The Happiest Baby on the Block

I definitely recommend this book to anyone that's just had a baby or is going to have a baby. We actually got the book and DVD from the library and watched the DVD today. It was about 30 minutes long and easy to watch. We started putting the techniques (5 S's)  to use right away and seriuosly, it's like magic!!

The 5 S's are :
Swaddle
Side (hold baby on it's side)
Shushing
Swinging (jiggling, bouncing) 
Sucking 
 

The book/DVD is The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp, M.D. 

Seriously, it's like magic, I'm not even joking!!! 

Cooper had been getting really fussy in the evening (around 8ish) but not tonight!!! When he started getting fussy Paul swaddled him up and put him in his swing. Make sure the swing is on high or it's pretty much useless!!! I was ready to have Paul put the swing away because Cooper didn't seem to like it until we watched the DVD today and it said to use it on high, when we did that he calmed right now. 

We also have a sound machine with white noise on it and turn that up all the way next to the swing to help calm him... 

Pretty much all your doing is imitating the conditions of the womb. 

It truly is magic! Watch the DVD, read the book... Live it, learn it, love it!! We are!

Got Milk?

I just froze over 35 ounces of milk!! We are seriously going to have to get a deep freezer to hold all the milk I've been freezing... Plus milk lasts longer in a deep freezer then a reg. freezer. In a reg freezer you can only keep it for 3 months in a deep freezer you can keep it for 6-12 months.

I have finally found the silver lining to Cooper not latching on. If Cooper was latching and nursing regularly I wouldn't have a freezer full of milk, I wouldn't be able to donate milk to a baby who's mommy passed away (which I am doing weekly btw). I am happy that I am able to have such an abundant milk supply, more then enough for Cooper.

Last week was a rough pumping week though. Last Monday I noticed I was getting blisters on my nipples. Once the blisters popped they turned into sores and man did it hurt to pump!! But I pumped through it. I just turned the speed and suction down and seem to be doing much better. I'll keep my pump on a lower setting for a while and see if I can do better with that. Man it hurt like hell to pump though!!!

Right now I am pumping away and Cooper is laying in my lap... he certainly is a cutie.

We are doing good here. Cooper has decided that he is more comfy sleeping on his side, so he does. It sure it cute. He'll be rolling over by Monday. I just know one day I'm going to lay him on his play mat and go pee and when I come back he'll have rolled over.

He sucks on his hands like crazy. It makes the cutest noise when he does though... He doesn't suck his thumb or fingers but rather his fist, his knuckles mostly.

He definitely is getting big. He's pretty much outgrown all of his newborn clothes and few 0-3 months but 3-6 is still big on him.

hehe Coopers farting!!! hehehe

Our Cloth Diapering System

I've had a few people inquire as to what we are doing for our cloth diapering system so I thought I would just post it (links and all in one post) here that way I don't have to type it 30 times LOL... 

From Kellys Closet we will order - 

8 Wahmie One Size diapers - I like these the best and they would be harder for toddler to figure out how to take off, but the hooks do take some getting used to. 
4 Baby Kanga One Size diapers - Paul likes these the best because of the lack of hooks, but I wonder how long it will take Cooper to figure out how to take it off. I also really love that the pocket is zippered!! 
The Bum Genius Diaper Sprayer - This will make clean up easy. It hooks onto your toilet and you can just spray the poop right into the toilet, then toss the wet diaper in the diaper pail until wash day. 

From Emi Beans we will order - 

5 packs of 8 inche wipes - Yep, we are switching to cloth wipes as well. This is the best deal I have been able to find online, and the reviews are great. 
1 Regular Size Wahmie Wet Bag - This fits right into our diaper pail. You put your wet, dirty diapers into the diaper pail and on wash day dump the diapers into the laundry and toss the bag in with it!!!
1 Mini Size Wahmie Wet Bag - Same concept as the regular size bag, but for your dipaer bag!!! 
1 Swim Diaper - This is obviously for when we take him in the pool lol. 

