Chester turns one! Looking back on pregnancy and birth.

  I know I'm posting Chester's birthday blog late, but I haven't gotten around to it until now. The plan is to keep up on my blog and maybe even post more about cloth diapers and other things I'm passionate about. However, this blog is dedicated to our pride and joy, the reason for me starting a blog, our son Chester.
  One year ago (February 27, 2011) is the day I took one of many pregnancy tests. I had taken several and expected this to come out with the same results as the others, negative. I was sitting down at the computer with my mountain dew and decided, what the heck, I'll take a test to get it out of the way. I peed on that annoying little stick, sat it on the vanity in the bathroom and continued with my soda and Facebook. Roughly three minutes later I walked back, not rushing to see the results of the test. I looked closely several times before I could believe that the stick said positive. Of course Craig was still sleeping so I needed to wake him up. I held the little pee stick in my hand with a huge smile on my face and that's what he woke up to. We couldn't have been more excited. I immediately poured my mountain dew down the drain. I can't believe how easily I gave soda up while pregnant, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do!
  Alright so pregnancy went wonderfully and I had hardly any morning sickness. I don't say this to make others jealous, especially if they had terrible morning sickness. I say this because I know how fortunate I was to have such a wonderful and easy pregnancy. Don't get me wrong, it's still rough being pregnant. You have people always staring and asking questions, wanting to touch your belly and getting way, way to close and intruding your personal space. So on June 6, 2011 we found out what we wanted to hear. It's a boy! We had known so many people who had or were having girls, we just really wanted a boy first. It was the first grandson for my parents and Craig's parents. So we were pretty ecstatic to tell them the news. Of course, his Mom, sister, my Mom and sister were all with us when we found out. There were many, many tears. I had no idea it would be so hard finding out we were having a boy. All the sudden you have a crap ton of research to do. If you have a boy, you know what I'm talking about. Since this is not the place for that discussion, I'm not going to start into that topic. I will however say that we left Chester with what he was born.
  So lets fast forward, my estimated due date was coming up, November 3, 2011. I wish I wasn't in such a rush to get him out. Had I read more into birthing and what not, I wouldn't have been so impatient. The third came and left and I was still very much pregnant. I was HUGE, seriously, I'm not kidding. Look!

See, I told you. People kept asking me if I was having twins. I would tell them no and they would ask, "Are you SURE?" I was certain I would be having a baby over the weekend. Everyone at work expected me to be gone Monday. Nope, I was still pregnant. They said I was making them uncomfortable just looking at me, uh, how do you think I felt? Finally the end of the work day was slowly closing in. I had felt some pain in my lower back, which I attributed to sitting in the chair all day. I also felt my stomach tighten, which I had attributed to whatever I had eaten for lunch, I figured my little guy didn't like what we had. So when I got home Craig and I went out to grab a bite to eat and when he shut the car off, I felt it again. Holy crap, what was that? Oh my gosh, that might have been a contraction. So we decided to relax a bit then go walk around the store. That definitely worked! We stopped off to get Taco Bell before returning home, yes I know, not the best food, but I love TB! When we sat down to eat, I was feeling so sick I couldn't finish it. I decided to get ready for bed and work since I decided I wouldn't be having a baby that night either. The very moment I fell asleep I woke up to the worst contraction yet. I had no idea what to look for because I wasn't timing the contractions and I hadn't lost the mucus plug. At one point I had three terribly painful contractions back to back to back and I just couldn't wait any longer. We called the doctor and headed to the hospital.
  We got to the hospital and they admitted me. We arrive shortly before 11pm and my Mom so graciously arrive quickly to help with whatever I needed. I went through most of my labor without pain medicine. I did end up getting something to help ease it to try avoiding the epidural. I wish I hadn't gotten that. I also wish I hadn't labored on my back. So after several hours of labor I opted for the epidural. I just couldn't take it anymore, I was exhausted. I hadn't slept in thirty something hours and had been in labor since 11pm the night before. Instantly after the epidural I went from being stuck at 4cm all the way up to 9.5! Honestly, I'm glad I got the epidural at that point because the doctor was talking about pitocin and I was too exhausted to do it anymore. (I plan to have a different laboring/birthing plan for the next baby.)

  So after about 11 or so hours of labor, it was time to push. It was only about three pushes and our perfect baby boy was here! We couldn't believe it. He was 8lbs 6oz and 21.5 inches long, born November 8, 2011! He was absolutely perfect and beautiful and I couldn't have pictured him any different. 

  Now lets fast forward a year. He's now walking and saying hey and hi, mommy and daddy. He's like an actual little person these days. Yes, he's always been a person, but now he has his own personality and he interacts with us. He always makes my bad days better, my good days even better and my heart a great deal bigger. I love being a mommy to a boy. There's just something so wonderful about little boys. I'm not saying girls aren't great, because they are, I'm sure. 

 

 
















  For Chester's actual birthday, we took him to Jump n' Joeys for a little bouncy house fun. He really had a blast there. It was so perfect for us because we took him later in the evening when there weren't many people and ended up being the only people there for the majority of our time spent there.
When it came time to plan Chester's first birthday party, which we had two days after his birthday, it was extremely stressful. Of course I tried planning it since the day he was born, but obviously that was a tad too early. His first birthday was Yo Gabba Gabba themed. I'm not sure what we'll do next year, or if we'll even have a set theme of a certain show or such. I do know that I'll plan like crazy the last couple of weeks and stress myself out, I'm sure. Luckily his party went off without a problem thanks in large part to my Mom and Chester was surrounded by a lot of loving family and friends. Chester received a lot of wonderful presents and was so happy to play with all of them after his nap. I want to thank everyone again, who showed up to be apart of his special day. We have some amazing friends and family. 
  I can't wait to see what his next birthdays bring and what he asks for. I can't wait to see what kind of a person he turns into and what his interests are. I will wait though and enjoy the time he's little. I love my baby snuggles and the middle of the night nursing sessions. I love everything about our little boy, he's the most amazing baby and we're such lucky parents! Here's to you Monkey, may you have all the love in the world.

Halloween 2012- Chester's first Halloween!

