BeBa

Baby Time: A Fast, Fun Keepsake Album

LANA nursing pads are THE BOMB. Love them. I am a bigtime leaker and these contain the overflow wonderfully. Plus they are so soft and warm and I don't have to deal with that sour milk smell that pervades disposable nursing pads.

This baby keepsake album! My MIL got it for my 10 year old to help chronicle Jake's babyhood. It's perfect! And my 10 yo DD feels SO important to be in charge of this important documentation.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Ten years ago my very, very dear friend V turned me on to Kenny Loggins' Return to Pooh Corner lullaby CD. I spent hours rocking my babies listening to this beautiful, relaxing CD and it's sequel. Probably the last time I listened to it recently, however, was when my seven year old Mir was a baby.

So when Scott loaded it up for me this morning while I was rocking the boy? A flood of memories and INSTANT waterworks! Oh dear, I should have sensitized myself to it. And then just when I was recovered from that first emotional whiplash, this song came on. I ask you?? What mama can hear this (again) without turning into a puddle?

Turn Around

Where are you goin' my little one, little one?
Where are you goin' my baby my own?
Turn around and you're two
Turn around and you're four
Turn around and you're a young girl
Going out the door

Chorus
Turn around
Turn around
Turn around and you're a young girl
Going out of the door
(Turn around and you're a young wife
With babes of your own)

Where are you goin' my little one, little one?
Little dirndles and petticoats, where have you gone?
Turn around and you're tiny
Turn around and you're grown
Turn around and you're a young wife
With babes of your own

Chorus

Where are you goin' my little one, little one?
Where are you goin' my baby my own?

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Pregnancy notes   : :   Belly  : :   Ultrasounds   : :   Birth   : :   Baby gear

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Bumgenius-diagram

Oh, I was resistant to do the cloth diapering thing. In large part because just researching the topic is so overwhelming and presented a timesuck challenge. I've slowly been coming round to the idea, especially after I kind of accidentally discovered the bumGenius 2.0 option recently.

What sealed it for me, though, was when I got my LANA nursing pads and tried them on earlier this week. OMG, they are SO soft and comfortable. I'm really sold on the concept – especially in how they compare to the disposable nursing pads I was using when I breastfed my other babies. It got me to thinking that I want Jakey to be that much more comfy, too.

My girls never had any problems with disposable diapers, but I am anticipating a more sensitive baby this time, based on Scott's skin sensitivities, particularly with contact allergic reactions. Also, there is some speculation about disposable diapers and the longterm fertility consequences for boys.

Anyway, there are a ton of good reasons for me to consider cloth diapering, especially since I work from home and we can afford the more convenient alternatives like fitteds, pockets and all-in-ones.

So I dug in, did my homework and have decided: We're going to do it. (And for the record, Scott is all for it, too. In fact, he's actually wanted me to CD all along because he thinks it's best for baby, environment, etc., BUT he didn't want to be pushy since I'm the one who will be doing the majority of the work (have I mentioned I ADORE this man). So he was pretty happy to see me researching and getting serious about this alternative.

The initial cloth diaper stash will look something like this:

Kissaluvs-colors-galores

For newborn stage (0-4 months):

• Three dozen Kissaluvs fitteds – size 0 – These seem to be universally hailed for newborns and explosive BF poop containment. I think I will feel very comfortable investing in a stash of these to get us through the first few months. (They are not so popular for older babies that have a greater bladder capacity and don't need to be changed with every feeding – absorbency apparently becomes an issue…)

Dream-eze-fitteds

For older baby (5+ months) – just considering for now; won't buy at first:

• Dream-eze fitteds (organic cotton and organic velour) – These are wildly popular, but also significantly more expensive than the Kissaluvs. Because they are so expensive, I'm wary about stashing a large supply of them for the newborn stage (which is relatively short compared to the length of time babies can wear the larger sizes). Also, I have a feeling we'll be using the bumGenius 2.0 once Jakey has chubbed out a bit.

• One dozen bumGenius one size – This seems like a low risk investment… over the course of 2-3 years I imagine we'll get enough use out of a dozen of these to warrant the risk of buying that many up front. And if it turns out to be a love affair at any point of the diaper stage, I will just buy more! Most of the complaints I've read about these have been in regard to their fit on a newborn.

Stacinator-fleece-leopa
rd

Assorted covers to try before making decisions about next size up:

• Bummi's Super Whisper Wrap – Wildflower Diapers is offering a free one of these per dozen Kissaluvs, so will have three of these on hand.
• Imse Vimse organic cotton – I'd like to try one of these
• Stacinator fleece – I want one in the leopard – so cute!
• Wonder Wraps – one size  | reviews
• And I'm thinking a couple wool covers, too: Like maybe this one? I also may try an Aristocrats. I'm really sold, in theory, on wool covers. I'm curious to see how they play out in practice.
• gDiaper starter kit – For $25, I think these are worth trying out. Even if we don't cotton to the flushable inserts (harrr), cloth diapering moms rave about the quality and effectiveness of the covers (plus they are really cute)!

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Diaper butt

Hybrid?!

Check out these gdiapers!

Clever, clever. Aside from the cute little diaper covers, the inner liner is disposable. And not just disposable, my friends, but flushable.

Aside from the big environmental benefit here, how much would I LOVE to not have stinky bins of diapers around my house??

The materials in ‘little g’ pants, liners and flushables are designed with comfort and dryness in mind. Flushables are made of a water resistant, breathable outer material that keep bottoms dry and wetness away. It is made of all natural fiber and is 100% biodegradable. The interior uses elemental chlorine-free tree farmed fluff pulp and Super Absorbing Poly-acrylate to absorb wetness. These super absorbing lock away cells hold up to 100 times their weight in liquid.

