Saturday, June 4, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Cloth Diaper Post
I've been waiting to post this for a while, but it's taken a bit (3 months after I originally took these pics) to put all the mumbo-jumbo that is cloth diapering for me into words that make sense.
That is why I like writing...I can write, pause to stop & think, no wait, delete what I just wrote, ponder what to replace it with, write again, proofread, decide I don't like what I re-wrote, delete again, oh heck, just save what I have & come back to it later. See what I mean? Speaking doesn't allow me this luxury, so I revel in writing. As Matthew loves to remind me, I am horrible at telling stories & am pretty much a complete scatterbrain when I speak (& this was before I was pregnant & a mommy...Lord, help me). It's a wonder that I chose teaching as my profession before mommyhood, but oddly enough, I never had this problem when teaching...things just flowed. Real life is a completely different story. Despite the fact that I am less than 3 months away from being "30 minus 1" as we refer to birthdays in my family, I am still incredibly insecure when it comes to aspects of myself. And while I am in my most favorite stage of life & have everything I ever wanted (well, besides more kiddos, but they'll come later), I'm still in my 20's, so self-consciousness abounds. Is it weird to say that I'm looking forward to my 30's? From what those who have entered into that decade have shared with me, things slow down & you become more secure in yourself (a definite prayer request for me). After all, in what other decade does your life have more tumultuous changes than in your 20's? College, dating, first job (& sometimes more), marriage (for most people), first house & mortgage, kids (for some people)...all that was accomplished in only 8 years for me (& all of them [minus 1st kid] happened for me in the last 6 months of my 22nd year...that was a crazy, busy time). Okay, your first decade of life has more changes...but that doesn't count (you have someone taking care of you & all your decisions are pretty much made for you). So, how did I get on this topic? Uggg, maybe my writing is more similar to my speaking than I thought.
OKAY, CLOTH DIAPERING, LYNSEY...FOCUS!
I was CD'd as a young one until disposables came onto the scene & my mom's baby shower-gifted CD Service ran out. So (& I totally don't blame her for this AT ALL...have you seen what CDing what like in the early 80's...yuck) naturally, my momma switched to 'sposies, as they're called on my favorite CDing info. site. If you've just clicked on that link, you are probably completely overwhelmed. Honestly, when I first saw that message board, I felt like I was viewing a conversation between Matthew & any one of his friends who is also into cars...I mean, it's a completely different language (one that took me months to learn...CD Speak took me months to learn, I still have no clue about Car Speak, my brain just kind of shuts off when I hear that language).
Anywho, I first heard about modern CDing on the blogworld & was instantly intrigued. Saves you thousands of dollars, cute prints on my baby's bum, a fluffily padded bum I can repeatedly pat, none of the stinkiness that comes with 'sposies, no diaper rash, almost zero poop explosions, not having to be wasteful, not constantly having to buy diapers (I'm terrible at being timely with grocery shopping, how would I ever expect myself to good about making sure we have enough 'sposies on hand?)...SIGN ME UP! And after 5 months of CDing, A.B. & I have created an awesome routine & I LOVE IT!
So, "how to get started?" I wondered after my little, cute boy was doing his baking last Spring, Summer, & Fall. I read everything I could get my hands on about CDing, shoot, I read everything I could get my hands on about pregnancy, birth, & parenthood (a little bit on the awesome stuff I learned, I wrote about here). I researched & researched & researched & found that CDing looks different for every single person that does it. Seriously, all the months I spent on learning about CDing, that's probably the one thing I took away from it. What? Huh? Where's my textbook on CDing? Isn't it a black & white issue? Now I was feeling super insecure...I like directions, I like a manual, where is it? And worst of all, the piece of advice that everyone who CD'd seemed to share was, "wait until the baby comes & then build up your stash so you can see what works for you & baby" (if you're thinking of CDing, that piece of advice is not entirely true...I researched & decided to splurge on one of the most expensive brands based on reviews & thankfully that work ahead of time paid off. We love the brand we chose). Noooo, this planner did not like the wait-and-see-what-works-plan one bit! I mean, most CD shopping is done online anyway, so it's not like I'd have to leave the house to do it, but after the baby came I wanted to play with him, not peruse websites to research & order CDs. So, I came up with our own method. It's had some minor tweaking & I like to change it up a bit every once in a blue moon, but mostly, it goes like this...
