I have been asked so many times by my friends (and lots of readers) about my experience with cloth diapering, and specifically about my experience using the Bum Genius 4.0 Snap Diapers. I thought I'd just put it all into one big, easy to use post.

Why We Use Cloth Diapers:
1. Money: From what I researched the average child is diapered about 7,000 times. Disposables cost about 25 cents each. In the end we would have ended up spending close to $3,000 per child on disposable diapers because we would have purchased the Seventh Generation brand. Other brands will cost about $2,000. The Bum Genius 4.0 diapers cost about $17 each when you buy the 24 pack for $400. The comparable cost (at 7,000 uses) makes the cloth diapers 5 cents each and they can be used for multiple children. Even with the added cost of energy and detergent (about $200 a year with a HE washer), it's still so much lower. That's $600 vs. $3,000! And, since we're planning on a second baby someday, that makes the cost $700 (considering we replace/add a few) vs. $6,000!

2. Environment: I couldn't stand the thought of throwing away 7,000 disposable diapers over the next two years (and that's per child). We use environmentally friendly laundry soap (ECOS or Country Save) that is approved for cloth diapers and we air dry the diapers.

3. Health: I didn't want Gwyneth sitting in bleach and chemicals.

Other Pros:
-Less leaks: we've had maybe 3 blow outs (poo everywhere for those of you needing definition) since switching to cloth and they don't leak very often (and when they do there's usually a solvable solution).
-They're cute: they come in cute colors that make the online shopper in me excited.
-They are easy: once you get a hang of a system they are easy to wash, dry, and stuff.

And Now, The Cons:
-Big and bulky: they are bulky to pack in the diaper bag. I use my large purse a diaper bag and I'm sometimes frustrated with all the space they take up. Also, sometime they don't fit under some of Gwynnie's clothes (especially from 3-9 months).
-Tricky travel: traveling long distances can be hard. It's no fun to be dealing with them on a trip. When we can afford it, we buy disposables for traveling.
-Leakage, smells and stripping (not three words you normally hear together):They can start holding odor, and they can all start leaking at once and need to be stripped (notes below).
-Drying rack: we always have a drying rack up which is a little annoying in our space.
-Poop is gross: you do have to handle these diapers quite a bit more than disposable and sometimes it's just plain disgusting.
-Sometimes, even with extra washing, they get a funky smell as soon as they are peed in.

Diaper Choice:
When Gwyneth was first born (and until she reached 8lbs at around 3 months) we used the Pampers Newborn Swaddlers. They are amazing. There are newborn cloth diaper options but, for us, the Newborn Swaddlers were the best choice. We did try a couple other newborn brands but found these specific diapers to be the best (recommended by lots of new moms).

Our personal experience with the Bum Genius 4.0 Pocket Diapers with Snaps has been great. They fit Gwyneth well and I love the colors. They are also a little less bulky than some of the other brands. That being said, I have friends who use and love the following: Fuzzibunz (great for chunkier babies because they have adjustable leg openings), Wraps and prefolds (seem to work great for most babies), Gdiaper liners and prefolds (the Gdiaper disposable inserts seem to leak a lot from what I've heard). 

Where To Buy - Diaper Junction:

I wrote about our experience with Diaper Junction in my Favorite Baby Things post but I'll say it again, they are awesome! It's a small company run by Robyn. Their 30 Day Test Drive program is fantastic. You can try all different kinds of diapers and return the ones that don't work. We originially tried the Fuzzibunz, Rumparooz, and Bum Genius with Velcro, and Bum Genius with Snaps. We sent back the others and used the store credit to buy all of our Bum Genius Diapers 4.0 with Snaps. They sell gift certificates and have a gift registry. We got a few gift certificates when we were expecting and it was great, when we were ready we had money in our account to buy our diapers. Their customer serivice is fantastic. They are always available to answer questions or help you troubleshoot a problem. I really have nothing but wonderful things to say about our experience with them.

What You Need:

What is a Pocket Diaper:
A Pocket Diaper (like the Bum Genius 4.0) comes with 3 parts: Liner, Insert, Newborn/Secondary Insert. You get all three pieces with every diaper you purchase. We use the main Insert alone most of the time but add the Newborn/Secondary Insert for long naps, car trips, and at bedtime.

One cute baby bum.
Obviously.

A drying rack.
We got this one at Ikea for $20 years ago and we use it for diapers and line dry stuff. It's lightweight and colapses easily so you can put it away.


A storage spot bin.
We got these pink Ikea storage boxes for $5 and use them for diapers, toys, and stuffed animals.

Diaper liners.
I made these really quickly from scrap flannel but you can also use rectangles of fleece. The fleece doesn't need to be sewn, just cut it and use it. I would recommend using a colorful fabric! We accidently toss these ones out with the wipes. You can also buy them here. You need to use these every time you use diaper rash cream. Since diaper rash cream creates a water barrier it will clog up your cloth diapers and cause them to leak. When Gwyneth has really bad diaper rash, we find that switching to disposables for a day or two does the trick. Disposables really wick the moisture away from the skin a bit better than the cloth diapers do, but using a flannel or fleece liner should help too.


Detergents for Cloth Diapers.
You can find a great list of the best detergents for cloth diapers here. We use ECOS and it works great. Bleach and color safe bleach. (Some diapers cannot be washed with bleach so make sure to check).

Dish Soap.
Helps break up build up on the diapers. (More on stripping diapers below).

Scraper.
I use this hard spatula to scrape the poo into the toilet. People buy sprayers for this too. The spatula works. Then we just toss it in the wash with the diapers.

Dirty Diaper Storage.
We use this little garbage bin with a lid. Another inexpensive Ikea purchase. This one was $15 and comes in lots of colors.

How Many to Buy:
We bought the 24 pack for $406. I sometime wish we had a few more and will probably order the 3 or 6 pack to add to what we have. The 24 is plenty of diapers but, when I'm really busy, it would be nice to have a couple more.

How to Wash Your Cloth Diapers:
I run a short (express) cold/cold wash. During this wash I use the recommended amount of detergent. For washing cloth diapers the recommended amount is one-half to one-quarter the usual amount. Then I run by a regular length hot/cold wash adding about a tablespoon of color safe bleach. The color safe bleach seems to help lift out the odor and keep them cleaner. I don't use detergent in the second wash. You want your diapers really clean and free of all soaps when they are done rinsing. Then, we hang them to dry. Bum Genius says you can tumble dry the inserts but I prefer to just line dry it all.

How Often Do You Wash Your Cloth Diapers:
We try to wash them every other day. You don't want them sitting for long. They take about 18 hours to dry completely so if I don't wash them every other or every third day I run low on diapers.

What To Do If Your Cloth Diapers Start Leaking:
Run a strip wash (direction below), and play around with fit. Gwyneth is almost 14 months old right now and still wears hers on the equivalent of a size 3 disposable! If the diapers are too big or too tight they can leak.

How to Strip Your Cloth Diapers:
If your diapers are leaking, they may have gotten some build up. To strip them, I put them through a regular length hot/cold wash with color safe bleach and a tiny bit (about 1/4 teaspoon) of dishwasher detergent. Then, I remove the liners and run a sanitizing (extra hot) wash on just the inserts with the recommended amount (1/4 cup) of regular bleach. I run a strip-wash on them about once a month or after I've had to throw them in the dryer. If they get really clogged (which ours did because I didn't know about the diaper liners!) you may have to use a dish brush and scrub the liners with lots dish soap by hand to really break it up. Also, pouring boiling water over the inserts and letting them soak helps too.

Never:
-Use diaper rash cream directly in contact with the cloth diaper, always use a liner.
-We only toss them in the dryer when it's an emergency. If you use dryer sheets (which we do) the diapers will pick up the dryer sheet coating and it will cuase them to leak.
-Boil your diapers.
-Use fabric softeners or dryer sheet with your diapers.

Tips for Removing Odors:
Most cloth diapers do not recommend using vinegar and baking soda! Usually a second hot wash does the trick. The once a month bleaching and sanitizing of the inserts helps a lot. Also, line drying them outside in the sunshine works great. The sun is a natural bleacher. 

