Cloth Diapers....Getting S**tfaced

We decided about a week before Thuglet was born to use cloth diapers. It was mainly for the money savings but we also felt really good about not having so much waste. 

So far, I love them!

And one might say, "well you have never used disposable, so how do you know." Before our babymoon vacation that person would have been right, but we used them for three days on that vacation and I love them even more now. 

There are some obvious drawbacks....cleaning them after they have been decimated by the Thuglet. We have enough diapers to wash every two or three days, but when that times comes around it is not the most fun ever had. Both Husby and I clean them and it is about a ten minute process.

There is a small walkway to the laundry room with a hose bib. The hose has a power spray nozzle on it and that is where all the magic happens. The diapers companies say you don't have to clean them out while the baby is exclusively breastfeed but the idea of putting that much fecal matter into the washing machine rubs the wrong way.

For the most part the washing out is just tedious, but at least once during the process the water sprays up into your face. This always occurs when you are washing a "duke-filled" diaper. And believe me there are a lot of them. As I was watching Husby cleaning them out this weekend, he got a good face full of Thuglet's duke and realized that he totally just got "shitfaced." Not the cool kind, where you don't remember what happened the day before. No, the gross kind where you have microscopic specks of your kid's shit on your face. 

Good times! 

Essentials and unnecessaries: Baby Stuff

Having a baby requires a lot of supplies and you really don't know what is essential and what is unnecessary until you are in the trenches. Some of the supplies you can just wait on until they are older. Here are my newborn essentials and unnecessaries:

Essentials:

• Moby Wrap/Ergo both great carriers
• Muslin Swaddling Blankets (I have twelve and use them all)
• Softbums Cloth Diapers (they are so amazing, infrequent leaking, no smells) 
• Bouncy Chair
• Nuk pacifiers (only ones he'll take)
• Medula "pump in style" (necessary to build up the stash for returning to work)
• Sleep and play one
  
  piece outfits (long sleeves, pants, with attached feet totally necessary if you have a winter baby)
• Sleep sacks/dress (so easy to change during the night)
• Petunia Pickle Bottom Weekender (awesome for everything you need)
• Boppy pillow (use it several times a day)
• Wash clothes (babies are messy)
• Portable changing cloths

Unnecessaries (at least for the first two months):

• Crib (I'm sure we'll use is soon but he is sleeping with us)
• Pack 'n' Play for sleeping (it is used as changing station)
• Swing (very hit or miss) (if you get one, get the Graco; you can plug it in)
• 10 bottles of baby wash (haven't even gone through 1/2 a bottle)

2 month shot = Sad

The saddest moment in my experience of my son's life so far...his shots.

The two month appointment was great up until that point.
He is growing consistent with his curve: 15 percentile for weight and 50 percentile for height.

He is strong and healthy and then they mention the vaccines. Thuglet was going to receive eight different vaccines: one orally and three as injections.

The oral one he didn't really like but tolerated. Moment of truth time! I am a little queasy so I just looked at Thuglet's face and tried to distract him.

"A little pinch" the nurse said. He made a weird face and then BAMMMM...he broke down. I have never even heard him cry like that in his life. (yes, I know his life has been very short but still)

And of course, I started crying. I couldn't help it. He was so sad. They hit him twice in the left thigh and once in the right thigh. He was upset the whole time.

He was able to calm down in about 10 minutes and after some good nursing. The rest of the day he was sleepy or upset. I did purchase a Moby Wrap right after we left the appointment and that was a Godsend. The Moby allowed me to do skin-to-skin and he slept very well.

The Sweetness of Doing Nothing: Our Babymoon

This weekend was our first vacation as a family of three. Husby, Thuglet and I made our way up the coast to Solvang. 

Our goal: bond as a family of three and eat some aebleskivers (see below)

Thuglet did not like the car ride up. I spent the majority of the drive in the back seat trying to make him happy. How do you make a two month old strapped in a car seat happy? I am still uncertain. If you know... share, please!

The best part about traveling with Husby is our shared vacation philosophy: do nothing.

I really love traveling some place new, staying in a nice hotel room, and having nothing on the agenda. I want to just float through the days. Walking, eating, just hanging out.

That is just what we did! Thuglet helped a lot because he doesn't do much more than eat and sleep at this point.

The best part about the weekend was that Husby and Thuglet were able to bond with each other. Husby could spend uninterrupted time with the little man and work on his Thuglet-wrangling skills.

 We visited Ostrichland and fed some large birds. Those things are crazy. They look like dinosaurs.

The first day we watched Sideways and went to the Hitching Post 2 and had a good meal.

And on our way home we stopped by my tattoo artist's new studio. We dropped off a few shirts and introduced them to Thuglet.

Great time with my two boys!