2014 May Rainbows

[Starry Night]

Darlin - you're right. I was having all sorts of BH in the days leading up to my son's birth and when the real thing started there was no mistaking it at all. The real contractions are like nothing else.

nats - so close now! It's very exciting to think your little rainbow is almost here! Hope she doesn't keep you waiting too long.

afm - ran some errands today and was able to use a whole pile of coupons. I got a box of diapers for each of my children. When I was at the pharmacy I got this little rush when I saw the "you have saved" amount equalled what I had actually paid. Also got bonus points with the store's points programs. I'm on my way to being able to get a ton of free diapers in the future.

I also picked up my free formula samples and am setting up a decent emergency stash. But man, formula is so expensive! I was able to get a free box of 6 pre-made bottles and they will last MAYBE 2 days at newborn levels of feeds. And that box normally costs $10. That's about $10 to $20 a day. Of course, the pre-made stuff is designed to be used in a pinch or when you're out-and-about. I don't know how anyone could afford to solely rely upon it. I did also get a free box of individual serving packets of powder and at the early stage I could probably get 3 feeds out of one packet. So maybe 3 or 4 days? ha ha....it still disappears so quick. But I've signed up for samples with all the major companies and my mom is collecting free samples for me as well. For some reason Similac sent her TWO boxes of samples...and Similac is NOT stingy with their samples...and with mine still to come I should be OK.

Seeing my growing stash makes me really feel the reality that she is coming. And soon. It's sort of hitting DH and I at the same time. I spent the whole pregnancy not letting myself look ahead so now it's sort of coming all at once. I feel so unprepared. ha ha

 

[Darlin65]

Starry I did the same thing. I slacked off so bad until the last minute then it all happened so fast. He's a week old already I'm still in shock that he is here already.

He's been sleeping soooo much today This is the most he's slept so far which means he is going to be up allllll night long probably. I'm pretty sad about it. The healing process this time has been much harder after my cs. I think it's because last time they gave me some long lasting pain meds in my iv that gave me a numbness in my belly that lasted quite some time. Plus we were released a couple days earlier this time.

My nipples hurt so bad today Idk what is up but his latch hasn't been the greatest today. He had a fabulous latch before and now he wants to take just the nipple where they usually ae supposed to latch so your whole areola (sp?) disappears into their mouth too.

 

[Starry Night]

Darlin - Sounds like you're having a rough time of it. I remember it took my son about 2 weeks to sort out his days and nights. I hope your little guy figures it out soon.

And didn't the hospital send some pain killers home with you? Is there any way you could get a hold of some? It's hard to care for two little ones and recover from a major surgery at the same time--especially when you had the complications you did. And hopefully today was just an off day for his latch. He's still learning. Do you think nipple shields would help?

afm - DH and I finally buckled down and washed the gear and reattached the covers. Now we need to install the car seat and deep clean our bedroom and get it baby-ready. I also want to clean out the spare room that is to be my son's new room so it's ready for painting when my parents come. I don't want to spend too much of their visiting time painting. I want to actually visit and allow my mom to help...the reason she is coming! She'll be here 2 weeks but no clue how long my dad will be here. I think they're planning on arriving together though. Most likely the weekend of June 7th to give me a chance to go overdue and have my hospital stay.

 

[Sunnyleah]

Ah so much is happening now! I'm getting so excited for our LO to arrive, hearing all about everyone's journeys to prepare . We are down to the last few things....

Moby is now unsure (SIL gave it to a friend and doesn't know if they still have it)
Mattress we have a toys r us gift card for
Baby bath we have a toys r us gift card for
Then it's just the cloth diapers, cloth diaper pail bag and a handful of odds and ends.

Dh's mom ordered the crib rails to convert the crib to a bed (which we don't need for a long time, but good to get them now so they don't get discontinued)

My parents gave me $200 for my birthday (will pay for license plate renewal, and ece professional fee renewal. )

Also DH gave me a gift card to get a fancy hair cut, and I got two gift cards for the spa I like! Plus a gift card for our "last supper" lol.

Really lucky girl . I'm going to be spoiled this week! And then baby is welcome to come anytime! Lol

Had a lovely birthday BBQ with family, and now I feel ready for baby. House is prepared and other than a few things to pick up, and a few things to set up at home we are ready!

 

[Darlin65]

I have pain meds. It's what they were giving in the hospital. Then I got 4 pills now I take 2. They had me on a higher dose because of my pulled neck muscle from severe shivering on the OR table. My heart rate was high and they found controlling my pain decreased it.

