Goodbye Sun!

Yesterday was the last day 

(in the foreseeable forecast) 

of sun and warm weather in Pullman for the rest of the year

(until June, really)

so we thought we would head to Lawson Gardens and enjoy the sun/flowers!

Here are some pics!

Happy Girl

Mila LOVES when Austin tickles her cheeks.

So we thought we might be able to capture a smile...

At first she was a little skeptical but was enjoying the tickling.

Then she started to get into it.

Then she showed her love with this big sloppy grin!

At some point, we will get a picture of a basic smile but this grin seemed like a great way to get things started.

Adventures in Cloth Diapering: The Journey Begins...

Yes, we are cloth diapering!

You might be asking yourself, WHY??? Here's why, you doubter of the delights of cloth:

1. Disposable diapers are insanely expensive. You go through so many so much faster than you would ever think. With cloth diapers, we have about 24 and can reuse them with all of our future babies. They are expensive in the short term (think $50 for 3) but so much cheaper in the long term. Seriously, that is how expensive disposable diapers are when you need to buy so many.

2. Disposable diapers are horrific for the environment

3. Cloth diapers are better for potty training because the baby can feel the moisture more

4. Cloth diapers are better for baby skin/tushies 

Anyway, we used disposable diapers until Mila was at least 8 pounds and until we were relatively familiar with her diaper-changing schedule. I think this also reinforced all of the benefits of using cloth as we got to see how quickly our diaper stash was depleting. 

After a lot of research, we decided to use BumGenius 4.0

They are a one-size-fits-all diaper.  The snaps can adjust the diaper to fit from 8 pounds through potty training. Mila is pretty little and they fit her well. Though, to avoid any leakage that happens until she is a bit bigger, we place a tiny washcloth in the diaper and it works perfectly.

They work like this:

There is an insert that goes inside of a pocket on the interior of the diaper. There is an infant sized insert as well as an adjustable one that will fit at any size. 

 We are also placing a disposable liner between her and the diaper to catch thicker bits of poop (definitely helps for cleanup)

This is also helpful for those poops that happen the second you diaper the baby, the ones that normally waste the brand new diaper you just put on. The liner catches this perfectly before anything absorbs into the actual diaper.

When it is time to change her, we unsnap, throw away the liner, and remove the insert from the interior pocket (which has absorbed all of the liquid like a sponge).

The insert and the diaper require a cold rinse, which can be done in any sink if it was just pee. The now rinsed off items then go into a wet bag, which is exactly what it sounds like. It is a waterproof bag to hold all of the diaper stuff until you have time to wash them (we wash every couple days or so). 

Here is one of ours:

We have a large one for home and then a couple for traveling.

If there was poop, it needs to be removed before the diaper and/or insert can be washed.

Some poop WILL sneak past the liner. Baby poop is amazing like that. It gets everywhere.

Seriously.

Everywhere.

At first, we tried regular water pressure but that stuff hangs on for dear life. 

Then we had to use the sprayer in the kitchen sink:

disgusting and totally unsanitary.

We HIGHLY recommend getting a cloth diaper sprayer. This is the one we have:

It is also by BumGenius.

It was really easy to attach to the toilet and, sad to admit but very true, super fun to play with.

This thing BLASTS off any and all poop from the diaper. You would not believe the power!

BUT, with great power comes great responsibility...

This thing blasts poop off the diaper but it is so powerful that you cannot help but have some spray back. Onto you. Onto the wall. Everywhere.

The solution?

A Spray Pal!

I read about it online and users said it was a must-have for cloth diapering.

We completely agree!

Basically, it is  plastic folder type thing with a binder clip on the end to hold the diaper in place. You can then blast away and no poop ends up on the walls!! It is amazing! 

It can easily be made flat to tuck wherever.

Machine wash cold. Then dry the inserts in the dryer and hang dry the actual diapers. 
We wash the load at night and everything is ready to go in the morning. I then put the inserts back in and BAM, all of your diapers are ready to be used!

Everyone seems to recommend using disposable diapers at night to avoid the hassle of all this poop spraying. We are also using disposables while out to avoid having to transport poop all day (depends on how long you will be out).

Honestly, so far, it is much easier and much less disgusting than I had imagined.

Makes you wonder why anyone would spend so much money on disposable diapers.

Our journey began about a week ago. I will continue to document it here for all of your curious folks/ those who are contemplating taking the journey for themselves/ or for anyone who just loves talking about pee and poop.