I really hope this helps answers some of your questions about my experience with cloth diapering. If I missed something you want to know, ask in the comments and I'll add it to the post! Cloth diapering is relatively easy and I'm really glad we made the choice to do it. I do like keeping a small batch of current size disposables on hand for trips, last minute drives, or extreme diaper rash situations but, 99% of the time we use and love our cloth diapers.

HAPPY DIAPERING!

p.s. This was not a sponsored post. I just LOVE Diaper Junction!

There has been a blog post being passed around the Internet talking about motherhood. I'm not going to even link to this article because, frankly, I found it to be cynical, sarcastic, and negative.  While I understand the need to vent, I am fed up with the negative. The negativity began when we first shared with people that we were expecting...

"Enjoy these last months of sleep." 
"Breastfeeding is soooo hard."
"You two are going to bicker all the time. Babies bring out the worst in your marriage."
"Say goodbye to your sex life."
"I didn't shower for like, four months after our baby was born."

Everyone warned us that doomsday was quickly approaching. All Kyle and I wanted was for one person with young kids, just one, to say to us, "Parenting is so fun! It's amazing. It's the best choice we ever made!”, without prefacing it by telling us how hard it was and how much this or that sucks. But, it was all doom and gloom and poopy diapers on the horizon, apparently.

We made a choice to ignore every negative statement that came our way, or to turn it into something positive. If people told us we were going to bicker all the time, then we devised a plan on how not to do that. If people said we would no longer have sex, then we decided we would schedule it if we had to.

The negativity continued after Gwyneth was born...
"Oh wow, she slept through the night? That won't last." ...and when it did... "You're second baby won't be like that!" Really?!

In the past year have we slept less? Are my boobs “never going to be the same"? Has our household hygiene been less stellar? Did we bicker sometimes? Have we eaten dinners of cold pasta while balancing a crying baby? Do some days just plain suck? Has it been stressful, challenging, exhausting? Of course! Everyone who decides to become a parent already knows that it will have it's challenges. Why not, for a change, share with those around you who are expecting or who are new parents how wonderful it is! Tell them about how parenting is fun, funny, amazing, perfect, magical, ridiculous, life changing, the best! Because it is.

I often feel that people discount my "Pollyanna" outlook on motherhood because I'm "not cynical yet" and I have an “easy” baby. This is always said with smile that says, "come back and talk to us when you are as bitter about motherhood as we are." I am very grateful for my life, my husband, and my baby. Sure, I’ll admit that Gwyneth is the perfect baby for us. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t whine, cry, wake up in the middle of the night, bite, pinch, or do any of the things that every other baby does. There's a lot of work that goes on behind closed doors and it's frustrating to have that work written off as luck. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder.

Everyone assumes that because I am so happy to be a mom, rarely complain, find joy in the little things, and find humor in the hard stuff, that I have had a really easy baby and an easy transition into motherhood.  But it wasn't that easy. After Gwyneth was born, I plummeted into a state of extreme anxiety. I felt extremely nervous and unbelievably angry. I was hit with intense panic attacks, I heard voices in my head that were threatening and terrifying, I was afraid of myself, fearful of everything, I cried a lot, and my body tense with anger. After a few weeks I finally managed to say to Kyle, "I think I'm going crazy. I think I need help." Asking for help was incredibly hard. As a mother, I didn't want to need help. Luckily, I had worked with an amazing counselor in my late teens, and was able to call her for the help and support I desperately needed. I worked with her a few times a week over the phone for my first two months as a new mom. Just talking helped. Exercise helped. Fairly quickly I was able to regain my footing, and proceed with joy and intention into my role as a Gwyneth's Mom.

About a month ago I was watching an old interview with Brooke Shields on Oprah (because that's how cool I am), and she was talking in-depth about her experience with postpartum depression. As I watched, something clicked. I completely connected with some of the things she was saying. Not all of it, but a lot of it. The bizarre thing was that, I had read this when I was going through my own experience with postpartum anxiety, or depression, or whatever you want to call it. At the time, I read it and thought, how terrible... it would really suck to feel like that. It wasn't until just a month ago that I recognized myself in it. I thought that having postpartum depression meant that you didn't care for your baby, didn't feel love for them, and weren't ever happy. I was happy a lot of the time, euphoric even. I loved Gwyneth beyond anything I ever imagined, so I didn't recognize what I was experiencing. I'm so glad that there's help when you need it in the form of wonderful lactation consultants, other parents, husbands, sisters, your own parents, friends, and counselors.

The point is, it hasn't been all easy, or perfect for me. I choose to be appreciative, positive, to seize the day, and to live in the moment as much as I can. I love being reminded by sweet older ladies to enjoy it because, "It goes by so quickly". It reminds me to live each day with gratitude, even the hard ones. I love being a parent. I love having someone who needs me and relies on me. I have never had the desire to work so hard for anything in my life. Having a child has made me want to be the best possible person I can be. It has grounded me. It has elated me. It has expanded my heart and my mind. I cherish it. Becoming a parent was the best choice I ever made. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Sometimes I wish the days were twice as long, and that I could do this whole last year over again because I have loved it so much and learned so much. I'm not just saying that to make a point, I really do. I kiss my baby hundreds of times each day, and I go to bed each night and reflect on how lucky I am because, even though it's hard work, it's the best investment of my energy, time, and love that I can make.

If you know someone who's expecting, tell them all the wonderful things you can. Offer your love and support to friends with newborns. Help the new mom at the grocery store load up her groceries so she can get her twins out of the rain, even if that means you and your baby get a little wet. Send a care package to a new dad you know. Every one of us is doing a great job, doing their very best. Be supportive, positive, and encouraging.

I am genuinely excited for the people I know who are expecting... especially my sister and Rob. They are in for such an amazing journey full of joy, snuggling, laughter, and fun. They will probably have some sleepless nights, but babies look beautiful in the moonlight.

Here is a little list of my favorite positive family blogs. They really help me, inspire me and encourage me...

James over at Bleubird Vintage shares her adventures in motherhood. She has three beautiful kiddos, Milla, Jullian, and Gemma. On her blog you will find great food ideas for kids, fun little project ideas, and bits + pieces of her life as a stylish mom.

Naomi's blog, Rockstar Diaries, is the blog I relate with the most. Her amazingly cute daughter, Eleanor, is just a month younger than Gwyneth. It's been so much fun to follow along as she and her husband parent their sweet girl with extreme positivity. They are expecting their second baby this summer.

Adeline's Daddy is a new blog to me. It's fun and refreshing to read a Dad's take on parenting. He just wrote about what it's like to have a daughter and I loved it!

Sometimes Sweet is a great blog. Danielle writes (very well) about being a mom to her son Henry, her healthy habits, and her daily life. Her blog has great variety and is very motivational.

The Littlest is a really sweet blog. Elizabeth shares photos, thoughts, and inspiration. It's always positive and lovely. Her daughter, Elodie, is obviously the apple of her eye.

Katie's blog, Skunkboy Creatures, is fun, stylish, and upbeat. She has two sweet girls, Hope and Poe. Her blog is always a pick-me-up.

Yellow Finch Designs is the blog by busy mom Liz. She has three kiddos and is always positive and proactive.

Today I've got lots of little things to do... I need to clean the house, run errands, edit photos, prepare some promotional materials for my photo business, backup my computer, go to the bank, answer emails, get organized and hang with Gwyn.  One thing I love about fall is throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweater, putting my hair in an easy ponytail and being cozy and comfortable.  It's not so cold out that you need full on winter-wear yet and I love just having on minimal layers.  I've had these jeans forever... like, for six years.  The zipper isn't a sure thing and they are still a tiny bit snug post pregnancy but thank the Lord they have a lot of stretch to them!  I decided that Gwyneth and I needed a jeans and sweaters day.  Here is what we are wearing...

On me:
Cashmere tank top: Michelle DeCourcy (from Plenty)
Sweater: Forever 21
Jeans: Free People
Boots: Hunter (from Zella)
Necklace: Jewelry by Cari

On Gwyneth:
Long Sleeve Skull Onsie: The Gap
Cardigan: Carter
Jeggings: Carter

I hope you all had a fun and safe Halloween!  I don't know if I've ever laughed so much on any previous Halloween.  Dressing Gwyneth up was one of the silliest things ever!!!