Having help is/was nice. Mil stocked our freezer with meals we just throw in the oven and cookies. It's pretty awesome. Plus she worked with DS on his wooden puzzles and he's pretty good at them now!

 

[Darlin65]

That sounds nice Sunny! I'm thinking about going and getting my hair done next month. It's been a while. I want to polish up a bit get it dyed, bangs trimmed and my eyebrows waxed. I don't want to buy any clothes quite yet since I will be changing so much in the next few months.

When's mother's day there? May 11th here.

I have a moby and while its nice once on it's a pain to wrap and unwrap etc. Just a lot of bulky fabric. We are looking into the baby katan

 

[Starry Night]

I think Canada has Mother's Day the same day as the States. Most of our major holidays line up. Just not Thanksgiving for some reason. lol I already told DH I want him to take me to Pizza Hut.

I still want to get a hamper for the baby and one of those canvas storage bins to use as a part of the change table centre. DS has one but it's his and I want to move it with him to his new room. Once he's potty-trained I will want to use it for some of his toys. And I need a mosquito net. I just cannot find it. But I do recall looking for it in the past and not finding it after we moved to our current home. We must have left it behind. Until baby can use bug spray (which won't be this summer) I need something. Oh, and we also need a blackout blind. I can't ever convince my dh to let me order one though. The window is huge so it's going to cost $60.

And I want a haircut too. My hair is getting so useless and I want to feel cute before baby arrives. It's bad enough I've gotten fat and probably won't lose the weight before summer is over.

 

[Darlin65]

Starry I've gained more weight so I weighed more when we left the hospital than when we entered

 

[Sunnyleah]

I'm excited for the hair cut. I think it's been about a year! I try to go twice a year but doesn't always happen

I've looked at the katan... The only thing is it's sized. So you really need to try it on with baby to see what size works for you. Then the same size may not work for you & DH :/. It's not adjustable like the structured carriers but not flexible like the wraps. DH really liked the idea of it. I think we are going to the nice baby store we registered at next weekend to try some on. They have a ton there to try with weighted dolls to help choose . Then we will look for a used one.

As for weight I was still up about 13 lbs on Thursday but being home now and slacking on my diabetes diet (the doctor said it's all good) I'm sure I'll pack on a few these last few weeks. Hoping to keep it under 15lbs.

Then hopefully I'll leave the hospital around what I weighed before pregnancy . DH and I were on a strict diet & exercise program before pregnancy and we'd both lost about 15lbs in 3 months. So hoping to continue that and reach my goal near end of summer. We shall see how it goes with a new born in the house!! Lol

 

[Starry Night]

Last time it took me 7 months to get out of maternity pants. I was in regular shirts by about 2 months. And it took a full year to lose all the weight plus a little extra. So I already know it's going to be the long haul for me. Weight loss has always been that way for me. It just sticks. But just about one generation ago my family was living in Russia so I like to joke I was built to survive Siberian winters. The only way I can get my weight to stay off is if I lose it slowly. It's hard not to get depressed about it though. And even with my weight loss last time I could not get that "Mummy tummy" to vanish. So though I weighed less than I did before pregnancy I had to go up a size. Oh well.

 

[Sunnyleah]

Starry that sucks :/.

I still wear some of my longer non maternity tops but I generally wear bigger topsnecause of my bust.

I can wear my regular underwear and comfy pants under my belly, but my regular pants fit around the waist so that will take a while. Aiming for 6 months

 

[Starry Night]

I do think it's common to go up sizes though. My SiL said she lost all her weight and still had to go up a size. I had a friend who went up two sizes. Of course, she went from a 2 to a 4. ha ha I'm bigger in the hips and boobs. Before DS I was a teeny little A cup. Afterwards I became a C cup. I'm even bigger now! Really hoping they shrink a bit as I actually don't like them this big. DH disagrees, however. I like to tease him about that because when I was an A cup I was so self-concious about them and he said he loved them. But now that I'm between a C and D he is over the moon. I knew he was just being nice back then! LOL LOL

After DS I was actually fairly happy with how I looked in spite of the "Mummy Tummy". I wasn't a fan of the pooch but overall I looked good. I'm a curvier girl so never going to have a low BMI. My weight loss plateaued at about a point above the healthy range and I was happy enough that I didn't want to push into a harder workout regime. I was already at 1500 cals a day, going for daily walks and bike rides and that was good enough for me.

