I'll think, "what if?", and dream up some scenario. But I'm happy with how things turned out, so these are always short-lived.
And why the Marines? I don't remember exactly why. It could have been that I had a friend who was one, or that they have the best bands (would have been my MOS), or maybe that I liked their uniforms better. It's all pretty hazy now. Anyway.....a friend of mine, who had graduated 2 years ahead of me, was a Marine, and she was stationed in Billings as a recruiter. She knew of my interest, and really worked at me to get me to enlist, but even though she assured me it (BTW, if I'd had easy access to the internet back then, I'm pretty sure I would have worked out my fears of boot camp and enlisted. So I'm not sure whether to thank my parents for not having internet, or curse them :/ )
wasn't all that horrible, the mere thought of boot camp scared the crap out of me. So I turned her down and packed my bags for North Dakota.
As my freshman year was drawing to a close, I was seriously unhappy at JC. I yearned for a larger school/community setting, so on the encouragement of an internet friend, I applied to Montana State University in Bozeman. Of course I was accepted. And while I was figuring out what to do once there, I was playing with the idea of joining the Air Force ROTC they have on campus. But the whole MSU thing fizzled pretty quickly... maybe because I am an optimist and thought "just give JC one more semester". I don't know. All I do know is that if hadn't gone back to JC the next semester, I wouldn't have became friends with the guy I would later marry, and is the father of my adorable baby.
And finally, my last brush with the military came after I graduated from college. I was struggling to find a decent job, and by some chance, I saw a brochure for becoming an officer in the Army... which being a college graduate is one of the very few ways one can be commissioned. And this was the one time in which I was probably the most serious about joining the military... because with the Army, I could have joined the National Guard and stayed here. There would be no moving around, and I could have a regular civilian life, too. It was all doable, and going though boot camp no longer scared the crap outta me, thanks to tons of research and message boards.
But throwing the monkey wrench this time was my BF... now DH. He'd grown up an Army brat, and knew what it would all entail... and he wanted no part of it. He didn't tell me I couldn't join, but that if I did, there was no way he could support me, which in my mind meant that we would have to break up. Because there's no way I could NOT have his support in something I did, and be at peace about it. So I chose him over the military. I don' regret it one bit. Yeah, every once in a while, I'll think, "what if?", and dream up some scenario. But I'm happy with how things turned out, so these are always short-lived.
April 25, 2013
First destashing
So after much thought, I've decided to unload the diapers I don't like or work well on Bubba. Kinda exciting, but kinda not. I mean, what if no one wants them? I know I'm not going to make my money back on any of them, but what if I get hosed? I guess I can control that one, but still...
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting some money back so I can buy more of what I do like, and try out some cheaper Cartoon diapers (which I've totally bought already. But hey, they were like, $3 per diaper through a co-op).
Here's the cut list:
Swaddlebees Simplex OS
BumGenius 4.0's
Kissaluvs Marvels OS fitted
GroVia NB AIO
And I've already sold my GroVias! I got pretty close to what I paid for them, and if it weren't due to shipping costs, I would have made everything back. So I'll take making 95% of my money back!
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting some money back so I can buy more of what I do like, and try out some cheaper Cartoon diapers (which I've totally bought already. But hey, they were like, $3 per diaper through a co-op).
Here's the cut list:
Swaddlebees Simplex OS
BumGenius 4.0's
Kissaluvs Marvels OS fitted
GroVia NB AIO
And I've already sold my GroVias! I got pretty close to what I paid for them, and if it weren't due to shipping costs, I would have made everything back. So I'll take making 95% of my money back!
April 20, 2013
First days at home
As Bubba hits 9 months old, I'm all of a sudden remembering the first few days out of the hospital. It seems so long ago, but really, it wasn't. I mean, it was less than a year ago. But when your baby comes out a tiny little peanut and 9 months later is over 20lbs, it just seems like time has flown. Anyway, 2 of my sisters-in-law are pregnant, and are both due in August, so that also adds to my nostalgia.
