MN Mama: Knitting on the Brink

Three Month Milestones

2009-09-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

My little baby is three months old already! When people tell you that time flies and they grow up so fast, they are NOT kidding. I am amazed at how much Elías has already changed- it seems like every week he is doing something new. His big things recently are sitting up, eating his hands constantly, "talking," and laughing. He is supposed to be entering a very interactive stage, and I think I'm in trouble. It's already hard enough to tear myself away from his adorable smile and kissable cheeks!

As I was reflecting back on the past three months, I realized that there have been some things I am very proud of, and some others than I want to keep working on.
First, the good stuff:

-I am very glad that I got to experience E's birth without any medication.
-I feel so lucky that breastfeeding has been going flawlessly for us.

Both of these things I was very concerned about before he was born, because On the one hand, there are certain things you can do to facilitate them, but On the other, there is also a bit of luck involved with each. I prepared myself as much as I could for both, but luck gets the rest of the credit, since they were only possible because we had no complications related to either.

I am also very pleased that I have continued to be more or less as active as I was before he was born. We'll see how things go when cold weather sets in, though. I was wondering to myself the other day- Could I put him in a carrier and walk on the treadmill at the Y? Of course I've never seen a baby at the Y in that area, but is there a rule against it, or just no one does it? Would he just cry the whole time? I think I'm going to investigate this further- if we go in the afternoons before their busy time, maybe it could work????

I have been able to do a little bit of knitting here and there, but I would like to be able to do more. Having a baby who rarely takes naps and likes to be held and played with is not very conducive to major project knitting. It also means most of my "free" time is spent prepping/grading for classes. The house has been maintained in relative order and cleanliness, which was another concern of mine. We have some projects going on, since we just moved in, but Juan has been mostly doing all that. At this point, I would like to finish my bathroom- I need to paint, change the knobs, find a mirror, replace the curtains, and get a new floor. HAH- that's it :) As of today I do have functioning sconces, though, so things are moving along, snail's pace or not.

My other two goals for improvement: 1. Get the dissertation completely done. I still need to get back revision comments and then defend, but it is getting closer. I may have a graduation to attend this December. 2. Watch the nutrition. Since I'm breastfeeding, I have been a bit slack with my sweets. I've made a resolution to beef up the good stuff and cut down on the sugar, because even if I'm ok now, I'm establishing habits that will be really hard to break once I stop needing those extra 500 calories. This one is really hard. Last week I made two batches of cookies- half of one I gave away to the neighbors, but Juan and I polished the rest off in a week, and I still somehow managed to lose two pounds! So, this week no cookies. I*must*break the cookie habit. (ok, full confession, I just made hot fudge, but a girl has to have some chocolate in her life!) Yup, this one is going to be really hard.

Progress Update

2009-07-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Elías is going to be six weeks tomorrow, and since that was the magic number they gave me in the hospital in terms of my healing and recovery, it seems like a good time for a recap.

He is 13 lbs and 6.5 oz, so he has been gaining a pound a week since week 1. And he's grown 2 inches length-wise.

I am feeling almost like my old self, physically. I went to my first yoga class yesterday and was so happy to be able to do twists, lie on my back, and do the stomach poses, as these were all no-nos during pregnancy. It was interesting to see where I was tight and sore, too. Mobi, Elías and I have been walking about an hour most evenings, too. We've given the stroller a rest for now and have been going in the sling or the wrap. These allow Elías to eat when he wants, which is a bonus, because it keeps him happier longer and thus, we get a longer walk in.

I have my check up on Friday. I did weigh myself at the Y yesterday for the first time since his birth, and I was a pound away from my start weight. That number actually included an extra 5lbs I had added on in August from being in Spain for a month and not exercising at all and eating A LOT. So, I've got 6 to go. I'm not going to obsess about it, but I just want my old clothes to fit again.

I pretty much avoided the baby blues because Juan was so wonderful about taking care of us and the house. I did get pretty restless by week two just to be able to take walks again, but then my mom and aunt came and I got out more and between that and their company, it was all good. I never really had an issue with sleep deprivation because I just took naps when needed.

Breastfeeding is going great- I love bonding with Elías and seeing all the sweet faces he makes and his funny noises. He is sleeping 5 hour stretches at night and eating less in the morning, so I've been able to freeze some milk, which will free me from the house a bit more. We haven't actually tried the bottle feeding yet- they were supposed to yesterday, but he slept the whole hour I was in yoga. I'll go again tomorrow and see if they can do it then. I really want him to take the bottle, since I'll be starting work next month (ugh!)

