Cloth Diapers: Our Newborn Stash

I wrote this post before baby arrived.  He is still in disposables at the moment, but we will start using cloth soon.  I'll be sure to snap some photos to post!

Esther's cloth diapers have all been through three kids and are about done for, so I bought new ones this time around.  I watched Black Friday sales and other deals and got these at great prices.  I'll admit the stash looks pretty boyish, but I couldn't very well buy pink in case we have a boy.  Blues and greens work either way.  If we have a girl I am going to order the lovelace print and a couple of pinks to round out the colors.

On the top shelf are mostly BumGenius one size snap pocket diapers.  On the right are size small Fuzzi Bunz and the tiny one in the front is an xsmall Fuzzi Bunz.  I have two of those and they are oh so cute!  The BumGenius are all set to the newborn size with just the newborn insert stuffed in them for now.

The bottom shelf holds prefolds, size one Seventh Generation disposables (for the first week), a couple of covers and fitted diapers, toddler size prefolds (to use as changing pads), and boxes of cloth and disposable wipes.  I am definitely a pocket diapering momma, but have prefolds and fitteds on hand just in case baby's tiny legs do not fit well in the pocket diapers at first.  I also like them for back-up, when diaper laundry is not done on time.  The prefolds are organic yellow edge GMDs, my absolute favorite.  I love how they are sized shorter than other prefolds and fit so much better.  The covers that I have are Thirsties Duo Wrap size one with snaps.

The BumGenius will last us all of baby's diapering years!  I have a couple of Medium Fuzzi Bunz that are probably still good that baby will use eventually too.  I have tried various sized fitteds and other brands over the years but am happy with our simple pocket stash now.  I love having all snap diapers - no more icky velcro that doesn't stay on and gets nasty in the wash.

If you're curious: I went through and added up my receipts from the various orders.  For 17 Bumgenius, 1 Thirsties cover, 2 xs Fuzzi Bunz, a pail liner, wet bag, and 5 small Fuzzi Bunz (like new from a friend) I spent a total of $297.26  Part of that was funded by selling other cloth diapers that I had and didn't want.  Everything but the small Fuzzi Bunz were purchased new from online stores.  I already had the prefolds, fitteds, and cloth wipes from last time.

Even if you were new to cloth diapering and had to purchase a few more items, you would still be saving sooo much money over disposables!  Oh, and I still have enough rewards money from Abby's Lane to get two free Bumgenius in pink if I end up needing them.  ;)  For a premium stash that will last all of baby's diapering years, I'm happy with the total.  Because the diapers are all new, I'm sure they'll last through one or two more children as well.  (That would cut the cost of diapering down to $150 or $100 per child!)

I think we're all set!  Now to have a baby to put these diapers on!  Of course I will post newborn fluffy bottom photos just as soon as I can.  :)

Our "Nursery"

We live in a small two bedroom home.   ....with three children, and number four on the way.  Needless to say, we don't have a nursery.  I much prefer sleeping near my babies anyway.  I love having the baby nearby and nursing/ snuggling through the night for the first couple of years.

When Esther was born, we put a bed rail on the side of our bed and she slept with us from day one.  This time around we have a new king size latex mattress that is rather soft.  I got a mini co-sleeper for the baby to use at first.  After baby outgrows the co-sleeper, we'll probably add the bed rail back on our bed; at that point the soft mattress won't be as much of a concern.

I've been nesting like crazy lately - I think the bedroom is all done and set up for the most part!  I even vacuumed the dust bunnies from under the shoes in the closet today.  Here is our new bed, co-sleeper, and the Gia nursing pillow that I'm excited to try out.  Oh, and the big sister gifts are wrapped and sitting up on the bookshelf there.  (Big Sister shirts and cute little silicone bracelets that say "I'm a BIG Sister!"  They even had a smaller size that I think will fit Esther well.)  The zippered part under the co-sleeper holds my aden + anais swaddling blankets, dream blanket (Black Friday deal!), and a few other blankets.

The co-sleeper still needs to be strapped tight to the bed under the mattress.  I am hoping the little sleep sheep will muffle some of the big sister noise in our small house.  This book light hooks perfectly on the co-sleeper and I can swivel it around so that its not shining right in baby's face.  It will be nice to turn on for nursing without having to get out of bed.  Ross has had this particular one for a couple of years and it has worked well.  I did steal it from him, but ordered him another one.  ;)

On the co-sleeper, I have this organic waterproof pad and this organic sheet.  They are much cheaper than the ones that Arm's Reach sells, fit nicely, and are stretchy and soft.  The waterproof pad is a few inches smaller around than the mattress, but still works well.  I have two of each for when one set is in the wash!  (Note: I have the Arm's Reach Mini Co-sleeper, in case you are thinking of getting these sheets.  You would have to find other sheets for a full size co-sleeper.)

From the other corner of the room you can see: my nicely decorated door (artwork that the girls give to us gets taped up there), handprint canvases, and my birth box on the floor.  (I'll do a separate post on that.)  The bottom drawer of the dresser holds baby's clothes.  The three basket shelf has my slings and nursing cover in the top basket, burp cloths in the second, and extra cloth diapering things in the bottom one.  My new diaper bag is sitting on top of the shelf and is partly packed with a few things (wet bag, changing pad, etc.).

Because we don't know if baby is a boy or a girl, I pulled out all of the neutral clothes and washed them. If its a girl, we'll dump the rest of the 0-3 month clothes box in the washing machine.  If its a boy, we'll have to go shopping!

On my desk I have a baby scale.  I bought that when Esther was having so much trouble nursing, just to be sure she was gaining well.  The shelves contain our homeschool books and toys, and cloth diapers on the bottom.  Baby's car seat is also sitting there, all washed and ready to be installed in the van.

That's about it!  I spared you a photo of the nursing bras and tanks, nursing pads, and pjs in my dresser.  I think our bedroom could use something decorative on the wall above our bed, but otherwise it is nice and cozy and ready for baby.  :)  Now I need to go "nest" the rest of the house....

33 weeks

Some days I feel like I have a looong way to go yet with this pregnancy.  The baby feels huge and I am exhausted and out of shape.  Other days I feel like I have a ton yet to do and my due date is quickly approaching.  I warned Ross last week that nesting was probably about to begin soon.  He is usually a pretty good sport about helping me get things done and ready for the baby.

To Do:

- Keep taking my vitamins: prenatals, fish oil, and red raspberry leaf tea (steeped for two hours, blech).  Add in evening primrose oil and more tea at 36 weeks.

