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Feb, 22 2012
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Feb, 17 2012
Feb, 16 2012
So I know that Pixie isn’t here yet, but I thought I’d share some of the blog posts that were super informative and helpful in convincing Aaron and I that cloth diapers was a good, cost-effective way to go. When the baby arrives and we’re a few months in, maybe I’ll hop on and share my experience with cloth diapers too, just so you can have my perspective. But for now, here are all the insanely helpful posts I have read and reread!
This first blog/site was probably the first one that piqued my interest in cloth diapers. (As my sister Lissie can tell you, I was vehemently against cloth diapers before I got married. I told her many times that I only wanted to deal with poop once. Ha! Now look at me! It was only because I didn’t understand cloth diapers though.) Lindsay had several posts that I read many times before I even brought up cloth diapering with Aaron. Since then I branched out to get other opinions, but I have kept these posts for reference. The following six links are to Passionate Homemaking
- Cloth Diapering: Is It Worth It?
- Basic Cloth Diapering Supplies
- One Size Pocket Diaper Reviews
- Newborn Cloth Diaper Reviews
- Guest Post: Cloth Diapering 101 Part 1
- Guest Post: Cloth Diapering 101 Part 2
Amelia from Musings of a Homemaker did a series on cloth diapering, beginning with a very helpful cost breakdown of the different kinds and styles of cloth diapers as compared to disposable. I definitely bookmarked her first post for reference.
- Cloth Diapers: Why Would You Even Bother?
- Cloth Diapers: Not Your Grandmother\’s Cloth Diapers
- Cloth Diapers: Diaper Care and Common Myths
- Cloth Diapers: A Few Close Ups of My Stash
And on another blog I enjoy reading, Through Clouded Glass, Callie put together some posts about cloth diapering.
- Cloth Diapering: First Impressions
- Cloth Diapering Resources
- Cloth Diapering Tips 1
- Cloth Diapering Tips 2
Some other posts I found helpful:
- Cloth Diapering 101 – Leanna at Thoughts and Whatnots
- Cloth Diapers – Bridget from Just a little part of me… (Both this one and the last one were helpful to me in terms of laundering the diapers.)
- Cloth Diaper Update – Rachel from Rachel and John
- Diaper Debate – Lauren at Meet the Chapmans
I hope that is informative to any of you who are thinking, “What? Are you crazy??” or “That sounds interesting! What is cloth diapering like?” I’ll share with you all what our experience with cloth diapering is when our Pixie arrives too so you can have our perspective on brands/styles/laundering/life with cloth diapers etc.
~ Anna
Feb, 10 2012
We have a recharged camera battery! So now you can see bits and pieces of our life. I’ll share pictures of the new house when I can too.
Our house has been filling up with lots of pink things like the onesie above. My sister Lissie sent that to me. We don’t have a lot of room in our small apartment to just store these things so the next picture shows where our pink stash has been stockpiling.
In the corner of our bedroom! Aaron and I have been so blessed by the generosity of friends and family in making sure our little Pixie-girl has everything she needs to look the part of a girly girl. Some friends of mine gave me the items in one of the large gift bags. While I was unwrapping it, the nine-year-old girl was just as excited as I was – she was bouncing up and down the entire time I was looking through all the precious things.
Literally two minutes from the apartment where Aaron and I live now is a Once Upon a Child and I cannot stay out of that place! They sell gently used baby clothes and items. We found our pack and play there for much less than we would have had to get it new. It’s even Pooh Bear like I wanted too! The day after we found out Pixie was a girl, I went and picked out a bunch of cute pink things that I liked. It was so exciting to be picking out pink things for my own little precious daughter!! I can’t tell you how thrilling it is to say daughter and realize that I have one!
Today I purchased the bedding we’re using. I had a great coupon for Buy Buy Baby and I thought it would be good to take advantage of it! Aaron and I have been prioritizing things we still need to get for our pink girlie. Sometimes it’s hard to put something on the “nice to have” list when you really want it on the “must have” list! I think sometimes stores charge an arm and a leg for baby items because they know first time parents (or maybe not just first time?) are big suckers for the cute stuff and will shell out any amount for their new little one.
