Back in the side car again….

As the sun slowly dipped down to the horizon and night-time loomed before us my husband I sat independently.  Each of us pondering the previous nights, neither of us wanting to say what needed to be said.  Each sitcom and commercial served as a reminder that the time for us to put our dear sweet son down for the evening was quickly approaching.  We were tense.

Man broke the silence and said the words that had been rapidly running through my head all evening.  “I can’t do it again.”  I trembled with relief, I couldn’t do it again either.

It never occurred to me that man and I would co-sleep with the baby.  In fact when he was a wee little one he spent most nights comfy in his bassinet.  There were a few nights when he slept strapped to my chest, but that was during his first couple days of life.  After that he slept wonderfully in his bassinet.  Once he out grew  his bassinet we moved him to his crib and he slept beautifully for about one week; then the teeth.

When Milan’s adorable chicklets began to pop through, he became super needy and super cuddly.  He had zero interest in sleeping alone, so I spent a few nights in his room cuddling him to sleep on the futon.  Then because I am old and can’t just sleep anywhere anymore, we moved to the bed.  Soon days turned into weeks that turned into months.  We eventually moved  his crib next to our bed and made a side car for him.  This new arrangement made it much safer and comfortable for all of us.

Recently, we tried moving him out of our room. I new when we were moving him out of his room that he wasn’t ready, I wasn’t ready and man wasn’t ready either.  However, we didn’t listen to our hearts.  We listened to the world.  As parents it’s so hard to trust yourself, but as a wonderful friend reminded me recently, “Your the parents, you know what is best.”  She was absolutely right!  It’s now been a few nights since we moved the crib back into our room and made Milan a side car.  Last night he started with a runny nose and cough. I am so happy that he was right near me and I could comfort him through the night.

Milan’s back in his side car again and as a family we couldn’t be happier!

Potty Update

When I look back at Milan’s 10 week old photo of him sitting on his potty I CRACK up!  What a little cutie pants!

Pooping Rockstar

Mylan is now just under 9 months old and he is still using his potty.  It’s been a long time since he has pooped in it, but he does his pee pee in there several times per day.  He goes on his potty first thing in the morning and then every time he whines at me but isn’t wet.  He is in the habit of peeing and then trying to leap off his potty into my arms.  He then quickly squirms out of my arms to inspect the results.  This behavior is a good indication that he understands what his potty is for….Yay!  However, he still goes potty in his diaper about 75 percent of the time.  This is mainly my fault for not taking him to his potty more….sooooooo….

Milan on the potty at 8 months and counting

I have a new goal starting Monday to get him on the potty more often than not!  Update to follow….

In the midst of change….goal number 2.

Milan Walker Rockin His Old School Diapers!

This marks the end of week one, of our cloth diaper experiment

When I was small my grandma would tell the tales of using cloth diapers on her 8 children.  She’d say, “Misty, at least you won’t have to worry about cloth diapers now that they have those disposable ones…..” Ha!  If she could only see me now!

Here is my first attempt at diapering my little man.  This diaper leaked!  Thankfully, I am quickly becoming a cloth diapering expert!  No more leaks 🙂

Why am I using cloth diapers?

I’m not trying to save the planet or be  environmentally chic.  Although, it is nice to know that my frugalness is having a small impact.  It has everything to do with my family and nothing more. I desire deep in my heart to be a stay at home mom and be there for every second of my sons life.  The only way for this to be possible, is for me to do everything I can to save money. When I saw how many diapers this little man
burns through, I knew we had to make some changes.

Here you see about 5 days worth of Smilen Milan’s (My~lan) dirty disposable diapers!

Now that week one is finished, I am happy we tried it and will be happy to continue with it.  Prefold Cloth diapers are easy to use, economical and yes, environmentally friendly! I’d be nice to have those fancy, shamancy Charlie Banana’s or the really cute BumGenius or even some Fuzzibunz.  But for now I am pleased with my old school prefolds.  I would do anything, to be able to see this every single second, of every single day.

