Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tulip Time!
Last weekend Jack got to meet one of my favorite friends, Samantha! Sam, originally from Michigan, was my roommate in Arizona for several years before moving back to Michigan last summer. Sam, Matt, Jack and me all went up to Holland for Tulip Time and met up with the Jansma family again. It was so nice to be with friends and complain about the weather (since we all moved from Arizona in the past year). Jack was such a great baby, sleeping in the Moby most of the time with a break to eat and have some cuddle time with everyone!
Monday, May 9, 2011
One month old!
I can't believe Jack is already one month old! Crazy how time flies when you're having fun! He is changing so much every day, becoming more alert and interested in people. He will just stare at your face if you're holding him, and if he recognizes you then you just may get a little smile! We're doing lots of tummy time and his head is getting stronger. Here are some more recent pictures of our little peanut....
This weekend was also Mother's Day! Matt didn't disappoint and I got the sweetest card from him (and Jack and Clifford) along with THIS Tiffany & Co. charm for my charm bracelet engraved with J.M.Z. and $100 gift certificate to Lululemon, my absolute favorite store for workout gear. Is he a great husband or what? I also got the most beautiful flowers from Matt's parents and finished the weekend with a trip to Earl's for a chocolate malt.
This weekend was also Mother's Day! Matt didn't disappoint and I got the sweetest card from him (and Jack and Clifford) along with THIS Tiffany & Co. charm for my charm bracelet engraved with J.M.Z. and $100 gift certificate to Lululemon, my absolute favorite store for workout gear. Is he a great husband or what? I also got the most beautiful flowers from Matt's parents and finished the weekend with a trip to Earl's for a chocolate malt.
Body After Baby
I started this blog to chart my fitness while being pregnant, so I feel it's only fair I update on my post pregnancy fitness. Even though I'm a little embarrassed I'll tell you a little secret - I gained 45lbs during my pregnancy. YEP. FORTY FIVE POUNDS!! I went from 135 lbs to 180lbs. ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY POUNDS!!! I couldn't believe it. I exercised a lot and ate healthy (minus those M&M's every day). How did that happen? Well, my doctor and later my midwife told me that your body will do what it needs to do for the baby. How nice that my body decided to give me 45 additional pounds.
Luckily, two weeks after Jack was born I was down 23 lbs to 157 lbs. Now I have 20 lbs to lose and I'm getting impatient. And since I'm breast feeding, I can't even use any of the tactics us women sometimes use to lose weight quickly (loading up on caffeine, cutting the carbs, skipping meals....you know what I'm talking about ladies!).
On top of all this, my body is recovering from birth so I can't even jump into an excessive amount of exercise. Trust me, I want to. After 2 weeks I tried to walk a little more than usual and after 3 weeks I was doing some 30 minute vigorous walking on the treadmill with some light weight lifting.
Today, one month after Jack's birth, I ran 2 miles at a 10 min/mile pace and it was HARD. But I'm going to be patient, even though it's approaching summer and my fat butt and thighs can't fit into my favorite white shorts. And next time, I'll think twice about all the M&M's.
P.S. I don't have a SINGLE stretch mark - thank goodness!!!
Luckily, two weeks after Jack was born I was down 23 lbs to 157 lbs. Now I have 20 lbs to lose and I'm getting impatient. And since I'm breast feeding, I can't even use any of the tactics us women sometimes use to lose weight quickly (loading up on caffeine, cutting the carbs, skipping meals....you know what I'm talking about ladies!).
On top of all this, my body is recovering from birth so I can't even jump into an excessive amount of exercise. Trust me, I want to. After 2 weeks I tried to walk a little more than usual and after 3 weeks I was doing some 30 minute vigorous walking on the treadmill with some light weight lifting.
Today, one month after Jack's birth, I ran 2 miles at a 10 min/mile pace and it was HARD. But I'm going to be patient, even though it's approaching summer and my fat butt and thighs can't fit into my favorite white shorts. And next time, I'll think twice about all the M&M's.
P.S. I don't have a SINGLE stretch mark - thank goodness!!!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Cloth Diapers - my new shopping addiction!
We couldn't be happier with our decision to cloth diaper. It all started with a Facebook page suggested by a friend and a little bit of research. The chemicals used to make disposable diapers result in a byproduct called dioxins, listed by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a highly carcinogenic chemical. And that is just the beginning. Check out other gross stuff in diapers and the effect on the environment HERE. The bottom line for us was that we didn't want all those chemicals against our baby's skin and know that all those diapers in a landfill cannot be a good thing.
Then there's the cost. An average of $1,600 is spent to diaper a child for two years in disposables - and you know children aren't potty trained at two! That doesn't include the cost of wipes either (and the chemicals in those - yuck!). So far, we've spent $300 on cloth diapers, cloth wipes plus a few accessories and we'll probably spend $200 -$400 more to complete our stash. That would be $700 max to diaper our child until he's out of diapers! Oh wait - and then there's the fact that we can use these for future children (okay, probably future child). That's quite the savings!