That is why I like writing...I can write, pause to stop & think, no wait, delete what I just wrote, ponder what to replace it with, write again, proofread, decide I don't like what I re-wrote, delete again, oh heck, just save what I have & come back to it later. See what I mean? Speaking doesn't allow me this luxury, so I revel in writing. As Matthew loves to remind me, I am horrible at telling stories & am pretty much a complete scatterbrain when I speak (& this was before I was pregnant & a mommy...Lord, help me). It's a wonder that I chose teaching as my profession before mommyhood, but oddly enough, I never had this problem when teaching...things just flowed. Real life is a completely different story. Despite the fact that I am less than 3 months away from being "30 minus 1" as we refer to birthdays in my family, I am still incredibly insecure when it comes to aspects of myself. And while I am in my most favorite stage of life & have everything I ever wanted (well, besides more kiddos, but they'll come later), I'm still in my 20's, so self-consciousness abounds. Is it weird to say that I'm looking forward to my 30's? From what those who have entered into that decade have shared with me, things slow down & you become more secure in yourself (a definite prayer request for me). After all, in what other decade does your life have more tumultuous changes than in your 20's? College, dating, first job (& sometimes more), marriage (for most people), first house & mortgage, kids (for some people)...all that was accomplished in only 8 years for me (& all of them [minus 1st kid] happened for me in the last 6 months of my 22nd year...that was a crazy, busy time). Okay, your first decade of life has more changes...but that doesn't count (you have someone taking care of you & all your decisions are pretty much made for you). So, how did I get on this topic? Uggg, maybe my writing is more similar to my speaking than I thought.
OKAY, CLOTH DIAPERING, LYNSEY...FOCUS!
I was CD'd as a young one until disposables came onto the scene & my mom's baby shower-gifted CD Service ran out. So (& I totally don't blame her for this AT ALL...have you seen what CDing what like in the early 80's...yuck) naturally, my momma switched to 'sposies, as they're called on my favorite CDing info. site. If you've just clicked on that link, you are probably completely overwhelmed. Honestly, when I first saw that message board, I felt like I was viewing a conversation between Matthew & any one of his friends who is also into cars...I mean, it's a completely different language (one that took me months to learn...CD Speak took me months to learn, I still have no clue about Car Speak, my brain just kind of shuts off when I hear that language).
Anywho, I first heard about modern CDing on the blogworld & was instantly intrigued. Saves you thousands of dollars, cute prints on my baby's bum, a fluffily padded bum I can repeatedly pat, none of the stinkiness that comes with 'sposies, no diaper rash, almost zero poop explosions, not having to be wasteful, not constantly having to buy diapers (I'm terrible at being timely with grocery shopping, how would I ever expect myself to good about making sure we have enough 'sposies on hand?)...SIGN ME UP! And after 5 months of CDing, A.B. & I have created an awesome routine & I LOVE IT!
So, "how to get started?" I wondered after my little, cute boy was doing his baking last Spring, Summer, & Fall. I read everything I could get my hands on about CDing, shoot, I read everything I could get my hands on about pregnancy, birth, & parenthood (a little bit on the awesome stuff I learned, I wrote about here). I researched & researched & researched & found that CDing looks different for every single person that does it. Seriously, all the months I spent on learning about CDing, that's probably the one thing I took away from it. What? Huh? Where's my textbook on CDing? Isn't it a black & white issue? Now I was feeling super insecure...I like directions, I like a manual, where is it? And worst of all, the piece of advice that everyone who CD'd seemed to share was, "wait until the baby comes & then build up your stash so you can see what works for you & baby" (if you're thinking of CDing, that piece of advice is not entirely true...I researched & decided to splurge on one of the most expensive brands based on reviews & thankfully that work ahead of time paid off. We love the brand we chose). Noooo, this planner did not like the wait-and-see-what-works-plan one bit! I mean, most CD shopping is done online anyway, so it's not like I'd have to leave the house to do it, but after the baby came I wanted to play with him, not peruse websites to research & order CDs. So, I came up with our own method. It's had some minor tweaking & I like to change it up a bit every once in a blue moon, but mostly, it goes like this...
This is my FAVORITE CD, the bumGenius Elemental One-Size Cloth Diaper...
Very different from what you might expect, huh? I thought so, too, the first time I saw it.
See how the the extra part of the sewn down liner is folded down in the front? That's b/c little man is a boy & needs the extra absorbency there. For a girl, the extra part of the liner should be folded down in the back.