We've gotten some random, fleeting smiles, but nothing consistent yet. He is a very sweet baby. He prefers to be held, which some people would perhaps find frustrating or exhausting, but I knew I wanted to hold him a lot anyway (hence, all the slings), so it hasn't been much of an issue. And we've been working on putting him down to entertain himself here and there and he's getting better. So, I'd say all in all, so far, so good. We're happy with our little guy and we think he's content with us. We look forward to seeing his emerging personality and getting some more smiles.

Dining with Baby

2009-06-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Juan and I have quickly gotten used to eating in turns as the other holds the baby. The other night some friends of ours came over to have dinner with us (they brought the food, we provided the serving ware). I'm still unable to hold Elías and walk very much, so this is one of the first times I gave the Moby Wrap a try. It worked really well, and we were all able to eat together at the table.Elías, having already had his dinner, slept through most of the meal.By the time we hit the cupcakes, though, he was ready for his own dessert. A quick fix from mom, and he was out again.

One Week Checkup

2009-06-12T14:52:00.000-07:00

Eliás had his one week check-up today. Not only has he already gained back his birthweight, but he is up to 8lbs 8oz, putting him in the 75th percentile for weight. He has grown a half an inch, up to 21.5", which puts him in the 90th percentile for height. He is healthy and thriving, and a very content baby as long as he is fed and not changed too much-he still hasn't caught on that it is over quickly and leaves him better off than he was before.

In case you haven't seen him...

2009-06-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

IN ACTION (click link for a youtube video)

Birth Story

2009-06-09T19:25:00.000-07:00

On Tues, June 2, I was 4 days past my due date, and got a call from my midwife that she wanted me to come in for another nonstress test- she had seen some dips in his heartbeat the day before and the more she thought about them, the more worried she got. So, we went in for 20-30 min (we thought) to see if I would need to push my ultrasound up a couple of days. After an hour and a half, my midwife came in and told me that I wasn’t leaving the hospital- they were going to break my water that night- she had seen one dip at the very end of that hour that made her think there may be a problem with the cord. Since I hadn’t had dinner and it was already 9 at night by this time, we negotiated a compromise. Juan and I could go home, eat dinner and get our things and come back to sleep at the hospital. They monitored me all night and as long as things were good, we’d just wait until morning to start the process, so I could have a good night’s sleep before starting labor.

That morning (Wed, June 3), she broke my water around 8:30 and we thought things would be pretty fast from there since I was already 75% effaced and 4 cm dilated. Well, nothing happened. So, Juan and I “sneaked out” of the hospital to take a walk around the lake to get things started. By 3pm I still couldn’t feel any contractions, and we had to start talking about inducing with Pitocin or Cyotec, even though I really didn’t want either, because my water had broken so long ago at this point. I didn’t want pain meds and knew it could be hard with Pitocin, but my midwife assured me that they would increase gradually and stop increasing as soon as my contractions got regular. We really didn’t have any options left at that point- she really thought I would have gone into labor with the water breaking. She gave me another couple of hours to try natural methods, and when nothing happened, we started pitocin at 6:30 ish.

I used my hypnobabies tracks to manage the contractions, which I kept waiting to get more intense and really didn’t. I couldn’t have done it without my birthing ball- I sat on that at the foot of the bed with a pile of pillows to lean on between the waves. Juan was the other essential component- he was right there the whole time, and I couldn't have managed without him.

I had looked forward to the tub, but never got in- it seemed too much trouble to move. After midnight I got on the bed to be checked and couldn’t get off- I went from 7 or 8 cm to needing to push in less than a minute. I ended up pushing and delivering on my side- a position I swore I’d never like. they had set up the bar for squatting, which I had been practicing for months, but I just couldn’t get up to do it- I kept thinking it would go so much quicker if I did, but I think it was better in the end to go slower because I didn’t need any stitches.

Elías arrived at 1:59 am at 8 lbs 5 oz, 21” long. When he came out, I was shocked at how soft he was- not that cheesy stickiness I had expected, and his head was perfectly round- well, he was just perfect ;) He latched on right away and has been feeding well ever since. I couldn’t be more in love :)

40 weeks and waiting...

2009-05-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Yup, still pregnant. Since last week's flurry of activity, it's just been a waiting game. Juan is now done with classes, so he's ready, too. At yesterday's appointment there were some signs of progress- still 3 cm but now 75% effaced and he's down to zero station. But still no measurable contractions- a lot of people have them for weeks or even months ahead of time, but at this point when I start feeling them, I really hope they are the real thing!

