I worried, but he pratically had no idea we were gone

Sunday, my hubby and I went to a church retreat. I'll write more on the retreat later. This post is simply about having to leave my baby boy behind for the firs time. RC is 2.5 years old now and spent his first nights away from home and away from family for 2 nights while we took Tank (aka Little Critter) to a church retreat for staff and staff in training.

I was very nervous. We wanted to bring RC home from church and take him to his friends house. They were taking him to lunch after church instead so we had to say goodbye at church. RC just gave us a look like "okay you can leave now. You've said goodbye like a million times." I wanted to just cry.

I knew he was in good hands and with one of his older friends he just loves to hang out with (and sadly will be moving halfway across the WORLD soon!), but I still just couldn't help but worry how he would do come bedtime.

Well he did fantastic. In fact, my friend said he went with no paci for both nights! He did get a little sad when my friend walked to our place to bring our milk inside for us. He got to our apartment and said "mommy's back" and then got sad when he was told we weren't back.

He perked up fairly fast though. The bonus of being 2.5 years old!

Upon our return, he was happy to see us. Get gave me a big hug, got his shoes on and went out to "find da" as he says. He got to play with another friend when we got home.

Then it was bedtime. Oh how he did not want to go to bed without his paci. We kept it away at first and let him cry for a little bit. Then we went back in as he wasn't settling down. He wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with me. It broke my heart. He usually wants to "nuggle" at bedtime and read stories with me. He wanted none of it before his complete breakdown or after.

He finally fell asleep with no paci to wake not 30 minutes later crying again. He was practically still asleep during this fit. Travis decided to let him have the paci...and what does he do. Immediately stop crying and fully pass out.

Oh how I wish he would ditch that paci. I am so thankfully he did great for his first time away from home, but tomorrow I pray he wants nuggles from mommy again!!!

Finally a new nickname

I have finally decided on a new nickname for Little Critter. He just isn't "little." After all at 4.5 months he is weighing in at 17.5 pounds and 27 inches! Not exactly little at 18 weeks.

So Little Critter will now be known as "Tank!" I think it fits him better. He even smiles wen you call him that!

Above is Tank at 18 weeks. He is wearing an 18 month onesie! Yes I didn't miss type...that's 18 months! He is moving into 12-18 month clothing depending on what it is. Some pants are too long but 6-9 are kinda too short and a little tight. So instead, Tank will be sporting some awesome leggings from Babylegs. They are way cuter than pants anyway and make for much easier diaper changes!

Newborn Cloth Diapers - The Good, The Bad, The Not Worth It

We began cloth diapering with RC around two months old. We had to wait because RC wasn't big enough to fit the BumGenius 4.0 one size diapers we had bought for him. We had opted to skip newborn cloth diapers due to the cost at the time and from the original research on cloth diapers I had done, I had found that he should have been able to fit the one size diapers. Well he would have had he been more of an 8-9 pound baby. Instead he was 6 pounds 15 ounces and super skinny!

Well then it was time for baby #2. We still have a great stash of one size diapers, but again no newborn cloth. We decided to invest in some newborn cloth to get us through the first month - two months. Yes I hate disposables that much that I opted for newborn cloth that would only be used a short time.

Tiny Tush Mini Elite

GroVia Newborn AIO

Thirsties Duo Wrap - size 1

Planet Wise Cover - size 1

Bummis Tiny Bots

Prowrap - newborn size

 For the fun of it and so it maybe helps someone else, I decided to post the pros/cons I saw for each of the newborn diaper we used.

My favorites were the Newborn Blueberry Basix & the Bummis Tiny Bots. The covers were great in the first few weeks, but now that he is about 2 months old, we are having major leaking/wicking issues in less than an hour. That means I get one use and then have to move onto a new diaper. The nice thing about covers is being able to reuse them and right now that isn't happening.

I also loved the fit of the GroVia's but those were quickly outgrown, especially in the rise. My Little Critter was in the 90th percentile for height at birth. Needless to say we may have many rise issues with him!

Overall I was happy with all the diapers I picked for the first several months. I think it was worth the money spent as well since he went through so many diapers in the beginning. Since Little Critter is gaining weight like crazy he has outgrown all but a few covers. Those probably won't last much longer either!
Now we are onto the one size diapers that big brother RC has used for the past two years. I did, however, just recently purchase a few new brands to try out with Little Critter.
*These are my own thoughts. No one paid me or provided any of the diapers. I purchased my diapers from Abby's Lane (not a referral link).