  So Halloween 2011 I was very much pregnant. I was HUGE and it looked like there was no end in sight. I walked around with my niece getting her as much candy as we could. All that walking still didn't help my little man on his way. So he was snuggling away nice and warm in my belly for that Halloween. This year, however, he was very much here and ready to get some candy. For Mom and Dad to eat, of course. When we went to the Halloween costume store the year before I got pregnant, we saw the most adorable garden gnome costume for a baby. We decided at that very moment, our future child would definitely have to be dressed in that costume. So of course we were hoping for a boy (for many other reasons) because a gnome costume would not be the best fit for a girl. So when Halloween rolled around this year, we purchased Chester the gnome costume about two months ahead of time. This- for obvious reasons- was a very bad idea. If you have a child, you're probably shaking your head right now thinking, "You know how much your child will grow in two months!" Yes, I do now! We tucked his costume away in the closet and one day, before Halloween I attempted to try it on him, but he wasn't very cooperative. So I just left it at that and decided I'd wait until Halloween to put him in it. Right before we were heading out to trick or treat, I started putting his costume on. I knew it was going to be extremely cold so I wanted him to have extra layers on under his costume. I put some babylegs, socks and a long sleeve shirt on him. Once I started getting the costume on, I realized we were going to have a bit of a problem. It didn't fit! I was barely able to button the pants and there was no way I was going to be able to close the shirt. So we just went with it. Once we got to Cristina and Abigail's house, we realized it was way too cold for Chester to go in just his costume. We decided to put his monkey hat and his monkey coat on. This turned out to be a bit of a costume change at the last minute. He ended up being a monkey/Curious George, since that's who was on his coat. We walked around with "Princess Abigail", Hope and Patrick until Chester got too cold and Craig took him back to Cristina's nice warm house. A little while later, we all filed in freezing and ready to warm up. Abigail rang the door bell and said trick or treat to Cristina. It was adorable because she said, "Okay, I'm done. Can we go get candy from my Mommy now?" I love how much Chester and Abigail get along, so I was super excited to go trick or treating with them. I decided several things about next Halloween though. First, we will not get his costume until a week or so before Halloween. Next, we will absolutely be looking at the weather to see how cold it will be so we can base his costume off that. Also, we need more chocolate! We went through Chester's candy so quickly, I was sad to see all the chocolate go. I think next year it would be fun to have coordinating costumes. I was sad that Chester's gnome costume didn't fit him, because he looked so cute in it! I can't wait for next Halloween though, I think Chester will have a better time than he had this past Halloween. I hope he enjoys watching "The Nightmare Before Christmas" better and just has more fun overall. We're definitely carving pumpkins next year too. We just got so busy and kept putting it off, I still have the pumpkin! Overall though, we had a pretty good Halloween. It's Craig's favorite time of the year. Fall, Halloween, October and the color orange are all his favorite. I think that has something to do with being born October 22nd. Being with him so long has changed my favorite season to Fall though. It used to be and somewhat still is Spring. I just like Fall a lot better now. I hope Chester grows up loving Fall as much as we do. So here's to future Halloween nights for the Fender family. May we be better prepared than we were this year.
Enjoy these photos I took to document Chester's very first Halloween!

 

Dinner Time! Chicken and Italian Dressing Mix!

  I'm always trying to think of new things to make for dinner. I always end up making the same things over and over. While I don't mind, because they're super delicious, I get bored with making and eating the same things. I mostly make, lasagna, chili, hamburger helper and tacos. I used to make spaghetti, but lasagna took the place of that. I remember once I forgot to make the spaghetti without the meat. Oh let me tell you, Craig never lets me live that one down! The great thing about the internet and more specifically pinterest, is that there are tons of ideas on what to make for dinner. I admittedly "pin" various food items that I probably won't make anytime in the near future, but maybe since I'm getting a little more brave in the kitchen, I'll attempt to make some of those things.
  One day I was on a blog entering a giveaway and one of the entries said to comment on another blog post. So I went searching for the most recent ones the blogger posted and found a recipe. I read through and commented so I could gain an extra entry into the giveaway. I will mention as a side note, I did not end up winning that particular giveaway. Yeah, I was pretty bummed. Oh well, I got a pretty awesome recipe to try out anyway. That sounds like a win to me! This blogger mentioned how she found this recipe on pinterest where we all find the best recipes.
  Alright, the instructions and what you'll need, are as follows:

1lb boneless, skinless chicken

1-2 cans of green beans (I used a bag of frozen green beans)

5-6 small red potatoes

1 package of Italian dressing mix (.7 oz pack. I used Hidden Valley)

1 stick of butter

You'll want to preheat your oven to 350. Next organize your chicken, green beans and potatoes in a 9x13 dish. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning packet over the entire dish. Melt the butter in the microwave and poor over everything. Then you'll cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for one hour.

This was definitely a shot in the dark since I'd never quite made anything like it before. I was worried how Craig would like it and how it would turn out. Surprisingly it turned out rather well and Craig said he enjoyed it. I thought it was pretty good myself, although, I would like to try to substitute something instead of the butter, personally. I thought it was delicious, but I'd like to experiment around with the dish a little bit. Anyway, here is a picture of the finished product. It looks so tasty I want to make it again!

OH! If you decide to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you and your family!! Just leave a comment for me below.

A Very Happy Birthday To My Very Handsome Husband!

Birthday present!!

Delicious Funfetti cake!

  On Monday, October 22 it was my Husbands birthday. I think every year he expects a cake, because every year I make him a cake. Although, sometimes I switch it up and make cupcakes instead. Every year I give him his cake and his presents at midnight. I seriously think I'm more excited about his birthday than my own. I love getting him gifts and making him a cake, I love making him feel special the whole day on his birthday. What can I say, birthdays are fun! I remember last year for his birthday, I was as huge as a whale and took him to eat a nice filling dinner. I was so stuffed I had to change my clothes. This year we had the joy of celebrating his birthday with Chester right here with us. So at midnight I had his cake put together and ready to go, I made it special by making orange frosting, since orange is his favorite color. It was a delicious funfetti cake, because come on, who doesn't love funfetti! I lit the candles and had him come out into the kitchen to blow them out and give him his present. I really loved the look on his face when he was opening it. It was seriously like a kid on Christmas. So after he opened his present, we had some cake and I took Chester to bed. After we got up for the day, we had lunch then took Chester over to my Mom's so we could go see a movie. Craig decided he wanted to see Sinister. Ugh! That movie was terrifying! It's a good thing we were the only ones in the theater. I screamed at quite a few parts and had to look away, a LOT! There were even some parts where I slapped his arm. I'm a big baby when it comes to horror movies, but I go see them because he likes to see them. I guess that's what I get for taking him to so many chick flicks. Craig enjoyed the movie, of course. Although, I think he said something about thinking it would be a little more on the creepy or gory side. He's all about those movies though because he loves Halloween and the Fall season. It might have something to do with him being a Fall baby. I always strive to make his birthday memorable because I want him to know just how much he means to me. I'm so thankful to have him in my life as my husband and Chester's father. He's such an amazing person and always brings happiness to my life. I'm already thinking about next year, thinking how I can make it better than this year. I always feel like his birthday, or Fall in general, goes by so quickly. I can remember back to the very first birthday of his that we spent together. It was 2007 and we had recently just started dating. I didn't do much that year for his birthday and I felt terrible. I ordered a birthday present from online and it was so late getting to me. I didn't even get him a cake. We did go to a haunted house with a bunch of his friends though. That was a pretty interesting experience. I'm seriously not the person you want to take to a haunted house. I scream at everything! Craig really isn't the person you'd want to take either, because he ran ahead a bit and scared the crap out of me. I'm used to it now though, because he's a joker like that. 

