Got another car seat

A few weeks ago, I wrote about our monster car seat -- the very good, safe, highly rated Britax car seat that pushes our front seat up so much, no one can sit up there.

So I bit the bullet and got an infant car seat this past week. At least the baby can use it for a while, I can sit in the front seat (or have a 3rd person in the car), and when it's time to be front facing we'll have our Britax model all ready.

I ended up buying a floor model Graco car seat -- with the floor model discount and coupons, I got it for $70. I was really pleased with that. I got the floor model because it was on sale to begin with and they were all sold out. If I bought it online, I would have had to pay full price. Now we haven't used it yet, it still needs to be installed. And Wes loves his car seat, so I hope this one works as well.

He may end up only sing this for a few months -- I have a feeling he will grow out of this seat fast -- but then when Wes moves into his big car seat, we'll hopefully have another little one to put in this infant car seat.

Cloth diaper review

It's been 1 month since we've been using cloth diapers. So far, Matt and I couldn't be more pleased with this decision. On occasion, we've had to use some disposables, and every time we do, we're even more positive we made the right decision.

We've got a good system going. In our dresser is where we keep all the diapers sorted by covers, prefolds, inserts, and pockets. And next to the dresser is the pail with the liner for all the dirty diapers. Pee-only diapers go into the laundry basket with the other dirty baby clothes. So far, I'm doing diaper washings every other day and I don't feel like I'm washing clothes more often since we have more to wash in general with his stuff (he gets everything dirty so fast). Washing the diapers is easy -- a short cold rinse, followed by an extra sanitary hot wash.

Here are some of my reviews and notes on the different types of diapers I'm using so far ...

At night:
Our preference is to use the all in Pocket diapers like BumGenius. We double up the inserts and they last through his 3-hour + sleep sessions. The material really absorbs the wetness!

During the day:
With the numerous diaper changes, the chinese prefolds and covers are what we're using with success. The Thirsties covers fit him better than the Bummis cover, and they have less wear on them with the same amount of washings. Right now I have Thirsties with velcro, but I may switch to snaps when I get the next size up.

Don't like:
The Flips, made by BumGenius are not working. The covers are fine with a prefold (but even they are too big for my 8-lber), but with their insert they don't seem to work at all. Maybe I'm not doing it right, but I can't figure it out and it should be easy.

And the other Pocket Diapers I have (FuzziBunz, Happy Heinys, Katydids, etc) are all fine, but I think they'll work better when Wes gets bigger. Right now they are huge on him.

Tracheomalicia, perhaps

The last 2 weeks, Wesley has started breathing funny especially when he's feeding. He makes these high pitched noises that sound like he's gasping for air, even though his mouth is closed. At night, his noises keep us up with concern so we both agreed to take him to the doctor, even if that meant looking like crazy first-time parents.

Of course Wes didn't make the noise for the doctor, but we recorded it just in case. When I played it to her, she said it sounded like Tracheomalacia -- or floppy trachea. A lot of newborns are born with trachea that are not fully developed and the cartilage moves and makes noises. It's important to diagnose this even though, from what I understand, it's not very serious.

So we went to the Ears, Nose & Throat specialist on Thursday where they stuck a tube down the little guys nose and found him to be perfect. So the noise is just that, a noise. And he should grow out of it as times goes on.

Just the first of many crazy doctor visits, I'm sure.

Quiet Contemplation on the Changing Table

Energy Audit

Our city got some grant money from the government to provide its residents with energy audits, and with that you can get up to $1000 back on any energy improvements you make (this is in addition to the tax credit).

So I quickly signed us up (which I was lucky I acted so quickly), and we had our energy audit yesterday.

Improvements they recommend:

1. Insulate the attics **
2. Replace the furnace and water heater
3. If we don't replace windows (not a lot of ROI on window replacement), then we should upgrade our storm windows.

** If we can only afford one thing on this list, this is their recommendation. It's the best ROI, and where you lose the most heat from your house.

Home improvement is never done! Now I need to start calling for quotes on getting this all done before the end of the year.

Also before the end of the year, we hope to finish the bedroom floors (only the baby's room got replaced), and replace the family room carpet with hardwood. This will make us so much closer to getting the house almost done (well the INSIDE!).

We made it! 1 Month!

We're celebrating our 1 month anniversary with our baby boy! (like a new relationship, these small steps must be celebrated!)