Still Pregnant

2009-05-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

We hardly have any minutes on the phone left, and have to save them for the big day (hopefully it'll be this weekend so there'll be unlimited minutes- now there's a reason to have a baby on a certain day ;). So, if you call me and I don't call you back, that's why. Anyway, no news to report.

Hopefully figlet will wait until Juan's class is done, which is his due date, on Friday. But of course, he could wait another week, too. We had a lovely memorial day in WI- went for a little drive, had a picnic in the park, and got some yummy ice cream. It was a great day.

Ever since I got all my preparations done this weekend, I don't have that sense of anything immanent happening, so I think it'll be another few days at least, if we don't go into June. It could certainly happen...

Busy busy!

2009-05-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

So, I feel like things are going to start happening soon, but anything that I could take as a sign of impending labor could be, or I could go another two weeks with the same symptoms. (I'll spare you the details) Basically, unless your water breaks or you have regular contractions, you're not in labor until you are- very annoying. (Can't I just get memo saying, ok, you have until this day and time- be there, or be unprepared ;)

The general effect, however, is to get my butt in gear because I realized Friday that any day now I could suddenly find myself in labor, and who wants to be worrying about all these little things while in labor? Not me. So, yesterday I crossed off all the "get ready" things I had left- the hospital (ehem) bags are packed and in the car, with a list of last-minute items that can't be packed until the moment of, all the media (phone, camera, videocamera) are charged, packed, and primed for use, the house is clean, and the freezer is stocked. Our very sweet neighbors are going to watch Mobi while we're in the hospital, so I made them a key and today we'll do the "tour." Juan installed the car seat weeks ago, so that's taken care of, too. (While my nesting urge came on strong yesterday, HE has been there for weeks already- he is fully responsible for the fact that our house is completely ready for figlet).

Our amazing friends here have already organized a food tree to bring us meals for the first couple of weeks, but I also wanted to make some things just to have stuff on hand. I had already made a couple of dishes, using the tinfoil pans to reduce clean up, so I could just ID them on the cover and write out the instructions for baking temps and time right there on them. I also made and froze a couple of batches of brownies to bring as a thank you for the nurses- yummy espresso ones in case we're there in the middle of the night, and regular gooey chocolate ones. Yesterday I completed the stock with turkey burgers, pizza dough, rolls (Juan needs one per dinner), peanut sauce that can be used on pasta or chicken, and a raspberry lemon loaf for when our guests arrive- (that's you, mum and Aunt Alane ;) I also made some energy bars for labor and after. So, our freezer is pretty full right now. It's nice to know we won't have to depend on take-out pizza and Chinese food.

So, all that's left is to finish writing my dissertation (hum, that's all??). But since everyone's already on break and the defense can't be until end of summer/fall, it won't be the end of the world if I don't finish the writing now. But it would be really nice. Since he has four days of classes left, Juan has commanded figlet to either arrive this weekend or wait until the next or later.

39 week check up

2009-05-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

So, with one week to go, the baby is still weighing in at under 7 lbs (or so the midwife guestimates- she says she's been right on all month, so we'll see ;) His position is the same, and I'm still 50% effaced, but am now dilated 3 cm. Still no talk of induction, in fact, she said she'd let me go 41 weeks, though she doubts we'll have to wait that long. His positioning is still great, so I'm hoping that means I'll be spared the fun that is back labor. So, the waiting game continues, which we're both ok with, since Juan is still teaching until next week, and I've still got some things to get done (preferably) before his arrival.

Just what the pregnancy wardrobe needed

2009-05-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness American Apparel has shown me the light. I knew my pregnancy wardrobe was seriously lacking in some über-cool duds, but I didn't realize the missing pieces were leg warmers and a spandex unitard. (Just watch the Yo Mama! slideshow to see what I mean).

If only I had known sooner...

38 week check ups

2009-05-19T13:54:00.000-07:00

Things haven't changed much since my stats two weeks ago. I swear he is lower, but I forgot to find out the station, so I'm not sure if he really is or it just feels that way. My cervix is still about 50% effaced though she did think I was dialated another 1 cm or so. I haven't felt any "practice" contractions, so that would explain why there hasn't been much change and may also indicate that we've still got some time yet. My iron and sugar levels are looking good, and at this point there is no reason to talk about induction- the baby's heart rate is also doing well, and he did grow quite a bit- she said she guessed he was about 6 3/4 lbs. I think he grew even more over the weekend. My energy level is definitely slowing down, though I'm sure the high 80s temps we've had the past couple of days aren't helping there. My feet and ankles have barely been swollen, though my hands are really sore for some reason.

