Google it!

The Joys of Technology

I must admit that it is a wonderful thing being an expecting mother in this day & age, especially for a first time mom. Not only am I able to just Google something when I have a question or curiosity, but I can share milestones and updates with friends and family at the click of a button. I literally have an app on my phone that keeps me informed on the development of our baby & daily progress of my pregnancy.

I remember from the beginning of our "planning stages" being able to look up information instantly was not only informative, but comforting in some small way. I soon came to discover that while the convenience of technology had several benefits, it also came with some drawbacks. Most notably with drawbacks being pregnancy forums. I quickly found that with my eagerness to start a family came the fine line between educating myself and becoming obsessed. Every time you have a concern, no matter how big or small you can surely find a thread full of nightmare stories from other moms trying to conceive. Problematically, this is only the beginning. These threads of nightmare stories span on and on through every stage of pregnancy with every type of symptom.

Luckily from the beginning, or "planning stages," I recognized this issue. The conclusion that I came to was that one of the most common and frustrating challenges that many couples face when trying to conceive is stress. Ironically, the stress factor is often brought on by trying too hard and/or becoming obsessed with making it happen. I realized that allowing myself to visit these forums daily would only fuel what was initially a desire developing into an obsession, and thus must be consciously controlled. 

We were fortunate enough to get pregnant quickly, and I thankfully had developed a habit of keeping my baby-related internet searches to a healthy amount. I have one app on my phone with a community board that I check somewhat regularly; mostly for amusement. Admittedly, it is nice to stay informed on stages and development. Being home for several weeks and talking to friends and family about what was happening with the baby's progress and sharing all of the photos from ultrasounds as time went on was really special. It was definitely amazing to be able to tell people things like: "The baby now has all her fingers and toes, she can swallow and yawn." As well as other things like: "She weighs over a pound now and is at least 8 inches long". Reactions to that information were so cool. Usually people ask, "how do you know that?" and I must admit the simple answer is, technology!

As of late, our most recent benefit from technology has been being able to see her in 3-D as she develops in the womb; Seeing amazing features like her little nose and lips, even her daddy's widow's peak! I could watch her in there for hours squirming about and kickboxing. Below are the most recent pictures from September 26th. Enjoy!

***As a side note regarding this particular post, I thought it would be funny to mention the irony that while I'm writing about (mostly the benefits of technology), my computer decided it was time to do a random update and restart out of the blue! hahaa!

Diaper Butt Decisions

The Cloth Way

As many of you know, I have made the decision to cloth diaper my little one. Many factors have played into this decision and I admit after MUCH research, it feels like it is the sensible thing to do. I think one of the most important steps to make when considering cloth diapering is the commitment to do your homework. One of the common themes I was finding with frustrations and failures of current and past moms who have attempted the feat would be a lack of research before taking it on. Doing your research and being honest with yourself through the process seems to do wonders. 

So, why is it so important to do your research? Well, the fact of the matter is that the world of cloth diapering is no longer a simple one; it even seems to come with it's own language full of fun acronyms. There are several different types, brands, qualities, absorbancy factors, materials, sizes, and price ranges; not to mention a plethora of advice for special washing and care instructions for each. A quick Google search will not only confirm this claim, but is sure enough to overwhelm you.

I will try to explain the "system" I will be using as simply as possible with the assumption that many of my readers aren't familiar with the subject. In an effort to keep this whole cloth diapering bit as user friendly as possible for my husband (as well as the occasional babysitter, friend, or family member) I decided to go with only one type of diaper- pockets. The pocket diaper closely mimics the disposable in shape and style which was a big plus for me in the "user friendly" department. I decided to go with a number of brands, as I read repeatedly that you never know which one will be the best fit for your baby. Not only that, I'm curious to know if the cheaper brands are just as good the high end diapers. Lastly, I decided on mostly snaps (or buttons) with a few aplix (velcrow) closures. I decided to get a few aplix closures once again, for the 'user friendly' factor... that and I might not want to deal with snaps at three o'clock in the morning. The reason I decided to go with the majority of diapers having snaps is because not only do they tend to be more durable, but baby can't get them off as she gets older like she can with aplix.

