My MUST HAVES for a Newborn!

With the impending arrival of a new little bundle of joy, I've been frantically scrambling to accumlate all the accoutrement necessary for survival. 

O.k, ok., all you really need for a baby is some clothes, a boob, a carseat, and a safe place for them to sleep.  But, I've found along the way that there are a few other items that certainly make life with a newborn a wee bit more bearable. 

Fisher-Price Cradle Swing WITH an A/C Adapter


There are many swings out there on the market, but the one swing that all my mommy friends have reported success with is the Fisher-Price Cradle Swing.  There are a variety of "styles" to choose from.  It can swing both side-to-side (a unique feature particular to this swing, which both of my boys preferred) or front-to-back.  This was the perfect solution for my nap-resistant babies, and the ONLY way I got any sleep when they were going through periods of day and night confusion!  This is one item I honestly do not think I could have lived without!

Back when my boys were itty bitty, they didn't make them with A/C adapters to plug into the wall outlet.  So, we burned through endless batteries.  I donated our old swing and found one for Isla on Craigs List (for $45 - **patting myself on the back**) that DOES plug in!  This new feature is a must!


Dr. Browns Wide-Neck Bottles

I have a love-hate relationship with these bottles.  YES - they do have a gazillion pieces that have to be washed and sanitized.  BUT - I have not found a bottle that vents better than this baby does!  A bottle (if you use bottles at all) with a good venting system is a God-send if your baby is the least bit colicky or has any degree of reflux!  Its worth the extra effort to wash and assemble all the parts.  Trust me.  These bottles are BPA-free as well.
 
I also like the Born Free Wide Neck Bottles, Twin Pack, 9-Ounce, but they are considerably more expensive and have just as many parts.  They are another good option. 




Medela Microwave Sterlizer Bags

Talk about a time-saver!!!  These sterilizer bags are a time-saving way to sterilize bottle and pump parts!  While you don't really need to sterilize all the bottle parts after three months of age, I always continued to sterilize the nipple anyway. 

I also use these bags after pumping at work to sterilize my pump parts.  They fold up compactly and fit easily into my pump bag.  Each bag can be used up to 20 times and takes only 3 minutes to use! 







White Noise Machine

When Carter was a baby, I had this problem where I would put him down for a nap, and he'd be awake again minutes later.  I was ready to gouge my eyes out when I stumbled upon a miracle cure for this problem - white noise.  One day, I just happened to be blow drying my hair near where he was "napping" and discovered that he actually was staying asleep.  As soon as I finished, he woke right up.  So I turned the hair dryer back on and wah lah! he slept soundly the entire time it was on - way longer than he ever slept without it! 

Let me tell you - I burned through two hair dryers and tripped countless numbers of electrical breakers before a kind mommy friend pointed out to me that they actually make devices that replicate this sound for you!  What a life (and energy bill) saver!!!!  Both of my boys sleep amazing well with white noise, and still use it to this day!  This is one thing I recommend to all first-time moms way in advance.  A total MUST HAVE.

A Ring Sling
Babies like to be held.  A lot.   As in, all the time.  I didn't discover the miraculousness of sling-wearing until Bennett was born.  I purchased one in advance of his birth on the advice of experienced mommy friends who said its great for nursing #2 while still attending to the needs of #1.  It turned out to be even MORE useful for me with Bennett because not only did I have to carry around a baby, I had to tote around a heavy apnea monitor and oxygen tank as well. 

The benefits to baby of baby-wearing are numerous - just Google it.  But the benefit to mom of keeping your newborn close, safe, and happy while running around the house, cooking dinner, roaming the store, etc. is something no study can document! 

I should caution you, however, that recently there have been warnings about suffocation risk with the use of slings.  For that reason, I recommend wearing the baby upright (as shown in the picture above), in a "froggy" position - this position is totally safe.  This also happened to be Bennett's favorite position as well!


There you have it - my MUST HAVES for a newborn!  Mommies - what are YOURS???

I'm Baaaaaack!!!

I must say, I'm slightly flattered at how many of my blog readers have asked me lately why I've gone MIA from this blog!  To be honest - I just got overwhelmed and needed to take a break.  After all, raising two very energetic boys, gestating a sweet little girl through a high-risk pregnancy, and working full-time as layer is a bit to chew for even the best of us.  Or, so I tell myself. 

So, how about a review of the "highlights" from the past few months -

Carter started Kindergarten and LOVES it!!!!

Bennett started preschool and LOVES it!!!!

I am currenlty 29 weeks pregnant with a little girl to be named Isla Michelle!!!

Ace has been pouring his heart and soul into growing and expanding his company.

The next few months are bound to be busy and exciting times for us.  The benefit of my sabatical from blogging is that its given me some time to come up with some kick-butt content to write about!  I hope you enjoy and thanks for bringing me back to the blogosphere!

18 Weeks!

We're trucking right along in the gestational department! I am 18 weeks pregnant today. The baby is now approximately 5.5 inches long and weighs about 1/2 a lb - about the size of a sweet potato!
The 1/2 lb baby doesn't quite account for the 10 lbs I've gained thus far though! Ooops :) Because my BMI was on the higher end for normal when I got pregnant, I really should not gain more than 25 lbs total. That's a little scary...

