Adventures in Cloth Diapering - Why Cloth Diaper?

First off, let me state for the record that I had no intentions of using cloth diapers before or during my pregnancy! I was with the crowd that thought, why touch that stuff any more than necessary? Get it in the garbage and move on!

So what changed my mind? Primarily the acid-like diaper rash Leif had. My body hurt just looking at it! My sister-in-law graciously loaned us her cloth diapers to try out, so without having to pay a cent, I could see if they would actually work for us.

And work they did! Leif's rash went away very quickly, and because of that I was sold. The laundry wasn't anywhere as disgusting and scary as I thought it would be. Although there are still some newborn poo diapers that I would rather just throw in the garbage, they are few and far between.

The cost savings is what initially got my husband on board. Here is a link from Diaper Decisions that breaks down the cost of cloth diapers versus disposables. I also learned that used diapers have a great resale value! I never would have guessed that someone would want to buy my cloth diapers when I am done with them. They can also be reused on future children, although at the moment I definitely have my hands full with just this little one!

Another factor that convinced both Titus and I to cloth diaper are the environmental benefits. Here is a link from the Real Diaper Association showing how detrimental disposable diapers our to our environment.

The number of chemicals in disposable diapers also grosses me out. I go to so much trouble to use "clean" shampoo, baby wash, creams, etc. - why would I want chemicals sitting on his bum all day, every day?

The cloth diaper experiment was a success, so it became time for us to buy our own. I did lots of research and found most people suggested trying a bunch of different types of diapers to see what works for you. I will admit that it has become an odd hobby of mine, and I will probably keep trying different kinds until Leif doesn't need diapers anymore. That said, I found some favorites, so I will blog about those soon!

Before I purchased any diapers, I also went to my friend Genevieve's house and she showed my friend and I all her diapers and how she uses them. It really helped to see them in person and know how to use them! Thanks, Genevieve!

If you are interested in cloth diapering, I highly suggest talking to someone who already does it and having them walk you through their stash. (If you are anywhere near me, I would be happy to do this for you!) There are also great web resources out there for you.
Green Mountain Diapers has helpful information here, and there is a seven part You Tube series starting here.

Leif's two month shot, in one of his first cloth diapers! (I have since sold this one because it wasn't one of my favorites.)

From Pregnancy to Parenting - a blogging shift

Now that little Leif is here, the focus of my blog necessitates change! So, I'd like to focus on parenting - the joys, the struggles, what works for us, what doesn't, and more. If there's something you'd like to hear about, just let me know!

One of Leif's newborn pictures, courtesy of Courtney Draxten.

Leif's birth story

Baby Boy C, now known as Leif, entered the world at 10:33 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2013! He was 8 pounds 6 ounces and 20.5 inches. To hear all about his birth story, read on...

I went to my 39 week appointment on Monday the 25th expecting it to be very routine as the last few had. For some reason, I asked my husband to tag along, even though he hadn't been going to the last few appointments with me. I'm glad I did!

The nurse took my blood pressure as usual, but then she took it again. And again. Then she had me lie on the examining bed and took it again. And again. My blood pressure was going up and up instead of down, which was a problem. My doctor came in and explained that he wanted me to come in to be induced in two days (Wednesday the 27th). I had other plans, though. Could I just go back to work for the week and let this little baby come when he felt like it? The doctor was pretty adamant that no, I could not, and in fact, I could not go back to work at all! Well, when he put it like that, I certainly didn't want to lie around the house for who knows how long waiting for my baby to decide to come. So, I acquiesced and scheduled our induction.

The next couple days went by soooo slowly! I got my substitute teacher ready, made sure our bags were packed, and.... waited. On Wednesday I had my dad take me out for lunch so I could relax and get my mind off things. Then Wednesday evening finally arrived, and Titus and I headed to the hospital.

I was given Cervadil to help start labor around 6 p.m.,  with the understanding that it wouldn't do much and I would need Pitocin in the morning to further things along. However, around 9 p.m., right when I was going to try to sleep, the contractions started. For about five minutes, I thought, "Oh, so this is what labor is like! I can handle this!" Wrong. The contractions got extremely painful very quickly after that.

My body wasn't ready for an epidural quite yet, so I had a shot of some type of pain medication first. That lasted all of a half hour, but it was long enough for my body to prepare for an epidural. I had no "birth plan" to speak of - I just figured whatever would happen, would happen, and because the contractions were too painful to deal with, I was definitely ready for the pain to stop! The anesthetist had to wake up and come in, so that took a while, but boy was there relief when the epidural started working.

I think I got a little sleep between then (maybe 3 a.m.?) and when the doctor came at 6:30 a.m., but the nurses were always checking on my progress and the baby. When the doctor came and said everything was good to go, I thought that was it - baby time! Instead, he laughed and said the hard part was still to come. He'd be back in a while to check on me.

So began about three hours of torture. After two hours, they turned the epidural down because I was having a hard time knowing if I was pushing correctly. Once it was turned down, I felt a horrible pain and knew the baby was not moving the way he was supposed to be. However, being this was my first time delivering a baby, the nurses seemed to think it was probably normal pain and I needed to keep working. I stuck it out for another hour, but then I stopped and insisted on seeing the doctor.

When the doctor came in, he could also tell the baby was stuck. He was going to try a vacuum, but if that didn't work, he would have to perform a C-section, so I warily signed the release forms.

The vacuum was painful as I had to push again, and it didn't work at all. Instead, the baby's heart rate decelerated, so my c-section became imminent and an emergency. Titus couldn't come with, so he had to stay up in the waiting room while I was wheeled off.