Ready for a total price?

We are ordering from two different companies because one company doesn't have everything we need/want. And on Kellys Closet orders over $99 ship free, at Emi Beans orders of $75 ship free...

Here's the break down -

12 cloth diapers at $17.95/dipe = $215.40
One Diaper Sprayer = $39.99
5 pack of 6 wipes at $8/pack = $40
Regular Size Wet Bag = $15.50
Mini Size Wet Bag = $8.75
Swim Diaper = $12.75

TOTAL = $332.39 

Free shipping on all orders (see above as why).

Inserts/Doublers = 

We will also need to order inserts/doublers, I have not decided on where and what brand of inserts/doublers to get. Some diapers come with the inserts (Baby Kangas do, Wahmies don't) which means that we only need to buy inserts for the Wahmies. YOU DO NEED INSERTS FOR POCKET DIAPERS. We are also thinking we may be able to use our Gerber Prefold Bidseye Cloth Diapers (that we are currently using as burp cloths) for inserts, thus eliminating this cost. I will bump/update this post when I figure out what we are going to do in this area. If we do order inserts/doublers I am planning to spend at least $40 on these. And will most likely get 8 of the Bum Genius One Size Inserts. Or 8 of the Wahmies One Size Inserts.

Break down of those -

8 BG OS Inserts = $27.92
8 Wahmies OS Inserts = $38

Add that too our previous total of $332.29 and you have a new total of

total = $360.21 or $370.29

How our system will work (of course this is just a guess) -

For wet diapers - Take the wet diaper to the diaper pail in the bathroom, shake the insert in to the pail, drop the diaper in the pail along with the wipes that were used. Close pail lid.

For poopy diapers - Take the poopy diaper into the bathroom, spray out into the toilet, shake insert into the pail, drop diaper in the pail along with the wipes there were used. Closed pail lid.

I plan on washing diapers at least every other day (most likely everyday). However you can leave diapers in a pail for up to 3-5 days. When I do wash I will just take the whole wet bag out of the pail (full of dipes, inserts and wipes), dump the dipes into the washer and toss the wet bag in with the wash. We are using Charlies Soap for our cloth diapers.

Here is a wonderful site that has really helped me:

Diaper Pin - They have wonderful info, tons of real ppl reviews on diapers and diaper stores, how to guides, etc... It's a great site.

This system may not work for eveyrone. Hopefully it works for us though. Like I said, I am guessing at how our system will work as we don't have our diapers yet.

Hope this helps!!!

xoxoxo

Amanda and a fuzzy-butted Cooper!!!

Just an update...

Just posting an update on how things are going... 

I was wondering how long it would be before Cooper pooped again. Well, he pooped last Thursday after 5 days of nothing, then again on Sunday, and today. In 11 days Cooper has pooped 3 times!!! LOL I get the feeling he's going to be a once-a-week-pooper LOL. 

I went online to Luving Mamma's Diaper Store and bought some Charlies Soap. And the company is local so I was able to go pick it up today!! So I was able to wash the diapers today in detergent instead of just hot water... Fortunately they were all just pee diapers before so that was good, and he still hasn't pooped in a cloth yet. I'm not lookign foward to when he does either... I hope he doesn't poop in them until after we get the diaper sprayer in June LOL. (When our stimulus check comes). 

So far I'm thinking we will either get the BabyKanga or Wahmie diaper. Haven't decided which on yet. 

Pros for the BabyKanga:
- It has a zippered pouch in the front to put the insert in. This way the insert doesn't slide out the back and because it's in the front you don't have to worry about getting pee or poop on your hands. 
- It's not as bulky as the BG One Size. 
- Has snaps instead of velcro so the velcro doesn't catch on the inserts in the wash (This is what the Happy Heiny does)
Cons for BabyKanga:
- A one year old may be able to figure the zippered pouch out and pull the insert out... hmmm don't want that. 
- A one year old may be able to figure out the snaps and take the whole diaper off... again don't want that! LOL 

Pros for the Wahmie: 
- The hooks. They take a little getting used to but there is no way a one year old is getting that thing off!!! LOl 
- Definitely is not as bulky as the BG One Size. 
Cons for Wahmie: 
- The pocket is inside in the back. This may not be a con though because you could just shake the insert out and still not have to get poop on your hands... 
- The hooks take a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it... woo hoo!!! 
There may not be any cons for this diaper!!! 
    
