The Down Low on Diaper Need

When I was pregnant with Fallon I received so many boxes of diapers that I had a stash for nearly the first 9 months of her life. I was very grateful for the generosity shown by my family and friends then but I have an even stronger appreciation now. I recently learned that one-in-three families struggle to provide diapers for their baby. Insert the emoji with the eyes popping out over this alarming statistic. As a mama of (almost) 2 this is absolutely heartbreaking and I am compelled to help educate people about this issue. 

We have been using Huggies® diapers for Fallon for quite awhile and I am proud to support a brand that is using such a huge platform to spread awareness to the topic of diaper need. Can you imagine not having access to or means to provide diapers for your baby? Parents across the U.S. are faced with choosing between food and diapers and this startling information has driven me to share how we can all help to make a change. If you buy diapers and wipes, you can easily join the Huggies® No Baby Unhugged program in partnership with Walgreens and make a positive impact. From now through April 29, any purchase of Huggies® diapers at Walgreens or Walgreens.com triggers a donation of a day’s worth of diapers to a family in need. A WHOLE DAY! Together these companies have created a power couple and will donate 1.5 million diapers and 250,000 wipes nationwide to the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN). A wonderful idea you can get behind, right?

I grew up as the big sister and then babysat countless neighborhood kids through my tweens and teens.I already had a lot of experience changing diapers by the time I had a baby, but my husband, not so much. Chris had never changed a diaper in his life and I will never forget the first time he did. It was about 3AM on our first night home with Fallon and I decided that was as good as any to show him the ropes. He fumbled through it by the flashlight on his phone, so careful with her as if she would break when he held her legs. I showed him how to tell the front from the back of the diaper and how to use the tabs to secure it around our baby's tiny waist. 20 months later he could do it in total darkness with his eyes closed but we still chuckle about that first time. Probably many of you have sweet, funny stories like this. But what if you didn't? What if every time you thought about diapers you wondered if you'd be able to afford the next pack or if you'd have access to them at all? I think so often we find ourselves thinking that our small contribution does not make an impact. But if every one of us who had that thought went ahead and joined in anyway, that would be a massive push in the right direction.

You can purchase your favorite Huggies® diapers here to support the Huggies® No Baby Unhugged program or simply make a donation to the National Diaper Bank Network. 

Girl vs. Boy

It's driven a lot of people crazy that we've chosen not to find out the sex of our babies before birth. I'm all about a good surprise and Chris is just kind of old school when it comes to this. We agreed from the very beginning with Fallon and then did contemplate finding out at the anatomy scan with this baby. But it was short lived and I think we really knew all along we would go for the surprise again. So while I do tend to gravitate towards gender neutral things naturally like grey, white, black, green, tan, I am all for fun prints that are more boy/girl specific. I've picked out some items that I would probably have purchased already if I knew that I was carrying a he or a she. And most likely when this little he or she arrives a few of these gifts will be on the way, because #howflippingcute. Last chance to make your guess!

GIRL 

Floral Sleeper / Solly Wrap / Book / Booties / Hat / Hooded Towel / Rattle / Burp Cloths

BOY 

Gray Sleeper / Solly Wrap / Book / Booties / Hat / Hooded Towel / Rattle / Burp Cloths

10 Things to do in Your Third Trimester

Whether it's your first time, your fifth time or any time you're having a baby, there are a few things you might want to put on then check off the ol' to-do list. Pregnancy brain is real and if you're already a mom then doubled up with mom brain it's so easy to forget these things. No, it's not the end of the world if everything or even nothing is checked off before baby arrives BUT it probably would make the crazy readjustment period easier for everyone. So with the help of friends, because #mombrain + #pregnancybrain right here, I've compiled a list that hopefully will be helpful for those of you in the home stretch of your pregnancy. All you have to remember is to use it!

Order A Breast Pump

If you plan to breastfeed you will need to contact your insurance company to find out how to go about ordering yours for free! While you're on the phone with someone there, make sure to ask if there is anything else you need to do before baby's arrival if he or she will be covered under your plan. 