6 weeks +

MILA UPDATES:

It's hard to believe that Mila is now 6 weeks and 3 days old!

We started our infant massage class on Tuesday at the hospital and she LOVED it! It was so nice to be around other moms (all of my friends here are academics who have little to no interest in ever having babies...so you can imagine how comfortable and happy they are to be around Mila). Mila was the star pupil! She was the only baby (of three, mind you) to not cry, scream, need her diaper changed, or need to eat. At the end of the class when the instructor asked all the babies if they had fun, Mila gave everyone a big, gummy smile! It was so cute!

Which brings me to the next update: MILA SMILES!! 
She has the most wonderful little grin and still the one adorable dimple! One thing that always makes her smile is when Austin plays with her cheeks. She loves it!

We had the follow-up ultrasound on Mila's hips and...drum roll... NO HIP DYSPLASIA! No brace for our little lady!! We will go back after a year just to make sure she is progressing correctly but I nearly cried when the doctor called to say that she did not need to come in!

We started cloth diapering... but I will save that for another post!

Mila now reaches out for her mama and daddy... melts my heart!

Mila got weighed today (so did I but I don't really want to talk about that). She now weighs 9 lbs and 14 oz!! BIG GIRL!!

She is a chatterbox and talks all the time--- even in her sleep. We often get woken up and think she is awake. I turn on the light and there she is, sound asleep and chatting/shouting away.

Here are some pictures of our growing girl!

ONE MONTH (+ 1 day)

Ladies and gentlemen,

Miss Mila is now ONE MONTH OLD!!!

I seriously cannot believe how time has flown!

Here are some pictures of our big girl!

Thug life

Mila is quite the character and we are having fun getting to know all of her quirks.

Mila likes:

boobs and as much milk as she can possible handle... and then some more, musical toys and rattles, she LOVES looking at black and white images,  being carried around in her mobi sling, sneezing in Austin's face and touching his beard. She especially loves to "dangle"-- which is when we carry her in such a way that her legs get to dangle free and she leans on her side on one arm. 

There is also a song and dance that go with this, but the internet is not ready for that yet.

YET.

Quirks:

She talks in her sleep and it is ridiculous! 

She wakes us up in the middle of the night and especially in the morning.

We always think she is awake, but she is just chatting away in her dreams.

She farts like an adult. 

They are loud and long and absolutely hilarious.

She growls.

She growls in her sleep, when she is pissed, and also while she is nursing.

She is skeptical of Austin.

She always gives him a look that says:

"Do I know you and are you sure you know what you're doing?"

She loves my hair.

She loves to stare at it and gently touch it.

She also loves the feel of grabbing a handful and having me pull the hair away.

Mila doesn't like:

too many kisses from Fernando, not getting the boob the second she decides she wants it, pacifiers, not being held, when people need more than 10 seconds to change her diaper, when Austin sits down, and being held by too many people.

She is so precious and I feel so incredibly lucky that WSU has allowed me to teach online classes from home so I can be with her full-time. 

Hip Update:

We went to go see a specialist in Spokane who told us that it is too soon to tell if Mila is going to have to wear a brace. 

The measurements that are considered normal are for a 6 week old, and are appropriate or accurate for a 2 week old. He felt strongly that her hips would correct themselves and, even if they don't, her case is so minor that it won't be too big of a deal. 

We will take new x-rays at 6 weeks and then hopefully are done with this whole mess.

In other members of the family news:

School just started and Austin is feeling very optimistic about his classes!

Fernando is jealous but finds time to snuggle whenever he can. 

He is also obsessed with knowing where Mila is.

I am ALMOST done with my qualifying exam reading list!

I only have 4.5 books left (out of a list that was originally just less than 200)!

I talked to my dissertation chair and am feeling really confident about my dissertation and prospectus!

I will try to update the blog more, but it is a little difficult to find the time with being a full-time mom and a full-time employee and studying full-time.

August 10th

Today is August 10th, Mila's original due date!

We have been lucky enough to have 18 extra days with the most amazing little girl in the world!

Honestly, I cannot express how wonderful she is.

I still can't believe that we made her and that she is ours. 

She is absolute perfection.

She already has so much of a personality and brings us so much utter bliss.

I feel so incredibly lucky to have her and am thankful for every single moment.
It is impossible to put into words how much we love and adore her.