The thing that I don't like about the Happy Heiny is the velcro. The velcro is really strong and sticks to everything in the washer. When I took it out of the washer all the inserts were stuck to it and I had to pull them apart. But it isn't as bulky as the BG One Size...

I have joined a message board for local moms. It truly is wonderful. The ladies there seem to have a sisterhood and I am so honored that they have allowed me to join in. Paul and I are going to a potluck on Sunday at one of the ladies house... Maybe we can make some friends outta this. I'm really looking foward to it; Paul not so much LOL. He's not a very social person and doesn't care to meet knew people. He said he would go for me, so that's nice of him.... We are supposed to bring a dessert, I haven't decided what to bring yet.... Hmmmm... 

I ordered some MAM UltiVent bottles online last week and they came on Monday. I love them!!! The nipples are a little fast for him, but he's actually doing okay with them. I am planning on ordering more of them tomorrow and was going to get a slower nipple, but it may not be necessary... Not sure about the nipples yet. 

Anyways, I'm outta here to watch ANTM. 

Pooper Cooper is back...

with a vengeance!! LOL

Cooper finally pooped today for the first time since Saturday night. That makes 5 days without pooping. 120 hours. 7200 minutes. 432000 seconds... without pooping!!! LOL

And it was messaaaay!! LOL Came out both legs, out the back, and the front!! Got on his outfit and covered his poor pee pee. His whole diapered area was completely covered in poop. And it was all sticky and gooey... I seriously should have taken a picture just to show him when he's like 15. Lol

Go Cooper!!! Woo hoo.... Let the countdown begin to the next poop....

How many days will it be?

1...2...3...4...5...days???

PS- I also ordered for the Happy Heiney One Size Diaper and the KangaBaby One Size Diaper. From all the reviews I've read they are supposed to be less bulky then the BumGenius. Let's hope so!!! LOL Hopefully they'll be here by Monday. 

10.4lbs, 21 inches

We went to the pediatrician today and Cooper now weighs 10.4 pounds and is 21 inches long!!!! 10.4 pounds!!! He's doubled his birth weight! Amazing!! Woo hoo for breast milk... he certainly is an eater... little piggy!! But I love my little piggy!! HEHE

Dr. Shaya said not to worry about the no poop thing. He showed us a way to massage his belly to try to help it move along, but said it's normal for breastfed babies to go days without pooping. He said if we wanted to around day 6-7 of no pooping (we're on day 4 now) that we can stimulate his butt hole with a vaselined q-tip... Not to insert the q-tip, just lightly rub it on his butt hole. He also warned us that if we decide to do this to have a diaper ready to cover because it gets very messy very quickly LOL. If he hasn't pooped by Friday we'll probably give this a try... We'll see.

We are still using the BG One Size diaper but I am starting to think it's a tab bit bulky. I really like it though, just not the bulk... His newborn clothes don't fit him at all with it on, and his 0-3 months are snug.... But it's sooo cute!! I am still amazed at home absobent it is. I am letting him sleep in it tonight to give it a good 4-5 hour try.

Anyways, I found another diaper to try out. I just ordered for the Wahmie's One Size fromKelly's Closet. It should be here by Saturday hopefully so we can give it a try and it's the same price as the BG One Size.

I'm anxious to get the ball rolling on this whole cloth diaper thing, but want to make sure we buy the right kind. There's so much stuff to consider when going with cloth diapers. We knew from the start that we wanted One Size diapers, that way we don't have to order more diapers as he grows. And then we have to figure out if we need to buy inserts for the diapers. The BG One Size came with a doubler and an insert, and the Wahmies comes with an insert as well, so we don't need to buy those for now.

