Cloth Diapers

It can be a bit overwhelming to pick out products before the baby's arrival. I mean, there are simply so many options. Luckily, one of Matt's colleague's gave us this book early on in the process. It helped a ton. For example, I read their advice about car seats and just picked one.

In all honesty, I don't get that much enjoyment out of doing all the research it takes to find the most perfect option. Luckily, I have lots of people in my life who enjoy this kind of work (like my best friend, Andy, who told me exactly what kind of laptop to get).

When it came to cloth diapers, I read a lot on this website, but I ultimately decided to follow the advice of my "internet mentors," John and Sherry, over at Young House Love. They opted for bumGenius Elemental One-Size cloth diapers with snaps.

Here are the benefits:

1. They are made with organic cotton, which is super-soft.
2. They are "all-in-ones," which means you don't have to mess with separate covers and inserts.
3. They are designed with many, many snaps that supposedly allow you to adjust them to fit children from 7 pounds to 35, so you don't have to waste a lot of money investing in different sizes that your child inevitably grows out of way too quickly.
   

We ordered 12 of them so far. John and Sherry said that 18 cloth diapers seems to be the magic number for families that use cloth diapers.

Our stash arrived last week, and now we have to wash them 5-7 times before using them. We quickly realized that the reviews were right: These suckers take way, way too long too dry. Honestly, if we dry them in the dryer, I feel like we would be negating all of the environmental benefits of using cloth diapers.

So, we need a solution. Matt and I ordered this drying rack and figured that we could let them air dry. Before we ordered it, we searched high and low for a concealed place to use it in our house. We are trying to minimize baby clutter as much as possible. We seem to have two good options.

Once the drying rack arrives, we'll see how long it takes for those suckers to air dry. My brain is guessing it will be a while! Depending on how long it takes, we'll probably have to order more diapers to use while the other set is drying.

And for those of you who are interested, we ordered this trash can with two of these liners to hold our dirty diapers. We are using cloth wipes, mainly just old cotton flannel receiving blankets that I cut with pinking shears to prevent the edges from fraying. For the first few days of meconium, we are using disposable diapers and wipes. For diaper changes on the go, we still plan to use cloth and store them in this wet bag. We also bought a sprayer for our toilet to clean off the poop before we put everything in the washing machine.

I think that's everything! Let me know if you have any questions...

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Fearless Sewing

One of my most intense sewing projects ever (9 hours of work!)

I've been meaning to write a post about how to start sewing for a while now. Sewing is such an empowering part of my life, but it can be an intimidating hobby for people who are considering it for the first time.

My journey into sewing started when I was approximately eight years old. I was obsessed with Ramona books, and I was inspired when I read that Ramona sewed a pair of pants for her stuffed elephant (at least that's what I'm remembering). I decided that I would sew a scrunchie (it was, after all, the 1980s). I simply cut a rectangular piece of fabric and sewed it (by hand) onto a hair elastic. Trust me when I say the end result was nothing to write home about!

In high school, I was inspired by my crafty best friend to start sewing again. I used my great-grandmother's sewing machine to make boxer shorts. I still can't believe I wore them to summer school my sophomore year.

My best friend and I also decided to sew each other dresses for our friend's Sweet 16 party one year. Believe me when I say we had no clue about what we were doing. In the end, she couldn't fit the dress I made her over her chest, so I solved the problem by hacking away at the back of the dress to create a plunging V (which made it possible for her to get it over her head). Again, I can't believe she actually wore the thing!

All this time, I didn't know much about sewing, except that you should fold the seam under twice to prevent fraying. I quickly realized that using a sewing machine is really, really easy. The hard part is figuring out the threading and the bobbin and all that stuff, but actually sewing in a straight line is a cinch!

Based on my experience, here's what I recommend to anyone who is interested in pursuing a sewing hobby:

1. Enroll in a Sewing Class at a Cool Studio: There are amazing craft stores with cool classes all over the country, and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in a single beginner's sewing class (or a short series of them). You can walk out with a complete project!
   
2. Start with a Cheap Machine: As I mentioned earlier, I started sewing on my great-grandmother's machine. You can learn to sew on anything! While you're trying to get a feel for whether or not you like sewing, I would suggest starting with a cheap machine. Once you decide you're in it for the long haul, I suggest splurging on a fancier machine. Matt and I actually bought a very expensive machine together when we were dating (he sews, too). When I asked him what our plan would be for the machine if we broke up, he suggested that we simply break it (it's a good thing we got married). A fancier machine does make sewing a lot easier, and if you're going to sew a lot, I think it's a worthwhile investment for your lifetime. However, you do not need a fancy machine to start. Anything will do.
3. Keep It Simple: When you're first starting out, it helps to stick to easier (but nonetheless satisfying!) projects, like curtains, pillows, basic bags, etc. For many, many projects, you simple hold fabric straight and let the machine pull it through and sew it together. Seriously!
   
4. Make Friends with the Seam Ripper: The thing about sewing is that you can pretty much undo anything you get wrong. How liberating! Of course, it's a pain in the butt to rip out seams, but it's good to know that you can if you need to.
   