~*~Our Home Birth~*~

Before I even wanted children, I knew I wanted to have a home birth.When I found out we were expecting, I immediately began searching for the perfect midwife for us and lucky for me I didn’t have to search long.  The first time we spoke on the phone, I new that she was our midwife.  When we met her a week later, we both felt that she was the one and started getting excited about all the new experiences we were about to have.My pregnancy was a breeze.  I grew and grew and grew….I grew so much I was positive it was twins!

Turns out it was one baby and a few to many candy bars.

Here is me the day we found out were were expecting…

Here is me the day I went into labor…Whoa, big mama!

I adored being pregnant and I blogged about it here.

Our home birth was amazing and I hope my experience will help you decide if home birthing is for you.

Labor Day….not the holiday, but the day that will for now be known as the longest single day of my life.  I awoke on 1-30-2011 at 8:06 am with my first real contraction.  I knew this one was no Bradley hicks contraction!  So for all of you who are wondering as I was at the time, if you will be able to tell the difference between the Bradley hicks contractions you’ve been having for months or the real deal….yes, you will be able to tell the difference! Whoa baby!

I had this list of things I wanted done, on the day  baby came.  Some of it may seem silly to you, but for me they seemed absolutely necessary and I was certain I could not give birth in my home till they were done.

One of things was to vacuum the entire house, to remove all traces of dog hair.  I knew deep down it wouldn’t remove all the hair but I just had this vision of my freshly born baby getting immediately covered in dog hair.  I pictured him just as sticky as a lint roller (he wasn’t, but how was I to know that). The next thing on the list was breakfast.  The midwife had instructed that I eat when I went into labor so that I’d have plenty of energy for birthing out my baby.  This excited both hubby and me!  We decided to order breakfast from the Bay Cafe’ and it was delicious!  We had pancakes, omelette’s, potato’s, hash browns, rye toast and ketchup; lots and lots of ketchup.  We had the works!

I also wanted to look cute.  I wanted my make-up on, my hair done and I wanted to be wearing something pretty.  I say wanted, because although I started out cute…the cuteness faded quickly.

Look how happy I am..I have know idea what is about to come…lol!

Finally I wanted clean bed sheets and a clean bath tub.  I was happy for both those things during labor and afterwards too.

After completing all these tasks it was only about noon on the 30th and we just hung out waiting for
those contractions to get to 5 mins. apart.  We waited and we waited. We took the dogs for a walk and then came back to wait some more.  We waited all day and all night before I decided just to go to bed around 9:12 p.m.  How nice it was to be waiting at home and not in a hospital.

At 1:20 a.m. I woke up on the 31st of January with the bloody show.  Whoot!  This is it!  I began timing my contractions and didn’t wake the man till 3:54 am.  My contractions were finally 5 mins. apart and they had gotten stronger.  I was most certain that our baby boy was hours from making his way into the world.  We called the midwifes and began getting the bedroom in order.

Matt made me a birthing nest!  My dogs hung out with me till my sister came to get them.

The cat watched the entire birth.  What a freak.

Justice getting hair on our clean sheets…

Ruckus…this is where he hung out all day!  I tease that he was a freak for hanging with me, but it is actually kind sweet with I think about it.

The nest was fantastic and comfortable.

The midwifes arrived and we waited.  As my labor progressed, the contractions got more and more intense.  I began to understand why people opted for drugs.  I was happy to be home with out the option, although I wondered if they had drugs for people with chubby babies in the car.

They did not.

Between hanging out in the nest, I sought comfort in my nice clean bath tub.  It was a place of refuge that offered much relief.  I wished I had gotten the pool.  I ate lunch in my nest, then I ate dinner in my nest and then I began to freak out because I was still in labor; and still in my nest!

My poor husband.  As long as a day as it was for me, it was equally as long for him.  He was amazing and never left my side the entire time.  He held me up, he drew my bath’s, he rubbed my back and most of all; he made me feel safe.

The midwife checked to see if I was dilating and I was, just very slowly.  It was nearly 10 p.m. when I had just about had enough of being in labor, I had to make the decision to stay and see what happened or go to the hospital.  I was ready to go; I was ready to go and find the first man with a ready scalpel to chop this baby out already.  I kept that to myself…lol!  Instead of rushing out we made the decision to pop my water and see if that would get the show on the road.

