I haven't updated in a while, mostly because the things I want to update about involve posting pictures here, too, and I just don't have the time/energy (or feel like I do, rather) to get into all that. Seriously, making a lengthy blog post and including pictures can take a couple of hours. Not kidding. So I've been putting it off. But I'll give short versions of the highlights with no pictures...at least for now.
Stroller and infant carseat came today (this is no fun without pictures). I am WAY too excited about it. Andrew set it all up and wheeled it in to the computer room today. He taught me how to work the whole system tonight, which was really fun. I think its really cute that he read all about it and figured everything out. This was something I chose sight (in real life) unseen, yet, I did a TON of research regarding it and ended up really really happy with my choice, now that I've seen it (because its here) in person. Or at least I'm happy with it now, sans testing it out with a baby. :) HOORAY! I would like to throw out a HUGE THANK YOU to Oliver's "Amah" (that is her grandma name) Berry...that is...one of his handful of "adopted" grandmothers. (Can I tell you how much I love the fact that we get to "adopt" parents and grandparents who love us and take care of us? Or maybe rather they've adopted us....or...both...I love it.) Joan Berry is a dear dear friend to Andrew and me that we know from our church we were at in Jackson. She is very good to us and already to little Oliver. We love her dearly. Anyway, she wanted to buy his infant car seat, but ended up providing enough for us to pay for part of the stroller too, so we just went ahead and ordered the whole travel system (stroller and car seat sold together) online. Yay!
We decided to go ahead and buy the crib mattress, ourselves, too, since its not something we could put on our registry, anyway. That came, i think, last week. That was fun, too. (Also no fun without me posting the pictures.) SO thats in the crib now, but without the sheet on it yet because I realized we don't have a mattress pad yet (one thing we are keeping on the registry, at least for now. No, we're not buying everything ourselves right off the bat. :) )
Another highlight, I bought a few diapers off off diapers.com because I got a really good deal (with a promotion) on them, and those came last week (I think), too. Loads of fun. They are so tiny! EEP! (Also, no fun without me posting pictures.) I bought one box of newborn and one box of size one diapers. That is a start. EDIT: We planned on getting a Sam's club membership to keep us in diapers for the rest of the diaper buying, because I thought it was the cheapest, until I realized it is actually cheaper on diapers.com because there is no TAX! /end EDIT.
The Butterfields gave us their old changing pad and their old changing pad cover, so I was able to take the changing pad off the registry. Yay for that, and thanks to the Butterfields!
Buddy and Frenchie (or Papa Bud (I have to double check that this is his grandpa name...why can't I remember for sure???) and G-G) gave us a basket of baby goodies the other week. :) Some too cute onesies and a couple blankets and a couple bibs and some extra towels we can use for various baby messes. :) And the Baby Signlanguage book, which I am WAY excited about!!!! (For those of you going, "what???" No, we aren't planning on our baby being deaf, but you'd be amazed at how much babies can communicate through simple signs way way way before they start talking. It is pretty amazing to witness, if you've never seen it before, and I love it. I have only a little experience with it from a little girl I nannied for, but I am a believer because of it.) (Again, so not exciting without the pics. There are cute ones of Andrew looking at the baby clothes. :) )Thank you Buddy and Frenchie!
Moving on, I got some more clothes on the cheap from the consignment shop again the other week. Just a few things, but so cute. (Insert pictures here that I have no time to upload.)
Morgan sent us lots of goodies. A sleepy wrap (LOVE IT!) and a couple of really great preparation books for labor/birth/nursing and some lotion. (I also have pictures of these...which you of course not getting to see.) Thank you Morgan, Caleb and baby Emma!
The ring sling I ordered a while back came a few weeks or so ago. Its really really lovely, and you'll see pictures of it later.
Those are the main highlights. Other than the fact that I had a weird day last week where my feet were super duper swollen and it was a little scary, but everything is fine.
There you have my 40 minute (or so) version of the highlights instead of 2 hr long story version with pictures.
Another dr's appt this Friday. Just doin the normal stuff. Do you believe (its after midnight now, so I can count this way) we have 8 weeks and 1 day to go until his due date? AHHH! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!! WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DO! Hes going to be here before we know it and I'm going to look back on this post and these times and not be able to believe there was a day when he wasn't born!
Overall, feeling good, looking decent and enjoying myself. Needing extra rest and sleep (which I have during the whole pregnancy) and can't be on my feet too long at a time or its really painful. But enjoying life!
Please pray that Oliver turns head down, facing my back soon! Hes got a couple more weeks or so to safely do so, but I'm getting a little antsy that he is still laying transverse in my belly. I don't want him to be so comfortable laying this way that he doesn't turn down, because that would = a C section.
