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August 21 The things I now get excited overI just signed up for cloth diaper service and I am feeling positively giddy. I know. This is not something to be giddy or ebullient over, but I can't help it. I feel really good about this decision and it was one more item to cross off my list of things to do before the baby arrives.
I find disposable diapers inherently disgusting. I think about them filling up our landfills and I feel a little queasy. I think of all the disposable diapers I have encountered laying on the beach in the tropics and I feel gross. My opinion of disposable diapers is kind of like my opinion of pads/sanitary napkins. I just have an irrational hatred of them. Cause all the nasty stuff that flows out of our body just sits there in all their plastic-y badness up against your (or the baby's) skin. Obviously, I realize that my thing with disposable diapers is irrational and is going to have to go away in the next two months... because I'm going to be intimately familiar with diapers very shortly.
Several months ago, when I was just barely pregnant I spent a huge amount of time researching cloth vs. disposable diapers on the internet. I was trying to figure out what our options were, balancing health, cost effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. The bottom line after all the research---disposables take up a lot of space in the landfill, but cloth diapers use up a lot of water. It is kind of a wash in terms of environmental friendliness. It really depends on your priorities--waste water or take up space in the landfill. There are other considerations as well, such as the trees/oil used in the production of plastic diapers. Then there is the part about disposable diapers containing the nasty chemicals (for absorbency) that were banned from tampons in the mid 80's b/c of the risk of toxic shock syndrome, and the research that indicates that sperm counts in boys may be lower with use of disposables because of higher scrotal temperatures. None of this stuff is conclusive, but the research is out there.
I asked my sister how many diapers Sophia used and then ran the math. Cloth diaper service is basically the same cost as disposables (depending on how active your child's bowels are...I"m betting our kid is going to be very regular). Washing your own cloth diapers is the cheapest route to go, but I was pretty sure I was not going to be interested in washing our own cloth diapers. Obviously, disposables are so popular because they are easy. And I am not judging anyone who chooses to use disposable diapers. I totally get the ease/convenience factor. There is enough to think about with a new baby without having to spend a lot of time thinking about your diapering strategy. But, being the person I am, I spent a long time thinking about cloth vs. disposable (probably more than I should have). Rog and I talked about it and we decided it was worth a little more inconvenience if the cost was equivalent or close to it because then we could satisfy our own ethical concerns AND give the little guy a healthier surface for his bum.
Pro-cloth diaper websites are full of scary factoids like:
I then interviewed moms I knew who went the cloth diaper route to see what they thought. Would they do it again? In the end, everyone was pleased with the decision to use cloth diapers but acknowledged that you can have more blowouts with the cloth (and thus should have some extra crib sheets), you need to be diligent with changings, and that the most effective diapering system for them was to supplement the cloth diapers with disposables while traveling, during the night if your kid had explosive shits, etc.
I'm taking the advice of people I know and trust and we'll also supplement the cloth diapers with disposables when we travel, when I take the baby to kung fu childcare, and potentially at night depending on the blowout risk factor. We'll assess how things are going after the little one arrives and go from there. All this to say that I'm very pleased with the decision to go the cloth diaper route. It will cost us about $15-20 a week. I was thoroughly psyched to find out after signing up that I don't need to use diaper pins/fasteners, etc. The diaper service uses "diaper wraps" which really makes the cloth diapering so much easier. BIG WIN. And, I won't have to deal with a bunch of disposable diapers in my trash can. Another big win. I'm happy. August 19 Time for Mom'sIt is that time of the summer, when the zucchini is aplenty in the garden and I'm craving zucchini bread. This is the best zucchini bread recipe I have tried so far. If you like sweet zucchini bread, then try this recipe. I just put two loaves in the oven and am practically salivating waiting for it to come out. This recipe is perfect for the one enormous zucchini that arrives in your garden because you neglected to check for zucs for a couple of days. Yummies! August 07 more baby bloggingBaby Activity--This small child inside of me is really, really active these days. He likes to kick, stretch, and shimmy every 1/2 hour to 45 minutes. My stomach moves around like a bowl full of jelly--what Rog and I have affectionately termed "Babymoto." Terremoto means 'earthquake' in Spanish. We morphed that to describe what happens when you can visible see the baby move by watching my stomach. Apparently, babies in the womb only sleep in about 1/2 hour increments. The baby is particularly active after I've had juice, fruit, anything with sugar, while sitting, while resting, while sitting at a computer, etc. He also really seemed to like the Dodger game we went to on Saturday. Perhaps the energy and excitement was palpable. Perhaps all the cheering, yelling, etc kept him up. Or maybe he really enjoyed the 2 dodger dogs I ate. All I know is that the kid was restless in there throughout the game. Maybe he will like baseball? That is really too bad b/c both Rog and I are pretty lukewarm about baseball...it is fun to go to games on occasion, but we aren't passionate about the game. But, if the kid ends up liking baseball, I'll probably start trying to like it too :)
