updates & pics!

Not much has actually happened since I last posted, aside from school, school, and school. Yet somehow it seems Cohen has changed dramatically in the last few days. Although he's been batting/trying to touch things for a while now, he's really mastered reaching out and touching things. I can no longer take a drink while holding him because he goes right for it. We've also tried avocados and peaches since I last posted. I didn't want to add in any fruits until we mastered the vegetables, but Cohen's Grandma put a peach in his mesh feeder, and since I didn't want to feed him anything else for a few days (to watch for reactions) I just fed him some pureed peaches and he really loved them. Butternut squash is next on our list. He's really attentive to Tucker Pug now and every time he walks by he reaches out to pet him. Once he grabs a hold of Tucker's fur/skin he is all over him. He even tries to put the handful of Tuck's skin in his mouth (as everything else that comes into his grasp). He's still sleeping well, but still dependent on the swaddle and the bink. I'm thinking another month and we try modified Ferber to break him of it; at least of the swaddle. He gets out of the that thing every night, and is so upset after busting out of it. I don't know what else to do. He's been holding his own bottle, usually for the majority of his whole feeding time, but only when there's 4 or less oz. in it. I'm still pretty proud of him, though!

School sucks :[ It's not all that stressful, and I surprisingly find Microbiology to be easier than the Anatomy classes. I'm also taking an Allied Health class that's so easy it's boring. It's just the scheduling that is stressing me out. I went from working 20 hours a week, to working 20 hours a week + going to class 10 or so hours a week. Plus the time in between school and work means more time away from Cohen. Pumping has been a nightmare, but I'm still pulling through. I hope to at least EP until C is 6 months old, but I just realized that's only another month, so maybe I will make it to 8 months.

Cloth diapering is still going great! I officially love Best Bottoms! The interchangeable inserts and reuseable covers are just too easy, and I can use my prefolds inside the covers too. I'm also loving the Working Horse diapers from Green Moutain Diapers. They're basically fitted prefolds that require a cover. We've been using Pockets at night and he's had a few leaks, but only when I didn't make sure the inserts weren't bunches around his legs.

My mom has been so helpful through all of this, and she's going a little crazy with the spending. She comes over on Mondays and Wednesdays to watch Cohen. While he's napping she will do all of my laundry and prepare a dinner for me. She makes my life so much easier. She decided I needed new pots and pans because mine aren't a set so she went out and bought me a brand new set. She also said she doesn't like my heavy dishes, so I should pick out a Corningware pattern and she will buy me a set. Wtf? A couple months ago I mentioned the high chair we were getting Cohen, and she shows up at my house with it, as well as a new jumperoo and some clothes for him. Yesterday she found some swaddleme's in size L which I was just going to order on Amazon, so she bought 2 of them, some new bibs, some Ella's Kitchen and Revolution Foods squeezable baby food, some washing soda and borax (I mentioned how I've been making my own cleaning products) and some "Guilt-free" tortilla chips from Trader Joe's. She just hands me bags of stuff! She's crazy, I tell you. Of course I appreciate it, but I feel guilty. She already has Cohen for basically 15-18 hours a week, without pay, and she spoils us both. What would we do without her? I also can't forget about MIL, she watches Cohen on Tuesdays and Thursdays for about 4 hours each day, and she's been great about buying stuff to keep at her house so Cohen is comfortable. She bought a great Chicco pack and play, some toys, a baby crack machine (the Homedics Soundspa, which my mom always bought for her house), and a jumperoo for Cohen while he's there. I feel really blessed and lucky to have all of this support.

Now onto the cute boy:

Holding his Ba.

New Tye-Dye Happy Heiny's!

Trying to grab the mobile :)

Already getting into trouble! He would have pulled out the whole roll if I let him.

Lovin on my boy.

My guys

Shoe shopping with Dad. 

Crackin' up.

Cloth diapering so far

I've been doing the Jillian Drawers cloth diaper trial for a week or so and I really love it. The trial came with 4 prefolds-2 bleached and 2 unbleached, a Thirsties duo wrap (a reusable cover), a Thirsties fab fitted, a Thirsties duo diaper (a pocket), a FuzziBuns pocket, 2 Bum Genious Pockets (one snap, one aplix), a GroVia AI2 (a reusable shell with a snap-in insert), and a Econobum pocket. I think that's it? I really like all of them. As for my own stash, I think I will keep 2 or 3 of the pockets from the trial for nighttime, because I can stuff some extra inserts in them and they'll hold up for the 12 hours Cohen usually sleeps. Other than that, I think I'm going to do more of the prefold/AI2 route.