Now more waiting…

See how the cuteness didn’t last….but the love did.

Finally, I honestly felt like I was about to loose my mind.  I wanted to go and get drugs or do anything, anything at all to make this stop.  All I could think of was how far is the hospital and where are my shoes.

Yes, it had been a long day!

Here is what a contraction can look like…no I wasn’t screaming.

As I am wondering how I am getting out of this house and somewhere with drugs and knives the midwife gave me one last check.  She then says the words I have been waiting to here all day, “You can start pushing.”  Those words snapped me back to reality, the panic left my body and I began to ready myself to push out my baby. I pushed and I prayed.  I pushed and everyone prayed.  It was a short 45 mins after she told me to start pushing that our baby was plopped onto my stomach and I got to look into his eyes for the first time!

Amazing!  It was AMAZING!  All the panic and pain replaced with feeling of awe and happiness.  What a miracle.  Milan (Mylon) Walker was born just at 2 am on February 1st and was eating by 2:08 am.  We were in the bath by 2:40 and in bed shortly after that.

Healing herbal bath…I am so scared I will drop him…he was so slippery.

I am so happy that I did not find my shoes and rush to the nearest medical facility.  Having Milan at home was the best.  Waking up in your own bed with your newborn and your husband is such a nice experience.  Double nice was waking up to your sister dropping off a freshly made breakfast for you and the midwifes.

I will most definitely choose a home birth again with my next child and maybe you will too!

Hours old…..the greatest gift!

Infant Potty Training: Day Two ~ SUCCESS!!

It has been less then 24 hours since we started infant potty training our son.

Success!  Here is Milan grunting out a poo on the potty!

Look Mom, I pooped in my potty….I did it ~ I did it!

Mom & Dad are making too big a deal out of my poop right now!

I can not tell you how exciting it was to hear his lil’ poo land in his potty bowl!

Whoot!  Whoot!

Infant Potty Training ~ Day 3

I am quickly learning a few things about infant potty training.

• It is not for the lazy or tired.  When nature calls you have to be ready to
  race to the potty. When they gotta go, they go!
• A travel potty ring is a must.  Today, Milan pee’d on Grandpa Louie’s
  mini-blinds.  It’s hard to control the wiener and hold him over a big boy
  toilet.
• It’s much easier then I thought it would be.

Milan is doing much better then I thought he would…I should say, Misty is doing much better then I thought she would.  It has everything to do with the parents in the beginning.  If I don’t take him to the potty after he eats, when he first wakes up, when he has a funny look on his face or he is grunting; then he is going to go in his diaper. And if he goes in his diaper, it’s not big deal.  He is a baby and I expect him to go
in his diaper.  However,  he seems to like using his potty. So at this time we will continue to keep training him to do so.

Today, he has only had 2 pee diapers and 1 poo diaper.  The rest of the time he went successfully in his potty.

So far so good!

M~is for Milan P~is for Potty & E~is for Easter Bunny….

What do these three things have in common?
Nothing really.

P~is for Potty~

We are now entering the 2nd week of infant potty training ~

M~is for Milan~
Here is 10 week old Milan, having his morning constitution…

 

I have to say, I am pretty impressed. He’s doing it…he is really doing it!  It is so awesome!  We are doing way less diaper laundry and Milan likes his potty.

Over the past few days, he has cried as if he has a pee pee diaper and when I get him on the changing table he is dry.  I then place him on his potty and he pees.  Has he already learned to hold his urine?  Yes & No.  Sometimes he does and sometimes he doesn’t.  Either way I still put him on the potty and he goes nearly every time…whooot!  As for the poo, it is far better to wash it out of his potty then scrap it off his butt!!  Lucky for me, I’ve been doing far less scrapping.

E ~ is for Easter Bunny

MIlan 4.5 months old

My dear sweet, smelly son is nearly 1/4 of a year old.  I can say with out a
doubt, that this has been the most extraordinary 3 months of my life.  Most
extraordinary! E-X-T-R-A-O-D-I-N-A-R-Y!

