cloth diaper review

Well, lots of you know that I am using cloth diapers with Christopher. We started with disposables though because (a) I couldn't decide which cloth diapers to buy; (b) before you even enter parenthood, the diaper companies give you eleventy billion samples; and (c) several of my friends who have babies/children/progeny told me that cloth diapers don't really fit newborns so well. Well, senor C spent the first two weeks of his life in seventh generation disposables, and his poor little rump was so red. We used the diaper rash cream, and still, red rumpus. I felt so bad for him - it could not have felt comfortable.

Fast forward to this week when I tried out the cloth diapers I got from justsimplybaby.com. They are pocket diapers like fuzzibuns, only less expensive and with cuter designs imho. They have this really soft interior that keeps C's bum dry. C is super fussy when his diaper is wet (can't really blame him), and last night he didn't make a squwak about his discomfiture for the entirety of the newest Harry Potter dvd release (yeah, we're dorks. so what?). And when I changed the diaper? Soiled, but C's butt was dry as a bone and not at all red. Oh! And the other bonus is that they're just as easy as disposables. They snap right on and off, and actually the cloth wipes are way better at cleaning than disposable wipes (which mostly just seem to spread poo around). Although they still look kinda big on him, C's so cute that I don't think anyone will judge him. :)

So short story is these diapers are great, and I'm really not regretting my decision to cloth diaper at all. Thus far, C's happy with his dry bum, and I'm happy with the no leaks and the easy changing aspect.

Woefully overdue blog update

Well, it's now been three weeks since Mr. Christopher was born, and I feel like I can finally stop to take a breath. Adjusting to life with a newborn has been wonderful, but also probably the hardest thing I've ever done. I mean, it's not like I went into this blind or anything: people told me about the sleepless nights I would have and how I would be tired and how breastfeeding was hard. But whoa. In no particular order, here are the ways my life has changed in the last twenty odd days.

1. Sleep. As in, I am getting a lot less of it these days because C likes to eat. A lot. In the middle of the night. When we were still in the hospital, it was the worst. My milk hadn't come in yet, so C was getting colostrum (a mother's first milk- there's much less than the regular milk, and it's quite thick). C's stomach was tiny tiny when he was born- like the size of a cherry or something I think, so needless to say, it was quick to fill and quick to empty. Which meant he liked to eat probably every hour or so. Nowadays, he sleeps longer. Around 6 pm, he starts eating lots and he'll usually sleep from 8 pm to midnight or one. We're working on getting him to bed later and later each night so his bedtime becomes convenient for the whole family. Then after his long 4-5 hour sleep, he'll usually go in about 2 or 3 hour intervals for the rest of the night. Which means, he wakes around 2 or 3, then 4 or 5, then 6 or 7. At 7ish, he's usually pretty awake for the morning. The two or three hour middle of the night intervals wouldn't be so bad, except that changing him, feeding him, burping him, and soothing him back to sleep take an hourish (give or take), so then there's only hour or two to sleep before he's awake again, and you're going through the whole rigamarole again.

2. Breastfeeding. Is hard. And it hurts. But, like people keep telling me, it gets better. And actually, it is. I am going to keep doing it. At least through tomorrow. This is what I have been telling myself the last two weeks whilst curling my toes in agony each time C latches on. More on this when I have a better attitude on the matter.

3. Laundry. Lots. And more to come now that C is wearing his cloth diapers (which incidentally are very big looking on an eight pound baby). The diapers we got are gonna be great, I think. No leaks thus far. And there's basically as easy as disposables. Since C is exclusively breastfed, his poo is water soluable and just rinses straight away in the washer. Aside from the poopy diapers, there have been several incidents of getting peed on (Sean and me both - and actually C once peed on himself too- poor baby- mommy and daddy stink at changing diapers). And milk residue. And spit up.

4. The flooded living room. Yes, you read that right. That's a story for another post, but suffice it to say the water heater broke, and we've been without use of our living room for a week now. All of our furniture and everything from the closets is now in our kitchen/dining room/family room. It's really awesome. Especially the nasty dirty water/wet carpet smell. Like I said, more on that with pictures next time.