Over and out!
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I never had a stroller/car seat system until I had Zeke. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! :) It was SO easy to transport them in and out of the car, oh, man!! You will enjoy it greatly!
I will be praying for you that baby Oliver turns. :) It's kinda standard, they like to wait until the last minute to do it, so don't worry about it. :)
*hugs*
For what it's worth, I used Pampers Swaddlers for a few weeks in the beginning but switched to Luvs once I realized they were half the price. I actually got a package of Swaddlers size 2 as a gift that I used a few weeks ago and surprisingly had way more leaks with them than I did with the Luvs. The same things happened with a package of Pampers Cruisers that were a gift. I'm not sure why, but the Luvs have worked much better for Cole than the name brand ones and are half the price at Kroger. They 'feel' cheap when you feel them as opposed to Swaddlers, but they keep from leaking better on Cole than the other kinds we've used. A word to the wise, Target brand diapers are junk. Stuart and Meg told us that, but we'd gotten a pack as a gift but I tried to only use them when I thought I could change him again in an hour or so - leaks galore :). Love reading the blog updates. It's just gets better when they actually get here! :) I'm glad you're enjoying it now too.
Cristina, I went to the doc yesterday and found out he IS head down. I had no idea. But I feel much better now knowing that. My doctor's office will automatically set up a C section date if they haven't turned by a certain time frame, and we were quickly approaching that time frame, plus everything I have read says if a baby is going to turn they will GENERALLY be turned by a certain week, and we were quickly approaching that week, too. So I was getting antsy.
Christina! Yeah, I have not heard anything good about Target diapers, either. Our plan is to start with Pampers Swaddlers because I have heard/read the BEST reviews (I have read/asked/researched a TON, so I am basing this off of numbers right now) about those and then switch if need be. I have heard the next best things about Huggies and then the next best things about Luvs...but so far nothing had compared with Pampers based on all the feedback I've heard/read about.
We plan to get our diapers from diapers.com because it is THE cheapest place I've found diapers, anywhere. Granted, I haven't searched EVERYWHERE, but out of Sams Club, walmart, target, babies r us, grocery stores, other internet sources (including ebay) etc, Diapers.com has by far been the cheapest place to get diapers...PLUS there is no tax, PLUS it is free shipping every time (with a 49 dollar order, which is super easy to do.). AND the diapers arrive in 2 days or so after you order them. LOVE IT!
On diapers.com, a huge box of LUV's size 1 compared with a huge box of Pampers Swaddlers size 1 are only 4 cents cheaper per diaper, so I don't mind spending the 4 extra cents per diaper, at least to start out with to see if we just love the Swaddlers. If we think the Swaddlers maybe aren't working great, then we can always try another brand after that, probably either Huggies (Gentle Care, about a penny cheaper per Newborn diaper than Swaddlers on diapers.com) or Luvs. Or if we get small packs of a brand other than Swaddlers as a gift or something I might keep it and try out that brand. I know different brands just seem to work better or worse for different babies with seemingly no other explanation, so we'll have to see what happens! :)
How much do you pay for Luvs diapers at Kroger? I couldn't search for it on their website and I don't remember exactly how much they were when I looked at them in the store, but was it cheaper than 14 cents per diaper? If not, you should totally check out diapers.com. They are great! Check it out if you haven't already. http://www.diapers.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?productId=6052 . Your size 2 luv's are $35.99 for 228 diapers.
If you sign up to use diapers.com, please use my "referral code" and you'll get 10 off your first order (GREAT!) and I'll get bonuses for you using the site! YXUC8749 is my code.
Thanks for all the support, ladies! This was the post of Christinas/Cristinas! ha.
Oh the swelling! I absolutely do NOT miss the swelling! I had terrible (and I mean terrible) swelling. Mostly in my feet but at the end it became my hands, face, and everywhere. My blood pressure was always good so there was no cause for concern but it was so uncomfortable! I will tell you that I did suffer from labor induced Toxemia which kept my swelling from subsiding right away but just 2 weeks later it started going down and now at 4 weeks I am happy to say that I am sans swelling! I can wear my wedding ring again! Yay! About the diapers, we have used Pampers Sensitive Swaddlers and I refuse to use anything else! We have been gifted a few packages of Huggies that we will use only in an emergency b/c I love the Pampers! Haven't had a blow out yet and Olivia is quite the pooper! :) Sounds like you are doing well! You have researched a lot more than Simon and I ever did! I envy you! Good luck!!