August 25th @ 1 month old

Like they say, your life will never be the same again. And at 3 in the morning, when a crying baby wakes me up for the umpteenth time hungry and stinky, do I wish for that old life back. Like I told Matt, if I knew that Friday, July 23rd was going to be our last night of continuous, good sleep, I would have brought a bottle of vodka in bed with us!

That said, our first month with Wes has been non-stop. Even though I'm home (a prisoner in my own house, save for the walks in the stroller), the days have flown by and I can't believe he's already 1 month and I'm in my 5th week of maternity leave (of 12 weeks). Every day, I feel better physically, and I feel like I'm getting to know Wesley better even though there are those days when Matt and I can't figure out what he wants (and you can only shove so many bo.obs and bottles in his mouth).

August 23 -- looking a little sad in the Lamb

Everytime we think he's developing a sleeping pattern at night, he throws us a curve ball. On a good night, though, he'll sleep for 3 hours, up to feed/change for 1-2 hours, and back to bed for another 3 hours. Although last night he was up a lot and I'm running on fumes today.

This past weekend was Wesley's first visit to Lake Geneva where we spent 2 nights at my parents place. He was very good -- we had a good 1st night sleep, went on walks to the lake/art fair, went out for dinner (where he slept in the Moby), and he even went to his first Venetian Night/fireworks where I nursed him under the stars. My mom bought a pack-n-play for her house and Wes loved it, sleeping in it so well that by the 2nd night he didn't need to sleep anymore... he cried constantly, and we got about 2 full hours of sleep all night.

In Lake Geneva

The last 2 nights, we've let him sleep in our bed -- which is hit or miss too. But it's much easier to nurse... all I have to do is roll over. Matt, who originally was against co-sleeping, heard from friends that sometimes it's necessary when they are this young and you need some serious sleep. He's just still nervous he'll roll over on to the baby, but I have him protected with my arm.

In bed with daddy

In the middle of the night, I decided to give up breastfeeding ... after all it's been a month (longer than most of the women have done this in my family.) This morning, over a bottle, I'm back on the wagon. Even if I only breastfeed 2 times a day, I just can't seem to give it up.

Wesley with all his grandparents

Photo gallery of Wesley and his grandparents (and great grandparents):

Wesley with nonno --his namesake

With Grandma

In July, Matt's parents took a whirlwind trip to see us and the new baby (he only just forwarded me the photos).It was a short trip that everyone wished could have been longer, but Wesley will never be that small again (5 days old) - so it was well worth it! The next time they come up, Wes will be over a month old and they will be amazed at how much he has changed.

With Gagi -- rocking Wes in the same rocker she rocked Matt

With Pop

With Great-Grandpa

And with Great-GrandmaI'm so happy that my grandparents are here to get to know Wesley, and my grandmother in Italy we hope will meet him when we visit (probably in another year or two).

Breastfeeding Baby Stuff

Here are some baby breastfeeding related items I'm using and like:

Breastflow bottles: We're supplementing with formula (and also breast milks when I feel like pumping -- which is never), so these bottles were recommended to us by our lactation consultant. They are supposed to be shaped like a breast. the only problem with them is that they have lots of air bubbles.

Nursing pillow -- My Brest Friend: Funny name, good product. Probably the best and easiest thing to have your baby perched on while feeding. My only problem is that sometimes it's a pain to put on and I just want to feed without having to get all the stuff ready -- but it's much better when I use it.

On my due date forum, all the women are pumping like mad and getting a stock of breast milk in the freezer. I have not done any of that. If I pump, I feed it to him when I want. I'm going to need to start doing this... it's never too late and I have the pump from the hospital rented for another week. How much can I pump in 1 week? Let's see ... stay tuned. (or not, I guess it's not that exciting!!)

Wesley is 3 weeks old

Wesley is now 3 weeks old and has started giving us 4-hour stretches of sleep during the night!

Wesley @ 3 weeks

This week, we've noticed a lot of changes in Wes -- he's found his hands and is using them grasping our fingers and clothing. He's also starting to stare us in the eyes, like he's beginning to recognize us. He's also grown at least 2 inches and can't fit in some of his newborn onsies anymore. But we've gotten a lot of clothes as gifts so there's always something for him.