So, those are the stats as we have them now. Next appointment will be Friday.

Baby Bump Photography

2009-05-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

I finally have my 37-week photos for you. And this time, Juan wasn't the photographer.

You can check them out on Tanya's blog, which you get to from here. (Note: music plays, too, so you might want to shut off your sound if you're at work or the library)

36 week check up and numbers

2009-04-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

So, last week the midwife told me that I'd start going to one-week appointments. "Already??!!? I thought that was later!" was my response. She and Juan looked at me for a second, and then she told me with a smile that there wasn't much later left at this point!

Today I found out that figlet is getting ready for his big adventure. He is currently between -1 and zero station so, his head is engaged (yay! no breech baby!) I am 50% effaced, and 1 cm dialated. This is no indication that I will be going into labor anytime soon, but it does mean everything is getting ready for the big day. We've been feeling his bum on my left side under my ribcage and the right side has been getting all the kicks. So, he's like a little upside-down L these days. She also guesstimated that he's about 5 1/2 lbs right now and believes he'll be 6 lbs something at birth. This is a big relief considering the gestational diabetes scare of possible big baby.

It's always great to get good news about figlet :)

Giving birth in Winona (Part 2: Labor and Delivery)

2009-04-23T21:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks you for the comments to the last post- it is so interesting to hear everyone's experience and viewpoint on this. It's a topic I never gave any thought to until recently, but since then I love hearing from other women about their own experience, especially my friends and family. I had mentioned my initial concern about hospital procedures in the last post. However, after meeting the midwives, I was no longer so concerned. While I am officially under the care of one of them, there are two midwives at the Winona Clinic, and I have been meeting with each consistently. I really like both of them, and would be happy to be attended by either. (Whoever is on duty when I go into labor will be the attendee). So, that issue has been taken care of quite well.

Throughout six weeks in March and April, Juan and I attended childbirth classes at the hospital. I found a lot of the basic info a repeat of what I had learned on my own already, and was discouraged that alternative/natural options were not mentioned (though I can't say I was surprised). For example, during the induction, pain management, and breech baby discussions, there wasn't even the slightest mention of possibly handling these issues naturally. I wouldn't expect a hospital to go into detail on them, but even a passing mention that other ways do exist could have been helpful to mothers who hadn't done much research yet. What I liked most about the classes was the fact that our teacher was a labor and delivery nurse at the hospital's birth center. We asked her lots of questions and got a very solid sense of how particular procedures go there (as opposed to sweeping US statistics). We learned that our hospital's c-section rate is much lower than the national average, and it seems that in general, everyone, including the doctors, aims for a vaginal birth when possible. We also really appreciated the tour of the birth center and are actually looking forward to giving birth there.

On the big day, when I get to the hospital, I will be assigned a one-on-one L&D nurse. (And in case you were wondering like we were, no, we don't have to enter via the Emergency entrance nor do I need to be wheeled into the birth center in a wheelchair- amazing what tv and Hollywood can put into your head).

Everyone is guaranteed a private room. There are six rooms at the birth center, each one painted a different color with a coordinating mural on the wall- flowers, trees, that sort of thing. Each room is designed for labor, delivery, and post-partum recovery so unless you need an emergency c-section, you stay in the same room the whole time. In addition to the birthing bed that morphs into all kinds of positions, there is a pull-out couch that transforms into a double bed so husbands can stay overnight comfortably. The baby also stays with you in the room, barring any issues. The rooms also have wi-fi access, a cd player, a mini-fridge to stock with snacks, a tv, a rocking chair, and a whirlpool tub (to help with labor) in the private bathroom. A detail we found cute was the "room service" menu. There is a small table with a couple of chairs in the room, and at some point after the baby is born, you can order dinner for the two of you, complete with linens and candlesticks. (The nurses will happily take the baby to the nursery during dinner if you want some time alone for just the two of you to enjoy).

I also attended a breastfeeding class and got to meet one of the lactation consultants who is available. Again, she did nothing but put my mind at ease regarding the encouragement of breastfeeding from the start. That has been our experience so far with everyone we have met at the hospital and women's health clinic. They are extremely knowledgeable and educated on the most up-to-date practices. It is such a relief to have this sense of trust in their services, because I think a lot of women don't get that opportunity.

I would love to hear about others' experiences in this area, too. Did you feel that your doctor/midwife was working for your best interests, or did they seem to be simply following the easiest procedure for them?