Here is me putting it on little man...
He loves CDing just like his momma :)
Below is his BG all buttoned up. It took me almost a month before I realized that this fit was the best one for little man. It took more than a few tiny leaks around his legs to figure out what fit worked best...and it does change depending on which BG I put him in. Yes, even though I have 24 of the exact same BG, not all of them fit the exact same way. UPDATE, once little man reached 4 months old (15.5 lbs. & 26.5 in.) my long & lean boy never had a leak. More on proper fit below this next pic...
Now before you think Matt & I spent over $600 for 24 diapers, here is the website where I order our BGs from. Now before you think we spent $480, we have some VERY generous family & friends that gifted us diapers as well $ to buy diapers. Our investment into CDing will have paid for itself after only 2 more months...by the way, it sickens me to think that we would have already spent hundreds of $ on 'sposies & 'sposie wipes by this point.
P.S. All the diapers we own will fit little man until he is 35 lb. (due to how the snaps work) & will last through 2-3 kids! Hopefully he will be potty trained by the time he is 35 lbs. (most kids are). Bonus, toddlers that are cloth diapered are potty trained months ahead of kids in 'sposies. Double bonus, we already have enough diapers at this moment to diaper 2 kiddos at the same time with washing them every other day. Since we just have 1 kiddo now, I only wash the diapers twice a week.
P.S. All the diapers we own will fit little man until he is 35 lb. (due to how the snaps work) & will last through 2-3 kids! Hopefully he will be potty trained by the time he is 35 lbs. (most kids are). Bonus, toddlers that are cloth diapered are potty trained months ahead of kids in 'sposies. Double bonus, we already have enough diapers at this moment to diaper 2 kiddos at the same time with washing them every other day. Since we just have 1 kiddo now, I only wash the diapers twice a week.
More on proper fit...I should also say that in these pictures Abram is exactly 3 months old, 15 lb., & 25.5 in. & because he is long & lean (despite some budding thigh rolls) this diaper may look like it is super tight, but it's really not. My little guy has almost zero chunk on his hips & butt so while it may look like his diaper is pinching those budding rolls & cute tummy, the diaper is comfy for my sweet boy. UPDATE...the 2 buttons closest to his legs are now one snap closer to his hips.
Here is my 2nd favorite, Econobums...
And here's how you use it...
Fold in the sides using the seams as a guide (trifold)...
You can also trifold the other way so that the insert is bigger, but little man is still little & the other fold is too bulky on him.
Here's how you put it on...
This part that is folded goes up against my little guy's front since that's where the most absorbency needs to be. For a girl using Econobums, this fold would be placed in the back.
Here's what they look like in action...
He is shocked at how well his mom puts on his diaper ;)
ALMOST 6 MONTH OLD UPDATE, I now I have different fold that works MUCH better for little man's #2's. It's tricky to show in a pic without showing more than the internet should see of my little guy, but it's very similar to The Flying Angel Wing (scroll down a bit on the link).
We have 6 Econobum Covers & 12 Inserts. I paid $36 total for them when there was a BOGO sale online a few months ago. I mostly use these when we're at home since the BG's are easier to change when we're out. Matthew doesn't really like the Econobums so he just uses the BG's. He is also not a fan of cloth wipes so he uses Costco's Brand of 'sposie wipes (the best 'sposie wipes out there). Speaking of cloth wipes...
We use it with a bumGenius Pail Liner...
What's neat about this pail liner is that there is a special pouch in the liner (on the right) that is perfect for holding a cloth wipe sprinkled with a few drops of an all natural essential oil to cover the smell of stinky #2's (after little man starts solids). Exclusively breastfed #2's don't smell :)
Once little man starts solids (when he turns 6 months old in a little over 1 week) I'll be doing this...
So what do you do with #2's, anyway? I'm so glad you asked!
Tada...the bumGenius Diaper Sprayer (a baby shower gift :)
The only negative to this sprayer is that the instructions ask that you shut the water off to the toilet when you're not using the sprayer (using the chrome knob in the bottom center of the pic)...this is slightly annoying & inconvenient for guests using our upstairs guest bathroom. Doing this causes very slight & minimal leakage of (clean) water, but enough to make us put a small bucket underneath the knob.
I have only sprayed little man's #2's a few times. Since he only goes #2 about once every 36 hours or so (this started when he turned 5 months old), it's close enough to how often I wash the diapers that I don't have to spray them...especially because exclusively breastfed poop is water soluble (which means it is safely & sanitarily washed out in the washing cycle...due to how the diapers are washed, more on that below).