Chester and Craig on his birthday.

Chester helping Mommy out in the kitchen.

  All in all though, this birthday was a pretty successful one. Besides the fact that I need to make the cake elsewhere and bring it home because every time I make his cake here, he knows. He can smell it and always asks what I'm making. He was even distracted by working out, but still could smell that smell of cake fill the house. (Mm. Thinking about that cake has me wanting a piece now.) I'm always so sneaky with everything else too. I'll get his presents early and leave them in the closet. Although, I usually tell him they're there and that he can't look. He never does. He likes the surprise of waiting until his birthday. I always make sure to write something heart warming and sincere in his cards too. Usually for people's birthdays you just say, Happy Birthday, I hope you have a great day. You know, something generic. I always make sure his cards have a lot more love to them. Although, I bet if we look back to all his past birthday cards, they might all have something similar. Anyway, I hope you had a very wonderful day, Hubby! Here's to another birthday together.

A day full of fun!

And hopefully a nice, long, full night of sleep!

Chester and Abigail playing at the park/splash pad!

  Today Chester and I had a day full of fun planned out. I assumed Chester would be waking up no later than 10:30 because he's usually up by then. I was wrong, he decided not to get up until almost noon! So I took advantage of the time that I was awake and he was asleep and put together our picnic "basket" for the day. It was nothing special, just some peanut butter and jelly, Cheetos, water and tea. After I put the picnic together Chester decided he was going to wake up. So I changed him out of his super adorable cow print cloth diaper into an orange one. I did my usual morning routine, let Chester play with his toys, check my email and since giveaways were recently posted, I took a look at a couple of those as well. So of course when you put a clean diaper on the baby, that's when they decide they want to dirty it up really fast. Lucky me, I got to change him again! That's alright, he was ready for the day, I got his diaper bag packed and ready to go, then got myself ready. Slowly, I might add. Chester has been super clingy lately, so anytime I try to change, do dishes or cook, he always crawls up to my legs, stands up and wants me to hold him. So it takes a while to get things done. Finally we were out the door and headed to pick Cristina and Abigail up. As soon as I got to Cristina's house, Abigail ran out the door screaming, "AUNT KATIE!!!" She gets extremely excited to see me. She was ready for the splash pad. First we had our fun little picnic, but the whole time Abigail had only one thing on her mind. She was extremely anxious to get to the water and play, so I tried to eat quickly. After cleaning up from the picnic, we went over and Abigail ran straight for the water. I stood out in the sun a bit talking to Cristina, then decided to take Chester on in. I had him in a GroVia shell without the insert and it works perfectly for a swim diaper. Chester LOVES the water so much! Anytime we have a cup of water, he always wants to put his hands in it. He loves splashing in the bathtub and I've caught him a couple of times playing in the toiled. Disgusting, I know! He also loves to play in the dogs' water bowl as well. So we played in the water for a while until I felt it got a bit cool for Chester. After that we headed over to the park for Abigail to run some of her energy off. We took a few photos, chatted a while, sun bathed then called it a day. With two kids, this process takes a lot longer than it sounds! So we decided to come back to my place and watch Lion King 2. I think Cristina was the most excited about this movie because she had never watched the entire thing. So we lounged around a while and let the kids play until it was time for them to go home. It's pretty amazing how much Abigail and Chester love to play together and how much fun they have considering their age difference. Abigail is four years and Chester is not quite a year and they still love the company of each other. Abigail loves her "baby Chester" and always enjoys seeing him. I think they'll grow up to be great friends and a great duo. We really just better watch out because I can see all the mischief they will be getting into.

Chester and Craig at the drive-in!

Chester taking a boob snack break!

  After taking Abigail and Cristina home, Chester had to lay down and nap, even though it wasn't a very long nap. Poor Chester was so exhausted and tired from the day he already had. Our day wasn't quite over with though, because we were headed off to the drive-in with Craig to have a fun family night. I packed some water, (we always have to have our water with us) tea and brownies that I made specifically for our evening. Once we got there, we sat around just relaxing, let Chester play in the grass a bit and of course he had to take a break to have a boob snack. Around nine or so, the first movie, Paranorman came on. It was a funny little claymation movie that had zombies and ghosts in it. I won't go into detail about the movie, just in case anyone wants to see it. In between movies Chester got pretty fussy, which was understandable, he had already had a really long day. So I nursed him and he fell asleep and stayed asleep pretty much through the entire second movie, which was The Borne Legacy. I was surprised I stayed awake through that entire movie, because I was pretty tired myself and Chester was making sleeping look really dang good! The night was perfect for the drive-in, it wasn't too hot or cold, the sky was pretty much clear and it was just beautiful. We ended our really long, fun filled day out perfectly- under the stars as a family.

Chester at the drive-in!

  Chester really loves being outdoors, I can tell this already. Anytime he is fussy and I can't seem to get him to take a nap or calm down, I put him in the Ergo and take a walk. There's so much to see outside and it's always something new to look at. He seems to laugh and carry on when he's outside too. He's just so interested in everything around him and wants to soak it all up. I'm so glad he loves the outdoors and I hope he always does. It'll be a lot more fun for him once he can walk around and be a little more independent. I think we'll do a lot more outdoor activities then. We already take plenty of walks and I love taking him to the park. He's a boy, so I'm sure he's going to always love being outside and exploring. I'm so excited to see the person he's going to grow into. He's already just this amazing little guy and I'm so lucky to be his Mommy. I can't believe he is going to be one in just a couple of months. Thinking about how fast he's growing up just makes me want to go snuggle him and enjoy this time, so on that note, I think it's time to step away from the computer and go cuddle with him in bed. Hopefully he won't be a bed hog tonight. I love bed sharing, but gosh, Chester just takes up so much of the bed space!

