New Baby, New Home?!

Not sure what was going through my mind, but shortly after having Hayley I had this extreme urge to MOVE! Some called me crazy while some called it a good idea. I am so glad we decided to list our house on the market and move! It was amazing because our house sold in 7 DAYS! Wayyy faster than I thought it would, so fast that we felt thrown into a whirlwind. 

We then had to find a house suitable for our needs and wants and submit an offer. We are awaiting the closings of both homes now and it hasn't even been a month since we started talking about moving! Crazy!

What we wanted in our new home:

• Better area. Tired of hearing about all the break-ins happening around us! One house was robbed 3 times in one week not even half a mile away from us. I am so excited to live in a subdivision that has tons of children for Joey and Hayley to grow up playing with!
• Better school district. The school district we are in now is crap. Low ratings, and in a drama filled school district that can never seem to get things right. The school district we are moving to has some of the highest ratings in the state. 
• Bigger home! We are running out of room! I feel like all of our stuff is going to start falling out of the closets if we try to put anything else in them. We want more room for Joey (and eventually Hayley, too) to play. Good news is, the house we are moving to has a bonus room! Yay! ALL of their toys will be in there, and we won't have to step on blocks and Matchbox cars in our living room anymore! Who am I kidding, I'm sure they'll still end up downstairs.

Those are just the most important things. I couldn't relax until I felt like we were in the right home for us to raise a family in. 

Joey got to pick out his room in the new house. He loved going house hunting with us. At such a young age, he did extremely well!

We'll be moving in about 2 weeks. I probably won't be updating here until things get settled in at the new house. Wish us luck!

-Laura

Happy Memorial Day!

It has been entirely too long since I have posted here! Lots of fun changes going on for us! I'll write about all of what's to come in our near future in a separate post. This will just summarize the kiddos development and how cloth diapering is going. 

Hayley

I don't think she will ever cease to amaze me. She has already changed so much in these short 11 weeks. She is already hitting and trying to grab toys that dangle above her head and watches us from across the room- especially Joey! She smiles whenever she sees him and she just loves watching him play. I am sure they will spend a lot of time playing together once she can start wiggling around! At her 2 month check up she weighed 9 pounds 5 ounces and was 22 1/2 inches long. She's such a long, skinny peanut! 

Joey

Joey has been doing great with Hayley. He has changed and grown leaps and bounds in just the last few weeks. He has picked up a lot of new words and expressions. He is SO fun to play with! His favorite thing to do is play outside. I think he would stay outside all day if he could. 

Cloth Diapering Update

Hayley has been so easy to cloth diaper! Unfortunately, Joey has extremely sensitive skin and the diapers have given him a rash that comes back every time I put a cloth diaper on him. Hopefully I can strip them and rinse a million times and he'll be able to wear them again. I must say, I haven't missed rinsing his poopy diapers! Until i can figure out what's going on, he'll be in disposables. 

Thanks for reading! I hope everyone has a safe and fun filled Memorial Day weekend!

-Laura

Cloth Diaper Update

We have still been cloth diapering Joey and still love it! We had to stop for a couple of weeks because we weren't sure when Hayley would make her arrival. I did NOT want to come home to a pail full of stinky dipes! We started back on the cloth diapers a couple of days after we got home from the hospital with Hayley. Joey's are so easy to use and wash, it really wasn't a big deal to use them so soon while having a newborn. 

Our favorite dipe is the Kawaii pocket. It has the best fit on Joey's bum and contains the messes wonderfully. We also like Bumgenius 4.0. Very easy to get a good fit on Joey with those.

We received a couple of Bumgenius Freetime's at Hayley's shower, and while I love the convenience of the inserts being attached, they don't seem to contain the poop as well as the Kawaii's or the Bumgenius 4.0's. Hopefully they'll work better on Hayley once she's ready to wear them! 

I have still been washing them every 2 days. If I go any longer than that, it seems like the smell starts to make it's way out of the pail (picture a green fog floating above the pail- ICK!)

Cloth diapering Hayley hasn't been as easy. Prefolds and covers are much harder and more time consuming! She is such a wiggly little thing I can't get a good fit on her before she works herself out of it. I'll give it another try, but I'm ready to just resell the prefolds and covers and just wait until she can fit into the pockets and AIO's! 

Hayley Is Here!

