Luke has just started laughing.
For the past several weeks he's been making little squeals and amused noises, but now he's upped his game. He is genuinely laughing.
Saturday night Steven and I met our friends, Heath and Brettany, for dinner. Towards the end of the meal Luke started getting fussy so Steven held him so he was facing Heath and bounced him. As soon as he saw Heath he just started laughing! Heath was smiling at him, but he wasn't doing anything he hadn't been doing throughout the meal. It didn't matter. To Luke, Heath was the FUNNIEST. THING. EVER.
He laughed and giggled for at least 10 minutes which, of course, made the 4 of us crack up. What really made us lose it was when he would stop laughing, look concerned for a few seconds, then start up again for no reason. I'm sure the fine folks at Outback Steakhouse thought we were a few cards shy of a full deck, but you try keeping a straight face in front of a laughing baby!
P.S. If I have the camera handy the next time he does this, watch out. The adorableness will be EPIC.
Luke's Baby Pictures
OK, I am the worst mommy-blogger ever. We had a photographer take pictures of Luke when he was 3 weeks old and I'm just now posting them. Even if you consider that it took him 4 weeks to edit and get them back to me, these are still 11 weeks late.
Luckily, I havea few nine of my favorites to distract you, courtesy of Jack Morton.
Luckily, I have
Is it wrong that the shots of him being serious are my favorite?
After Luke went down for his nap in the bassinet, I had Jack snap a few photos of the nursery. The room is too small for me to get any decent pictures, but Jack's fish-eye lens did the trick!
All photos by Jack Morton, Morton Photography
P.S. - I learned one very important thing doing this photo session. 3 weeks wasn't the best age for pictures. He was too alert to do the squshy, sleepy pictures you see of newborns and he was too young to be soothed or happy. So for future kid(s) we'll do his "first" pictures a little sooner.
You're So Vain, You Probably Think This Post Is About You
According to the baby books, a possible side effect of pregnancy is extra hair growth. Yes, your hair can look full and lustrous, but it won't last because all that extra hair will just fall out after the baby is born.
I never had the boost in hair growth, but do you know what? My hair fell out anyway. I am losing hair like it's MY JOB. That doesn't sound so bad until you realize it's mostly falling out in the front. SEE:
You think that's embarrassing? I have another bald spot just like it on the other side. Most people probably wouldn't even notice it, but I don't care. I made an appointment with my hairdresser and got some bangs to hide my receding hairline.
Here's to hoping it grows back. If not, I'm getting a buzz-cut and a wig.
Happy 1/3 Birthday!
Luke is 4 months old today. Happy 1/3 Birthday to my favorite little guy in the world!
Product Review - gDiapers
I've already given you guys the basic run-down of our gDiapers, but I promised you guys a follow-up review. So, a review you shall get. I apologize in advance for the long-windedness. I know I had lots of questions when I was trying to pick a diaper system, so I am hoping to pay it forward with my new diaper knowledge.
For the first 3 weeks Luke was in disposables, for several reasons. Firstly, we had to wait until his cord stump fell off. (The newborn sized disposables the hospital sent home had a handy cord notch built right in.) Secondly, we had to wait until he was big enough. The size range for a size Small gDiaper is 8-14 pounds, but they still seemed too big until we was around 8.5 or 9 pounds.
NOTE: gDiapers does make a diaper for newborns but I didn't buy any. Mainly because they were insanely hard to get. At the time, the company only carried a limited stock and they ALWAYS ran out within a few hours of re-stocking their shop. Also, it seemed impractical to invest in cloth diapers he would outgrow at 8 pounds. Lastly, I thought the first few weeks would be crazy enough without the extra step of learning how to use fancy-schmancy diapers. I was right.
After his stump came off we switched to the gDiapers and I have been very happy with them. Here's how we use them:
AT HOME: When Luke is home, we use the gDiapers exclusively. We have a stash of 11 pants and 17 snap-in liners and that will typically last us a week. So, no, I'm not constantly doing laundry (see below). Sometimes I pre-load several diapers ahead of time or sometimes I just load them as I need them. It's such a simple process it doesn't really matter which way I do it. All wet inserts get composted. I flush the dirty inserts, but Steven thinks that's a pain so he tosses them in the trash. They biodegrade quickly, so it's not a big deal.