(We were farmers with our little garden gnome.)

Now, Gwyneth and I up are up bright and early packing up to head to Seattle for the whole week!  Today is my Grandpa's 90th birthday and we are going to celebrate with him, visit with our friends and family, and have lots of fun!!!

A few things that happened this month...

You sit in your big girl high chair now...

You lay at the end of your crib (and lick the bars) while you wait for us to come and get you...

You like to play with pots and pans.  I'm not sure how you pulled this off...

You got to play with your cousin Chloe...

You are over the moon for your Dad...

You love to read books...

You went a little crazy on the new flooring...

You and I go for long strolls together...

You like to do a bit of cuddling from time to time...

You moved out of the Tummy Tub and into a big girl bath...

We discovered that you are very ticklish under your arms, your chin and on your belly...


You learned to crawl...

You play on your own while I sit nearby...


You love to chase the kitty...


The beer named after you is back on tap for a little while...

You sleep with your face straight down in the mattress and your bum in the air...

You squirm like crazy when I'm tyring to change your diaper or your clothes...

You had your first pumpkin patch experience...

p.s. It's crazy to think that we spent last Halloween in the hospital trying to keep you from making an early entrance!  I can't believe a year has passed since then...

 

I am aware, as I write this, that I have a bit of remodel hangover.  But lately I've been really struggling.  Being a mom is the best thing ever.  I love Gwyneth with a crazy, all absorbing, over the top, you mean everything to me kind of love.  But some days motherhood is hard.  The past few months have been a bit challenging.  Gwyneth is nearly crawling and, as my mom said, "gone is the calm, sleepy little baby".  Gwyneth has picked up some serious fiestiness which I love but it is also challenging. 

I have been totally overwhelmed.  It may sometimes appear that I have it all together, that I get so much accomplished, that I never freak out.  But, the last month or so has been full of freak outs.  It's not the remodel (although that doesn't help), it's trying to balance everything.   With three different jobs, house projects, being a full time mama and trying to be the best wife possible it is easy to forget important things like brushing your teeth, feeding your cat and eating.


The week prior to the rebuild I had a melt down.  A full on sobbing on the couch, haven't cried like that since I was a teenager, melt down.  I have been seriously struggling to get everything done.  I haven't felt like myself and I'm very, very tired.  I feel spread so thin these days and I feel as guilty as I do tired.  Before I had Gwyneth, my best friend said to me, "now that I have a baby I feel guilty all the time".  I told her how silly that was and that she needed to let go of that feeling.  Ha!  So much easier said than done.  Sorry for that inexperienced advice Marion!  As I'm writing this, Gwyneth is pulling the baby wipes out of the container.... with her teeth. 

I feel guilty when I am working and Gwyneth is awake.  I feel like I'm missing all of it.  She's growing up so fast and I adore her so much that I can't stand the idea that I've been so busy.  When Kyle comes home and the house is messy, I feel terrible.  I know it's not my job to keep it clean but at the end of every day it looks like it was hit by a mini tornado.  When the house is messy, it just feels like one more thing I'm not doing a good job at.  All day long I'm weighing the guilt.  If I send this email instead of reading Gwyneth a book am I saying that that email is more important than her?  If I get frustrated that she wakes up early from a nap am I saying that whatever I was doing before she woke up is more important than her.  I didn't realize until the damn broke, but I have been feeling like I'm failing at everthing.  I know that that isn't true but some days it certainly has felt true.


I had to look very seriously at my schedule.  I tend to take on too much.  I can take twenty credits (and gets all A's), work on a indie film, work thirty hours a week, cook dinner every night and find time exercise.  I can work three jobs, keep the house clean, run all the errands and go to school.  I can pump breast milk on one side while I feel Gywneth on the other while I finish my Spanish homework (yes, seriously).  See what I mean about taking on too much?  I like that I can do whatever I set my mind to do.  I can do it all!  But I'm learning that just because I can do it all does not mean that I should.  Something had to give. 

Kyle always tells me to cut something out and I always, always argue with him.  "I can't cut anything out!", I have cried hundreds of times. In the past that's felt very true.  Of course I see now how silly that is, that my letting go of something I am not admitting that I can't do it.  Now that I'm a Mom the stakes are higher.  I want time to sit and enjoy all the little things.  So I've had to suck it up and admit that Kyle has been more than right in the past and is right again now.  Dang it.

So, with that realization I've made some very difficult decisions.  I decided to take this quarter off of school so that Kyle and I can focus on finishing up the house projects.  I have decided to quit pumping breast milk.  It's just too hard to try to do it every day so I will start supplementing formula with her rice cereal instead of breastmilk.  Finally, I realized that I needed to let go of my nannying job.  Poppy is in kindergarten now, she has a baby brother due in two weeks and it is just time to let it go and focus on my work and family.  I feel a little relieved but also very sad.  Poppy has been my job, my sous chef, my companion, my snuggler, my tiny friend for nearly five years.  Poppy will, of course, continue to be a very important part of our lives.  She is a part of this family in every way but I will miss not having her every other day, every week.  Letting go of this job has been one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to make.  Even though I know that it is the right time, it is still terribly hard.


I am so excited to move into this fall and winter with lots of fun projects ready to go.  We will finish our house remodel and I will have lots of time to focus on my work.  Kyle is trying to arrange his schedule to work four longer days each week so I can have a guilt free day to work while he has a Daddy day.  I've started taking ballet again and am simply enjoying that time in class as something just for me and I don't feel guilty about it at all. I am truly excited about what these changes will bring and, after all, that's what fall in the Pacific Northwest is all about.

A few things that happened this month...

You had lots of snuggle time with Daddy.


You even helped Dad study a bit.

You watched part of Winnie the Pooh and you loved that silly old bear.

You discovered all kinds of new toys.

You rocked a new hairstyle.

You got hundreds of kisses.

You cracked up at the baby in the mirror.

You love have your toes kissed.

You stick out your tongue... a lot.

You loved playing at the park with Poppy.

You helped install our new flooring and do construction.

You let 'er buck.

You got to spend a lot of time with Grandma and Grandpa (thumbs up)!

You took a self portrait.

You finally mastered sitting up!

You discovered grass...

...and you attempeted to eat your first insect.  A big fat green caterpillar.  It was on a piece of grass.  Blech.

You went on an audition. (It was pretty silly)

You love taking baths with me...

...and with Poppy.

You almost crawled.

You love your Daddy.

You tried to be a chameleon.

You love your blankies...

...and your kitty.

We had a movie date in the middle of the day.

You love food!

You read your first Vogue.

A few weeks ago, I photographed Gwyneth in my Grandma's little dress, hat and slippers.  My Grandmother, Mary Jo, passed away one year ago and we all miss her so much.  I was pregnant with Gwyneth when my Grandma passed away so getting to take her photos in this little gown was so special.

A couple weeks back Poppy and I decided to make Gwyneth some Tag Blankies since her favorite thing about her favorite toys had become the tags on them.  We used my Simple Sewing for Baby book and it couldn't have been any easier!  If you are an avid (or even mediocre) sewer you probably don't even need this book although I totally recommend it!  Also, I'm sure there are easy patterns online.  It was such a great project to do with Poppy and it only took a couple of hours.  The pattern in the book makes one but I made two.  One for the diaper bag and one for home. 

We picked out our ribbon and cut it into the right lengths.

Cut out the (washed and dried) fabric.

Pinned everything in place and sewed it together.

Ta Da!

Presented it to Gwyneth!  She loves it!

A few things that happened this month...

You grew a little more hair and your eyes turned hazel! (there is hair there)

You are really good at fake running.

You finally fit in the sweater I knitted for you when I was pregnant.

You had storytime with Nana and Mike.

You went on a stroller-coaster ride.

You went for your first hike.

You still don't show any interest in sitting up on your own.

You rocked a bikini.

You figured out how to play with "no hands".

You like to use a binki in an interesting way to help you fall asleep on the go.

You are a tummy sleeper.  You like to sleep with your face straight down into the mattress!