Giving birth in Winona (Part 1: Caregiving)

2009-04-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

When I started listening to the Pregtastic podcast way back last February, I heard a lot of people talk about the horrible state of the healthcare system in the US. Then, when we got pregnant and started watching documentaries like Pregnant in America, and The Business of Being Born, they just reinforced the "evilness" that is the hospital for pregnant women these days. Both films are very much skewed against hospitals and are pro-homebirth. I had also done a lot of reading on natural childbirth, and so definitely developed a suspicion of labor and delivery doctors and nurses. The facts speak for themselves. America overall has over a 30% cesarean rate (the World Health Organization says it should be 4%) and is ranked 28th in the world for infant mortality.

However, many proponents of natural childbirth and home births only present one side of the story, just as those on the other side of the spectrum do as well. The wonderful thing about the US system is that there are actually quite a few options for birth these days (unfortunately, however, your insurance company may limit what these are). You can have your baby at home, in a birth center, or in the hospital. Your practitioner could be a mid wife or a doctor. You could go completely natural, have some medicated help, or plan a c-section. One of the podcast guests made the important point that women with completely opposed birthing philosophies actually have a lot in common: the mother who schedules a c-section for her birth and the mother who chooses to go completely natural are both making their decision because they want a sense of control over their birth. They just interpret that in different ways. I think the most important thing is for a mother to research the options available and decide what works for her and why. That way, she gets the experience she wants (whatever form that is) and is happier about her birth outcome. With that in mind, I have researched all the possibilities and even if I end up having to have a c-section due to unforeseen circumstances, or decide I do want pain meds once I'm in labor, I will understand what those decisions mean for me and the baby and won't have reason to regret anything.

Because I would prefer a natural childbirth, I was nervous about being manipulated or forced into another option by my caregiver or the labor nurses, because of all I had heard or read. However, once we became more familiar with the Winona Clinic, my fears melted away. We chose to receive midwife care - an option possible at many hospitals, in spite of what the documentaries make you believe. Basically, a mid-wife approaches your birth as a healthy, natural state and appointments focus on the mom as well as baby. Our appointments are often an hour long, because we spend the first part talking about how I am doing and taking care of myself (stress, nutrition, exercise, concerns and questions). Then, we move on to the baby and how he's measuring, his heartbeat, etc. Doctors often approach pregnancy from the perspective of what could go wrong with the baby and that is their main focus. It is my understanding (and correct me if I'm wrong, since I haven't gone to one), that appointments are much shorter and are basically to see how the baby is doing. In terms of labor, a midwife encourages you to approach it as a natural process (though they would of course support a decision for pain medication if that is what the mom wants). The doctor, again, is more in crisis-management mode, anticipating all the worst-case scenarios and is more likely to suggest medical intervention (induction, episiotomy, c-section, etc).

I have been told by several different people both at the hospital and anecdotally that the relationship between the midwives and doctors here in Winona is rare because it is actually one of mutual respect (apparently doctors can be very dismissive of midwives). We will not see a doctor unless a complication arises, in which case one will be there and available. This set-up make us very relaxed- we will not have to worry about changing location if something comes up, and we feel like we have the best of both worlds available to us.

I will continue in Part 2 with labor, delivery, and the hospital setting here in Winona.

Kicking away

2009-04-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

So far on the mama poll, feeling the baby move is #1. And I have to agree. It's been really fun to feel all the little kicks and flips, though sometimes it startles me so much I jump. The other day, we were watching a movie and I guess I was really into it, because figlet's little foot did this really long sweeping motion along my upper right side, and I was so startled that I gave a little shout. Juan, of course, was worried, and I felt silly telling him it was just my little occupant making his presence known.

For a long time the movements were so slight and infrequent that Juan could never catch one. Then one night, he was making such a fuss, I woke Juan up to have him feel it. At first he didn't believe me- he thought I had moved my stomach myself (yeah, wish I still had that sort of ab control), but when figlet wouldn't stop he realized it was true. He just kept flipping over and over and kicking- we were both laughing because it seemed like he was never going to stop. What on earth was he doing in there? It was the only time he's been so active for so long (which I'm ok with, since the flips feel really weird).

When I went to the midwife last week, she confirmed that they were indeed his little feet poking into my right ribs. His back is along my left side and he's been head down, which is good. We won't tolerate that breech nonsense his mom was into.

