39 Weeks - I am an oversized watermelon

We have finally hit 39 weeks!  One week until your EDD,  or estimated due date.  Remember that term??  Yes none of really do and the most annoying is friends and family seem to forget that as well.  I am OK with this baby boy coming late however with his 2 vessel cord my doctor really doesn't want me going past my due date.  This has me on edge...  I'm nervous about him coming and not really about the birth although I am nervous about that too but mostly about adding another one to the mix.  

Yes, kinda dumb to worry about that now since he is coming sooner or later!

39 weeks means I have one week or if I am induced I have until April 24th.  There are risks I am weighing and ultimately baby comes first.    Will he be OK is the biggest worry...

This is the longest time I have ever been pregnant!  Not much is different except for being more uncomfortable,  swelling, and impatiently waiting.  It's the longest time in pregnancy because you know it's almost over but being so large and uncomfortable makes it feel like forever!  So put your feet up!  Baby will be here soon!! 

But for me.....

I can't believe the time has come!  I am ready, my bags are packed and everything has been arranged.  I can't promise I will update the blog soon after but I will make sure to update you all soon!!

Baby Ryan, we can't wait to meet you!

Maternity Family Pictures - 38 Weeks

I never really liked maternity photos.

I don't know why, maybe because I think a lot of the couple shots are cheesy and then we were newly married and didn't have the money.  My wedding photographer although amazing is really expensive then you add a second child a little over a year later and of course we weren't planning on any added expenses.   Once Evan came along I thought well I haven't done anything for the first two so why do something now.  I did get some pictures done when Evan was a baby but besides that we have never really done family pictures, maternity pictures, or even newborn pictures. 

This time it was the end, we knew he would be our last baby.  I wanted to capture it but still hesitated spending the money.  Let's face it, we will have 4 kids!!!  We have to pinch pennies!   So a wonderful friend who did some family pictures of us a couple years ago for my mom's birthday offered to do them for me.  She is amazing and juggles 2 kids!  I can barely write a blog post once a week and my 2 oldest are in school!   She has a 2 and a half year old and a new baby!!  

Have I mentioned how awesome she is??

Check her out on Facebook, DiPietro Photography.

It took us some time to find a time to get together but this past week we met at a local park and proceeded to have a great time showing her how crazy have 3 boys was.  I had to sucker the hubby out there because being posed just isn't his thing.  I even left out all of the cheesy stuff because I don't like it plus I knew he would HATE it.  We played in the water and mud at times but after I was so excited to see them!  I've only been able to see a few but so far I love them!! 

When Iit comes to family pictures of maternity pictures here are a few of my tips.

1.  Be yourself - Don't try and mimic someone else.  Let the photographer capture your family and all of its craziness.  My boys aren't good at poses and we'll neither is my husband but if you try and be relaxed and go with whatever your kids are doing it will be much easier.  Plus you get genuine photos and not cookie cutters.  I like looking back and seeing my kids being themselves even if they aren't doing exactly what they were suppose to be doing.

2.  Don't dress to impress - we are a laid back family and I wanted the clothes we wore to reflect that.  So we are in what we would typically wear to a family BBQ.

3.  Find a photographer who likes to work with kids - You can tell when photographers are annoyed with your kids.  So find one that has kids and understands that sitting still for 3 boys is not fun and takes work.

4.  Have fun! - We played in the water, in the mud, and threw rocks in the river.  My husband wasn't too thrilled with the mud or water but I brought a towel and a change of clothes.  They loved it and made for great pictures.

Here are some of the amazing pictures she took!

My spouse is a goober...

Love my monkey boys!

My absolute favorite so far!  My boys and me!

38 weeks - We all want the same thing

At 38 weeks you have made it 1 week past full term and 2 weeks away from your due date.  These are all estimates and no one knows when baby will be here unless you have a schedule c section.   At this point doctors won't talk about induction and you are just sitting I limbo and no matter if you are a first time mom or like me and it's not your first rodeo, we all think the same thing, when?

38 weeks and baby is the size of a celery bunch or at least as long as.  He or she is around 19 and a half inches and 6 and a half to 7 lbs on average.  Remember your baby could be smaller or bigger these are just the average.  You have already started going to the doctor once a week and he or she has started to check you for cervical dilation.  So let's talk about your cervix.

Every doctor measures diffHuerently,  this is not an exact science.   There isn't a ruler they use to give you exact measurements however based on years of practice they all have their standard rule of thumb so to speak so if you happen to be in a practice like I was with my first two where you rotate doctors you will more than likely get different answers each time.  This can be frustrating but keep in mind the difference between 1 cm and 2 is so slight that it's basically comparing the size of a cheerios to a small fruit loop.  Yes there is a difference to the eye but using your hands blind isn't as easy to tell.  So when you go in and think yay, I'm 2cm, and then a week later you get a different doctor and sudden you're 1 to 2cms.  Also you can walk around for months at 2cms....  yes you can and I don't say that to discourage you but to keep your grounded in reality.

I was 2cm with Noah, child #2, for over 6 weeks.  

