Flood, Family, and Friends....oh my!!

Well, I flooded the laundry room on Friday.  I was multi-tasking--filling the utility sink with water to wash my nursing pads and folding laundry in the living room.  I turned the sink on and went out to the couch to fold laundry.  Then, I decided to go take a shower.  Only after I was out of the shower did I realize I didn't turn the water off in the laundry room!! I grabbed EVERY towel in the house and threw it on the water.  I also used sheets and blankets to soak up the mess. 

Once I finished that, I called my father-in-law to see what else I needed to do.  He ended up coming over and helping me finish up the cleaning--which included down in the crawlspace where water seaped down and covered the plastic that was on the ground down there.  Ay ay ay!

I was so nervous to tell Mark, not sure why though.  He laughed and couldn't believe I did that! He's so understanding!

Here's a pic of the towel aftermath:

But on a happier note, Collin got some nice company today! Jason and Kendra visited and so did my friend Julie! I hadn't seen Julie in over a year so it was nice to catch up with her! Collin sure does have a lot cuddle buddies these days!

Friends

So, I was recently thinking about how Mark and I are blessed to have some pretty good friends in our life.  And that got me thinking about how we makes friends as we grow up. 

When we're little, I think everyone seems like your friend.  If you're lucky, you make it through elementary school with that same philosophy (if some mean kid doesn't call you an awful name and jade you).  When you get to junior high, you start to figure out a little bit about who you are and gravitate towards those people who share your beliefs; or, you're the new kid and you'll hang out with anyone who talks to you.  As you get into high school, you tend to have a core group of friends that you spend those next four years with.  But then you go to college, and it starts all over.  Some of your high school friendships survive those next four years, but many dissolve.  That was the case for me.  I have a handful of friends from high school that I still talk to and genuinely care about.  And it's interesting to look at how we have all changed over the last 10 years--we've matured, we've figured out what's really important in life, we've got a much better idea about who we really, truly are. 

I think college is where we meet some of our best friends, lifers.  I think we tend to be more selective in college.  There are thousands of people you see each day and you can pick who you want to see or avoid!  Mark are I are lucky to have met some really good friends while we were in college.  It's been fun to visit with them and watch as we've gone from double dates and bowling at the Purdue Student Union to being in weddings and visiting them with their children and watching them start a new life together. 

But then we graduate college and we're presented with a new place to meet friends:  work.  One of my best friends I met at the job I have now.  She and I have very similar personalities and conversations just flow.  We share pet peeves and interests.  It's amazing how God will lead you to people who bring joy and laughter to your life.

Aside from school and work, there are those chance meetings that turn in into life-long friendships.  That happened for Mark and I when we got married.  By chance, I came across this photographer's webpage and his pictures were awesome and the prices were even better.  5 years later, our families try and see each other once a month, since we live a few hours apart.  By chance, they were a part of our wedding day.  By choice, they've become a part of our family, even shooting Collin's one month pictures.  It's so neat that this friendship developed--thank goodness I came across that webpage 5 years ago!

So, I suppose this is a bit sentimental but I think it's awesome that we not only can be blessed with a wonderful family but also friends who might as well be family.

Washing Cloth Diapers

Here's my wash routine:

To begin with, since I am only breastfeeding, I do not rinse my diapers before I wash them.  Breastmilk stools are completely water soluble.  There's no need to rinse first. 

So, I wash all my diapers (24 one-size-fits-alls and 2 all-in-ones) together once on cold, again on hot with an extra rinse and an extra spin cycle (to really get out the water). 
We use Purex and so far, I haven't noticed a detergent build up--so that's good! I fill the cap a little less than 1/2 for each load.

It is recommended that you use the cheapest detergent you can find because it has the least amount of additives.  We also use a little bit of Biz in each wash cycle to fight stains--maybe a couple tablespoons per wash cycle.

Once washing is done, I dry the inserts on high heat and I hang dry the one-size-fits-all shells and all-in-ones. 

Since that makes a pretty big load, I wash my cloth wipes and other cloth items I may have used (prefolds, fleece that I put between the butt and diaper to protect it from getting zinc oxide cream on the diaper, flannel wipes I made) separately.  I follow the same wash routine as the diapers--but obviously I set it on a smaller load. 

