Three Months

I haven't blogged in three months.

I tried once, and I even wrote up a nice post (the topic I can't seem to remember), but blogger ate it or didn't like it. . . whatever happened doesn't matter. I haven't posted in SOOOOO long.

Why?

I have an almost three year old who keeps me moving all day, a six-month-old who only sleeps for 3-4 hour stretches at night, and a husband who is a cop and works crazy hours, with zero consistency, schedule wise.

I might complain and feel sorry for myself sometimes, but I am not stupid, I know so many other moms and dads have tougher situations than our family. But, it can still be rough.

A quick recap, Danny is talking about anything and everything, whether you want to listen or not. He says whatever is on his mind. He loves CARS and monster trucks, and also Veggie Tales. We listen to Veggie Tales on Pandora all the time and he sings along to almost every song. Layla rolls over and sits up and gets on all fours to try to get places. She isn't crawling yet, but she lunges towards things she can't reach. She laughs and smiles all the time and squeals way too loudly when she is bored. She just turned six months, so I started her on baby food, she hates sweet potatoes (breaks my heart), but loves apple sauce.

The hubby and I are exhausted. Work and kids, and almost no time for play, but we have an awesome aunt and uncle who had kids young and are living it up in their 50's now that the kids are grown. We aren't in a hurry to have the kids grown, but know it will be fun to have time to be together like we used to.

Now back to my mind-numbing netflix binge of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The show is terrible, but I am hooked. It is on ABC family, but not the quality of my favorite show, Switched at Birth, but it slows down my mind at the end of the day.

Maybe I should read a book. . .

Cloth Diapers

Lately I have been bragging a lot about my love for cloth diapers, and my happiness in the decision I made to CD with Layla. Now that we have been CDing for two months, and are finally out of the disposable diapers we bought during Hurricane Sandy, we are exclusively CDing. The time has come for me to write a little bit about it.

I will start by saying that cloth diapering does not look like it used to:

In fact, my Grandma often says that I am not allowed to call it cloth diapering, because it is so much better and easier than it was back in her day. I love you Grandma, but whatever, it is CDing for this generation.

I am not going to review the products I use in this post, that will happen the next time I get both kids to sleep at the same time. I am simply going to talk about it for all of my friends who have been asking.

There are many different kinds of CDs. I have chosen to use All in One (AIO) and Hybrid (AI2) diapers. Between the two types of diapers I have 50 diapers. I also have two diaper bags, which are a cool and convenient version of the diaper pail, two wet bags (think of them as travel diaper pails), a diaper sprayer, a diaper ointment stick and All Free and Clear detergent.

Those things are all I have and need to cloth diaper for two plus years. Most of the diapers are one size, so they adjust and grow with Layla until she is potty trained.

Thirsties AIO diaper. This is what CDs look like these days.

So how do you CD? Well, first you research (and ask your awesome mom friends, ahem, Erin and Katie), then you buy the diaper stash and necessary accessories. Some diapers require "prepping" which means you wash them a bunch of times before they become absorbent enough for use. Many diaper companies sell special diaper detergent, I haven't tried them yet because the free and clear that I used before I started making my own detergent works just fine. I am also cloth wiping, but being the frugal gal that I am I bought cheap target baby wash cloths instead of the cloth wipes sold by diaper companies.

Once the diapers are ready you put them on the baby and let the baby "go" in them. I am kind of laughing at myself for writing that, but most people literally ask how I use the diapers, not how I take care of them, which is what I think most people really mean.

The diaper pail. There are a ton of diaper pails out there, but I chose to go the route of the hanging diaper bag. It is a washable bag that holds about 20 dirty diapers. It hangs on the back of the bathroom door in our home. If the diaper is only wet I just toss the diaper in the hanging pail. If the diaper is dirty then I spray the poop off into the toilet with the diaper sprayer, then toss the diaper in the pail. Simple.