I remember the day we brought him home. It was blazing hot out, as it typically is in July. It just seemed hotter because they keep the hospital just a touch above Arctic temperatures. So we walk out, and WHOOSH... a blast of humid heat. It was so surreal to me (aka I was drugged up pretty good). Then as soon as we started to drive away, Bubba started screaming and didn't stop almost until we got home, by then he'd fallen asleep. DH brings the carseat inside as I settle on the couch. He looks at me and asks, "now what?". Exactly. It's funny because you think you're ready for a baby, but when it's time to leave the hospital with one, you're struck with this overwhelming fear because you really have no idea what to do now. It's like, "Crap. They let me leave with a baby!" But as I'm writing this 9 months later, I can assure you we figured it out that day. Just let the baby sleep in the car seat. When he wakes up, take him out. Change his diaper. When he cries, pop a boob in his face. Stuff like that.
It really helped that prior to having Bubba, my mother-in-law gave us a DVD called "Dunstan Baby Language". DH & I watched it a few times, and again brought it to the hospital for a refresher. Those first few weeks, we had this crying thing down. Oh, he's hungry. Fixed. Oh, he needs a new diaper. Fixed. And all the while on my mommy due date group, the new moms were constantly in a flurry of panic because they didn't know what their babies wanted. So I felt ahead of the game. Sucky thing though, is that their cries change after about 3 months. THEN we had to re-learn, and I was in a flurry of panic. Humble pie was eaten.
Okay, I've gotten a little off track. Where was I?
Oh, first days at home. Right. So, it pretty much sucked for me. Having a c-section is no joke. I can't understand why someone would elect to have one unless they have to (I will have to in the future unless I want to risk it and go for a VBAC in Fargo). It sucks, and isn't worth the "convenience" of having a baby on a certain day, or choosing to have one just to avoid labor. My opinion of course.
Anyway, I couldn't freely move around, and it made taking care of Bubba more difficult than it should have been. DH took a week off of work, and he helped a ton. But he had to go back to work eventually, so I set up camp in the living room. Nursing pillow, laptop, food, meds, camera. He slept on me during naps those first few days, and then we got a Rock n Play sleeper, and that came into the living room, too. Only times I really had to get up were to go to the bathroom, or to change his diaper. I did walk around a bit, but I had to be careful, as one day, I did too much, and then I was in pain the rest of the week. Lesson learned.
I also learned these gems...
Do not try to be brave and think that you don't need your meds. Because by the time you realize that you do need your meds, the pain is back and it's so difficult to get it back under control.
Do not disregard the recommendation that you take a stool softener after you get out of the hospital (where they make you take one every day). For realz, yo. I'll leave it at that.
Mesh panties are awesome. I stole some from the hospital. I'm sure they would have given them to me had I asked, but I was feeling rebellious, so I snuck some into my bag.
The incision site will be numb for a long time. I'm pretty sure mine was numb for about 6 months. And even now it still doesn't feel "normal". The incision also makes your tummy look like it has a pouch. It's awesomely attractive when combined with the gnarly stretch marks. And yet, I will still probably wear a bikini this summer. Battle scars aren't anything to be ashamed of.
I also learned to NOT sleep on my right side. For some reason, I could only get out of bed if I were on my left side. It hurt about 1,000x worse if I tried the right side. And forget about rolling over. One day while Bubba was napping, DH & I were cudding/resting on our bed, and I foolishly laid down on my right side. DH being DH, he fell asleep. About 20 minutes later, I needed to get up, and found that I absolutely could not. It hurt sooooo bad, I was crying. But I was also too proud to wake DH up so he could help me. Nonetheless, in my struggle to get up, he woke up, saw my predicament, and helped a girl out.
And the most important thing I learned, is that there is a horrible hormonal reaction when your baby cries. It is almost physically painful to listen to. I suppose it's because mothers are supposed to respond to their baby's cries, and this helps ensure this. It's something I still struggle with, even though DH logically explains to me that deep down, I know they're safe, so it's okay to take a shower while they scream in the crib. Yeah, easier said than done.
As I wrap this up, I can't help but scold myself that I didn't write this stuff down while it was happening. In my defense though, it's only recently that I feel like I've been able to take a breath of air for myself. Breathing is good. For realz, yo. :D
I remember the day we brought him home. It was blazing hot out, as it typically is in July. It just seemed hotter because they keep the hospital just a touch above Arctic temperatures. So we walk out, and WHOOSH... a blast of humid heat. It was so surreal to me (aka I was drugged up pretty good). Then as soon as we started to drive away, Bubba started screaming and didn't stop almost until we got home, by then he'd fallen asleep. DH brings the carseat inside as I settle on the couch. He looks at me and asks, "now what?". Exactly. It's funny because you think you're ready for a baby, but when it's time to leave the hospital with one, you're struck with this overwhelming fear because you really have no idea what to do now. It's like, "Crap. They let me leave with a baby!" But as I'm writing this 9 months later, I can assure you we figured it out that day. Just let the baby sleep in the car seat. When he wakes up, take him out. Change his diaper. When he cries, pop a boob in his face. Stuff like that.
