Two Month Favorites and Hates

Baby Michael is 9.5 weeks old, so I thought I would share some new favorite things!  

Diapers: As he gets older, baby boy is (obviously) also getting bigger! At around 7 weeks old, Michael was finally (sort of) big enough to fit into his cloth diapers! We have a couple different brands, but the majority of what we use are Bumgenius Freetime All in One Diapers. They are super simple to use and come in a bunch of cute colors. We have both the snaps and the velcro. They work just like disposable diapers- no prefolding into oragami shapes or pinning! Once they have been "used" we just toss them into the washing machine! I haven't bought diapers in three weeks and that feels pretty good. I think we've already saved over a hundred dollars in diapers and cut out about a million loads of trash!

Leg Warmers: I had a friend tell me about these, and I LOOVE them! First of all, they are adorable. Second, they make changing Baby Boy a breeze. Rob and I use the leg warmers when we are too lazy to put pants on Michael. That way when we change him, all we have to do is unsnap the bottom of his onesie and not have to worry about pulling pants on and off. Third- They keep baby legs toasty warm!  We have four pairs- dinosaurs, monsters, guitars, and red and black stripes (to match his UGA gear).  I have the Baby Legs brand, but my friend has some from little legs.

Pump and Save Bags: Ok, sorry in advance for any guys out there that might get creeped out. I breastfeed. Once you breastfeed you realize that breast milk is liquid gold and you never ever want to throw any away (ask Rob, he hates that our fridge and freezer is so full of milk there is no room for our food).  The problem with not wanting to waste milk is that you run out of places to store it. Enter Pump and Save Bags. These bad boys are freezer safe and can attach right to my breast pump! Seriously, everyone go buy a box of these.

Wet Bags: Moms out there- have you been out and about and your baby has a big blowout or a big spit up and you have gross wet clothes that need to go somewhere without contaminating everything else in your baby bag? Well, Planet Wise makes bags that are PERFECT for that! They are cloth on the outside and waterproof on the inside. So you can throw gross wet clothes (and/or dirty cloth diapers) in these bags and they keep everything nice and separated. they come in three different sizes AND two styles. You can have the kind in the picture with one pocket, or get a Wet/Dry bag- these have two pockets so you can keep clean dry items away from wet dirty ones. I use my small bag to keep little reusable items together- pacifier, bottle nipples, etc. My medium one lives in our diaper bag and holds spare outfits or dirty clothes. I have two big ones, one at my parents house and one at our house that I use as hamper for dirty diapers when we are traveling.  And because I am a total hippie when it comes to diapers- I even have two of their reusable pail liners for my diaper pail at home! I love the bags this company makes! Best part- they are all machine washable and go in the dryer!

Those are the things I loved in month two! My title makes mention of what I hated. Well, what did I hate you ask? Two month shots!!! Michael had to go to the doctor for his two month check up. Good news- Baby boy is up to 9lbs 14oz, and is at 22inches. He is moving right along developmentally, and should be smiling at us ON PURPOSE any day now!  Bad news- still has heartburn, even had his medicine dosage raised, and he likely has a bit of colic.  All in all- it wasn't a bad visit UNTIL.... the shots.  He had to have 3 shots. It might as well have been 3,000,000. He cried SOOOOO hard. Guess who else was crying? Mommy. And the nurse. Wait, let me go back. After his first stick he didn't cry right away. Not cause he was brave, because he was holding his breath gearing up for the loudest scream EVER. Rob said it was louder than when he was born.  I am not looking forward to our four month check up. More freakin' shots. I'm making Rob skip class that day, because there is no way I am going alone.

That's it for now. I am very excited for Michael's first Christmas early next week! He hasn't visited Santa yet this year... not sure if I want him sitting on some lap a billion other kids have sat on. I'm torn if I want to take him or wait til next year. Thoughts?

(oh, and I'm scrambling to finish so I can feed baby, so AGAIN, I apologize for typos or poor grammar!)

(Conversations)

This has absolutely nothing to do with our baby, but I found it hilarious nonetheless:

Scene: Driving to the farm discussing the possibility of Rob doing field research on big cats.

Stephanie: I can see you darting lions in Africa and studying their reproductive or migratory patterns. Wait, do lions migrate?