So I mentioned that I have to use certain detergent to wash the diapers so they don't get a buildup of chemicals which would make the diapers less absorbent. I also have to use special diaper ointment when Layla needs it. There are many different kinds, but I chose to use the Magic Stick from GroVia. At first the thought of using an ointment stick grossed me out, but now that I have it and don't actually have to get diaper ointment on my hands I love it. Picture a fat chapstick for the baby's butt and you will know what I am talking about. It keeps Layla's hiney nice and shiny, and is safe for the diapers.

FAQs

Isn't is gross? Not at all. Changing diapers isn't the most fun task, whether cloth or disposable, but it is part of having babies. I would rather spray off the poopy diapers and toss them into the pail then scrub and stain remove poop from all of Layla's clothes. Disposable diapers leak all the time. If your baby has an explosion then the disposable diaper will leak 9 times out of 10. Cloth diapers do not leak. Layla is an exclusively breastfed pooping machine and her CDs have only leaked twice, both times were due to my husband and I putting the diaper on wrong. My favorite thing about the CDs is that they do not leak. Her clothes are stain free, which is nice because girl clothes are so cute!

Doesn't she get rashes easily? NO! Layla hasn't had a rash since we started CDing. It is true that you will change your baby more often in CDs, that is because they don't have the gross chemicals that make the disposable diapers feel dry when they are wet. Honestly, you should change your baby as soon as he or she wets anyway. If you know me, then you know I am very diligent about changing my babies diapers. I would be changing Layla just as much if she were in a disposable diaper.

How often do you wash them? It is recommended to wash the diapers after two days in the pail. Sometimes I do a load a day, sometimes I go two days, it depends on my mood and how many diapers we have been using. I then put them in the dryer for about 10-20 minutes on low heat, then line dry. It doesn't take a lot of time, and like I said before, I am not cleaning poop stains off of Layla's clothes, so I think I am probably saving time.

Why did you decide to CD? Well, after my son was born in 2010 I started turning into a bit of a tree hugging hippy. I started using fewer chemicals in my home and continue to try to use natural products. I decided that I think disposable diapers are kind of gross, and I didn't like having chemicals so close to my sons tush. I decided when we had another baby that we would make the investment in CDs. I was thrilled when I researched and found out that I would actually SAVE money by CDing. All of the products that I said we use cost less than $500. The only thing that will need to be replenished is the laundry detergent and the diaper ointment. It doesn't hurt that CDs are good for the environment. CDs are just good all around for our family. It also helps that they are so stinking cute!!

Layla in a GroVia AIO

The picture above isn't the best, the diaper looks huge on Layla, but this type is actually pretty trim under her clothes. It is adjustable, so it should fit her until she potty trains. I actually used a GroVia diaper as Danny's swim diaper in the Summer, so I am pretty confident that Lay will fit the diapers when she is two as well.

Layla in a GroVia AI2

I love that I am saving money, I never run out of diapers, I am keeping her precious skin away from chemicals, helping to conserve materials and not adding to landfills, while keeping Layla's tush in adorable colors and prints :).

1st baby | 2nd baby

There are countless differences between the 1st baby and the 2nd baby. Here are some of the ones that stand out to me.

Sleep issues
When the 1st baby wont sleep in his or her own bed you stay up all night "working on it." When the 2nd baby wont sleep in his or her own bed you bring the baby to bed with you. Probably because by the time the 1st baby was six-months old you gave in and brought the baby to your bed. The second one doesn't need six-months to wear you down, you are already worn.

The play-mat
The 1st baby doesn't use the play-mat till he/she is about three-months old. You just don't put him/her down long enough to try it. The 2nd baby is playing on the play-mat at two-weeks-old. He/she has probably been sat or stepped on by one-month.