AT GRANDMA'S: We bought some extra gDiapers for Grandma to use at her house. Last I checked, she has 3 pants and 5 liners. She does laundry more often than I do, so that small amount does her just fine. Because she keeps multiple kids, flushing and composting is more than she has time for so all of her inserts go in the trash. Yes, in a perfect world, I would collect them at the end of the day and then flush or compost them myself, but this isn't a perfect world. I've got better things to do with my time.
ON THE ROAD: I only carry disposables in the diaper bag. I am not partial to a particular brand. I use any free diaper that comes my way - samples, gifts, "hand-me-downs" from other moms, whatever. If I have to buy them myself, I go with an eco-friendly brand. If I know we'll be away from the house for several hours, I change Luke into a disposable before we leave. It just makes changes easier if I don't have to figure out what to do with the used gDiaper should it get soiled. If the errands are going to be quick, I take him out in a gDiaper and hope we can get home before he needs a change. I also stick with disposables when we travel. There is enough baby gear to cart along without having to worry about the cloth diapering stuff.
PERFORMANCE: So far, I have no complaints. We've only had 1 or 2 blow-outs, but I am confident they would have been messy no matter what kind of diaper was in the line of fire. With a wet diaper, the liner and pants stay clean and only the insert is replaced. With a dirty diaper, sometimes the liner stays clean and sometimes it gets dirty. This is built into the system - the liner is detachable so it can be replaced if the pant is still usable. With a really messy diaper, all bets are off and everything ends up in the laundry. But, like I said, diaper explosions happen no matter what and you can't fault the gDiaper for that.
We did have an issue with absorbency as Luke was on the verge of switching from Small to Medium. Several times a day he would pee so much that he would saturate the insert and leak onto the pants and his clothes. I found that cutting an insert in half and placing it in the front of the diaper, underneath a full insert, would give us a boost in absorbency. As soon as we switched him to size Medium diapers the problem stopped. With future babies, I might size them up before they officially outgrow the small if I have the same problem.
LAUNDRY: Everything with poo on it gets pre-treated before it goes into the laundry hamper. The pants get a few squirts of Spray-N-Wash and the poopy liners get hosed down over the toilet.* Then I machine wash and air dry both the pants and the liners. gDiapers recommends air drying because it will extend the life of both products. It's really not a hassle. In warm weather I hang them on a clothes line outside and when it's cold/rainy I hang them on a drying rack in front of a window. Not only does this protect the gDiapers and save me some dough on my power bill, but there is an added bonus: natural sunlight has wonderful bleaching powers and my diapers look brand new after a few hours of sunbathing!
*My hospital sent me home with a wonderful little peri-bottle to clean my lady parts while I was still too sore/swollen/mangled to use toilet paper. I tell you this because that spray bottle is PERFECT for rinsing poop off of diapers.
PURCHASING: As far as I know, gDiapers are only available on-line. There may be some baby boutiques that carry them, but I haven't found a list of such stores. I buy all my gDiaper products (pants, liners and inserts) from Diapers.com. They carry just about anything you'd ever need for a baby with fast and cheap shipping. They also keep track of previous orders and offer a "quick re-order" option. I cannot recommend them enough.
The pants are sold as singles and in packs. It's more economical to buy the packs, but you only get orange and cream colored pants. If you want other colors you have to buy them individually. I went the cheap route, because he's a boy and nobody sees his diaper. However, I could understand wanting to buy cute patterned diapers if they're going to show under a girl's dress.
Each diaper comes with 1 snap-in liner. Since the liners generally need washing more often, they are also sold separately. (I have bought an extra pack of liners in both sizes - a life saver, really.) The inserts are sold in packs of 40, or you can buy a case of 160. Trust me, always buy in bulk. You can never have too many inserts. It's not like they don't keep. As you get started with a new size, definitely buy a bundle. You get 6 pants and a case of inserts at a discounted rate.
Whew. That was longer than I thought it would be. I feel like I have covered every angle, and then some, but if you have any questions leave me a comment and I'll try not to talk your ear off. If you need more info or want to talk to other gMoms and gDads check out their website and Facebook page.
As usual, nobody (not even Spray-N-Wash) paid me or perked me for this review. It's just little old me and my experience. I love gDiapers and diapers.com so much I had to spread the word!
I've Hit A New Low
I just bought a shirt from BJ's. You know, the discount warehouse where you can get 100 rolls of toilet paper and 6 pound blocks of cheese.
But, in my defense, it was only $8. I'm rather fond of the semi-matte sequins.
P.S. - As a busy mom on the go, it's easier to look pulled together if you wear tops with interesting details near the neckline. The detail acts like jewelry, so you look polished without putting in any extra effort. I read that somewhere and it's totally true.