So, how do pockets work? Well, They are basically composed of two parts. The "shell or cover" and the insert. The cover is adjustable, so that it fits baby from 8lbs on up to 20lbs plus. Inserts come in a variety of materials boasting different absorbancy capacities. Most diapers include microfiber inserts, which are basic and will get the job done. I have purchased additional hemp blend inserts that claim to have up to 6X the absorbancy. I plan to use these for night time. A benefit to using pocket diapers that I really like is the fact that you can do as many or as few inserts as you want to change the bulk or absorbancy. 


What about laundry? A couple of common  questions/comments that i've gotten from people when I tell them i've decided to cloth diaper have been about the laundry aspect of cloth diapers. Initial negative reactions have been something to the effect of "ewe, isn't is gross?" or "don't you have to do alot of laundry?" .... I would answer each of those this way: "Yes, it's gross... but then again, isn't changing diapers gross anyway?" and "Yes, there's additional effort to be put in with the laundry factor, but it's the trade off for saving an average of $2,000 or more". I would also add the fact that if we start off with cloth diapers, and it's what we know, then it won't be as bad as if we were to switch later from disposables. After reading rigorous wash routines and seeking advice from others, I have decided to start out with Tide. Yes, in the spirit of simplicity once again, I will be using Tide free and clear with the occasional hard water treatment of RLR and diaper strip with blue dawn dish soap. ***Diaper stripping is a whole other factor I won't bore you with. 

Lastly, I will touch on a few benefits of cloth diapering. Most obviously is the environmental factor... just think about how many diapers one baby contributes to a landfill. Cloth diapers when properly laundered tend to be less irritating to baby's skin resulting in less diaper rash which means a happy baby (double bonus)! Babies who are cloth diapered tend to potty train sooner because they are able to recognize the sensation of being wet. Lastly, but surely my favorite benefit: the cost and savings factor. While cloth diapers tend to require a good amount for the initial investment, the overall savings is incredible! See the cart below :)

Showered With Love

Home Sweet Home; A Thank-You to Friends & Family

Being home and seeing friends and family members has been absolutely wonderful. Everyone has been so generous and amazing, I had to create a blog post just to say "Thank You" for all the hospitality, gifts and memories. Our baby girl has gotten seriously spoiled by everyone, and we really appreciate it.

 Above: Cookie monster cupcakes made for the baby shower, compliments of Keri :)

  ... and one from the baby shower luncheon Katie and Diana threw for me the day after the ultrasound --------------------->

Think Pink

It's A Girl!!!

That's right, now that the news is out to all of our closest family and friends we can shout out the news to the world. We will be welcoming baby Naomi Rose LaClair to our family in January and we are very excited.

So, What's in a name? Well.... long before we were ready to start our family we had settled on a name for a girl. Naomi is my maternal grandmother's name and Rose is Matt's paternal grandmother's name respectively. It happens to flow beautifully and coincidently is also a popular name in Japanese culture, where she will be born.

Now that the news is out, I am in full swing nursery planning. I'm trying to strategize ways to make my somewhat gender neutral sesame street themed nursery a little more girlie while avoiding pink at my husband's request. Rest assured, even with the "pink-ban" in place I have several ideas to add girly touches while keeping the pink to a minimal :)

Additional noteworthy happenings since the gender reveal would be the shopping. This child has been blessed by our friends and family to acquire a wardrobe bigger than mine, and she still has four months and change until she makes her debut!

I will post a picture below of the 4-D ultrasound we had done August 17th, as well as a few of the gender reveal with my family and grandma finding out she would be a great grandma to a baby Naomi!  Enjoy :)

Baby Girl

 

 

 

One Thing that Grandma and I had in common was tears of joy! While I had no idea how much I wanted a girl and had tried to stay fairly neutral and excited either way, Grandma had no problem admitting she was hoping for a baby girl. Gee, I wonder why ;)