"Express Bus to Uncomfortable Town"--The baby seems to have grown quite a bit in the past two weeks. Babies in the womb have a growth spurt in the 7th month. I'm now starting to become uncomfortable in my third trimester...or as I told Roger last night "I'm on the express bus to uncomfortable town." In the grand scheme of things, I've had a pretty easy pregnancy and I have no basis for complaining...but there are some inconveniences that I am starting to experience now and it seems it will only continue to get worse. I just need to deal with. It isn't a big deal, really, they are small inconveniences. For example, My inner thighs rub and this is grossing me out. My hips and pelvis are achy every morning. I have to do hip circles in the shower to try and loosen my joints. I've lost most of my muscle tone. My boobs leak fluid. My feet got swollen in LA ( I'm super thankful we have such moderate temperatures in Seattle). Flying back from LA was one of the most uncomfortable flights I have ever experienced. I can't roll over in bed without waking up and very slowly maneuvering around. Sometimes I get light headed. My sleep is disturbed by having to go to the bathroom multiple times in the night. I am constantly tired. It is getting harder and harder to focus at work. I can't really tie my shoes very well. Weeding in the yard makes me short of breath. Those kinds of things. They aren't deal breakers...but I get the sense that I will just exist in an uncomfortable state for the rest of my pregnancy.
Things I miss-- Laying on my stomach, cold rum drinks, a big honking cup of coffee (decaf doesn't count...although I really try to be upbeat about decaf...it just ain't the same), going 'all out' and taking a really hard hit in kung fu, aggressive jumping kicks, my normal energy levels, my flat stomach and small perky boobs, tight hugs from Roger.
When approaching average is awesome--Yesterday we had another ultrasound. The doctor wanted to take measurements of the baby. At 20 weeks we had an ultrasound and the baby's size was in the 99th percentile...meaning a really big boy in there...or that there are only 1% of babies that are bigger. Yikes! Now that I am 30 weeks, the doctor wanted to see if our little man was still growing at the same rate, or if things have slowed down. The good news--things are not as big in there...more like the 77th percentile for size. Although I certainly want my child to excel, I want 99th percentile results after the child exits the womb...and for brain related things...not body size! I was all excited that the baby was "average" sized (meaning, *hopefully* that the labor will be easier) but Roger burst my bubble by telling me that it really isn't average sized...50th percentile is average sized, so we still have a larger than average baby in there. So we'll just continue to assess where things are. I am hoping the little man is in the 8 pound range when he is born...hopefully not much bigger than that.
My cervix does what?--We are now taking our birthing classes. We've gone to two so far. This is all pretty interesting stuff. There are all walks of life in the class. Although Roger and I have been reading lots of books about labor and pregnancy, it is still really good to have someone walk you through the labor process, have a reference to ask questions, etc. You kind of need all this stuff pounded in your head so you remain calm during labor. The relaxation and breathing techniques are actually very, very useful. And it is interesting to see all the other pregnant ladies in the room and chat with them about their pregnancy. Every class I have a moment where I think "holy crap, this is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done in my life." I'm looking forward to the challenge, certainly, but it seems really crazy and intense. Check out how big the cervix has to get before you can birth the baby....CRAZY. 10 centimeters doesn't seem like much until you actually see it to scale...and then realize that is happening inside you so the baby can come out. I'm so glad I am taking the class with Rog. Cause we seem to have a good time afterward talking about the class, the silly things people say, etc. I"m feeling pretty lucky about having Rog as my birth partner. We are going to be a good team :) August 05 sneak peek at babyFriday my family surprised us by making an appt for a 3D imaging session of the baby. My aunt didn't tell us where we were going. All of a sudden we were in Monterrey Park. There really is no reason to go to Monterrey Park, a very asian community without destinations per se. I kept thinking, well, we just ate breakfast, so we couldn't possibly be going out to dim sum. We pulled into a medical/dental office building and I was thoroughly perplexed. It wasn't til we got to the door of the imaging office that I realized what we were doing. Rog was in on the surprise, but I was totally in the dark.
It was pretty crazy to see the lil' guy again. I wonder whether he will actually look like this when he comes out? He looks to have my facial structure, big chubby cheeks, and a big nose. Hopefully his nose is smooshed in the image ;) It was cool for my family to participate in the ultrasound session--my aunt, cousin, grandma, and Roger sat in during the session and they all really seemed to enjoy seeing the baby. Check out the photos. It is starting to look a little cramped in the womb.
About 10 more weeks until we get to meet JB. I am so anxious to hold and snuggle our little one. Soon. Very soon... |
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