Great Cloth Diaper Change

Saturday April 21, 2012 marked the second Great Cloth Diaper Change where parents around the world attempted to break the Guinness Book of World Record™ for most cloth diapers changed simultaneously. There were an estimated 300 locations located in 17-18 countries. Some parents even woke up their babies to change them at 6:30 am! I was so glad to be a part of this event! It is encouraging to see so many cloth diapering advocates. Hunter was so good and has helped set his first record at only 4 months old! I hope to make it to the next couple years while lilttle man is in diapers! 

My friend and cloth diapering momma, Kerry, met me up at the event with her little almost 1 year old Mason!  (This is him in the picture laying down) Kerry has truly helped me with learning 'all there is to know about cloth diapering'! We both enjoyed the event and got some freebies out of it as well. Just for signing up we got a gift as walking in which was a couple samples of detergents.  I also walked away with a new pockey diaper! They had vendors set up with information on other cloth options from diapers and/or wipes themselves to cloth snack packs. Another supporter was Dirty Diaper Laundry which works out of Charlotte and does your laundry for you. Interesting right? I learned more about some products I can also use to help increase my milk supply and that being a stress in my life right now, meant so much! My next blog will be on making "Milkin' Cookies"! Tune in!

A New Milestone

I have picked up a new hobby, running! It is bittersweet. I love what the end result is but I honestly dislike the thought of going for a run. I heard that changes as you stick with it. So far, that is proven true. I started the beginning of March and was doing over 15 min miles. Mid/End March was about 13 min miles and yesterday was a 11.5 min mile run! I definately see progress and finally seeing a difference in my body size and endurance. Now, all these results are so NICE! I love being able to "break away" and just go and I think that once I get my rythm right and breathing right, I really think I may actually enjoy running. I have only done 3.1 miles but I want to push for a 10K eventually. I am running in my first 5K tomorrow! Wohoo!! I got my friend, Emily, to sign up and run too! She has also been training for 5K's.

Honestly - I just want to cross the finish line! ;) I am pushing for a 34 min run so we shall see. I have only gotten to a 35-36min run. I think running along side others will push me to do better. I am looking forward to it and I believe it will encourage me to keep up the running. I started running to train for this 5K that my boss at work is "over" and running in also. It really gave me something to set a goal for and actually get to work on my fitness. I need something that I can steadily do. We plan to join a gym but running is an all around good way to stay fit! I have to say that I am extrememly proud of my running accomplishments and I hope I stick with it! I will report with how the run goes tomorrow!

Tensions high?

A while back, when Hunter was almost 4 weeks old, I had wrote this up but never shared it... I thought after reading it now that it may be helpful to share so that someone else may understand that they are not alone if they ever expierence the same thing one day! here it is:

Tensions are high in the house right now and I don't know if it is just me working things up in my head or if hubby feels it too. I am almost scared to ask him because of how emotional I am right now. I know I will need to talk to him soon though but right now I am here to vent. I love breastfeeding but note to my hubby: do NOT use that for every time you hold him and he fusses to say he is hungry! No he is not hungry!!!!!!! This is what he does, if Hunter fusses, he will get up and slowly follow me around (as if I don't notice) AND/OR he will say very loudly in a baby comforting talk "I don't have a boobie son" and I am like, really? I NEED to tell him this bothers me because the baby doesn't know what he is saying so since it bothers me this much, it just doesn't need to be said. That leads me to saying that I know for now this is my "job" and that my husband has a job as well that I understand he works his tush off at but I still need support and help. Why don't men see that? Esp when you have a new HUGE change in your life like a baby. That leads me to this... when he sees me upset or even sometimes when I totally am okay but he "thinks" I am upset, he knows that after Hayden I had anxiety and took zoloft so he will use that as a "crutch" for me as well and assume I should just take the medicine. He makes it sound like he is only trying to be supportive but to me it comes across as "I don't want to hear it, so just take this and calm down... than you can magically handle it all" Right???? I just want comfort, support, and help.... a little TLC please!! I know I need to just tell him how I feel but today has been a very emotional day.
But on a good reassuring note, I have felt wonderful and so different through this post pardom and truly have not felt any depression or anxiety. I think that is why it upsets me when those that knew about the ppd with dd, question my emotions already with this one, when in truth, this is perfectly normal for 3 week baby blues and rollercoaster hormones!