I didn’t get a picture of this, but we were able to purchase Pixie’s carseat! I have been rolling around all the different options in my head with all the pros and cons between infant only, convertible and others. It’s quite a relief to have that decision made and the large box sitting in our living room!
We had snow for the third (I think?) time this season. Around 11 AM the big fluffy flakes started coming down and it didn’t stop until about 5:00. The temperature is hovering right around freezing so not much of it stayed on the ground but it certainly makes everything just a little more magical around here. A few weeks ago, we had a big ice storm overnight. The next morning was a Saturday and Aaron and I needed to go somewhere. Our car sits outside in a parking lot and it was covered in about 3/4 of an inch of ice. Boy, it was tough to get inside, let alone get enough off so we could drive! The roads were pretty clear, but inside the apartment complex it was an ice skating rink so we had to be insanely careful. That was definitely interesting!
Last year when Aaron and I were trying to get pregnant, we were walking through some store and this onesie caught my eye. We purchased it, in hopes that we would get pregnant and that we’d have at least one daughter. Whenever I see this little onesie, it reminds me every time of God’s faithfulness and goodness to His children.
And here’s our puppy. Somehow she gets cuter every day. She is very intelligent and pretty obedient. We are wondering how she’ll do welcoming a pink bundle called a baby into her world. She loves kids but Pixie won’t be a “kid” for several years. Thankfully Mocha is gentle around kids and will tolerate pretty much anything when it comes to rambunctiousness so we’re not worried on that account!
A baby bump picture! I’m completely into maternity clothes now and boy are they comfortable. I feel like a grow rounder every single day. It will be interesting to see how big I am around Pixie’s due date.
And last but not least, an ultrasound picture of our precious girl’s foot, which she likes to use to remind me that she’s awake and alive in there. I love when she kicks me. Feeling her move is always amazing, realizing this living being is inside me, growing more and more every day. It always makes me praise and glorify God for His mysterious workings.
~ Anna
Feb, 01 2012
Well, before I share that news, I’ll catch you all up on what’s been going on in the past month of our lives.
- The beginning of January we went to see our friend’s the K’s who live in southern Michigan. It was great to get away for a few days and see all of them. Mr. K preached a great sermon on 1st Thessalonians 4:3. Their oldest, Megan, had gotten engaged not even a week before we arrived and we were able to meet her fiance which was great. I’m excited for both Megan and Elijah as they embark on this wonderful journey called marriage! They’re planning on getting married mid-March. Also while we were there, Aaron and I got to have a good discussion with Robbie.
- The second week in January we were schedule for a doctor’s appointment and while we were there, we requested to find out the baby’s gender. The ultrasound tech had just walked out the door, but the nurse practitioner agreed to do an unofficial ultrasound to see if we could find out. Pixie would not cooperate! Pixie was moving all over the place but just not in such a place to see the plumbing! It was pretty cool to see our precious little one though. It makes having a baby seem even more real.
- Now, the whole reason we wanted to find out the baby’s gender then, was because Aaron and I were flying out to see my family and while I was there, my family’s church was throwing me a baby shower. So we had to tell everyone to get green and yellow items since Pixie wouldn’t cooperate! The baby shower was such a blessing and we got quite a few very useful items. Thank you so much Morningside Baptist!
- But the main reason for seeing my family was my mom’s birthday. Both sets of my grandparents were out there and it was a full house! We certainly had a blast though. It was wonderful to spend my mom’s birthday with her, rather than 14 hours away. We went out to breakfast together and then one of mom’s friends threw her a little party at Olive Garden. Let me tell you, that group of women is just a huge blessing. It was great to be with all of them! That night we watched a funny cartoon/kids movie together as a family.
- While we were there, I felt the baby move for the first time! It was just a little tiny fluttering kick, but I knew the baby moved. I’ve been feeling the baby a lot now. I think I can pick up when Pixie is asleep or awake.