Not-so-breakable
 This one might be the most important. I believe my husband and I treated our son, our sweet first born like glass. Our daughter, not so much. I mean, we are very careful with her, she hasn't be dropped yet, but our son has pretty much almost killed her several times. When she was a week old Danny drove his fire truck off the coffee table onto her face, while she slept in the Moses basket. He has jumped on her, hit her, rolled on her etc. She has cried, but she hasn't broken. Had we known how tough babies are we might have tossed Danny around a little more ;)

I am sure as time goes on I will notice more BIG differences between the first kid and second kid, but two things will NOT change no matter how many kids I have. They will be nursed until they quit on their own free will, and they will be in a rear facing carseat until they can no longer physically fit in the carseat while turned around :)

Party!

I'm sure you all think Layla is real cute.

REAL cute.

Layla 11/28/12 4:30 am

But that little face isn't so cute at 4:30 IN THE MORNING!!!

She wasn't angry, hungry, grumpy, and least of all, tired! She just wanted to party.

I'm all for parties, just not at 4:30 am. This girl thinks it is perfectly acceptable for her mother to function on about 3 1/2 hours of sleep every day. Not cool, Layla, not cool. By the time she wound down and fell back asleep Danny was up and ready to party. So here we are, nap time, for one of the kids and I have already put in a nine-hour day.

Just a day in the life.

Happy Thanksgiving

There are so many things to be thankful for.

Like this. . .

Thanksgiving 2012. Pop Pop and Danny.

 And these two. . .

Thanksgiving 2012. Stephen and Layla.

This little guy is amazing.

Danny 11/20/2012

 And that smile melts my heart.

Layla 11/20/2012

 I have a lot of things going on that I wish weren't. Stress, worry, family feuds etc. But I have so much more to be thankful for. My husband and children are so incredible and that is enough to live every day full of love and happiness.

Layla's Birthstory

Okay people, here it is, the birth story. Written in my own words, my own voice, with no regard for sound or style. This is how I would tell you the story if you asked me in person :)

Layla's Birth Story

The morning of September 23^rd, 2012 I woke up and felt a contraction while lying in bed. I didn't think anything of the contraction because I had been having them in the mornings before getting out of bed, but nothing ever came from them. I was happy that I felt something, since I hadn't felt anything since my midwife appointment several days earlier. I got out of bed and began getting myself and Danny ready for church and running errands after Mass. I felt a few more contractions, which surprised me because I hadn't felt a legitimate contraction other than in bed during the whole pregnancy. 

Layla two days old

We went to church and then to run errands. While we were shopping I felt a few more contractions. These contractions actually hurt a little, I kept wanting to describe them to my husband as “more than uncomfortable,” but I didn't want to get my hopes up that I was going into labor. I was four days past my due date and was trying to come to terms with the fact that we had scheduled an induction for the upcoming Friday. I had four days to go into labor on my own or I would be going down the long induction road that I had so hoped to avoid.

The contractions continued throughout the day, painful, but not killer, and they were not coming in any kind of pattern. We finished our errands and went home. I cleaned up the house and did some laundry, then Stephen spent time raking the yard while I swept the decks and watered flowers. My sister decided to come over for dinner, before she came I called her and told her “just in case” to bring some clothes to sleep in, that I was having contractions, “I didn't think it was labor,” but didn't want her to drive all the way to our house and end up staying over without anything she needed, in the off chance we had a baby tonight. By four o'clock my sister had been over for an hour or so, we were playing with Danny, and I was definitely having painful contractions in a regular pattern. As I was making dinner I started tracking the action on my husbands iphone. The contractions were coming about 8 minutes apart and lasting 30-45 seconds. It wasn't time to call the midwife, but I was definitely in labor. I didn't think I would be having a baby that night, but probably early the next morning.

The contractions kept coming, through dinner and getting Danny bathed they got more intense and lasted longer. While I was bathing Danny I had some really painful contractions, I actually had to stop what I was doing until they were over. Again, I was finally convinced I was in labor, but I didn't think it was going to happen soon because I felt totally fine during the breaks, and the breaks were lasting more than five minutes. I decided to put Danny to bed myself, thinking it might be the last time I put him to bed without a baby distracting me, I took special care and time getting him down that night.

Layla one week old.