I'm feeling pretty good these days. I rarely have morning sickness anymore - only about once or twice a week! I have tons more energy during the day, but am still beat by early evening. I feel a lot of fetal movement, which I absolutely adore!!

I started the progesterone 17P shots this week. Despite all the hype leading up to it, it was easy peasy. I barely felt a thing. My bum was a tad sore for about two days afterward, but nothing to complain about.

This week upcoming is pretty exciting! Thursday morning, I have my anatomical ultrasound, where they take an in-depth look at the baby's organs and take all of its measurements to make sure everything is developing well. If the baby cooperates, we will also be able to find out the gender!! After that appointment, I am heading to a consultation with a midwife practice who may consider me as a patient for a vba2c!

Bennett's Toddler Bed - FINALLY done!

This past Spring, I discovered this awesome blog - http://www.knock-offwood.com/. The blogger is a stay at home mom in Alaska who designs and builds her own wood furniture. She generously creates plans and posts them on her blog for all of us to use and replicate! Her designs are inspired by some of my favorite stores - Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, etc. HEAVEN for me. However, other than a shop class I took in 7th grade, I had NO experience with woodworking! But, ever fearless, I embarked on this project -with the help of my husband of course. And let's be honest - he really did most of the work because stuff like saws and drills scare me a little bit. But, I will get there one day.

So, after obsessing over this blog for weeks (literally) I decided that our first project would be a toddler bed for our crib-jumping son Bennett. I printed off the plans and headed to Lowe's for the lumber. All in one day, we bought the supplies, made the cuts and assembled the head and foot boards!

The bed really was beautiful "naked" but I wanted to stain it to match the rest of Bennett's nursery furniture, which is Mahogany. That had to be put off to another day, and actually took several days and coats to get it perfect. Then I got pregnant. And sick. And nothing other than eating (sometimes) and sleeping (a lot) and breathing has really been accomplished since then!

So, we started this project on April 10th and completed it yesterday, on July 5th. We're real efficient, as you can see. But it is DONE. And I love it!

Bennett slept in it for the first time last night and did great! I was nervous that he would fall out because he's a hurricane when he sleeps, but he stayed in just fine!

We did learn a few important lessons in the process, however, that I feel I should pass on to you, should you decide you want to attempt a great feat such as this ;)

1. I learned that lumber doesn't actually measure what they are labled. A 1x6 board is actually only 5.5'' wide, not 6'' as the label would lead you to believe. This is important in figuring out measurements, obviously. Maybe this is common knowledge, but I had no idea.

2. Cut as you go. We pre-cut everything and that ended up being a mistake (albeit fixable) because some of the pieces didn't match up perfectly. So, we had to fix pieces here and there. When pieces go side-by-side, mark the cut for subsequent pieces off the first cut so they are all uniform.

3. When cutting, add on 1/8'' for the amount the saw takes off.

4. Double-check your plans before you start cutting. Sometimes there are small mistakes in plans and you want to catch that before you do anything permanent! For example, the plans we used from Knock-Off Wood were for a 26.5'' mattress, when a crib mattress is actually 28.5'' wide. I accomodated for this by using larger pieces of wood than plans called for, but fewer panels. Read the comments for each plan entry and see what others have to say - they often point out potential challenges and flaws in the plans!

5. Sand REALLY WELL. The finish is ALLLLLL in the sanding. An electrical sander is a must.

Next up - bunk beds for Carter!!!! He's been begging for bunk beds forever! Which will come in handy with Baby 3.0 makes her arrival and Bennett has to give up the nursery!

Shooting Up

Last week, I met with my Perinatologist (a doctor specializing in high risk pregnancies) to discuss our plan of attack to help prevent another preemie. Because I had a preterm premature rupture of membranes (pProm) with Bennett, there is a 31% chance that it will happen again. Now, that 31% figure comes from a study that looked at all moms with a history of pProm - which included known and unknown reasons and risk factors. We don't know why I ruptured so early with Bennett. It could have been a total fluke! Or, there could have been something going on that they could never find that caused it. But, its maddening because without knowning the cause, its very difficult to assess my true risk for a repeat pProm AND to take appropriate precautions to prevent it.

That said, even with known causes, its pretty diffficult to prevent pProm. The Perinatologist recommended weekly 17 p (hydroxyprogesterone) shots, bi-weekly ultrasounds of my cervix (because a common cause is "funneling" at the top of the cevix, leaving the amniotic sac unsupported), lifting no more than 10 lbs, and restricting exercise to light walking. I am also Group B Strep positive, and will be monitored for that and possible spread of infection throughout my pregnancy.

So, the next day, I go to my regular OB check up and report these recommendations to my doctor, who should be the one to prescribe and administer the shots for me. Despite my Perinatologist's recommendation for the shots, my OB was very resistant to it and was trying very hard to convince me that I did not need them.

The 17p shots were designed to help prevent preterm labor. They work by keeping the uterus calm, hoping to keep you from having any contractions. Since I was not having contractions when I came into the hospital after my "full" rupture, my OB said he doesn't think that was the cause of my rupture and therefore the shots won't help me.