It really helped that prior to having Bubba, my mother-in-law gave us a DVD called "Dunstan Baby Language". DH & I watched it a few times, and again brought it to the hospital for a refresher. Those first few weeks, we had this crying thing down. Oh, he's hungry. Fixed. Oh, he needs a new diaper. Fixed. And all the while on my mommy due date group, the new moms were constantly in a flurry of panic because they didn't know what their babies wanted. So I felt ahead of the game. Sucky thing though, is that their cries change after about 3 months. THEN we had to re-learn, and I was in a flurry of panic. Humble pie was eaten.
Okay, I've gotten a little off track. Where was I?
Oh, first days at home. Right. So, it pretty much sucked for me. Having a c-section is no joke. I can't understand why someone would elect to have one unless they have to (I will have to in the future unless I want to risk it and go for a VBAC in Fargo). It sucks, and isn't worth the "convenience" of having a baby on a certain day, or choosing to have one just to avoid labor. My opinion of course.
Anyway, I couldn't freely move around, and it made taking care of Bubba more difficult than it should have been. DH took a week off of work, and he helped a ton. But he had to go back to work eventually, so I set up camp in the living room. Nursing pillow, laptop, food, meds, camera. He slept on me during naps those first few days, and then we got a Rock n Play sleeper, and that came into the living room, too. Only times I really had to get up were to go to the bathroom, or to change his diaper. I did walk around a bit, but I had to be careful, as one day, I did too much, and then I was in pain the rest of the week. Lesson learned.
I also learned these gems...
Do not try to be brave and think that you don't need your meds. Because by the time you realize that you do need your meds, the pain is back and it's so difficult to get it back under control.
Do not disregard the recommendation that you take a stool softener after you get out of the hospital (where they make you take one every day). For realz, yo. I'll leave it at that.
Mesh panties are awesome. I stole some from the hospital. I'm sure they would have given them to me had I asked, but I was feeling rebellious, so I snuck some into my bag.
The incision site will be numb for a long time. I'm pretty sure mine was numb for about 6 months. And even now it still doesn't feel "normal". The incision also makes your tummy look like it has a pouch. It's awesomely attractive when combined with the gnarly stretch marks. And yet, I will still probably wear a bikini this summer. Battle scars aren't anything to be ashamed of.
I also learned to NOT sleep on my right side. For some reason, I could only get out of bed if I were on my left side. It hurt about 1,000x worse if I tried the right side. And forget about rolling over. One day while Bubba was napping, DH & I were cudding/resting on our bed, and I foolishly laid down on my right side. DH being DH, he fell asleep. About 20 minutes later, I needed to get up, and found that I absolutely could not. It hurt sooooo bad, I was crying. But I was also too proud to wake DH up so he could help me. Nonetheless, in my struggle to get up, he woke up, saw my predicament, and helped a girl out.
And the most important thing I learned, is that there is a horrible hormonal reaction when your baby cries. It is almost physically painful to listen to. I suppose it's because mothers are supposed to respond to their baby's cries, and this helps ensure this. It's something I still struggle with, even though DH logically explains to me that deep down, I know they're safe, so it's okay to take a shower while they scream in the crib. Yeah, easier said than done.
As I wrap this up, I can't help but scold myself that I didn't write this stuff down while it was happening. In my defense though, it's only recently that I feel like I've been able to take a breath of air for myself. Breathing is good. For realz, yo. :D
January 27, 2013
Matthew @ 6 months
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| Getting into trouble |
I thought I would be writing one of these things every month, but obviously, I haven't. I still mostly feel as though I'm on survival mode, and just when I think I'm getting the hang of it, he goes and switches things up on me. So maybe sometime in the next 5 years I'll get the hang of it. IF I don't go and get knocked up again (topic for another day).
Anywho... my Bubba is 6 months old! It's hard to believe, as it's gone by super quick. I know that's cliched and everything, but it's true.