5. Be Fearless: The thing that has helped me most along my sewing trajectory is simply my willingness to try. For the most part, fabric is cheap, and it's not the end of the world if you botch a project (I have botched many!). I'm not afraid to try something that I've never done before. When Matt and I were planning our wedding, for example, I decided to make him a tie, even though I had never attempted such a thing. I simply used my trusty seam ripper to pull apart an old tie, and I followed the makeshift pattern to create a new one. When I needed more support, I simply turned to Google and YouTube.
   

It's truly empowering to be able to make something for yourself that you need!

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Letter to Myself as I Prepare for Birth

Dear Sara,

You are about to undertake the most difficult and simultaneously profound task of your life. You are giving birth to your little boy and to yourself as a mother. The task of birth is a metaphor for the task of motherhood. You will be called upon to bring forth your resolve and your determination and your perseverance and your patience and your trust in yourself and your community of support.

You have gathered together an awe-inspiring team of people to guide your way along the journey. You have done everything in your power to build a solid foundation for the gentlest and healthiest birth experience possible for your family and yourself. Now it is time to surrender to the experience and let your body do its work. Your work will be to stay out of your body’s way.

Your body will warm up with mild contractions that will gradually intensify. You will be excited and possibly anxious about the onset of labor. You will get through this early stage by working with your life partner to get everything ready. You will set out your supplies and fill the birthing tub. You will tie up loose ends so that you can focus and enter the chrysalis that will give birth to the transformation of yourself as a person and of your expanding family.

You will practice relaxing into your uterine waves. You will practice surrendering to your body. You will trust that your body is positioning your baby for an optimal birth experience.

As the pain intensifies, you will work harder to turn inside, relax your face and your entire body, and surrender to your body’s work. Your doula will help you move into different positions and breathe through the pain, one contraction at a time. You will have to decide over and over again that you can do this. You will nurture yourself with food and drink, and you will make frequent trips to the bathroom.

Your uterus will continue its miracle of pulling the cervix open and thinning it out. Your baby will position himself in the most efficient and effective way to descend the birth canal. You might think you are losing control. You might think you can’t do it anymore. Do not despair; these signs mean you are getting close to bringing your little boy from the inside to the outside. Turn your fatigue into an even more relaxed body. You will get a burst of energy soon.

Trust this process. Trust your body. Trust your baby. Trust your self.

Your perineum will stretch and your baby will practice entering the world. Out and in. In and out. When he finally emerges from his chrysalis, you will bring him to your chest and embrace his sweet body. Your partner, his father, will begin the important work of drying off the baby’s water-nurtured body. His cord will continue to pulsate. You will bring his sweet lips to your breast.

Afterward, you will bathe together to heal, bond, and return to the water’s embrace. Then you will head to bed as a family. Your home will be restored, and you will settle into the peace.

If, at any point, the birth deviates from the plan, you will rest assured that you have done everything within your power. You will relax into the Universe’s intentions and embrace the expertise of your team.

Through it all, stay focused on the healthy birth of your sweet baby boy and the birth of yourself and your partner as strong, patient, resilient, intentional, optimistic parents and to the birth of your expanding family that laughs together, learns together, and loves together.

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February: Reflection & Rejuvenation

From the Nikki McClure Calendar

February is upon us! I am entering into the month of my birthday and the birth of my son.

January was quite the busy month, although my busy-ness also included daily naps and regular walks! I managed to accomplish all of the following items on my massive Birth To Do List:

• Create a packet for visitors who want to help us (it's not helpful if you have to answer a gazillion questions as they are trying to help)
• Schedule and attend an infant CPR class
• Get car seat installed
• Finalize birth announcement
• Make comfrey tea compresses and red raspberry tea ice cubes for the birth
  
• Go on a massive shopping trip for all the birth supplies we need
• Write birthday cards for the next couple months
• Create a "room service" plan for after the birth (including a list of places that deliver)
  
• Type up directions to our house
• Finalize our transport plan and post it
• Create a cheat sheet for birthing positions and reminders about drinking, eating, and urinating
  
• Visit the back-up ob/gyn
• Meet with the pediatrician for a new mom consultation
• Update our scrapbook
• Get the baby's scrapbook ready
• Read more about birth
• Buy everything off our registry that we didn't receive as gifts but still need
• Send thank you cards
• Finish bathroom changing station
• Schedule blog posts for my maternity leave
• Create new Life Binder
• Install the infant adapter on our BOB Revolution stroller
  
• Review notes about how to take care of an infant
• Watch Laugh and Learn about infant care
  
• Make e-mail list for baby announcements
• Set up auto-reply for e-mail
• Make sheets for co-sleeper
• Finish family mission statement
• Return a duplicate gift we got off our registry
• Return the baby's rug to Home Depot, since we found it for $100 less on Overstock
• Attend a La Leche League meeting
• Sync iPhone

I know the list was crazy-long, but I promise I just tackled it one task at a time, from more important to less important (however, I tended to do the more important things at the beginning of the day before work, and the more fun things as relaxing activities in the evening). I think it's important for mothers-to-be to feel calm and confident as they head into the birthing experience. For me, this means crossing off to-do items that will help ensure a smoother transition into motherhood. I want to be able to focus entirely on our newly expanding family and not worry about any other obligations.