You were serenaded by Uncle Rob.

You had your first kiss thanks to Harrison (who loves you).

You said Mama and I got it on video!

You make silly snorty faces...

...and you shake your head.

 

Painting Onesies

To start off, I have to be honest and say that, I don't really consider myself to be a craft-y person.  I do, however, love being creative and doing little projects.  I wanted to make Gwynnie some unique Onsies so I took it upon myself to figure out how to do it!  It's really easy and really fun.  It would be a great baby shower activity or something to do with a friend who just had a baby.  They could also make great little gifts, stocking stuffers etc.  This method would also work on little kid T's.  The best thing about it?  It's totally a wine-friendly craft project, so grab a glass of vino and get painting.

Supplies:

Some plain Onesies.  Any color will work.

Pencil, Exacto knife, scissors, a sketchbook/paper, a cutting board and some pieces of cardboard.

A plain roll of contact paper.

Fabric paint and brushes.

Directions:

Creat your own stencils by drawing the images onto plain sketchbook paper and then tracing them onto the contact paper.  You can also search online for images/stencils, trace/use them.  I made a couple myself and found a couple online.

Once you have your image on your contact paper, use scissors or the Exacto knife to cut your the stencil.  Peel off the back of the contact paper and stick it where you want it on the Onsesie.

Insert a small piece of cardboard between the layers of your Onesie so the paint doean't leak through onto the back of the Onesie.  Then, simply pick our paint colors and start painting in your design.  You can get elaborate as you want.  Allow the first coat of paint to dry before applying a second, and if desired, a third.  The paint does seem to fade rather quickly in the washing machine but they grow out of them so quickly it doesn't really matter.  The more coats you do, the longer the image will stay really saturated. Allow to dry for about 15 minutes before peeling off your stencil!  Follow the directions on the fabric paint for washing.  Most of them recommend that you leave the paint on for three days before washing the first time.  It's also a great idea to put a thin piece of scrap fabric over the painted area and give it a nice hot iron.  It'll help the paint set!

Here's a few Onesies I made for Gwyneth when she was a few months old.  We're due for another Onesie-makin' session!

We take our Oscars very seriously around here.

And our Hepburns!

Gwynnie wore her "Charlie" Onesie A LOT!

This one says, "I'm drunk" in Spanish.  I made it special for our trip to Mexico!

They're so easy and fun!  Enjoy and please send me a photo if you make some!

 

You like to "fly"...

You celebrated your first 4th of July with Grandma and Grandpa...

 

You had you first solid food...

 

 

and Nana...

and Nana took you for a "ride"...

 

You love your Bumbo chair...

You laugh a lot...

 

 

You figured out how to escape your swaddle...

 

 

You fell in love with Sophie...

 

 

 

 Great Grandpa...

 and Uncle Ryan...

 

and you met Dayne, Amber, Bailey and Chloe...

You love to play with blankets...

 

 

 

 

You mastered the art of chill-laxing.

 

 

 

 

 

You weathered your first storm...

 

Here's a new sobriety test for you all...

 

If the difference is clear, you can make one of these and try again. 

Have a silly weekend!

 

 

Week 1...

 

Week 2...

 

Week 3...

 

 

 

Week 4...

 

 

 

A few things that happened this month...

 

You cracked up.

 

You had your first modeling job for The SwaddleKeeper.

You rolled over.

 

You spent quality time your Nana and Aunt Meghan.

 

You made sounds like a pterodactyl.

 

 

We had our first lounge day downtown.

 

 

You started enjoying tummy time.

 

You wore your Baby Legs.

 

You smelled your first lilacs.

You love to cuddle in the morning.

 

You started experimenting with accessories. 

 

You learned how to blow bubbles.

You love waking up from naps and always greet us with a big smile.

You grew some hair/fuzz. (You can see it if you squint.)

You took a nap with Pops.

 

 

And the winner of the SwaddleKeeper is...

 

As Gwyneth approaches the four and a half month mark, Kyle and I have had a chance to look back and think about the items that have helped us the most.   With so much "baby stuff" out there it's hard to see clearly what's what.  I have been a nanny for ten years now and was lucky enough to have that experience that helped us get prepared.  We made our list we registered, and now we've put these items through the ringer for the past four months.  Many friends and family members are expecting babies and have asked us about thing that we've used and loved.  So, here's our list of the things that have worked for us...

BED TIME

Aden + Anais Swaddles and The SwaddleKeeper

 

 

Gwynnie all cozied up in her swaddle and the SwaddleKeeper!  

 

We absolutely love our Aden + Anais swaddles.  They work wonderfully and are beautiful. They are big and gauzy so they wrap well and stay put.  I honestly beleive that swaddling Gwyneth is a huge contributing factor in her being a good sleeper.  When she does manage to get out of the swaddle, she becomes agitated and will stay awake playing or fussing and get overtired.  If she's in there snug she is happy and goes to sleep easily.  A key component to the swaddle-action success is the SwaddleKeeper.  It was invented by our friend Kim.  Kim is a labor and delivery nurse, a doula and she actually delivered Gwyneth!  The SwaddleKeeper does exactly what it's name indicates, it keeps the swaddle on!  We've used it from day one and we don't go anywhere without it.  

Kim holding Gwyneth.

Kim has very generously agreed to do a SwaddleKeeper Giveaway!  I know so many of you are expecting or have newborns at home and I can't stress enough how great this product is!  It would also make a great shower gift!  With the SwaddleKeeper you also get a DVD and instructional tips and advice for swaddling/sleeping success.  This product has been called "Sleep in a Box".  Who doesn't want that?!  

To enter the giveaway, visit Kim's website (http://www.swaddlekeeper.com/) and then come back here and leave a comment letting me know something you found interesting there, which color you'd choose and your email address!  You can even leave a note as an anonymous person just make sure to include your contact info in the comment!  That's it.  Just post your comment at the end of this post!  I'll choose a winner using a random online selector next Friday!  We love our SwaddleKeeper so I'm really excited for this giveaway!

 

The Sleep Sheep

When we first started out we were very anti-soothing "stuff".  We didn't really want a sound machine, a swing, pacifiers, a vibrating chair.  We love to travel and we felt that having Gwyneth hooked on these soothing methods would be a short term solution that would be a big problem in the end.  I still believe that to be true in the case of the swing or the vibrating chair but a couple weeks in, we felt that we needed a method of soothing her that was transportable, consistent and that didn't involve us actively doing something to calm her.  I'd heard great things about The Sleep Sheep so we decided to order one and give it a try.  The Sleep Sheep has a sound machine in it that plays four different sounds: heartbeat, rain, ocean and whales.  We usually stick with the rain and ocean.  The heartbeat sound isn't for us and the whale sound reminds me too much of this:

 

Anyway... we love The Sleep Sheep and have incorporated it into Gwyn's sleep routine.  It has two different time settings 23 minutes and 45 minutes.  I recently discovered two things: 1) It takes a baby 20 minutes to become truly asleep so now we use the 23 minute setting when she's first going down for a nap or bedtime and 2) Babies sleep in 45 minute sleep cycles.  Now we use the 45 minute setting when she wakes up at 5:30 in the morning.  Usually this buys us another 45 minutes of sleep!  We had just been using the 45 minute setting all the time but discovered it disrupted her nap when it went off in sync with the end of a sleep cycle.  Make sense?  p.s. There's also a travel size!

Emergency Baby Kit

 

We keep an "emergency kit" with us in the car at all times with a spare blanket, changing mat, wipes and current-size disposable diapers, a pacifier (even though G doesn't really like them), a full change of clothes including a hat and socks and a change of pajamas.  This just-in-case kit has come in handy several times.  Once she starts eating solids we'll add in a jar or two of baby food and when teething really gets going we'll probably toss in a thermometer and some infant Tylenol too!

Bugaboo Frog Stroller

 

I love our Bugaboo Frog stroller.  We use it all the time.  It's lightweight, fun and easy to use.  It's everything I hoped it would be.  Buying it used in good condition is the way to go!

