so in the first post, i told you about our cloth diaper workshop. i went over the differences between cloth and disposable diapers, and the care of cloth diapers.
one thing i forgot to mention - what do you do with the cloth diapers between washes? jessica recommended 24 diapers, which would be about a 3-day wash cycle. in between washes, you toss the dirty diaper into a wet bag. the wet bag is lined with a (pba-free) plastic lining. when you're ready to wash, you just dump in the diapers, turn the bag inside out, and throw that in the wash, too. there are apparently cloth diaper pails that you can purchase, but for about $20 cheaper, you can pick up a plastic trash can at target that works just as well. the important part is the wet bag. for cloth diapering out and about, you just get a smaller wet bag that you carry in the diaper bag. done.
ok, so now, the different kinds of cloth diapers. this is where you can get a little head-spinny. there are a ton of brands out there and it can be a little confusing to wade through it all. so jessica broke it down into 4 categories, ignoring the brands for the most part. it's much easier to shop by type than by brand.
first up, prefolds and covers. prefolds are simply absorbent cotton diapers (the kind that most people picture when picturing cloth diapers - the white things that used to be attached with pins). you fold up the diaper and lay it inside of a waterproof cover. the waterproof cover is then folded up over baby and put on just like a disposable diaper. so when you change the baby, you simply pull out the prefold, lay another one in, and buckle up - you can reuse the same cover all day long. the advantages to this system are that it's the least expensive, by far - you can easily build a diaper stockpile for less than $200. this will also probably last the longest - jessica said you can easily make the covers last for 2 or even 3 kids. you may need to replace some of the cloth diapers along the way, but the covers should last for a looooong time. the disadvantage is that since these are simply cotton diapers, they do not "wick away" moisture like some of the more expensive types of diapers. so baby feels uncomfortably wet more quickly. the upside of this is that kids in prefolds are often potty trained much earlier in life - her daughter was potty trained at 18 months because she hated feeling wet!
next up, fitted diapers. these are essentially just cotton or wool diapers, like the old-fashioned ones, but they come with velcro or snaps instead of pins. they are super thick (so that they can be absorbent without leaking through) and seem like they'd be really warm on baby. and again, they are do not wick away moisture. they are also not waterproof, so you'd either need to buy covers or just make sure you're changing frequently enough so that the liquid doesn't soak through and ruin clothing, furniture, etc. we ruled this option out immediately.
now we jump up pretty significantly in price to the pocket diapers. a pocket diaper is a diaper and cover attached together. the inner fabric is water-wicking, so baby doesn't feel wet. but it is not absorbent on it's own - you must slide an absorbent insert into a pocket in the diaper to catch the liquid. so when changing the baby, you take the whole thing off, pull the insert out, and put both (separate pieces) into the wet bag. i'm honestly not sure what the advantage of the pocket diaper is. especially when, for not much more money, you can upgrade to the final type of diaper...
the all-in-one (aio). the all-in-one is exactly what it sounds like - waterproof cover, absorbent insert, and water-wicking lining all in one. you change it just like you change a regular diaper. it is definitely the most expensive option at about $20 per diaper, but the convenience factor makes it extremely attractive.
after much discussion and going back and forth about prefolds vs all-in-ones, matt and i have decided to go with the aios. we think it will be easier on daycare, and easier on our parents when they babysit. if one of us were staying at home, we'd probably do the prefolds and then just buy disposables for when we're out and about or when we have a babysitter. but since baby boy will be in daycare full-time, and we want them to like us, we thought the all-in-ones would be a better option. again, i've done a ton of research and it sounds like bumgenius is the hands-down winner, so we'll be stocking up on about 24 bumgenius freetime one-size aios. it says one-size, meaning it can fit from 8 pounds through potty training, but jessica (and many other bloggers) said she doesn't think they fit very well until about 10 or 12 pounds. so we plan to use disposables when baby is a newborn until he's up to 10-12 pounds. it will be better anyway, because the cloth diapers can irritate the umbilical cord/belly button site, and we'd also have to be careful with his circumcision - you can't get vaseline on a cloth diaper or it affects the absorbency.
we'll be getting 4 wet bags - 2 diaper pail liners (so there is always one in the diaper pail, even when we're doing laundry), and 2 smaller ones for day care. at the end of each day of day care, we'll empty out the wet bag, spray it with bac-out (an antibacterial spray), and reuse it for a few days. we'll also get some rice paper liners.
we've decided not to register for any of our cloth diapers or cloth diaper accessories because, to be honest, i don't want to hear people tell me how crazy/stupid/foolish/etc we are for choosing this. we've already heard it from a number of people, and i just don't want to hear it about it all day at the shower. after attending the workshop, matt and i feel pretty confident that this is something we can handle. it will be more work, but we're willing to do it if it means that baby will be healthier and our carbon footprint will be a little bit smaller.
plus, have you seen baby butts in cloth diapers? so.cute.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
our "controversial" decision
as i became an avid reader of baby blogs, and a frequent board poster on hellobee, i have found myself drawn to the idea of cloth diapering. yeah, you read that right - cloth diapering. call me crazy, call me a hippie, call me whatever you want. it's something that i've been really interested in and done a lot of reading and research on. i devoured every single thing i could find about cloth diapering. i researched the various kinds of cloth diapers available, the care of cloth diapers, the cost of cloth diapers....i poured myself into it.
