Baby Cooking Show

I love to cook and now that I have a baby, cooking is a much more challenging task.  It takes me twice as long to get everything done in the kitchen because I have to make sure Jack is in a safe place before I start anything and he is Happy.  That is the key to being able to do any cooking.  So, a few weeks ago, I started putting Jack is his little chair, putting him on the dinning room table and putting it in the middle of the kitchen.  Then my baby cooking show commences.  Since he is at eye level with me I am able to talk to him and show him what I am doing, he stays content for quite a while.  Majority of the time I am able to get dinner completed without too much fussing and a whole lot of smiles.  So thinking of Rachel Ray, or any of those other cooking show ladies and then think of me a mom, just trying to get dinner made, making silly faces and explaining the process of cooking to a 2 month old.  I'm sure it is quite funny to watch. 

Sleep or the Lack There Of

I don't think any of us new mom's really ever think that we will lose that much sleep while we are pregnant.  Yes, you hear the stories, you are told you will be uncomfortable, and sleep will become something of the past.  But do we really believe anyone telling us this until it actually happens?  No, I didn't.  Then comes the baby and sleep is something you start day dreaming about.  Who would have ever thought that such a little person could require so much of your undivided attention?  Feeding around the clock, diaper changes constantly, cleaning up spit from you, the baby and any where else it landed.  Then there is laundry, some how my two loads a week went to about 6 a week.  Wow, was that depressing.  I didn't like doing laundry before having a baby and I sure don't like it now that I have more to fold and put away.  I guess I could be like my sister.  I laughed a little when she said that when she washes her kids clothes they don't get folded, just thrown into the clean basket to be gone through when the kids needed clothes on.  However, I think I am too much of a control freak to do that.  I need things to be put away and organized.  Yes, I know that having a little boy is eventually going to destroy that way of thinking, but I can live in my fantasy world of clean and orderly until he becomes mobile and is into everything.

Anyways, back to the lack of sleep which is what I really meant to be talking about.  For the first 4 weeks of my son's life I thought I was a walking zombie.  Sleep was hard to come by since I am breastfeeding exclusively and that means no one else in the house can help with that part of care for the baby.  But I have to say that I am amazed and very thankful that we are almost to 3 months old and Jack is sleeping awesome hours at night.  Today he slept until 10:10am and so did I.  I have to say that he did get up to eat at midnight, 4am for a diaper change and feeding and again at 7am for diaper changing and feeding, but he has never gone back to sleep again for that long in the morning.  So for anyone out there that is day dreaming about sleep like I was... eventually things will get better.  Gotta love a Monday morning where you and your baby get to sleep until 10am.  It must be a sign for a good week.

Happy Monday Everyone!

Does Anyone Hear A Crying Baby?

So the past few weeks I thought I had been losing my mind.  I kept hearing Jack crying, but when I would go check on him... no crying.  Several times in one day this would happen to me and it was driving me crazy.  Then, not to long ago a good friend of mine said she heard babies crying that weren't really crying.  I thought to myself, "Awww, I am not crazy.  Or are we both going crazy and we just don't know it yet?"  Anyways, I thought this was so funny because again today it happened twice.  Maybe I am just worried I am not going to hear him crying and so I talk myself into believing there is a crying baby in the house.  I don't know, but I just thought that since it happens to two of us it must happen to others.  So if I write about it and just one other person feels better that they are not the only ones hearing a crying baby that isn't really there, they just might feel better about themselves. 

A few minutes to spare

Shhhh... Jack is sleeping.  I have a few minutes this morning to write and I am really starting to find the few minutes I get to do this very relaxing.  Anyways, I thought I would write about spare time this morning.  I have some of that, but I find myself sitting here at the computer wasting my time surfing the internet and reading blogs instead of doing chores like the dishes, laundry, vacuuming which really needs to be done and a number of other things.  But since my two very awesome friends have moved away I find I have a lot more time on my hands to be by myself or should I say with Jack by myself.

So I was wondering this morning what is it that I should start accomplishing as I get spare time.  Meaning when Jack takes a nap... What Should I Do?  Good question.  I guess I should start leaving out a pen and paper to make my list during the day and I just might get something accomplished besides brushing my teeth and changing diapers.  Well my spare time has run out.  Jack is crying got to go.  Happy Friday Everyone!

Cloth Diapers v. Disposable Diapers

Once again it's diaper day, meaning time to wash my awesome Softbums cloth diapers.  So many people gave me such a hard time when I decided I was going to use cloth instead of disposable.  But I had done my research and knew that being a stay at home mom we were going to have to cut back on our expenses.  So for any of you that are hell bent on sticking with your disposable diapers and throwing away money every time you change your child go ahead and stick to your guns.  But if you think for one second that cloth diapering is harder, more expensive, or bad for your washing machine... think again. 

We have been cloth diapering Jack since he was a week and a half old.  We couldn't start right away because he came out a boy.  Meaning we had him circumcised like so many other little boys and couldn't use the cloth diapers until that healed up.  Anyways, during that week and a half we had so many, shall we say explosions, leaks, and yes a diaper rash.  We then went on our first family trip at 6 weeks old and had to use disposables again and we had a terrible time with them.  Leaks, explosions, a really bad diaper rash and we used over 90 diapers just for that week.  So needless to say we hate disposable diapers.  Even my husband LOVES using cloth diapers.  He doesn't love the few covers I have bought with snaps but overall he loves them.  We have only had one or two explosions and never had a leaking diaper.  Jack hasn't had a diaper rash since we stopped using the disposables and we are both happier because of it.