This weekend was his first trip to Honey for breakfast

a test ride in the Moby (nice hair!)
And more walks in the stroller -- and his first trip to the train station to meet dad getting off the train.

Sunday, we went to my aunt's for a grill out where he was so good no one would believe me that sometimes he cries and fusses all morning. I said it's because he likes to be held and at parties, he's passed around like a platter of pasta and so of course he's fine.

Friday, the 13th, was the worst day for me. He cluster fed all morning and just was fussy all day that I was losing my mind. My family felt so bad that my mom came over that night, my grandma gave us her theater season tickets for Saturday's nights play at Drury Lane, and my aunt babysat for us. Matt and I saw a play and had dinner and it felt like ages since we were able to do that!We're still breastfeeding and supplementing with formula -- although there's not a night that goes by that I don't want to quit. Nighttime feedings are the hardest for me. But I'm hanging in there and Matt is very supportive of breastfeeding so that keeps me going, knowing that it is the best for Wes.

He's only 3 weeks old but it feels like we've had him forever (and that it's been forever since we've had a good night's sleep!)

The Cats & the Baby

One of my friends wanted to know how the cats are adjusting to the baby.

The answer is ... surprisingly well.

Matt and I were really worrid they would be jealous or mean, and start pooing and peeing around the house. So far (knock on wood) that has not happened. First off, when we did the nursery, we always allowed the cats inside. We never shooed them away or made them feel unwelcome. When Guinness showed too much interest in the crib, I would just pick him up and move him away.

When the baby came home, we never made any loud noises when they went near the baby; we just watched and observed. We always wanted them to feel like this was a non-threatening thing to their environment.

Guinness watching the baby

And so far we have found that Guinness is very interested in the baby. He loves to go up to him and try to smell him. When he's in his bassinet, Guinness lays in the bed so he can look over him. On occasion I've caught Guinness's paw in the bassinet but that was only because he wanted the pacifier.

Mini, on the other hand, can care less about the baby. One time, the baby's arm was outstretched and Mini tried to rub against it. When she realized he wasn't going to rub her head, she deemed him useless and walked away. When the baby's in my lap, that doesn't stop Mini from trying to edge herself in too to get some much needed rubs.

This is all better than a mean pooing cat!

The Monster Car Seat

There are 2 different kinds of car seats for an infant: 1) an infant car seat (good up to 35 lbs) and 2) a convertible car seat (good up to 60 lbs). The infant car seat is handy because you can take the baby out of the car in it's carrier and it fits some of the strollers, the convertible is nice because you buy one and you're done. Most people get an infant car seat but ... let's just say, I've never been one to go with the flow and we decided on just using a convertible car seat. (I tried picking up those infant seats without a baby and they are HEAVY).

We got the Britax Boulevard, which is one of the highest rated models out there. Even the police station - who helped us get it installed properly - said it was the best.

The problem? It's ENORMOUS. It has to be at such an incline that the passenger seat is pushed so that no one can sit there (especially me with my long legs). It looks like that unless we buy some behemoth of a vehicle (no thank you), this is what it is. Now the baby is uber-comfortable in it, and I feel like he's very protected; but part of me wonders if we should get an infant seat as well.

Pros:
- I can sit in the front seat
- We'll need a 2nd car seat when we have a 2nd baby

Cons:
- It's good to sit in the back seat with an infant
- Wes will probably outgrow the infant seat early (he's pretty long)

Do you think it's worth it?

Some helpful baby-related things

It's been a long time since someone in my family has had a baby ... my youngest cousin is 15 years old. So much has changed and there are so many new things that my family didn't have, so Matt and I are having fun learning the ropes of the 21st century baby.

Here are some things so far that I am using and like:

Nursing bra:
What makes breastfeeding easy is my nursing bras and shirts -- Matt and I went to Macy's where I raided their maternity section. My favorite bra is this one by A Pea in the Pod, well worth the $38 price tag. I also got 3 new nursing tops by the same company, they are very soft and comfortable.

Swaddler:
Matt and I were taught how to swaddle at the hospital by every nurse there and we still left without a clue. Wes likes his arms out, so he pushes out of all the blanket swaddles as well as the "swaddler for dummies." Our Pediatrician nurse recommended the Woombie -- it's a zip up sac with enough space for baby to move their arms and legs, but not enough to startle them awake. Wes loves it and so do we!

