Monday, December 11, 2006

Thanks everyone!

Hi everyone, I wanted to say thanks to everybody for all the encouraging comments, as you all know, it's been kind of crazy around here. I actually got 4 hours of sleep last night straight through and I feel great! I have been able to do a little knitting, I'm almost finished with one fair isle mitten and have been working on Robby's little jeans. Thanks to my sister for being at our house everyday after work to help me with laundry and cleaning the house, and cooking dinner. Also, thanks to my friends who brought me food, and to my mother in law who helped during the labor. Rob is a great dad, very involved and can swaddle Robby and change a cloth diaper like a pro. He is also teaching Robby the fine art of shaking your groove thang.

Cloth diapers are working out well, I never believed people when they said your own baby's poo wouldn't bother you, but I think it's true. For those of you who are interested in the cloth diaper thing, some things I would change for the next batch I sew. I think I will have to use a different type of fabric for the inner soaker pad. The woven cotton terry doesn't absorb very well, so even the diapers with the three layer soaker pad, Robby still soaks through. Another thing is for the layer that touches his skin, I need to use a fabric that will wick the moisture away from his skin. He doesn't always cry when he wets his diaper and with the flannel, the wetness just kind of sits on his skin. So, maybe with the next batch, I will try a fleece type fabric that will pull the wetness away from his skin. Another thing is, I need to find a fabric that has greater absorbency so I don't need to use so many layers for the soaker pad. While the cloth diapers are cute, those things can get bulky really quick. I can't dry them completely in the dryer, so I have to hang them up to dry overnight to get them completely dry. I also would like to try an AIO because it does get to be a pain with the cover and the inner part of the diaper. And I would also like to try other options for waterproofing the covers besides PUL, maybe felted wool, or fleece, I'm not sure. I have a tiny washing machine so I'm doing laundry everyday, and I have an emergency stash of disposables for those times where I'm going to go crazy and the thought of dealing with a cloth diaper is just too much, usually around 3am in the morning, when I've been up for 2 hours feeding.

That's what I'm learning about being a mom, I have all these grand schemes for cloth diapering, breastfeeding, etc., but sometimes, to keep yourself sane you have to compromise and take it easy on yourself for the good of the baby and for the mom. I don't have any knitty pictures to show, but I will leave you guys with a picture I took of Robby when we were still in the hospital.

8 comments:

Dharmafey said...

Oh! He's adorable :)

re: diapers--suedecloth from Joann's is a great wickable liner (it goes by the brand name Alova Suede), as is the microfleece. Everyone has a preference. I liked hemp knits the best for soakers and stuffers when I was cloth diapering my son. I made my own pockets based on Fuzzi Bunz, and would be happy to share tips with you if you like!

Anonymous said...

4 hours sleep already? That's fantastic. It's funny how fast your idea of what constitutes a good night's sleep changes once you have a baby :)

Again, I have to say, HE IS GORGEOUS!

Anonymous said...

First of all, your baby is gorgeous. Keep the pictures coming.

Second of all, you've already learned the first thing about motherhood: You're working in the trenches; you do whatever works for you in real life, not what works in your golden plans! (I have teenagers and the plans are still changing on a daily basis.)

Be careful of the moms who say things like, "I will never use the TV as a babysitter"; sometimes they're the ones who are sneaking Jack Daniels in the closet at 4:30 when the kids are melting down and dinner's burning. :-) We all have high ideals, but sometimes things have to give. No problem.

I'm very happy for you and your baby-makes-3 thing. Enjoy it. Cliche, but true: They grow up fast.

Anonymous said...

A sweet baby sleeping under a lovely knitted blanket!

Anonymous said...

Amen Jessie!

zephyrsarah said...

What a sweetie! Congrats on your new baby!

Anonymous said...

Your friend Jessie's advice is very wise. :-)

After 20 months, it's the things you know to let go and adapt from the golden plan that makes you a wiser mom.

Robby is too adorable. I like the way his hair sticks up. Heehee~

Anonymous said...

Hi Bea! I think I found the right Bea. :-) I have a vague memory of you liking to knit. It's obvious from your pics that you're good at it. It's me, Virgil, from JBU. It's been a long time since I've seen you. I have memories burned in my brain of us struggling through Dr. Blume's calculus. Ugghh! Please email me soon (cannonv@hotmail.com). I'm so impressed with you and your after-college life. :-)