I have finally been able to snag a few minutes to jump on here and write! Both babes are taking much needed naps, but since I can't sleep I figured I would get on here! 

It has been a busy 11 days since she arrived. Hayley Grace was born on March 9 at 10:19am. She weighed 7 pounds 3 ounces and measured at 20 1/2 inches long! She is a great baby. 

Today has been the hardest day so far because she was awake a lot last night cluster feeding and has been eating ALL DAY! 

Birth Story
I was having contractions on and off all day Thursday and Friday. Thursday we had a false alarm and I really thought I was going into labor. Called my midwife, she advised me to have childcare arranged just in case because it was early labor and she wasn't sure how quickly I would progress. So I called my mother in law at 12:30am and asked her to please come out to watch Joey as I wasn't sure if it was time or not. By the time she got to our house, I was asleep and the contractions had faded away. I felt terrible that she came out so late and I woke her in the middle of the night, but she stayed the night and we had a fun filled day the next day (Friday). 

On Friday, I walked A LOT. Went to 2 children's consignment sales and the park with Joe. Joe and I cleaned the entire house that night since it was kid and dog free. I think he was going through a bit of nesting, too!Deena (mother in law) ended up taking Joey and Lexi (our dog) home with her just in case the contractions kept getting worse as they had already started up again that morning while we were out shopping. Good thing Deena took them home with her because by 10 at night they started coming every 4-5 minutes and would last about a minute long and were gradually becoming more and more PAINFUL. 

I called my midwife around 11, she advised me to take a bath and if the contractions still came while in the bath to come in after, so I did. We got to the hospital around 2am, they checked me and had me hooked up to the monitors and said I was definitely in labor! Joe and I were excited and nervous all at the same time. I had that moment where I thought, "Wow. This is it! This is REALLY happening!" Late to have that thought, I know. 

After laboring at the hospital for 3 hours without any pain medication, I decided to get an epidural since the pain was excruciating. After that, I was able to sleep for about 3 hours. I woke up, and felt like it was time to push. My midwife checked me and broke my water. I was at 9 centimeters dilated,  so she said I could do a test push to see what happened. Her head immediately dropped down into position so the midwife and nurse were frantically trying to get everything ready for her arrival! I pushed one more time and Hayley was out! It was such an easy delivery, and I couldn't wait to hold my baby girl. Unfortunately, there was meconium when she broke my water, so they had to take her first to make sure she didn't ingest any of it.

Things got a little blurry at that point. (If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to skip this paragraph!) While I was delivering the placenta, my uterus was still attached to it. I ended up delivering my uterus as well, so I had to be rushed into emergency surgery. They put me under anesthesia, and I woke up some time later in a recovery room next to Joe. The surgeon explained to me the next day that my uterus came out inside out, so they stuffed it back in kind of like a sock (gross, I know). Hayley was in the nursery in the meantime, and I asked to see her shortly after coming out of la-la land. 

Recovery from the whole ordeal was easy! I thought after coming out of surgery that it would be very hard. I was able to get up a few times that night, and the next day I was feeling like my normal self! What hurt the most was my throat from them having to put in a breathing tube during surgery. Everything else was just a little sore. I ended up having to get a blood transfusion (4 units), and I still have some pretty nasty bruises on my arms from those. Everyone who treated me at the hospital said they had never seen anything like that happen. I threw everyone for a loop and gave them a teaching lesson! Hayley wanted to make a grand entrance, and that she did! 

These past 11 days with her have been wonderful. She is such an "easy" baby! She sleeps great, eats great, and has been completely healthy. We are so blessed and thankful to have such a wonderful addition to our family. 

My oldest sister stayed with us for a week and unfortunately had to leave yesterday. She was so much help and such a great person to have around during this huge transition in our lives. She's an amazing mother to her children, and an amazing sister to me! She introduced us to a lot of new meals that can be thrown together pretty easily, and they were delicious! Her Trader Joe's addiction has also rubbed off on me quite a bit. I am already ready to go back and get more yummy food! 

I won't be able to update here much in the near future. Hopefully I'll be able to get on every once in a while to share pictures and stories! 