- Finish gathering items for my birth kit and put a waterproof cover on the mattress.  I was able to run out this weekend and gather a few things.  I also just placed an order with Vitacost for Earth Mama Angel Baby (nipple butter, bottom balm, etc.), Seventh Generation pads, and misc things.

- Make and freeze meals for after baby arrives.  My goal is to freeze at least one a week starting now.  Or maybe I just need to have one big baking day and do it all at once?  I should at least make a list of what I want to freeze and go from there.

- Sort out neutral baby clothes and wash them.  Figure out where to put them.  This may involve reconfiguring the dresser situation in the girls' bedroom and changing how I store their clothes.  I don't know, we're about out of space in our tiny house.  I need to think of a creative solution!

- Choose names!!  We have a few that we like, but nothing is settled on.

- Make a few more baby purchases: the co-sleeper, sheets, and a portable swing.  First we have to get the box spring and frame for our own bed, then I can measure the height and order the co-sleeper.  We got a nice new mattress this past fall, but its been on the floor so far until we could decide what kind of bed frame to get.

- Organize and wash cloth diapers.  Figure out where to put these as well.  Take inventory and decide if I need to buy anything else.  Maybe another cover or two?  I'll have to post a newborn cloth diaper stash photo soon.  :)

Eeek, what else am I forgetting?  This is just my "baby to do" list, then there is everything else I would like done - the bedroom organized, - school papers all filed and sorted, - the basement playroom cleaned, ... and so on.  Nesting has definitely begun!

Pregnancy Update

Exact weeks/days pregnant: 17 weeks

When did you find out? Very early on.  I had to go to the dentist and didn't want an x-ray if I was pregnant.  The line was so faint I ended up telling the dentist that "I might be pregnant."  lol

What size is the baby right now? As big as avocado, but babycenter.com says he/she will double his weight in the next few weeks, yikes!

Weight gain/ loss: Honestly I don't keep close track of this.  My stomach is huge, so I've gained for sure!

Maternity clothes?  Yep, I'm in that "nothing fits" stage.  Maternity clothes still look a bit baggy on me, but my normal clothes are definitely too tight.  I'm wearing a pair of my husband's pajama pants right now.  He's not much bigger than me though, so that doesn't work for long.

Stretch marks?  These tend to show up after I have the baby and my skin is shrinking back to its old size.  I'm not good about remembering to put lotion on.  :/

Sleep?  Since Esther stopped nursing a couple of weeks ago, I get to sleep through the night a bit better.  I still wake up to pee and of course tend to the occasional 6 year old or 4 year old who get up.

Food cravings?  I'm eating pretzel crisps with Nutella on them at the moment.  Mmmm.  I don't know if I've had any cravings lately.  Some random ones I've had are chicken soup, and potatoes.

Gender?  We are having a homebirth again with a midwife.  She doesn't do ultrasounds unless for some reason she thinks one is necessary.  Ross is happy to have it be a surprise again, while the suspense kind of drives me nuts.  

Belly button in or out?  Eh, mostly flat and starting to poke out.

Movement? Yes!  This past week I've felt baby kick or wiggle most every day, sometimes several times a day.  :)

Best moment this week?  Ross keeps putting his hand on my stomach trying to feel the baby move.  I think it will be a while before he can feel it, but its cute that he is excited.  

Anything else?  I'm happy that the constant nausea is finally gone, but I've been extremely exhausted these past few days.  I need to drink my Red Raspberry Leaf tea and remember my vitamins daily.

What I'm looking forward to:  So much - finding out if its a boy or a girl, seeing the girls' reactions to the new baby, meeting this new little person, having another homebirth.  (Ross wants to catch the baby again, although we'll try to have the midwife arrive on time this round...)

Milestones:  Hm... I don't know?  I'm in the second trimester?  Almost half way there?  Eeek!

(I know, this post needs a belly picture!  I'll have to take one soon.)

Its All So Important

It was September 2004, we had just confirmed at the doctor's office that we were indeed pregnant with our first baby. I called my parents in Texas and told them the news and then we headed over to Ross' parents house in town to tell them in person. Backing up a bit...

The summer before, when we had gotten our Chocolate Lab puppy, Leia, we brought her over to Ross' parents house in a cardboard box. We handed them the box with Leia inside and some towels that she was wrapped up in. They didn't know that we were getting the puppy and were surprised and loved her right away. "Grandpa" pulled out his camera and they called her their "grand-dog". They had a Black Lab as their first "child" too. Yes, it was a bit silly, but that's the back story to this.

So, a year later... we decided to wrap the pregnancy test in some towels and put it in a big box. I added a jar of applesauce for some weight. When we arrived, we handed Ross' parents the box and said "You're going to be Grandparents again." It took them several minutes of searching the box looking for another puppy until Ross' sister pulled out the pregnancy test and started hugging us. His mom realized the news soon after that, and I think his dad was still looking for the puppy for another minute. Once everyone calmed down and stopped hugging us, we decided to go out to eat for dinner and then shopping at Target for a couple of baby things to celebrate.

We chose a pacifier and a little stuffed duck, and were wandering around. I picked up the book "Consumer Reports Best Baby Products" and was paging through it. I started reading the section about pacifiers and how latex was not a good idea because of possible latex allergies and a few other reasons they gave. Silicone was a better choice. I looked down at the cart - the pacifier was latex! I was horrified, and immediately told Ross that we had to go completely across the store back to the baby section and find a different pacifier. I think at that point he thought I was a bit insane, but went along with it.

I was shocked. I never knew that there could be a "wrong" type of pacifier. It was all so important though. I was responsible for this little being and everything in its world depended on me and my decision making. From that moment on I became obsessed with researching the best baby product choices for my new little one. I spent hours reading reviews and thinking about the pros and cons of different options. Honestly, I still do.

I've learned a lot since then about product safety, toxins, and more. I not only read reviews, but research the product from a few more angles now. I enjoy sharing what I'm learning on my blog, whether its a product review or something like how to use a cloth diaper. Being pregnant with my third baby, I haven't had to do quite as much research this time around, but I did still have a list of things I wanted or needed. Of course each item had to be thoroughly thought through.

I am going to be doing a series of baby product reviews this coming month. Each of the items that I'm reviewing are things I personally chose to use with this new baby. Most of the companies are offering a giveaway item or a discount code to my readers as well. I hope you enjoy this series and find it helpful. I'm sure you'll get to see lots of cute photos of my new little one trying out the products as we go. Let me know if you have questions or thoughts about the different items, and be sure to enter the giveaways!