And that's it! With 24 one-size-fits-all diapers, I wash every 3 days--so it's not too bad!

Now, I've heard that if the diapers start to show they aren't absorbing as well, you can strip them--I haven't had to do this yet, but I'll let you know how it works when I do.  But here's what bumgenius recommends:

Wash once in hot water with one teaspoon (for high efficiency machines) to one tablespoon (for regular washing machines) with original liquid Dawn (blue formula) and up to 1/2 cup bleach in the wash cycle.


Do two additional hot water washes with no detergent to completely rinse the diapers clean. If you still see suds, keep rinsing until the diapers are rinsed clean.

Nursing List Update

Wabash County REMC Building/Jami's Reception

Happy Bath Time

So it only took us about a month, but we finally have a good bath routine that Collin enjoys:

While I'm scrubbing and washing him, Mark pours warm water all over him.  Collin just seems content throughout the entire bath.  We think he even is beginning to understand what's coming when we get him all undressed. There's no crying, just cooing!

Love it :)

Home, Sweet Home

Tonight Mark went to play cards with a few of his cousins and it got me thinking about how thankful I am that we live so close to family.  When we first got married, we lived a few hours away.  It was good to be on our own at the beginning of our marriage.  It enabled us to establish ourselves as a couple, a family.  We also made some really good friends along the way.  But there came a point when we wanted to be back closer to family.  We knew we wanted to start having children and we wanted them to grow up knowing their grandparents and cousins, and second cousins, and great aunts and uncles.  So, 2 years ago we set out looking for jobs and made it back to Wabash.  And we've never looked back. 

Life here is truly wonderful.  I look around me and see the simple country landscapes; I hear...well...not much...and I breathe deep that fresh, country air.  Things around here go at a slower pace, a pace we happen to appreciate.  We joke that we do miss the restaurants from Greenwood--but we're saving money! Scenery and scents aside, the best part of living here is being so close to Mark's family.  Don't get me wrong; it would be awesome if my family could be just as close; but, everyone is spread out.  Thankfully, my siblings and parents make a great effort to visit--especially now that Collin is on the scene.

But within a 10 mile radius, we have Mark's parents, grandparents, several aunts and uncles, and cousins.  Nearly every Thursday we have a family dinner night with his parents, sister and brother-in-law.  When we need help, someone is always close by to lend a hand.  If I want to run some errands, Mark's mom can come right over and hang with Collin.  Sometimes, she comes over in the morning and holds Collin while I get some housework done.  Mark is able to help his dad get things ready for farming.  That right there was reason enough to move back--Mark so loves farming.  If he could make it his profession he would.  But knowing that he can help his dad all the time now, instead of just on weekends, makes me so happy because I see how much Mark loves it. 

I love being back here.  Having moved around a lot growing up, we lived by the motto "home is where your heart is."  Well, my heart has been in Wabash for more than 10 years now.  I have officially lived here longer than anywhere else in my 25 years of life.  I'm so relaxed and happy living here; I can be myself.  That wasn't always possible before.  I'm comfortable in my own skin here.  I bake pies and make jam.  I go blueberry and strawberry picking with family.  It's simple, peaceful, wonderful and I love it.

Mark and I are so blessed and fortunate to have the life we do.  I thank God every night when we go to bed for the life he has helped us create.  I truly want for nothing.

Nursing List Update

I can now add Dairy Queen to my list :)

These aren't your mother's cloth diapers...Part 1

There are TONS of options when it comes to using cloth diapers.  I thought I'd share what we've used so far:

An inexpensive way to cloth diaper is to use pre-folds and a diaper cover.  We bought DSQ unbleached prefolds at http://www.cottonbabies.com/ for less than 2 dollars a piece.  We also bought 4 Thirsties diaper covers.  I haven't used any other covers but I can tell you that the Thirsties brand diaper cover holds up extremely well!! (http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/) My covers have been washed more than 30 times and they still look brand new.  The covers cost between 10 and 12 dollars a piece.  The extra small size is great because it is cut lower to accomodate your newborn's umbilical cord stump. 

The friend who got me started on cloth diapering recommended we do this while Collin was an infant; it's cheaper than buying All-in-Ones for the number of diapers you change in those first few weeks. Also, the one-size-fits-all diapers are still a little big for most infants.