 

Bundle Me

Poppy's Mom insisted we needed to have this cozy car seat snuggly thing.  I thought, nah, we'll just use a blanket.  But Poppy's Grandmother got one for us and I'm soooo glad she did.  It zips up around the bottom, it's cozy and warm.  It helps her fit snuggly in the car seat.  Plus the top zips off for when it's too hot out or opens when they get to long for it and make a great impromptu play mat:

BATH TIME

Tummy Tub

As you can see Gwynnie loves her Tummy Tub.  This has made bathtime such a joy!  It's definitely easier to do with two people/four hands but I've managed it on my own a couple of times and as she gets more steady it will be a breeze.  It's small so she feels safe and the water stays warm.  It took us a while to figure out the right temp for her and that (because she's so tiny and didn't displace enough agua) we needed to fill the water a bit higher than the fill line.  I highly recommend this!

DIAPERING

BumGenius 4.0 Diapers

After trying a few different kinds of diapers, including FuzziBunz and Rumparooz, we found that the BumGenius 4.0 Pocket Diapers with Snap Closure worked the best for our little string bean.  They are slightly less bulky than the others and they come in such fun colors!  We did a great 30 Day Test Drive via Diaper Junction and were able to return the FuzziBunz, Rumparooz and the BumGenius with Velcro Closure and order the rest of our supply.  I loved going through Diaper Junction.  They have great customer service and spent a long time on the phone with me answering my questions.  They are clearly passionate about getting the babies of the world in cloth diapers!  We now have 20 cloth diapers total and we are so excited to stop buying disposables which cost about $.25 each!  Not to mention it's better for the environment.  You can get gift certificates through DiaperJunction too which is great.  Our whole diaper set up cost about $400 but we had $300 in gift certificates!  We've already spent about that much on disposables in just four months so it's a very worthwhile investment.  They are easy to use and wash.  Go cloth!

NURSING AND EATING

Born Free Glass Bottles

We just started using these and we love them.  They are vented so the nipple doesn't collapse and they seem to flow really well.  They have them in BPA Free plastic but we wanted to go with the glass ones.  They are pricy but will last forever because they're glass (unless Gwyneth's Godmother drops one of them which is highly likely).

Boppy (Breastfeeding Pillow)

I love using this breastfeeding pillow.  I made mine using the book called Simple Sewing for Baby but you can buy them lots of places.

The Hooter Hider

Like the Boppy, I don't know what I would have done without this.  It's convenient and easy to use.  I highly recommend getting one.  The one pictured (the one I have) is an organic cotton on made by Baby au Lait.

Nursing Bras

 

 

As you all know, I had a horrible time trying to find a nursing bra.  I finally found and ordered this Soft Cup Nursing Bra from Gap Body both in black and nude (they're on sale now for $20... I think they might be discontinuing them) and the Madela sleep bra (also ordered from the Gap).  I couldn't be happier with them.  It made such a difference to have a comfortable nursing bras.  Also the Lansinoh Breast Pads (below) are fantastic.  Like every mom told me, they are the only ones worth buying.  Forget trying the others, these are the best.

 

 

 

Books:

Okay, these are the only two books we read, but I think they were the right match for the style of parenting we were aiming for. 

 The Healthy Sleep Habits book provides lots of info on what constitutes a good sleep pattern, what time for what age is appropriate for naps and some methods for teaching your babe to self-soothe.  His method consists of putting your baby to sleep at the first signs of drowsiness.  This took a while to get the hang of because the line from drowsy baby to overtired baby is very small and hard to detect but now that we've learned Gwyneth's signs of drowsiness (which change constantly) we are usually able to put her to sleep without much fussing.  He says, "perfect timing produces no crying".  Where his book lacks is that he continually tells you to soothe your baby but he doesn't tell you how!  For that we have found that the methods shown in The Happiest Baby on the Block DVD (you can rent it from Netflix) worked well for us:

The Happiest Baby on the Block (we took the shortcut and watched the DVD instead of reading the book).  We found these soothing methods to be really effective and pretty easy to master.  The things that worked best for us in the beginning were swaddling, swinging (by hand, not in a swing), side-lying and shushing.  

Secrets of the Baby Whisperer is a wonderful book.  It's easy and entertaining to read and has a lot of logical approaches to parenting, soothing and "what to do when" info.  I love that Tracy really respects babies.  So much of parenting is intuitive but sometimes a lot of it seems counter-intuitive.  We really wanted to let our baby learn to self soothe and be content and calm.  We found Tracy's simple methods of S.L.O.W. and E.A.S.Y. to be great matches for what we wanted and helped us to figure out what Gwyneth needed.  I highly recommend this book.  Gwyneth's changing quite a bit and things have gotten a bit trickier so we just ordered The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems and started reading it.  It's worth ordering them together because this one takes her original method to the next level and is full of TONS of great info and addresses all the variables! 

So there you have it!  I sincerely hope that this list of items and info is helpful to some of you.  Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few things that happened this month...

Your Dad named a beer "Little G" after you...

 

We started doing story time each night and on Sunday mornings...

You and Calypso are buddies at last...

Uncle Ryan and Kaylee came to visit...

You started crying when our friends hold you...

You fit your fist in your mouth...

 

 

Okay!  I've had it!  I am in need of a makeover of Gary Marshall proportions! (See below):

 

 

Not that I think I look like a prostitute... you get the idea.  Financially speaking, I think the best place to start is a hair makeover. (I'm doing wedding photography in trade for hair-doing)! I haven't gotten my hair cut for 5 months!  I am loving the length I have now... 

 

It feels like it took years to grow it out from this...

I have no interest in doing a drastic cut.  So... if I'm not going to chop it all off, how about a different color?  I've never colored my hair before and am a little nervous but, as a good friend said to me yesterday via email, "It is one of the most fun things in life to color your hair." (Thanks for the advice.)  To be honest, I'm a little afraid about dying my hair. I've been feeling the itch to do something a little fun and fearless!  I've always been blonde...

My mom used to call me her "little toilet brush" because I was skinny and my white hair stuck straight up.

Maybe it's time for something new...

A nice light auburn/strawberry blonde?

 

Golden brown?

 

 

Rich red?

Super blonde?

 

Deep brown?

I'm headed to the salon tomorrow morning!  I'd love your thoughts and suggestions!!!

 

 

A friend of ours does these progression photos during pregnancy.  She recently completed and handed it over to me.  It's astonishing to look at the process.  We took one every 4-6 weeks starting around the fourth month.  Our bodies are pretty amazing.  I mean, I grew a human being in 39 weeks.  That's mind boggling!  Sometimes I find myself staring at Gwyneth thinking, I made you!  I can hardly remember what it felt like to be pregnant, so it's a wonderful thing to get to look back at the journey all in one little picture! 

Photo by Silvia Flores

Another view of the progression...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.MKMphoto.com

 

Hmmm.... all of this is makin' me wanna have another baby!

 

 

Week 9...

In Mexico.

Week 10...

Watching the sunrise with Daddy.

Lounging with our good friends Jeremy and Tara.

Week 11...

Poppy LOVES you!

Week 12... (photos by www.mkmphoto.com and me)

We love everything about you.

Your little rolls.

Your beautiful eyes.

Your eyelashes.

Your smile.

Your laugh.

A few thing that happened this month...

You laughed! 

Witness via Gwynnie-Vision:

Aunt Meghan came to visit.

You got your first stamp in your passport.

You grew out of your Newborn size clothes... and you're a bit too tall for the 3 Month clothes.  You are now as tall as a five month old (but still using newborn diapers).  Silly baby.

p.s. Calypso loves you.

 

 

Week 5...

Week 6...

First trip to the park.

With Uncle Ryan.

I LOVE bath time with you!

Week 7...

                                 Daddy time.

 

Week 8...

 

Nana time and Poppy time.

You are the sleepiest...

 

and happiest baby.

We love you so much!

A few things that happened this month:

You really started to smile!  You crack yourself up.

You learned how to self soothe.  We just swaddle you up and pop you in bed and within five minutes you are sleeping!  You also started sleeping through the night!

Calypso is starting to, kind of, like you... she's still a little jealous.

You watched your first Oscar ceremony.

 

                     You.                                                Me.

 You sleep in with me every morning.