Here are the settings for the first cycle...
water level for 15 diapers - mini
water temp. - cold
cycle - extra heavy
NO DETERGENT in this cycle
After the first cycle is through it's time for the 2nd cycle...
water level - same as 1st cycle
water temp. - hot
cycle - same as 1st cycle
add detergent...IMPORTANT, cloth diapers can only be washed using certain detergents (free of perfumes, dyes, whiteners, brighteners, softeners, enzymes, or other fabric enhancers)
3rd cycle...
just turn the dial to rinse & after the 2nd cycle you're good to go!
Drying the diapers depends on how stained the diapers are. These pics are from when little man was around 3 months old. Notice how many are stained (clean, but stained). Nowadays, only 2 diapers per washing cycle come out stained :) The non-stained diapers go directly in the dryer on delicate (takes 2 hours for our 13 year old ancient dryer). NOTE, the Econobum covers have to air dry (takes about 12 hours). The diapers that are stained are then "sunned" instead of thrown in the dryer...
I lay them out against our basement slider so that the sun removes the stains...it works wonders. The sun removes any stain on any item of clothing (as long as it's still damp from the wash cycle)...
Here are those same stained diapers after they have been sunned...
See any stains? Me neither...YAY!
WHEW! So I think that's about it for now. Hope this helps show that not only is CDing easy, it's totally worth the savings (some websites claim it saves $1,500-$2,000 per kid!) & other awesome benefits!
We have 6 Econobum Covers & 12 Inserts. I paid $36 total for them when there was a BOGO sale online a few months ago. I mostly use these when we're at home since the BG's are easier to change when we're out. Matthew doesn't really like the Econobums so he just uses the BG's. He is also not a fan of cloth wipes so he uses Costco's Brand of 'sposie wipes (the best 'sposie wipes out there). Speaking of cloth wipes...
Here is me holding one of our cloth wipes.
They're nothing fancy, but they do the job & are MUCH softer than 'sposie wipes. We have 3 dozen of them.
What about washing, Lynsey? I mean, isn't that gross to put #2's in the same washing machine that your clothes go into? I originally thought that, too. Here's what we do...
Here's our diaper pail...I found it by using this site...
We use it with a bumGenius Pail Liner...
Once little man starts solids (when he turns 6 months old in a little over 1 week) I'll be doing this...
So what do you do with #2's, anyway? I'm so glad you asked!
The only negative to this sprayer is that the instructions ask that you shut the water off to the toilet when you're not using the sprayer (using the chrome knob in the bottom center of the pic)...this is slightly annoying & inconvenient for guests using our upstairs guest bathroom. Doing this causes very slight & minimal leakage of (clean) water, but enough to make us put a small bucket underneath the knob.
I have only sprayed little man's #2's a few times. Since he only goes #2 about once every 36 hours or so (this started when he turned 5 months old), it's close enough to how often I wash the diapers that I don't have to spray them...especially because exclusively breastfed poop is water soluble (which means it is safely & sanitarily washed out in the washing cycle...due to how the diapers are washed, more on that below).
Here are the settings for the first cycle...
water level for 15 diapers - mini
water temp. - cold
cycle - extra heavy
NO DETERGENT in this cycle
After the first cycle is through it's time for the 2nd cycle...
water level - same as 1st cycle
water temp. - hot
cycle - same as 1st cycle
add detergent...IMPORTANT, cloth diapers can only be washed using certain detergents (free of perfumes, dyes, whiteners, brighteners, softeners, enzymes, or other fabric enhancers)
3rd cycle...
just turn the dial to rinse & after the 2nd cycle you're good to go!
Drying the diapers depends on how stained the diapers are. These pics are from when little man was around 3 months old. Notice how many are stained (clean, but stained). Nowadays, only 2 diapers per washing cycle come out stained :) The non-stained diapers go directly in the dryer on delicate (takes 2 hours for our 13 year old ancient dryer). NOTE, the Econobum covers have to air dry (takes about 12 hours). The diapers that are stained are then "sunned" instead of thrown in the dryer...
I lay them out against our basement slider so that the sun removes the stains...it works wonders. The sun removes any stain on any item of clothing (as long as it's still damp from the wash cycle)...
Here are those same stained diapers after they have been sunned...