Install Car Seat

If this is your first rodeo you want to make sure that the car seat and/or base is installed correctly. YouTube videos can be really helpful or your local fire department can show you! Even if this isn't your first baby I'd still advise having the car seat installed and ready to go because it's one last thing you have to worry about in the whirlwind of going to the hospital and having a new baby.

Contact Your Pediatrician + Pre-Register

First time mamas,  you need to pick a pediatrician and make sure the practice is accepting new patients. If you already have another child and will continue to see your current doctor it's still nice to let the office know you are nearing your due date. Also, most hospitals allow you to pre-register either online or by phone. One less thing to worry about when you're in labor!

Gather Supplies + Pack Bags

Make a hospital bag packing list and have everything you need for you and baby. Depending on your situation, you may want to pack those bags around 36 weeks. But if you at least have everything then someone should be able to go back home and grab anything you forgot in a rush to get out the door. 

Confirm Maternity Leave & Childcare

If you are a working mama you've already talked to HR about your maternity leave plan. But it's a good idea to do a final check-in to ensure everyone is on the same page and you are aware of how the payment schedule and insurance coverage will work while you're gone. You will also want to have your childcare situation taken care of whether it's choosing and setting up daycare or just confirming with whoever is going to be caring for your baby. 

Spend One On One Time

Go on some final dates before it's no longer just you and your hubby or your family dynamic totally changes again. If you already have kids make it a point to do something fun with them individually. 

Baby Registry or Wish List
I highly recommend completing or at least starting your baby registry in your second trimester. It can be so daunting as a first time mom and the more time you have to consider the massive variety of items the better. If you aren't having a shower this go round someone may still be throwing you a little sprinkle or you at least need a few new items for baby. Go through what you have and make a list of what you want/need so you can share the list with family + friends or use it yourself to shop. If you plan to nurse make sure you do have everything you think you'll need including some nursing friendly clothing items. Possibly you didn't like something you used or wore the first time around and want to go a different route so do that now! It's also a good idea to have a few different types of bottles to see which your baby prefers but also not a big deal if someone needs to run out and pick a few up after baby arrives.

Wash Clothes + Bottles

Mamas using hand me downs or a few new things for babe, break those out and throw in a load. First timers, don't rip the tags off of everything just yet! Your baby may never even wear newborn sleepers and you actually don't need 25 receiving blankets. Go ahead and wash 0-3 and up and pick your favorite blankets, nursing pillow cover and accessories (socks, bottles, hats, mittens). If you get one round done and ready to go you're ahead of the game. The rest can wait. Same goes for bottles. Get enough bottles and pump parts if you're nursing clean and shiny then you can see how things go with certain bottles and/or breastfeeding is working out. 

Set Up Baby Gear

Put together whatever baby will be sleeping and/or lounging in, learn how to use any carriers you plan to and make sure the baby monitor is working properly. Not only is this helpful because these are things you won't be trying to do under the pressure of a screaming infant, but having them out can also help prepare older siblings and/or pets for baby's arrival.

Birth Plan

If you feel strongly about anything you are able to control during labor and delivery, write up your plan and share it with your doctor. It's also necessary to have a plan in place for siblings while mom and dad are at the hospital. Then there's the conversations you never want to have put probably should. Talk to your partner about the what ifs and how you think you'd want things handled should those unfortunate situations occur. If baby has to go to the NICU will dad go with him or her? 

Extras

If you have time and are of a mind to care, make some freezer meals to have on hand for those early crazy weeks. Have someone come to deep clean the house or do it yourself because #nesting. Organize baby's supplies so you aren't fumbling around looking for things when you get home from the hospital. If baby has siblings maybe consider big bro/sis gifts "from baby". 

Hopefully this list is helpful but not overwhelming. Having a baby is a big deal. Don't stress if you don't check everything (or anything) off the list because I promise someone will step in to help. But definitely don't feel bad for making it a priority to cross off everything either. Wishing all you mamas to be a safe and easy delivery + healthy babes!