Until next time...
-Laura

39 Weeks

This week has been a better week! I feel more upbeat and optimistic that this pregnancy soon will be over and Hayley Grace will be in my arms instead of my belly. Last night was a rough night, had a hard time falling asleep. I think all the anticipation and making sure everything is ready before she gets here is getting to me. Luckily, my wonderful husband who I woke from a deep sleep talked me through my frustrations and helped me fall asleep. 

Joe and I got a lot done this past weekend. Organized the bathroom cabinets (I can't believe how much JUNK was in there!), made Joey a reading corner in the living room, TAXES ARE DONE! woohoo, and a few other things. It feels good to have more things crossed off the to do list! 

What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Between 7-8 pounds and measuring between 19-21 inches. 
• Pink skin has now turned white. 

What's Going On With Momma:

• More frequent Braxton Hicks contractions. A few of them have made me think they were the real deal! 
• Lots of backaches, all day everyday. She seems to have "dropped" more into position, so I think the pressure of her being so low is radiating around to my back. 
• Emotional ups and downs! Hormones have been all over the place but have steadied out this week thankfully. 

To Do List For This Week:

• I wish I could say I have packed my bag and it's ready to go... but it's been sitting in the same spot in my room for the past 3 weeks! I need to get on that. For real this time. 
• Make Hayley's baby blanket... Still haven't made it. Those dang mitered corners are giving me a heart attack just thinking about them! 
• More cleaning and organizing, try to get things done that I know I won't be able to do for a while. 
• HAVE THIS BABY! Haha, I wish!! 

-Laura

Tour Of Hayley Grace's Nursery

A lot of hard work went into creating this nursery from scratch. From picking out the fabric, finding tutorials online that were easy to follow, a few broken needles on the sewing machine, and even a few tears. It is finally complete and I couldn't be more excited! Well, if Hayley were in here I think that would be the ultimate amount of excitement... But we're waiting patiently!

Dresser on the left is made by Delta, we picked it up off Craigslist in great condition for $30!

Area rug is made by Urban Outfitters, ordered it online for about $60. 

Close-up of the picture my Sister is letting me use. She had it in her daughters rooms when they were growing up, and I am so happy that she wanted me to hang it up in Hayley's room <3

Please excuse the clutter in the corner! We have since changed out the silver lamp and taken out the floor lamp. Joe is in the process of sanding and painting a new nightstand that matches the white dresser from my childhood. 

Mental Note: Replace with updated picture...

Handpainted wall letters from Michael's, I need to iron her crib skirt...

Bedding I made using Kumari Garden fabrics (www.fabric.com), and a beautiful crocheted blanket from Florida MomMom for Miss Hayley.

This is the dresser I used as a child. Before we got our hands on it, it was a birch (light colored) hardwood piece. Joe and I sanded it down and painted it with a few coats of Interior Latex Paint in a semigloss finish (I definitely recommend using a paint gun for projects this big!) It turned out wonderful! I am so happy Hayley will be able to use this for years to come. 

View from the door. I can't wait to see Hayley Grace sound asleep in her crib.

Chandelier from IKEA, $50. I made the chain cover out of a pink silk fabric, attached it using velcro. Made it 3 times the length of the chain (about 24 inches) in order to give it that scrunchy look. 

I would eventually like to mix in some picture frames along this wall of Hayley. This will be a work in progress for many years to come! I made the bow holder using an art canvas, fabric, and ribbons. The staple gun was my BFF for this project. 

Thanks for touring Hayley's nursery! I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do. 

-Laura

38 Weeks

I'm feeling pretty emotional and hormonal this week (example: Rant Time post). I am so anxious and ready for Hayley to get here. I'm looking for every sign imaginable that will tell me I'm in labor, and this whole delivery process is starting. I just need to relax, let go, and let God. 



What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Close to 7 pounds and 20 inches long. 
• Continuing to adding fat and working on her brain and nervous system. 
• I have been able to feel a distinct kick with her foot which is so interesting! It's fun to play "Guess Which Body Part" while I'm laying in bed and she won't let me sleep! 

What's Going On With Momma:

• I've had some pretty painful Braxton Hicks contractions this week! They usually happen in the afternoon and evening when I am worn out from the day. 
• Midwife did an internal check last week. I was 1 centimeter dilated and 50% effaced, but she said I could go up until my due date like that! Next internal exam is next Thursday. Hopefully I will have made more progress by then if Hayley isn't already here! 
• Difficulty sleeping, colostrum, and fatigue have all been present these last few weeks. 