And then we're looking into cloth wipes, so I have to do all the research on that to find out which ones are the best... I'm thinking about the Thirsties Wipes. But have just discoveredFuzzi Buns Wonder Wipes.

And of course we have to get the Diaper Sprayer. Don't forget the wet bag as well... Kelly's Closet doesn't have the wet bag that I want... It's so hard to find a site that has all the items I want that way I'm not having to order from 3 different sites and pay for 3 diff shippings... ARG! LOL. The swim diaper is a must as well!!!

OMG There's so much stuff!!! But the price isn't that bad and the savings will be amazing... The average baby uses $2000 worth of diapers in 2 years and $800 worth of wipes in 2 years. We can get the diapers, wipes, sprayer, wet bags, etc. for around $400!!! Amazing savings if you ask me!!

Anyways, Coopers sleeping and it's almost midnight so I need to get to bed. I'm going to Babies R Us tomorrow to get the activity center, jumperoo, and bumbo sitter... Woo hoo for baby shopping!!

xoxoxo

Amanda

No Pooper Cooper

Cooper hasn't poop since Saturday. I was starting to get a little worried, but from everything I have read (online and in books) it is normal for a breastfed baby to go a few days between poops so I'm really trying not to freak out!

Here's what one site says :
Stool frequency depends on how much stool your baby makes and how quickly the intestine moves it down the pike. The amount of stool is dependent upon two variables–how well your baby’s intestine absorbs food and how many bacteria live in the gut. Since a baby’s ability to absorb food changes over time, the amount of residue left over also changes. Typically there is more residue to stool out in the first few weeks of life. Then, as your baby’s intestine matures, absorption improves and the amount of residue decreases. Thus, babies who used to poop several times a day may slow production down to once every couple days.

That makes sense and is keeping me from calling Dr. Shaya! LOL We're going to the ped. tomorrow for a check up anyways and I'll ask then. He doesn't seem to be in any pain or discomfort, he's still very gassy and eating like crazy... In fact he's eating more.

I told Dr. Ed (chiropractor) that he hadn't pooped in a couple days and he did a little belly massaging and such to try to get things moving, but nothing so far... Which makes me think he's not constipated. It's just concerning to see him go from pooping 2-3 times a day to not pooping for 3 days.

On the pooping front, we received our cloth diaper yesterday in the mail. I washed it and gave it a try today. I am totally shocked at how absorbent it is!! He had it on for a couple of hours and when we took it off the insert was sopping wet, but he was dry as a bone!!! It was a little bulky, but kinda cute and helped him fit into his 0/3 month clothes better. Good thing I washed his 0/3 month summer wardrobe today! LOL I definitely have to get pictures and post them... He's such a cutie.

Moving on -

Last night was a rough night, he was just so tired and crabby but wouldn't fall asleep. He didn't really nap during the day yesterday and when he did fall asleep 30 minutes later I had to wake him up because he had to go to the mall to return some clothes and then thechiro. After the chiro we came home for about 30 minutes and then we went to the midwife meeting between 6-9 (I was so excited because Jenny (doula) was there; I hadn't realized how much I miss her!). He cat napped a little at the meeting, but only for atotally of 30 minutes.

So he was sooo tired, but when it came time for bed he refused to sleep without being held. I held him in the glider in the nursery and he would fall asleep but as soon as I put him in the crib he would start SCREAMING, not crying, but screaming like someone was hurting him. So of course I'd pick him back up... we did this for about an hour and a half before I finally just took him to bed with me at 1. He slept on my chest for two hours and when I tried to put him in the bassinet in our room at 3 he started screaming again so back into bed with us he went. I put him between Paul and I and he slept until 6. We were up for an hour and then back in bed we went, both in our bed lol...

I woke up at 11 and got him up, I want to make sure he sleeps tonight. He's been napping off and on all day today, and has been in his crib now for about an hour. I'm going to get him up a little after 11 (after I pump) and feed him and back to bed... Hopefully LOL.