I am depressed about my size right now. Definitely got some chub on me but I keep reminding myself that I did it once, I can do it again. And now I will have two to chase. ha ha

 

[Sunnyleah]

I was crazy thin until about age 22. Now I struggle. DH and I decided last summer that since we were having trouble conceiving we would try to be healthier. Did a lot of research about what to eat (not just how many calories) and took up exercise. I had help from my karate instructor who agreed to push me then 3 months and 15 lbs later we got pregnant!! I've not had much of an appetite while pregnant and taking that as a blessing. Combined with my allergy to gluten and the diabetes I've been lucky

I'll never be thin again like high school but hoping to be healthy

I feel that genetics play a key role in our body types and we can influence it but not change it overall

I'm only 5'3 and currently 176. I was 163lbs which is about 20+ lbs over my healthy weight range. I'd just like to be inthe healthy range for my height & age which is 125-140 lbs

 

[Sunnyleah]

So excited!! I found a Facebook group of moms in my city!!! I posted an ISO (in search of) wall post with some of the items we would like for when baby is a bit older. The response has been incredible!! So far I will be picking up the following tomorrow:

Bumbo chair & exersaucer $30
Playmat/ gym $15
Jolly jumper with stand $10

Was offered a playpen (pack n play) for $10 but DH didn't like that it was covered with giraffes!! Lol


So happy to find all of this for cheaper than any one item on the list!!

 

[Darlin65]

Seriously missing my belly today and idk why

 

[Sunnyleah]

Awe Darlin. I've actually been thinking about that a lot lately. I feel like I will miss having him inside me being able to feel him moving. Hopefully once your hormones settle you'll feel better

 

[Starry Night]

Darlin - Don't know why we miss our bumps after we finally get our babies but I think it's fairly normal. I got phantom kicks for weeks after my son was born and it made me miss having him inside me. I hope the sad feelings pass soon.

I don't think I'll miss being pregnant with this particular baby but seeing how this is probably our last I think I may miss just being pregnant in general....even though I hate it. But I am not expecting to be rational those first few months.

My samples from Nestle came in today. They didn't have much in the way of formula -- just one tin and one lousy coupon--but I did get a baby bottle and a free diaper bag! It's not large but it's a back pack, comes with a change pad and seems to be a good size for short outings and as a secondary bag to the one I already have for longer outings. Takes off my worry if wondering how I would be able to carry enough supplies around for two little ones. And it only has the Nestle logo stamped on the inside so I'm not walking around as free advertising.

 

[Sunnyleah]

Starry mine came today too! I did however receive more in the bag. A tin of formula, an 8 pack of ready made formula (in glass bottles with a nipple), a bottle, some coupons and the black sling bag with change pad DH has claimed the bag for when he goes out alone with baby. Which won't be too often or for long periods . He's happy he won't have to carry the more feminine bag. Lol

Excited for my birthday tomorrow! Last one before becoming a mom . Secretly hoping baby comes a bit early so I get Mother's Day, but not sure. He'd have to be a week early

 

[Starry Night]

What? How did you get so much? ha ha! These companies are funny. My mom has now gotten TWO boxes from Similac and I'm still waiting for mine. So I re-registered with them and the site allowed me to do that even though I still have my confirmation email from the first registry.

I just wish the diaper companies would send out free samples! Even more useful. Signing up with them gives you the privilege of sending away for coupons. I find Huggies is a bit more generous with their coupons then Pampers but I don't really care for Huggies that much. I'll buy them when the sales are good but they leak more. I know you're doing cloth though so I guess it doesn't matter.

I will say I love Pamper's rewards points. Through them I have been able to order several Shutterfly photo books for free. And now Shutterfly thinks I'm some sort of loyal customer and sends me codes for all sorts of deals and free stuff. I mainly use the free photo prints. Even with shipping it's still cheaper than Walmart or Superstore. I haven't paid for photos in over a year. ha ha

 

[Starry Night]

I will say to make sure to sign up for every children's clothing store's email list. You'll get notifications of all the sales and often get exclusive coupons and they USUALLY can be combined with existing sale prices and clearance items. My friends often raise their eyebrows at me when they see my DS in another Children's Place outfit but I never buy items at full price.

One store I wish I could shop at but can never afford is Gymboree. I ONCE found an autumn zip-up sweater/jacket on a clearance rack for $8. Not sure what it was doing there as the clearance rack was all summer gear. It had a slight mark on it so personally I think someone had used it for a little while and returned it, scamming the cashier and now the store was trying to get rid of it. The mark was clearly dried spit up but was so tiny and insignificant that I got it anyways. It's really nice and cute. I can't see it working for a girl but I just can't bring myself to give it away either. I might use it anyways.