Bumpdate: 37 Weeks

I think this may be my final bumpdate of this pregnancy. Not because I think I'm about to go into labor but because I am 37+3 weeks and I just don't need another thing on my now almost finished to-do list! At my last doctor's appointment almost a week ago I was 3cm dilated and effacing and my weight gain had nearly reached a standstill (less than .5 a pound in 2 weeks). I was 36+5 and my doctor just told me to please wait until the 37 week mark. We've not surpassed that and while I've been having a lot of contractions this week, they haven't turned into anything. 

I'm at the point that I'm just ready. I'm extremely uncomfortable all the time, battling heartburn, back + hip pain, lots of pressure and bathroom trips and full on exhaustion every day all day. We've been working on home projects and just things we wanted to get accomplished before baby's arrival if possible. And of course spending time doing fun things with Fallon while she's still our only child. People keep telling me to relax and slow down to enjoy this time. But the truth is, the fast past we've been rolling at has been very fulfilling and oddly just what we needed before the massive slowdown that's about to happen. The adjustment period is going to be a doozy and there just won't be the time or energy or motivation to do a lot of the things we have been. And that's totally fine. I think we will be much more able to enjoy the big change when we don't have all these other things that we couldn't accomplish looming on the horizon. Of course this isn't the case for everyone but it's been good for us. 

I'm not sure if I have even given numbers on my weight gain this time but I'm up 24lbs. I gained more with Fallon but I was super swollen with her so I think that was part of it. And just for the record, I 100% do not have any feelings about this baby being a boy or a girl. I'd share if I did but I just don't feel a pull either way. And I'd like to think it's because I truly do want to be surprised. Bags are packed, plans are made, and now we just wait for baby!

Baby #2 Mom Guilt: Part II

It may seem a little bit crazy, but I have mom guilt over something that hasn't even happened yet. Fallon's birthday, a day that should have been one of the happiest of my life, was actually the most terrifying. There are unfortunately still a lot of negative emotions there and I don't get all the warm + fuzzy feelings when I think about it. I still remember how quickly the air shifted in the deliver room. The nurse calling for the team of people who would rush in and have to save my baby as soon as she came out. The alarmingly serious look on my doctor's face and her tone of voice when she told me to push with everything I had instead of waiting for contractions. There were no happy tears when she said said It's a girl. Time stood still as I waited to hear my daughter cry, squeak, make any noise at all. I got to hold her just long enough for Chris's shaking hands to snap a picture. No fresh newborn snuggles, first feedings, heart melting moments watching my husband become a father or elated announcement to our waiting family. 

There is no way to express the gratitude I have that our story has a happy ending. We walked out of the NICU with a healthy baby just 2 days later. A little girl who miraculously suffered no complications from her birth, nursed for 14 months and continues to amaze us as a growing toddler. And while I certainly find my daughter's dramatic birth fitting of her personality, it is still something I struggle to fully come to terms with. 

My guilt sets in as soon as I think about baby #2's birthday. It won't be anything like Fallon's. Most likely it will be wonderful, just the way every parent wants to imagine. My husband will be amusing us with his sarcasm, nervous as hell but quietly excited in his way.  The nurses will be chatting me up about Fallon and asking if I have any final thought on the baby's sex. My doctor will be telling the latest my kids are driving me crazy story and then coaching me in her very simple, direct way. Chris and I will look at each other with sheer joy over learning we have another daughter or a son. He or she will cry in customary I've just been evicted from my safe place way and placed on my chest. The atmosphere in the room will be light and happy. No one will come to take my baby. I'll be basking in newborn glory with all the kisses and cuddles, right there to comfort him or her from all the scary new sounds and smells. I'll watch Chris hold his second born, right there in the room with me. There will be pictures capturing all these sweet birthday moments. Calls and texts to family and friends sharing our happy news. All the things that we never experienced the first time. Joy and contentment when we've only known fear.