- Our official ultrasound was last week on the 25th. We were praying so hard that little Pixie would cooperate! We waited in the waiting room for about 25 minutes and then they finally called us back. I felt like there should’ve been movie music or some kind of ceremony as we found out the gender of our precious little one. But nope, I just lay down and the ultrasound tech spread the hot clear stuff on my abdomen, and declared, “Well, it looks like you’re having a girl!” Just like that. (I know, I did it to you too! It’s frustrating when you want it to be special and they declare it like they’re just telling you what they had for lunch.) The rest of the visit went well, everything looks great! All the way home, I kept grabbing Aaron’s arm and saying, “We’re having a girl!” And Aaron would say, “No, really?” I was just so happy to finally know whether it was a girl or a boy. I would have had the exact same reaction if we found out it was a boy.
- The very next day, I went out and bought a bunch of pink clothes from Once Upon A Child for our Pixie. (Now we can really call her that, since she’s a girl!) I was so happy. I’m in girl heaven.
- The other “big thing” that’s been taking up a lot of our time is that we are buying a house! We went and looked at houses on the 12th and found one that we simply fell in love with. We made an offer not even a week later and since then it’s been excepted, we’ve signed the contract, we’ve had the inspection, Aaron’s signed loan papers, etc! The only thing we’re waiting on now is getting the final approval for the loan. We love the house! I will put up pictures as soon as I possibly can.
I think that’s about it in terms of updating everyone. I will get pictures up as soon as I possibly can. Our camera battery finally died and we have lost our recharger. I ordered a new one this week, so as soon as that arrive you can expect to see many pictures! I will also try to get a Week 21 update up this week.
Anna
Jan, 05 2012
How far along are you? 17 weeks! Time for my next doctor appointment. We go in tomorrow morning. I will be having a blood test tomorrow and this is also the last appointment before we go visit my family so I’m hoping we can have an ultrasound to find out the baby’s gender tomorrow. We’ll see. It would be great to have something to look forward to, rather than just dreading the blood test. If we do find out the baby’s gender, I’ll be sure and announce it to all of you!
How big is baby? Pixie is the size of an onion. Some of the items people use for comparison are rather odd. I never think of my baby like a vegetable! Oh well. The baby also weighs about as much as a turnip now. The baby can hear our voices and will recognize both mommy and daddy’s voices when he/she arrives. Pixie’s cartilage is hardening into bone this week and he/she’s gaining some fat.
Maternity clothes? Most definitely! Aaron and I went to the mall the day after Christmas and I purchased a pair of maternity dress pants, a black maternity skirt and a black and white polka dot maternity dress. I wore a pair of maternity jeans borrowed from a dear friend on Christmas day and it fit pretty well. Some of my jackets and sweatshirts won’t zip over the top of my belly anymore.
Symptoms? The second trimester has certainly been treating me well! My symptoms aren’t really worth mentioning, just some minor acid reflux and sciatic nerve pain. Sleeping has been glorious. For Christmas, Aaron’s sister and her husband gave me a body pillow and that extra support really makes a difference. It feels like there are three people in our bed though because the pillow is so big! Aaron’s been so sweet though.
Changes to mom? I can tell my body needs more oxygen because I’ve been breathing harder and deeper, as I’m at a higher altitude or as if I just climbed some stairs. Other than that, I’m just growing bigger and bigger all the time!
Sleep? I kind of covered that under symptoms.
Food cravings? Food is wonderful. So far, I consistently crave steak, potatoes (in any form) and eggs. And every once in awhile, I do crave pickles, so there is a jar in our fridge for just those times. Thankfully, sweets have really become distasteful to me and I want fruit and veggies most of the time, so that’s pretty great. Just so you don’t have to wonder anymore, Aaron has not run to the store at midnight to get me something I’m craving. At least not yet.
Milestones? This was very exciting to both Aaron and I, but to others it probably isn’t that exciting. When we found out the baby could hear us, we started talking and singing to Pixie. That’s been something I was greatly looking forward to and I’m glad our little one can hear us. I love when Aaron sings and so I ask him to sing to Pixie all the time.
~ Anna
Dec, 20 2011
Here is the baby bump! I am fifteen weeks along today and for the 14/15 week updates I thought I would just post a picture. There isn’t much to say, the picture kind of says it all. I am very relieved to be within the second trimester already! Praise the Lord! I’m going to be pulling out the maternity clothes pretty soon, especially the maternity pants. I must admit, I do look rather funny when I’m wearing several layers to go out. I look like an eskimo! But there is Pixie, for all the world to see!