To Do List For This Week:

• Still need to pack my bag for the hospital! I got both bags packed for Hayley and Joey so I am making progress.
• Take pictures of Hayley's room and post about it!!! It is finally complete. 
• Make Hayley's baby blanket... Yup, haven't gotten around to it yet. I need to get on that! 
• Clean, nest, clean, nest.... 
• I wish I could say I am planning on making some freezer meals to have handy for the nights we don't have the energy to cook. BUT, I don't see that happening. 

-Laura

Rant Time

I feel beat. Exhausted, sore, and at the end of my rope. I'm trying so hard to be as patient as possible. Not only when it comes to waiting for Hayley, but other areas of life as well. 

My online business isn't taking off like I had hoped. I understand it takes a while, but Deena and I opened our store on Etsy last summer. While I'm happy that other moms are able to succeed, I am a bit jealous. It's depressing to think that I had such high hopes and am having little (ok, ZERO) return. I've been doing all kinds of marketing online. Trying new things, adding new products, getting involved in work at home mom groups on Facebook. I'm ready to just throw in the towel and call it quits. Sometimes I feel that my friends and family don't care or want to see me succeed. It really hurts when they'll share a major corporation or business' post on Facebook, but when it comes to me, it feels like they're embarrassed to have it up on their wall. I just don't get it :-( I'm sure I read into it too far, but it's hard not to. 

I would love to be able to contribute to our household other than just feeling like a maid and a nanny. If I go back to work, most (if not all) of my paycheck will go to paying for daycare, gas, clothing and upkeep expenses, etc. Which leaves me saying, "What is the point?" I know I'll go back to work once the kids are in school. 

Just feeling a little down in the dumps today. If you've read this depressing post, thank you and I'm sorry :-)

-Laura 

37 Weeks!

Hayley is now full term! We are getting so close, I wonder when she'll make her appearance?! 

I had a wonderful time at my baby shower! We got lots of great clothes and essentials for Hayley. I enjoyed seeing family and friends and celebrating Hayley with them! It is such a blessing to know how many people love her. 

We FINALLY got Hayley's dresser done! It took a few more coats of paint than we expected.  I shouldn't say it's done, we still have to refinish the hardware, put the mirror back on the front cabinet door, and get the shelves from my mom. But the hardest part IS done! Joe borrowed a paint gun from a friend which sped up the painting process in the end. We're going to buy one and redo some furniture around the house! 


What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Hayley is now gaining about a half a pound a week, and at this point weighs about 6 1/2 pounds and measuring at just over 19 inches. 
• If labor starts now, nothing will be done to stop her making her entrance! She is now considered full term. 
• Practicing using her lungs by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, sucking her thumb, turning from side to side, and blinking are all things she could be doing in there. 

What's Going On With Momma:

• Still making plenty of trips to the bathroom at night. Even when I try to monitor how much I drink after 7pm, I am still up and down all night. 
• Heartburn is still irritating me!! I hope that means she'll have a head full of hair! 
• I had a few Braxton Hicks contractions last night that were a little more painful and noticeable than usual. A sign that the end is near! 

To Do List For This Week:

• Pack hospital bag and Joey's bag for when he stays with his MomMom while we're in the hospital. 
• Finish Hayley's room. Still need to hang all wall decorations and organize! 
• Make Hayley's baby blanket. 
• Make a car seat canopy since the weather will likely be chilly when she is born. 
• CLEAN every inch of this house! 
• Take swing and chair down from attic, clean, and set up. Thankfully we saved all of the big gear that we purchased for Joey so we didn't have to buy that this time around. 

I'm sure there are some things I am missing from this list. Now I have to get to work! 

-Laura

Joey's First Snow!

Joey had a blast playing in the snow for the first time! He mainly just wanted to walk around and explore. It was so cold so we didn't get to stay outside as long as he would have liked to. 

Snow falling yesterday. The flakes were huge! 

<3

The land behind our house. It looked like a foot of snow fell on this path!

-Laura

35 Weeks!

My baby shower is this weekend and I am so excited to celebrate with family and friends! I love that I have such a wonderful support system full of people who love us so much. We are very blessed and appreciate the love and support that we get from everyone. 