End Of The Year Blow-Out - Everything Must Go!
As soon as Luke was big/strong enough, we have been putting him down for tummy time. Unfortunately he HATES it. He immediately starts to scream and has no interest in pushing up or rolling over.
Fast-forward to last weekend.
Steven and Luke were sitting on the couch when he had his first diaper blow-out. (Not Steven, Luke. Steven's up to diaper blow-out number 4.) This was an up-the-back blow-out and Luke was kind enough to get poop on himself and the blanket he was sitting on. The silver lining: Luke thinks pooping is HILARIOUS and grins and giggles during a diaper change. It's hard to be mad at something that cute.
We immediately sprang into action: I grabbed Luke and Steven started cleaning the blanket. Since Luke had poop on his back, his diaper and the seat of his pants I had no choice but to put him face-down on the changing table. You can probably guess where I am going with this. As I was frantically wiping, and wiping, and wiping - seriously, how does such a little body hold so much waste? - Luke chose that exact moment to try rolling over.
We were THISCLOSE to having a poopy butt print smeared on the wall.
Fast-forward to last weekend.
Steven and Luke were sitting on the couch when he had his first diaper blow-out. (Not Steven, Luke. Steven's up to diaper blow-out number 4.) This was an up-the-back blow-out and Luke was kind enough to get poop on himself and the blanket he was sitting on. The silver lining: Luke thinks pooping is HILARIOUS and grins and giggles during a diaper change. It's hard to be mad at something that cute.
We immediately sprang into action: I grabbed Luke and Steven started cleaning the blanket. Since Luke had poop on his back, his diaper and the seat of his pants I had no choice but to put him face-down on the changing table. You can probably guess where I am going with this. As I was frantically wiping, and wiping, and wiping - seriously, how does such a little body hold so much waste? - Luke chose that exact moment to try rolling over.
We were THISCLOSE to having a poopy butt print smeared on the wall.
Udder Covers and Hooter Hiders
As a follow-up to my breastfeeding post, I want to talk about taboo-est of mommy taboos: nursing in public. dun dun DUNN!
I firmly believe that a woman has the right to breastfeed her baby in public. It is a natural act and there is no reason any woman should be made to feel uncomfortable about it. In fact I have nursed Luke at a football game, in a restaurant, at his pediatrician's office and in more parking lots than I can count. That being said, I understand that many women are too modest to do that and this is why some clever person invented nursing covers.
I have one and I have used it a few times. It was nice when Luke was really small before he learned to latch quickly. Now he and I have developed a routine and the nursing cover is more of a hindrance since I can't see what I'm doing and it's hard to juggle it and the baby without someone to help me.
Perhaps my biggest problem with my nursing cover is that it seems to result in the opposite of discretion. I think most people are uncomfortable with public nursing because they don't like the idea of exposed breasts, not because they're actually offended by the view. In fact, most moms can nurse so discreetly strangers aren't even aware that it's happening. Unless, of course, she is wearing a nursing cover.
My nursing cover doesn't remotely look like an article of clothing. It does look a little like a smock, but it's clear I'm not doing arts and crafts. When I used to wear mine, I felt like I was screaming "DON'T LOOK OVER HERE! I'M BREASTFEEDING, BUT PLEASE IGNORE IT!"
So now I nurse au naturale and I leave the nursing cover at home. Moms, how do you feel about it?
The New "Mom" Jean
I have found my new "Mom" jeans. Don't worry - there isn't a pleat in sight.I was at Old Navy the other day (see, I told you my birthday money was burning a hole in my pocket) and I fell in love with the Sweetheart Skinny.
Most skinny jeans have a low rise. For all you childless gals, that look couldn't be cuter. But I'm a mom now and my firm baby bump has turned (back) into belly flab. That means low-rise jeans only lead to one place: Muffin-Top City.
Just because I push a stroller and drive a sensible sedan doesn't mean I'm willing to give up trendy pants. This is why the Sweetheart is so perfect. They're skinny jeans WITH A MEDIUM RISE! Pardon my enthusiasm, but did you just read that? I can wear skinny jeans without turning my midsection into a pastry!
I bought 2 pairs, but I left enough behind for you. What are you waiting for? Go shopping!
My Post On Breastfeeding
When I envisioned my life as a mother, my vision did not include formula. However, that perfect life I imagined for myself and my baby does not line up with the life I live today. Allow me to explain.