WHEW! So I think that's about it for now. Hope this helps show that not only is CDing easy, it's totally worth the savings (some websites claim it saves $1,500-$2,000 per kid!) & other awesome benefits!
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Phantom Baby
This post is very aptly titled if you have happened to venture into our house in the past 5.5 months.
Basement - Infant to Toddler Rocker
1st Floor - Exersaucer, Pack 'N' Play, Boppy, swing, Bumbo, various toys.
2nd Floor - nursery & guest bathroom (FILLED with baby items)
You get the idea...there is a baby somewhere in the house.
There are several reasons why I have yet to order any prints of Abram...
1) This takes something called time (a rare luxury for the work from home momma, especially when said child is FINALLY starting to get on a consistent nap schedule). Info. from mommy world that had somehow escaped my extensive research of all things baby...SCHEDULES TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP & there are about 1.5 zillion examples of baby schedules out there to choose from (some so opposite from each other that you constantly scratch your head thinking how it is even possible to have so many choices & the dreaded...which one do I choose?). I need to develop a separate blog post to this entirely...when I have, what's that word again? Oh yeah, time! Don't hold your breath for that blog post anytime soon.
2) This takes a lot of $. Are you kidding me? Chose what pics to get developed? I want ALL of them. I mean, have you seen my son?
3) Birth control...there I said it. Looking at pics of this little dude makes my womb scream even louder that it has been empty for almost 6 months now. I would have absolutely no complaints if said organ was suddenly filled with a tiny embryo again...actually getting a tiny embryo in there again is another blog post entirely. Sigh, I am setting myself up for failure claiming to post these posts up in the next few weeks. Will I follow through? Maybe ;)
4) Procrastination...c'mon, people. Who are we kidding, you know I am so OCD about certain things that some things almost never get done.
5) I think I have made enough excuses for now ;)
Basement - Infant to Toddler Rocker
1st Floor - Exersaucer, Pack 'N' Play, Boppy, swing, Bumbo, various toys.
2nd Floor - nursery & guest bathroom (FILLED with baby items)
You get the idea...there is a baby somewhere in the house.
Framed pics of this baby in our house...ZERO.
There are several reasons why I have yet to order any prints of Abram...
1) This takes something called time (a rare luxury for the work from home momma, especially when said child is FINALLY starting to get on a consistent nap schedule). Info. from mommy world that had somehow escaped my extensive research of all things baby...SCHEDULES TAKE TIME TO DEVELOP & there are about 1.5 zillion examples of baby schedules out there to choose from (some so opposite from each other that you constantly scratch your head thinking how it is even possible to have so many choices & the dreaded...which one do I choose?). I need to develop a separate blog post to this entirely...when I have, what's that word again? Oh yeah, time! Don't hold your breath for that blog post anytime soon.
2) This takes a lot of $. Are you kidding me? Chose what pics to get developed? I want ALL of them. I mean, have you seen my son?
How...
in the world...
do I...
choose...
which ones?
3) Birth control...there I said it. Looking at pics of this little dude makes my womb scream even louder that it has been empty for almost 6 months now. I would have absolutely no complaints if said organ was suddenly filled with a tiny embryo again...actually getting a tiny embryo in there again is another blog post entirely. Sigh, I am setting myself up for failure claiming to post these posts up in the next few weeks. Will I follow through? Maybe ;)
4) Procrastination...c'mon, people. Who are we kidding, you know I am so OCD about certain things that some things almost never get done.
5) I think I have made enough excuses for now ;)
HAVE A FABULOUS MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, EVERYONE!!!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
My Pool Boys (sorry, ladies...one's off the market & the other one won't be available for 30+ years ;)
So last weekend we Fohner's headed back to our roots near SU on the good 'ole Easter Shore to take our first family vacation, just us 3 (a Christmas present from my dad) at the Cambridge Hyatt.
This is our favorite vacation spot that we usually go to for a night every Spring & Fall. Since it's the offseason, they have a special deal where you can stay for under $100 a night, so on years we don't take a big family vacation or when we just need to get away from it all for 24 hours or so, we head east :)
It's a BEAUTIFUL facility that is the perfect place to relax & hang out. And even though the hotel offers a lot of fun things to do, there are some times that all that we have done between check in & check out is enjoy the in room movies & room service & catch up on some much needed zzz's.