To start with, I would use 4-6 covers and 24-36 prefolds, so you don't have to wash laundry every day.  This would be enough to enable you to go a couple days before having to wash. 

These do not require any pinning or special, hard-to-do folding: 

When putting this on your baby, you want to make sure the diaper is all tucked into the cover or else urine could wick out.  If you're worried about your child being a heavy wetter, you can put in a doubler along with the pre-fold:

Now, we only used these for probably 4 weeks.  Now that Collin is bigger, we purchased 24 bumgenius One-Size-Fits-All diapers.  These are fantastic because they will fit him up to 35 pounds--so, we don't have to buy any more diapers to get him through potty training.  Additionally, if we wanted to have our kids close together, we could use these on both kids, instead of having to have different sized diapers for each kid. 

These are one-size-fits-all because they use snaps to go from the small to large setting. 

These are also what you call a pocket diaper because the insert (what absorbs the urine, etc) goes in through an opening in the diaper.

The last type of diaper we have used is the All-in-One.  We chose not to buy these because you have to buy them in sizes (xs, s, m, l)--they work wonderfully though and are really convenient because the insert is part of the diaper.  The downside is they take longer to dry; however, if you turn them inside out, they dry quicker.  These also have a pocket if you wanted to stuff a doubler in there for more absorbancy (long trip, night time, etc). It's recommended if you are going to use just all-in-ones that you by at least 12 in each size.  So, if you are looking for the easiest way to cloth diaper then this is what you want.

Regardless of what you choose, you are looking at spending 100-500 dollars; that's a fraction of what you will spend on disposables over the lifetime of diapering your children.  Unlike disposables, you can use these with multiple kids! So while it may be an initial cost up front with the first kid, imagine not having to buy anything for babies 2, 3, 4, 5, etc!

Cloth Diaper Tip

I found out that if I use a little bit of Biz in each wash cycle, it fights off the stains that can get left on cloth diapers.  It's fantastic! Of course, the best stain fighter is the sun but that's just not possible right now with all this ice and snow! I look foward to the summer when I can dry everything out on a clothesline!

A new feeling of love

Mark's been gone the last two days and just got home this evening.  As I write this, Collin is snuggled up on Mark's chest, relaxed and happy.  This is a nightly ritual for Mark and Collin; they snuggle in the recliner until it's bedtime. 

As I watch them, I realize that I have a new feeling of love for Mark.  I have loved/continue to love him as my best friend, my partner, and my husband; but now, I love him as Collin's father. It's so awesome to watch them interact and see the love and light in Mark's eyes when he's with Collin.  It makes my heart swell when Mark says things like "can you believe we made this little person?" and "of all the days he could have been born, he came on my birthday."  Mark is such a wonderful husband and father; Collin is a lucky little boy. 

Could it be...

Last night Collin slept in 4 hour increments! This is very exciting :) I don't mind getting up as many times as he needs but being able to get four straight hours of sleep is quite a treat.  I love my little man.

Thoughts after Mother's Group

Today was the 2nd time I attended a mother's group for breastfeeding. The group meets once a week at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne.  I know it's a bit of a drive, but it's nice to get out of the house and talk to other breastfeeding mommies.  It's great if you're having problems with nursing or if you just want to talk to other people who are breastfeeding.  Additionally, you can weigh your baby and be assured that s/he is getting enough to eat.  In fact, today Collin weighed in at 13.01 pounds--he was 12.04 at the doctor last week!

So, going to the meeting got me thinking about breastfeeding and I figured "why not share my thoughts?"

I think breastfeeding is one of the greatest gifts you can give your child.  It's incredible that God creates something that is perfect and, with a little (or a lot) bit of help, easily accessible for the child.  I read a book while I was pregnant called "Breastfeeding: A Parent's Guide" by Amy Spangler.  I HIGHLY recommend this book to pregnant and new moms who want to breastfeed.  I think so many times people think that babies and moms just know how to breastfeed but that just isn't true.  Breastfeeding is a learned activity.  The baby has to learn how to eat from the breast and the mom has to learn how to make sure baby gets latched on, among many other things.  By the time Collin was born, I was truly excited about breastfeeding. Something I found interesting was that if you are adopting, you can attempt to induce lactation--even if you've never been pregnant.  There are natural ways and also medicine you can take; isn't it amazing how our brain and body work?!

