See ya, Swaddle!

The swaddle has been very good to us.  It helped my son sleep through the night since approximately 1 month old, however, all good things must come to an end.  

See the little cut on his head? That was from when they cut into my belly to get him - so horrifying! I found out that my doctor ended up getting fired before my surgery but apparently was given a month or so to figure things out before he left. That's comforting.

As Carter began to outgrow the small/medium SwaddleMes, we decided the habit had to go.  I checked into the size large SwaddleMes at Target and they look like they could fit a toddler! That's embarrassing, so no.

We waited until a Friday night about a week or so ago to start the process since at least there would be no getting up for work the next day, and we expected to be pulling all-nighters.

Night 1: No problems falling asleep, but about 3 nighttime wakings, trouble eating, and trouble falling back to sleep. Lots of under-the-breath cursing from mommy.

Night 2: No problems falling asleep, but about 2 nighttime wakings, no trouble eating or falling back to sleep.  Mommy replaces curse words with hope.

Night 3 and on: No problems falling asleep, one early morning waking (about 5am) and back to sleep until about 7am.  If he sleeps from 8pm-5am, I consider it sleeping through the night since 5am is technically morningtime.  Success!

Seeing my little man in his crib with his arms over his head or a hand in his mouth makes me so happy.  I want him to have that freedom!  I noticed when I put him back to sleep after the 5am feeding, he likes to sleep on his side just like me.  Sometimes he even gets to snuggle in the big bed in the morning.

See ya, Swaddle, you were good while you lasted!

From the Vault... oGorgeous Gym Bag Review

I was going through my posts and realized that there were several that I drafted while pregnant and never posted.  I thought it'd be fun every once and a while to publish such posts "From the Vault".  This particular one cracks me up - I didn't even finish the review and went straight to ranting about my latest gym experience.  I mean, how bratty can I be?

My sister surprised me this week with a late birthday present... my very first gym bag!  I'm usually the type that wears a fleece zip-up over my workout clothes and stuffs my ID card, iPod, and keys into one of the pockets.  This bag is amazing.  I am thinking of using it as an oversize purse because it's just too fun to only wear to the gym.

(Note: I can't find the pictures that I never uploaded, so here are a few stock pictures - I actually got the one in black :))

(Image: Source)

My last gym adventure was eventful.  I am usually very quiet and introverted at the gym.  I don't like to be bothered and I don't like to bother anyone else.  I'm in my zone.  I had the great fortune of being stuck on the elliptical next to a girl watching the Ellen show.  Not only was she watching the show but every few minutes she would start laughing, out loud... very loud. It was distracting and I found myself giving her a dirty look or two before I realized, why does it bother me that she's laughing?  However annoying it may be, at least she's happy and has a smile on her face.  I need to stop taking my gym etiquette so seriously. Sincerely, Cranky Pregnant Lady.

Having More Babies

I've gotten a few "so are you going to have another baby?" questions from friends/family, so I thought I'd share my thoughts.

There are definitely pros and cons to having just one child.  Let's start with the cons.


Cons:

-Carter wouldn't have siblings - this is HUGE to me.  My dad always told me that my sisters were going to be the best friends I'd ever have.  Of course, I ignored this along with all of his other advice, but it has proven to be so true. Friends come and go but family never strays.  My sisters and I still fight occasionally, but they are my blood and I want Carter to have that.  I'd love for him to have a little sister to protect.

-Someday in the future I will get baby fever.
-I wouldn't be able to watch my babies play and interact together.
-There would likely be less grandchildren.

...and that's all I've got.


Pros:

-We wouldn't have to buy an SUV since our dog, us, and the baby fit - it's a tight squeeze (I have to sit in the backseat while the dog rides up front...yeah), but it works.

-Not being poor We'd only have to contribute to one college fund.
-We would be able to stay in our 2-bedroom place.
-We wouldn't have to pay two arms and two legs for daycare (if/when I find a job)
-I wouldn't have to go through pregnancy again (don't hate me!)