I was worried but then I was upset bc for aso long I worried about pre term labor and then the closer you get to full term the more discouraging it gets.  I know I say this a lot but enjoy the time you have left.  Remember that no matter how frustrated you are that once your baby is here time will fly by.  

So for all of you who think of course tthat's easy for you to say this is your 4th baby, no no my friends!  I am just as nervous, worried, and excited as you are!  I still wait every day thinking, will my water break with this one?   Will he be late?  Will he be healthy? 

Yes we all want the same thing, a healthy baby and the waiting around is not easy.  It's not easy no matter how many times you have done this.  

Have you packed your bag?  I finally did!   Here are the items in my bag, what's in yours??

Nursing bra

Nursing pj's

Toiletries

Baby's coming home outfit

Boppy

baby blanket

Cloth diaper to wear home

My going home outfit

Granny panties (they are a necessity...)

Phone charger

Tablet

Ipod

Essential oils (peppermint, lavender,  thieves)

37 Weeks! - Officially Full Term!!!

37 weeks!!!!

We made it!!!

It's finally and officially full term! 

Baby can come any time now!

OK taking a step back off my excitement train.  Yes, we are full term, yes if labor begins there is no stopping it, BUT and please remember this...

Baby could still be weeks away and yes I mean 3 to 5 weeks away.  We have made it this far, don't give up now!  My first two babies should signs of coming since 30 weeks but these last two have been crazy quiet.  I have had absolutely no contractions and do not feel like this baby will be coming out anytime soon.  There are things you can try but if your body isn't ready then they won't work so just use these last few weeks to enjoy the alone time or the time special time with your kids before the new arrival takes up most of your time and energy.

So now that we have established that we are full term and could be pregnant still for several more weeks let's talk about what's going on with baby!  Baby is about 19 inches long and a little over 6 lbs, possibly more.  My app says he or she is the size of a leek...  certainly do not agree with this one however!  The weight is similar to a small watermelon!  Yea like we need reminding of that.   Just walk around for 5 minutes and you know!   Now baby is still growing and putting on more cute baby fat.   Your doctor may check your cervix to see if anything is going on.  Remember that no matter what you could meet your baby soon or in several weeks.  I've been 2 cm for 3 weeks before and I have also had mom's who were not dilated at all and had their babies in days after the exam.  You really just never know and that's ok!  I know you're anxious to meet this little one but your body knows what it is doing, trust it.  

You are certainly more tired now, doing anything is like running a marathon which I would know nothing about but it's what I would feel certain is right up there.  My hips and pelvic area are in pain or feel like they may break in half most days and sleeping is more difficult than it ever was.  Oh and you will start getting the dreaded phone calls from everyone asking when the baby is coming.  I like to just tell everyone that the baby is staying put until May and not to get their hopes up.  This is also partly my hope but also gets everyone off my back so if I do have contractions no one knows!  

If you haven't already it's time to pack a bag for the hospital.   I haven't done this and probably should...  I am procrastinating since I have had no signs as of yet.  I did manage to get the baby's stuff pulled out and put on the dresser so next step is getting all of my things and putting them in a bag.  I'll talk about what I am packing in my next post!  For now I need to go take a quick nap and finish sewing a blanket.

Have a great day!!

My Cloth Diaper Adventure - Part 1

Do you ever look at a blog title and think "Part 1??  That's way too much commitment."  I thought about that as I typed it because I have stumbled onto blogs before and thought, no way am I reading through this and 3 more parts, just get to the good stuff!  With all of that said, I have still gone ahead and split this into parts.  

Why, you ask?  

Well, it's pretty simple, I haven't had this baby yet so I am really only in the preliminary stages of cloth diapers.

See, valid reason.

Keep reading, I promise not to bore you.

Since this is baby number 4 I have decided to stay home.  I have been a stay at home mom but I worked part time coaching competitive cheerleading, or working at my families ice cream and cookie stores and at times I have done both at the same time or worked full time ever since we had our first.  So yes I have been a stay at home mom but I also worked.  This time I won't be doing any of that mostly because of daycare and sitter costs.

So I have plenty of time to dedicate to cloth diapers plus it is another way to save money and have I mentioned that I am really nervous about not working....

Ok back to the point!  Cloth diapers have changed so much since my mom had me 30....  or 31 years ago.  Not only are there great options out there, it can be incredibly confusing.  So what did this Pinterest addict do?  Well I of course started searching through numerous cloth diaper pins.  There are a lot and not all of them really had anything to do with what I needed.  I wanted more information about what I would need and how many diapers I woud need per size and are All In Ones better than the pocket diapers??  I then found a friend to annoy with all of my questions and who gave me her opinions on what worked for her.  If you do not have a special friend then keep reading, well keep reading anyways because it is nice to have all the information you can get, right???

Basically I found out this all depends on your baby and what you like.  Much like most things with parenting, this was also going to be trial and error but on my budget I don't have much room for error.  So I am breaking this down to steps I took that may help you.