The Ergo vs The Moby, and why I love baby wearing!

  Just like anything else that has to do with your baby, you should definitely research baby wearing. If you don't know what it is, or don't do it, I highly suggest you look into it. I love to baby wear because it keeps Chester close to me. I love having him right against me, knowing he's safe in my arms. I love how I can easily get things done on days he just wants to be held. It's very convenient having the carrier so I can have my hands free when I need them. Baby wearing can also help extremely cranky babies. Chester will happily fall asleep in his Ergo when he's cranky and I can't get him to sleep any other way. Usually he will fall asleep nursing, but sometimes all he wants is to be snuggled up on my chest. It's comforting to them because it reminds them of being in your belly. I still use my stroller sometimes, but I like the option of having him right there against my chest so strangers have no way of touching him or getting in his face. That's one major problem I have with using my stroller, people love getting all up in your baby's face where they don't belong!

So what exactly is baby wearing? Basically, you have a carrier or a wrap and you carry the baby on you. It keeps baby close so they feel safe, they can feel your heartbeat and love the closeness. Of course there are carriers that aren't safe for babies, these are usually called crotch danglers. Here is an example from International Hip Dysplasia Institute showing the recommended way to carry your baby.

 So here it shows you the ones on the left are not recommended. The carriers should always support the baby's knee joint and allow the legs to spread, keeping the hips in a stable position.

  When I first started baby wearing I had no idea about the images above. I had a crotch dangler and though I only used it a few times, I wish I would have researched baby wearing more! So after realizing I had a crotch dangler I went with a Moby wrap. I thought the Moby was the best way to go and admittedly I did little to no looking into wraps and carriers. I wish I would have looked into all my options because I ended up unsatisfied with the Moby wrap. Let's start with the things I liked about the Moby wrap, don't worry, this list will be extremely short. I liked that I could baby wear safely, the Moby wrap supports the baby properly. Honestly, I can't think of anything else I liked about it, seriously, that's all. The only thing I liked about that wrap was that I could safely baby wear. Let's get on to what I didn't like about it, shall we? I didn't like that the thing took so long to put on. The Moby is so complicated that I would rather put Chester in his stroller and go, even if that meant getting the huge stroller out and shoving it in my tiny car where I really had no room! The Moby is also not good for hot days. On a warm day I couldn't wear Chester very long or we'd both be sweating and so uncomfortably hot. With that said, how the heck would I even try nursing him in that thing? He gets extremely sweaty and hot as it is while nursing, add in the heat from wearing him in the Moby, it would be a disaster. Also, I feel like the Moby really restricted us. He couldn't move around very much. He could look left or right and that was about it. He couldn't move his legs or arms very well. Craig refused to even try to put the Moby on because of how difficult and time consuming it is to put it on. He would rather carry our chunky baby around the mall than fiddle with the wrap. Now, if you're a Moby lover, don't start screaming at the screen saying how amazing the Moby is and how stupid I am for not liking it. For my family, the Moby was the worst idea and is just terrible. I don't feel bad for saying that either, it's kind of just a ridiculous wrap. Those things cost almost $50 for a huge piece of fabric. I could make a wrap way cheaper than that! Luckily I didn't spend THAT much on it, I bought a slightly used one for a little cheaper. The only problem is now I'm stuck with the dang thing! I really need to sell it, it makes no sense to have that stupid wrap laying around not getting any use.

Here is Chester in the Moby wrap.

  Well, now that I got that out of my system, I want to talk about the Ergo! First, the Ergo is a bit expensive. However, if you're looking for a great carrier that you'll use for a long time and often, this is definitely your carrier! The Ergo can carry up to 45lbs vs the 35lbs the Moby reaches. The Ergo can be used for your newborn too! There are several different prices for the Ergo. The one I purchased was the Original Galaxy Grey. I didn't purchase the bundle, because Chester is way over the weight for the insert, but there is an option if you're buying right from baby's birth. When we have our second child, we can purchase the insert separately. The price of the carrier without the newborn insert is $115 and the "Bundle of Joy" that comes with the newborn insert and the carrier is $135. The newborn insert by itself runs about $25. So you're saving about $5 getting the "Bundle of Joy" if you have a newborn. Luckily, I came across a sale at our local green/cloth diaper store so I saved some money on my carrier. You should definitely always keep an eye out for sales. 

Alright, so let's talk about my experience with the Ergo and what I love about it! First, I love how simple it is to put on. You put it around your waist, buckle it, put your arms through the straps and buckle that. I can easily hold Chester while putting the Ergo on and taking it off. It seriously only takes a few seconds. I love that the Ergo distributes the weight in all the right places. The Moby really put a ton of weight on my shoulders and I would be sore after wearing Chester. The Ergo is much better, I don't get as tired wearing him. Sometimes if I'm wearing him for hours, it takes it's toll on my hips. I'm pretty tiny though and Chester weighs a ton, so it's not a surprise that I would get a bit tired after wearing him for hours. The Ergo also has a little "hood" you can put on the baby, It snaps right over his head.  This way if he's sleeping and I don't want anyone disturbing him, I can put the hood on him. It also comes in hand when it's really windy or really rainy. Chester really likes the Ergo because it's comfortable and he keeps cool. He can stick his arms out if he wants or tuck them back in. It's great when he falls asleep in it too, he lays his head on my chest and still won't get too hot. I feel like it holds him in better too. I guess I would compare it to a bra- the Moby is like a bra without under wire, your boobs have NO support and kind of just dangle there. I feel like Chester was just dangling there in the wrap. The Ergo is like a bra with under wire, it pushes your boobs up and holds them there. I feel like it keeps Chester in place where he should be without the fear of him possibly sliding down. I really can't say enough how EASY it is to put him in the Ergo. Seriously, today we were walking into the store and I had Chester in my arms, putting him in the Ergo, snapping it together AND walking into the building all at the same time. Now if you know me, you know I can't walk and do ANYTHING. Seriously, I have to stop to take a drink or I'll have it all over me. The Ergo is pretty much like a backpack, you can wear baby on your back (facing you of course), you can wear him on your chest (again, facing you) or you can wear him on your hip (again, he should be facing you). They really don't recommend letting babies face outwards while baby wearing. 

