Love those little piggies!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Travelin' Man...er....Baby
Friday, August 12, 2011
Favorite Things: Baby Edition, 0-3 months
When you bring a baby home from the hospital, it is amazing how much stuff you feel like you need just in order to enable them to eat, sleep and bathe. With as many questions as we had about if we were doing things right (is he napping too much, too little.....eating too much, too little.....can we take him outside, etc. etc.), it was helpful to have seen a few lists from friends about the items that worked best for their babies. Here are the things that I feel like we really needed in the first 3 months.
Sleeping
The miracle blanket is just that. A miracle. Logan was a Houdini when it came to breaking out of his swaddle. This contraption kept him snuggled up tight and helped him sleep better and longer (which was much needed for our sanity!):
Eating
I feel fortunate that Logan took to breastfeeding pretty well. For the first 24 hours in the hospital, he wouldn't latch on quite right, and we had to pump so that he'd get the colostrum (which was a very frustrating thing for me seeing as how I felt the only thing I needed to provide him was my milk and I couldn't get him to take it straight from the source). However, he did eventually catch on and aside from my worries over how much he is actually getting -- it's been a good experience. All that to say....if you breastfeed, you don't need a lot of equipment, which is nice! The Boppy pillow has been great for me -- it makes the whole thing a little easier and more comfortable.
Resources
So while I was pregnant I read all about the pregnancy, and what the baby was doing week by week. I didn't think ahead to actually read about how to care for the baby. I wish I had done more of that. After Logan was born, we were given the first book by my parents (and it was actually recommended by our pediatrician). It is produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and is a little more science-based than some other books. It has terrific information about each age range, and then specific issues that may arise.
This second book was recommended (as is this site: http://www.babywhispererforums.com/) - - it helped me to get a sense of knowing when Logan was tired, and structuring the day with the EASY schedule (Eat, Activity, Sleep/Your Time). It is a good idea to separate eating and sleeping early so that they can soothe themselves to sleep.
Bath
We had baby registries at Target and Pottery Barn Kids. Target was great -- they have so much online and in stores, and their return policy was excellent. PBK was good b/c their stuff is so darn cute, but I found that a lot of items would be unavailable all of a sudden, and they don't have tons and tons of stuff. Anyways -- this is the bath we got from Target and it is just great.
Out and About
The BOB Revolution is just awesome. I love that stroller. It has such a smooth ride, it's easy to open/close, and the infant adapter makes me happy because I feel he's secure in his carseat.
We also got the Graco Snap and Go stroller for traveling. It's smaller, lighter, and much less expensive (ie: you don't care if it's dinged up on a plane ride quite as much as you'd care if your Bob were dinged!). This is what I usually toss in the trunk of my car if we aren't doing serious walking anywhere. It's just light and easy. We got the Graco 35 snugrider carseat that fits with it. I like it - but it is SOOO dang heavy.
I absolutely love my diaper bag. It's Petunia Picklebottom -- and my favorite feature is that it converts to a backpack. I know that isn't the most stylish thing around (though I do love the pattern), but being able to have my hands free is a great relief. It has ample room on the inside, and a great zip-out changing pad.
So that's my advice for those first few months!! One thing that I wish I'd known prior to buying a cute crib bumper is that the AAP (and our pediatrician, specifically) advise against putting anything in the crib other than the mattress itself to reduce the risk for SIDS. We bought an adorable bumper from PBK and it never really saw the light of day b/c once she said that it shouldn't be in the crib, it was in the basement pronto. Yes, they are adorable, and yes it seems like it would be nice to have a soft side in the crib, but anytime they mention SIDS - I take the advice to heart!
I'll start working on the next phase now :)
Sleeping
The miracle blanket is just that. A miracle. Logan was a Houdini when it came to breaking out of his swaddle. This contraption kept him snuggled up tight and helped him sleep better and longer (which was much needed for our sanity!):
When we did swaddle him in blankets, we found these Aden & Anais blankets to be the best. They are bigger, which allows you to get a better, tighter wrap - and the light fabric was great as Logan was born in April.
You start a bedtime routine pretty quickly after you bring your little one home. Ours involves the mobile every time, and he loves to watch the boats move around. There are other mobiles that are more visually stimulating, and I'm still considering getting one of those for over his changing table, but for now, this one does the job!