You officially charmed us.  We'll do anything you want us to do.

And, with that, I am going to take a week off for a bit of R&R with the fam.  See you all next week.

 

Julia Roberts

 

 

 

Jane Birkin

 

Rita Hayworth

 

 

 

Audrey Hepburn

 

 

Grace Kelly

 

Stella McCartney

 

 

Angelina Jolie

 

Miranda Kerr

 

My Mom

 

 

 

So, it's been 20 days since Gwyneth was born and I've had my check up with the docs and I am free and clear to begin "low impact mat workouts".  I'm really excited to start exercising again.  Throughout my pregnancy, or at least up until 29 weeks when I was restricted to mostly resting, I was walking 2-4 miles a day and doing some simple conditioning and stretching from my Tracy Anderson Mat Workout DVD 4-5 times each week and I was also doing Pregnancy Yoga.  Pregnancy is such an incredible physical journey and, while there were many things I enjoyed about being pregnant, I have to admit that I didn't always enjoy watching my body morph and change and I really didn't enjoy having my wardrobe whittled slowly down to 2 pairs of jeans and a handful of tops and one pair of shoes (I only had one pair I could put on and take off easily on my own).  Anyway... now that our little one is here, I am looking forward to getting my wardrobe (a blog on that soon) and my body back in working order.  

Since we are constantly bombarded with images and captions like these...

Six weeks after the birth of her son.

 

Eight weeks after giving birth.

 

I thought I'd give you a glimpse at what I look like right now:

Almost as sexy as Heidi Klum if you don't count the dark circles under my eyes and the breast milk on my bra! 

Here's the stats...

Pre-pregnancy weight: 124 lbs

Weight at end of pregnancy: 153 lbs (gained 29 lbs)

Current weight: 131 lbs

The goal: 120-125 lbs (this is the weight range I feel the best at)

Pre-pregnancy measurements: 36-27-37

Belly measurement at end of pregnancy: 39

Current measurement: 38-31-38

The goal: I don't really have a goal here!  I have no idea what's realistic.  Of course, I would love to have my 27 inch waist back but... As longs as I can fit in my pre-pregancy clothes comfortably then that will be perfect.

 

 

 

The past two weeks have been so full of joy. Here's a peak at what was happening around our house.

Amazing rainbow through our front window.

 

Calypso's starting to accept that Gwyneth is here to stay.

 

 

Hee hee.

 

Working on her pout.

We took Baby G up to Seattle for a long weekend to meet the members of her family who hadn't/weren't able to make it down to visit us.  We headed up on Thursday afternoon and Gwyneth did great on the four hour drive!  We spent Thursday night having dinner with Kyle's parents and Nana (Great Nana to our little bird).  In the last three weeks Nana has welcomed three great grandchildren!  

On Friday morning we took Gwyneth to meet our friend Leah who's a midwife in Seattle and has been a huge source of advice and support for us over the past 10 months.  After coffee with Leah, Kyle stayed home with the babe while Erika took me to the mall in search of nursing bras.  Um... where the hell are you supposed to buy nursing bras?!?!  We went to Nordstroms (they had three choices "in the back"), we went to Macys, Sears and Victorias Secret who didn't have any, we went to Motherhood Maternity who didn't have my size (is a DD that strange?), and I've already been to Target and couldn't find any!  Ugh!  If you have any suggestions I'd be happy to hear them.  In the evening we headed over to my Grandpa's house so that he could meet his first great grandchild.  He was clearly smitten and amazed by her!  He held her for a long time and referred to her as "amazing" and "a viking princess" several times.  My Great Aunt Helen was there too.  She was so happy to meet her great great grandniece.  It was so wonderful to see four generations together.  

 

 

 

We were pretty exhausted from such a busy day.  We stayed the night with Meghan and Rob and they had picked up Thai food take out for us for dinner.  Perfect! 

Saturday was a big day.  We had a make up baby shower for Gwyn at my sister's house since we'd had to cancel the last one due to the preterm labor scare.  It turned into more of a "meet the baby shower" so we had lots of family and friends there.  Gwyn slept through the whole thing!  

Linda, Mom, Dave and Rob enjoying the baby.

 

Jody and Michelle.

 

Kyle chatting with his Nana and "Nan" (Gwyn's honorary Grandma... what a lucky girl to have four Grandma's!)

Hanging with Uncle Ryan.

 

Yummy Macaroons from a local bakery. 

We got some really lovely and thoughful gifts for her from everyone.  After the shower, Kyle and I left the babe with Meghan and Rob so we could zip down the street for lunch at our friend's Puerto Rican restaurant, La Isla.  Then, in the evening we joined our friends Jeremy and Tara for a yummy dinner of enchiladas at their place in Fremont.  

We spent Sunday morning wathcing the Seahawks game lose at my Mom's house with her boyfriend, Mike and Meghan and Rob.  We headed home around 1:00.  Gwyneth slept the whole way home (other than the half hour we spent feeding her at a rest stop)... I even managed to sleep for an hour which is amazing for me!  I am doing my best to become a napper!  We got home just in time to watch the Golden Globes in our pj's.  All in all it was a busy but wonderful weekend.  

Today is the first day the baby and I are home on our own because Kyle had to go back to work... although he did come home long enough to take her to her two week appointment.  She had to get a heel poke and a Hep B vaccination.  I've been there when other kids that I've nannied for have gotten shots but it was soooo much harder to watch her get one.  I cried.  The doc says she's growing great (she gained half a pound, grew 3/4 of an inch and her head is 3/4 of an inch bigger).  She's in the 80th percentile for height and the 15th for weight.  Now we're back home and she's asleep on the couch and I'm going to attempt my first Post-Pregnancy mat workout before it's time to feed her again!

 

 

This week had flown by!  We are enjoying/loving/feeding/kissing/holding/staring at Gwyneth constantly which makes it a little hard to blog.  It's all accumulated over this week so here is a big post all about her... 

 

Kyle cutting the cord.

 

First feeding.

Nonna meeting her grandbaby.

My reaction to seeing my Daddy.

Our midwife who arrived about three minutes after Gwyneth was born.

First minutes with Dad.

 

 

Meeting Nana.

So happy!

Aunt Meghan put down the camera for a few minutes and held her niece for the first time.

Sister love.

Calling Uncle Ryan!

Daddy's first swaddle-action.

With Nana.

With Nonna.

 

Sunset on Gwynnie's birthday.

Day Two: New Years Eve Day 2010

So beautiful.

Snuggle time with Nana.

 

 

Gwyneth and Monkey.

 

The door in our hospital room.

Ready to head home.  Bundled up in the car seat with the receiving blanket that has welcomed home all of Kyle's family members (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and their babies) for three generations.

Home Sweet Home.

Calypso scoping it out.

Goodnight. We love you! Happy New Year!!!

Day Two: New Years Day

My Uncle Matt and cousin Aiden.

It's exhausting being a newborn.

Day Three:

With Uncle Rob.

First Seahawks game with Daddy.

Ready for her second photo session with Meghan.

Calypso still assessing.

Day Four:

My two favorite things in the whole world.

Her face when she realized her big toe was not my nipple.

 

 

 

 

Smiling in her sleep.

Day Five:

Ready for passport photos.

Meeting Poppy.

Day Six:

With our friend Sondi at Double Mountain.

With Danelle.

Snuggle time with Pops.

 

Meeting Grandma...

 

and Grandpa.

Day Seven:

Morning time with Grandma.

 

 

 

Gwyneth Rosemary Bennet Larsen

Gwyneth was born at 1:37am on December 31st, 2010.  She weighed 6lbs 11oz and was 20.5 inches long.  We had a successful home labor and natural childbirth.  I will share more photos and the full story in the next couple of days.  We are so happy and blessed to be ringing in the New Year with a healthy, beautiful newborn.  Thank you for all your love and support over the last 39 weeks!  

 

 

Here are the photos of the (99%) finished baby nursery!  I just love the way it all turned out!  I really wanted the room to be girly and sweet without being too "baby-ish" and I think we accomplished that!  It is simple and sophisticated and with few final touches it will be perfect!  I think it will be a joy to spend lots of time in here.  So many of the things in the room were made for our baby or handed down through our families.  It really makes the room special.  The inspirations were Paris, photography, ballet and Sofia Copolla's Marie Antoinette...  