Here's Chester in the Ergo.
(Yes, Dads can baby wear as well!)

   So the verdict is obvious. I prefer the Ergo carrier much more than the Moby wrap. However, I would definitely suggest research your options. Don't pick one just to get it over with. If I had researched from the beginning I would have picked the Ergo over the others and saved some money. I appreciate having good friends who suggest great products to me. A fellow intactivist told me I would love the Ergo and she was absolutely right! Even Craig will tell you how much he enjoys baby wearing now that we have the Ergo. He loves using the Ergo and will finally wear Chester because of how easy and great the product is! It's definitely worth the money you will spend on it. The Ergo also has great accessories to add to your carrier. Craig pointed out how Chester is always chewing on the straps. The Ergo has a great solution to that. They have teething pads to put on the straps, they help teething babies while keeping your carrier in top form. They're easy to wash and only cost an extra $17. Ergo really thinks of everything, they have so many cool accessories.

This is the exact Ergo we have.
They have a great selection!

All opinions are my own. I personally love my Ergo carrier, but it may not be for everyone. Research your options and choose what best for you and those little baby hips!

It's been far too long.

  It's been way too long since I've last blogged. It's such a great outlet and lets me relieve some stress. I do have a few on draft, but I'm being a perfectionist and can't quite seem to finish them. I had quite a few days to think about what to blog about this time around. I was horribly sick with a kidney infection so I was in bed for days feeling like I was going to die! Craig- my wonderful husband, helped out so much! I'm so lucky to have him as my husband. I don't think either him or Chester minded that I was resting up those few days because they had a great chance to bond.

  So while I was in bed I realized that so many people just want to put Chester in front of the television to keep him quiet. He's recently learned how to crawl and stand up so he's quite mobile. Could you imagine being strapped in a chair and watch the same thing three times over? That's almost four hours of the same movie back to back to back. I would rather shove a fork in my eye. Now I don't mind Chester having a little television time because he does enjoy some Yo Gabba Gabba and Lion King. However, I don't want him sitting in front of the television for hours upon hours when he could be crawling around learning. We like to take walks and that lets him see the outside world and soak it in.

  Now I understand that not everyone can calm Chester the way we (his parents) can. Sometimes he just wants a hug from Mommy or Daddy or snuggles. Once a week we go out on a date night and he goes to see his grandmother, I send Lion King with him because I know if he gets extremely fussy and refuses to eat, it will calm him down. I have no issues there, I make sure he doesn't get any other television time on those days so he's not overloaded. It just amazes me at how many people use television to calm children down like pacifiers are used. I don't want Chester to be one of those children who depend on something to calm him down like that. I like that he can find other ways to calm down, even if it is to nurse, snuggle or just be held by whomever. It also bothers me when people try to force him to have something he obviously doesn't want. For instance, he hasn't had a pacifier since I stopped working back in January. For a short time he would use one when I went back to work because he would not eat or sleep while I was away. Turns out he just didn't want anything except Mommy to nurse him back to sleep, which is how it is now.

  I guess what I'm getting at is that people need to respect the wishes of the parents. If we say Chester doesn't get a certain amount of television time, don't stick him in front of the Lion King three straight times. If we say Chester doesn't get a pacifier, certain foods or drinks by certain ages, just don't do it. Respect the boundaries we have set up for our son because we are his parents and that's how we want things done.

  Now to move to something lighter. Chester will be ONE in November. I couldn't be more terrified and more excited at the same time. I'm terrified because that means he's getting bigger and older and will be exploring more and becoming more independent. I do welcome that independence though, because I want him to learn as much as possible so he can be as bright as possible. I still can't believe almost one year ago, I was blessed with the most amazing gift. I can't express the great feelings we had when we found out we were having a boy. It brings so many thoughts to my mind, but that's for another post entirely.

  So a few minor updates before ending the night. Recently we got a new carrier, because I love baby wearing! We went with an Ergo, as recommended by a friend of mine. She was right, once you go Ergo, you never go back. We absolutely adore our Ergo carrier. We've tried a couple carriers out already, including the Moby. I can tell you by far, the Ergo wins hands down. Be watching for a post about that, I'll be reviewing and comparing the two. We've been getting a few new cloth diapers here and there, so be prepared for a review on the ones we currently have and any I will be looking forward to trying. We are currently bed-sharing and love it. Mom, Dad, Chester and two chihuahuas, we have a full bed. Chester has teeth! He has four, and counting. When Chester does something, he goes for gold. He started crawling and in the matter of just a few days he started standing and pulling himself up on furniture. The other day he stood alone for just a few seconds. I'm going to be so busy with my little man, but I'm going to make sure I stay on top of my blog. I've missed blogging terribly and I'm excited to be back at it.

Let the cloth diapering begin!