i talked to matt about it and he thought i was nuts. i forwarded him several of my links and he started to come around, but still thought it would be harder than i thought.
finally, i found a small local store, the nesting house, that sells cloth diapers. i thought it would be good to go and put our hands on the products and talk to someone at the store. and then! i found out that once a month they have a cloth diaper class! for free, you go and spend 2 hours learning all about cloth diapers. they have samples of products to see. i told matt about it and we decided to go check it out.
so on saturday afternoon, we ventured into crunchy little mt. airy, a small neighborhood of philadelphia, and sat down with about a dozen other couples and/or mamas-to-be and got a full tutorial on cloth diapers.
our instructor, jessica (i think?) was really nice, super knowledgeable, and crazy thorough. she broke class down into 3 parts - comparing cloth vs disposable diapers, caring for cloth diapers, and then she went over all the different kinds of cloth diapers.
first, comparing cloth versus disposable. cloth is significantly cheaper than disposable. yes, it's a big cost out-right, but in the long run, it saves you a ton of money. using disposable diapers for one child for 2.5 years - from birth till potty training - will cost you approximately $2000, if you use average-cost diapers. cloth diapers, on the other hand, can range anywhere from $150-$800, depending on the type of diapering system you choose. that is an up-front, one-time cost, but then that's it. if you choose to strictly cloth diaper, with no inserts or anything else, the only on-going costs you have are for the laundry - your water and electricity bills, laundry detergent, etc.
cost aside, cloth diapering has a much smaller environmental impact. it takes approximately the same amount of energy to create a cloth diaper as to create a disposable, but it is cotton versus paper, and the cotton industry is a much cleaner industry than paper (have you ever smelled a paper factory? ugh). waste-wise, there is no comparison. if you took all the disposable diapers you used for one child, it would fill a space the size of the room we were in on saturday - about 20x15x12 feet. the space used by cloth diapers would be about 3x3x3 feet. the only category where disposable diapers wins here is in water consumption, as it takes very little water to create a disposable diaper, whereas with cloth, water is being consumed not only in production but also in cleaning. and then health-wise, cloth diapering wins pretty easily again. disposable diapers are filled with wood pulp, which in and of itself is not terribly absorbent. so they inject this gel made of sodium polyacrylate to help soak up the liquid in the diaper - this is what makes disposables not feel wet against baby's skin. the problem here? sodium polyacrylate has been named one of the top 10 most toxic substances on the planet. truth is, most of the time, it doesn't directly come in contact with baby's skin, so that's why it hasn't been pulled out of diapers like it has with tampons and other products. but if baby really soaks his diaper, it can sometimes push that gel out to the edge and can come out of the diaper. yuck. cloth diapers are made from cotton, hemp, and sometimes microfiber. and though there is not a single stitch of natural fiber to be found in microfiber, i'd still rather have that against baby's butt than toxic gel crystals.
so there was that. the next section of the workshop was caring for cloth diapers. i have to admit, this is the part that had me nervous - i really wasn't sure we'd be able to handle the constant laundry, buying the special detergent, "stripping" the diapers, etc. oh, and of course, the whole "putting poop in your laundry machine" thing. it seemed like it could be overwhelming for 2 full-time working parents. here's what we learned that helped us feel much better about it. number one, you don't need a special "cloth diaper" detergent. there are detergents and soaps that are specifically created for laundering cloth diapers (charlie's rock soap, bumgenius diaper detergent), but it turns out, you can totally get by without using them. jessica said there is a pretty big list of "regular" detergent that is safe, but off the top of her head she knew that tide free and clear is approved for use for cloth diapers. in fact, pretty much any "free and clear" kind of detergent is fine. number two, well...number two. i had read that when breastfeeding, baby's poo is pretty liquidy and therefore the cloth diapers can just be thrown into the wash, just like if he'd just peed in it. but once they start eating solids, it's a whole other ball game. the only thing i'd ever heard of was to get one of these diaper sprayers that attach to your toilet, spray the solid poo into the toilet, then put the diaper in the laundry. sounds groddy. but jessica told us about rice paper inserts, that you just lay inside the diaper. liquids pass through, but solids are held in place, so you just lift out the insert, throw it in the trash, and then throw the diaper in the laundry. easy-peasy. number three, stripping shouldn't be necessary as long as you're careful about what you're using (as far as diaper rash cream, etc). boom. matt and i both felt loads better after this.
this is getting long, so in the next post, i'll tell you about the different kinds of diapers, what we chose, and why we chose it. and then i'll tell you why we're planning to purchase our cloth diapers and cloth diaper supplies ourselves rather than register for them (namely, people are rude).
i talked to matt about it and he thought i was nuts. i forwarded him several of my links and he started to come around, but still thought it would be harder than i thought.