Baby Activity App for iPhone:
This is the coolest app!! We were told to log all our feedings and diaper changes ... so we did ... on paper. Then at 3AM in the morning, one sleep deprived me, sick and tired of writing this all down, found this app on iPhone, turned to a sleep deprived Matt and asked, "Can I spend $5 on an app for the baby?" (We believe in full disclosure!) So now everything is stored in our phone (which never leaves our side). And we can email the activity to ourselves or anyone (for fun really). So here's what one of our days looked like:

Week 2 with Baby

I probably won't be updating weekly (for sure), but these first few weeks are so new ...

This week Wesley went on his first walk in the stroller -- first on Saturday around the block, and then on Sunday in town after getting coffee at Einstein's. He loves his stroller; we put him in the bassinet and he fusses for only a little and when we start moving, he just falls asleep. No matter that we go over bumps and cracks, he loves it. Right now the mosquitoes are out in full force, so we keep the bug net on the bassinet -- we look like the typical new, 30-something paranoid parents!
Sunday, Wesley took his first trip to grandma and nonno's house -- his first trip other than the Ped's office or the hospital. He slept again the entire time, as usual.

All my family was there and we had a champagne toast to him. My aunt was so funny, asking me, "How does it feel to have a good looking baby?" I think Wesley is adorable, but not very photogenic (like his mamma). My brother, who is special needs, is having a hard time adjusting to the idea that there's a new baby (and thus a new focus) in the family. When someone asked him how he liked the baby he said, "Terrible. My family has abandoned me." He has a flair for the dramatic, my brother, but at the same time we want him to love Wesley. So we bought the baby a Beatles onesie and he and my brother took a photo together - this was the first time Tony held him.
Breastfeeding is getting easier, but now the challenge is:
- at night he is super fussy and my patience is nil
- he wants to feed ALL the time
- he needs to gain more weight

So we have decided to supplement with formula for those nights when he just won't latch well (at least 1x per night), and when he seems to need more food. At least then I know he's getting enough and I hope that when we visit the Dr again, his weight will have gone up. (UPDATE: Wes is now 8lb 1oz -- up 5oz from Friday!!)

Me learning how to multi-task!

Wesley is 1 week old

August 1st was Wesley's due date and I couldn't be happier that I had him 1 week early. Here he is at 1 week old.

With Daddy ...

With Grandma

This week since we've been home has been whirlwind. Taking care of Wes throughout the night is tiresome but we are getting used to it (it was better when Matt was home, but what can you do). My family is indispensable to us. My mom has come over every day -- she cleans up, cooks for us, and watches Wes if I need to nap or shower. Family visits are a daily thing now - my grandparents, aunts, cousins... everyone wants to come over and they are such a tremendous help to us -- especially since I'm still recovering. Last night my aunt watched Wes so we could get a new nursing bra... and he was so good with her! Matt's parents drove in from Nashville to see the baby last weekend, and we've had calls, cards, gifts, and well wishes come in from friends and family all over the world.

Breastfeeding has been challenging - getting him to suck and latch was a big thing in the hospital and since then we've seen the lactation consultant twice, as well as the pediatricians consultant. Things are 100% better, I'm just not used to being the milk-man! But I really love breastfeeding, it's so easy to put him down in his bouncer but when you feed it's that closeness that I love. Then I have a moment where I don't have to do anything and can examine his long fingers and toes, his ears and stroke his head. He'll never be this small again, why not?

We figured out that he's got Matt's feet (at least his big toe), and that he looks like me when I was that age. He's very long and lean -- long legs and arms -- and his feet are enormous. Even the nurse at the Ped's said, "Wow look that those feet. He's gonna be big." And he's very strong. he can lift his head really well during tummy time, and his kicks are powerful (especially when we change his diaper).

Aug 1: All stretched out ... and relaxed (not always the case)

We've moved him from the disposables we got at the hospitals to the cloth diapers and so far so good. He pees on everything so we have daily washes - so doing more laundry for the diapers I hope will be no big deal. Plus they don't irritate him like the disposables (they actually pull his poop away from his body).

...now this is more like it.
(with chinese prefold & thirsties cover.) Aug 3

I'm hoping this weekend will be Wes's first trip to grandma's house and we can use the stroller and go for a quick walk around the block (that's all I can manage now).

Until next time ...