Rob: No they don't; but it would be cool.

Stephanie: Which big cat do you want to study? Lions? Siberian tigers? Sumatran tigers-

Rob (interrupting and dead serious): Sumatran tigers, cause I could dart them while riding on an elephant.

Stephanie: Um, yes. Yes you could...

Rob (continuing to geek out): Also, I would get to wear a mask on the back of my head, ya know, cause tigers attack from behind...

Two months: Part Deux

So, today is December 10th, Michael's two month birthday. Or is it? Last Wednesday was eight weeks since his birthday. So was that his two month birthday or is it today? This ridiculousness reminds me of a blog I wrote when I was preg: pregnancy is 9 months (36 weeks), but full term is 40 weeks, and the first two weeks you aren't even pregnant! Seriously, it's no wonder I was awful at math growing up. It makes no sense! Anywho, here are Baby Boy's two month photos, he was not a happy camper.

Baby cries = Daddy cries

Yesterday we took our Christmas family photos. Thanks to my friend and favorite photographer- Skot! The photo shoot took place at my father-in-laws house cause it's a big beautiful victorian, and we live in a tiny apartment.  Baby Boy was fussy the whole time, but we did get some cute shots. Here are a few of my favorites:

Look at that frowny face!

Hopefully I can get Christmas cards printed up and sent out before it's to late, although, I don't seem to have time to clean my tiny apartment these days! Thanks again Skot! Once I order my favorites, I'll upload these and more to our photo website so everyone can see them. 

If you talk to Rob over the next two days, be sure to wish him luck on his last two finals- Farm Med and Zoo Med. I can't wait for him to be finished! While we're on the subject- good luck to all my favorite students down on the island of St. Christopher on your finals too! (and if you're a VIP on the Rock, good luck dealing with your students this week!)

Back to being a mommy! Til next time... 

2 Whole Months!

I can't believe baby boy is two months old already! It feels like he has been around way longer than that.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog for this late breaking {Conversations} segment:

Scene: Right after baby bath time, during baby massage.

Rob (in bedroom): CRAPPPPPPPP!
Steph (in kitchen): What's the matter?!
Rob: Baby massage really relaxed him...
Steph: Did he poop?
Rob: Yes...
Steph: In a diaper?
Rob: No...

Right before bath time I got peed on. Wait, let me elaborate: My face got pee on it. Having a baby boy is dangerous. Thank God he doesn't have a cannon shooting out poop too! Yes, it seems way longer than two months.

In other pee and poop news, Michael has started wearing his cloth diapers. So far they have been great- easy to use and easy to clean. they also received stamps of approval from both Rob and my mom. Right after we started using them I accidentally washed a (clean) disposable diaper. Um...... so gross. I wish I had thought to take a picture. Here are two I found online:

wet diaper v new diaper.
The diaper I washed was so full you couldn't even fold it like the one in this picture.

And here is a glass full of the nasty chemicals that so efficiently absorb in disposable diapers.
GROSS

If I wasn't already using cloth diapers, seeing that nasty chemical wasteland of a diaper would havebeen  enough to make me switch. If that diaper rips, your kid could suffer a chemical burn! Holy crap- no thank you!

I don't have to much else to share since my last post on Saturday. The meds are definitely helping Michael's acid reflux, and it is very clear if we wait to long between his doses. This week has been pretty quiet so far, especially since Rob has his first final Friday and two more next week. Baby and Mommy have been trying very hard to be quiet. Sunday we are going to be taking Christmas pictures. I think they are going to turn out really cute, and I can't wait to share them with everyone!

Ok, time to run- crying baby is calling! (sorry for typos, no time to proof read!)

Airplanes, Thanksgiving, Weddings, and Acid Reflux

Oy vey, what a week and a half it's been since I posted last! We were getting ready to head to Arizona for my sister in law's wedding and the Thanksgiving holiday and I was having crazy anxiety over flying with Baby Michael.