Initially, I didn't even think about breastfeeding being a bonding activity; I was excited about doing it because I knew it would provide such great nutrition for Collin, and it was free!( I'm told formula is like buying liquid gold). Now that we've been nursing for 6 weeks, I do realize there's a bonding feeling that happens when Collin nurses.  I didn't notice it at first; the first time I noticed was when someone else gave him a bottle of expressed breastmilk.  I missed nursing him.  Now that my milk supply is established and Collin is a pro at breastfeeding, I want to be able to have Mark give him a bottle of expressed breastmilk once a day, when he gets home from work.  I believe Mark should get to share in that bonding experience too. 

Starting out breastfeeding wasn't frustrating for me.  Since we were at the hospital for four days, I got plenty of time to meet with lactation consultants and use the hospital grade double breast pump--which is good when you are trying to establish your milk supply.  Mark is so wonderfully supportive of my breastfeeding Collin.  One day, while we were at the hospital, I wasn't feeling very confident about Collin latching on and eating correctly so Mark got on the phone with the nurse and asked if someone could come in and encourage me.  It was wonderful.  He's an amazing partner and I'm blessed to have him in my life.  While my experience was great, I know others might have a more frustrating experience.  I would encourage you to get educated and ask for help! Many ,if not all, hospitals have lactations consultants who are there to help you and your baby learn how to breastfeed. 

One of the best things to buy if you're serious about breastfeeding is a breastpump.  I bought the Medela Swing Breastpump because I knew I wasn't going back to work in the next 6 months and I didn't need a double breastpump; the Swing is a single breastpump.  I would recommend the double breastpump for moms who still want to provide breastmilk for their babies after they go back to work.  I have gotten a great deal of use out of my breastpump.  Once a day, usually in the morning, I pump so that I can make "breastmilk cubes" in case I need to be away or if Mark wants to feed Collin.  What's so neat is that my brain has learned that I do this so I am able to produce the extra milk without taking any away from Collin's feeding.  It's my wish to breastfeed Collin for 6 months before introducing other foods; after 6 months, I want to continue breastfeeding but work in other meals as well. 

One thing I found intriguing about the brain and milk production is that I needed a "trigger" to get my milk really flowing.  That trigger came at Collin's 1 week checkup . I was very concerned about Collin eating enough and gaining weight; he lost 10% of his birthweight in the hospital.  After his one week checkup, my confidence soared and my milk came in quite fully that very afternoon.  I've heard all it takes to breastfeed is a baby, breast, and brain; that statement couldn't be more true. 

For fun, I've thought about keeping a list of all the places I've nursed Collin.  That's another thing I didn't know I would do:  nurse Collin in public.  Before he was born, the thought of nursing him in public made me squirm.  Little did I know that I would lose ALL modesty while in the hospital.  I have no problem nursing Collin anywhere.  Now, when in public, I do use a nursing wrap because I don't need everyone seeing my boob before Collin latches on; but at home, I could care less--so be warned if you are coming over to visit--our home is a "boob friendly" environment.  So, back to the list-as it stands, Collin has had his meals at Wendy's, a CVS parking lot, Wabash Middle School, and rest stops along the way to Evansville.  I'm sure the list will grow.  The way I see it, Collin is having a meal, plain and simple.  There's nothing sexual about my breasts at that time; if it makes someone uncomfortable, then don't look. 

Alright, I've been on my soapbox long enough--all in all, if you are pregnant and aren't sure about breastfeeding, I recommend taking a class, reading the book by Amy Spangler, and learning about all of the benefits breastmilk has not just for your baby but also you.  It's an amazing and rewarding experience; although it may be inconvenient at times, I doubt many people ever have a baby because it's convenient.

And baby makes three..

So, in case you were curious, I thought I'd share our baby adventure:

On December 5th, 2009 we welcomed a new member to our family: Collin Robert Biehl. He was born 8 lbs 12 oz and 19 inches long.