And I cannot help that it pains me to think that my second child will have this happy story I remember every year on the day he or she arrives. I'm already guilty that such opposite emotions will be felt for each baby's birthday. It just doesn't seem right or fair that Fallon's story only has a happy ending. That her daddy and I can still barely look at the pictures of her in the hospital. That we were both nearly brought to tears thinking of what might have been on the morning we celebrated her first year of life. 

I realize that this is way things go. Every birth story can't be full of rainbows and sunshine. And, contrary to the tone of this post, I'm actually not trying to go down a morbid rabbit hole and take you all with me. I'm putting this out there because it's been weighing so heavily on my heart for nearly this entire pregnancy. It's doesn't take over the feelings of excitement to welcome another child or the happiness of becoming a mother again. But I can't imagine I am the only one who has been here. And if you have or you are, I'm writing it all out for all of us. As for the rest of you, thank you for reading through the end. Thank you for being supportive even if you don't understand. Thank you for letting me continue to have this space to share the real stuff, the hard stuff, the stuff I need somewhere to get out of my head. 

You are all the best!

Hospital Bag Check List: Round 2

When I packed my hospital bag for Fallon's arrival I was pretty sure it looked like I was moving in. And I was totally fine with that. I've always been an over packer and I'd rather just have all my own stuff and wayyyyy too much of it than the alternative. It turns out, I never really got to find out if my bag held too much, too little or just enough. Many of you know that I actually only stayed at the hospital where I gave birth for about 6 hours postpartum. Fallon was transported a few hours after she was born to the nearby Children's hospital and my doctor discharged me early to be with her. I thankfully had no complications from giving birth and I guess she figured there was no better place to send me off to than another hospital. 

The thing is, once I walked out those birth hospital doors, I was no longer a patient. The NICU was a room in and of itself with a chair next to the giant pod with 10,000 things on it that was my baby's "bed". The bathroom, used by the entire floor, was at the other end of the hallway. If one was available you could sleep in a separate room on the special care floor with a bed my husband could barely fit into and a chair shoved up against it. Most of our stay was such a blur of shock, adrenaline and surreality that I can't even tell you what I used from my bag. 

So this time, I went back and read this post from first pregnancy to remember what I had even packed. As a mama with one birth under her belt and some breastfeeding experience,  I definitely have product preferences now. But really the list is almost the same. The biggest difference is time of year so I plan to wear leggings, joggers, a nursing bra/bralette or tank under a comfy cardi/nursing friendly top and a robe with....the fox slippers! I'll bring a gender neutral sleeper + hat, pacifier and cute swaddles for baby in my Fawn bag. But I'm hoping someone can bring a going home outfit depending on whether we have a little boy or a little girl. Hint, hint people. Gotta have my own blanket, pillow and towel + toiletries, makeup and oils! I linked everything on my list below including snacks, my trusty tumbler, nursing pillow and ya know, all the other not so fun stuff. 

Easter Basket Goodies

Easter is already less than a month away! It also happens to fall just a few days before my due date. I am hoping and praying that I don't end up missing Easter with Fallon but either way, I'm making sure her basket is all ready to go now. Last year she was only 9 months old and just showed up for the food. This is the first year she will be excited and able to hunt for eggs and find her basket so picking out the goodies to fill it was really fun. Okay, who are we kidding, she's still showing up for the food. 

I've rounded up some sweet spring basket fillers for your little bunnies to go with all that sugar. I mean plastic eggs are a must and these gold ones are just too cute. Board books pretty enough to use as decor get bonus points and floral pjs absolutely double as an outfit if you ask me. Heart sunnies + a striped ruffle swimsuit because summer will be here before we know it. Bubble wands and egg shaped sidewalk chalk for warm weather outdoor fun. The most gorgeous little rain boots to splash through April showers and Jellies to walk among the May flowers. Some pretty plates for all the picnics to come. And of course a soft, cuddly lamb doll. What will be in your little one's baskets this year?! 

Check out my friends' picks here!

Arin
Chelsee
Navy
Michelle