Throughout all of my research I came to the conclusion that breast milk was the only option. I still believe that breast is best - every Mom should at least give it a try - but I now know that formula isn't all bad. This opinion is, of course, the product of hindsight. When I was in the midst of the transition I felt like I was the worst mother ever for even considering giving Luke formula.
For the first eight weeks of his life, Luke had nothing but breast milk. He had a few bottles of pumped breast milk, but mostly he drank straight from the source. When I returned to work I was hell bent on pumping at the office so that he could still have breast milk while he was at Grandma's house. I was easily pumping 15 ounces a day and that was enough for him. That lasted until he hit a growth spurt a week later. The 15 ounces was no longer enough and I couldn't keep up with his increased demand. Just to be clear - my milk supply wasn't a problem, but I was already pumping 3 times a day for 15-20 minutes each time and I couldn't afford to be away from my desk any longer than that.
I started agonizing over what to do. Do I pump more? Work less hours? Switch him to formula? Formula seemed to be the obvious answer, but how could I do that? I was an anti-formula Mom!
The answer came to me in two ways.
First, I read this (perfectly timed) blog post and everything made so much more sense. You see I had (wrongly) learned that formula was an all-or-nothing deal. I was under the impression that if I skipped even one feeding my supply would dry up and I would be forced to switch to formula. It never occurred to me that I could give Luke formula during the day and still breastfeed him the rest of the time. Biologically, it seems similar to your body training itself to make less milk overnight as your baby learns to sleep through the night.
Even thought the blog post made me feel better, I was still on the fence. One night Steven looked at me, clearly tired of my whining on the subject, and said "It's formula, not poison! Lots of babies eat formula."
What really convinced me was this: one day I picked Luke up from Grandma's house and he was screaming. She told me he finished his bottle an hour ago and had been crying ever since because he wasn't satisfied. That was just the slap in the face I needed to make my decision.
The guilt I have over giving him formula is NOTHING compared to the guilt of watching him cry because my milk isn't enough. There is no room for pride in motherhood.
I went out that night and bought him some formula. The next day he had his 15 ounces of breast milk and then he had some formula and he didn't fuss one bit. Because he took to it so well, I backed off of pumping at work - I basically had to train my breasts to stop producing so much during the day - and now he is only fed formula at Grandma's house.
When he is at home with me he is 100% breastfed. He will get the occasional formula bottle from Steven if I am at the gym (I go 3 nights a week now, hooray for me), but I still plan my schedule around Luke's feedings so he rarely gets hungry before I return home. My body seems fine with keeping up with an erratic schedule. On weekends and Wednesdays I breastfeed him all day, then when I'm at work the other four days I get a little full, but it's not painful.
Perhaps the best benefit of using breast milk and formula is the freedom I feel. Not the freedom to be away from Luke, but the freedom to nurse him more. I had assumed that I would have to wean him completely when I go back to work full time in January. That would make sense for my life, but in terms of his development it's completely arbitrary. Now that I know I can use a combination of breast milk and formula I don't feel the need to cut him off completely in January. He can get an extra formula bottle during the day, but I can still nurse him in the morning and in the evenings. I now have the freedom to watch his cues and let him tell me when he's ready to stop nursing.
So, in a nutshell, I want to express that nothing about motherhood is black and white, especially feeding your baby. Experiment with what works for YOU and trust that your body will keep up. It's smarter than you think.
Throughout all of my research I came to the conclusion that breast milk was the only option. I still believe that breast is best - every Mom should at least give it a try - but I now know that formula isn't all bad. This opinion is, of course, the product of hindsight. When I was in the midst of the transition I felt like I was the worst mother ever for even considering giving Luke formula.
For the first eight weeks of his life, Luke had nothing but breast milk. He had a few bottles of pumped breast milk, but mostly he drank straight from the source. When I returned to work I was hell bent on pumping at the office so that he could still have breast milk while he was at Grandma's house. I was easily pumping 15 ounces a day and that was enough for him. That lasted until he hit a growth spurt a week later. The 15 ounces was no longer enough and I couldn't keep up with his increased demand. Just to be clear - my milk supply wasn't a problem, but I was already pumping 3 times a day for 15-20 minutes each time and I couldn't afford to be away from my desk any longer than that.
I started agonizing over what to do. Do I pump more? Work less hours? Switch him to formula? Formula seemed to be the obvious answer, but how could I do that? I was an anti-formula Mom!
The answer came to me in two ways.