At around 1:30 in the morning on the 5th I woke to use the restroom and on my way back to bed had a contraction. I thought to myself, "I need to just put my feet up..." and then I realized I had been sleeping for 4 hours. At about that time, my water broke--Now, many people told me it wouldn't be like it is on tv and the movies--well, it was for me! I looked down and thought "Oh!" I actually remembered that scene from "Friends" where Phoebe's water broke--yeah, it was like that. Anywho, I grabbed a towel and cleaned up the mess--not sure why. I went into the bedroom and told Mark that my water broke. I have never seen him get out of bed and moving so quickly! Now, throughout the pregnancy, Mark had said he hoped we'd have a clear sign that it was time to go to the hospital--well he got his wish! He also would talk to Collin in my belly and tell him that they should be birthday buddies--well, Collin listened to his father quite well!

So, Our hearts were racing but we were staying calm. We had my hospital bag packed and we tried to remember everything else: camera, cell phones, chargers, diaper bag...the only thing we forgot was our laptop--but Mark's mom and dad brought it to the hospital later.

So, we got in the car and headed to Lutheran. Along the way, we called our parents to let them know what was going on. All week long, my mom had been saying it would be real convient if we had the baby that weekend and if they could have a 6 hour notice so they could be at the hospital before he was born. Well, now I can tell her merry christmas! She got what she wanted.

So, I had a few contrations on the way to the hospital but none that bad. We made it to the hospital in about a half hour--driving 85 miles per hour the entire time. Once we got to the hospital, we got all checked in. I didn't realize all the questions I was going to have to answer once we got up to the birth floor. I frequently had to stop and breath before I could answer questions.

Once that was done, they got me settled into my labor room. The contractions continued to get a bit more painful--I was more than ready to get my epidural--and it was lovely once I got it! Mark and I settled in and watched some episodes of Friends--we remembered to grab the DVDs :). Each time the nurse checked me, she said I was progressing well. My parents popped in at one point to let me know they had arrived and my mom couldn't believe how relaxed Mark and I were--me especially--she never had an epidural (even when she delivered me (10 lbs) and my little brother (11 lbs)).

So I made it to 10 centimeters and began to push--for the next 1 hr and 45 minutes--I even tried to tag team and have Mark take over--didn't work :). The nurse thought Collin was getting into position but the doctor came and checked and she said he wasn't. She told us that we were the last people she thought she'd have to say this to since everything had gone so well, but she wanted to proceed with a c-section. At the time, Collin was doing well but she didn't know what 2 more hours of pushing would do to him. Mark and I had full faith in our doctor and said "let's do it."

Thankfully, they were able to use my epidural so I didn't have to be put under during the c-section. Mark was able to be in there with me. The next part seem to go so quickly. They had us in the c-section room, strapped me to the bed (I didn't like that) and put up the sheet--b/c you can't watch. It felt very weird! I could feel tugging and pulling but no pain. Once they got Collin out they said "well here's why he wasn't coming--he's so big!" When he came out he was really exercising his lungs!! It was the most moving sound I'd ever heard--I looked at Mark and said "we have a baby--it's our baby!"

They let me give Collin a kiss but then whisked him away and had Mark leave so they could sew me up. And in case you were wondering, if someone pushes on or moves your uterus, you will throw up. Anyways, I had to go to recovery for about 3 hours--I was chomping at the bit to see my baby! Mark was able to watch him get bathed and Stephanie, my sister-in-law, was great to record it all so I could watch it in recovery. Several people asked Mark the baby's name but he said we couldn't name him until I got to hold and see him-to make sure the name fit!

So once we made it to our hospital room, I finally got to hold Collin. All I can say is wow--I mean, I know I carried him for 9 months and had him but it seemed so surreal. I couldn't believe this little person who had been inside of me just 12 hours beforehand was there, snuggled up on my chest.

And after that, lots of visitors came in and showered Collin with love. My doctor, the nurses, and the lactation consultants were all phenomenal at Lutheran; the 4 days at the hospital flew by. It was quite emotional at times once Collin developed jaundice b/c he had to go under the billight. We could get him to feed him but there was no time to snuggle or anything like that. Also, it broke my heart b/c he would cry and cry when they put him under the light and I couldn't do anything to help. I was so thankful on our last day there that they said his level had dropped and he could go home!