~ Anna
Dec, 18 2011
Aaron and I have really loved getting plugged into our wonderful little church. We attend a singles/couples Bible study at Chik-fil-A every Saturday night and have really enjoyed the fun and fellowship with these wonderful people. They have been very welcoming to us and have included us wholeheartedly, truly being our brothers and sisters in Christ. Before we began attending the church or the Bible study, one of the girls who regularly attended left to begin interning at a girl’s home for girls struggling with all kinds of addictions in Indiana. This is a Christian home where the girls are given true hope and help for their problems. When we began coming on Saturday nights, we heard about Katie M. and all she was doing and began praying for her, but had no face to put to the name or the ministry! Well, now we can picture Katie M. in context! The eight of us from the “Doctrine and Dessert” study took the three hour trip to go see her!
While we were there, Katie M. showed us around the girls’ home and the accompanying community ministry building. We played games, talked and certainly laughed a lot. We finished the day off eating dinner at IHOP and studying the Word. We discussed how to love one another as a Body and what that looked like practically. We got home about midnight, so we were pretty exhausted but the whole day was definitely worth it!
Here you can see Katie M. between Jean and Adam. Adam is the leader of our Bible study.
Matt and Jenny, one of the other couples. (The third couple that generally attends the study couldn’t make the trip with us.) Matt and Jenny have been married for about a year and a half.
Left to right, Katie H., Jean and Katie M.
Left to right, Matt, Jenny, and Jimmy.
And here is the entire group! Left to right: Jean, Adam, Jimmy, Katie H., Katie M., Aaron, me, Jenny and Matt.
~ Anna
PS – baby update coming soon!
Dec, 10 2011
This video is a trailer for a documentary coming out soon. You can find out more HERE
~Anna
Dec, 08 2011
How far along are you? 13 weeks! Last week of the first trimester. That seems very strange. In some ways, it feels like the weeks creep by but then I realize that they’re really flying along and we’re about 1/3 of the way through the pregnancy! Wow!
How big is baby? Pixie is now the size of a peach and weighs just about 1 oz. Aaron and I heard somewhere that if the baby continued growing at this rate during the entire 9 months, the baby would weigh 1.5 tons at birth! The baby also has fingerprints! I find that very fascinating. Covering Pixie is a soft layer of fine hair called lanugo. Pixie’s head is now 1/3 the size of his/her body rather than being bigger than the body.
Maternity clothes? I haven’t started wearing any yet really, they’re just too big. A woman from my church who is due on January 10 also offered all of her maternity clothes to me when she is done! I feel overwhelmed by all the generosity.
Symptoms? Morning sickness is pretty much gone I believe, which is nice. I did almost pass out earlier this week which I found out is more common during this trimester, or rather dizziness is. But other than that, life is good.
Changes to mom? Nothing much this week.
Sleep? Again, off and on. I have very vivid dreams every night which is part of pregnancy. In fact, the dream I had last night made me want to call my mom when I woke up and apologize to her!
Food cravings? Nothing special, although right now I want McDonald’s chicken nuggets, which I never want. Lately I haven’t been so gung-ho about food as I’ve heard women get once the morning sickness goes away. In fact, my mother in law asked if I had lost weight. So I don’t know what’s up with that!
Milestones? Well tomorrow morning (Lord willing!) I will be having my first prenatal appointment! Woot! So I’m pretty hyped about that (all except the blood test though). My mom and several other people think we’re having twins, so hopefully this appointment will end all suspense. Anyways, that’s all for now, folks!
~ Anna
Dec, 01 2011
So, I missed ten weeks and eleven weeks! Aaron and I were out of town for both those weeks visiting my family for Thanksgiving. I shall be posting pictures of that later this week I hope so come back for those pictures! But people have been asking me (jokingly), if I was still 9 weeks along, so I figured I should probably update the blog before thirteen weeks rolled along!
How far along are you? 12 weeks! Almost done with the first trimester which shall be nice.