  You know that "oh my gosh" moment you have, that moment you realize you have a brilliant idea that you can't believe you didn't think of it sooner. Well that's how it was with me and cloth diapering. So I've been constantly looking into it, trying to figure out where to begin. Some days I would be excited to try to start up, and other days, I didn't really feel like doing it. I figured I would just stay with the disposable diapers and leave it at that. I asked several people about it, and looked at the different styles and kinds of diapers out there.
  My Mom said she tried cloth diapering my sister (her oldest child) but ultimately chose to use disposable diapers instead. I'm sure my Husband got sick of hearing me talk about cloth diapers and how I was so interested in trying it. I can't tell you how long I bugged him about trying them. I think the real kicker was telling him how much money we would end up saving after we initially got our stash of cloth diapers built up. The only problem is cloth diapering can be overwhelming to anyone who is new to it, and it's a bit pricey starting a stash up. So my advice for anyone starting out, don't fret, there's always someone willing to help you. Luckily we have a local store that sells cloth diapers.
  So the only problem we had was finding affordable cloth diapers to get started. I had been talking with my sister-in-law about cloth diapering because she asked me about it. I had been talking so long about doing it, and she asked for information and if we had started. At that point I sadly, had not started using them yet because we were in the process of figuring out which ones we wanted to use. I wasn't able to get out to our local cloth diapering store yet. So I sent her what information I had, and she sent me different information she had been finding. So one day, she sent me a message telling me about a local organization who helps low income families in their journey into cloth diapering. WIC is constantly sharing different things with their families about things that will possibly help them. I went to a breastfeeding support group one day, and had a good time. So WIC definitely looks out for their families.
  So I sent in an application to see if we would be accepted into their program. A few days later I received an email that they wanted to set up an appointment with us. I was thrilled that we'd be able to cloth diaper and save some money in the process. I'm so thankful that there are organizations out there like WIC and Heiny Helpers. While I was extremely excited for this appointment, I was a bit bummed how far away the appointment was. I read on Facebook about a sale on cloth diapers at our local store, The Green Nursery. So Sunday, April 22, 2012 I went into the store and was amazed to see all sorts of diapers. I thought this trip was going to be simple. Drive there (which took me some time to find), pick up a diaper and leave. It was NOT that simple. A woman came out and explained all the different kinds of diapers. I won't get into all of them, because I don't know very much about every single one.
  After hearing everything she had to say about all the different diapers, it was an easy choice for me. I picked the Flip diaper. What this is, is a shell that has two flaps, one at each end. You stick an insert in, and snap it up and you're done. When it's time to change, you pull it out and replace it with a new one. I figured this would be easiest to start out with, and it was the cheaper option to start out with. So I purchased a shell and a box of three inserts. I couldn't wait to get home and slap that sucker on Chester's bottom. I should mention, I picked a lime green shell, because greens my favorite color.
  I arrived home, got the diaper put together and on Chester's bottom. Already I loved it. He looked cute as all get out, and I was just so excited to actually be doing what I had wanted to do since I could remember.
                                                  So here he is in his lime green cloth diaper:

Now, I haven't taken pictures of the process of doing it yet, because I was just super excited to get it on him, so I'll be doing that for the next cloth diaper blog. I did was his liners this evening though, and here is a picture of those:

Basically, they look like huge maxi pads. They're so simple to wash, and they so soft on his bottom.


  Now, cloth diapers take special laundry detergent or you'll have problems with leaking. I used some of what I received at the baby fair. I decided not to use the wash machine, because I didn't want to run it for 3 liners and waste a ton of water. I used a bit of water in the tub, added the liners and detergent, drained the water, rinsed the liners and soaked them in clean water. Then I made sure to ring them out very well and laid them out to dry. I'm very excited to get more into cloth diapering. I want to try out different kinds. I love the one I have now, but I feel different kinds would be good for different occasions. Also, I wanted to add that I went on a search for liners, some that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg, and found that Walmart sells a pack of ten Gerber pre-folds for about $14. I spent about that much on the pack of three. Now I know that money was well spent because the three liners are AMAZING, but I'm glad to see that I can buy the pack of ten.


  I'm so excited to be cloth diapering. I've wanted this for so long now, and now that Craig is on board with the the whole thing, it makes it all the more exciting for me. This is just the beginning of the research I'm going to be doing and trial and error, finding which type of cloth diaper we like best. I haven't even ventured into the idea of cloth wipes, I'd like to take this one day at a time. So for now, that's a shell and three liners. After our HH appointment, I'm sure it will open my eyes to tons of different possibilities.


  I'll be sharing all the details about my journey and the obstacles and fun we have along the way with this. I'm stoked to share this with anyone who reads. 

A trip to the past.

So far all my blogs have been about Chester, and  being a Mom. As much as I love Chester, being a Mom and a wife, that's not all I am. I'm my own person, and have my own likes and interests. I've been thinking about what I should blog about next, and mostly it's been parenting things. Things like, cloth diapering, circumcision, a blog all about being a Mommy, and so on. While I love all of those things, and want to share my thoughts, I've decided my first post back after being away for so long should be one all about me. While that sounds kind of self-centered, I want people to know there's more to me than just being a Mom and Wife. I started an "I'm back" sort of blog already, but never got it finished. Who knows if I ever will. Anyway, so thinking about what to write, I've decided to go back to the beginning. I feel like sharing about childhood and my fondest memories. This will be a great trip down memory lane for me, and will make my family smile.


  So lets see, I was born December 1989 in Frankfurt Germany. My Mom told me she was in labor with me for 24 hours. God help her! We lived in Germany because my Dad was in the Air Force, and we moved to Indiana when I was 3 years old. I don't remember anything about Germany, and it would be nice to go back one day so I could see exactly where I'm from. I had a pretty great childhood. I had two wonderful parents, who weren't perfect, but did the best with what they had. Growing up, they were pretty perfect from where I sat, though. They worked hard for us, and made sure we had everything we needed.
  I remember growing up the the most beautiful gardens. One giant food garden, and a few flower gardens. The only part I hated, was when we had to go out and pick green beans. Not only did we have to go pick them, but we had to clean them, and cut the ends off so my parents could "can" them. The children in our family always loved to go to the garden and pick the fresh fruits and veggies and sit out in the garden while eating them. One day, I remember the four oldest of us walked through deciding what to eat. We picked up a cantaloupe, some strawberries, and some tomatoes. The things we picked from the garden were always so fresh and delicious. The strawberries hardly ever made it to the house. Thinking back to that garden makes me want one of my own once we get out of this apartment and into a house. I would love for Chester to have that in his childhood since it's one of my favorite memories.
  The flower gardens also were a great part of my childhood. It was always such a great, calming feeling walking out the back door to a beautiful garden full of flowers. It was like a scene from a movie. The sun shining, birds chirping, walking out to the warmth from the sun on your skin, and seeing different kinds of flowers surrounding you. I know, I know. It sounds really lame, or even made up, but I loved it. I'm a girl, so I'm a sucker for some beautiful gardening. I always loves picking small bouquets of flowers for my Mom, but hated that they would wilt away and die. They always lasted longer outside and we could enjoy them more. Especially since they usually attracted some kind of bugs or flies as soon as they started dying.
  We lived in a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house, it was my parents and 5 kids. Things got pretty crazy at times, but it was life. I miss that house. I miss the memories. Everything was so easy then. Do your chores, then go outside to play. It's crazy how different things are now, you tend not to enjoy those kinds of things once you get to a certain age. I want Chester to enjoy those things like I did, for as long as possible.
  Sometimes thinking back to my childhood is sad, sad because it's over and it seems like it was so long ago. Thinking back to Christmastime in that house, all of us kids surrounding the Christmas tree, excited to see what "Santa" brought us. Thinking back to summertime, the doors and windows all open so we could let the summer breeze in. I just hope to create a childhood Chester can look back on with pride and joy and want to pass those things along to his children.
  