finally, i found a small local store, the nesting house, that sells cloth diapers. i thought it would be good to go and put our hands on the products and talk to someone at the store. and then! i found out that once a month they have a cloth diaper class! for free, you go and spend 2 hours learning all about cloth diapers. they have samples of products to see. i told matt about it and we decided to go check it out.
so on saturday afternoon, we ventured into crunchy little mt. airy, a small neighborhood of philadelphia, and sat down with about a dozen other couples and/or mamas-to-be and got a full tutorial on cloth diapers.
our instructor, jessica (i think?) was really nice, super knowledgeable, and crazy thorough. she broke class down into 3 parts - comparing cloth vs disposable diapers, caring for cloth diapers, and then she went over all the different kinds of cloth diapers.
first, comparing cloth versus disposable. cloth is significantly cheaper than disposable. yes, it's a big cost out-right, but in the long run, it saves you a ton of money. using disposable diapers for one child for 2.5 years - from birth till potty training - will cost you approximately $2000, if you use average-cost diapers. cloth diapers, on the other hand, can range anywhere from $150-$800, depending on the type of diapering system you choose. that is an up-front, one-time cost, but then that's it. if you choose to strictly cloth diaper, with no inserts or anything else, the only on-going costs you have are for the laundry - your water and electricity bills, laundry detergent, etc.
cost aside, cloth diapering has a much smaller environmental impact. it takes approximately the same amount of energy to create a cloth diaper as to create a disposable, but it is cotton versus paper, and the cotton industry is a much cleaner industry than paper (have you ever smelled a paper factory? ugh). waste-wise, there is no comparison. if you took all the disposable diapers you used for one child, it would fill a space the size of the room we were in on saturday - about 20x15x12 feet. the space used by cloth diapers would be about 3x3x3 feet. the only category where disposable diapers wins here is in water consumption, as it takes very little water to create a disposable diaper, whereas with cloth, water is being consumed not only in production but also in cleaning. and then health-wise, cloth diapering wins pretty easily again. disposable diapers are filled with wood pulp, which in and of itself is not terribly absorbent. so they inject this gel made of sodium polyacrylate to help soak up the liquid in the diaper - this is what makes disposables not feel wet against baby's skin. the problem here? sodium polyacrylate has been named one of the top 10 most toxic substances on the planet. truth is, most of the time, it doesn't directly come in contact with baby's skin, so that's why it hasn't been pulled out of diapers like it has with tampons and other products. but if baby really soaks his diaper, it can sometimes push that gel out to the edge and can come out of the diaper. yuck. cloth diapers are made from cotton, hemp, and sometimes microfiber. and though there is not a single stitch of natural fiber to be found in microfiber, i'd still rather have that against baby's butt than toxic gel crystals.
so there was that. the next section of the workshop was caring for cloth diapers. i have to admit, this is the part that had me nervous - i really wasn't sure we'd be able to handle the constant laundry, buying the special detergent, "stripping" the diapers, etc. oh, and of course, the whole "putting poop in your laundry machine" thing. it seemed like it could be overwhelming for 2 full-time working parents. here's what we learned that helped us feel much better about it. number one, you don't need a special "cloth diaper" detergent. there are detergents and soaps that are specifically created for laundering cloth diapers (charlie's rock soap, bumgenius diaper detergent), but it turns out, you can totally get by without using them. jessica said there is a pretty big list of "regular" detergent that is safe, but off the top of her head she knew that tide free and clear is approved for use for cloth diapers. in fact, pretty much any "free and clear" kind of detergent is fine. number two, well...number two. i had read that when breastfeeding, baby's poo is pretty liquidy and therefore the cloth diapers can just be thrown into the wash, just like if he'd just peed in it. but once they start eating solids, it's a whole other ball game. the only thing i'd ever heard of was to get one of these diaper sprayers that attach to your toilet, spray the solid poo into the toilet, then put the diaper in the laundry. sounds groddy. but jessica told us about rice paper inserts, that you just lay inside the diaper. liquids pass through, but solids are held in place, so you just lift out the insert, throw it in the trash, and then throw the diaper in the laundry. easy-peasy. number three, stripping shouldn't be necessary as long as you're careful about what you're using (as far as diaper rash cream, etc). boom. matt and i both felt loads better after this.
this is getting long, so in the next post, i'll tell you about the different kinds of diapers, what we chose, and why we chose it. and then i'll tell you why we're planning to purchase our cloth diapers and cloth diaper supplies ourselves rather than register for them (namely, people are rude).