How big is baby? Pixie is the size of a plum and weighs half an ounce. This week, Pixie’s reflexes are developing. By now, if you saw Pixie you would say he/she was a baby. Pixie has all the major building blocks in place, now they are continuing to develop and grow into maturity. Pixie can feel if I poke my abdomen and will squirm away, although I can’t feel it yet.
Maternity clothes? Yes! A very kind friend who had a baby not too long ago herself gave me her maternity clothes! And while I haven’t quite moved into wearing them, it’s such a blessing to have them when the time comes! I did however wear a maternity top yesterday, but since my baby bump isn’t that big yet, it felt rather smothered in all that extra fabric!
Symptoms? Well, for those of you keeping tabs on whether I would end up throwing up at all, I have. While we were on vacation, I did end up throwing up. Thankfully though, it’s all gone, every bit of the nausea! I’m so glad and it’s great to not have to worry about it popping up at inconvenient times and I feel much better.
Changes to mom? I’m definitely showing! It’s very exciting and I feel like the bump gets bigger every day.
Sleep? It varies from night to night, but thankfully in general I’m getting a good night’s sleep.
Food cravings? Nothing special yet, but just whatever someone else is eating or talking about.
Milestones? I guess wearing my first maternity top counts as a milestone. It was pretty funny though, I wore the maternity top to have coffee with some women from our church and I was all excited and proud of my little baby bump and the fact that I was wearing this new maternity shirt. Of course, the topic went to being pregnant and some of the other women and their pregnancy experiences. One of the women made the comment, “You’re not showing yet but….” Kind of popped my bubble! I decided to wait to wear maternity shirts until they really fit so that the bump was obvious.
~ Anna
Nov, 14 2011
How far along are you? 9 weeks!
How big is baby? About the size of a grape! Pixie’s heart has divided into it’s four chambers and the valves are starting to form. Pixie is also getting teeth! His/her eyes are fully formed but are still fused shut and they won’t open until about 27 weeks. Babycenter.com says “Now that your baby’s basic physiology is formed, she’s poised for rapid weight gain.” Pixie can also make a fist and might suck his/her thumb!
Maternity clothes? I have a Bella Band now! I have one pair of pants that won’t close and it sure helps!
Symptoms? Well, the all-day sickness has been much better! I only feel sick when I get hungry or after I eat certain foods. It’s such a blessing to not feel sick every morning or all day. Thank you Lord! On the other hand, the tiredness has gotten a little worse. I don’t mind really though.
Changes to mom? I’m finally showing! Just a teensy bit, but people can tell when they see me. It’s very exciting to have a real baby bump! Pictures will be coming soon. I’ve also read that mood swings are very common right now. I hadn’t noticed, but I guess being aware is a good thing, especially for Aaron. (Although that never excuses sin!)
Sleep? This is definitely where I’m struggling. I have such a hard time getting comfortable and then I’m very restless, so I wake up and don’t feel rested in the morning. This is where I need to rely on the Lord for strength, as I tend to get frustrated in the middle of the night and I can’t sleep, or I wake up in the morning and immediately want to climb back in bed and sleep for another several hours.
Food cravings? No new cravings, but definitely foods that I’m avoiding. Thankfully, most of them are not so healthy anyways! Salty and fried food makes me sick, anything with heavy spices too. Here’s the strange part: the texture of salad makes me sick. Isn’t that strange? So if you serve me salad for dinner and I turn it down, you’ll know why!
Milestones? To me, having an official baby bump was quite a milestone!
~ Anna
Nov, 06 2011
We are all called as Christians to care for the orphans. How are you obeying this today?
~ Anna
Nov, 06 2011
I know this is a little late for the 8 week post but I wanted to make sure it went up. So here it is!
How far along are you? 8 weeks.
How big is baby? About the size of a kidney bean! Everything that is present in the baby is present in an adult. Bones are continuing to form and the muscles can flex. The facial features are beginning to mature and the fingers and toes are beginning to form.
Maternity clothes? Still nothing, but I am about to purchase the Bella Band so that I have it when we go to see my family for Thanksgiving.