  I'm thinking about all the pets we had there. You could say it was like we were a home for all the strays. We always wanted to keep animals that were wandering the neighborhood, and typically we did. We would either convince my Mother, or feed the thing so it knew to stay. We had heartbreak, and love, anger and happiness, and we all had each other. Even though we all went our separate ways, and my parents divorces, those were some of the best times of my life.
  Riding around on our bikes in circles around the house and driveway acting like we were NASCAR drivers, because that's the one sport we always watched as a family. Playing in the yard and on the play set, playing- don't touch the grass because it's lava. Climbing in the trees, and picking out "our" specific trees, or climbing in the garage because dinosaurs were going to eat us and the safest place was up in the rafters where we believe they couldn't reach us. Playing Super Mario with my Mom, or when I got stung by a bee and ran in front of the television and made her lose. [I wish my sister was awake to share some of her thoughts on this.] On snowy days when we would take our sleds across the street to the church to go sledding, then coming home to hot chocolate Mom made. Taking the baseball and bat up to the ball diamond to play a few games while waiting for dinner. Sitting upstairs with Rachel in the "small bedroom" playing a game of BS singing some Britney Spears (quietly so our parents didn't hear us) while it was storming. Having to sleep in the hallway (which we thought was so awesome) because IU lost an important game, and because not too long before that us girls had a rock thrown through our window.
These are all tons of memories that I miss about being there, being around my giant family. Even though we didn't always get along, I appreciate all the time we shared.


  I'm sure I'll be adding to this one, whether it's in future blogs, or just returning here to jot down a good memory I forgot to include. I'll always come back here to remember these things and smile. I just wish I had pictures handy to share. Growing up then, was so much different than kids growing up now. I hope I never lose sight of that, and am able to recreate some of those things for my children. I know they would love it just like I did.


I will add though, I never thought I'd be where I am today. You know something though, I wouldn't trade any of this or my past for the world.

Everything in life is multiplied by 100 when you're a parent.

The first thing to come to my mind is a scene from Family Guy. The scene where Brian is with Peter and the guys at the Drunken Clam, and they're watching on the news, a plane crashing into a school. Brian goes crazy screaming, now that I'm a father I just can't imagine, what if that were my son. [I'd upload the video, but I can't find it.] He just gets really annoying saying it over and over. This is not how I react to things now, at least I hope. I will say, however, that things are multiplied by 100. Not just the scary things, but the good things as well.

  Tonight [Friday, March 23, 2012] was our usual "Date Night". We ran a few errands with Chester, then took him to my Mom's after we ate, so she could watch him. We always enjoy getting out for a bit, just the two of us. Usually it's dinner and a movie, but since we had already eaten, it was just the movie and grocery shopping afterwards. Craig was particularly excited because we were finally going to see 21 Jump Street. I was just happy to be getting out, just the two of us. When we headed to the movie theater, the weather was just fine. There were some puffy clouds, but nothing showed signs of the weather turning into something bad. About 25 or so minutes [not counting credits] into the movie, my Mom and sister were texting me telling me we had a tornado warning out. At first it was for the next three minutes. Then my Mom send me another message saying it was out for 20 minutes. I wasn't too concerned since we get them often, so I just tried enjoying the movie. Next thing we know, the movie shut off and the lights came on. I figured it was because of the storm, but I didn't know what was about to happen. Craig went out to see what was going on, and a few other people went out as well. One guy came back in and said they were moving everyone into the inner theaters because there was a tornado warning.

  Panicked, I gathered my things and went to find my husband. By this time, the situation was starting to hit me. There was a real warning, and a tornado was an obvious threat at this point. Once finding my husband, we went into one of the inner theaters. After being there for only a minute or two, I started getting extremely nervous because I couldn't get any service on my phone. We decided to go into the lobby of the theater so Craig could use the restroom, and I could get my Mother on the phone to see what was going on. Nobody at the theater would tell us anything about the weather, they just insisted we move into the inner theaters. So finally I got my sister on the phone and she told me everything was fine, but they spotted a tornado about 15 minutes away. This didn't help my panicked state. In fact, it probably made it worse. I thought a tornado would hit the theater, and I would never see my baby boy again. She assured me they were alright, and that the weather was fine by my Mom's house. That was a surprise because it was pouring rain at the movie theater.

  We decided to move back into the hall, but stay close enough to a door so we could get service on our phones in case things got worse. Every time we were close to a door, an employee asked us to move away. Almost in tears, I refused to go back where my phone wouldn't work. The husband calmly explained we had a 4 month old who was out in the weather. [Not actually out and about, but at my Mom's.] So they were understanding and let us be. Eventually we headed back into one of the inner theaters, because they were making everyone move. This told me that things were getting more serious.

  After some time of sitting and waiting, a woman came in, telling us the warning was going to be lifted soon. She told us to have our ticket stubs ready so they could get everyone back to the correct theater. A few minutes later the rain picked up, and sounded even worse than before. Then it started getting quiet, which is a bad sign when it comes to tornadoes. After just a few moments, we decided to go back out to the lobby so I could attempt a call to my sister again. Once I got her on the phone, she informed me they were still doing fine, but that it was hailing. At this point I just felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to race to my Mom's house to protect my baby boy. I just wanted to be with him every second of the storm, even though I knew he was being taken perfectly good care of, and they wouldn't let anything happen to him. Finally, after watching the weather channel for a bit, my sister assured me the storms were moving [Northeast] up and over. [Lol] I convinced myself it would be alright to stay and finish the movie, then go pick him up.

  So we attempted to go back into the theater, but the screen was still off and the lights, still on. We went to find an employee to see if they were going to turn the movies back on anytime soon. They informed us that they wouldn't be back on until the next showing. This really got on our nerves. Why would they make us wait hours to see a movie we already paid for. We didn't have that kind of time. They told us we could get our money back and see our movie at another time. This really made Craig angry, because he had waited all week to see this movie. We both thought the first [only part we got to see] 30 minutes of the movie were hilarious. We decided to just go to my Mom's and pick Chester up and go home. The movie could wait until tomorrow, as long as we weren't stuck in that dang theater any longer. Especially if the weather was still going to be bad, we wanted to be with our son. As soon as we arrived at my Mom's house, I rushed to my little baby and hugged and kissed him. I was a wonderful feeling, seeing him safe and sound.