Snap-in liners are made of breathable polyurethane coated nylon, not pvc like many diaper covers. They are easy to change and rinse out. Our liners are also breathable which helps prevent diaper rash.

Our ‘little g’ pants are made of a soft, breathable outer cotton/elastene fabric giving them a slight stretch.

gdiapers – diaper covers

I'm completely intrigued by this innovation. They do not represent any kind of cost savings over conventional disposable diapers – let alone cloth. In fact, of course, they are pricier. But if they are all that they are marketed to be, they certainly marry the best of both worlds – and even trump both!

So, I do believe we're going to try them out once the babe is here. I'll let y'all know how they work out.

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

First baby toys

27 weeks today! And it's just all baby, all the time on this blog now, isn't it? Definitely this is a very consuming stage of pregnancy. I'm getting very excited to meet my little guy.

This was one of our weekends sans kids, so Scott and I spent some time shopping and putting the finishing touches on Jake's room. Got the bedding into the crib, hung some cute wall hangings, folded little baby clothes and put them away (still have to pull them all out again in a couple months or so and wash them and fold them and put away again, but I don't mind – nesting is no chore.

Entirely unexpected that it would play out this way, but it turns out that Jakey has a fully furnished nursery. There's even a glider rocker! The ONE item from my girls' babyhoods that survived for Jake (mainly because I was a smart mama and picked a non-nursery upholstery, so the glider has long been a fixture in the living room these past 11 years). Still in perfect shape!

Enough of my babbling! Pictures!

Wall hangings by Gina Atkinson

Jake’s room

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

What are you going to do with your tax return?
Submitted by KB.

We just spent some of it today! From the Wendy Bellissimo Honey Collection.

Crib

Dresser

They are on order and should arrive within 1-2 weeks.

We also got a lamp and a couple cute baskets – also Wendy Bellissimo collection. I just LOVE her baby line!

Eep, this is FUN!!!! 

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

This weekend our 18 year old daughter M moved out and on to the next phase of her life (dorm living!). I hope it goes well for her. That means we had a bit of a room shuffle: A moved downstairs into M's old room, freeing up a room for Jakey. Not that he'll be using it anytime soon – he's likely to spend most of his first year in mommy's and daddy's room – but this certainly solves some space and storage issues in the meantime.

Sunday evening and yesterday we spent some time transferring the baby clutter gear into the new "nursery." It's so nice to have my dresser top and some bedroom floor space back! It's also nice to have the stuff out of boxes and hopefully completely outgassed by the time Jake makes his arrival. The fabric on the crib and stroller really stinks!

Here's what we have assembled so far…

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

They make just the CUTEST baby carriers these days.

I've had my eye on a mei tei ever since I saw a mama toting her baby in one locally. But seeing as how I already have THREE slings, I thought I'd wait to get one after Jake's arrival.

Well, then I heard about a sale on BabyHawk mei teis ($12 off!), plus I had an opportunity to leverage Scott's guilt over being obsessed with a video game most of the day today, so I took advantage of them both.

BabyHawk has a gorgeous fabric selection, by the way. It was so hard to choose!

So this little beauty is on order. Yay!!

BabyHawk mei tei

Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Since my youngest kiddo currently is a big girl of 7 and I thought she was my last, I am starting all over again with baby gear! Not that we need a lot – relatively – but still I know what I want and need based on past experience. I started getting a little anxious over the past week about making some decisions. So I made my list and commenced with some purchases. Here's the booty so far.

I just got the CUTEST diaper bag today. I saw it online first at Babies R Us and put it in my registry. Then I discovered it at a locally owned mama and baby shop and picked it up today. I can't wait to use it!

Disco Dots Laminated Diaper Bag

Amazing I still have the "second stage" diaper bag I used with Mir. It's a classic, grown-up style and I use it regularly for excursions! It's a chocolate brown small sling style backpack from Land's End. The sling strap even unzips so you can carry it like a traditional backpack when desired. Apparently, they don't sell them anymore. Too bad, because it's way cuter than any other diaper bag I see on their site. I disposed of the changing pad part of it quite a number of years ago, but that's easy enough to replace. It's the perfect diaper bag when baby is a little older and doesn't need as much… stuff for outings as newborns require. And the thing still looks like new. It's held up beautifully.

I also found – after tons of Internet research, talking with other mamas for user feedback, etc. – two perfect slings for babywearing. The first one is a pouch style sling – which is a very streamlined style – that is adjustable. I like my babies snug and high up against me, so adjustable was key (in the past I've used a padded ring sling – fully adjustable, but that style is just too hot for Phoenix – especially a summer baby, BUT they are comfortable because the shoulder is so padded and I do happen to have a one on hand that my sister-in-law has loaned me).

My main around-the-house sling will be this Mamma's Milk beauty in Inclination (100% cotton). She has some gorgeous silk fabrics also, but word on the street is that this fabric is considerably hotter than the cotton.

I also ordered a ring sling in blue Solarveil from Wallypop – the most comfortable solution for babywearing in hot weather climates, I hear!

Solarveil is a 70 SPF, breathable mesh fabric. This sling will be great for whatever time we spend outside this summer (an occasion I intend to assiduously avoid!), but it also dries very quickly so it's also perfect for slinging baby in the swimming pool or shower.

Oh, lookie what I just found: A picture of me slinging baby Mir. (I gave this sling away ages ago and it still looked like new. It was very hot, though, even for Ohio weather… all that shoulder padding.)

Mir loved to snuggle in her sling

Read and post comments | Send to a friend