Story Number Three

If you haven't already, you'll want to go read Story Number One and Story Number Two before you read this one. I also wrote a post with some of my Thoughts on Home Birth a couple of weeks ago. So, Story Number Three begins...

We were planning a home birth this time, and I had been seeing a midwife throughout my pregnancy. I really enjoyed the personal care, focus on a healthy pregnancy, and just the overall view of pregnancy as healthy and normal rather than it being a medical event. Ross had been to most of my prenatal visits with me and was completely supportive. I was excited and a bit nervous.

Towards the end of my pregnancy, all of the unknowns really started to get to me. Aside from (of course) not knowing when the baby would arrive, we didn't know the gender of the baby since we hadn't had an ultrasound. Ross was looking forward to the surprise this time, but it was driving me a bit crazy not to know. Both times previously, my water had broken quite dramatically, so I kept wondering when and if that would happen. I told my mom I felt like a walking water balloon, ready to pop any minute! Not having had a home birth before, I didn't feel like I had a clear picture in my head of how things would go, what position I would give birth in, or just what it would all be like. Julia was 2 weeks and 2 days early, so that was my date to have everything ready by, but it also made the wait beyond that date feel so much longer. I had to try very hard to remain patient and calm with all of this swirling through my head those last few weeks!

There were a couple of days in my 38th week where I had some contractions and felt pretty achy, but for the most part I was just feeling normal end of pregnancy stuff. Ross had some time around Christmas where he was able to be home from work and we spent our days in pajamas playing with Lucy and Julia and relaxing. We kept wondering if this would be the day for baby to arrive, but he/ she seemed to be pretty comfortable in there. Ross went back to work on January 4th, and I started to get nervous. I was almost 39 weeks at that point, and he worked 45 minutes from home. Incidentally, his office is in the same building as the midwife, so they would both be pretty far away if I went into labor during the day.

At a couple of my appointments I told Yolanda (midwife) that I was nervous about her arriving in time when I was in labor. Julia's labor was just three hours total. She reassured me that if I was having a fast labor it would be much better to have her on the phone and on her way to me than be trying to rush to a hospital and have the baby in a car. At home I had all of my supplies gathered and she could talk us through anything we needed. She did mention that if the baby were coming fast, she tells the mom to lay on her side with a pillow between her legs. A standing position or squatting would only encourage the baby to come faster.

I think I called Ross every afternoon that week, wanting him to come home early. On Thursday he did come home a bit early. That night I had a bit of bloody show. I ran to the computer and Googled "bloody show how long until labor starts", and asked friends online if they remembered how long until they went into labor. Some websites said that it could mean labor would start within 24 hours. I knew that my body was very ready at this point, so I told Ross not to go to work the next day. When Yolanda had done her home visit before Christmas she checked and said that I was already 80% effaced then.

Thursday night we watched a movie and I sat on an exercise ball and tried to relax. I didn't have any hard contractions, maybe a few extra braxtons, but not much. I went to bed - laying in the direction facing the bathroom so that I could jump up if my water broke. I slept all night and woke up around 7:30 am with some braxtons rather close together. I got up and started having a few contractions. Ross was home and getting the girls breakfast while I kneeled in front of the exercise ball for a bit. Around 8:00 am I told him I thought this was it and he called Grandpa and Grandma to come pick up the girls. I was having more bloody show and around 8:30 my water broke. It broke just a little bit at first so I wasn't sure, but it soon started to pour out. We called Yolanda and she said that she would be on her way in about 15 minutes and to call her back if anything changed. Pretty quickly my water was gushing out and I decided to get in the bath tub to help with the painful contractions.

Ross had been busy getting Lucy and Julia breakfast, calling his parents and Yolanda, putting old sheets on the bed, and reassuring me in between all this. As soon as the contractions had started they were intense, close together, and very painful. I kept telling Ross to call Yolanda back and tell her to hurry. He kept telling me that it was fine and she was on her way. The warm water in the tub helped with the contractions, but they were still quite powerful. At one point I thought "Forget all this, I want an epidural!" ... and another part of me thought "That's what people say when they are in transition!" ...yet another part of me thought "Calm down, people don't have babies in ten minutes. I can't be in transition yet. This is quite painful, but the baby has to come down, I have to dilate, etc. Yolanda will be here soon." I was anxious for Yolanda to get there because I felt like I didn't know what to do during the contractions and wanted help figuring out what position to be in and how to get some relief.

I started to feel like I needed to go to the bathroom and was trying to figure out how on earth I would get myself to the toilet through these intense non stop contractions. I didn't want to sit on the toilet though for fear of making the baby come too quickly. Just as I was trying to figure this out, I realized that my body was pushing with a contraction. I told Ross that I had to push and he replied "No you don't. Its not time to push yet." I told him that I couldn't help it and he told me to "get in that position that Yolanda told you to." I sort of laughed and replied that I was, I was laying on my side in the tub and there was nothing else I could do. He asked if I wanted to get out of the tub and I said no, that I couldn't. He went back out of the bathroom and I had another contraction and felt my body push again. I reached down and felt the baby's head coming out. Ross came back in the bathroom and I told him that the head was right there. He reached into the tub and caught his baby girl with the next contraction.

I remember thinking as she came out that she was huge. I told Ross to check around her neck for the cord and he said she was fine. Ross pulled her up onto my chest and we rubbed her back a bit to get her to cry. He covered her in a towel and had Yolanda on the phone giving him a few directions. After a minute we checked and found out that we had a baby girl. We just looked at her and snuggled her for a few minutes until Yolanda arrived. She helped Ross cut the cord and delivered the placenta (at which point Ross started to get queasy).

I moved to the bed and held Esther and nursed her for a bit. Yolanda checked her over and said she was perfect. She weighed 9 lbs even and was 20 1/2 inches long. She had been born at 9:28 am, just one hour after my water broke, an hour and a half total of labor. I had only been in the tub about a half hour before she was born. It was amazing to feel my body push her out, to reach down and feel her soft head. Even though the contractions were incredibly painful and intense and I was worried about Yolanda arriving in time - when I realized that I was pushing, I was amazingly peaceful. I only tore very slightly (although I did end up with a very sore bottom that took quite a while to heal up).