My sister just booked her flight to stay with us for a week after (hopefully not BEFORE!) Hayley is born! I am so excited, and it gives me something else to look forward to in March! She is such a big help, and she loves our babies like they are her own. I love you, Sister Cindy!! 


What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Hayley now weighs about 5.5 pounds and is around 20 inches long. 
• She is so active! Sometimes I feel like I'm having twins because of how much she moves around. It feels like she is everywhere in my belly at one time! I guess it's because she's getting so long. 

What's Going On With Momma:

• Sleep has been not so great for me lately. Lots of trips to the bathroom at every hour of the night makes me feel like I hardly get any sleep at all! I just keep telling myself it is my body trying to prepare itself for Hayley's arrival. 
• Heartburn is back with a vengeance. Yuck! I remember it being bad towards the end with Joey. Hopefully she'll drop soon, I remember getting relief at that point with Joey. 
• I am so thankful I haven't had any complications and a relatively easy pregnancy. 

My mom gave us the dresser I used when I was a kid, so we are in the process of painting it to use in Hayley's room. I am so happy this piece of furniture will be used for my daughter! Hopefully we will finish that by the end of the week so I can FINALLY get some pictures up of Hayley's room! I want to post pictures of the finished project and it's just not quite there yet. I promise I will soon though!

-Laura

Cloth Diapering Joey

Favorite Diapers
I have been cloth diapering Joey for a little over a week now. I have found that I LOVE Bumgenius 4.0's and Kawaii pockets the best. They fit him great and he seems very comfortable in them.

Laundry Process
I do laundry every other day. We have an HE front loading washer which has a "sanitize" setting on it. I always wash the cloth diapers on this setting. It takes about 2 hours and washes them in extra hot water. I also run an extra rinse cycle at the end to make sure all of the detergent gets washed out. I put the cloth diapers and liners in the dryer, but I only dry the diapers for about 15 minutes on extra low heat. This speeds up the drying process since we currently don't have a clothesline outside to hang dry them.

Dirty Diaper Storage
We currently store all dirty diapers in a regular kitchen size trash can lined with an old pillow case. The lid on the trash can contains the smells, but the pillow case gets really gross. I can't wait to get some pail liners! I've even been thinking about making some to try out.

Aplix vs. Snaps
I can't decide which I like better- aplix (velcro) or snaps. It seems that the aplix gives a more personalized fit than the snaps, but if Joey is running around in just a diaper (which he does a lot, of course only while we're home) he can undo the velcro really easily. He hasn't tried to take the snaps off yet, which I think will be harder for him to pull off.

Usage Per Day
We go through about 6 diapers a day. I try to change him every 2-3 hours. I stuff each diaper with 2 inserts which allows for more absorbency. He's a pretty heavy wetter, and we have yet to have any leaks. He usually only has one bowel movement a day and it's in the morning.

Overnight?
We have not tried cloth diapers overnight yet. Joey gets uncomfortable when the cloth diaper gets wet and asks to be changed. I am thrilled about this because it is a sign that he will show interest in potty training sooner! However, I feel that he will wake up during the night when he wets himself and need to be changed. We're still using disposables for night, but using 1 instead of 6-7 disposables today is a huge difference and I'm happy with that!

Out and About
I am going to start using cloth diapers full time during the day once I can get a small wet bag to take around with me. I am also going to buy disposable liners to use while we're out of the house. We can't use them here because we are on a pretty old septic tank and I fear that the money we save from cloth diapering will be spent on repairing the septic tank down the road, which could be a HUGE bill.

Diaper Sprayer, Yay or Nay? 
Absolutely, 120% YES! The first week, I dunked and swished the poopy diapers in the toilet. Let me tell you, that was awful and made me question this whole cloth diapering idea. After looking at diaper sprayers online, most were priced starting at $40 for one with decent reviews and went up in price from there. I showed Joe and he said he could make one for less than $20. He went to a couple of stores and picked up all the parts he needed. He had it put together and working within 30 minutes! I love having a handy man as a husband :-) The diaper sprayer cuts down the time I spend washing the diaper and it makes it 100 times easier. If you are looking to make a diaper sprayer yourself, definitely plan on putting a shut-off valve on it. Definitely don't want your floors to flood because of the constant pressure being sent to the nozzle. I'll try to post a picture of ours.