Drool!

Milan came out of my womb and into the world
a little red peanut.  He seemed so fragile.  We handled him gingerly and
awkwardly.  Matt and I worked as a team, changing little reds diaper, bathing
his tiny body and swaddling him in super soft pajamas.  Such a dainty little
creature, we would just stare at him; his every movement pure joy.  Then the day
came when I realized my fragile peanut, was mightier then I thought.

The little red feet.

Milan’s first real scream.  Milan is a  happy and quiet baby and
as a newborn he barely made a peep.  So you can imagine my surprise when my
sweet baby raised  his little red fists high above his head and let out a howl
of frustration.  His little mitt’s were just a pumping and he was putting out a
scream, that could peel off wall paper; Matt and I were laughing.  I am
positive, laughter was not the emotion that Milan was expecting from his
parents.  But we couldn’t help ourselves, he looked like an angry little
red troll and it was hysterical.

Milan’s first car ride with just mommy.
I’m a planner.  It may not seem like it to the outside world, but I am pretty
anal about my schedule.  My timeline is my sanity.  On day eleven (I think) of
Milan’s life, I decided Milan and I were going to make a trip over to visit his
Great Aunts and Uncles; I planned it.  My plan I thought was flawless.  Take a
shower, give Milan a bath.  Get dressed, dress Milan.  Nurse Milan and put him
down for a nap.  Do hair, make-up, pack diaper bag and have a snack; rest till
baby gets up.  Baby wakes up, nurse him again and change his diaper.  Hop in the
car and go.

Day after Milan was born.

I executed my plan flawlessly, up until hop in the car and go.  I
put Milan in his car seat and put him in the car.  He began to cry.  Not wanting
to show up at someones house with a crying baby (they live just minutes
away) and because I can’t stand to let him cry, I hop in the back to check on
him.  Puke.  Puke all over his cute little outfit.  No problem, I have an extra
in the car with me.  So I undress him…hmmm, wet diaper too.  So I take off his
diaper and pee…he pees straight into the air.  So now he is covered in puke
and pee.  No problem, I have lot’s of wipes and only a little pee got on me.  So
I clean him up, apply fresh diaper and fresh outfit.  Milan is still
crying/screaming, so I nurse him.  Finally, he quiets down and I am able to
strap him back into his car seat and away we go.  Total time spent in drive way
28 mins.  Total drive time to get to Great Aunt’s house 4 minutes.

Milan
talks to his Zebra.  Who knew about the coo.  The sweetest sound in the whole
world is Milan’s coo.  It’s part owl, part wolf and it makes my heart swell
times two.  The first time he used his voice for something other then yelling at
his parents, was in his swing and at his zebra.  Milan’s swing has a mobile
above it and on this mobile hangs little zoo animals.  His favorite is the
Zebra.  Just thinking about it make the corners of my lips turn up.  He stares
at that Zebra and coos.  He coos out whole conversations and of course Matt and
I make up our own words.  “Zebra, tell them I want out of my swing.”  “Zebra, go
get me a snack.” “Hey, Zebraaaaa.”  It’s not uncommon for Matt to say, “Where’s
Milan?” and me to reply, “Talking to his Zebra.”

Milan & The Zebra.

Milan laughs at daddy.  Where am I.  I am in the shower.
Why?  Because it is a refuge and a luxury for a new mom.  Know one tells you
that your baby is born with a “mommy is relaxing and enjoying herself alarm.”
The moment you are doing anything that is just for you, the alarm goes off and
the baby craps his pants.  This makes the baby sound his alarm; followed by the
alarm are the following procedures.  Change pants, nurse baby, pray he goes to
sleep.  So I am in the shower.  I have two options.  Option number 1: Enjoy the
shower and have no time to properly brush hair and teeth.  Option number 2:
Shower like the wind and have a few extra minutes to brush hair, teeth and maybe
even floss or apply some mascara.  I chose number 2.  I am just out of the
shower, when I hear the second sweetest sound in the world.  Milan’s laugh,
a full out chuckle at his daddy.  This sound is followed by the third sweetest
sound in world.  Milan’s daddy laughing back.  I rush out, dripping water ever
where. I heard the laugh, but now I want to see it. I wait.  Matt repeats the
sequence that led up to the laugh.  He repeats it again.  Again.  No laugh
ensues.  Apparently, Milan’s laugh is like the ground hog; it saw it’s
shadow.