We went for a walk this afternoon, it was such a gorgeous day and Cooper loves going for walks.

I forgot to mention, Cooper latched on last night for about 10 minutes without the shield and then again earlier tonight without the shield!!! We're getting there.

I can't wait for the stimulus check to get here so I can do all the baby shopping and order the cloth diapers!! I love the diaper, it's great. Of course we want to do a night time test before we order the whole system. I've figured we can most likely get by with just 12 diapers because he seems to only got through an average of 7 diapers a day. If we need more then 12 then we'll just order more. Actually we'll have 13 diapers - the one we already have and then the 12 pack. I'm just so excited, who'd have thought that I'd be excited about diapers LOL...

Well I'm gonna get off here. I'm watching DWTS on DVR (last weeks eppys). Have a good night everyone!!

xoxoxo

Amanda

Cloth Diapers

We have decided to use cloth diapers! I am actually super excited about this and can't wait for the diapers to arrive in the mail. 

We ordered one Bum Genius One Size diaper to try out, if we don't like it we can return it for our money back, order a differnt brand, etc, until we find a diaper we like... Once we find the cloth diaper that we like we will order a diapering system. I can't wait for the diaper to come, it should be here some time next week!! How exciting! 

I'm really hoping we like the Bum Genius One Size because it is just that... One Size fits all!! It grows with the baby from 8lbs to 35 lbs!!! We won't have to buy new diapers as he grows, except maybe a few extras from wear and tear on the originals. 

Why are we going to cloth diapers? Mostly to save money. Our mortgage is going up because of poperty taxes (escrow) and we need to budget for a while. The average baby uses $2000 worth of disposable diapers, we can buy a cloth diapering system for less than $500!! That's a saving of $1500 over a course of a couple of years. So we are going to use part of our stimulus check from the government to buy cloth diapers. 

Another reason we are using cloth diapers is because they are enviromentally friendly LOL. Of course this is not the main reason! But it's a good thing. Disposable diapers are filling up the land fills because they are not biodegradable. 

The Bum Genius One Size diaper looks just like a disposable diaper, it's just cloth and machine washable! We would use the Gerber BirdsEye cloth diapers as inserts (to absorb pee). All cloth diapers need inserts. If the Gerber ones don't fit well into the BG One Size then we will order Bum Genius inserts... We'll see how it works out after we receive our diaper next week. 

You can check out the diaper we ordered here... Bum Genius One Size

Now for a Cooper update - 

We are all doing great. Cooper continues to grow and change on a daily basis. It truly is amazing to watch his transformation right before our eyes. We can't get over how stinkin cute he is!!! I am so happy we had a cute baby! LOL We got back to the doctor next Wednesday and I can't wait to see how much he weighs now. He's really getting big!! Got those cute chubby cheeks, starting to get rolls on his legs and arms!! We truly are blessed to have him in our lives, and we realize this more and more every day. 

I can't believe how much our lives have changed. I'm never on time for anything anymore, but I don't mind! Yesterday we were getting ready to go to the Chiropractor, I had him all strapped into his car seat and he pooped. So I had to wait about 10 minutes to make sure he was done pooping, and while I was changing his diaper he started to pee... all over his socks!! So then I had to clean him up, change his socks, put a clean diaper on, get him dressed again, back into the car seat and off we went!! We were only 20 minutes late! Good thing they don't mind!! LOL 

Cooper seems to have put himself into a nightly routeine and it's just fine with me!!! He goes to sleep between 1030 and 11 and sleep until 330/4ish. We are up for an hour at that time and then back to bed until around 730, up for another hour and then back to bed until 11!!!! I don't know what to do with all this extra energy I'm getting!! I hope he keeps this routeine... I know babies change schedules all the time, but I really hope this one stick! LOL 

Anyways, we are watching LOST so I'm gonna get outta here!!! Hope everyone is doing well!! 

xoxoxo
Amanda!!!