When Danny was out for the night I decided I should time the contractions again. I found they were coming every five minutes, but lasting 60 seconds each. This meant it was time to call the midwife, if it kept up for an hour. Before I could get to an hour I began to feel a little bit of pressure (I kept thinking I needed to go to the bathroom, but I didn't). I also realized that I was having shorter contractions in between each that came every five minutes. By this time it was past nine o'clock, I decided to call the midwife and see what she thought. When the midwife on call, Shaina, called me back we talked about what was going on. She said, very much to my surprise, that I could head to the birth center if I wanted to. She said not to rush, but that it sounded like I was heading into active labor. I couldn't believe she wanted me to come in, I was talking to her on the phone and was perfectly calm and feeling fine, I was only in pain during contractions, but I had a nice break between each. I told my husband (who didn't even know I had called Shaina), that it was time to head to the center. We didn't have to rush, so we checked my bags and put some laundry away before we left. I also gave my sister a thousand instructions and tips on how to deal with Danny in the morning when he realized we weren't there.

By the time we got to the birth center it was about 10:45 pm, Shaina met us at the door and led us into the birth center. It was so weird to see the midwife office and birth center at night, with no one there. Shaina checked me and found that I was 8 cm dilated! I was so shocked, I kept thinking it was going to be a long drawn out labor, but I was already so far along. I felt so happy that I had done so much earlier in the day, I was sure that I helped myself out big time by keeping busy all day. Shaina said that she could break my water if I wanted, but warned that it would make contractions come much stronger and closer. I decided against that, thinking that it would just make labor harder and might not speed it up. I changed into my cute red nursing night gown and headed to the family area of the birth center. There was no one else there, and the family area was the only place that had a TV, my husband figured that since I was still feeling good we might as well watch the Ravens game.

I sat on the birth ball and got ready to watch football. It wasn't more than ten minutes when I suddenly had the worst back pain of my life, compiled with a killer contraction. I kind of started to freak out, my pain essentially went from zero to HOLY CRAP in a matter of seconds. I asked Shaina to fill the tub, thinking it would feel less bad to have contractions in the water. As she went to fill the tub I started feeling the worst contraction I could have imagined with a ton of pressure. I asked Stephen to help me to the bathroom where I sat down and felt a big pop. I obviously knew it was my water breaking, but it wasn't really clicking with me since there was no gush of water. I think her head must have been too low for the water to gush out like it often does. I got into the tub, even before it was finished filling up, because I just felt like I had to do something. I thought the water would make a world of difference. It didn't, but it did give me a tiny bit of relief. It was weird, I was so set on doing something in that moment, something to find relief. Now I know it was just time to have a baby, and nothing was going to make it not hurt.

Like I said, I was kind of freaking out at this point. I couldn't get in the zone that I had thought I would so easily get into when it was time to push. I wanted to get my mind to a place where I just breathed through the pain and worked through it, but I couldn't! The pain was so bad that I couldn't focus on my hypnobirthing breathing that I had practiced for so many months. Shaina checked me while I was in the tub, to “make sure I was at 10cm and ready to push), and she said “oh, her head is right there.” At this point I was on my knees with my head down, just trying to get into my zone. I remember telling Shaina “I am a numbers girl, how many contractions is this going to take.” She said I could get her out in 1, I said “ok, good, now that I know it is almost over I know I can do this.” It is kind of a blur everything that was said and done after this. I remember being really annoyed at Stephen and Shaina, because they were laughing, not at me, but at things I was saying. Stephen was probably teasing me, and I snapped at him stop laughing at me. I asked for my water and Stephen jumped up to go get it and I about had a cow because I didn't want Stephen to leave. I remember telling Shaina that I liked her, but I needed Stephen to not leave :). When Shaina came back I apologized to her because I thought that I was about to start cursing like a sailor. She laughed and said she has heard it all. I just didn't want her to think that I usually talk like that. I was also annoyed because Shaina told me I had to be on my back to push. This only annoyed me because I had seen a video of a friends water birth, she was so calm and relaxed—and on her knees that I had it in my head that it would be more comfortable. But birthing in a tub instead of a pool doesn't allow for that. 

