The Lasts

When I was pregnant with Carson, a friend gave me a book titled Let Me Hold You Longer. I read it that night, then put it away in the closet. Fast forward almost 5 years. I was pregnant with Jonathan and cleaning out the closet in the boys' room. I stumbled across the book again. That night I read it to Carson, and bawled through almost the entire book. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend you do! The book goes through the raising of a child from his mothers eyes. She reflects on how he will grow up, but will she recognize when he does something for the last time.

As I pack away baby clothes to donate or take to resale, it hits me that every first for Jonathan is our last first. Jonathan is our last child.  We won't have a child roll over for the first time again. There won't be a first food again. No first steps or first words. Every time he does something for the first time. It's a last for us.

 Right now, it is absolutely adorable when Jonathan does something new. Carson will exclaim "He just said his first word!" or "He just took his first step!", even though it may be the third or fourth time he's done something. Carson recognizes the significance of each milestone, but do we? Often I sit and watch the boys play, I wonder to myself, "when did he start doing that?" or "where did he learn that?" My heart aches when I see Jonathan do something that shows us he's growing up. When he cruises the furniture or rolls a ball to his brother. He's my last baby and time isn't going to slow down. I'm not ready for the last. Not ready for the last time he takes his bottle, the last time he wakes up in the night just wanting to be rocked, the last time he needs momma.

I am just as guilty as the next person of spending way too much time "plugged in".  Too often, as parents, we are so wrapped up in the house that needs picked up, the fundraiser that needs to be done by tomorrow, the next school project, the text that needs a reply, and so on, that we are missing what is going on right in front of us.   Are we in such a rush as parents that we are missing the little things that are actually big things?  Will we recognize his lasts?  Will we remember his firsts?

 I'm guilty of this with Carson too. So caught up in work and the house and his little brother that I catch him doing (or notice him not doing) something and think to myself...when did that happen? I remember his firsts, but will they stick with me forever? Will I recognize the lasts? The last time he comes home from school bursting with excitement about his day? The last time he wants walked to the school door? The last time he lets me kiss him good night?

Put down the electronics, silence the phone and enjoy your little ones (and big ones!).  The house and the internet can wait, babies won't keep!  I'm NOT READY for the lasts. Not one bit. Not for Carson. Not for Jonathan. Not for us as parents. Are you?

Why I use cloth diapers

When we first found out we were pregnant, I started thinking about cloth diapers. A friend convinced me how convenient and easy they are to use. I still wasn't sold, so I extensively read the Back to Basics series on The Cloth Diaper Revival blog. After reading Jenny's blog, I was sold!

There are a few reasons why I chose cloth diapers. Here are my top reasons.

1) Ecologically friendly. - Our household tries to be "green" whenever we can. The thought of how many disposable diapers end up in the landfills each year is enough to make me sick! Now I'm not saying that we don't ever use disposables, but each cloth diaper we use is one less disposable in the landfill.

2) It's Economical! - While the up front cost of cloth diapers is slightly higher, the overall savings is incredible. The amount of money I would spend on four months of disposable diapers was the same amount of money I spent to get started cloth diapering. The diapers I bought will get us through potty training, then we can resell them to recoup some of our costs! That was another thing that sold me on cloth diapers!

3) Amazing online support/connections - I have made some good friends in the cloth diaper community online. Everyone I have "met" has been incredibly kind and helpful in my cloth diapering journey.

4) Great for sensitive skin - Jonathan has pretty sensitive skin. We have to be very careful what we use in his baths, etc. If he's in disposables very long, his skin gets red and irritated. In cloth, he rarely ever gets red! It's great for sensitive skinned babies, as the cloth diapers pull the moisture away from the skin better, and have a fleece (or similar) layer against baby's skin to give them a dry feeling.

5) The convenience - This past week we had a major blizzard. We couldn't leave our house for 4 days. I didn't have to worry about getting out for diapers. All I had to do was wash a load of diapers and we were all set! It was wonderful not to have to get out in sub zero temperatures and two feet of snow!


There are many benefits to cloth diapering, it just happens to be that these are my top 5. Do you cloth diaper? Why or why not?