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
our pinterest nursery
ok, we finally settled on a "design" concept for the nursery! we have to nail down our paint colors and bedding, but at least we have a general idea for furniture and stuff. i have pinterest to thank for....pretty much of all it. ha ha!
we still have to decide on a crib, but as of right now, we are leaning towards this one.
we decided to go with dark wood because we thought it would grow with the baby better. we wanted a crib that is convertible, and this one will actually convert to a full-size bed! so with a baby boy, we thought dark wood will last much longer than white. we didn't want something too ornate, we wanted it to be easy to find (available in-store at babies-r-us), and we wanted it to be relatively inexpensive. this one fits the bill.
we'll most likely just start with one dresser, the matching one from the set. this will obviously double as our changing table, as well.
i think we'll go with this glider (and matching ottoman). we have an old rocker/recliner from matt's pop, but it's old and not terribly comfortable. i also prefer the gentle gliding motion to the rocking motion. plus, the rocker won't rock if the footrest is up. this one gets great reviews and is among the least expensive we've seen.
for toy and book storage, and additional seating, we're going to get one or two bookshelves from ikea, lay them on their sides, and put pillows or a cushion on top. i love this idea and can't wait to execute it in the nursery. i think it's a great way to utilize limited space.
instead of a mobile over the crib, i completely love this look, and matt is, thankfully, totally on board. it's a bunch of paper lanterns hung in a bunch from the ceiling. i think it gives the baby such a great focal point, and it just looks really cool.
there are so many prints and posters that i'm interested in, so i think we're going to try to do a gallery wall over the dresser.
i'll wait till we finalize the gallery wall and have everything hung to show you my ideas. there are so many prints, i don't know how i'll narrow it down! one thing i know for sure i want to do is this:
love at first sight. truer words were never spoken.
we still have to decide on a crib, but as of right now, we are leaning towards this one.
 |
| source: from toysrus on pinterest |
we'll most likely just start with one dresser, the matching one from the set. this will obviously double as our changing table, as well.
 |
| source: from toysrus on pinterest |
i think we'll go with this glider (and matching ottoman). we have an old rocker/recliner from matt's pop, but it's old and not terribly comfortable. i also prefer the gentle gliding motion to the rocking motion. plus, the rocker won't rock if the footrest is up. this one gets great reviews and is among the least expensive we've seen.
 |
| source: from toysrus on pinterest |
for toy and book storage, and additional seating, we're going to get one or two bookshelves from ikea, lay them on their sides, and put pillows or a cushion on top. i love this idea and can't wait to execute it in the nursery. i think it's a great way to utilize limited space.
 |
| source: from kidsplayroom via carissa on pinterest |
instead of a mobile over the crib, i completely love this look, and matt is, thankfully, totally on board. it's a bunch of paper lanterns hung in a bunch from the ceiling. i think it gives the baby such a great focal point, and it just looks really cool.
 |
| source: from chiccheapnursery on pinterest |
there are so many prints and posters that i'm interested in, so i think we're going to try to do a gallery wall over the dresser.
 |
| source: from younghouselove on pinterest |
 |
| source: via brittney on pinterest |
i'll wait till we finalize the gallery wall and have everything hung to show you my ideas. there are so many prints, i don't know how i'll narrow it down! one thing i know for sure i want to do is this:
 |
| source: from chiccheapnursery on pinterest |
love at first sight. truer words were never spoken.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
20 weeks
baby is the size of: a banana
how far along are you: 20 weeks 3 days
what's happening with baby: baby is swallowing - and tasting! - more amniotic fluid. he is also producing meconium.
due date: jan 10
maternity clothes: mostly wearing maternity pants now. the belly band still works, but zipping up my pre-preg pants is getting a little difficult. still wearing mostly pre-preg shirts, but the ones that still work are slowly dwindling.
sleep: not great. still having back issues.
best moment this week: finding out we're having a boy, obvi! and calling and telling our families and friends.
what are you looking forward to: 20-week check up on wednesday! and a cloth diaper class on saturday (now yesterday).
food cravings: still velveeta shells and cheese.
food/smell aversions: nothing.
what do you miss: being able to stand up without my tailbone yelling in pain.
symptoms: tailbone pain. big belly. back pain. and my feet and hands are definitely swollen by the end of the day.
gender: baby boy!!
belly button: in.
rings: on, but tight. getting to the point of being uncomfortable after my walk to the train station at the end of my work day.
Friday, August 24, 2012
my thoughts on pregnancy
i'm 20 weeks and 1 day in. if it weren't for this big belly that's popping out of me, i honestly wouldn't even know i was pregnant. yes, i'm tired, but i have gone through fits of this my whole life. yes, my tailbone hurts, but that could be from anything. yes, i'm constantly hungry, but i've had periods like this before, where i'm ravenous all the time. yes, i'm having food cravings, but cravings have come and gone for me over the years (i specifically remember i went through a salad phase in high school where all i wanted was salad). i'm not feeling him move yet. i never experienced any morning sickness or extreme exhaustion. my complexion is, for the most part (knock on wood), still holding up.
i'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this whole "i'm creating a human being" thing. despite the fact that i've now had 6 ultrasounds and have seen my baby pretty much every other week since 12 weeks, i just still can't comprehend the fact that there's a little person growing inside of me. i just don't feel like i really believe it yet.
because of this, i sometimes feel like i'm faking my excitement. i just don't know how to get excited about something when i can't believe that it's real yet! i thought maybe once we knew the sex and i could define a "personality" to the baby i'd feel differently, but it still just kind of feels surreal. maybe once i start feeling him?
don't get me wrong, i am so excited that we're going to have a baby. i have wanted to be a mama for as long as i can remember, and i cannot wait to meet this little dude. i can't wait to hold him in my arms, smell him, and smother him with kisses. i can't wait to see matt as a daddy.