How Much We Have Invested
Diapers and inserts- $200
Diaper Pail- $10 (kitchen trash can with lid made by Sterlite)
Diaper Sprayer-$18
TOTAL: $228

I am not exactly sure how many diapers and inserts we have, but we have a TON! I'll put up a new post soon with pics of our stash for both Joey and Hayley. Knowing that this investment will save us around $2,000 on disposable diapers feels amazing and totally worth it.

34 Weeks!

I can't believe how close we're getting to the big day! Time is just flying by, but I know February will probably be a slow month. I'll try to keep myself busy with crafts, cleaning, and organizing when I get antsy so I don't completely lose my mind because of all the anticipation and excitement! 


What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Weighing in around 5 pounds and about 18 inches long! 

What's Going On With Momma:

• Eyesight is a victim of pregnancy hormones. It got worse with Joey, and it's getting even worse this time around, too! 
• Leg cramps have been waking me up during the night a couple of times totally disrupting my much needed sleep. 
• I feel like I am not stop going to the bathroom. Up at all hours of the night to pee is not fun. I guess it's one way my body is trying to get ready for the newborn (up all night) phase. 

Not too much going on here this week. Just a midwife appointment (every 2 weeks now!) and hanging out with little dude around the house. Oh, and I can't forget my never ending to-do list. 

-Laura

33 Weeks

I have done it! I have completed the task that I was procrastinating on... Hayley's bedding! It for sure was a lot of work, but it was definitely worth it. I absolutely love her room, and I'm sure I'll love it even more once she is here to enjoy it, too. I'll get a post up later this week with plenty of pictures and how I did everything. 

Even though her room is finished, I still have about 20 things to tackle this week. Needless to say the nesting phase has not gone away just yet! 

What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Gaining about half a pound a week. 
• Measuring in at 17.2 inches and about 4 1/2 pounds. 
• Baby is now experiencing REM sleep cycles, and sleeping 90-95% of the day.  

What's Going On With Momma:

• After walking for a while, I waddle! I don't even realize I'm doing it until I actually pay attention to it. 
• Exhausted all the time! No matter how much sleep I get, I never feel fully rested. It's a good thing insomnia hasn't come back to visit, or I would be one ill momma!

Not too much going on here this week. Just a midwife appointment (every 2 weeks now!) and hanging out with little dude around the house. Oh, and I can't forget my never ending to-do list. 

-Laura

32 Weeks

This past week I finally finished Hayley's curtains and glider ottoman cover. Her crib is still in the process of being delivered, I am so anxious for it to get here so we can set it up! Once we get it up, I can start sewing the bumper and crib skirt. Yay! 

I have been in nesting mode for about 2 weeks now. I deep cleaned the house last weekend, and I have been organizing every drawer, cabinet, and even the attic!!

Cloth diaper research has been taking up A LOT of my time! Researching laundry detergents that are safe to use, diaper pails and liners (or do I want a hanging wet bag? Still haven't figured that out...), different brands, and how to make my own inserts. 

What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Around 4 pounds and almost 19 inches long! 
• Practicing swallowing, kicking, sucking, and breathing. 
• She now has toenails, fingernails, and HAIR! I need to buy some more bows or learn how to make them. 
• Will gain 1/3-1/2 of her body weight in the next 7 weeks. 

What's Going On With Momma:

• Still having Braxton Hicks contractions and plenty of back pain. Chasing Joey around is getting much harder! 
• Hayley has been hanging out pretty high up, making it hard for me to eat, breathe, and get comfortable in a sitting position. Can't wait for her to "Drop"!

Who's ready for the weekend? I know I am! 
-Laura

Products Made By Me!

Hey Y'all! 

My mother in law, Deena, and I started making friendship bracelets for fun while we were spending time together. We decided to start selling them online and thought Etsy would be the perfect place for us to sell our handmade products. 

I have also expanded our store by adding diaper pouches and scarves! 

If you would like to check out our Etsy shop and see what we currently have for sale, please click here!

If you would like to go to our Facebook page and show us some love, please click here! We would greatly appreciate a "like"! 

Friendship bracelets made my my mother in law, Deena and myself 

 Diaper and wipes pouches made by me 

 Infinity Scarves made by yours truly 

-Laura

Cloth Diapering

Joe and I have decided to try cloth diapering Hayley! I am so excited and have been looking for deals on them everywhere! They are so cute nowadays, definitely not what I would have expected when I thought of cloth diapers. 