3 days later: I did have a chance to talk to him and I felt nuch better. At first he took it too personal (like I was attacking him) but I told him that really, it was me... things that bothered me and if I didn't tell him it would build up and yet he would have never known, so he was better about it then. In his mind he is just trying to be supportive and I thanked him for that but he just needed a little "guidance" lol.

Hunter's 2 month changes

My little man is 2 months old now! He weighs 11.1lbs and is 23.5in long. I honestly thought he was bigger than that and thought I was going to have a little chunck on my hands but looking back at Hayden's baby book, he actually weighs a few ounces less than her at 2 months. I also saw that she was sleeping a little better than him but he isn't doing bad. He is sleeping around 5 hours at night and just wakes up to eat. He still eats well, about every 3 hour during the day. One thing I LOVE about him being different than Hayden is that he is on an eat play sleep schedule whereas Hayden ate on demand whenever and usually fell asleep on the boob. I mean I didn't have anything better to do since I was a stay at home mom then but still that was very tiring. With Hunter he is so predictable and it is WONDERFUL! I am not going to deny him food if he truly is hungry but I seem to be able to "know" what his cries are and what he may want better than Hayden. I am back at work now and truly happy to be there. Yes, it is tough to not be at home with my babies and spend all day with them and always have the house in order and dinner on the table .... etc BUT it would never be that way if I did stay at home. I wouldn't have it alltogether like people think stay at home moms do. Plus, my little income does help. having a part time job allows me to have space without spending money that I am not making. I cannot just sit at home so I need to at least make gas money ;) haha! I am much more comfortable going out with them then I thought I would be. I feel like I have grown a lot as a mother since with Hayden. Don't get me wrong, there are some really tough times and times that I feel like I am a bit overwhelmed, exhausted, axious, .... need I go on? But in all reality... I am a normal mother and still only have an 8 week old at home. I have a feeling days, weeks, months are going to FLY by even faster having two little ones! Hayden is a wonderful big sister and this age difference is absolutely wonderful and the best choice we could have made for our family! I have my Jesus to thank for holding our hand through everything! And the all knowing God for doing exactly as He has planned for us!

We got news soon after Hunter was here that daddy has lung cancer. It was (and still is) very heartbreaking. We have been goingback and fourth to the doctors and he has had several more tests to be sure that it was not in the bone, brain or anywhere else and thanks be to God that it is not anywhere else. The Dr is using these tests to determine treatment whether it be surgery to fully remove the cancer by taking the piece of lung infected and the lymphnodes that are infected or do chemo and radiation. We go again soon to find that exact answer out! We are fervently praying for healing and life changes. Like for him to QUIT smoking! We are all upset and trying to look at the best of things for sure. I will keep this updated as we find answers. I appreciate the thoughfulness and prayers of friends and family more than I could ever describe! Here is my favorite picture of dad and the kids! :)

Hayden's First Dentist

Today Hayden had her first dentist appointment. I have been trying to get her to the dentist for a while now and at first I could not find a pediatric dentistry to take our insurance and then when I finally found Young and Polite dentistry I had to make and cancel several appts before finally making one! It ended up working out perfect though because she was able to go to the dentist with me and see me not scared, then a dentist went to their school a week or so ago just to talk about brushing. This helped to prepare her for today. I really liked how the place was set up (like an under water adventure) and she gave us a tour then walked Hayden through everything she was going to do and what the tools were for, etc. Hayden seemed to be just fine but when asked to lay back she got really scared and cried a little. We were finally able to work her way down and she was good to go. I didn't like seeing her cry, I could tell she was really scared and the look she gave me made me feel like she was wondering why I would ask her to do something she was scared of. It was sincere. I had to make her do it though so she would know that there was NOTHING to be scared of and that it would end up being fun and exciting. After all said and done, it was just that! She got a prize for doing a good job and gets "points" toward a bigger prize each time! Pretty neat! Daddy sat by her side the whole time and held her hand. I was so glad I had him there since I pretty much had to hold Hunter the whole time! I hope she likes going to the dentist like I do. I know I'm weird! ;)

