Well because of my slack 1st 3 weeks of August I had to make it up at work, so I worked quite a bit last week. This week I've been off again so I can't complain!
Bonnie and Trevor came down for the weekend (and of course it was my weekend to work) but they stayed until Monday night so I was able to see them in the evenings and all of Monday which was good. They came down to help with the harvest but the weather put that on hold so it was more of a visit. Rebekah is now 5 months old. So sweet.
They gave us a few arm fulls of baby stuff (which gets me so excited) so the pile on the floor is growing! (THANKS guys!)
I've been reading pregnancy/baby books like crazy. I always thought I hated to read books until I got pregnant!- now I am always reading up on the latest week of pregnancy, breastfeeding, labor & delivery, etc., etc. By the way: today we are 17 weeks! Little Bren is 5 inches long and weighs 5 ounces!!
Last Friday was a family friends wedding reception. We missed her wedding in BC but she married a guy from around Edmonton so the family put on another reception for everyone who couldn't make the wedding. Since we were one of the only friends on her side we were worried we wouldn't know anyone and would have to sit by ourselves. Well, we were put on the "family" list and got to sit at the table with her parents! We were even introduced when they were introducing the family!! The night was really beautiful and we are so happy for them.
Dayle & Andrew
Our table
Throwing the bouquet
So, here is a question for all you mothers out there.... The last couple months I have a feeling I am going to go a little crazy. I know I will have the nursery decorated by November and I will have all the shopping done and I'm sure I will have read enough books. What are some good ideas/hobbies to have to keep me and my mind busy?!
Also, what are some things to get before the baby comes that I will need/things that work good. Creams, books, nursery items, etc.
And any first time mother tips are most welcome!
7 comments:
Well, you ARE kind of family, through marriage, right?
So, recommendations, eh?
Book: The Baby Whisperer (Seriously!)
Creme: Desitin (diaper rash creme), and Lanolin (nipple cream for breastfeeding. Suffice it to say, i wish i had used it in the hospital, but ended up starting to use it when i was already in significant pain).
two key nursery items: dim light (for midnight feedings) and a breastfeeding pillow. Seriously made it easy and much more relaxed.
Any questions you have, I'm happy to help you answer them :)
17 weeks - almost halfway!!!! :)
Definitely get a Boppy--they are the greatest! You don't need a wipe warmer. I had a friend let me borrow one because she thought they were the greatest thing. I never used it--too bulky and just not necessary. I love using my swing, too! It's great for a fussy baby. I just put Karin in and put on some music--usually, she goes right to sleep! :)
I also found washable nursing pads. They were great--more expensive up front, but then I just washed them every week. I think they absorbed more than the disposable kind, too.
Are you guys going to find out what you are having?
GAH! how could i have forgotten? I totally agree with sarah - the swing and washable (reusable) breast pads were AWESOME.
there also came a point when i REALLY used my sling a lot when we were out and taeya wouldn't go down in strange places. (coastalslings.com)
Hey Jen!
You ask for advice, you're gonna get more than you'll know what to do with! :)
To echo a couple of other suggestions:
Washable breastfeeding pads. Didn't have them for Joshua. Didn't know about them. Used them with Dustin - LOVED them! They fit better, absorbed better, etc.
Dim light - oh, yeah!
Diaper-rash cream - Sudocrem is what we use - amazing stuff, non-greasy, but sooo effective. A little pricier, but a little goes a long way.
Nipple-cream - sure - but if all goes fabulously then you won't need much of it. I used it for about a week with Joshua, and a day with Dustin - just didn't find that I needed it second time around. Expensive as all-get-out, but good stuff anyway. See if you have a friend close by that has some leftover (a friend gave me her leftovers, and I STILL had leftovers, even after Dustin! But it's expired now...).
SLING! I wore both my babies. LOVED it! This was the first thing I thought of when I read your question - and then I saw that someone else had written it, too. I still wear Dustin when we go grocery shopping some place where I don't need a cart. I use it in church sometimes (and that way it's tougher for people to steal your baby from you - especially if YOU just want to hold Bren!). And *gasp* I wear him sometimes when I'm doing meal prep. Not over a hot stove, of course. But he loves it, and I love it. I LOVE MY SLING! Ya, you gotta get one. The front baby carriers can be good, too, but neither of my boys liked it very much and I found the sling to be easier to slip off and on, and I was just as hands-free as if they'd been in a front-carrier. At the risk of sounding like a broken record - I LOVE MY SLING!! Oh yes, and try to get one with metal rings as opposed to plastic - just better quality IMHO. Easier to manipulate the fabric, too. I LOVE MY SLING! I got mine at Baby & Beyond - I think it's a Jellybean version. There's all kinds of them out there, just get one that's good (with metal rings) :).
Swing - again, see if a friend has one you can borrow. Hey, you can even borrow ours, if you want. It's an expensive investment to make, even worse if you find that your kid hates it. Neither of my boys really took that much to it - I was glad my swing was a gift - I didn't feel so bad, then - and I was able to lend it out to someone whose baby spent hours and hours in it!
Bouncy-chair. Very high on my list of "survival" gear. :) The kind with the built-in vibrations is niiiiiice. If I had a gentle vibrating massage every time I laid down, I'd be in heaven...
Earplugs. For those times when Brian's home, and you desperately need your rest, but Bren's awake and maybe not too happy - aside from feeding him/her again, Brian can do the rest! :)
Okay, that's all for now - hee hee - I'm sure I'll think of more later! :)
Take care - enjoy your pregnancy - it's going to get so much more amazing once Baby starts letting his/her presence be *felt*! :) Cherish this time...it's so beautiful...
Love you!
Mel
Dude. That was wierd. I have no idea why it posted as that username - I haven't used that in forever!
It should have posted as Melissa...you know, me! :)
They say the best advice about motherhood is to not listen to any advice.
i'm a die hard nurser (3+ years for some) & i also had a brutal time starting nursing, with mastitis every time, blisters, thrush, engorgement... if i were to give advice, it would be to be prepared for nursing & to perservere even if it's hard (don't worry, i think i'm in the minority on how bad it is for me). 2 necessities for being prepared, acidophilous (lots & before babe is born too) and cabbage leaves for engorgement that first week.
i bought a mai tai babyhawk carrier :) i've used slings & love them too.
How to get through the next several months without going crazy? Here's advice i wish i could take myself ~ (20 weeks on Thursday!!) Sleep. Have naps every day, go to sleep early, sleep in in the morning. When you have time, fill your freezer... Then go back to sleep.
Oh! Best advice ever: be grateful :) Helps get through the tougher days. Remember how blessed you are to be carrying this little one & thank God for the opportunity to be a mother. Gratitude goes a long way.
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