For the next few hours Yolanda was there writing up the birth paperwork and checking on Esther and I. We eventually called Lucy and Julia at Grandma's house to come meet the baby. We didn't tell them it was a girl until they arrived and met her. They were both thrilled to have a baby sister. Ross and I were both kind of in shock for the next couple of days - amazed that we had a healthy new baby girl and trying to process the crazy birth events.

Esther Joy is beautiful. She came out with a head of dark hair quite unlike her sisters. She is a calm little one and has already smiled a few times in response to Mommy and Daddy talking to her. She turns her head to find her Daddy when she hears him talking. We are in love with her and in awe. Welcome to our family, little one. We love you!

Welcome Little One!

Esther Joy was born January 8th at 9:28 am. She is 9 lbs, 20 1/2 inches long, and has a cute head of dark hair! I'll post photos and her crazy story soon; it involves just 1 1/2 hours of labor and Ross catching her in the tub before the midwife even arrived. We are all healthy and resting for now. Thanks for checking in on us!

Still Waiting...

We're still waiting for baby to make an appearance. I just added a poll on the sidebar of my blog -you can vote on whether you think I'll have a boy or a girl. Julia thinks its a girl, and Lucy did say that she thought it was a boy for quite a while, but she's switched to saying girl now too. We're not telling names yet, partly because we haven't quite decided. Lucy has names picked out though: "Star" if its a girl and "Nemo" if its a boy.

Everything is ready for baby to come. We have the house all clean, the Christmas decorations put away, and my to do list is about finished. Tomorrow will be 39 weeks, so I suppose we could have another week to go yet, although my midwife guessed I would go a bit early. I'll be sure to post the good news as soon as I can!

**poll is now closed at 17 boy, 7 girl**

Thoughts on Home Birth

I'm 37 weeks and 3 days today. Lucy came the day after her due date and Julia was born at 37 weeks and 5 days, so we're just playing the waiting game now. Either way, baby will be here very soon! I'm mostly ready, there are just a few little projects around the house that I'm trying to finish up. My midwife did her home visit here the other day and we have the birth supplies all ready to go. If you read Story Number One and Story Number Two, you know that with my other two labors my water broke (and gushed out of me), so I'm of course wondering if and when that will happen. At the wedding shower I have to go to on Tuesday? At church? In the car? Of course this labor could be completely different...

So why on earth am I planning a home birth? The idea was completely foreign to me with my first pregnancy. By the second time through, even though I knew several people who had home births, I still wasn't even close to considering it. Of course I haven't actually had a home birth yet, but thought I would share some of my thoughts about it with you.

My second birth went a long way toward helping me see that birth is a natural event. Preparing for the birth with Bradley classes and succeeding in my goal of a drug free birth were both great confidence builders. With Julia's birth, we denied almost everything the hospital had to offer - no vitamin K, no eye ointment, no drugs or IVs, no vaccination for baby, waited to cut the cord, waited to bathe her until the next day, and kept her next to me in my bed the whole time. While I understand that each of these are personal choices, at some point it occurred to me to wonder why I went to the hospital just to deny everything. The hospital was great about respecting my wishes, but even so, I felt a bit on guard and Ross had strict instructions to watch Julia like a hawk any time a nurse entered the room just to be sure nothing was done to her that wasn't in our plan.

Around the time I was newly pregnant with Julia, I had a friend who had just given birth in a hospital. She picked up an infection and ended up very sick (diarrhea, etc) for almost three months while trying to care for her newborn baby and toddler. Hospital germs come from such a "clean" environment that they are often super bugs that are hard to get rid of. I'm not a germaphobe by any means, but having a baby at the same place sick people go started to seem a bit odd to me.

I used to say that my pregnancies were very normal and uncomplicated so that's why I birthed in a hospital. I realized that is the exact reason I should have my babies at home! Interventions can happen so quickly in a hospital, even with an otherwise healthy pregnancy - if you're in labor "too long" or otherwise hit hospital protocol you may be subject to a cascade of unnecessary procedures. Example: Your labor isn't progressing quickly enough, so they break your water. Once the water is broken the clock starts ticking again. If you're still not progressing fast enough you'll need Pitocin, which will require an IV and restrict you to bed. Once you have the IV you end up with an epidural, catheter, and maybe even suction assist to help the baby come out. It seems like these stories happen in one way or another all too often.

I'm not against hospital interventions when necessary, and am thankful that these things exist. It just seems that Pitocin, IVs, epidurals and more have simply become too routine and a doctor wouldn't think twice about using these even during a normal birth. I'm also not saying anything negative about women who choose to use pain relief measures in labor. I'm more talking about those who enter the hospital hoping for a natural birth and are pressured into this series of events because they somehow or another don't fit hospital protocol. In a normal birth, I don't want to end up pressured into anything and it seems like that can quickly happen. On the flip side, if I were in a situation where medical intervention seemed necessary, I would rather have someone who is natural minded helping me consider all of my options.

I learned that midwives are actually prepared to deal with emergency situations and can stabilize both mom and baby while transport is arranged to a hospital if the need arose. The midwife that I am seeing has been in practice for 28 years and has delivered close to 2,000 babies. In my prenatal visits with her she has focused on me and my pregnancy as an individual case. I feel like a normal healthy person, not a medical case to be helped. Yolanda (my midwife) explains what she is doing and why. From checking urine samples to explaining what blood pressure means and why good nutrition is important, I feel like I've learned quite a bit.

When Ross and I first met with Yolanda, I was still a bit nervous about a home birth and thought that Ross would have to be convinced. After we left that meeting I asked him what his reaction was and he simply said "It seems like what we want." I wasn't prepared for him to react like that and it took me a week or so before I actually called Yolanda and told her yes. I've worked through some nervousness along the way, but overall am confident that this is what we want. Ross is very supportive and at this point we are both excited about the home birth.

Some of the things I am looking forward to include:

- No rushing to the hospital while in labor, not having to be lay down and be monitored, no need to strip down and wear an ugly hospital gown, no packing a hospital bag and trying to bring everything along with me.

- Yolanda comes to my house, all I have to do is make the call and then I can hop into the shower or do whatever I want to. I can use my birth ball, stand, sit, use the tub for pain relief, and give birth in any position I choose.

- Having Yolanda there for the birth to guide me a bit rather than a doctor who rushes in just to catch the baby.

- Snuggling in bed with Ross and the baby after the birth. In the hospital, Ross always stayed with me, but he ended up across the room in an uncomfortable chair trying to sleep. I'm looking forward to having him next to me in our own bed.