Brand/Type	Size/Weight	Price	Pros	Cons
Newborn Blueberry Basix	Fits 6-16 lbs	$17.95	Umbilical cord notch Prints & Solids Easy to stuff Fits longer	Snap only Slightly bulky Long air dry time
Thirsties Duo All In One	Size 1: 6-18 lbs	$15	Snap or Aplix Prints & Solids No stuffing Fits longer	Slightly bulky Leaks/wicks quickly with a heavy wetter Long air dry time
Bummis Tini Fit by Tots Bots-New!	Fits 5-14 lbs	$18.95	Trim Fit Good absorbency Fits longer	Aplix only Solid colors only Difficult to stuff Long air dry time
GroVia Newborn All In One	Fits 5-12 lbs	$14.95	Trim Fit Prints & Solids	Snap only Low Rise Leaks/wicks quickly with heavy wetters Quickly outgrow (especially rise if long baby) Long air dry time
Tiny Tush Elite Mini Pockets	Fits 4-15 lbs	$18.95	Snap or Aplix Prints & Solids 4 rise adjustment for better fit Easy to stuff Fits longer Air dries quickly	Slightly bulky Leaks/wicks quickly with heavy wetter
Thirsties Duo Diapers	Size 1: 6-18 lbs	$17.50	Double Gusset Prints & Solids for better fit Easy to stuff Fits longer Air dries quickly	Slightly bulky Leaks/wicks quickly with a heavy wetter
Thirsties Duo Wraps	Size 1: 6-18 lbs	$12.25	Double Gusset Snap or Aplix Prints & Solids Use with favorite insert for better fit Fits longer Air dries quickly	Leaks/wicks on the outside with heavy wetter
Planet Wise Diaper Cover	Size 1: 6-18 lbs	$17.95	Double Gusset Use with favorite insert Double row of snaps for better fit Fits longer Air dries quickly	Snap only Prints only Wicks on the outside with heavy wetter
Bummis Super Brite Cover	Small 8-16 lbs	$12.65	Double Gusset Use with favorite insert Fits longer Air dries quickly	Aplix only Prints only Leaks/wicks quickly with heavy wetter May not fit for a couple weeks
Prorap Classic Cover	Newborn 6-10 lbs	$8.50	Double Gusset Inexpensive Use with favorite insert Air dries quickly	Aplix only White only Leaks/wicks quickly outside with heavy wetter Quickly outgrow NB size

My Big One Month Old

It's hard to believe it's already been one month since Little Critter was born...actually almost 5 weeks already! Little Critter isn't too little though! He might need a new nickname already. At his 2 week check up he had gone from 8 pounds 4 ounces (at 4 days old) to 9 pounds 7 ounces! Then he jumped to 11 pounds one day before turning 1 month old! He doesn't seem big though. I'm not sure where he is putting it all! He is definitely a big eater. We will be in trouble come teenage years between RC and Little Critter for sure.

So far Little Critter just eats, sleeps and poops...just like all babies! LOL He is starting to "wake up" and he is starting tell stories too. He loves to give squishes like his big brother RC.

I've had a blast cloth diapering him so far as well. One of these days I will write a blog post on which diapers have been my favorites, which have not been and why.

 

Postpartum Update

Well it's been 5 days since Little Critter was born. I came home from the hospital on Sunday. So far recovery this time around seems so much easier. I'm not sure why exactly. Yesterday we went out for the morning for Little Critter's first doctor appointment and then went and ran a couple of errands before heading home. We were gone for about 4 hours, I wore Little Critter for most of it, and walked quite a bit. By the time we got home I was tired, but it was more I just needed to lay down and rest for just a bit. With RC, I would get pretty tired after just walking for 15 minutes or so and then need a nap for a couple of hours it seemed!

Today I actually sent my hubby to work! A friend came over for a bit to hang out and have lunch. For the most part I have been by myself all day. It hasn't been too bad. RC has only had a few listening and obeying issues we had to deal with this morning, but for the most part it has been a successful day on my own.

I also decided to try going without any Motrin today and have been feeling great! I am finally getting tired, but I think that's also because I have been sitting typing this and browsing the internet! LOL

Hopefully recovery continues to go quickly and we will be able to be out and about soon; I hate just sitting home.