In the operating room, there must have been over twenty people working. It was nice to know there were so many hands on deck, but it was also frightening! I think our hospital has three anesthetists, and they were all in my room! The baby was still stuck, so my doctor had to work hard to get him out. However, once he was out, he was healthy, big, and had a full head of hair!

The recovery process was difficult to say the least. Of course, it was totally worth it, though!

This is Leif and me the day he was born. He looks like such a peanut now!

Leif on Easter, the day we got to go home. This is still a favorite position of his! :)

March 18; almost 38-39 weeks

It is almost time to meet baby boy Christianson! Almost everything is ready in preparation for him. Titus still has a couple items on his list to prepare, like the Pack and Play and the carseat, but other than that, we are ready. (Maybe not mentally, but who ever is?)

Today we are happily stuck at home in a blizzard. It's nice to relax since we don't have to go anywhere. Just hoping the baby agrees with us, as it would be pretty hard to get to the hospital today!

Our friends Brianne and Aaron had their baby last Sunday, and we went to meet baby Graham in Fargo on Saturday. It was exciting to see what will soon be happening for us as well! They are doing great, and Graham is adorable.

The picture below is from a few days ago, so 37-38 weeks. I am all screwed up on the due date now, but I guess he will come whenever he wants to anyway!

March 3; 35.5 weeks or 36.5 weeks?!

As you may be able to tell from the title, our due date may have gotten moved up a week! I asked the doctor at my appointment a few days ago if he thought April 2 was still our due date. Well, he looked at the first ultrasound, which is apparently the most accurate for dating purposes, and it said March 26! That is a full week earlier! Luckily I have things ready at school (although my sub is in Vegas for a couple more weeks...) and most everything ready at home. Now it is more about the mental preparation.

This weekend has included lots of baby preparation. My mom and I went to Target and bought most of what was left on the registry. Last night I put together the monkey bouncer, and today I put together the swing. Titus is in charge of boxes, and he is less than impressed with how many of them there are. :) Right now he is setting up the Pack and Play. His last assignment is to practice installing the car seat, so he is ready to put it in when the baby is here!

I have been feeling pretty decent all things considered. The baby has moved down, so I am able to eat more than bird portions of food, and that is nice! He seems to have moved out of the ideal position again though, so hopefully he finds the right place before too long.

The nursery is almost complete, so I am posting pictures of it. It's hard to get pictures with everything in them, so they are a bit awkward.

We had a great baby shower at the Stigens last Saturday, and I will post about it soon!

Dresser/Changing Table (just missing the changing pad... and pictures of people we actually know!)

Crib- Mom made the skirt, Steve and Diane provided the oar, and my dad hung it. We may hang his name from it later, but not now since that is TBD!

Bookcase, audio system (a must!), and bouncer

Curtains made by my mom

Matching pillow by Mom; rocking chair passed down from Andersons to Rajaniemis to us!

February 19; 34 Weeks

(Warning: This post is as scatterbrained as I am at the moment... so at least it's fitting!)

Lots can happen in two weeks' time! We traveled to the cities last weekend because I had one more meeting for my summer writing institute. While I was at that, Titus went to Ikea (his least favorite place on Earth) to buy a dresser and bookcase for the nursery. The bookcase got vetoed after putting it together, but the dresser works great.

 We also got a new recliner, which I am very excited about!

While Titus put together the dresser, I took pictures of the crazy snow we got.

My friends and coworkers, Erin and Desiree, held a shower for me at work after school today. It was great fun! Erin thoughtfully made cotton candy cupcakes after remembering I liked them on Pinterest. They were delicious! And now I know that cotton candy frosting is at the grocery store... that could be dangerous.

My coworkers were very generous, and I had to take a picture of all the things they gave us before I put them away.

 This is Erin, Desiree, and me at the shower - be kind to us, as it was pajama day at school!

In baby news, he is the size of a bag of sugar today. Five pounds! With the help of a couple wonderful chiropractors who will remain nameless here, I believe the baby has moved back into the correct position! We won't know for sure for a while, and he of course could move anytime he wants, so fingers crossed. However, I'm pretty sure I'm feeling kicks in my ribs today instead of a back.

Last, here are a couple pictures of the nursery. It is still a work in progress, and things are being moved in and out as my whims change, but it's coming along. My mom finished the curtains and is now working on the crib skirt.

My aunts and cousins are having a shower for me this Saturday, and after that I think our nursery will start to look a little more complete!

February 5; 32 Weeks

Only 8 weeks (or less?) to go! If you know me, you know I am planning on being ready a month early... just in case. Of course, as a teacher this involves quite a bit of planning ahead for my absence. I'm getting there though!

At my last doctor's appointment, I found out the baby has moved to a new position. He was in the best positioning all this time, but a couple days before my appointment, he moved to a transverse (sideways) position. It's not a big deal now (although it means his back is shoved up under my already tender ribs), but he does need to move back pretty soon. Hopefully he does that on his own!

On Saturday I went to my friend Brianne's baby shower - she is due two weeks before me. There were four of us pregnant women there! It was really fun to see her and everyone. It was also fun to watch all the fun things she was opening (and add some items to my list)!

The nursery is coming together, but there is still work to be done. We are going to the cities this weekend as I have a meeting on Saturday. Then we will be making a trip to Ikea for a dresser and bookcase for the nursery. Once those are put together, we can do a bit of decorating, and it should definitely resemble a nursery by then! :)