Two Months Old



Hanging out in the yard on my 2 month birthday!

Baby Jonathan is two months old already! Well, actually he was two months old LAST week, but I waited until he had his well baby check to post for everyone.

Here's the stats:

Weight: 12 pounds, 13 ounces

Length: 23 1/2 inches

Sleeping Habits:  What is sleep??? Actually he has started to get a little more sleep now that his tummy is under a little better control. He will nap in the morning (short nap), again in the afternoon (usually a long nap), then goes to "bed" around 8-9pm. He will sleep for 3-4 hours then he's up every 2 hours after that.

Eating Habits:  Nurses every 1 1/2-2 1/2 hours from the time mommy gets home from work until she leaves for work.  During the day he takes 4 ounces of breast milk or formula every 2-3 hours.

Favorite Moment this month: Jonathan has started vocalizing and smiling! His big, toothless grins whenever he sees a familiar face are wonderful.

At this point, JP is 4 ounces heavier than his brother was at 2 months, and 1 inch shorter.  I have a feeling though that JP is going to be bigger than his brother when he grows up.

Natural Parenting...well, sort of

     When we became parents for the first time, 5 years ago at the age of 24, I had no clue what "natural parenting" was. I used disposable diapers, fed my baby formula (breastfeeding failed), hugged him all the time, bought organic milk when he started on whole milk, etc.  We did what worked for us and what we could afford. My husband started college a week after baby was born, so money and family time were tight.

 

     This time around, we are older (29 & 30), and in a better place financially and emotionally.  We are making conscious decisions to help our children thrive. I didn't even realize we were "natural parenting" because we are just doing what comes naturally to us and makes sense as parents, until I was in on a Facebook chat a couple weeks ago. Here's what we do that makes us "natural parents", sort of.

 

    When I was pregnant my friend, Marie-Etta, (She's a super sweet gal with an adorable little boy), sparked my interest in using cloth diapers.  All it took was a conversation one evening and I was hooked. She made me realize how easy it could be and that I could handle it. By the next week I had purchased my first cloth diapers! Why did I choose cloth?  Well, why wouldn't you chose cloth?!? It just makes sense. It saves the environment, saves money, and is gentle on baby's bottom. Plus, cloth covered baby booty is adorable :) We only use cloth diapers in the evening and on weekends when I'm not working since my babysitter isn't comfortable with cloth, but hey, any amount of cloth we use means less disposables in the landfill!

     Marie-Etta also got me hooked on the Ergobaby baby carrier....Can I just say that I love babywearing! I love to carry my kiddos around, so being able to do so in a comfortable, ergonomically friendly carrier, is a big help with this! It brings the baby close to me so I can attend to his needs while still giving his brother attention and meeting the needs of our family (cooking, cleaning, etc.).

   
    We feed our boys wholesome foods as much as possible. Additionally, I breastfeed Jonathan. I tried so hard to breastfeed Carson, but it just didn't work for us. This time around, I'm much more successful. I'm breastfeeding him, with the encouragement and support of my husband.  While Jonathan isn't exclusively breastfed, he is primarily breastfed and only gets around 3 bottles of formula a day while I'm at work. Even when we give him a bottle, we are talking to him, loving him. When he switches to solids, I will be making a lot of his baby food.  As a family we try to eat fresh foods. It doesn't always work out that way, but most of the time at least our fruits and vegetables are fresh. We don't eat a lot of "junk" or candy. I plan to keep it this way with Jonathan, just as it is with his big brother.

    We co-sleep (Gasp!) with our baby. I know that there are people who say this is a big "no-no". We do it responsibly, and we did with Carson too. Carson was in our bed until he was almost 4....yeah it was a long 4 years!  Now, he has to have daddy lay with him every night to fall asleep in his own bed. Jonathan has a little co-sleeper that is structured, so he can't be rolled onto. He sleeps in between us at least half the night. We don't have a strict bed time for him and he doesn't cry it out. We hold him until he goes to sleep.

  
     While we aren't over the top "natural parents", we are responsibly and consciously raising our boys. We may not do all the things that natural or attachment parenting includes, but we do what works for us. What was natural and sensible to the health, well-being, and happiness of our children.