i just can't believe it's actually happening, that's all.
i'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this whole "i'm creating a human being" thing. despite the fact that i've now had 6 ultrasounds and have seen my baby pretty much every other week since 12 weeks, i just still can't comprehend the fact that there's a little person growing inside of me. i just don't feel like i really believe it yet.
because of this, i sometimes feel like i'm faking my excitement. i just don't know how to get excited about something when i can't believe that it's real yet! i thought maybe once we knew the sex and i could define a "personality" to the baby i'd feel differently, but it still just kind of feels surreal. maybe once i start feeling him?
don't get me wrong, i am so excited that we're going to have a baby. i have wanted to be a mama for as long as i can remember, and i cannot wait to meet this little dude. i can't wait to hold him in my arms, smell him, and smother him with kisses. i can't wait to see matt as a daddy.
i just can't believe it's actually happening, that's all.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
it's a.....
we're having a boy!!!
i'll be honest, it was a little bit of a shock. i was absolutely convinced we were having a girl. we had a girl's name picked out, i knew what i wanted to do for a girl's nursery...i was certain.
so when the ultrasound tech told us it was undoubtedly a boy, it took me a few seconds to actually react. i think i even said, "really?" she just pointed an arrow at his little bit and said "yup, definitely." i looked at matt and he was beaming.
everyone's really excited. i'm so thrilled that we can finally refer to the baby as a "he" rather than an "it" or "the baby." it helps to make it a bit more real now that i can finally assign a person-hood. i can't wait to start shopping for the fun stuff - clothes, bedding, nursery decor!
the rest of the anatomy scan went really well. baby is weighing in at about 11 ounces, so he's right on track for where we are. everything looks good and baby is healthy. i love watching the heart beat - it looks like a little butterfly fluttering around in there. as far as i'm concerned, he's pretty much the cutest thing ever.
i'll be honest, it was a little bit of a shock. i was absolutely convinced we were having a girl. we had a girl's name picked out, i knew what i wanted to do for a girl's nursery...i was certain.
so when the ultrasound tech told us it was undoubtedly a boy, it took me a few seconds to actually react. i think i even said, "really?" she just pointed an arrow at his little bit and said "yup, definitely." i looked at matt and he was beaming.
everyone's really excited. i'm so thrilled that we can finally refer to the baby as a "he" rather than an "it" or "the baby." it helps to make it a bit more real now that i can finally assign a person-hood. i can't wait to start shopping for the fun stuff - clothes, bedding, nursery decor!
the rest of the anatomy scan went really well. baby is weighing in at about 11 ounces, so he's right on track for where we are. everything looks good and baby is healthy. i love watching the heart beat - it looks like a little butterfly fluttering around in there. as far as i'm concerned, he's pretty much the cutest thing ever.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
19 weeks
baby is the size of: an heirloom tomato. or a mango.
how far along are you: 19 weeks 3 days
what's happening with baby: baby's sensory development is exploding! her brain is designating specialized areas for each of the 5 senses (that is insane). baby may be able to hear your voice. a waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on the skin to prevent it from pickling in your amniotic fluid.
due date: jan 10
maternity clothes: mostly wearing maternity pants now. the belly band still works, but zipping up my pre-preg pants is getting a little difficult. still wearing mostly pre-preg shirts, but the ones that still work are slowly dwindling.
sleep: not great. still having problems with a sore back. i think it's because i'm usually a back sleeper, but i've been sleeping on my side now. i wake up in the middle of the night all twisted because i've tried to turn onto my back but with the pillow between my legs i can't fully turn. i need a u-shaped pillow to support both my belly and my back.
best moment this week: totally not pregnancy-related, but matt started his new job in center city, which means we're now train commute buddies! so fun. also, i went to a huge baby consignment store yesterday. i scored a swing, exersaucer, toys, hats, and a glow seahorse...for $78!
what are you looking forward to: omg, our anatomy scan is tomorrow! so excited!!!!
food cravings: yup, velveeta shells and cheese. and now i'm craving it with buffalo sauce in it. whaaaa???
food/smell aversions: nothing.
what do you miss: being able to stand up without my tailbone yelling in pain.
symptoms: tailbone pain. big belly. boobs hurt. back pain when sleeping.
gender: seems more and more people are guessing boy. i'm still leaning towards girl, but we'll see!
belly button: in.
rings: on, but tight. hoping the humidity goes away soon, or i may have purchase a faux replacement set!