I still have a few things left (and small things get added each day):

• Bring our living Christmas tree to school to be planted
• Work on the crafts on my craft plan
• Get my car emissions tested
• Go in for one more ultrasound
• Pick a name
• Learn how to use Moby and Ergo and practice swaddling
• Select the baby's first outfit
• Mail directions to the labor assistants
• Clean out the inbox in our dining room

But mainly, my intentions for the month are to finalize my preparations for the arrival of our baby and the start of my maternity leave, continue to prepare myself for the birth through reading and guided relaxation, and enjoy our first couple weeks together as an expanding family!

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Asking Friends and Family for Post-Partum Help

When I was first thinking through the challenges of being a new parent, I had the idea that I would create a calendar of very specific tasks and ask my friends to sign up for them. I even found a free internet calendar designed to coordinate exactly that kind of support.

Now that we're getting closer and closer to the birth, I'm realizing that I just don't know what we're going to need and when we're going to need it. So instead of creating a rigid schedule in advance, I decided to send out a general call for help. As you can see from the message below (which I e-mailed out to our friends in Houston), I'll be able to compile a list of people who have volunteered to do certain things. If we need them after the baby comes, we can definitely call them.

Once our friends respond, I'll print out the Excel document and add it to our Baby Binder. So far, it contains directions about how to do things around our house (cleaning, taking care of the chickens, etc.), maps to the grocery store and other frequented destinations (for my mom when she comes to visit), easy recipes, and take-out menus.

Here's the call for help we sent out:

------------------------------------------

Dearest Friends,

Matt and I are in the final stages of preparing for the arrival of our little boy. His ETA is February 15, but it would be completely normal for him to arrive two weeks early or late. As we immerse ourselves in the excitement, we are also trying to be realistic about the difficulties that can come from sleep-deprivation, trouble with breast-feeding, constant crying, etc.

Since both of our families are about 1,000 miles away (in opposite directions), we might need to rely on our Houston "family" for support. If you would be willing to help, please take a minute to fill out this survey: https://publicmontessori.wufoo.com/forms/baby-support/

But definitely don't feel obligated to respond to this message! We completely understand that your lives are full of your own needs, and we promise not to take it personally if you aren't able to help at this time.

If you are able to help, we promise not to take advantage of you! The survey is designed to get a sense of everything you would be willing to help with, but we will be super-conscious of only asking for one favor from each of you, if possible.

We hope all is well with you!

Take care,

Sara-Matt-Hoss-Chickens-Baby (Whose Name Is Yet to Be Determined)

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Beach Birthday Brunch Bash

Image courtesy bayoumoon

I'm so excited about my impending birthday party! We're going to have a "Beach Birthday Brunch Bash" (I'm a sucker for alliteration.)

I'm keeping it pretty simple: We're going to borrow a beachfront condo from one of Matt's colleagues and head over to Galveston after sleeping in on a Saturday morning. We'll spend the afternoon together just hanging out and relaxing (and probably watching TV, since we don't have one at home, and it's quite alluring!). On Sunday morning, we'll sleep in again and then wake up and start cooking breakfast. We'll ask one or two of our friends to arrive early to help make a frittata, fruit salad, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and pancake batter. Once everyone arrives, we'll cook pancakes right on the table (with an array of toppings, like bananas, chocolate chips, pecans, and blueberries) and enjoy each other's company. I plan to use disposable dishware (which I try not to do!), so we can just bag everything up and trash it with minimal cleanup. Afterward, we'll walk on the beach and just relax together.

I think it sounds like the perfect way to spend one of our last child-free weekends together. Can't wait!

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Matt's New Hobby

Matt used some of his Christmas money to pursue his newest passion: The Banjo. How exciting!

He ordered this one from Amazon and now spends his spare time watching instructional videos on YouTube. I love that he'll be modeling a musical instrument and constant learning for our little boy. He hasn't decided on his first real song yet. He wanted to go with Modest Mouse, but I begged him to pick something a) a little easier and b) that could be our baby's song. I read this excerpt from Living Passages for the Whole Family: Celebrating Rites of Passage from Birth to Adulthood and have been thinking about our "baby's song" ever since:

The story is told of a group of people
somewhere on the vast continent of Africa
who celebrate their birth not on the day they were born,
not even on the day they were conceived,
but on the day they became a thought in their mother's mind.
On that day, the mother goes out and listens for her child's song.
Upon hearing the song, she sings it.
She goes back home and teaches it to her mate.
Each time they mate, they sing the song.
On the day the child is born, the people
gather in the birthing room and sing the song.
This becomes the newborn's song for their whole life.
When they cry for mama as a baby, she sings the song;
when they fall and skin a knee as a child,
the song is there to comfort.
All through life the person can always find solace in their song.
And when the person comes to the time of death,
again the people gather in the room and sing that song.

--As told by Anita Jones

It's making me want to pick up an instrument, too. I used to say I wanted to play a cow bell in a band (mainly because I'm not musically-inclined and it seemed like the easiest thing to pick up). Now I'm thinking about the glockenspiel...

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