Now that little man is here, all I could think about was enjoying the pool, which we've actually never swan in in the half a dozen times we've gone to the hotel. In preparation for this, I ordered his cute Nemo cloth swim diaper so all 3 of us could swim. FYI, swim diapers (even disposable ones) are only made to contain #2's, otherwise they would weigh the infant or toddler down when they swam do to having to maintain absorbency to contain urine. So anytime you see a cute little swimmer in a diaper, most likely you're swimming in urine (something I never knew before, but am so glad to know now). Now that Matt knows this, he doesn't make fun of me near as much for taking a shower every time after I swim :)
Since Abram LOVES baths, so I thought for sure we'd see smiles & hear giggles galore when we dipped him in, but Abram was waaay more interested in "Toy Story 3" that was playing on the big screen above the pool. Little boy also LOVES TV (what can I say, he is his mother's son :) I always block his viewing angle to the TV when it's on, but if those baby blues do happen connect with those images on the screen, he is in the zone. He was very nonchalant about the pool, he just kinda looked down & around. He was actually pretty tired since we had traveled down earlier that day, meaning his naps were a little off. He totally perked up once we got back to the room & he realized it was bath time. Little guy was a smiling & laughing fool once he & I were in the tub.
He did super well the whole time we were there & traveling. We had such a good time & bonus, Matthew got to practice using his new camera on us (see the previous post below). His new camera is amazing & another bonus, takes HD Video that is crystal clear (unlike my lowly point & shoot digital camera that shot these 2 videos). Triple bonus, we only spent $50 on Matthew's new camera (after years of saving up Best Buy Gift Cards that were given to us for birthdays & Christmas').
First Fohner Family of 3 Vacation = success!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Warning...cute baby alert :)
Oh, those chubby cheeks (the only chunky things on my long & lean boy)...I could just kiss them all day long!
So please excuse me while I attend to that matter ;)
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Reminders...
God and I have been talking a lot lately...well, I've been doing a lot of talking & He's been doing awesome about listening to me cry, complain, worry, stress, not sleep, not even feel like I even have time to eat, etc. At just the right moment, I mean exactly the the right moment, a phrase or verse comes into my head & bam...He makes it all better.
Isn't God awesome like that?
Yesterday, as Abram & I were driving home from spending the day with Matt's mom, her husband, 2 out of three of Matt's sisters, & 4 of our 10 nephews & nieces I almost had to pull over to just breathe when, "take it one day at a time" came swirling into the fog that can be my mind these days. I remembered the verses that speak about worrying & doubt that I have studied and studied since I was a teen & it was as simple as God reminding me that I can't be effective for Him when I get so wrapped up in silly little things.
He reminded me to just relax & trust. That despite the fact that though Abram is an excellent night sleeper (yet I still feel sleep deprived because it takes a lot of energy to take care of that cute little one, especially since he's in a cat-napping phase right now & the only time I can get much accomplished is when Matt gets home from school...of course, all I want to do then is just spend time with my boys since Matt's been gone all day) I'm tired & because of that, it's challenging to keep my emotions in check, & because of that my mind goes awry & I feel like I'm just going loose it sometimes.
What? Are you kidding me? All I've ever wanted to do is be a wife & a mommy & I'm feeling this way? Seriously? After all we had to do to get this little miracle boy here (& his little frozen brothers & sisters) I sometimes feel so overwhelmed that I lose sight of the amazing blessing that motherhood is. How does this happen? For years I've heard others talk about the hard stuff that comes with parenting & my only thought was, "what I'd give to know what that feels like" & "I've waited my whole life not to sleep due to a little fussy babe." And then the naggyness (yes, I made that word up, don't steal it ;) of things undone creeps up & I feel so down.
And then God nudges my brain to remind me, "dear child, you are not superwoman, you are human. I made you that way, imperfections & all. And I love you. Your emotions, your never ending to-do list, never changes who you are in Me. Those things will get done, I will help you. Let's just take this slow, remember?"
And though there are no two people I love more than my boys, I'm reminded of how thankful I am for the first love of my life & how He's the best parent that this lowly parent ever could ever be...and I love Him so for it :)
Isn't God awesome like that?
Yesterday, as Abram & I were driving home from spending the day with Matt's mom, her husband, 2 out of three of Matt's sisters, & 4 of our 10 nephews & nieces I almost had to pull over to just breathe when, "take it one day at a time" came swirling into the fog that can be my mind these days. I remembered the verses that speak about worrying & doubt that I have studied and studied since I was a teen & it was as simple as God reminding me that I can't be effective for Him when I get so wrapped up in silly little things.