First, I read this (perfectly timed) blog post and everything made so much more sense. You see I had (wrongly) learned that formula was an all-or-nothing deal. I was under the impression that if I skipped even one feeding my supply would dry up and I would be forced to switch to formula. It never occurred to me that I could give Luke formula during the day and still breastfeed him the rest of the time. Biologically, it seems similar to your body training itself to make less milk overnight as your baby learns to sleep through the night.
Even thought the blog post made me feel better, I was still on the fence. One night Steven looked at me, clearly tired of my whining on the subject, and said "It's formula, not poison! Lots of babies eat formula."
What really convinced me was this: one day I picked Luke up from Grandma's house and he was screaming. She told me he finished his bottle an hour ago and had been crying ever since because he wasn't satisfied. That was just the slap in the face I needed to make my decision.
The guilt I have over giving him formula is NOTHING compared to the guilt of watching him cry because my milk isn't enough. There is no room for pride in motherhood.
I went out that night and bought him some formula. The next day he had his 15 ounces of breast milk and then he had some formula and he didn't fuss one bit. Because he took to it so well, I backed off of pumping at work - I basically had to train my breasts to stop producing so much during the day - and now he is only fed formula at Grandma's house.
When he is at home with me he is 100% breastfed. He will get the occasional formula bottle from Steven if I am at the gym (I go 3 nights a week now, hooray for me), but I still plan my schedule around Luke's feedings so he rarely gets hungry before I return home. My body seems fine with keeping up with an erratic schedule. On weekends and Wednesdays I breastfeed him all day, then when I'm at work the other four days I get a little full, but it's not painful.
Perhaps the best benefit of using breast milk and formula is the freedom I feel. Not the freedom to be away from Luke, but the freedom to nurse him more. I had assumed that I would have to wean him completely when I go back to work full time in January. That would make sense for my life, but in terms of his development it's completely arbitrary. Now that I know I can use a combination of breast milk and formula I don't feel the need to cut him off completely in January. He can get an extra formula bottle during the day, but I can still nurse him in the morning and in the evenings. I now have the freedom to watch his cues and let him tell me when he's ready to stop nursing.
So, in a nutshell, I want to express that nothing about motherhood is black and white, especially feeding your baby. Experiment with what works for YOU and trust that your body will keep up. It's smarter than you think.
How Was Your Halloween?
My Halloween was fantastic, thanks for asking!
I was really excited about carving a pumpkin this year. Steven and I were leaning towards a simple ghost design, but then our not-so-inner nerds spoke up and we were inspired to carve a ghost... being chased by Pac-Man.
It has been at least 10 years since I've had a jack-o-lantern and I was really anxious to get started. Perhaps too anxious. Notice how the ghost's left eye is smaller than his right one? That's because we carved the pumpkins a week early, not remembering how quickly they start to mold and wilt. Eh, live and learn.
Another notch for the bummer column - we ran out of candy by 7:30. Not wanting to disappoint the trick-or-treaters, I raided the pantry. But since I'm back on Weight Watchers, this is all I had:
I'll see your Halloween jumpsuit, and raise you one lobster pot.
Touche, Lobster Luke, touche.
Best picture of the night:
No! Not the melted butter!
I was really excited about carving a pumpkin this year. Steven and I were leaning towards a simple ghost design, but then our not-so-inner nerds spoke up and we were inspired to carve a ghost... being chased by Pac-Man.
I apologize for the crappy picture. Photographing candlelight does funny things to my camera.
It has been at least 10 years since I've had a jack-o-lantern and I was really anxious to get started. Perhaps too anxious. Notice how the ghost's left eye is smaller than his right one? That's because we carved the pumpkins a week early, not remembering how quickly they start to mold and wilt. Eh, live and learn.
Another notch for the bummer column - we ran out of candy by 7:30. Not wanting to disappoint the trick-or-treaters, I raided the pantry. But since I'm back on Weight Watchers, this is all I had:
Sorry kids, I hope you like fruit snacks and diet cookies.
However, nothing could truly bum me out because I got to play with this little munchkin all day:
Really, Luke, could you get any cuter?
I'll see your Halloween jumpsuit, and raise you one lobster pot.Touche, Lobster Luke, touche.
Best picture of the night:
No! Not the melted butter!We didn't take him trick-or-treating (3 month olds don't eat candy) but we had fun dressing him up and seeing all the neighborhood kids in their costumes. Steven and I dressed up as chefs but we didn't get any family pictures because Luke tapped out for a nap before we could get that coordinated. Maybe we'll try again one night this week.
Tell me readers, what was your costume?
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