Halloween

Once October snuck into the picture I started envisioning a trip to the local pumpkin patch with Mila-bird for her first special holiday outing. I was determined to find a cute pumpkin for my little pumpkin. I wanted her festively dressed so I could take 10,000 pictures to mark the occasion (below are a fraction of what I actually took)... because that's what mama's do, right? Well... the pumpkin patch was no longer in business so we settled for a place on a corner. We brought Grandma and cousin Ky along for the fun.

Since D is away I decided to not purchase a costume or carve pumpkins. We'll wait until next year when we can really celebrate together. Instead, Birdie got a couple Halloween outfits to celebrate the day. 

Some doggies were not too happy about having to stay inside while I did a quick Bird-shoot. Since my main subject was completely over her picture being taken for the millionth time I decided to add them into the mix. 

Cousin Ky came over for some trick-or-treating. Mila-bird slept most of the time while Grandma and I went along for the candy to see the decorated houses. 

 Ky dressed as Sally with Zero the Dog. Both from the Nightmare Before Christmas. 

 Snoozin' away

Miss Bird lookin' like her mama when she was a baby!  

-------

I came across one of our engagement pictures today. 13 weeks of missin' this handsome guy. We're both doing as well as can be, considering. I'm looking forward to being in the count down phase of things but we're not there yet. I can't wait until I can FINALLY get our first picture- together- as a family of three! 

Poop Post, Part Deux

I wanted to do an update to my last post about cloth diapering. In that post I stated that we were using- at one point- four different cloth diapers: Baby City, ProRaps, Fuzzibunz, and KaWaii. Mila-bird grew out of ProRaps within 3 weeks as the size that I had was for newborns only. That left Baby City, Fuzzibunz and KaWaii.

Since my last post the Baby City diapers (pictured above) gave out on me. While doing a wash I noticed that the inside of the diaper was de-laminating. I tried a higher tumble dry but had no luck. De-lam can happen in two ways: the diaper was not being dried at the proper temperature or there was a manufacturing issue. I KNOW that the first option was not the problem as I line dried these. The second option is the issue since these diapers are not a name brand, came straight from the manufacturer in China and cost me about $12 for 9 of them. I knew this prior to purchasing them but some people had good, long-lasting results so I figured I'd give them a whirl. I will miss the fun colors, stretchy close tabs and how fast they line dry. I will not miss the leaks, cheap material, lack of inserts (didn't come with any) and the bulkiness of the diaper.

Bottom line: I wouldn't purchase these again and would not recommend them for someone who is new to cloth diapering.

This also means that I'm officially done using my prefolds. (Pictured below) I was using these as inserts for the Baby City diapers. Sure, I can still use them as inserts as needed but, for now, they will remain packed away for the next baby to use.

So, it was now back to deciding which diaper to invest in. In the end I went with buying 12 more KaWaii Heavy Duty One Size diapers. (A $72 purchase) That brings my total diaper stash to 18 KaWaii diapers and 6 Fuzzibunz One Size Elite.

Ultimately I decided to go with this brand for the price per diaper, ease of use, washing instructions, and overall performance on Birdie. Each diaper came with 2 micofiber inserts. I still like my Fuzzibunz diapers but I'm starting to question if they'll fit Birdie's booty until she's about 2 years old... they look really tiny compared to KaWaii.

Here's a few extra thoughts that have popped into my head:

- It's important to wash according the the manufacturer's instructions but you can still vary how you wash within that. How one mama washes her baby's diapers may not work for you. Mila-bird is a heavy wetter so I do more soaks, extra rinses, and sun bleach to keep the ammonia smell/ build up in check.

- Cloth diapers RARELY produce a diaper rash. If there's a diaper rash situation one might want to look into what you're eating (if breastfeeding) or how good of a wash your diapers are getting. Usually one needs to strip the diapers completely as something is building up on them. The only rash Birdie has had was from when I was downing fruit Odwalla drinks everyday. Once I stopped her rash disappeared.

- Cloth diapered babies need to be changed more frequently than disposable. Disposables are designed to wick moisture away from the baby as they're in the diaper, making it last longer. Cloth diapers are not made to do that- babies feel what they're sitting in. I change Birdie's diaper every 2-3 hours no matter what as it's usually pretty done by then. Some families need to change every hour, hence the need for so many cloth diapers. (Minimum of 24 is recommended in a stash) With my new KaWaii purchase I've pushed my washing from every other day to every two days.