That would make sense EXCEPT for the fact that I have a very irritable uterus in general. I have already been having contractions here and there with this pregnancy, and I'm still a few days away from 15 weeks! Furthermore, I actually started leaking fluid at 21 weeks - three weeks before I was admitted to the hospital. Who knows if I was contracting then or not! And the day that I ruptured, I was having contractions on and off the whole day. They weren't regular contractions, so I assumed they were Braxton Hicks - but WHO KNOWS!? The point is, we don't know. But if there is a chance these shots could help me prevent putting another baby through hell, I'm going to do it!

Then my OB had the nerve to say - "Yes, but you realize that this is an added cost [the co-pays] and pain and inconvenience for you?" Does the man not realize that I would hang from the ceiling by my ankles for the rest of my pregnancy if I thought it would keep this baby in? Does he think I care that it will hurt or cost $10 a week? He has obviously never had to sit at his child's bedside daily for nine weeks watching him struggle to breathe. I would do ANYTHING to keep that from happening to this baby.

I was already looking for a new provider before this happened, but now, I feel all the moreso that I need to do just that...

So, starting at 18 weeks, I get to have a shot in the bum every week. Fun, fun, fun! Now, all I need are volunteers to administer them....

Hellooooooo Second Trimester!!

I am now 14.5 weeks pregnant! That means I'm now in the second trimester - woot!!!

The Lord has blessed me with a "normal" pregnancy this time - hallelujah! With Carter and Bennett, I was sick all day long throwing up my guts until 28 and 20 weeks respectively. This time, my morning sickness has greatly diminished with the onset of the second trimester - as the doctor always promised before but never delivered! Wow, it really DOES happen for some people! I still get nauseous and sometimes sick in the evenings, but that's NOTHING. I'm more tired in general - but that's to be expected growing a human being, working full time, and chasing after two crazy boys!!

Last week, I went for my first trimester screening and nuchal translucency ultrasound and to meet with my perinatologist. The purpose of the screening is to assess the baby's risk for having Downs Syndrome or a Trisomy. For the first part of the test, they measure the nuchal fold - the pocket of fluid behind the baby's neck. In general, they want to see this under 2.5 mm, and Baby 3.0's nuchal fold was measuring about 2.0 mm, which is really good! The spinal cord looked great (no evidence of spina bifida or other spinal cord defect)! And they also look for the presence of a nasal bone. Baby sure gave the tech a run for her money trying to get the right shot to make sure the nasal bone was present, but she did finally get it and the nasal bone was there!!

The second half of the screening is a blood test. Based on the blood test, my risk for Downs was lowered from 1:740 (based on my age) to less than 1:10,000, which is the lowest possible number!!! My risk for a Trisomy was lowered from 1:1400 (based on my age) to less than 10,000 as well. We would not terminate the pregnancy regardless, but we believe in being informed and prepared if we were to be faced with that challenge. We are VERY happy that our baby appears to be perfectly healthy thus far!

And, of course, we got some nice purdy pictures to hang on the fridge:

In case its not as obvious to you as it is to me, above you are looking at two profile pictures of the baby with the head on the right looking upward.

Here, you can see in the photo on the left, the butt, and part of an arm and hand. The photo on the right is the hand, which the tech said is the clearest picture of a hand she's ever seen at this early stage in pregnancy!

Turns out, Baby 3.0 is actually measuring in the 95th percentile for crown to rump length! So, it may be a little bigger than most 13.5 weekers are! The tech said the baby was about 4 inches long and weighed 2 ounces!

The tech also took a little peek-see between the legs and saw parts that look very distinctly female :) She said would say with 95% certainty that we're having a GIRL - but....its still early. So, we're condemned to suffer and wait until our next ultrasound on July 29th to see for sure. I'm so excited at the possibility of a little girl, but I'm also bracing myself for the possibility that the tech will say "oh well there is the penis - it must have been hiding." He he he.

That's all for now folks! I will try to update this blog more frequently! Especially now that I've seemingly rejoined the land of the living!

Ten Weeks

Ten weeks! That's 1/4 of the way through! Still feels pretty early in the process though. The baby is approximately the size of a prune now. As you can see (excuse the weird look on my face and disheveled hair), I'm getting quite big already! By the end of the day, I'm even bigger.

I had a prenatal appointment yesterday. Overall, it was uneventful, but we were able to find the baby's heart beat with doppler - in the 140s!

At my first appointment, they found Group B strep (a very common bacteria found in pregnant women) in my urine culture, so they re-tested me for that. Regardless, they will administer antibiotics during labor as a precaution to make sure the baby doesn't get infected.

I've gained 1.5 lbs according to my doctor's scale, which is the most I've gained at this point in pregnancy! In fact, I LOST with both the boys in the first trimester. The only way I keep the nausea and puking at bay this time is by constantly eating, so I shouldn't be surprised.

Next up on the baby agenda is the first trimester screening and nuchal translucency scan (to screen for things such as trisomies, downs, and spina bifida) on June 24th. So, things are kind of boring for now!