Eating
I feel fortunate that Logan took to breastfeeding pretty well. For the first 24 hours in the hospital, he wouldn't latch on quite right, and we had to pump so that he'd get the colostrum (which was a very frustrating thing for me seeing as how I felt the only thing I needed to provide him was my milk and I couldn't get him to take it straight from the source). However, he did eventually catch on and aside from my worries over how much he is actually getting -- it's been a good experience. All that to say....if you breastfeed, you don't need a lot of equipment, which is nice! The Boppy pillow has been great for me -- it makes the whole thing a little easier and more comfortable.
So while I was pregnant I read all about the pregnancy, and what the baby was doing week by week. I didn't think ahead to actually read about how to care for the baby. I wish I had done more of that. After Logan was born, we were given the first book by my parents (and it was actually recommended by our pediatrician). It is produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and is a little more science-based than some other books. It has terrific information about each age range, and then specific issues that may arise.
We had baby registries at Target and Pottery Barn Kids. Target was great -- they have so much online and in stores, and their return policy was excellent. PBK was good b/c their stuff is so darn cute, but I found that a lot of items would be unavailable all of a sudden, and they don't have tons and tons of stuff. Anyways -- this is the bath we got from Target and it is just great.
The BOB Revolution is just awesome. I love that stroller. It has such a smooth ride, it's easy to open/close, and the infant adapter makes me happy because I feel he's secure in his carseat.
I'll start working on the next phase now :)
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
4 months old!
Weight: 15 lbs 10 oz (70%)
Height: 26" (85%)
Milestones:
Sleeping: This month was a roller coaster when it came to sleeping. You started the month sleeping through the night for the first time when we were at my parents' house (July 3), but by mid-month you were waking up 3-4 times each night like you did when you were a newborn. Turns out you had an ear infection and a bad case of silent reflux.
Eating: You started the month eating like a champ, but not long after you started screeching after eating and really arching your back. Our pediatrician diagnosed reflux (even though you rarely spit up), and we started medicine to treat it. In the last week or two it started to really help you, and while you aren't eating as long as you once were, at least you aren't screeching in pain anymore. We also ran out to buy you a highchair to start eating rice cereal (to help with the reflux). You LOVE your cereal! You have taken to eating rice cereal really well, and our pediatrician said that we can start mixing it up with baby oatmeal or baby barley cereal as well (1 week at a time to be wary of food allergies).
Etc: This has been my first full month back at work, and things are going really well with balancing caring for Logan and taking care of work duties. SB traveled to KC for a work conference mid-month, and we survived 5 days alone, and with an ear infection! I am very thankful that we really like your pediatrician and have 100% confidence in the care that she gives you, because it is really tough to be a new mom and not know exactly how to help your baby.
This month you really started rolling over (belly to back), grasping and reaching, and interacting with your toys. You have a new exersaucer type of toy that you just love. It plays classical music, and has lots of buttons to push, and toys to play with. You like tummy time and can really lift your front half off the floor. It is amazing to see how much you can do now compared to when you were first born!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The {long overdue} Birth Story
To help us remember the April 2 events leading up to the arrival of our sweet Logan, I figured it would be good to jot everything down. This is a little long, so bear with me! Here is a recap of Logan's big day:
Ever since we learned that Logan's due date was April 3, I was a little nervous about the proximity to April Fool's Day. However, by the time we had dinner at the Creve Coeur Lake House restaurant on Friday, April 1, I was pretty sure that we were in the "safe zone" of not having an April Fool's Day baby! (that was the best part of the meal....the food left much to be desired! haha) We had a scheduled induction for 4:30pm on Sunday, April 3 -- however, it turns out that Logan had plans of his own! After eating, we came back to the house and watched a movie and then turned in.