Now for some news:

1. The last bit of Mila's umbilical cord fell off yesterday, leaving her with a perfect little belly button! This is wonderful news as we have been terrified of touching it for fear of hurting her and have freaked out every single time she touched/rubbed/pulled it!

2. Mila is healthy and growing steadily! She is already over her birth weight and is passing every single health test like a champ! 

3. Fernando LOVES Mila and is very protective of her. He loves to give her delicate little kisses and checks on her numerous times throughout the day.

4. Because Mila was breech and had her feet resting happily on her head, her hip sockets did not have the chance to develop properly, this is called congenital hip dysplasia. Basically, instead of forming like a perfect cup around the joint, her sockets are loose. It doesn't hurt her but, if left untreated, will lead to some serious hip issues.

It completely bums me out because I want everything to be easy and perfect for her.

The treatment involves her having to wear a brace until her hips adjust into the proper shape. We have yet to see the specialist so we don't know how long she will have to wear the brace (looks like 6 weeks min and 12 months max).

Here is what our poor baby will have to wear:

Honestly, it makes me cry to think of her needing to wear this.

I know she isn't in pain and this won't really bother her at all, but I just want things to be easy for her.

After such a turbulent pregnancy, a break would be much appreciated.

Anyway, I will be sure to update the blog when we know more.

And, finally...

5. Today is Fernando's birthday! (keep in mind that he is a rescue so I had to make up his birthday and I just went with the day of his first vet appointment) He is now 6 years old!

To celebrate, we made him doggy cupcakes (which smell terrible and are hard as rocks), Austin got him a stuffed animal toy, and he put a dead bird's head in our bed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FERNANDO!!

Mila's Arrival

The day before Mila was born was spent packing and prepping for the hospital. The night before, Austin and I went on a date and it was so hard to believe how much our lives were going to change in less than 24 hours.

We arrived at the hospital at 5am and immediately I got into a hospital gown and had an IV inserted. Honestly, it was so surreal. I watched the clock ticking closer to 7:30 (when the c section was scheduled to begin) but felt pretty calm. 

When it was time, Austin and I walked back into the OR. He had to wait just outside while they did my spinal. Having never been in an OR before, my heart was pounding and I couldn't really believe it was all really happening. I sat on the table and leaned against one nurse while they injected medication into my spine.They said it wouldn't hurt but then said it would feel like a bee sting. Bee stings hurt, FYI. They chatted and asked questions about my tattoos like what was happening was no big deal. It helped keep me calm.

Almost instantly, my legs felt heavy and were numb in less than a couple minutes. After all of the proper linens were in place, Austin was allowed to come in and sit by my face.

They said the medication wouldn't make me loopy, but my random declaration of

"No sleep till Brooklyn"

seemed to indicate otherwise.

I could smell my own blood and also the smell of them cauterizing my flesh.

INCREDIBLY SURREAL!

I felt pressure here and there, like a really bad stomach massage, and then it increased till breathing was a little bit of a struggle, and then they said,

"We have a butt!"

Austin looked over the curtain and watched as they pulled her out.

I'll never forget the look on his face.

Anyway, they forgot to show her to me. Yes, they forgot to show me my child.

They took her over to the table and I could hear her screaming. She screamed like a champ! I cried and Austin went over to cut the cord as they measured her.

The anesthesiologist who was taking photos came over and showed me the above picture, which was my first view of Mila. I could not believe how much she looked like Austin.

FINALLY, they brought her over to me and placed her on my chest. 

She was so calm and I just cried and talked to my daughter.

This was Austin's first time holding her.

Proud Daddy! 

They took Mila for her checkup and stitched me up. They also did some new procedure for pain management (where I got to watch a MASSIVE needle penetrate my stomach muscles via an ultrasound)

Finally, they wheeled me back to the room and brought Mila back to me.

C section recovery is rough. Medication made me throw up quite a bit and I couldn't really walk until late that night. But spending 3 days in the hospital bonding with Mila was unforgettable.

The nursing staff was so kind and really took care to work with us and make sure Austin, Mila, and I were comfortable.

My mom came by every day and would bring food as a relief from hospital cafeteria options.

The first-ever diaper change!

Mila and her nana (wrapped in a blanket made by Amber)

Right before we left the hospital.

First family photo with Fernando

(We had just gotten home)

Three generations!

Mila is such a gift!

We are completely in love and spend countless hours staring at her and loving her silly faces and the way she kicks out her tiny legs.

We can't wait to keep updating as she grows and changes!