1.  Research the different types and brands of cloth diapers.

I recommend reading reviews on Amazon.  I started reading reviews on different diapers and how they worked for each family then found tons of information I didn't think I would find like tips on using them or what other diapers they owned and how they cleaned them.  I found out that Alva baby while are sold on Amazon are more expensive there than on the actual website which made me start thinking, are other diapers cheaper else where??  I am an Amazon addict so I was nervous to stray.  After looking at all of these reviews ans blogs noticed that you really needed to find which cloth diaper works better for you and your budget.  You can choose form All in Ones, Pocket Diapers, All in 2's, bamboo inserts, hemp inserts, microfiber inserts, etc.  The list goes on and on but all are pretty simple.

All in one is like your typical disposable.  Everything is built into the diaper and they are one size fits all or 8lbs to 35lbs.  You simply use, take off, wash, dry, and reuse.  The drying time is longer with these however and you will need more of them since you have to replace each diaper with a new one and unless you plan on washing diapers every day you wil need a good supply.

All in two's have a pocket to stuff an insert and they are also one size fits all.  Most are microfiber inserts that you lay on the diaper that fits directly against baby's skin.
Pocket diapers have a pocket that you stuff the inserts into.  This gives a liner between baby and insert to keep moisture off baby's skin.

Then there are Gdiapers...   I keep these alone because they are unlike all of these although similar to All in two's.  They have a plastic snap in insert which protects your outer diaper.  Then your inserts just get laid on the liner.  These also are not one size so you have to have multiple sizes however they velcro and are very similar to a typical diaper except you can reuse the diaper through the day!

2.  Research care and usage.

Some diapers require more time in drying which mean you need more.  Some of these diapers are bulky, leak, or don't clean as well.  All of these things are important to me since I have a 2 year old running around and 2 older boys that take up a lot of my time.  The added laundry wasn't a huge concern for me since I rarely go one day without doing a load.  I wanted something that wasn't too time consuming so I could change diapers quickly and honestly I wanted something convienent because I just don't have the time to dedicate to a long process.  While I researched I found more products from Gdiapers that made the whole thing way more simple.  (Ill get to that in a minute.)

3.  How many will I need?

This depends on what kinds you go with but for me I decided on Gdiapers for the most part.  I do have several other brands of AI1's and AI2's to try out however what sold me on the Gdiapers was that they velcro, come in a smaller size, and have disposable inserts.  That is what I was most afraid of...  I nurse and breast feeding babies have yellow poop that is not easy to get out of cloth so to use cloth inserts indimidated me.  I also knew I would be changing this little one's diaper 7 to 10 times a day while a newborn and I didn't want to have to wash the poop off and deal with all of that so for the newborn stage we will use the small gdiapers and the disposable inserts.  That way I can throw the disposable insert away.  What is the cost you say?  The 4 pack of disposable inserts was almost half of what a big box of newborn diapers were and I can still use the cloth inserts when I get the hang of it.  BONUS!!!  They sell disposable liners!!  $7 for a box of 105.  Blown away aren't you!  The liner goes over the cloth insert so you can toss any poop without having to rinse the cloth liner first.

4.  Buy Used

What did I just say??  Used diapers??

Yes I was nervous at first but then it dawned on me.  If people are reselling their cloth diapers so could I!  There is a big crowd for reselling cloth diapers.  Not only have I bought most of my diapers from people who have used them, they give great tips on cleaning the diapers.  You ccan find most of these groups on Facebook but some you will need a member to vouch for you so just leave a comment if you are interested.  You can also find these on diaperswappers.com.  If you are not sold on buying them used then here are a couple ways to save.

Alvababy.com - These are on size and range in pricing from $5 to $9.  They are made in China so just be aware of that before going to the site.

COUPONS! - Buy buy baby has coupons all of the time or 20% off and you can buy a double pack of Gdiapers for $29.99.  They also sell Bumkins and bumGenius.

You can also get coupons and use them at Babiesrus.com but they don't have them as often.  As is my addiction Amazon also has tons of cloth diapers to choose from.  You can subscribe and save with the liners, disposable liners, and disposable inserts and save 20% extra!

5.  What else do I need?

There are different products out there to help you along the way that make things easier but are in no way necessary.   Wet bags, toilet hose, laundry detergent, etc.

I'm sure there are more but you don't "need" any of it.  If you have a registry feel free to register for any of these items but if you are like me and a baby shower is a thing of the past then, no, none of these items are must have items.  

I did purchase a travel wet bag and a wet bag for the house but mostly because I had a gift card.  The wet bags are to hold your soiled inserts and diapers.  They keep the smell inside and are washable.   However a trash bag could also be used or a grocery bag when you are out.

Cloth diapers do not need a special detergent although companies will try to sell it to you anyways.  

You do not need a hose attached to your toilet to help remove poop but again it's handy if you choose to purchase it.  

I hope this helps you get started!  If I missed anything or you have extra suggestions of your own feel free to leave me a comment!  As I said before I am still waiting on my little one so there will be a part two coming soon after baby is here!