- No interruptions with doctors and nurses coming in all night long to wake us up. (Although Yolanda does stay and make sure that mom and baby are stable and doing well before she leaves.)

- Not having to be on guard against nurses that might give a bottle or otherwise do something we aren't planning on.

- Welcoming the new baby right into our home rather than bringing it home from the hospital. On a similar note, I don't have to expose my girls to all of the hospital germs in order to visit the new baby. They can meet the baby in the comfort of our home.

Having friends share their home birth experiences with me helped me see that a home birth can be a normal, natural, safe event. I don't intend to say that everyone should have a home birth, but rather just enjoy sharing my experience and thoughts along the way. Hopefully very soon I will be able to share my home birth story with you as well. If anything, let it inspire you and encourage you towards believing that birth is a natural event. If you're interested in reading more about birthing naturally, one of my friends has a great website that includes her birth story and lots of articles she's written on the topic. Check it out here.

On a funny note, Ross' Grandma came over the other day and jokingly said "I thought you might be in the hospital by now." implying that I should be giving birth. The first thought that went through my head was "Hospital? I'm not sick." and then "Oh, yeah, that's where most people go to have babies." Funny how thoughts can change.

Story Number Two

You have to read Story Number One first before you read this one!

Lucy's birth was traumatic for me and now that I was pregnant with baby number two, I was torn about what to do. I had learned so much about natural birth and its benefits and knew that it was important for many reasons. I did not want to end up screaming and freaking out for an hour again, so I was debating whether to take natural childbirth classes or sign up right away for an epidural.

I chatted with Jill, the Bradley method instructor, and Amity, one of my La Leche League leaders, and told them my story. Their compassion and understanding went a long way toward helping me feel better about it all. One of things that stood out to me is Jill saying that every birth is different. She suggested that maybe my water wouldn't break again and that might help labor not to be as fast and intense. We decided to go ahead with the Bradley classes knowing that I had to at least try again for a natural birth. I convinced myself that this second time could be different and maybe I could make it through.

The classes were wonderful. I learned so much about nutrition, exercise, and pregnancy. Each class left me feeling more and more like pregnancy was a normal natural event and that my body could do this. Ross felt more prepared this time and learned how to help me relax. Having him attend classes each week helped me to feel very supported. Jill even offered to come to my birth if I was starting to freak out and felt like I needed her there. Ross and I talked about the birth a lot and he was great about building my confidence.

Then... 2 weeks and 2 days before my due date, at 5:00 pm, my water broke. All I could think was "here we go again." I called Jill and told her that my water had broken and we were on our way to the hospital. She was headed to a boy scout event with her kids and told me she would call and check on me later. We called my mother in law to come watch the girls. She didn't believe I was in labor at first because none of us were expecting a baby this soon! From here, things quickly got intense again.

My labor was hard and fast, not at all the different that I had hoped for. Ross was great about helping me through the contractions. I got in the shower for a while, and asked to use the hot tub or birthing ball, but both of those were in use. The crazy thing was that I had not discussed my birth plan with my doctor yet, and we had some things planned that I wasn't sure were going to be okay with the hospital. (We wanted to deny the vitamin K shot, eye ointment, etc.) My doctor was not on call, so I had his partner whom I had never even met. In the middle of my intense labor Ross and I were trying to explain to him that we want to wait to cut the cord and other things about our birth plan. He said that he normally doesn't do that, but was willing. Another funny thing is that I ended up with the same nurse that I had slapped away from me during my last birth. I mentioned something about it to her and said that I would not slap her this time. She was very sweet and when we talked about our birth plan with her to my surprise she was fine with everything on it.

Labor continued to be very intense with contractions coming hard and fast. At one point when things were just too much for me to handle, I told Ross to go ask the nurse if I could just start pushing. To my surprise the nurse checked me and said that yes, I could go ahead and push. Julia was born just three hours after my water had broken. I did not have any drugs or medical interventions other than a tear being stitched up afterwards. When it was all over and Ross and I were enjoying our baby girl, the phone rang in our room. It was Jill calling to check on me. Ross answered the phone and told her I was doing great and asked if she would like to talk to me. I told her that I was holding my new baby girl and that I had succeeded in my goal of having a natural childbirth! She was bummed to have completely missed the birth, but excited for me.

In the end, I'm glad that my second labor was so intense. It was very redeeming to go through almost the same exact scenario as the first time (water breaking at 5:00 pm, intense hard labor, same nurse, etc.) but to have made it through. The Bradley classes and preparation this time around had really helped. I felt much more in control of this birth and was happy with the choices we had made.

My third birth will be different still. We are planning a home birth with a midwife. After denying everything in the hospital, I started to wonder why I even went there to birth at all. I have several friends who have had home births and there is a wonderful midwife here in the area who had delivered almost 2,000 babies over 28 years of practice. I've loved all of my prenatal visits with her and am excited for the birth. Check back in the next couple of weeks for Story Number Three! I'll also be posting more of my thoughts about home birth soon.

Story Number One

With baby number three wiggling away inside of me and planning his or her exit very soon, I thought it would be fun to share my two birth stories with you. The second story is quite different from the first, and this third story will be different yet from the first two. Here is story number one...

When I was pregnant with Lucy, Ross and I prepared by taking the childbirth class at the hospital. Ross had to wear the big 30 lb pregnant mommy belly, we practiced breathing techniques, and learned about all of the hospital procedures. At the class the instructor talked about the possible interventions and had us think about what we would like to avoid and what we felt was important. (things like an epidural, induction, breaking of water, etc) Ross and I both agreed that we did not like the idea of an epidural and wanted to try for a natural childbirth. I was surprised that a few of my friends wanted to sign up ahead of time for an epidural. I had no idea what labor was going to be like, but wanted to at least try it before I begged for drugs. My pregnancy had been very uneventful and normal so far and I thought that labor would be the same.

The day after my due date, at 5:00 pm, my water broke. My parents were visiting from Texas waiting to meet their first grandbaby, and Ross was home from work helping my dad fix a pipe downstairs. My mom yelled down that we had broken water up here and it wasn't a pipe. I had felt the baby kick and felt a pop and ran to the bathroom when water started pouring out of me. It didn't stop. I waddled into the hospital with a big soaking wet beach towel between my legs. I did not feel any contractions until after we were settled in our room and then tried walking around a bit. As soon as the contractions hit, they were hard and fast and furious and all I could do was curl up in the bed. I asked for Stadol, thinking that some pain medication might help me get through without an epidural, but that just made me feel slightly out of it, and in just as much pain.