5. Eating (me, not C). Been trying to do less of this and remove the 40ish (yes- you read that right- please don't judge me) pounds I put on while I was pregnant. Happily, twenty of those pounds are gone already, and this big mama is on the Weight Watchers train to get rid of the other twenty plus a little extra.

Christopher makes his internet debut.

Welcome to the world, Christopher Scott!

Well, as many of you know, at my 40 week appointment, I told my doctor I was ready to be done being pregnant. I didn't really think he'd take me seriously, but to my surprise, he said, "Well, then, let's schedule you for an induction. When are you available?" Here's baby Christopher's birth story- the condensed version.

Sean and I decided to have the baby induced on his due date, March 26, 2011. So the night before, in my usual anal retentive manner, I repacked all the hospital bags. And Sean and I had a really nice dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in town, Rosemary's. When we got home, I was much too excited and nervous to sleep, and I spent the majority of the night awake and waiting in anticipation.

The next morning, I had a big breakfast as my doctor informed me I wouldn't be able to eat anything once I was admitted. I had a waffle and eggs and sausage, and it was amazing. We stopped on the way to hospital to get some muffins for the nursing staff (bribery will get you everywhere, I've found).

About a block away from the hospital, I looked over at Sean and noticed that he had tears in his eyes. I, being the sensitive-natured woman I am, started picking on him to stop being such a baby and that nothing had even happened yet. Sean informed me he was not being emotional; he'd merely bitten his tongue. Well, I happened to think this was hilarious, and I stared laughing hysterically. So hysterically, in fact, that I thought I'd peed my pants. Until I realized that even when I stopped laughing, I was still peeing my pants. I finally realized: my water had broken. Luckily, I'd thought ahead and worn black yoga pants, so hopefully no one in the hospital lobby noticed mah wet drawers.

Anyway, so we get upstairs to labor and delivery, and of course, the staff was expecting us, and I informed them I believed my water had broken in the parking lot. They did a check and confirmed that it had. (Nice timing, Swimmy). So, because I hadn't started contracting on my own, they started me on athen IV of fluid followed by more fluid and pitocin. When the contractions started, they felt sort of like intense cramps, and I thought, "No problem, I can handle this." A few hours later, the cramps had turned into the most intense pain I had ever felt in my entire life. I can see why those women on the reality tv pregnancy shows I watch scream in agony. I myself am not a yeller, and I spent my contractions holding Sean's hand, trying to do yoga breathing, and stopping the tears from coming out my eyes. When the nurse returned to my room and checked my cervix, I'd dilated to 6 cm. I asked if I could please have an epidural.

The aenesthesiologist came in, and while he was sort of a weird dude, to me he was like an angel sent from heaven. An epidural is a very weird feeling when they are putting the catheter in. It's like the feeling when you hit your funny bone, only over and over for a few seconds and in your spine. For me, that was most uncomfortable part of the epidural experience- I had heard that the numbing agent was most unpleasant, but I personally found that electrical feeling was worse. And then, twenty minutes later, like magic, I felt no more contractions. I was so relaxed, in fact, that I fell asleep for about an hour. Amazing.

When the nurse checked me again, I was about 8 cm, and they called the doctor to let him know I was progressing quickly. He arrived just as I'd completed dilating, and he told me about how the pushing would work. I did a few practice pushes, and the doctor told me how, with first time moms, a lot of time, pushing takes a while because the baby will come down the birth canal and then float back up because those muscles had never been stretched before. So, I mentally prepared myself for the hard work ahead.

So with the first three contractions, I pushed with all my might. After the first push, I heard Sean say holy sh!t, and he told me the baby's heafd was out. Then, push again, and push again, and a room full of people was yelling at me to STOP! OPEN YOUR EYES! And when I looked down, there was my baby. He was very blue. And silent. Until the nurse started rubbing him, and then whoa! The lungs on this kid, I tell you what. He can scream with the best of 'em.

Finally, they handed my baby to me, and he fell silent and looked right at me. Holding Christopher for the first time was an amazing thing that I will never, ever forget.