 

Yes My Son Is Still Rear-Facing...

and will remain so for some time. Today my hubby asks me when RC can be forward facing. My response: when he outgrows the seat in rear facing. My hubby didn't exactly like that answer. He is a very specific kind of guy. So I started rattling off the specs of RC's car seat.

We have the MyRide 65 for him. This seat rear faces to 40 pounds. RC is about 26ish pounds. Height in rear facing is 1" below the top of the seat. That should mean RC needs to be about 39ish" I believe before he outgrows the height requirement.

All in all my final answer was between age 3 and 4. I then went on a bit later to explain that the AAP recommends now that children rear face until 2 years old AND until the reach the max requirements for their seat in rear facing mode. Today's seats are getting better and better to keep kids rear facing longer.

Little Critter's seat is the Graco Size4Me 70. It too rear faces to 40 pounds so he too will be rear facing for some time! This household is definitely pro extended rear-facing...even if hubby doesn't quite get it.

After all, if they don't know the difference, why switch them and chance a serious injury when all the statistics support extended rear-facing?

Pregnancy Update: 39 weeks

Today was my 39 week check up (one day shy technically)! The doctor and I discussed what I was going to do if I reached 40 weeks and still hadn't started labor yet. She said there really seems to be nothing that indicates that I won't labor well, so she convinced me to be induced rather than schedule a repeat c-section. She said I will be induced slowly so that should help allow me and baby to endure labor better.

Today when she checked me I am still just 1 cm dilated. She decided to go ahead and attempt to scrap my membranes which she did, but she didn't sound hopeful that that will help get labor started. We'll see what happens over the next few days. Hopefully it works and things get started so I don't have to be induced.

If not though, she let me pick when I wanted to be induced! So naturally I chose my due date since she said there was no reason to wait until I was 41 weeks to do it. So next Wednesday I will go into my 40 week check to get a foley catheter put into place and an NST to make sure Little Critter handles it well. Then Thursday morning (not sure of time yet) we'll head to the hospital for induction if the foley catheter doesn't work!

Hopefully things get started naturally and if they do, I predict this to happen this weekend when Travis and I are due to be in a preaching course all weekend at church!

No matter what we should be holding Little Critter by next Thursday (or maybe Friday if I labor long)!

Pregnancy Update - 37 weeks & 1 day

Officially full-term! Little Critter is welcome to come at any time now! Yesterday was my 37 week check. Things are still looking good. No additional dilation...still barely a 1. Currently just trying to get any last minute things done and keep up with things like the cloth diapers, house work, etc. all so that when he decides to come, there isn't 3 days worth of diapers to wash for RC and none for him to wear!

Next week at my 38 week check I will be having an ultrasound to check his estimated weight. Their purpose for this they say is for me to then decide if I still want to try for labor after c-section or just have another c-section. So far I don't think they will be able to sway me into another c-section unless they can come to me with medical proof why it is necessary. We'll see how it all goes.

I can't wait to meet Little Critter. Hopefully it won't be too much longer!

Pregnancy Update: Hospital Trial Run!

Oh a trial run was not what we were wanting Sunday...at least not at 10pm!

It all started on Saturday night after I was in bed. I rolled over and ouch was it painful. I could tell it wasn't a contraction it was just pain. It went away as soon as I got settled into a position. I'd roll and it would hurt again.

By Sunday morning, I was in excruciating pain. It didn't help that I ended up sitting on a hard floor at church with Richard for a while either. That day, I could barely walk. The pain was horrible. Once I got walking, it felt a little better. It was still there, but at least was a stabbing pain. I'd stop, sit down or lay down and as soon as I got up...stabbing pain. Once it almost sent me to the floor.

I called the doctor's after hour number, left a message to be called and took a nap. No call. Later I tried again. Still no return call. Finally I called back a third time and they physically called the person versus paging them. Verdict...go be checked out at labor and delivery since the pain had been constant all day. Though by this point with the research I had done, I was pretty sure it was all normal and I just had to deal with it. Oh the joys of pregnancy!

My poor hubby was exhausted and here I was having to go say..."no you're not going to bed, we're going to the hospital to be checked after all!" So here we were grabbing my bags just in case, telling one of our exchange students that was due to be driven to the airport at 7am the next day that we had to leave and be checked out. I told him, all should be okay and we should be back soon, but for some reason if we are not...we'll make sure someone is here by 7am to get you to the airport. At first, he thought I was joking with him!