Happy Birthday Carson!

Dear Carson,

     I can't believe it's been five years since you entered this world on a hot July night. Our lives haven't been the same since!

     In the last year, you've learned to ride your bike (almost without training wheels). You've became a big brother. You graduated Pre-K, and passed your pre-kindergarten screening exams. You played your first little league game, and even played in a hockey league! Every day I am amazed by how smart you are and how you are growing into a little man. You are a smart, wonderful, and extremely loving little boy. I hope that as you continue to grow, you always keep that quality, that you care for everyone you meet.

 

Happy Birthday C-Monkey!

Baby's Name Reveal!

Now that all our family knows what baby's full name is, I figured I would share it with you, my readers. 

If you follow me on twitter, you may already know that we had previously chosen Cooper and Cameron as baby's name.   Cooper was ultimately vetoed after we realized he could be called "Cooper Pooper" by kids at school.  Cameron ended up vetoed because it sounded too much like Carson and would be confusing when calling the pediatrician's office.

You may recall that we are a BIG hockey family.  We LOVE all hockey, but mostly the Chicago Blackhawks. The first night that the NHL started playing after their months long player lockout, Chris came to me with a name suggestion. I was thrilled because it was the first time he really gave much input to baby's name, even if it was 9:00 at night and I was tired!

His suggestion......Jonathan Patrick. This was quickly followed by, "he has to have a Blackhawks outfit for his newborn pictures at the hospital!".  

This is a name I can live with. In fact, I liked the name Jonathan, but didn't think Chris would like it. Patrick also happens to be my dad's name, so I was happy to use it in naming our son.

Really though, what it all comes down to, is my husband's love for the Blackhawks and hockey.  The top players on the Blackhawks team are Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, and Marion Hossa.  So our son will be named after 3 of them! Despite the fact that yes he's named after hockey players, there's still a family name in there too, so it's not all about hockey :P

Since that day in January, I have searched everywhere for a 0-3 month or newborn size Blackhawks onesie or jersey.  I found one at Target, but continued to look elsewhere. Even when we went to Chicago last month, we couldn't find anything! So the Target onesie has been bought (a 3 pack actually) and that will be what he wears home from the hospital.

Here's the onesie he will wear:

 



So little JP will be making his appearance in just 8 weeks from tomorrow! Can't wait to meet our new little man!

Dear Parent

Dear parent of young children,

As a nurse there are a few things I would appreciate your help with when you bring your child to see a nurse or doctor. Here's the list:

1) Do NOT tell your child "Oh, you're going to hate this." Or any variation of this statement. Telling your child that they are going to hate a finger stick for a hemoglobin check, having their blood pressure taken, or getting a vaccine DOES NOT HELP THE SITUATION! In fact it increases the fear your child has and makes it a lot more traumatic than need be. Not to mention, it makes the nurses mad that you are telling your child to hate them or what they are doing.

2) Be honest with your child. If they are coming in for a vaccination, tell them before you get to the office. Yes, they will be upset, but they are often more upset if you spring it on them last minute.

3) Please refrain from telling your child "It won't hurt". Let's be honest, that shot I am about to give your child is going to hurt. While you think telling this to your child helps, it just makes them think you and the nurse are liars when the shot does hurt. They remember this when they come in for future visits whether they are getting poked then or not. Instead, tell him or her "It will be over really fast." or "I know this hurts but it will keep you healthy."

4) Please help hold and comfort your child. It helps ease the stress and also makes nurses not seem like so much the "bad person".  Your child needs properly held while having their finger poked or receiving a shot.  When you stand 3 feet from the table and don't help hold your child, someone is likely to get hurt and your child is probably going to be more upset. Hold their hand and talk calmly to them please.

5) Lastly, for Pete's sake, bring your diaper bag with you to an appointment. If you know you are coming to a well child visit, and your child will be weighed, or that there is a possibility your diaper wearing child will load their pants in our office, BRING YOUR DIAPER BAG. We don't have diapers just laying around for children to be changed.


Thanks in advance for your help with these steps to make your child's visit to the doctor or nurse a more pleasant experience for all involved.