He reminded me to just relax & trust. That despite the fact that though Abram is an excellent night sleeper (yet I still feel sleep deprived because it takes a lot of energy to take care of that cute little one, especially since he's in a cat-napping phase right now & the only time I can get much accomplished is when Matt gets home from school...of course, all I want to do then is just spend time with my boys since Matt's been gone all day) I'm tired & because of that, it's challenging to keep my emotions in check, & because of that my mind goes awry & I feel like I'm just going loose it sometimes.
What? Are you kidding me? All I've ever wanted to do is be a wife & a mommy & I'm feeling this way? Seriously? After all we had to do to get this little miracle boy here (& his little frozen brothers & sisters) I sometimes feel so overwhelmed that I lose sight of the amazing blessing that motherhood is. How does this happen? For years I've heard others talk about the hard stuff that comes with parenting & my only thought was, "what I'd give to know what that feels like" & "I've waited my whole life not to sleep due to a little fussy babe." And then the naggyness (yes, I made that word up, don't steal it ;) of things undone creeps up & I feel so down.
And then God nudges my brain to remind me, "dear child, you are not superwoman, you are human. I made you that way, imperfections & all. And I love you. Your emotions, your never ending to-do list, never changes who you are in Me. Those things will get done, I will help you. Let's just take this slow, remember?"
And though there are no two people I love more than my boys, I'm reminded of how thankful I am for the first love of my life & how He's the best parent that this lowly parent ever could ever be...and I love Him so for it :)
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
A Year Ago Today...
Abram looked like this...
This picture was taken right before Abram was transferred into me at Shady Grove Fertility Center (SGFC) in Rockville. He was 5 days old here.
Exactly 9 months later, Matthew held my hand through a contraction at the stoplight directly in front of SGFC. To our left was where Abram's life began after our IVF surgeries at SGFC & to our right was where Abram would finally enter the world hours later at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.
This is what Abram looks like today...
We are truly blessed beyond measure.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
a video to hold you over until I get around to posting something semi-significant here...
We were still in the hospital, little man was 2 days old, & Matt and I were both noticing how Abram was so alert for a newborn...hence this little video.
Maybe this had something to do with stubborn boy finally deciding to make his debut 15 days after his due date, but anyway...A.B. was (and still) is a busy boy. If there's something going on, he wants to be a part of it. Praise God, he is an excellent sleeper at night. During the day, he usually only gets 4-5 forty-five minute naps before he goes down for 7-8 hours in a row at night (around 11:30-midnight). The first 10-15 minutes of the naps need to be taken on me (he usually falls asleep nursing). If I try to move him during the first quarter of his nap, as soon as I put him in his crib, he opens those beautiful baby blues and smiles. He is then instantly awake & looks at me like, "what did I miss, Mom? I know I missed something. I think I'll stay awake to figure it out." Of course, I start laughing as soon as this happens. One look at sweet boy's face & I can't help but laugh, despite the disappointment that another nap time is lost. I guess that's why he sleeps so well at night? I am certainly NOT going to complain about that. I am loving how many hours I get in a row since he staring sleeping through the night (5+ hours) at 3 weeks old. Needless to say, I have become very productive in these fleeting 4-5 thirty minute periods a day that I have all to myself.
I digress to my original topic...this cute video. It's done on my iPhone, so it's grainy (like the last video I posted), but it is my favorite video we've taken of him to date. It reminds me of our time in the hospital...the amazing bonding that took place between Matt & I during labor & delivery, our first sweet moments as a family, & the quiet stillness that the 3 of us enjoyed in our first few days together. I also love it because despite the fact that Abram is not even 3 months old yet, bits of his personality were present at only 2 days old. As you'll see in the video he never blinks during the entirety of it. He was a little shocked to be experiencing hiccups, but going wide-eyed is a funny trait of his that he still exibits...when something surprises him or peeks his curiosity, his eyes go SUPER wide & he just stares (without blinking) until he figures it out. It's absolutely hilarious to me. Enjoy...
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
New Year's Goal = bust (insert sigh)
I tried...I really did. I had the best of intentions of posting sooner than now. If we could be judged by intentions, I'm pretty sure I'd be up there close to first place if there were a contest. Can I say it's a goal of mine to follow through more this year? Would you believe me? If not, I guess that would also help me continue to own the fact that I'm a procrastinator. And if I ever let go of that, I just wouldn't be me ;)
Anyway, while I intend to eventually write Abram's birth story on here (before I forget all the details), since it's getting close to his bed time when Matt & I like to chill out together, I will instead write why I LOVE my new job...being a mommy.