The different choices in cloth diapers were a little overwhelming at first, and it does take some time to figure out what works best for your family. We definitely were intimidated and used disposables for the first week Jack was born. Then we started with prefolds and fitted diapers that needed a waterproof cover since that's what fit him best as a newborn. I'll admit, we had to watch several YouTube videos to get it figured out. We've just started using our All in Ones now that Jack is a little bigger, which are adjustable from 10lbs - 35lbs+. Our favorite brands are Fuzzibunz, BumGenius and Grovia. They are so easy to use!
I know you're probably curious about washing them. Because we use cloth diapers and wipes, we throw everything into a trash can with a lid by the diaper changing table (why did we buy that Diaper Genie again?!?). Since breast milk is water soluble there is no rinsing of poop in the toilet at this point, but yes, we will have to shake out poop in the toilet in the future. Every other day I do a load of diapers and wipes, but could probably do every 3rd day now that we have a bigger stash.
Now the fun part - they are cute!! You wouldn't believe the options, styles, colors and prints available! In the picture below, Jack is wearing the Grovia All in One with airplanes!
It's been way to much fun shopping for them too - and the cloth diaper community has a wealth of information. My favorite website so far is Diaper Junction and I spent hours on their Cloth Diaper blog. It's a great starting point.
Like all decisions we've made in regards to our son, I hope other new parents will at least make an educated decision regarding diapers rather than just choose disposables because that's what most everyone else does. Give cloth a try!!
Then there's the cost. An average of $1,600 is spent to diaper a child for two years in disposables - and you know children aren't potty trained at two! That doesn't include the cost of wipes either (and the chemicals in those - yuck!). So far, we've spent $300 on cloth diapers, cloth wipes plus a few accessories and we'll probably spend $200 -$400 more to complete our stash. That would be $700 max to diaper our child until he's out of diapers! Oh wait - and then there's the fact that we can use these for future children (okay, probably future child). That's quite the savings!
The different choices in cloth diapers were a little overwhelming at first, and it does take some time to figure out what works best for your family. We definitely were intimidated and used disposables for the first week Jack was born. Then we started with prefolds and fitted diapers that needed a waterproof cover since that's what fit him best as a newborn. I'll admit, we had to watch several YouTube videos to get it figured out. We've just started using our All in Ones now that Jack is a little bigger, which are adjustable from 10lbs - 35lbs+. Our favorite brands are Fuzzibunz, BumGenius and Grovia. They are so easy to use!
I know you're probably curious about washing them. Because we use cloth diapers and wipes, we throw everything into a trash can with a lid by the diaper changing table (why did we buy that Diaper Genie again?!?). Since breast milk is water soluble there is no rinsing of poop in the toilet at this point, but yes, we will have to shake out poop in the toilet in the future. Every other day I do a load of diapers and wipes, but could probably do every 3rd day now that we have a bigger stash.
Now the fun part - they are cute!! You wouldn't believe the options, styles, colors and prints available! In the picture below, Jack is wearing the Grovia All in One with airplanes!
It's been way to much fun shopping for them too - and the cloth diaper community has a wealth of information. My favorite website so far is Diaper Junction and I spent hours on their Cloth Diaper blog. It's a great starting point.
Like all decisions we've made in regards to our son, I hope other new parents will at least make an educated decision regarding diapers rather than just choose disposables because that's what most everyone else does. Give cloth a try!!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Breastfeeding
There is no better feeling than being able to be the sole source of nourishment for your child while connecting as mother and son.
I lift my shirt, undo my bra and pop him on, all the world seems right. We both instantly relax and tune in to each other. As I look down at him, he gazes wide eyed at me and doesn't break the staring competition we seem to have started. My heart feels like it is truly melting. His legs wrap around my side and warm me. My mind is concentrating only on him, nothing else enters my head, not one non-mothering, loving thought. As I stare at him and let myself feel the love, my eyes well up with tears. Eventually he falls asleep at my breast and the last thing I want to do is remove him from me. So here he lays, using me as a pacifier, and I want nothing more in the world then to be here with him. It is so perfect. He is so perfect. I am where I was meant to be.
I lift my shirt, undo my bra and pop him on, all the world seems right. We both instantly relax and tune in to each other. As I look down at him, he gazes wide eyed at me and doesn't break the staring competition we seem to have started. My heart feels like it is truly melting. His legs wrap around my side and warm me. My mind is concentrating only on him, nothing else enters my head, not one non-mothering, loving thought. As I stare at him and let myself feel the love, my eyes well up with tears. Eventually he falls asleep at my breast and the last thing I want to do is remove him from me. So here he lays, using me as a pacifier, and I want nothing more in the world then to be here with him. It is so perfect. He is so perfect. I am where I was meant to be.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
3 weeks old!
What a great weekend! Jack spend his 3 week old birthday meeting his Grandpa and Grandma Zernicke, Aunt Sarah and cousin Maddie from Madison, WI. They couldn't get enough cuddle time - and who can blame them?! During their visit we took the herd for a walk in the woods, had a yummy lunch at Phoenix Street Cafe, enjoyed some sun at the beach and chowed on mexican food at Su Casa. A lot of fun packed into two days! We're looking forward to bringing Jack to Madison in a couple weeks to meet the rest of the Wisconsin clan!
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