Hunter's Birth Story

We were scheduled for our induction for Dec 26th at 7:30pm. We would start the gel and the following morning we would start the pitocin drip. we decide to eat a good meal at Fatz (like we did before the birth of Hayden) and then we headed to Piedmont. We register, get in our room and have the best nurse! We get the gel about 8:30 or so and I am only about a cm at this point. Dr. Taylor was our doctor.
*Side Note* I truly enjoyed Dr. Taylor but he is family through a recent marriage so I purposely had not seen him at RH OBGYN so I thought it was pretty funny that he ended up being our delivery Dr... although he really has no idea who we are, or I don't think he remembered at least, but I sure did!
Okay so we have to wait an hour for the gel before getting up and once I was able to get back up I went to the bathroom and since the nurse had reassured us that the gel generally does not bring labor on any quicker and that we were looking at noon the 27th before birt, I get back in bed and take an ambien to get "a good nights sleep" Within 45 mins I am woken up by some heavy contractions. The nurse checks me and I am at 4 cm and decide I want the epidural (thinking if this is going to last until tomorrow and I'm in this much pain... so the anesthesiologist takes forever to get there and by the time he is I had dilated to 8 and I swore I was ready to push. I felt like I was about to have the baby any second but yet my water hadn't broken. I sat to the side of the bed to get the epi and my water broke. Felt like it went everywhere and that it was a lot but hubby said it was just a little puddle. I seriously could not hold my eyes open and was feeling loopy b/c of the ambien. RIGHT after my water broke I told them that I had to push NOW that the baby was coming. Sure enough, I pushed a few times and he came right out! I felt it all and it was a lot of pain but of course worth it all and I am so thankful that it happened "quickly". I am very excited to say that I had a "natural" birth but it was not something I was trying to achieve for any kind of goal ;) Hunter Cameron Timmons was born on 12/27/11 at 2:23am weighing 7.15lbs and 21in long. He came out with a perfect shaped head AND HAIR ;) , he nursed right away like a champ - WOHOO and he is less than 24 hours right now and has still nursed 8 + times with 4-6 BM and wet diapers! This amazes me at how well he is doing since dd was pretty opposite her first 24 hours! So here we are at the hospital with our new little boy and I am so excited to get him home and start all the "new adventures" we have ahead! Big sister is anxiously waiting for us to get home as well! She seems to be very excited for her baby brother!! Thank you for all the love and well wishes from friends and family! We are truly blessed and so thankful! Now off to get some rest! :)
**On a side cute note: I have a little snorter lol He snorts when he cries and sleeps. hehee

Justin had been by my side the whole time and such a good daddy :)

In the home stretch....

With 4 more weeks until the induce date! I cannot believe that within a month I will be holding my little boy! That even sounds strange to write... I will have my daughter AND a son! How perfect! This little man turns flips all day long in my belly. He is so active, it scares me of how he will be once he gets here. Another Hayden? Oh my!!! ;) He gets hiccups daily (sometimes 2-3x a day) He now pushes his little feet all up through my ribs too. I mean if you think about it the update for 36 weeks say that he could be at 6lbs and 18 in long so that is a lot of baby for a mothers belly :) The picture below is when I was pregnant with Hayden at 30 weeks and then with Hunter at 30 weeks. I definately carried these two different. Although with this one I only gained 5lbs less than with Hayden. BUT I started out heavier with Hayden and had lost the weight plus 20lbs before pregnant with Hunter.