Anyway, while I intend to eventually write Abram's birth story on here (before I forget all the details), since it's getting close to his bed time when Matt & I like to chill out together, I will instead write why I LOVE my new job...being a mommy.
What I love about Motherhood...
- that I used to be pretty meticulous about my clothing, meaning if I smelled the least bit of B.O., I would change clothes as soon as I could
...& that now if spit up, snot, drool, poop, or pee magically appear on my person, I laugh, look at Abram, & talk to him about how silly he is for messing up Mommy's clothes. And (gasp) half the time, I don't pause to change because I'm taking care of him & then before I know it, I'm sniffing around wondering what that smell is (& then I change).
- that I never used to think I would care about half the things I do now (natural childbirth, cloth diapering, eventually making A.B.'s baby food, exclusively nursing him until he's 6 months old [& continue to nurse at least once a day after that until he's 1], delaying & selecting which vaccines he will get...& a million other things I can't seem to think of now)
- that I used to become a mean mean witch if my sleep ever got interrupted. I'm serious, I would secretly hold a grudge the whole day if someone's text, phone call, or something else woke me up before I was "ready" to wake up for the day. If I wasn't able to get a nap to catch up, oh, you had better run (just ask Matt)! Plus, it would seem to trigger some pretty depressive feelings & I wouldn't be able to get much done since I would be so tired
- that I'm usually a pretty composed person. I mean, I can get goofy as well as be serious, but you wouldn't catch me dead singing or dancing or cooing or constantly talking in a high-pitched nonsensical gibberish
...& that now I will look like an absolute fool & not think twice about who is watching just to entertain my little guy.
- that I used to wonder how it would be possible to love a person as much as I love Matthew
...& that now it's just like another part of my heart opened up to swell with so much love that my chest literally hurts from happiness.
- that I would be excited to see which of our kids favored which parts of us
...& that I would be so ecstatic to discover every little part of Abram & what makes him part of each of us & our families as well as what makes him him, his own special & incredibly unique person that God knit together.
- that I could be so thrilled for the future
...& that yet the present would be so utterly amazing.
- that I am FINALLY a mommy
...& that I never realized how amazingly proud I would be once he came.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
It's a New Year with Our New Son...
...which means I'll be blogging more (well, that's the idea).
I don't make resolutions (because the Type A in me makes standards way too high than I can reach & then I just get mad at myself), but I do have goals (much more attainable than resolutions).
One of them happens to be to keep up more with this blog, especially because I now have something to blog about...
introducing,
Abram Brian Fohner
Thursday, December 9th, 2010
1:52 AM
9 pounds, 8 ounces
21 & 1/2 inches
Hopefully, I'll be adding his birth story up here within the next week (don't worry, I won't be graphic).
Quick summary...
- I went into labor naturally on the morning I turned 42 Weeks (though he didn't arrive until the following morning making him 15 DAY LATE...whew!)
- We didn't arrive at the hospital until I had been having contractions that were anywhere from 3-5 minutes apart & at least 1 minute long for 5 hours straight (I was 5 centimeters dilated when we got there)
- It took me 17 hours to dilate the last 5 centimeters...ewww
- I was stuck at 9.5 centimeters for 6 (yes, 6) hours without any medication (honestly, it wasn't that painful, just annoying & frustrating that I wasn't progressing like I thought I would/should
- Though it wasn't the worst pain I have ever been in, labor was definitely the hardest workout (with the sweetest reward) that I've ever had...with being a 3-sport high school athlete at Severna Park as well as a 2 sport collegiate athlete at the University of Richmond & Salisbury University, that's saying a lot
- Call me crazy, but I can't wait to do it again! I LOVE being a mommy :)
Since my little man is starting to get on a schedule now that he's 3.5 weeks old (he is an amazing baby, I'm not just saying that, he eats like a champ & has been sleeping 6-7 straight through the night since he was 3 weeks old...swaddling is a miracle fix), I'm hoping to be able to blog more, especially since I am taking a Leave of Absence from teaching through the end of the school year...SO EXCITED about that :)
Speaking of little man, he's stirring from his evening nap. My favorite job ever (motherhood) is calling...
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