Friday, August 17, 2012
what a friday!
ok, hopefully i'm not jinxing myself by writing this at noon, but it has been a heck of a friday already! here's what my day has looked like so far:
wake up at my normal time. go downstairs to feed the cat. usually after i feed her, we snuggle for a few minutes before i go upstairs to shower, do my makeup, and dry my hair. this morning, padfoot was feeling particularly rambunctious and wanted no parts of our snuggle session. fine.
i get out of the shower and start doing my makeup. i hear padfoot outside the bathroom door crying, so i open the door. she just stands there, crying. she wants to go upstairs into the bedroom. i tell her to hush, several times, and she doesn't. i try to get her to come into the bathroom with me. no interest. so i close her into the guest room so she doesn't wake up matt. when i finish drying my hair, i let her out and we go upstairs together to wake up matt.
matt and i get into a "discussion" about baby gear. i get upset because i think he's mad. then, i go to pet padfoot good-bye and she runs away. i burst into tears.
i get to work. i'm here not 5 minutes and a discharge i arranged yesterday is falling apart. the wife is screaming at me. for 30 minutes, i listen to her scream at me, scream at her insurance case manager on the phone, and curse us both out. finally, she agrees to the discharge and she and the patient leave. come to find out, the wife spit on my unit clerk. you read that right - spit. 73 years old.
then, as i'm standing by the front desk talking to the unit clerk, i notice a sign on a patient's door. it is a sign asking for donations to help her pay for her medications because her case manager (that would be me) told her she can't help her. she has a big sign and an envelope. it's outrageous.
then, i go through my emails and find out my boss is calling a mandatory meeting at 2pm. meetings in the middle of the afternoon are always a pain in the ass. meetings in the middle of the afternoon on a friday are a total fucking nightmare. no one is really sure what this mandatory meeting is about, so we're all in a little bit of a panic.
so, you know, not a super-fantastic start to the day.
but then. then, i get the email that changed my day. honestly, pretty much anything could happen today and it would not dampen my mood.
matt and i live very close to this little theater called the keswick theater. they have concerts there all the time and matt and i love to go because they get good acts, tickets are reasonable, and it's 5 miles from our house. i have a friend from high school who is in marketing there. she emailed me the other day to tell me that they would announcing a new show this week - ben gibbard (lead singer of death cab for cutie). she said i could either order through the presale (she gave me the presale password) or she would just order them for us. i asked her to go ahead because i was afraid i'd miss my chance if i tried to do it myself. she just emailed me back today to tell me that we have 2 tickets for the show - 2nd row, right in the center. i kid you not, i started screaming. i am so.freakin.stoked. i heart ben gibbard in a way that is probably unnatural. death cab's music changed my life.
seriously, i'm on such a high right now, i feel like almost nothing could bring me down.
wake up at my normal time. go downstairs to feed the cat. usually after i feed her, we snuggle for a few minutes before i go upstairs to shower, do my makeup, and dry my hair. this morning, padfoot was feeling particularly rambunctious and wanted no parts of our snuggle session. fine.
i get out of the shower and start doing my makeup. i hear padfoot outside the bathroom door crying, so i open the door. she just stands there, crying. she wants to go upstairs into the bedroom. i tell her to hush, several times, and she doesn't. i try to get her to come into the bathroom with me. no interest. so i close her into the guest room so she doesn't wake up matt. when i finish drying my hair, i let her out and we go upstairs together to wake up matt.
matt and i get into a "discussion" about baby gear. i get upset because i think he's mad. then, i go to pet padfoot good-bye and she runs away. i burst into tears.
i get to work. i'm here not 5 minutes and a discharge i arranged yesterday is falling apart. the wife is screaming at me. for 30 minutes, i listen to her scream at me, scream at her insurance case manager on the phone, and curse us both out. finally, she agrees to the discharge and she and the patient leave. come to find out, the wife spit on my unit clerk. you read that right - spit. 73 years old.
then, as i'm standing by the front desk talking to the unit clerk, i notice a sign on a patient's door. it is a sign asking for donations to help her pay for her medications because her case manager (that would be me) told her she can't help her. she has a big sign and an envelope. it's outrageous.
then, i go through my emails and find out my boss is calling a mandatory meeting at 2pm. meetings in the middle of the afternoon are always a pain in the ass. meetings in the middle of the afternoon on a friday are a total fucking nightmare. no one is really sure what this mandatory meeting is about, so we're all in a little bit of a panic.
so, you know, not a super-fantastic start to the day.
but then. then, i get the email that changed my day. honestly, pretty much anything could happen today and it would not dampen my mood.
matt and i live very close to this little theater called the keswick theater. they have concerts there all the time and matt and i love to go because they get good acts, tickets are reasonable, and it's 5 miles from our house. i have a friend from high school who is in marketing there. she emailed me the other day to tell me that they would announcing a new show this week - ben gibbard (lead singer of death cab for cutie). she said i could either order through the presale (she gave me the presale password) or she would just order them for us. i asked her to go ahead because i was afraid i'd miss my chance if i tried to do it myself. she just emailed me back today to tell me that we have 2 tickets for the show - 2nd row, right in the center. i kid you not, i started screaming. i am so.freakin.stoked. i heart ben gibbard in a way that is probably unnatural. death cab's music changed my life.
seriously, i'm on such a high right now, i feel like almost nothing could bring me down.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
18 weeks
baby is the size of: a bell pepper
how far along are you: 18 weeks 3 days
what's happening with baby: baby's blood vessels are visible through thin skin, and her ears are now in their final position. a protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after your baby is born. if it's a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. if it's a girl, his genitals are now noticeable.
due date: jan 10
maternity clothes: still able to pull off my regular pants with a belly band, but also wearing maternity pants. am hoping to hold off on buying any more maternity shirts until the weather cools off and i need to buy sweaters and stuff.