Turns out, Michael is a great flyer! He slept through take off, had his pacifier during landing, and only cried as people were getting off the plane. To be fair, he was pretty hungry. He was even better on the flight home. He again slept through take off, and he was awake during the landing- no crying! I wanted to cry when we got off the plane in Atlanta and Delta gave me back a broken stroller! They freaking destroyed my poor Peg-perego stroller- snapped a wheel off, broke the handle, and bent the frame. Delta is sending us a check for a new one, but I was still super mad and upset. Oh well.

The rest of the trip was great! Thanksgiving was loads of fun complete with loads of yummy food! Rob's grandparents LOVED little Michael, but who wouldn't? In fact, Michael was VERY popular last weekend. I think everyone in the state of Arizona got to hold him! Ok, I might be exaggerating a tiny bit... :)  I was excited because I got to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with my baby- something my mom did/does with me and my brother every year. I love traditions!!!

Saturday was Shelly and Nathan's wedding. Shelly and her bridesmaids (myself included) got up early, got our hair and make up done (we all looked freakin' beautiful, especially Shelly), got our pretty dresses on and headed to the Japanese Friendship Garden for the ceremony and reception.  The site was  really pretty and serene, I think it fit Shelly and Nathan perfectly (good thing they picked it!). Since I was a bridesmaid and Rob was an usher, his great-aunt Ruth was on baby duty. She was so funny- she came prepared with her sneakers (for traction- safety first) and her softest sweater for Michael to cuddle against. Michael thoroughly enjoyed his first wedding- and he was polite enough to not cry at all during the ceremony, and minimal crying during the reception. Probably because everyone was loving on him- he had nothing to cry about!

Sunday morning came too soon, especially since we had a 7am flight. Luckily babies wake up at the crack of dawn, so getting Michael up and out the door was easier than getting me and Rob up and out the door! And, as I said before he was great on the plane.

I was hoping to write this blog post earlier (i.e.- not Saturday, the last day of the week), but Michael was so fussy this week. At first I thought he was just worn out from the trip/holiday/wedding, but as the week went on, I knew something wasn't right. Michael would be very fussy after eating, especially at night. He wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, and would cry if you tried to lay him down flat on his back. Several times when I tried to feed him, he would pull away and just scream and cry, but he would still be hungry. We started taking his temperature to see if he picked up a bug, but nothing. On Thursday morning he had a slight fever and had been up ALL night the night before. I decided it was time to call the doctor. Rob and I took Michael in, and turns out he likely has acid reflux! Before you ask what I've been eating, the doctor told us that unless I eat a lot of dairy (I don't) or cabbage (gross), it's unlikely that it's my diet, and loads of babies get heartburn. Turns out it's often misdiagnosed as colic. Since I am anal about making lists, I had written down of all the symptoms I noticed throughout the week- glad I did, cause baby boy got a prescription of Zantac for heartburn instead of mommy being told that he has colic and to just muscle through it.

He has only had three doses so far, but it seems to have started working. Thank God, cause the night he was up all night crying, I was hating myself for not being able to calm him down. In fact, he woke Rob up screaming, and when Rob asked what was wrong I started crying as hard as the baby. Being a mom is hard. So, yeah, that's why the blog is late this week!

I have uploaded lots of new pictures to the website http://threeisntacrowd.shutterfly.com/, so check them out!

First Month Favorites!

Baby Michael is just about 6 weeks old now! I cannot believe how quickly time is going by, and how quickly he is growing. Having a baby is intense in so many ways, and there are a million products out there that are supposed to make your life easier with your new baby. I was lucky enough to have quite a few friends have babies before me (some just a few months before me), and I took advantage of their baby raising knowledge and advice!  Now that I am on the mommy side of the fence, and since I have some preg friends, I thought I would share some things that Rob and I have found to be especially useful!

Aden + Anais Swaddle Blankets- These are great! My favorite thing about these are that they are muslin, so if they happen to cover the baby's nose or mouth while sleeping, he can still breath through it! I tested it on myself, I could still breath while the blanket was wrapped around my face like a mummy wrapped in linen! The lightweight muslin is also nice because it keeps baby warm without overheating him. I like packing one of these in our diaper bag because they are very lightweight and don't take up a lot of room. Plus, they come in loads of cute patterns, and you have organic and bamboo options. 