Being Dad

2009-04-08T06:27:00.000-07:00

Last night the DVD Being Dad arrived from Netflix. It's a cute "documentary" about pregnancy from a guy's perspective. We see snatches of the film maker's own process through the nine months of his wife's pregnancy up to the birth, and he also gathered groups of guys from various cities around the US to hear their thoughts on various pregnancy topics, like their wives' changing bodies, their thoughts on being a dad, miscarriage, finances, the birth day, etc. There are also some experts that chime in about those topics, but it's mostly just guys sitting around, having a beer and chatting. (I couldn't help but notice the delicious spread they had on the tables, too, especially the sandwiches with the New York crowd). ahhhhh carbs :)

It is a fun film to watch, and at times very touching.

Pregnancy Rocks

2009-04-05T19:55:00.000-07:00

I have loved being pregnant. There was a bit of a glitch when I found out about the gestational diabetes, but if that is the worse complication we have, I count myself as extremely lucky. I've actually had fun lately with the challenge of finding more healthy non-carb snacks to fill me up. This weekend, for example, I rediscovered cottage cheese. I hadn't eaten it in a long time, and thought I'd give it another shot. I mixed it with blackberries, strawberries, and ground flaxseed and found the combo utterly delicious. And I've taken to making fruity iced teas and mixing it with sparkling water, to substitute for the juice I used to drink. I've also been very disciplined about my exercise routine since being pregnant, because it makes me feel so much better physically and emotionally. My other big change is knowing my limits and taking care of myself in terms of stress and rest- I don't try to get by with coffee and little sleep these days, so I have had to prioritize to keep myself and the baby healthy.

While I thought I was healthy before, I think this has to be the healthiest I've ever been in my life. It feels great, and I really hope I can keep it up after figlet comes.

For all the mom readers, what was your favorite part about being pregnant? I have some ideas in the poll on the bottom right, but if you have another idea, feel free to leave a comment.

Cutest nursery items

2009-03-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

Since we aren't doing a nursery right away, we aren't yet shopping for nursery stuff. But I have seen a few things that I just love. And no, none of them coordinate with each other. But it's fun to "window shop." Restoration Hardware has the sweetest alternative to a rocking horse.When figlet gets his own room, I'd rather not go with a "character" theme. I think bright colors would be more versatile and last longer before redecoration is necessary. I absolutely adore Angela Adams' designs, though so far I've only been able to afford her bags. My two main fall/winter and spring/summer purses are from her. But in a perfect money-is-no-object world, I would have her Rain print in figlet's room.And on his floor by the crib would be a Dandelion rug. Fawn and Forest has owl decals made with chalkboard material, though I question the encouragement of drawing on the walls, since little ones may have a hard time staying in the lines and/or distinguishing ok wall materials with not ok places. But I love owls.Ok, one last item that I can't afford. This one is on Etsy.com. I think this is the loveliest toy box ever.And she even has an owl one!I love the fact that these are hand-made.

Man, if we ever win a lottery, figlet's room would rock!

CUTE Little Boy Clothes

2009-02-25T06:24:00.000-08:00

When we found out were we having a boy, the clothes issue was the first thing that came to mind. In general, I'm not a big fan of little boy clothes. Now, baby clothes are usually ok, the onesies and the pants and such, as long as they do not involve dump trucks or any reference to sports (sporty is ok, just not "MVP" gear and the like). But get a little older and suddenly there are cute girl clothes everywhere and no one seems to have imagination left for the boys. So, I did an Internet search and found three brands of boy clothes I really like.

Deux par Deux has some great color combinations that remind me of the kid's clothes I've seen in Spain. They are based out of Montreal, so definitely have an eye towards European looks.

IKKS is another European-styled company based in France. Their look is a little edgier, but very cool.

I also love Tea Collection They take traditional global styles and mix them together and create their collections from that inspiration in modern lines.

So, for as long as I have the say on what little figlet wears (you know, before he gets his own opinion), I'm happy I've found some cute resources.

Patemm Pad

2009-02-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

Today I bought a Manhattan Mama Patemm Pad. I had been hoping for the orange and white one, but they are on permanent backorder, so I opted for a red and white in a similar pattern. This pad is 2" smaller than the large on the original site, but will hopefully be just as useful.

I really like the design of the pad, and hope that we'll use it as much as I anticipate. I think the color/design also make it gender neutral for the next little one that comes along, and with the interior pockets, it can serve as an impromptu changing station. I picture just rolling it up and sticking it in the stroller basket for walks around the lake, for example, rather than carting a whole diaper bag with me.
It also seems really easy to keep clean, which is a plus, considering its function.