It was quite a different drive back home -- 60 miles per hour! Mark even stopped at one point so he could lean back in his chair and check on Collin :) He's such a wonderful father; it comes very natural to him!

And now here we are, one week later--learning as we go! Collin is such an amazing little man. He constantly entertains us with his noises and faces. My heart melts every time Mark and Collin "talk" and snuggle; Mark still thinks it's pretty awesome that he and Collin have the same birthday. We questioned our abilities after the 1st night home but Collin taught us a lot--like, he doesn't like the dark (duh--he was in the nursery at the hospital with lots of light and hooplah), and sometimes he just likes to cuddle after feeding--not lay right back down. But things are going well and breastfeeding is getting better--I'm so excited about that--it's such a neat experience providing for Collin that way. And now we take it one day at a time...learning and growing with our son.

We are truly blessed.

New Parent Musings

So I was thinking today what I would say are "must haves" for first-time parents based on what we use frequently. Here's what I've come up with during these first 6 weeks of Collin's life:
1. Co-sleeper: it is so nice not having to get out of bed to nurse Collin
2. Pack n' Play: I'd have to lay him on the floor in the living room if we didn't have this
3. Wipe Warmer: Collin prefers warm wipes instead of cold ones on his tush
4. Sleeper sacks: These are a godsend for diaper changes at night time! I just unzip, change him, and zip him back up! Quick and painless.
5. Medela Swing Breastpump: This has been great! It's just as good as the one I used at the hospital and is quite useful for building up my milk stock.
6. Multi-use pads: These are great for changing Collin's diaper wherever we are.
7. Cloth diapers: I know I say it a lot, but cloth diapers are fantastic, easy, and cost effective!
8. Cloth wipes: it just makes sense to use cloth wipes if you're going to use cloth diapers
9. Sling or carrier: Sometimes, Collin just wants to be held; so, I snuggle him into my sling and go about my day.
10. Carseat/Stroller combo: It's so nice and easy to just go from the car to the stroller with little hassle.
11. BLANKETS!!: Our blankets are great for snuggling, cleaning up spit up, protecting Collin from the cold..so many uses!
12. "Milk Weeds" (nursing pads): They are super absorbent, soft, and-best of all-reusable!
13. Good size diaper bag: I keep mine stocked and ready to go
14. Baby t-shirts: I rarely dress Collin up unless we are going out--usually he just chills in a diaper and t-shirts!
15. Baby socks: Easy to put on and keep his feet warm
16. Baby bath tub: Makes bath time easy
17. Kneeling pad for the bathtub: Makes bath time less painful for mommy and daddy

So, this is based on all of 6 weeks that I've been a parent. I look forward to seeing what I add to this list as Collin grows!

Cloth Diapers

So, 6 weeks in and I think choosing to do cloth diapers was one of the best decisions we made! Besides being good for the environment, we are saving a great deal of money! Collin is big enough now that he fits nicely into the bum genius one-size-fits-all diapers; these are great because they go on just like a disposable. They are what you call a pocket diaper be/c you put the insert (absorbant pad) into the diaper shell; this is nice because when Collin is sleeping longer through the nights, I can put an extra insert into the shell and have more wetness protection. Also, the shells and inserts dry very quickly (shells hang dry while inserts go in the dryer).


In addition to cloth diapers, we are using cloth wipes--another money saver! I just wet them and keep them in the warmer. It's nice because I can just ball the wipe up in the diaper and throw it all in the "diaper pail" (trash can). I just ordered a cloth diaper pail liner be/c we were going through trash bags like crazy! I'm excited be/c you could choose from all these different colors! Who would have ever thought I'd be excited about a cloth trash bag?! And the best part is that I can throw the liner into the wash with the diapers! I know that once Collin switches over to food other than breastmilk cloth diapering will be a little less pleasant- but Mark will install a diaper sprayer (attaches to the bottom of the toilet tank so you can spray off the solids into the toilet). It's easy to keep doing this knowing it's good for Collin, the environment, and our wallets!!

Why Blog?

I set up this blog to share my thoughts, opinions, general wonderings, etc. I'm no expert in life but I like to share what I've learned; I also enjoy learning from others. So, enjoy and feel free to comment!