Hey Dena! I just wanted to add my $.02 about diapers! Granted, we only used 'sposies for a week or so, but the Pampers Swaddlers from the hospital were really great! We had a pack of Huggies too, and lots of samples from other sources (Including some all-natural 'green' dipes from Whole Foods) and nothing kept the newborn bf poo contained like the Swaddlers. I can't vouch for how they work on older babies though, since we've been doing cloth since Rachel's umbilical cord fell off.
Do you have any family coming to stay with you/help out after the little man's born? Don't underestimate how much recovery time you'll need - even with a natural birth. And by recovery, I mean lying in bed doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING besides resting and healing and feeding the baby! Will you be bf-ing?
*Squeals* I'm so excited for you! Being a mommy is the most incredible thing in the world! God really knows how to bless his people!
2 more points for the Swaddlers! Good deal!
my mom and dad and older brother (hes 40) are coming (driving from KC) right after hes born. at least, Lord-willing/that is the plan. my mom will probably stay for close to 2 weeks or so and I think my dad is going to drive back home after being here a few days then come back to get my mom and stay a few more days or something. my brother will probably stay about a week or so and then catch a flight back to KC. after that, andrew’s mom is planning on staying with me about 2 weeks in june, making sure one of those weeks is during the week when Andrew is gone (boo hoo) for a week to the PCA’s General Assembly. That will be helpful, even though he will be about a month or so old at that point!
I hadn’t really thought of the recovery issue too much. I mean…not the extent of just lying in bed doing nothing. we’ll see how that goes. hehe.
I hope/plan to be able to BF! Hopefully it all works out. I have several things on my BF list of things to get (plus the stuff registered for) but instead of listing it all out here, why don’t all you BF mamas give me your “essential BF” gear list! That would be great! We (yes, we…they said Andrew should come, too, much to his chagrin ) go to the BF class next week! YAY!
I’m excited for me, too! I seriously can not WAIT! OOOOOH! And Rachel is TOO ADORABLE. I could seriously squeeze her and eat her up (in a totally non-violent way…hehe).
Simon and I both went to "our" breastfeeding class. It really helped once Livi was born for Simon to understand what breastfeeding was all about and help me remember tips and tricks that they told us in class. Breastfeeding must-haves, for me, have been a Boppy pillow (I use it for every feeding- really saves the arms!), Lanolin, and disposable breast pads (Playtex Nursing Necessities have been the best, I have found). Oh, and absolutely get a couple nursing bras! I recommend one with underwire (if that is what you normally wear) and one without underwire so that it is more comfortable to sleep in since you will need to wear a nursing bra 24/7. Also, when getting ready to feed, clear your mind and the room. Get comfy and relax, Oliver will too and it will make feeding much more enjoyable and easier for both. Hope this helps! Its a great bonding time with baby!
Audrey, thanks for the tips, these are great! I'm glad to hear how it worked out with Simon going with you, and I know we will be thankful Andrew is going with me for those reasons, too. I have a boppy on the registry, and if its not bought, we will definitely buy it ourselves! :) I also have Lansinoh (sp?) lanolin on the registry (is that really weird???? hahaha) as well as another product that is supposed to be really good called Earth Mama (something or other for nursing) Cream. I figured i might try both. The latter is kinda super pricey though, but I suppose it only takes a bit and might be worth it, especially if it ends up working better than the Lanolin. We'll see. I might just start out with the lanolin and then get the other if its not working out. I dunno. Sposie breast pads are on my list of things to get, but I had not looked into brands or anything yet, so I am really thankful for the tip on that brand! I always hate trying to choose something when I have no brand/type recommendations (as you can probably tell with my researching baby stuff "obsession".) I will look to get some of those for sure now. That is super helpful! On nursing bras, this is my dilemma: I have no idea what size to get (issue number one) since once your milk actually comes in, that will determine the size you need. But I know I need to get at least a couple before he is born so I can be ready. Is there a good "formula" for figuring how much bigger to buy a nursing bra? Lol. Otherwise, I don't know what to do!!! Also (issue number two), everything I have read says do NOT get underwire nursing bras because it can majorly lead to plugged ducts/mastitis/problems galore. I'm sure lots of women get underwire and are just fine, but I'm going to steer clear from those for that reason. Last issue is, I really want racer back nursing bras, and I assume those are going to be harder to find. I want to make sure I'm getting quality ones too that aren't going to just fall apart easily.
Thanks for all the help and feedback, ladies! Keep em comin! :)
anyone tried the lansinoh sposie pads? they have really good ratings on target.com . I'm wondering about trying those, too.
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