sleep: by the time i wake up in the morning, my back is sore. trying different configurations with my body pillow to remedy that.
best moment this week: i embraced the bump this week - wore tighter shirts that really showcased it!
what are you looking forward to: anatomy scan - aug 20th can't come fast enough! non-baby-related, my college roommate's bachelorette party is this weekend, and i can't wait to celebrate with her!
food cravings: um, velveeta shells and cheese. seriously, i would eat an entire box every night, if that wasn't completely disgusting.
food/smell aversions: nothing.
what do you miss: beer. last week we spent the day at one of my favorite breweries (troegs). it was kind of tough to be there and not enjoying a big tall glass of troegs yumminess. i had a few sips, though.
symptoms: tailbone pain. big belly. boobs hurt. back pain when sleeping.
gender: still leaning towards girl, but having more boy thoughts, too.
belly button: in.
rings: on, but on hot and humid days, they're getting tight! glad that i'm gonna be in colder weather at the end of my pregnancy!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
news notes
synch or swim? synchronized swimming should rock your socks off - yay for synchro love!!
the affordable care act: why all the ladies are high-fiving - you're damn right i'm asking for reimbursement for my breastfeeding classes and supplies! this is a huge step for women's rights. now, if only we can get them to leave abortion alone....
pyt introduces chick-phil-gay sandwich - in response to the chick-fil-a nonsense, a local burger joint puts out a doppleganger sandwich, but holds the condemnation and hate.
do breastfeeding mothers require further protection? - doylestown (not too far from us) is taking the state law a step further and will now investigate complaints of harassment. will be interesting to see if this catches on.
hershey school issues apology, acceptance to hiv student - this was a pretty big thing in hershey when they denied the student admission. i'm going to keep an eye on this and see how it develops.
random acts of excruciating annoyance - oh, i have a long list of things that people do that work my nerves on a daily basis. this makes me wonder what i do that annoys people...?
the affordable care act: why all the ladies are high-fiving - you're damn right i'm asking for reimbursement for my breastfeeding classes and supplies! this is a huge step for women's rights. now, if only we can get them to leave abortion alone....
pyt introduces chick-phil-gay sandwich - in response to the chick-fil-a nonsense, a local burger joint puts out a doppleganger sandwich, but holds the condemnation and hate.
do breastfeeding mothers require further protection? - doylestown (not too far from us) is taking the state law a step further and will now investigate complaints of harassment. will be interesting to see if this catches on.
hershey school issues apology, acceptance to hiv student - this was a pretty big thing in hershey when they denied the student admission. i'm going to keep an eye on this and see how it develops.
random acts of excruciating annoyance - oh, i have a long list of things that people do that work my nerves on a daily basis. this makes me wonder what i do that annoys people...?
Monday, August 6, 2012
remembering and celebrating
this weekend matt and i went back to hershey to attend a memorial service for a friend of mine who died back in february. just a few days after his 32nd birthday, andy died from brain cancer, which he'd been fighting for more than 2 years. he had been living in albuquerque, nm, so in february they held a very small funeral service for his family, but they wanted to be able to give his local hershey friends and family a chance to remember him. so this saturday, about 60 people gathered to remember him and to celebrate the incredible person he was.
i met andy my senior year of high school. to be honest, i'm not even sure how we met. i just know that immediately, he because one of my favorite people. he was easy to be around. he was funny in that way that kind of sneaks up on you - he's not trying to be outright funny, but his mind was just twisted enough that the things that come out of his mouth just crack you up. andy was the guy who was friends with everyone. it didn't matter who you were, what "group" you hung out with, or how "cool" you were. pretty much as long as he could talk to you, he loved you, fiercely and loyally. and he was always him. he never apologized for who he was, or took himself to seriously, or changed anything. he was andy. that was it. what you saw was what you got, and - like one of his friends said on saturday - either you were on the sheets train or you weren't. he wasn't slowing down for anyone. but man, if you went along for the ride, it was a special place to be.
what i remember most about andy, and what i will carry with me forever, was his love of music. the kid lived for it - any kind, any band, any venue - he breathed it. he was an extremely talented guitarist, and i could sit for hours listening to him and our friend keith play. it was andy who taught me to love music. he taught me to really sit with a song and hear it. he taught me to pick it apart and hear the guitar, hear the beat, hear the piano. don't just listen to the melody, but hear the words. he taught me to appreciate a musician's talent. going to live shows with andy was exciting because he'd get so into the music. he would lose himself. in watching him, i learned to do that. at concerts, you will most likely find me sitting/standing there, eyes closed, just swaying and moving to the music. i attribute that to andy.
saturday was our chance to get together and remember all of that. there were probably 30 "students" at the memorial, and i'd say 20 of us went to the troeg's brewery afterwards. i spent most of the day with keith, with whom most of my memories of andy are tied. but we did spend some time with the big group, and it was so great to hear people exchanging stories about him. even if it was a story i wasn't familiar with or hadn't been a part of, even if i hadn't known who they were talking about, i could have guessed it was andy. because andy was just.so.andy. and that's what everyone loved about him.