I ended up asking for an epidural because the contractions were just way too intense and not stopping. I remember looking at the monitor thinking that the contractions couldn't get any harder or closer together, they would spike as high as the monitor could even record and were coming every minute or less. The anesthesiologist was not answering his pager, and I ended up completely freaking out and screaming at the top of my lungs for an hour while I waited for the pain relief. There was nothing Ross or anyone could do. A nurse tried to remind me to breathe and I ended up sort of slapping her away from me. (This is sooo not me if you know me at all...) As soon as I got the epidural I had immediate relief; they turned out the lights and told me to rest.

About an hour later the nurses and doctor came in and told me it was time to push. I was a bit confused as to how they knew this when I myself could feel absolutely nothing. I pushed for 20 minutes and ended up with the suction assist being put on Lucy's head because she kept going back up in between pushes. Eight hours after my water had broken, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. She was perfectly healthy and I still remember her sweet little face as she looked around and responded to her Daddy's voice. She started to fuss and when he spoke to her she quieted right away.

Although Lucy was perfectly fine, I was traumatized. It took me quite a while to even think that I wanted to ever have another baby. When we did get pregnant with our second baby, I debated long and hard about my birth plans. I had been attending La Leche League and had learned so much about natural childbirth, why it is important, the benefits to mom and baby, etc. At the same time, I didn't want to go through anything like my first birth ever again. I knew of a mom in the group who was a Bradley method instructor and I couldn't decide if I wanted to take classes with her or just sign up ahead of time for an epidural and get it as soon as possible. I knew that it was an important decision and I was torn.

Story Number Two coming soon...

Pampered Pregnancy (Review and Giveaway)

belly shot - 35 weeks!

I normally do not pamper myself much at all. My usual attire includes jeans, a ponytail, and no make-up. I rarely take time for a leisurely bath or use lotions. During pregnancy though, my aches and pains force me to pay attention to pampering myself a bit. I'm very picky about the body care products I use, especially when pregnant, and I look up everything in the Skin Deep database.

When I was pregnant with Julia, I purchased some Earth Mama Angel Baby products to use for the postpartum period. I used the bottom balm, new mama bottom spray, and postpartum bath herbs. I absolutely loved these and felt like the products were very effective and helped ease my discomfort. This time around, I had more of the Earth Mama Angel Baby products on my wish list to try out. A sweet mama that I met online runs a website called Shalom Beginnings and offered to help me out with a discount, some products in exchange for this review, and even a giveaway for my readers!

Nina runs Shalom Beginnings working from home with her three small children (and one on the way very soon). She sells cloth diapers, baby carriers, baby and mom body care products, and herbs and teas, all with a focus on offering affordable yet high quality items. Shipping is only $2.50 and Nina is great about replying to emails and helping customers find what they need.

I completely stocked up on Earth Mama Angel Baby products! Some to use during pregnancy, some to use for postpartum healing, and some to use on my sweet new baby when he or she arrives. I love that these products are rated zero in the Skin Deep database - the best rating possible. We had been using quite a few Burt's Bees products, but they didn't rate zero and had too much fragrance for my liking after a while.

I tested out the Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash on the girls the other day and really liked it. The wash smells like a mix of orange and vanilla, but not too strong. I also got the lotion, baby bottom balm, and diaper rash soap. I like that it all has such a sweet smell, but no added "fragrance". You can read all of the ingredients for each product right on the Earth Mama Angel Baby website.

I've been using the Natural Stretch Oil on my belly. It soaks in nicely and has a light scent to it. I could almost do without the scent, but its not bad. I can't really tell you if its helping prevent stretch marks or not, but I'm sure it helps at least a bit. I have the Happy Feet foot soak, it just sounded so nice for pregnant sore feet, especially near the end of pregnancy. Also the Third Trimester Tea - I'm actually not a big tea fan at all but I've been drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (RRL) on my midwife's recommendation. This tea has RRL and lots of other good ingredients to help prepare my body for labor and nourish it. Especially in these last few weeks drinking the tea helps my body store up the nutrients it needs for birth. I do feel like the RRL tea has helped with muscle pains and cramping, I haven't had much at all this time and it goes away when I drink my tea regularly. Shalom Beginnings also sells packets of just RRL tea.

For postpartum use, I got more of the Mama Bottom Balm (loved this last time!), New Mama Bottom Spray, and the Natural Nipple Butter. I love that these contain all natural ingredients and herbal formulations to help heal and restore my body. I've become a big believer in natural remedies and herbs and found them to be very effective. The witch hazel, calendula, and other ingredients in these products are very soothing. I haven't used the nipple butter yet, but my girls both had trouble nursing in the beginning and made me pretty sore. Lanolin was ok, but kind of sticky and harsh, this sounds like it will work a bit better.

Nina at Shalom Beginnings also created her own herbal bath tea that she sent me. I have used it a few times and it was very soothing and great for achy pregnant muscles. The bath tea contains calendula, chickweed, chamomile, lavender, oatmeal, and plantain. It doesn't have a strong scent, but does smell nice. It comes with a little muslin bag that you steep like tea and then pour into your bath. I let it swirl around in the tub and then squished the bag a bit to help it release the nutrients.

After saying I am not big on pampering myself - I just might be transformed. I feel better about myself and am a much less crabby mom when I take care of my aches and pains and have natural herbal products on hand to use. I recommend giving any of these products a try.

Shalom Beginnings is offering one reader a 2 oz Angel Baby Bottom Balm, a 5.3 oz Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash, and a packet of herbal bath tea. To enter the giveaway take a look at Shalom Beginnings website and let me know something they sell that you're interested in. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so that I have a way to contact you. For another entry become a follower of my blog and let me know that in another comment. If you'd like a third entry, blog about this giveaway, linking to both my blog and Shalom Beginnings and then come back and leave me a link to your post. I'll close the giveaway on January 1st at midnight.

**The giveaway is now closed and random.org chose Amanda as the winner. Thanks for your interest.**

Nesting: Filling the Freezer

I much prefer posts with pictures, so here's a photo of a nest that Grandpa and Grandma found recently and brought over to show the girls. I'm in full "nesting" mode lately (in between naps). One thing I've been trying to do is stock up my freezer as much as possible. We have a chest freezer that we didn't have when either of the girls were babies, so this is my first time really stocking it with meals.