 

 

My Stepmom (Nance) is a fabulous interior designer/colorist (she works in Oregon and Washington so let me know if you want her contact info) and my sister came over to help us me pick our colors.  They didn't photograph totally accurately but here are the swatches from the Benjamin Moore website... which also aren't that accurate!  Ah well, you get the idea...

 

 

I never would have thought I'd have a pink room in my house.  It was so great to have Nance help us pick "adult" pink colors.  

The "flowers" were made by Amy and Poppy for the baby shower and they take the place of a mobile.  I read that you actually want the space around your baby's crib to be a bit "boring", that is, non-stimulating.  You want them to sleep, not stare at stuff!

The crib and Kyle's chair from when he was little (made by his Grandpa).

 

The crib with the bumper made by Erika and the gorgeous blanket knitted by Kyle's Nana with yarn she was saving for "something special" that she had brought over with her from New Zealand a long time ago.

 

 

 

 

The pillow is made from the pink raw silk from my wedding dress and a bit of tulle from my veil (both were made by Erika).

 

 

Two monkeys from Aunt Meghan.

 

The dresser was Kyle's when he was little.  It will be painted super glossy white, get new handles and maybe get a little stencil treatment like this one from Anthropologie.

Newborn pajamas!

 

This vintage scale was a gift and is holding all of our beautiful Aden + Anais swaddles and blankies which were baby shower gifts.  The teddy bear painting was given to us by a friend in Paris, I took the photo on the left for Kyle when we were just out of high school and I found that four leaf clover years ago!

 

The feeding zone.  Comfy chair and blanket (also knitted by Kyle's Nana).  Amy found that table cloth at an antique store and thought it was tres Marie Antoinette.  It's hiding a box below with breast feeding paraphernalia and a book and book light for me.  The lamp is a salt rock lamp and will serve as a mellow reading light/night light.

The bookshelf/toy zone.  We just bought this shelf unit and the little pink bins from Ikea for about $35 total.

 

Lisa Kaser Print titled Tuesdays Were Reserved for Sharing Recipes.  We bought it at an art fair right after I found out I was pregnant.  It is quirky and cute.  It reminded us of our many picnics in Paris.  Plus the title is so us!

 

This porcelain doll was a gift from my cousin Carol.  She has collected these gorgeous dolls for years and selected this one for our girl.

 

Old photos of my two grandmothers, Mary Jo (left) and Rosellen (on right).  We are going to get two photos of Kyle's grandmothers too.  

 

This is a series of photographs I took in Paris.  I love the colors and the way they are all behind glass.  Ballet slippers in a studio window, gorgeous tutu's in the window display at the Repetto store and the skirt of Degas' Little Dancer statue in a glass case.

 

I made this collage of photos from Kyle and my first trip to Paris together when we were barely twenty.

 

The closet with all the newborn clothes ready for action!

 

My Stepmom had given me this vintage tutu a few years ago along with some others that sat in a box in the garage that Kyle had labeled "Fuckin' Tutus" because he couldn't understand why I was holding onto them.  Ha!  I used one!  Erika took it home and gently applied it to a wreath ring.  We'll either put it on the wall or pin it to the door of the room.  

I would also like to make a photo collage heart out of black and white photographs to give our little one something to gaze at.  

I would also love to find a chandelier (maybe something vintage) to replace the main light in the room.

So, there you have it!  Our baby's nursery is all set and ready for her arrival.  Our due date is only ten days away!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dress: Stuart + Brown

Leggings: LA Made

Shoes: Converse

 

 

There comes a point in pregnancy when you are feeling pretty...

chubby...

grumpy...

frustrated...

a little batty...

delusionally tired...

and a little emotional.

It's hard to remember what you used to look like.

All you wanna do is overindulge...

 

and wave your white flag.

 

But, then... you're family comes to town and gives you a good reason to laugh.

Meghan, Rob (and Kyle) at the local bakery.

Now... as I've mentioned before, my belly button (while not inside out) has spent the last month looking suspiciously like a cat's behind.  I'm sure someday it will return to normal, but in the meantime it's a lesson at learning to laugh at yourself even when you feel "all done".   Meghan and Rob came over with my Dad and Stepmom for dinner and we "forced" my Dad to put his artistic skills to work in order to provide us some much needed laughter...  

Heee heee heeee.

Sometimes (even after eight years), Kyle is forced to question the family he married into.  We like to keep him on his toes.

 

 

Your sweater!  

A snowy walk downtown....

 

 

 

Brrrr!

Hat: Pistil

Top: Icebreaker

Jacket: North Face

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Boots: North Face

 

 

So, it's 5 am and I'm wide awake.  I've been awake since 3:30 after jolting back to life following a particularly bizarre pregnancy dream involving a wedding (not mine), people I haven't seen since high school, capers (yes, the food), a shoot out and a coffee maker.  Don't ask me how all these elements came together... Anyway, after a couple hours of tossing and turning, trying to ignore the fact that I was starving and getting batted by the frisky cat (who, ever since we moved, has been acting like a cracked out kitten again), I just got up.  It snowed a few inches last night and it's still coming down so it's very quiet and still and dark out this morning.

 

The baby is squirming and kicking a bit.  I'm sure going to miss our private little snuggle sessions when she is born.  I am also going to miss the little bump, bump of her hiccups and so many other wonderful things about being pregnant.  There are, of course, many other things that I won't miss so much!  I had a complete mini-meltdown the other night after a particularly uncomfortable day.  I cried and declared to Kyle that I was "all done being pregnant"!  Of course, I quickly pulled it together and he encouraged me, kissed me and tucked me into bed where I got a good night's sleep, which helped immensely.

 

Yesterday I made more food for the freezer (chicken noodle soup (recipe coming soon) and two key lime pies) and I made a boppy (breastfeeding pillow)!  Now I'm going to put on a favorite movie and make up six more weeks worth of menus/grocery lists.  The more I do and create and plan, the more content I feel.  Don't get me wrong, I wish I was sleeping right now but, since I'm not, I might as well be productive!

 

Today we have big plans which include (but aren't limited to) IKEA (scary), Costco (even scarier), Aaron Brothers, Trader Joe's, Target (even scarier than Costco), a cookie delivery to a friend who just had surgery and possibly a movie matinee (I can't wait to see Black Swan and it doesn't appear that they'll have it here at our theater).  We just realized that it is the weekend before Christmas and we must be completely insane to be running all these errands today, but at this point in the pregnancy, it's now or never (or at least not for a few months).  So... here's to a productive Saturday!  Of course, if the snow keeps falling, we may be in for a quite and cozy weekend in spite of our ambitions.

 

I hope you all have a wonderful day today.

 

Love,

Kacie

 

 

As we inch closer and closer to our due date (January 7th) I am beginning to feel really excited about welcoming our baby girl into the world.  But, I'm also feeling a little nervous.  I have an overwhelming desire to get things done like: finish the nursery, put together an "emergency kit" for the car with spare diapers, wipes and a change of warm clothes for the baby, make lots of healthy food to have stashed in the freezer, make more menu plans, figure out our finances, finish unpacking...  I feel like we've accomplished so much but I still feel that there is a lot that can be done.  I've been waking up at 5 or 6 in the morning and sneaking out of bed to do things (like make lasagna) while Kyle sleeps.  We've moved on from reading the birthing books to reading the "baby manual" books.  Kyle has started The Baby Whisperer and I have started reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby.  I'm really wanting to have plans in place for ways to soothe a fussy baby, a minimal plan for getting things done (like exercise and grocery shopping and showering), and also having a conscious way of keeping our marriage running smoothly and making sure we enough time for each other and all of our my neurosis. =)  Although I know Kyle and I have a strong, healthy, loving, communicative relationship, I am hoping to find even better ways of communicating with one another thoughtfully and respectfully when we're feeling stressed, exhausted or irritable.  So, as these grey days creep by, I will continue to prepare, read, ponder and enjoy the last moments of this pregnancy.  I'm open to any advice, thoughts or encouragement you all may have. 