Milan, daddy and Ruckus.

Milan sees the world.  I first noticed Milan was more alert a
few days ago.  He was sitting on his potty and instead of going potty he was
swinging his head back and forth, up and down.  Holy cow, he is checking out his
room.  Up until that day, I would put him on his potty and he would pee or poo
right away. Now I put him on his potty and he just wants to hang out
there….forever.  Just like a man  (ha~ha) He likes to sit on the potty and coo
about all the new things his eyes can see. His favorite thing is the big white
shiny diaper genie.  He talks and smiles at  that thing like it’s a long lost
friend.  I enjoy his new found sense, he enjoys his diaper genie.

Even Rock Stars poo.

Milan gives mommy a full nights rest and a heart attack.  I am
able to write this blog, because Milan slept through the night.  It’s 5 am and I
am wide awake. I got 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep last night; wowsers I have
enough energy to flitter off to the moon. Zooooom!  I would still be sleeping,
but my dear husband woke me up to find out if I had been up yet.  This is when I
had the heart attack  Immediately, I sprang out of bed, flicked on the light and
check son (that’s his nickname). This is when Matt tells me that he’d already
checked on son.  My heart rate returned to normal, but my sleep did
not.

Milan has quickly gone from a tiny red peanut, into a hungry little
football, that’s grown into a chubby baby boy.  It’s amazing how quickly they
grow and learn. The best part….well they are all best parts, upon best parts,
covered in more best parts, with more best parts to come!

Chubby baby boy!

Squirrelly….

Yesterday while eating chunks of peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough,
I sat gazing out my living room window. I rolled the cool cookie dough around in
my mouth till it turned to warm mush and let my mind slip back to this time last
year.

My yard is home to a delightful group of frisky squirrels who at
this time of year are plump, pretty  and keep my little brown dog busy as she
chases them from window to window.  This year I am really enjoying watching them
build up their winter stores of nuts.

However, last year I was blood thirsty
for their plump little bodies.

Pregnancy can bring about some odd ideas,
cravings and feelings.  Last year at this time I sat gazing out my living room
window 5 months pregnant and plotting.  I used google to find and watch videos
on squirrel hunting. I read articles on how to skin and cook squirrels and I
even called my dad to see if he was an avid hunter of squirrels.  This was
silly, because I knew he was not.

Me:  Hey Dad….all chipper and
nonchalant.
Dad:  Hey, What’s up…..
Me:  Oh, nothing….hey do you ever
hunt squirrels….cutting to the chase.
Dad: Um, yeah we used to.
Me: Oh,
oh o.k……realizing I have crossed the preggo crazy line.

I end the
conversation, slightly embarrassed and confused.  Should I push forward and see
if a squirrel hunt can be organized?  I imagine myself wearing one of those tan
and orange hunting vests with the pockets you drop your kill into.  My vest is
bulging with fresh kill, a tail peeks out the top of one pocket.  My trusty
(non-hunting) skilled hunting dog, (unskilled) Labrador (couch-ador) Liberty
striding proudly at my side.  I imagine myself arriving at home with my kills
and making a little skinning board.  The kind where miniature feet are secured
to the top and the fur is easily stripped off their body.  Then I see
myself sticking the squirrels meaty body on to a bowed branch and hanging it
over a fire I have built-in my back yard.  The flames barely licking the meat.
Oh yeah, it got crazy like that.

It makes me chuckle now.  I never did
get my squirrel meat.  After a week or two the craving for the furry little
beasts ended and I began to crave apples. Apples are easier to catch
🙂

Side Note:  I have never, ever eaten squirrel in my life.