An easy way to fill the freezer is to simply make double of anything you are cooking that can be frozen. We've been eating easy meals lately like spaghetti or eggs and toast which don't really need to be frozen. When I do have something on the menu like chili, soup, or a casserole, its simple enough to double it and freeze half. If I'm making a 9x13 casserole, I can either make two full pans, or make two 8x8s from the one recipe. We like having lots of leftovers, so I usually do two full pans and freeze one.

For a casserole type dish, I sometimes use disposable foil pans (that I wash and reuse). I also have a few extra glass pans that I've collected; these get covered with plastic wrap and then foil on top of that. Chili or chicken pot pie filling goes in a plastic freezer bag (after the food is cooled off). I also use canning jars and plastic lids for freezing things in. Remember to label your dishes with what's inside, the date, and simple baking instructions (350 for 35 minutes, etc). I also find it helpful to keep a list on the refrigerator door of what I currently have in the freezer.

Our freezer was already a bit full with blueberries, strawberries, diced tomatoes, and other summer produce, but I did manage to fit some meals in. If you're looking for ideas, here's what I have frozen so far:

tofu pasta shells - tofu, spinach, and lots of cheese stuffed in jumbo pasta shells and covered with spaghetti sauce and more cheese

enchiladas

chili

taco meat

cooked ground meat - I do this all the time, brown a pound of meat and then only use half of it for spaghetti and freeze the other half

chicken pot pie - freeze the filling and a shell, assemble and bake when needed

frozen pizzas from the grocery store (shhhh...)

a couple kinds of muffins

black beans - rehydrate and cook the beans and then portion out and freeze

freezer jam - this is very easy to make and the girls love it

a few casseroles my mother in law brought over

extra bread dough

I still need to make another batch of chicken stock. I divide the stock into large canning jars and put the meat right in there with the broth so that when I make soup I just have to add the veggies, noodles, and some more broth. One chicken makes 4 or 5 jars and I use those to make a large pot of soup so it goes a long way. I'll have to blog about this next time I do it, it makes the best soup.

Anything else that I cook in the next few weeks will probably get doubled and frozen if I can find the room to stuff it in there. I also freeze things like cookies, granola bars, pancakes, etc. Even after the baby comes I'll continue doubling meals and freezing them just because its nice to have something ready to go for those days I don't feel like cooking. In the summer this doesn't work as well because we eat more salads and fresh veggies, but winter foods seem to freeze well. Its also nice to have a freezer meal on hand to take to a friend if a need arises.

Do you have any other freezer tips to share? Favorite freezer meals? Ways to package frozen dishes for the freezer? Please share!

linked to Kitchen Tip Tuesdays

Pregnancy - 27 Weeks

27 weeks- only 10 weeks left until I need to be all ready for baby! I think I'm starting to hit nesting mode because I've been making lists of things to do before baby comes, things I need to purchase (thankfully not too much this time around), and more. I'm ready to go dig out the newborn cloth diapers and clothes from the basement - but I don't have anywhere to put them yet. We're going to be switching rooms around at our house which involves painting and installing carpet, and of course lots of reorganizing and cleaning. Our house is tiny, so we're going to have to be creative.

I've been trying to stay healthy, taking my vitamins, drinking my Red Raspberry Leaf tea, and eating fruits and veggies. The other day I hadn't taken my vitamins or eaten many vegetables for a few days in a row and was really craving a salad. I was looking at a houseplant hanging above my kitchen sink and wondering how the leaves would taste with ranch dressing on them. Thankfully I didn't give in to my craving until the next day when I went to the store and bought fixings for a big salad. My husband still teases me about that one.

Overall I'm enjoying my pregnancy. Baby likes to kick anytime something touches my tummy. When I hug Ross he usually gets kicked and can feel it. I'm getting excited to meet this little one. With my last two pregnancies we found out the gender but this time around its a surprise - I can't wait to find out! The names that Lucy has picked out are "Nemo" for a boy and "Star" for a girl. So far that's all we're telling anyone. ;)

Healthy Pregnancy

Its hard to believe, but I'm already to the half-way mark of this pregnancy. Today is officially twenty weeks! I'm feeling great, over most of the first trimester nausea, and am really working on maintaining a healthy pregnancy. I absolutely love having a midwife this time around and her overall focus on nutrition and health. After my last appointment I decided to type up a little reminder note for myself of all of the things I need to be doing daily to stay healthy. I laminated them on top of some cute paper and stuck them in places where I will see them constantly.

Here is what I included:

- prenatal vitamins: I take Rainbow Light prenatals. My one complaint is that they are huge and get stuck in my throat or feel scratchy going down. I chose them because they are all natural and are made from whole foods (as opposed to synthetic vitamins). I did just see on their website that they have a prenatal petite that looks like its three smaller pills, I'll have to check into that.

- DHA pills: I am taking Nordic Naturals DHA upon my midwife's recommendation. She said that these aren't fishy tasting and are a great high quality. I'll admit that I've only started taking them recently, but they didn't taste fishy to me. The pills are also small enough for me to swallow without a problem. (I was pleasantly surprised, I thought they'd be huge.) I've read a bit about fish oil helping with mood swings especially after the baby arrives, so I'm interested to see if these make a difference.

- Red Raspberry Leaf tea: I'm drinking one cup per day of this tea, infused for two hours. I don't like tea in general, but I add lemon and honey to this and drink it cold so its not too bad. Red Raspberry Leaf tea has many nutrients in it that are wonderful for pregnancy. Its been called the pregnancy tea for many generations. Helping to stop bleeding after birth, organizing contractions and making them effective, promoting muscle tone and healthy organs, and imparting calcium and magnesium are just a few of the benefits.

- drink plenty of water: My midwife reminded me to keep drinking water all throughout the day in order to stay hydrated and healthy. Dehydration can lead to early contractions and even nausea. I am constantly pouring myself a glass of water!

- eat lots of fruits and veggies: I'm loving being pregnant in the summer when we have so many fresh fruits and veggies available at the farmers' market here. The girls and I love snacking on fresh fruit and we have plenty of veggies to eat as well, thanks to our CSA. If I haven't had enough fruit on a given day, a good way to get some in is to make a quick smoothie with fruit from the freezer.

- yoga/ exercise: After watching several yoga, pilates, and exercise dvds I finally found one that I like. It has a workout that is easy to follow, but still gives a good stretch. The voice-over on the dvd tells you when to switch positions in a timely manner and I also like how the instructor tells you the benefits of certain stretches (this helps with digestion, this tones a certain muscle, etc). I also like that the dvd has a gentle relaxation section so that if I don't manage to fit in my yoga time during the day, I can still do it after the girls are in bed without waking myself up too much.