Now you might ask how expensive it is but in reality we are spending less because cloth is reusable.  My diaper stash was all gifted to us but costs about $375.  Now when you think about that, yes it's a lot up front, but over time you disposable families are spending a lot more.  As for washing them, once I got into the routine and know I need to throw them into the wash every other day and hang them to dry, it can't get any easier than that.  We never run out of diapers and have to run to the store at ten o'clock at night, we don't have crazy diaper rashes, and I know Jack is comfortable in cloth rather than the plastic/paper disposable diaper. 

So if you are still second guessing it all that's okay.  But if you think for one second you might want to try it, what's the harm.  Spend the $30 on a try me pack and see how you like them.

Bathroom Breaks

So it occurred to me yesterday that I hadn't gone pee for hours even though I needed to.  I realized that every time I tried there was something else that was taking priority.  Switching over the laundry, soothing a crying baby, answering the phone, eating and so on.  Then as I finally made it to the bathroom and sat down I started to laugh a little.  I knew I only had a few seconds before Jack started screaming because he couldn't see me so I better hurry.  Except that nothing would come out.  I didn't need to pee any more.  Grrr... I know I have to go I have been holding it forever.  So the next thought that came to mind was my good friend who used to ask me soon after I walked in the door if I would watch the kids for a minute while she went to the bathroom.  I always thought this was funny since I didn't have any children of my own at the time.  I of course always said yes, the kids went on with what they were doing and I supervised.  Now I understand.  Now that I am a mom I understand that getting to go to the bathroom is more of a privilege than a right.  And then when you finally get to go, most of the time there is going to be an audience.

My husband asked me one night to take Jack because he had to go pee and all I could think is "no way, take him with you.  That's what I have to do."  Don't get me wrong I love my son like there is no tomorrow, but sometimes I just need a few minutes to myself.  So I joked for a few minutes with him and finally took Jack.  But, it made me wonder how my husband would do by himself all day long with Jack.  Anyways, I'm sure every mommy and daddy has their funny stories about going potty or needing to go, but I just had to share mine.  

Bodily Functions

How many times in one day would you think you could be peed on, spit up on, pooped on and so forth?  Well, I think I am reaching a new record today.  By the time I get cleaned up from whatever has most recently soaked me, I get hit again.  Of course it almost always happens with a big smile coming from my little guy... not me.  But then what am I supposed to do, be upset with that huge grin smiling up at me?  No, just clean it off and move on with the day.  I am crossing my fingers that when my husband gets home I will get a moment to take a shower.  Jack seems to be a bit clingy which makes it hard to shower and say... get clean.  He is napping again which is nice, but this time it's in my lap and not in his bed.  So I sit here leaning over him, typing away wondering if I dare move.  Do I just sit and let him sleep or should I attempt to put him down and get the laundry and dinner started?  I find that this thought goes through my head many times during the day.  I guess that would be why some days I spend 90% of my day sitting and starring at his cute little face and try to think of what I used to do to fill my days.

I did accomplish two things today before 5pm.  I got all my washed cloth diapers put away... yes sometimes they hang on the drying rack in the middle of the living room for more than a day or two.  And I bought 10 marinated steaks for $30.00.  It was from some door to door sales men and I was supposed to buy a whole case, but I don't have the freezer space for that, let alone the money.  So, they offered a try-me price for one case (10 steaks) for $30.00 and I knew that was a great deal.  Speaking of deals it's Wednesday, I need to get going on the new grocery sales and get my coupon binder back in order.  Off to go set this little guy down and cross my fingers I can get a load of laundry started before he wakes up.

New to Everything

So I stumbled upon the whole Twitter thing because I wanted to win a new cloth diaper cover for my son.  There was going to be a Twitter Party... whatever that was and I wanted in.  Since I am a new mom and don't have time for learning anything new right now, I quickly took the few mintues I had and signed up for a Twitter account and followed the instructions to RSVP, yes I said RSVP to a Twitter party.  Kind of silly I thought as I proceeded to do it.  Then I did all the extra things to get more chances to win the diaper cover.  The next night, I logged in, tweeted and low and behold between putting the little one to bed and all the fussing I won!!  It's amazing what will get you excited when you stay at home all day with a newborn and try to wait patiently  for your better half to get home.  Okay, I'm the better half but I thought I would be nice.  The next thing I new I was finding people to follow on Twitter and waiting for new Twitter parties to be posted so I could win more stuff.

As the title reads "new to everything" I am recently new to being alone.  Alone in the terms of my two closest friends who lived next door and three doors down have moved far, far away.  Both within a month of each other.  So now here I sit reading tweets and blogs and playing with my little guy all day.  Oh and don't forget trying to get laundry, cloth diapers washed, cook dinner, feed the dog... need I go on.  So this thought occurred in my head that I have time for one more thing in my life, right?  Maybe this will be a good way to feel as though I am connected to the world as I embark on this new adventure of being a MOM.