And he is such a good, sweet baby. Of course he's difficult sometimes, too, but mostly not. I count myself lucky that he hasn't had any health problems, reflux, colic, milk intolerance, etc. Just a normal little boy.
For his 6 month birthday, we started him on solid foods. At this point it's just to get him used to eating non-liquids, and not for nutrition. And that's a good thing, because it appears he's not too fond of bananas. Then he had some oat cereal & pureed sweet potatoes, separately of course, neither of which he likes. So wanting him to like something, anything, I sucked it up and bought baby food. But I bought the ones that I know are good... like apricots (yummy). And apricots are a success! I even mixed a baby spoonful of it into the oat cereal, and he tolerated that better. DH also gave him a stalk of celery to nom on, and he likes that as well, but I'm not sure if it's the flavor he likes, or the fact that it feels good on his gums.
He's not crawling yet, but I think it'll be soon. He's trying to get up on his knees, but hasn't yet figured out that it works better if he doesn't mash his face on the floor. :)
He LOVES to walk around with us holding him up, which is super cute, but uncomfortable for us, as he's still small and we have to bend over. We'll walk around the living room, down the hall and into different rooms. It takes a while, as he's still a little unsure about his feet and balance. But he's 6 months old, so for where he is right now, I think he's actually ahead of the game. Do I think he'll walk before 1? Probably. But I don't think he'll be a super early walker either. Maybe 9 months. Maybe.
He also graduated to the bath tub for baths. Up until that point, we'd been bathing him in the kitchen sink. But he learned how to splash and he was getting grabby. He LOVES it! Well, he loved it until he turned over onto his tummy and swallowed some water. Now he's kind of over water.
And lastly, he's started to reach out for me, which makes me feel all warm and gooey inside. :D He's my favoritest person in the world. And today I get to subject my favoritest person to pain in the form of more shots. Sorry dude. You'll thank me when you don't get polio or diphtheria.
January 3, 2013
Cloth diaper review: Swaddlebees OS AIO
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| Swaddlebees Simplex OS AIO Monster print |
Most of the reviews given loved the fact that the soaker part wasn't completely sewn in and that it had a stay-dry side to it, as well as just a regular cotton side, which is the same cotton the inner fabric is made of. I was drawn to the cotton inner, because I really believe that when babies can't feel when they're wet, it takes longer to potty train later on. And all of my pocket diapers have stay-dry inners, much to my dismay. So while I won't be replacing all my pocket diapers, I at least wanted to add a few diapers that don't have a stay-dry inner.
Anyway, the soaker. I had wondered how one would take out this soaker to be washed, and saw that there was no need to fish it out... that it would agitate out in the wash cycle. Score. Anyway, these diapers got great reviews on function as well.
I loved the prints, too. My favorite was the Dino, as we have a burp cloth made from the same print, but in flannel. I wanted to match. Alas, on Black Friday, that print sold out pretty quickly. I settled on a new print, Monsters, which is cute, too.
So once it arrived, I quickly prepped it (as quick as diaper prepping can go, anyway). The feel of it is a little different than I expected. The inner cotton is thick and kinda stiff. The outer layer is more plastic-y than fabric-y. It feels cheap. But at the same time, it feels substantial... if that makes sense? Anyway, point being, it doesn't feel like any of my other diapers.
Once it was done prepping, I noticed something... the soaker didn't agitate out. I'd intentionally left it in on a clean load, just in case it didn't come out (then I wouldn't worry that it didn't get clean). I figure it would agitate out in a top loader with lots of water, but not a front loader with far less water per load. So I'm a little disappointed that I have yet another thing to fish out of a dirty diaper. Yeah, I could leave the soaker out and have the stay-dry side facing up, but I like the fact that he feels wet, and I like the fact that he doesn't like feeling wet. And I can live with it seeing as though I have to fish inserts out of the pocket diapers all the time anyway.
As far as functionality, it works just fine. He's worn it a handful of times and pooped in it a few times as well. No leaks or blowouts. Due to the nature of a OS diaper, it's kinda bulky on the small setting for the rise, which is where it is on Bubba. We'll see how it holds up the older and bigger he gets.
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| Hmmmm... I dunno. Matthew @ 5.5 months, about 17 pounds |
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| Sorry it's blurry. Wiggly babies make getting clear pictures difficult. |
All in all, I can't say it's my favorite diaper, but it serves its purpose. I can't help but feel that this will be resold at some point though.
January 1, 2013
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