- Cloth diapers are much bulkier than disposable, especially when you add in extra inserts. For Birdie, I've added two inserts to her Fuzzibunz for better performance... but it doesn't mean it's lasts longer. I stick to one insert for her KaWaii diapers. Because they're bulkier you might have to go up a size in clothing, particularly outfits with little pants like this:

This Carter's outfit is a 6 month size. The onesie will last her awhile as there's still length left to growing into. The pants may not last as long depending on how she grows. We'll have to see. She still fits into some 3 month onesies but in little pants I have to buy a 6 month size to allot extra bulk from her diaper. (And maybe it's just me but I've noticed that Carter's clothes run a little big.)

Cloth diapering isn't for everyone. It can seem very overwhelming, a little odd and even gross to some. My posts on this topic are merely for those who have inquired about how it works. Bottom line- we love how well it works for our family.

Bird in the Water

Mila-bird and I waited anxiously since the day you were born to get you in the water but mama had to wait for her c-section scar to heal finally joined an infant swim class that meets once a week. Sadly, it's in the afternoons during the work week. This mama was worried that she wouldn't get any pictures of her little birdie dipping in the warm water for her first time.

As luck would have it we ventured back to the pool this evening for a birthday party. I threw on our suits, handed Grammy the camera and gave her strict orders to keep shooting until we were all done. Birdie looooves anything to do with water and enjoys being dragged around the pool. She's even been underwater a few times... D would be proud!

Just like after her bath, Mila-bird gets very, very giggly... 

(umm... could you look anymore like your daddy in this picture?!) 

... Just before she takes a nice, cozy nap from all that swimming. 

Weeks Turn To Months

By The Numbers

Month: 2 (8 weeks) 

Weight: 14.1 pounds (Off the charts)

Length: 23 1/2 inches (Off the charts)
Head: 16 inches (95th percentile)
Hair: Still plenty of it although you've lost a bit. Your hair is lighter than it was at birth. It's an exact combination of my dark brown and D's strawberry. Oh, and it sticks up like a cockatoo.
Eyes: They've become a lot lighter but they're still blue. Light blue in the center and dark at the edges. 

Feedings: About every 3- 4 hours, depending on your mood. You nurse anywhere from 1-2 hours straight just before you conk out for the night. 

Naps: This mama lets you decide when you want to eat and sleep but it seems you like to have 3, 2-hour -ish long naps a day. Between those you have random cat naps lasting from 15 minutes to an hour. 

Wakings: After you're down for the night you typically wake up about 2 times to feed. Thankfully they're pretty quick ones! 

Size: 0-3 months is very, very snug, 3 months fits you now and you're rapidly growing into 6 month clothing. Your mama is not sure she likes this whole growing thing that you've been doing. 

You continue to be a very, very content baby. Your cries only mean that mama isn't fast enough getting food in your tummy. (Unless mama accidentally drops the remote on your head. Apparently you don't like that.) You always throw out about 5 warning sounds and start stomping one foot before the crying begins. Tears started to show up a couple weeks ago which is the saddest sight to see. You've always been a champion eater but now you like to stop in the middle to have "chats" with me. 

You've mastered smiling and cooing "o's." You become a wild baby whenever you're getting your diaper or clothes changed, throwing out extra smiles, loud laughs, and big kicks. Your little "laugh" sounds more like a loud gasp for air, and is always accompanied by a shoulder shrug. You love to sit up and love to stand with lots of help. You're known around this house to have wild head movements but you're really starting to have more control over it. You tolerate tummy time especially now that you can hold your head up higher. 

My little birdie is quite the night owl. Bedtime for you is anywhere between 10:30pm- 11:30pm. You sleep next to your mama in bed and end up hogging most of it. In the early hours you make lots of little squeaks and sighs while you sleep. My favorite thing is when you wake up really early in the morning and greet me with lots of smiles and soft coos. And, sometimes, loud farts. Classy.

There's Something About...

... a sleeping baby that just makes me melt. Laundry? Diapers? Food? Nap? Maybe later... perhaps. 

I'm too wrapped up in watching you sleep. 