he will be missed by many. but it is clear that he will live on in all of us.
i met andy my senior year of high school. to be honest, i'm not even sure how we met. i just know that immediately, he because one of my favorite people. he was easy to be around. he was funny in that way that kind of sneaks up on you - he's not trying to be outright funny, but his mind was just twisted enough that the things that come out of his mouth just crack you up. andy was the guy who was friends with everyone. it didn't matter who you were, what "group" you hung out with, or how "cool" you were. pretty much as long as he could talk to you, he loved you, fiercely and loyally. and he was always him. he never apologized for who he was, or took himself to seriously, or changed anything. he was andy. that was it. what you saw was what you got, and - like one of his friends said on saturday - either you were on the sheets train or you weren't. he wasn't slowing down for anyone. but man, if you went along for the ride, it was a special place to be.
what i remember most about andy, and what i will carry with me forever, was his love of music. the kid lived for it - any kind, any band, any venue - he breathed it. he was an extremely talented guitarist, and i could sit for hours listening to him and our friend keith play. it was andy who taught me to love music. he taught me to really sit with a song and hear it. he taught me to pick it apart and hear the guitar, hear the beat, hear the piano. don't just listen to the melody, but hear the words. he taught me to appreciate a musician's talent. going to live shows with andy was exciting because he'd get so into the music. he would lose himself. in watching him, i learned to do that. at concerts, you will most likely find me sitting/standing there, eyes closed, just swaying and moving to the music. i attribute that to andy.
saturday was our chance to get together and remember all of that. there were probably 30 "students" at the memorial, and i'd say 20 of us went to the troeg's brewery afterwards. i spent most of the day with keith, with whom most of my memories of andy are tied. but we did spend some time with the big group, and it was so great to hear people exchanging stories about him. even if it was a story i wasn't familiar with or hadn't been a part of, even if i hadn't known who they were talking about, i could have guessed it was andy. because andy was just.so.andy. and that's what everyone loved about him.
he will be missed by many. but it is clear that he will live on in all of us.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
17 weeks
baby is the size of: a turnip
how far along are you: 17 weeks 2 days
what's happening with baby: baby's umbilical cord is getting stronger and stronger to accommodate all the blood pumping through it. baby can move all her joints. her structure is changing from cartilage to bone, getting stronger every day!
due date: jan 10
maternity clothes: still able to pull off my regular pants with a belly band, but also wearing maternity pants. for shirts, i have a few maternity tanks, but am still mostly sticking with my pre-pregnancy flowy or empire-waisted shirts. and dresses. love the dresses.
sleep: i sleep through the night pretty well, but am waking up before my alarm because my back hurts. i have a body pillow, but haven't quite figured out how to make it help my back.
best moment this week: had another ultrasound on tuesday and baby is looking good! measuring right on size for my due date. also, matt got to hear the heartbeat.
what are you looking forward to: we scheduled our anatomy scan for 8/20!!
food cravings: right now, it's a baked potato with broccoli and cheese - haven't satisfied it yet
food/smell aversions: nothing.
what do you miss: nothing in particular this week.
symptoms: tailbone pain. big belly. boobs hurt. a few moments of rlp.
gender: still leaning towards girl, but having more boy thoughts, too. and matt had a dream that we had a boy last night
belly button: in.
wedding rings: on
i already feel so big - how am i possibly going to get any bigger?
Friday, August 3, 2012
news notes
we are....broken - love this blogger's point of view on the penn state issues.
10 things most americans don't know about america - i guess i consider myself lucky that i knew much of this. i have been really lucky to travel to several countries and have learned many of these lessons. i find myself giving matt quite a bit of education about #6, as he feels that he much of the world is a "dump."
abington health, holy redeemer call off merger - i am delivering at abington, and thankful to know that they did not go through with this merger. not only does holy redeemer not do abortions, but they also will not do tubal ligation. thanks, but i like having the choice of what to do with my body.
5 reasons why the church failed yesterday - love love love the points in this article. brilliant.
macon vintage styled photo shoot by paperlily photography - this is my dress! like, my actual dress that walked down the aisle in my actual wedding! i consigned it with my friend abriel, and when they consulted her for a dress for the photo shoot, she chose mine! loooooove.
and finally...sheer brilliance by jimmy fallon and justin timberlake.
10 things most americans don't know about america - i guess i consider myself lucky that i knew much of this. i have been really lucky to travel to several countries and have learned many of these lessons. i find myself giving matt quite a bit of education about #6, as he feels that he much of the world is a "dump."
abington health, holy redeemer call off merger - i am delivering at abington, and thankful to know that they did not go through with this merger. not only does holy redeemer not do abortions, but they also will not do tubal ligation. thanks, but i like having the choice of what to do with my body.
5 reasons why the church failed yesterday - love love love the points in this article. brilliant.
macon vintage styled photo shoot by paperlily photography - this is my dress! like, my actual dress that walked down the aisle in my actual wedding! i consigned it with my friend abriel, and when they consulted her for a dress for the photo shoot, she chose mine! loooooove.
and finally...sheer brilliance by jimmy fallon and justin timberlake.
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