- Kegel exercises: With our second daughter, we took Bradley method courses and they really emphasized doing Kegel exercises throughout your pregnancy. I need to remember to do these and prepare my muscles for giving birth.

Note: none of the products mentioned in this post are for official product review, I'm just sharing what works for me. Thanks for stopping by!

(I did make too many of my little reminder cards, so if anyone wants one, leave a comment and I'll choose a winner in a week - Sept 2 at midnight.)

Boob Nursing Wear - Product Review

As I mentioned in my Nursing Necessities post, I've recently been given the opportunity to try out some of Boob Nursing Wear's spring and summer line of clothing.  I'm always on the lookout for cute nursing clothing - problem is, I can never find any!  I breastfed both my girls for almost two years each, and with more babies to come... add up the years... that's a long time to go without having cute clothing to wear.   

I've gotten many strange looks from store employees when I ask if they carry any nursing clothing.  Even places that carry maternity clothing don't bother to think about what you are going to wear after the baby arrives and you're breastfeeding.  (Old Navy, Gap, etc)  Motherhood Maternity, a store in our local mall, carries a few nursing clothes, but they are huge - I guess they assume a person is only going to be nursing in those first post-partum months when you are not quite back to your old size in clothing yet and don't want to wear fitted shirts.  I've found a few places online that sell nursing clothing - Motherwear, Expressiva, and recently I came across Boob Nursing Wear.  

My main nursing attire so far has been Target nursing tank tops worn under everything day in and day out.  In the winter it works okay, but it can be hot to have two full layers on in the summer.  Other brands of nursing tops I've tried also consist of two layers, a layer to lift up and another underneath to cover you.  Although you can find some cute styles made this way, they are still quite hot to wear.  I also end up feeling a bit baggy, like I have too many layers on.  

Boob Nursing Wear has a unique double layer fabric over the bust which allows for easy access yet remains stylish looking.  You aren't wearing two full layers- just over the bust area.  The opening is easy to manage, no strange bunchy fabric to pull around and try to find the opening, no snaps or clips to play with- just slide the opening up with one hand.  Boob Nursing Wear is a Swedish patented innovation, and I must say I'm in love!

Boob's company policies are equally as impressive.  They keep all of their production in Europe and have developed a Code of Conduct addressing issues such as compliance with local labor law, statutory pay and working hours, abolition of child labor, health and safety in the workplace, and more.  Agents visit their factories for regular check ups so that standards are maintained at all times.  Boob is concerned about the environment and chooses producers with advanced technology necessary for handling chemicals and water purification.  As of Spring '09, 50% of the entire Boob collection is made from organic cotton.  Within the company, they are also concerned about environmental impact and contribute in many different ways to this.  Read more about that here.  (Click on About Boob at the bottom of the page.)  I was very impressed to read all of this on their website and feel great about supporting a company with these kinds of goals.  

I was sent four different items to review - (Sorry, these are not pictures of me!)

My favorites are probably the two tank tops.  Again, I love that there aren't two layers to the tops except for the bust area and that the top is so easy access for nursing.  The tops both fit nicely and look great on!  The fabric is nice and lightweight, but feels like great quality.  The tops are both organic cotton with a bit of Lycra.  They are a nice longer length and have a great style about them.

The dress is adorable and has the same style opening (just lift the smocked part).  The straps on the dress are actually a bit too long on me, I'm going to have to sew them shorter to make it fit properly -an easy fix.  I've had several weddings or parties to go to with a nursing baby and just did not have anything to wear.  I love having this cute dress in my wardrobe and I'm sure it will get lots of use.

While I love the style of the smocked blouse, it is not a good fit for me.  The opening is a bit too wide and my bra straps kept showing.  This is something that they have noticed and changed in their fall line of clothing.  Overall I'm impressed with the clothing and will definitely be putting more Boob Nursing Wear items on my wish list for when our newest little nursling arrives.  I'm thrilled that I can wear cute stylish clothing while providing my baby with wonderful mommy's milk.

You can purchase Boob Nursing Wear at Milkface.com, DueMaternity.com, or check their website for more local and online retailers.  Boob also has a line of Maternity clothing that looks wonderful as well.  Thanks for letting me share my fun find with you!

Surviving Early Pregnancy

I recently posted about our Mother's Day gifts to the Grandmas.  Their other surprise was that we told our families on Mother's Day that we are expecting baby #3 in January.  Everyone was thrilled!  We told Lucy and Julia the night before we shared the news with extended family; Lucy hugged my stomach and is excited that as the baby grows she can talk to him or her.  She's already planning on helping me take care of the baby.  Julia points to my stomach and says "baby" but she's not quite sure what is going on yet.  I've been feeling nauseous off and on, but nothing too horrible.  Here is how I'm surviving early pregnancy...

1) Food:  When we started trying to get pregnant I made double batches of food as often as I could and put them in the freezer.  I had muffins, cookies, zucchini bread, cooked ground meat, chopped onions, and half a dozen meals frozen.  Its actually quite easy to make a double batch of something if you are already going to be cooking.  I'll admit that the food in the freezer hasn't sounded good to me yet, but I'm sure it will come in handy once I get my appetite back a bit.  We'll use this food up during the pregnancy and then stock the freezer again for after baby arrives.

2) Sleep.  I've been sleeping with Julia when she naps.  Lucy knows that she has to color or read books quietly and although she does end up waking me up some days, I do get some napping time in.  My body is working hard creating this little baby so I don't feel bad about taking naps!

3) Housework.  I have to say that my dear husband has been a wonderful help in this area.  When I'm feeling nauseous and all I can do is get the girls their meals and get the food put away, he's great about washing dishes and cleaning the bathroom when he has spare time.  I have a magnet on my fridge with a simple cleaning schedule that I try to follow when I get overwhelmed with a messy house -

4) Nausea remedies.  In the beginning I was trying to eat protein as much as I could and it did seem to help.  The food didn't sound good to me at the time, but once I ate it, I did feel relief from the nausea.  (eggs, peanut butter toast, cheese toast, almonds, etc)  At this point my stomach is very queasy and I just have to eat whatever sounds ok to me at the time.  I'm going to try some of the remedies I've seen - B6 vitamins, calcium, and other things.  I'll share anything I find that works.

Don't worry, I love blogging and although I've taken a bit of a break here, I have plenty of fun posts (including giveaways) lined up for the coming days!