In short, yes we want more... in a while.  My baby needs a sibling, but I want to enjoy our first baby for a while and soak up all of his redhead goodness before we decide to bring another one into the world.  My sisters and my husband's brothers are all 2 years apart from each other, so that (or even 3 years) seems perfect.  If we are blessed with another at that time (or really, anytime), we will be very lucky indeed.

If I Had Instagram...

Have a great weekend, everyone!

3 Month Update

Once again, I am late with this update!  I used to wonder how new moms were always so busy since the baby "sleeps all the time" - now I understand... Not only does my baby nap sparingly and erratically, but I spend that time worrying that he will wake up as I run from room to room doing bits and pieces of chores.   There are many days that I have not showered, so yeah, I get it.  I am also still job searching, but I will do a separate post about that.  

As far as his updates, I always go by weeks, so I consider 12 weeks = 3 months.  I did this for pregnancy as well.  I guess most people would go by calendar months, but by weeks, Carter turned 3 months on Tuesday!  He is such a funny little guy and the majority of my days spent with him are filled with laughter.  I call him "judgmental baby" because he has a stank look that he will give you if you're doing something he doesn't approve of.  He still has his fussy periods, but overall he is a sweet baby that has stolen my heart with no chance of getting it back.

Weight/Length: Will find out at his 4 months checkup, but he is at least 12 lbs.!

Clothing Size/Diaper Size: 3 month clothing (not for long!)/Size 2 diapers (note: I've learned that it's time to size up when he starts having blowouts, even if he's still in the size range of the smaller diaper, bigger size = greater absorbency)

Likes: Being outside, riding in the stroller, being held, bathtime, peeing during bathtime, Cloud B Sleep Sheep, kicking around on the changing table, watching Mommy and Daddy cook/clean/walk around, being talked to in a high pitched voice, Fisher Price Infant-to-Toddler rocker, being sung to, watching TV (ALL.DAY.LONG.) - he seriously can't get enough, watching me change or get dressed (pervert), taking naps on Mommy and Daddy's bed, pacifiers.  

Speaking of pacifiers, I've heard rave reviews about the Wubbanub.  It's basically a stuffed animal with the Soothie paci attached, so when it sits on the baby's chest, it won't fall out as easily and I won't be running to the rescue to put the paci back in during naps.  And, I mean, it's SO CUTE and that is the main reason that I buy things, let's be honest.  Fingers crossed that it works!

(Image: Source)

Hates: BOTTLES (whyyyy... seriously!?)

Likes/Hates: Riding in the carseat, tummy time

Milestones: Blowing raspberries, finding his feet (sort of) and... laughing!!!!

Mom Scares: None this month, thank God.  I have, however, had nightmares ever since he was born that I woke up to nurse him and took him back into our bed.  I wake up and feel around the bed for him and freak out.  I sometimes even wake up my husband where Carter is (this got old fast).  This all revolves around my fear of co-sleeping and crushing the baby.  Thankfully I've never actually slept walked him into our bed, but I have had these nightmares for 3 months!  

Happy 3 Months, Carter!

Body After Baby - Recovery (Part II)

Since I'm nearing 12 weeks postpartum, it's time for a quick update.  

Breastfeeding: 

Piece of cake.  All of the pain magically went away at about 4 weeks.

C-Section:

The gross lochia stopped after about 7 weeks and the doctor was right, my scar is no longer raised and it feels a lot... softer? It's still a deep purple color but seems to be healing.  I have been trying to rub this oil on it nightly:

(Image: Source)

Weight:

I mentioned in my first Body After Baby post that I was 5 pounds away from my post-pregnancy weight.  Well, the rest of the weight came off shortly afterwards and then some.  I weigh anywhere from 2-5 pounds under my starting weight, depending on the day.  Does my body look the same?  No. My sweet boy has done some permanent damage (to my boobs and stomach, mainly) and that's okay.  He's worth it 100%.

Random:

I had a crazy intense skin rash for several weeks that nearly drove me to insanity but it went away after about 8 weeks postpartum, thank God!

Well, that's about it.  I am slowly returning to normality over here!