At the hospital I get hooked up to be monitored and checked. It was very hard to describe the pain properly. It was constant yet by constant I mean it would be sharp pain all day if I moved...except if I walked for a really long time. LOL The nurse definitely looked confused.

All in all after Little Critter was stubborn with being on the monitor, she finally got enough reading to call the doctor. It was decided that it was just round ligament stretching and for me to go home, take Tylenol and perhaps a warm bath. Just as I figured...pretty much a waste of time to go up; however, I did get to realize I need to go buy some additional contact cases because apparently, I only have one! LOL

So here I am two days later, round ligament pain mostly gone and back to back pain! I suppose I'll take the back pains over the round ligament pains any day at least if it's as bad as it was Sunday. I think I much rather would have preferred being in labor!

I still am not 100% sure how I'll proceed with my delivery options of Little Critter. I want to try for labor after c-section, but I am thinking if Little Critter doesn't decide to come on his own and they were to need to induce me, that I would rather have a c-section instead.

What would you do if your first was emergency c-section due to cord around foot and no signs of labor started...second time around would you opt for c-section automatically or trying for labor?

Baby Shower from Church Friends

My friends at church threw me a baby shower recently. It was amazing. It was a great time of fellowship, eating yummy food, playing fun games, and celebrating my Little Critter.

The girls did an great job with everything. It really made me feel so loved with the effort that went into the shower and all those that came to show their support.

 The game they did was pretty funny. Since we cloth diaper, they were going to get scraps of cloth to have teams make a diaper out of. Instead toilet paper had to be used and the goal was to create a cloth diaper and I had to pick the winning team. Let's just say I couldn't stop laughing!

Here are 3rd and 4th place. We have on the left a cloth diaper with suspenders and "sumo" baby cloth diaper with a bonnet included. LOL
 

The top two where tough to decide between. The runner up included a tool belt with their cloth diaper. It holds things like paci's, bottles, etc.

The number one really had me laughing so hard I thought I was going to need to pause and use the restroom!

The whole "outfit" included a cloth bib that once the top was wet through, you could simply remove and the next available bib would be ready. The hat was an all weather hat. It had removable ear flaps for when it was too hot outside! The best part was the cloth diaper...it was a cloth diaper meant for newborn through toddler years and even had access for potty training! Genius idea!

 As I opened all my gifts, someone at the party creates a hat from parts of the wrapping paper and tissue. Here's mine...complete with curly bangs!

 The cup cakes were delicious and had homemade chocolate toppings on them!

Here's a shot of everyone at the party. It's hard to imagine that with RC, I had no one here and now I have all these lovely ladies in my life!

Pregnancy Update 34 Weeks

Wow it seems like forever since I updated last. Okay, in pregnancy life...4 weeks is forever! LOL

So far Little Critter is doing well. He is currently measuring slightly small; at least my belly is measuring slightly small. At 38 weeks the doctor said I will have an ultrasound to measure his weight to better determine if I still want to try for labor after c-section (TFLAC). That answer right now is not changing from YES!

My next appointment is at 36 weeks and then will be weekly from there. Next time I get to have all the "fun" stuff done. The strep test gets done and they are going to start checking for dilation, etc.

I gained another 3 pounds. Oops...I was a bit naughty with the whole carbs to protein ratio. Must do better at that! I don't want to blow my chance for a TFLAC after all! Over all weight gain though is still only about 10 pounds from where I started at my first OB appointment, so I am happy with that. We won't count the weight I lost and then gained back plus the 10! ;) LOL

I am also starting to have possible Braxton Hick's contractions. At least from what I described to the doctor she thinks that I am. Which is perfectly normal at this stage but also is pushing me to get my bag packed, instructions for washing diapers for Travis, and a bag for Richard together for when he needs to go with a friend! This time I really want to be ready and currently....I am NOT!

We did finally get a big chair out of our room and a small space started for Little Critter. He will be in our room for a week or more depending on when he comes until his room is available. Our last exchange student leaves around June 20th, so it won't be until then that Little Critter gets his own room. We are not co-sleepers here nor are we sharers of our bedroom.

 For now I am trying to get as much sleep as I can. Nights are starting to already get adjusted to up every few hours. It really is amazing how much one has to pee during pregnancy even when you don't drink anything! I guess it's the body's way of preparing for all those late night feedings!

Now it's time to get all the little details taken care of so we are prepared!