I had a couple leaks with the prefolds, but I think it's because there are so many different types of folds, and you have to try out a few to find the ones that fit your baby. I've had a few successful ones. Also I think the Thirsties cover is too small. It's so tight on C and always comes un-velcro'd (new word? lol). I was on GreenMountainDiapers.com and read that although the size 1 of the Thirsties cover says it'll go to 18 lbs. it's more like 15 lbs. Cohen is just about 15 lbs, so I ordered two of the size 2 of the Thirsties cover from Nicki's diapers, and they fit great on the smaller setting (they have snaps to make them smaller). I also ordered a Bummis whisper wrap because I've heard pretty good things about it. I haven't used it, yet. I ordered 2 Best Bottoms shells, 2 Stay Dry inserts for them, and a hemp insert for them. I think Best Bottoms will be my favorite because there is only 1 size of a shell that adjust with snaps, and the inserts come in different sizes for absorbency. That makes it really affordable! Also, the shell can be used all day until soiled. I think it'll be easier for my MIL and my mom to change just the insert on him. The same goes with prefolds--I can just use a reusable cover (they're waterproof) and change his prefolds. I think I will use prefolds while I'm at home, and AI2's while he's being babysat.

I ordered a fitted "Workinghorse" diaper from GMD that is made out of the material of the prefolds. I haven't used it yet, but it's prepped and ready to go, so if I like it, I think I will order a few of them because they're pretty affordable, so I can reuse a cover on them during a day.

I like the idea of not buying diapers again! Laundering the cloth diapers is not a hassle like it is with other laundry, because there's not much folding or putting away to them. I hate folding clothes and hanging them up! The diapers I just pull out of the dryer and stuff into a drawer :) Loving it!

Well, I suck at blogging.

I really need to be better about posting. I always sit down to blog but end up bumping and/or facebooking and not getting it done. Well what is new since I last posted? The 4 month wakeful has left the building. Cohen is back to his usual sleep schedule. He goes to bed around 8 or 8:30, fusses for his binky usually twice between 3-5, and is up anywhere from 7-9. I'm getting really tired of the binky and the swaddle. I've been reading more and more about Ferber and I think we're going to give it a go next weekend.. </3

I had a few opening shifts last week, which was nice because I could be home by 1 or 2 and have the whole day with my boy. I'm back to closing 4 days a week, and I start school tomorrow. I'm feeling somewhat excited for school just because I'll get to see a few friends I haven't seen in a while, and I can start going to the gym 3 days a week. I'm not looking forward to an extra day without my baby, though. My schedule will be hectic. On Mondays and Wednesdays my mom will be at my house at 9:30 for me to leave and be to class by 10. I will have class until 11:50. On Mondays I work at 1, so I will have an hour to work out. On Wednesdays I work at 2, sometimes 3, so I will be able to work out, tan, and maybe study if I need to. I get off at 6:30 which gets me home around 7, so I can do Cohen's bedtime routine and put him to bed. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I will at least have the morning with Cohen. I will drop him off with MIL at 1, be to class at 1:20 and be out around 2:30. On Tuesdays I don't have my evening class until 5, so I will have over two hours to get errands done, work out, etc. I'll then have my class from 5 until 7:15, so I probably won't get to see Cohen before he goes to bed :( On Thursdays I work at 3 so I'll go right to work after class, and be home at 7. FRIDAYS are my savior days--just me and Cohen all day long until Daddy gets home. I work a 6 hour shift on Saturdays so that's Cohen & Daddy days, and Sunday is our family day--the best day of all!

I ordered the Jillian Drawers cloth diaper trial, and I'm loving it so far. I will post a separate blog to review which cloth diapers I love/like/hate. I ordered some to start my own stash, and I'm pretty excited about it.

I went to the chiro for my back pain. It's helped quite a bit, but it still feels strained and it will probably stay that way as long as I have a little boy to pick up. At least it's better though.

Cohen has been his usual squealing, rolling, crazy self. I love him more and more each day. I'll end this post with some pics of him!

OH, and some giggles :):):) Only 7 seconds-my silly camera turned off.