At about 4:30am on Saturday, April 2 I woke up -- but I had trouble falling back asleep as my stomach wasn't feeling comfortable. At about 5:30, SB suggested we start timing the discomfort, and sure enough - the pain was happening at regular 3-4 minute intervals, for about a minute each. Turns out they were contractions! We kept timing the contractions (sidenote: if you are expecting, get a contraction app if you have a smart phone -- it helped us to keep track of how long they lasted, and the intervals between each), and then started to think about heading to the hospital. Our bags were already packed, but we added a few last-second items, and SB put them in his vehicle. At about 6:15 we decided to take the dogs to the kennel, and potentially head to the hospital. When we were all in the car SB asked if he had 30 seconds to grab something else, but by that time I was starting to really feel the contractions. Turns out he wanted to grab some running gear so that he could log a few miles while we were at the hospital! No joke :) We headed to the kennel sans running gear, dropped the dogs off, and then called the doctor's after hours number to alert them that I was having regular contractions and we were going to head in to the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital at around 7:30am and a nurse (who happens to work in our doc's office during the work week) got us ready and hooked up to a few machines to monitor contractions and see if I would be admitted. The contractions quickly picked up in intensity, and my doc gave her the ok to admit us (much to SB's surprise as he thought I was jumping the gun a bit!). From 7:30am to about 10:30am, I labored through contractions -- not really using any of the "techniques" we learned in the birthing class, but just gripping on to the bed and hoping for an epidural! Let me just say that before April 2, I was open-minded about whether or not I would use the meds. Once I felt the contractions though, I knew that an epidural would be very much welcomed!! For me, it was the greatest thing. I felt no pain, and the contractions continued. Scott and I watched a movie (The Sandlot), he grabbed breakfast and lunch in the hospital cafeteria, we talked to a few friends and family members to let them know how things were going, and we napped a bit in preparation for our arrival! At some point in the early afternoon a different doctor came in to break my water. At about 4:20pm, our nurse Dawn (who was assisted by a nursing student, Christine) helped me start to push. My doctor (who, thankfully, was on-call that weekend), and a pediatrician and several additional nurses arrived at about 5:10pm, and by 5:20pm we were holding Logan! The pushing part was a breeze, more or less, thanks to the epidural! The delivery was such an emotional experience. It was amazing that all of a sudden we had brought a beautiful, healthy baby boy into this world. He was perfect. Scott and I felt such joy, pride, and love -- it was awesome. I couldn't stop smiling. When I was preggers, I would cry every time I watched TLC's Baby Story, but I didn't shed a single tear when Logan arrived -- I was just filled with such intense happiness and pride.
We stayed in the delivery room for a little while, and then they transported all 3 of us to our recovery room. At some point I ordered dinner from the hospital cafeteria, SB headed out to get dinner at Chick-Fil-A (along with a tasty milkshake for us to share), and then we settled in and watched a little of the UCONN vs. Kentucky Final 4 game. Unfortunately for SB, Kentucky lost -- but both of us were pretty transfixed on our little guy to care too much about the game. We kept him in the room with us till about midnight, and then decided to take advantage of the nursery to allow us to get some sleep (well, as much sleep as SB could get on the uncomfortable pull-out bed!).
Over the course of Sunday and Monday morning we changed diapers, cuddled our little guy, took lots of pictures, called family and friends, and I tried to learn how to nurse. That was probably the most frustrating/difficult part of the experience - but thanks to the night nurse Kathy, he finally caught on Sunday night. She was the greatest. We skyped with my family, and with friends on Sunday night. It was really neat to be able to communicate with our friends and family and actually see them! We met our pediatrician on Monday morning - and she said that Logan was healthy as could be. He had a hearing test and a few vaccines, but otherwise he was just with us. We felt pretty confident as we left the hospital on Monday at about Noon for home. All 3 of us.
After experiencing pregnancy, labor and delivery, and then the recovery period, I would say that the most difficult part for me was the recovery. Your hormones and emotions are all out of whack, there's a huge new addition to your life and you have all sorts of questions about how you're supposed to care for this new person. Plus your body is healing, and that can be pretty brutal. I say all that because I was expecting it to be a walk in the park after delivery! I thought that the tough part was done! BUT every body is different, and I have friends who say that the pregnancy was the hardest part, or the delivery. But every husband should know that they need to be extra sensitive with their wives following the birth of a baby! Thankfully, SB was forewarned by many women in our lives, and he was wonderful.
Ever since we learned that Logan's due date was April 3, I was a little nervous about the proximity to April Fool's Day. However, by the time we had dinner at the Creve Coeur Lake House restaurant on Friday, April 1, I was pretty sure that we were in the "safe zone" of not having an April Fool's Day baby! (that was the best part of the meal....the food left much to be desired! haha) We had a scheduled induction for 4:30pm on Sunday, April 3 -- however, it turns out that Logan had plans of his own! After eating, we came back to the house and watched a movie and then turned in.