Symptoms? Well, my morning sickness has turned into all-day-sickness. Thankfully no throwing up, but it’s hard to function when you don’t feel well! Thankfully, mint tea and peppermints have really been helping. Some days I wake up and feel fine and some days I wake up and feel sick all day. The other “symptom” I’ve been experiencing is headaches. I talked to a friend of mine, and she helped me to see that it’s because of the increased levels of estrogen in my body. Apparently, that can cause headaches in some women. The tiredness has also gotten worse. I feel like I’m complaining a lot, but even though this is hard at times, I know I have it much better off than some women and I am very grateful. I’m also very grateful for the morning sickness because it’s a great indicator that Pixie is healthy, so I try to thank God whenever I do feel sick.
Changes to mom? My uterus is now the size of a grapefruit and I have forty to fifty percent more blood than I did before pregnancy.
Sleep? Same as last week. Some nights are great, some are more difficult to get comfortable.
Food cravings? Still any kind of protein. Give me meat!! Protein also helps keep the morning sickness at bay.
Milestones? I am not sure what to put this under, but I know I wanted to tell you all about it, so I’ll put it here. Aaron has been so sweet to me every single day of this pregnancy. On my bad days and on my good days. The other night, we got home from being gone all day. I was exhausted but the kitchen was a huge mess. (There was a legitimate reason for this!) I absolutely hate going to bed when the house is messy because that means the next morning I’ll have to wake up to this mess and immediately clean it up! But Aaron made me go to bed and cleaned up the entire kitchen all by himself. When I got up the next morning, the kitchen was pristine. That is just one of the many things he has done for me. He’s gone to the store to get me peppermints, made me mint tea all of his own accord (including first thing in the morning!), he has made himself a meal because I didn’t feel well. He has quite literally been a true servant leader. I love him so very much!
Hopefully now you feel updated. Nine weeks is just around the corner!
~ Anna
Oct, 28 2011
Hey everyone,
I am terribly sorry about not posting a 6 week update last week. I shall try and do a better job keeping up here! Here’s the update on the Pixie this week:
How far along are you? I am seven weeks along.
How big is baby? Pixie is about the size of a blueberry and weighs less than an aspirin. The baby’s heart is beating about 150 beats a minute which is twice the rate of an adult. Pixie’s liver, kidneys, lungs, and intestines are all nearing completion. Both hemispheres of the baby’s brain are developing.
Maternity clothes? Nothing yet, but I already know what I’m going to purchase first: a Bella Band! I will probably purchase this in just a few weeks so that I’m prepared when things start to not fit quite right.
Symptoms? Thankfully, not too bad. I’ve had morning sickness every morning when I wake up, but eating a few crackers before I get out of bed has been helping. If I go to long without eating I can feel it start to creep over me again too. Also one day this week I had morning sickness all day, which was not fun! Both Aaron and I were worried that this was going to be the trend but the next day I got up and was just fine, so praise God for that! I definitely have a much stronger sense of smell. There are things that I had never knew had a scent before! Every scent is very strong, and sometimes a scent may cause me to feel sick. I accidentally discovered that perfume was a bad idea for this reason! The last symptom I have noticed would be that I get tired a lot more easily and by the end of the day I’m exhausted. Thankfully, I’ve read that my energy will pick up during the second trimester.
Changes to mom? My uterus has doubled in size and I have 10% more blood in my body than I did before pregnancy.
Sleep? Mostly okay, but some nights I’m just restless. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to find a comfortable position, and when that happens, I wonder what I’m going to be like when I have a legitimate bump!
Food cravings? At first I was craving pizza. Then it was eggs. Now it’s just whatever someone else has or talks about eating. I really crave protein all the time, it doesn’t matter what form the protein comes in, it just has to be protein! I made these today and they’ve been pretty tasty to snack on. (I doubt they’re going to last through the night though!)
Milestones? Nothing huge here, except I made my first prenatal appointment! I’m excited and nervous. There are so many decisions to be made and I’m not sure which way to go. I will have many questions for my doctor!
Oh! There is one other milestone: we’ve decided on baby names. BUT! We’re not going to tell you what we decided! We will be finding out the baby’s gender and you all get to know that wonderful piece of news, but the baby’s name will have to wait till Pixie’s birthday!
~ Anna
PS – when I actually begin showing, I will take weekly pictures of the baby bump, but since there is nothing yet, it’s not worth posting a picture. :)
Aaron and Anna
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