Layla two weeks old.

 It was time to push, and all I can say is man, epidurals are amazing (I had one with Danny and didn't feel a thing). I couldn't really focus on pushing because the pain was so bad, but somehow I did pushed. **Side note, at this point I just wanted to let my body push her out, but I was pretty much being coached to push. I wish I had discussed with the midwives at the practice that I might want to just let my body do the work because I really didn't feel like I was pushing right, and I know she would have come out on her own if I just let my body do its job.** Stephen and Shaina kept trying to cheer me on, and to be honest, it annoyed me so much. I knew what I needed to do to get the baby out, I didn't need them to remind me. I wanted to tell them both to shut up, but of course I didn't. One push and Layla was right there, ready to come out. Two pushes and I asked Shaina if it was ok if I screamed, she said yes, I screamed. At first I was embarrassed to be screaming, and I never thought I would share with other people that I did, but it really helped me to focus on pushing, for some reason it was the release that I needed to actually push effectively. Three pushes and her head was out (I didn't know this), I asked if I could take a break and Stephen was like “Ella, her head is out, you have to push.” Four pushes and Layla Beverly made her grand entrance into the world at 11:22 pm, not even an hour after we arrived at the birth center.

According to the birth record I was checked at 11:10 and was 10cm, and began pushing at 11:15, so that long paragraph you just read was only seven minutes worth of real life.

Layla was immediately put in my arms where she decided to poop on me. . .at least she waited till she came out to do her business. It was so surreal holding her the second she was born. She was all wet and clean, and just kind of squirmed on my chest and let out a few little cries. She was perfect <3. After a minute or two Stephen cut her cord and took Layla so Shaina could help me get out of the tub and in bed.

It was such a surreal experience! Childbirth is an incredible and surreal experience no matter how it occurs, but for me, having Layla without medication, in a birth center, with just my husband and midwife there was such an incredible experience. The whole thing was just so real and natural. As incredible as it was, it was also no big deal. I had a baby, people have been having babies for as long as the world has existed, there wasn't any unnecessary hooplah. It was amazing.

The best part about the birthing center was that we got to go home almost immediately. We only stayed long enough for me to get myself together and have Layla checked out. We live about 30 minutes from the birth center and were home before 2am on Sept. 24^th.

I am so happy that I got to experience a natural birth like I so wanted. I doubted myself throughout my whole pregnancy because I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do it, but I did and I am grateful.

Layla Beverly Bray Rice

7 lbs 5 oz 21 ½ inches

September 23^rd, 2012 11:22 pm

Lay Lay two weeks old.

Potty Training

We aren't exactly hard core potty training right now. With a new baby (the reason why I have blogged only twice in two months) it is nearly impossible to try to potty train Danny.

If Layla were the easy baby Danny was then it might be different, but this little firecracker of a baby girl is the complete opposite. She doesn't like to be left alone while awake, so when Danny would have loved to sit in the swing to pass the time, Layla will claw your eyes out if you so much as glance in the direction of the swing while she is awake.

She is her own little person with her own personality. I don't know why I thought she would be so much like her brother. She doesn't even like to nurse for any reason other than nourishment--Danny would nurse to calm down regardless of how long it had been since he had a full nursing session.

We, the four of us, are all starting to adjust and learn how to live as a family of four, where Danny is still king, but now we have a queen. We are even able to enjoy our little Layla now that she isn't nearly as fussy as she was for the first several weeks.

BUT. . .

If one other person points out that "I need to get that kid potty trained" I might be tempted to throw one of his dirty diapers at them. Obviously, I don't like wiping his butt anymore than the next guy, but it isn't as easy as people think. My son likes sitting in a dirty diaper, and until his sister learns to be a little more content on her own I can't exactly do potty bootcamp.

But oh the day will come. . .