 

Top: Saint Grace

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Boots: J Crew

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shirt: Gap

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Poppy's Dress: Tea

 

Jen enjoying a pomegranate martini.

 

Alicia and her son Bjorn.

 

Damon, Amy and Poppy.

 

All the ladies.

 

Nance (Nonna) and Tracey.

 

Danelle and Pat.

 

Tracey and Bjorn... look at those cheeks!

 

A lovely classic book from Tracey.

 

The gorgeous breast-feeding cover from Jen.

 

Handmade booties from Pat.

 

Cute clothes from Alicia.

 

A super-tiny newborn onesie!

 

 

Poppy decorating a onesie.

 

Awesome craft idea.

 

Amy and her assistant sewing the fabric pieces onto the onesies.

 

Nance and Danelle making onesies.

 

 

Tissue paper flowers made by Amy and Poppy for the baby's room!

 

Time for Bjorn to head home.

 

The best baby shower host EVER!

 

 

 

 

Your Nona is a little uh... creative and decided to wrap this tree on their property with fabric swatches!

 

 

 

This is a pet dinosaur that my Uncle Matt made.  Get ready for LOTS of creativity with this family.

Scarf: Cashmink

Sweater: Shae

Jeans: GAP Maternity

Boots: Frye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacket: Prairie Underground

Scarf: Cashmink

Dress: Gap

Leggings: LA Made

Boots: Frye

 

 

After our last hospital visit and a second brief one last week, (just had to get checked... they sent me home right away) I figured it was due time (no pun intended) to put together our overnight bag for the hospital!  I did lots of research online as well as in our birthing book, Birthing from Within, and came up with a list of items to use at home and to bring along with us.  I want to stay home as long as possible before heading to the hospital.  We live less than two miles from the birthing center/hospital so hopefully we can stay home until the last couple of hours.  We'll have a doula on hand to help us know when it's time to go! Obviously, if we have a pre-term baby all of this will go out the window and we'll be headed into Portland to an unknown hospital with unknown doctors and we'll have to just go with the flow.  We'll have a few changes of clothes/pajamas, a bathrobe for me, some of Kyle's t-shirts for me to wear (I'm not feeling the hospital gown program) and our own pillows along with the following items...

The TENS Unit.  I got this for my back pain... it uses electric currents to stimulate nerves so you don't feel as much pain.  It's used a lot in pain management for natural birth.  Most insurance companies will rent/buy one for you.

 

Eye covers and ear plugs.  I wish we'd had these the last time!

 

Heat pillow and lavender oil (for relaxation) and coconut oil for back rubs.

 

It's really important to stay hydrated and replace electrolytes.  I want to avoid an IV unless I really need one and staying hydrated is the first step!

Everything I read suggested that you bring music along with you but, as Kyle put it, movies are my music.  The Audrey Hepburn Collection contains many of my faves: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Sabrina, Roman Holiday, Funny Face and Paris When It Sizzles.  Hopefully these will prove to be pleasant distractions.

Call me crazy but smells have bothered me SO much during my pregnancy that I've stocked up on toothbrushes and mouthwash for people to use when the come to visit.  Actually, the birthing book recommended this too so I'm not the only crazy mom-to-be.

 

The birthing book also recommended bringing your own washcloths since the hospital ones are less than luxe.  I also have a little bit of makeup (concealer and blush), dental floss (I'm obsessed with dental hygiene), hair rubber bands and chapstick. 

 

Simple (yet important) toiletries: shampoo and conditioner, face wash and lotion, soap and deodorant. 

 

THE birthing book, our birth plan ideals and a scrapbook page for footprints! 

 

A few newborn diapers, wipes and breast pads and the outfit I came home from the hospital in.

Thanks to my Aunt Carla we have a car seat now and with this stuff all packed up and ready to go we are feeling pretty ready.  Of course we are hoping for a full term babe, but if she does decided to make an early appearance we'll at least be prepared for her arrival!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweater: Liz Lange Maternity

Camisole: Odd Molly

Jeans: Gap Maternity

Boots: Frye

 

 

As the plans for our new home move slowly but surely forward, I have begun to get really excited about the prospect of having a baby room (as opposed to just a baby zone/corner)!  I was completely unsure where to begin... then, on Oct. 16th I curled up on the couch to watch Sofia Coppola's film Marie Antoinette in honor of the anniversary of the day that Marie Antoinette was beheaded.  Lovely, I know.  I found that I couldn't take my eyes off the screen.  The color pallete of the film was totally mesmerizing me!  I have been adament about "no pink" since the beginning, but all of the sudden I found myself loving the pinks (and the greens, yellows and blues) in the film!  I immediately knew the direction I want to go with the baby room.  Maybe not quite as decadent as these images but using the color palaette in an organic and simplified way will be perfect!

The sets, costumes, makeup and overall style are so lovely!

The macaroons are so inspirational!

The shoes are the perfect colors!

The Vogue magazine spread shot by Annie Leibovitz!

My mother-in-law (Erika) and I set out to the fabric store to see if we could find some ideas that drew from the color palette of the above images.  We found nearly perfect matches!  A silvery, grey blue... a bright, sorbet pink... a pale, antique-y yellow...

I bought piping in each color to jazz up the corners of white washcloths, burp cloths, bath towels and use it to keep things in a simple and consistent color scheme.  I like things to match! 

Then we happened across this fabric in the sale pile and bought it all!  The color didn't scan up perfectly, but it just matches up with the color palette perfectly.  Erika is whipping up a baby bumper from it right now! 

 

 

 

 

Very happy that you stayed put.

(Hospital gown (St. Vincent's Hospital... price upon request))

 

 

 

 

 

(Sweater (Free People), jeans (GAP Maternity), boots (Frye))

 

 

After lots of thought and consideration (and editing) we have completed our baby registry.  Everyone was so helpful and had wonderful recommendations!  I hope that a glance through the registry will give parents-to-be some good ideas and save them some time looking at the multitude of options available for any given item!  Although it took a lot of research and work to put it all together, I am really excited about our choices.  I think we were able to keep things to a minimum and only register for items that we felt really strongly about and the thing we did register for are space efficient and really fit our lifestyle.  

We decided to do the whole registry through Amazon.com because they have just about everything at great prices and they offer what's called Universal Registry which allowed us to register for items on other sites (like IKEA) and have it all show up on the one registry.  It also provides a secure way for people to make purchases and customer service is great (we used them for our wedding registry too).  It's nice to have it all in one place!

To view more info on the items you can visit my Fantastic Baby Things! post from a couple of weeks back.  

I'd love to post more today but, frankly, I'm exhausted!  We are in the process of purchasing our first home!!!!  It's exhilarating, exciting, wonderful and completely exhausting (and a little scary).  Hey, we might as well buy our first car, first house and have our first baby all in 2010!  Needless to say it's been a whirlwind last few days!  The house simple and low maintenance but it's cute and it has 3 bedrooms and a small backyard.  I'll keep you updated on it as soon as we know it's a sure thing!   But now... I'm going to drag my bum off this chair and go for a walk and do my Tracy Anderson workout before I collapse onto the couch (or into a warm bath) to relax.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uncle Ryan feeling you move!

 

 

 

 

 

Goofing around in the studio. (Sweater (Gap), tunic (Splendid), leggings (LA Made), boots (Frye))

 

Let me preface this post by saying that, when we found out we were expecting, I was terrified.  Not of being a parent, not of the inevitable prospect of this child being a teenager, not of the sleepless nights or tantrums... I was afraid of all of the stuff that I have seen accompany many babies into this world!  With lots of research and patience, I feel that I have been able to make a baby registry with items that are necessary and simple.  I think our registry is a totally complete and comprehensive list of the things that we need for our daughter. I've been collecting ideas and suggestions (thank you!) for the past few months and have found some great, small space, environmentally friendly alternatives for our baby!  I'm still finalizing a couple of things, like finding out which car seat is safest, which style of cloth diapers to use, etc.  When we get everything totally finalized I'll share the link so you can see the WHOLE thing!  In the meantime... here's a little sneak peak at the items that we are most excited about!