  Maybe things like this will get easier, the longer I'm a Mother. I don't have high hopes for that, especially being a first time mother. Everything is multiplied by 100, especially the love and happiness he brings.

-Katie 

Trip to the zoo, and breastfeeding in public.

  So yesterday, Tuesday, March 20, 2012 [I realize this is "technically" written on Thursday, but it's still Wednesday to me until I fall asleep.] we went to the zoo. I was so excited to get Chester out of the apartment and out into the world. The park just wasn't cutting it for me anymore. We got up, got gas in the car, went to the bank, grabbed a quick bite to eat, got the oil changed, and we were finally on our way. It was only a little more than an hour drive, which I was patient enough for. Chester was a good baby and slept the entire way there, so that was another plus. He had nursed before we left, so he would be fine for 3-5 hours. He has is own schedule of when he eats, so I follow his lead. It was such a nice day! Not too hot, just perfect. I was excited to see the giraffes, since they're my favorite animal. They're such gorgeous creatures. I can't get enough of them. We started off at the "Oceans" area because that was the first as you entered the zoo. We saw the coolest, and cutest sea horses! We didn't go to the dolphin show, however. It's pretty much the same every time, and we really didn't have time to waste. Not that I don't like dolphins, because I do. I just wanted to make sure there was enough time for me to have extra when it came to the giraffes. Already, it was snack time. We stopped at the cafe for a hot dog and continued to the "forests" area, they only had one bear in the exhibit, which made me sad. He must have been lonely, sitting there all day by himself. My husband decided it would be best to go from the indoor exhibits to the outdoor, since we had Chester with us, and we could cool off after being out in the sun. Next was the "deserts" and of course the snakes were in there. Have I mentioned, I HATE SNAKES? Well I do, they're gross and creepy.


  After that, we noticed on the map there was a "Nursing Moms nest" and this sparked our interest, because we figured once Chester got hungry, this would be the perfect place to go. We searched for it, with no luck finding it, so we asked an employee who was running the nearby carousel. Here's how the conversation went [as best as I can remember]; "Hi, I was wondering where your breastfeeding area was." "It's going to be right behind us, but it's not finished yet. All we have right now are the bathrooms." WAIT! What did she just say? I was furious. I turned around and walked away mumbling about how I REFUSE to feed my baby in the bathroom. It's not like I sit with my boob hanging out for the world to see. I shouldn't have to hide in the bathroom. I mean, I wouldn't eat my lunch in the bathroom, and I feel it's the same exact thing. Asking a mother to nurse her child in the bathroom is just wrong. To credit her, she might have thought I was looking for a private place where I could be alone. If that's what she had meant, she should have said it as such; "If you're looking for some place private, we have the bathrooms. If you don't mind nursing out in the open, feel free to do so, wherever." The way she said it implied I should go nurse in the bathroom. I'm not asking for special treatment as a nursing mother, just fair treatment. Formula fed babies can eat wherever they so choose, what's the difference? Before you jump on my case saying the difference is, the mother doesn't have to expose herself, I don't expose myself either. I've found a genius way to show pretty much no skin. I wear a thin tank top with a bigger one over. I open up my nursing bra, pull the tank top underneath down, and pull the other one up a bit. Once he's latched on, I pull the outer tank top down and around so nothing shows.


  I've struggled with breastfeeding from the beginning. I wanted to give up more than anything, I wanted to take the less painful way out. I stuck to my guns, and am proud to still be breastfeeding. I also struggled with breastfeeding in public. With the wrong company, I still do. I shouldn't have to feel ashamed to nurse my baby in public. It's wrong of society to make me feel this way. I wish other people who are with me, wouldn't get embarrassed if I sit down and nurse right where I am. You can't really compare this to other things that are "natural" either. Just because peeing is "natural" it's not the same as nursing. Nursing a baby is how that baby survives. It's not a mother trying to "make a statement" or see how much she can get away with. It's a mother doing what she's supposed to do. Giving her child their next meal, and make sure they get it when they need/want it. After that encounter, I was ready to move on, look at the rest of the animals with my family, and go. I wasn't having a bad time, I was just not looking for anymore human interaction. 


  Finally, the time had come to go to the "plains" exhibit! I couldn't be more excited, and by that time I had forgotten all about the woman.  I tried to calm myself and enjoy the other animals, and take my time. When we reached the giraffes, I'm sure my eyes lit up like a dog in a doggy toy store. We spent what seemed like forever at the giraffes. Some crazy women were there trying to coax them over towards us, but they didn't care much for their craziness. After the women moved out of my way I snapped more than enough pictures. We got a few of me and Chester in front of them, and a kind woman took one of all three of us. The giraffes moved a little closer than before too, so I snapped even more pictures. We went through the rest of the "plains" taking pictures, laughing, and having a good time.


  It was almost closing time for the zoo. So we were rushing back so we could hit up the gift store and leave. By this time Chester was getting hungry and there was no place to really rest and feed him. So we quickly got what we wanted from the gift shop and headed to the car. We put all of our belonging away, and sat in the AC for a while so all of us could cool down. Every time Chester latches on, he begins to sweat, and that's just sitting inside with our AC on. I had to give him a chance to cool down before he got too hot. So we're waiting for the car to get nice and icy cool. On both sides of our car, there were two vans belonging to the same people. They were having their snack, and loading up. I noticed towards the left front of our car, one young man just staring into our car. It was extremely awkward because I was about to start nursing, and it's uncomfortable for me if people just stand and stare.I'm not quite sure what's so fascinating about a woman feeding her child. I suppose since society has made breasts to be sex symbols, that's what most people these days see it as. When they see a woman breastfeeding, they don't see her nurturing her young, giving him life. They see a woman with a baby on her boob. This really disgusts me, and it doesn't "come with the territory" either. We aren't asking people to stare at us like freaks because we're breastfeeding. We chose the healthiest, greatest option to nurture our babies, and people should respect that.


  I want to leave people with the mindset, that next time you see a woman breastfeeding her child; don't stop and stare, don't give her dirty looks, and DO NOT ask her to go elsewhere to feed her child. You wouldn't want to get up and move in the middle of your meal, don't ask a poor innocent child to either.

-Katie