Baby Magic Lotion- I love Baby Magic. My mom used it when both my brother and I were babies. The lotion smells great and is light and not greasy. Baby Michael gets baby massages everyday with this lotion, and he smells like new baby until his next bath. Incidentally, we use Baby Magic Hair and Body Wash during bath time- it smells equally baby-tastic.  (Mommy also loves this lotion on her dry hands after washing a breast pump accessories and bottles a hundred times a day).

Soothing Motions Glider- This is a great product to have outside the bedroom/nursery. The glider lives in our den, and Michael takes his naps in it during the afternoon. The hammock part can pivot around, so he can rock side to side, front to back, or diagonally. It also plays super obnoxious music, that feature is rarely used.  It does kind of have a big footprint, but it's totally worth it when I can nap on the couch and have him just a few feet away!

Grass Drying Rack- I love everything about this thing! It's super cute and it's actually a pretty great drying rack. Rob's sister, Shelly, got this for us as a gift, along with three flowers that you can pop onto the grass (we don't have the tree that's in the picture). I can cram so much stuff onto this thing it's mind blowing. The grass is great for bigger things like bottles, and the flowers are great for smaller breast pump accessories and nipples and collars. And it is also a perfect size for our small kitchen (there is a larger base, called Lawn, if you have more space), and really I love anything that is brightly colored!

Wipes Warmer- This was a product I didn't even consider registering for until a friend said she loved hers. We got ours as a shower gift and we love it too. Baby Michael would scream like we were stabbing him from day one with diaper changes, but low and behold- warm wipes did the trick. Huge reduction in screaming! In fact, we liked this warmer so much, we got the travel version too! The travel version comes with a car plug and a regular ac adapter- awesome. Travel warmer is going to come in handy since we will be in Arizona for 4 days over Thanksgiving!

In other baby related news Baby Michael will be making his first cross country trip this week. We fly to Arizona on Wednesday for Thanksgiving/Shelly's wedding. While I am looking forward to the festivities, I am still nervous about the FOUR HOUR flights. I will be armed with full bottles and plenty of pacifiers. I'm hoping he'll just sleep most of the time, but we shall see! Michael has some cute clothes to wear this week, so I update our picture website when we get back on Sunday. 

ps- I did not have time to proofread this cause baby was crying, so sorry for any typos or grammatical errors!

Conversations- Dad's have it rough

Here are two conversations Rob and I have had in the last seven days:

Scene- Around 10pm in the evening, after Baby Michael's dinner
Stephanie: Rob, can you please change the baby and put him to bed so I can pump and get ready for bed?
Rob: Ugh! I'm already in bed! I'm tired and trying to sleep.

I didn't respond, but only because I couldn't think of a response due to the blind rage I felt. Here is what I wish I had said to my darling husband, "Oh, I'm sorry, you're tired? That must be awful for you! I myself am also tired seeing as I haven't slept longer than 2.5 hours at once in over a month. My arms, back, and boobs could use a rest too! But you stay in bed and get some sleep, I'll stay up getting the baby changed and settled for bed, and once I'm done getting myself ready for bed, it'll be time to feed the baby again!"

Here is another exchange between me and Rob from just yesterday:

Scene- Driving home after baby and mommy pick Rob up from school.
Rob- You smell really good.
Stephanie- Really? The baby threw up on me and I didn't bother changing my shirt before we picked you up.
Rob- You smell like fried food, what did you make?
Stephanie- I made hash browns for breakfast; do I smell like potatoes and onions?
Rob- What?! Why didn't you get up and make me hash browns before I left?!

Again, I had no response. Although, when you think about it, it was ridiculous that I didn't get up at 6:30 to make breakfast for Rob when I had woken up at 5am to feed the baby. Instead of going back to bed at 6am, I should have just gotten my bum in the kitchen and whipped up a big breakfast for Rob. I am so inconsiderate!

Being a dad must be really tough, I don't think I could handle all the work and pressure! Good thing I'm the mom and I'm lucky enough to do nothing all day at home with the baby!  I really should have the house spotless every day when Rob gets home and serve him a seven course meal each night. I am so lazy. (Stupid June Cleaver ruining it for every other mom on the planet! I hope you burn in hell!... the character, not the lovely lady who played her.)

At least I get to stay home all day with a baby as cute as this!