At about 4:30am on Saturday, April 2 I woke up -- but I had trouble falling back asleep as my stomach wasn't feeling comfortable. At about 5:30, SB suggested we start timing the discomfort, and sure enough - the pain was happening at regular 3-4 minute intervals, for about a minute each. Turns out they were contractions! We kept timing the contractions (sidenote: if you are expecting, get a contraction app if you have a smart phone -- it helped us to keep track of how long they lasted, and the intervals between each), and then started to think about heading to the hospital. Our bags were already packed, but we added a few last-second items, and SB put them in his vehicle. At about 6:15 we decided to take the dogs to the kennel, and potentially head to the hospital. When we were all in the car SB asked if he had 30 seconds to grab something else, but by that time I was starting to really feel the contractions. Turns out he wanted to grab some running gear so that he could log a few miles while we were at the hospital! No joke :) We headed to the kennel sans running gear, dropped the dogs off, and then called the doctor's after hours number to alert them that I was having regular contractions and we were going to head in to the hospital.
We arrived at the hospital at around 7:30am and a nurse (who happens to work in our doc's office during the work week) got us ready and hooked up to a few machines to monitor contractions and see if I would be admitted. The contractions quickly picked up in intensity, and my doc gave her the ok to admit us (much to SB's surprise as he thought I was jumping the gun a bit!). From 7:30am to about 10:30am, I labored through contractions -- not really using any of the "techniques" we learned in the birthing class, but just gripping on to the bed and hoping for an epidural! Let me just say that before April 2, I was open-minded about whether or not I would use the meds. Once I felt the contractions though, I knew that an epidural would be very much welcomed!! For me, it was the greatest thing. I felt no pain, and the contractions continued. Scott and I watched a movie (The Sandlot), he grabbed breakfast and lunch in the hospital cafeteria, we talked to a few friends and family members to let them know how things were going, and we napped a bit in preparation for our arrival! At some point in the early afternoon a different doctor came in to break my water. At about 4:20pm, our nurse Dawn (who was assisted by a nursing student, Christine) helped me start to push. My doctor (who, thankfully, was on-call that weekend), and a pediatrician and several additional nurses arrived at about 5:10pm, and by 5:20pm we were holding Logan! The pushing part was a breeze, more or less, thanks to the epidural! The delivery was such an emotional experience. It was amazing that all of a sudden we had brought a beautiful, healthy baby boy into this world. He was perfect. Scott and I felt such joy, pride, and love -- it was awesome. I couldn't stop smiling. When I was preggers, I would cry every time I watched TLC's Baby Story, but I didn't shed a single tear when Logan arrived -- I was just filled with such intense happiness and pride.
We stayed in the delivery room for a little while, and then they transported all 3 of us to our recovery room. At some point I ordered dinner from the hospital cafeteria, SB headed out to get dinner at Chick-Fil-A (along with a tasty milkshake for us to share), and then we settled in and watched a little of the UCONN vs. Kentucky Final 4 game. Unfortunately for SB, Kentucky lost -- but both of us were pretty transfixed on our little guy to care too much about the game. We kept him in the room with us till about midnight, and then decided to take advantage of the nursery to allow us to get some sleep (well, as much sleep as SB could get on the uncomfortable pull-out bed!).
Over the course of Sunday and Monday morning we changed diapers, cuddled our little guy, took lots of pictures, called family and friends, and I tried to learn how to nurse. That was probably the most frustrating/difficult part of the experience - but thanks to the night nurse Kathy, he finally caught on Sunday night. She was the greatest. We skyped with my family, and with friends on Sunday night. It was really neat to be able to communicate with our friends and family and actually see them! We met our pediatrician on Monday morning - and she said that Logan was healthy as could be. He had a hearing test and a few vaccines, but otherwise he was just with us. We felt pretty confident as we left the hospital on Monday at about Noon for home. All 3 of us.
After experiencing pregnancy, labor and delivery, and then the recovery period, I would say that the most difficult part for me was the recovery. Your hormones and emotions are all out of whack, there's a huge new addition to your life and you have all sorts of questions about how you're supposed to care for this new person. Plus your body is healing, and that can be pretty brutal. I say all that because I was expecting it to be a walk in the park after delivery! I thought that the tough part was done! BUT every body is different, and I have friends who say that the pregnancy was the hardest part, or the delivery. But every husband should know that they need to be extra sensitive with their wives following the birth of a baby! Thankfully, SB was forewarned by many women in our lives, and he was wonderful.
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