The Aftermath

6 Weeks Post-partum 

Size of Baby: Ha! We'll find out, officially, in a couple weeks but I'm pretty sure Birdie is pushing into the 13-14lb range. Some 3-month clothing is still fitting her but I just pulled out a handful of 6-month clothing. The girl is a long one! 

Weight: Between baby, placenta, water weight, extra blood, etc, etc, I have lost 35 pounds. I'm 5 pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight but I believe that's being held up between breastfeeding (up two cups sizes!) and the little tummy I still carry. 

My belly button is...err... not where it originally started. I still have a linea nigra, but I'm hoping it'll start fading sooner than later. My little pooch is littered with pink stretch marks that I HOPE will go away eventually. (Please, please, please, please, please, please, please!!!) 

Continuing Symptoms: Sinus congestion. Go figure. 

New Symptoms: My hair has slowly begun to shed, my wedding ring fits again (hooray!), swelling has gone away, night sweats are subsiding, inner mama bear has become more ferocious, and I've become more sentimental. (ie: Cannot tell Mila I love her without tearing up or read her On The Night You Were Born without a lump in my throat.) I'm also a LOT more laid back as a parent than I anticipated. 

Clothes: Since the day I was released from the hospital I've been on the go. (Ehh major surgery shmurgery) I credit that, and the fact I have to lift our turkey-bird baby all day as my workout. However, breastfeeding has been the biggest cause of my slim down. I'm. Constantly. Feeding. Birdie. The first few weeks I stuck to leggings and maternity jeans because of my c-section incision. Now I'm completely out of maternity pants and shirts. I've purchased a few new tops, a new pair of skinny jeans, and a maxi skirt. Now the challenge is to continue to slowly update my wardrobe while keeping in mind that tops must be breastfeeding accessible. 

Sleep: I'll be the first to admit that Mila is a very content baby AND easy to please (see previous breastfeeding comment) I KNOW that I'm very blessed in that department. Mila-bird does have an occasional "witching hour" that's more like "witching 3 hours." For the most part she has three predictable, long naps during the day, catnaps in the evening, and is asleep by 8:30/ 9pm. Those who are close to me know that I have a 9 o'clock feeding ever since I was born- which means come 9pm it's cereal eatin' time. Birdie has a 12am feeding that she NEVER misses. After that she (and I) sleeps in 3-4 hour stretches. Sometimes she can go as long as 5-6 hrs. 

What I'm Eating: My eating habits haven't changed that much from before. I'm definitely not eating or indulging as much as I was when pregnant. Right after Mila was born I started having gallbladder pain that really, really hurt. I cut out all fatty foods for a couple weeks and it went away, thank goodness. (Apparently that can happen when you have a c-section...?) I've discovered that Mila's little body cannot handle me eating a lot of acidic foods or lots of potato-y things. Acidic foods turn into a terrible diaper rash and too many potato-y things turns into an upset tummy for her. 

Cravings: I would love, love, love to indulge in some In-N-Out but I'm being very, very good by staying away. Partly for fat content (gallbladder), partly because it's just not that healthy and partly because of Mila's potato issues. Other than that I'm LOVING avocados... daily. 

Special Post-Partum Moments: 

There are a loooot but I'll keep it simple: 

1. The fact that my mom gets the biggest smiles out of Mila. 

2. Just watching my dad hold her. 

3. The text messages I get from D saying how sweet and pretty Birdie is, that he "misses his girls," or that he was super teary eyed when he saw her birth. I cannot tell you how much more I love him since Mila's arrival. 

4. Receiving two beautiful, vintage linen blessing dresses from Mila's "GiGi." Ironically they're exactly what I was getting ready to purchase but I didn't tell anyone besides D of my intentions. It was meant to be! 

5. Introducing Birdie girl to our favorite Bishop. He has supported both D and I individually and as a couple. 

6. The way Mila-bird sleeps: on her side, an arm flung over her face, snuggled up close to me and making little coos, sighs and squawks. 

7. The way Bogey lays next to Birdie in her swing or when she's on my bed. How Roo finds me and does her potty dance to alert me that Birdie is crying before rushing to her side. 

As of Late

1 & 2- Cousin visits

3- A hotel stay

4- Puppy cuddles

5- First real bath 

6- First day at church

7- Swing love

8- Growing like a weed (sigh)