I have to admit I was terrified and put off by the thought of cloth diapering before a couple of friends taught me the ins and outs of cloth diapering. I am so thankful they did! It will be so much easier and much less "disgusting" than I had expected :-P

There is so much to learn! Some days I study cloth diapering until my brain feels like it cannot handle any more information. The cloth diapering lingo in itself is hard to handle, but makes understanding what other bloggers or websites are saying so much easier! 

So far, I have ordered 5 Econobum covers without inserts, and I bought one brand new Bumgenius 4.0 from a mom for $10 that was brand new in the packaging! They usually retail for $18, so I was thrilled to get a brand new one for almost half off (once you figure in taxes and such). 

Econobums cover with "Ribbit" trim

Bumgenius 4.0 in Blossom

Seriously, how cute are they?!? 

We are hoping to be able to save a TON of money by doing this, and also reduce our negative impact on the environment by using disposables. 

Hopefully I'll be able to include our adventures with cloth diapering into my blog once Hayley gets here. Maybe some reviews, most/least favorite products, etc. 

Have a Great Weekend! 
-Laura

31 Weeks

We had a great weekend, and of course it just flew by! Joe and I painted Hayley's room yesterday. It didn't quite turn out the color I was hoping for. It still looks nice, just not exactly what I wanted. 

We decided not to refinish the crib. We want to make sure she is as safe as possible in her crib, and since we have previous experience with a child who liked to gnaw on his crib, it might be a better idea to leave it to a company that knows what they're doing when it comes to safely painting a crib! 

Hopefully this week I'll be able to start working on making the bumper for the crib and the crib skirt. I got on the sewing machine last night to make an infinity scarf for my mother-in-law, Deena, and it made me want to get the projects I have left finished! 9 more weeks until her expected arrival and I still feel like I have so much to do. 

We have decided to try out cloth diapering. It has come a LONG way in the past few years. No more safety pins and rags as diapers! It is much better for the wallet as long as you don't become obsessed with having the latest and greatest cloth diaper on the market. Hopefully I won't get sucked in! 

What's Going On With Hayley Grace:

• Weighing in at almost 4 pounds and could be up to 19 inches long! 
• Very active, she has been sure to let me know she's in there! There is nothing like being pregnant and feeling the movements. 
• My midwife let me know this morning at my appointment that she is head down, but told me not to worry if she flips again. 
• Digestive system is now fully developed. 

What's Going On With Momma:

• Still having plenty of lower back pain. I have tried stretching, but it's just not cutting it anymore and sometimes makes it worse. 
• Heartburn has still come around a couple of times, but I am so thankful it isn't as frequent as it was with Joey! 
• Only gained 3 pounds since my 10 week appointment! Yay for me! My midwives are thrilled since I started out overweight, and I'm hoping I'll be able to find some motivation after baby gets here to get in shape. 
• Braxton hicks contractions have begun. Only slightly uncomfortable for now. I'm glad my body is getting prepared for birth! 

Have a wonderful week! 
-Laura

Big Brother Joey

It doesn't seem like I'm almost in my eighth month of pregnancy. I had planned to have so much more done by now! It's bringing on the reality that she''ll be here before we know it.

I've been thinking a lot lately about how this is going to change Joey's life as he knows it. He'll have to share attention and toys, wait for me to tend to his needs if I'm busy with Hayley, and share the spotlight with Hayley when guests come visit. 

Is he going resent me for no longer being the only one?

All of my attention and energy goes to him. He is my #1, my little man, my cuddle bug. I hope I don't lose sight of his needs and let him down. I hope he doesn't take out his frustrations on Hayley. I hope he doesn't get frustrated in the first place, but I know it's going to happen.

I hate that he's going to have to adjust so much at such a young age. Will he understand? Will he love Hayley? Will he still cuddle with me before bed time or will we lose that bond?

I know I'm doing a lot of thinking and worrying, but I think every mom in my situation has these thoughts. I wish I could talk to him and prepare him for this upcoming change but I don't think he will understand just yet.

Playing with Lexi

Shoving a cookie in his mouth! I love that he looks like he's just seen something very alarming lol 

My cuddle bug <3 I love when he falls asleep on the couch with me! 

-Laura