4 Months

And for memories sake....

Postpartum Reality

Being a mom is the hardest (and the most rewarding) thing I have ever done.  Sure you expect it to be hard but at least my brain never comprehended exactly what that definition of hard would be.  Now a days health care providers are quick to warn every expectant mother about the possibility of postpartum depression and the general ebbs and flows she may experience.  I never had issues with the depression aspect of it but I do understand those highs and lows.

On one hand you have the most amazing gift in your arms.  This beautiful baby whom you love unconditionally.  That you have waited months for. You are overwhelmed with this blessing.  Feel so undeserving.

Then there's the nights where she won't sleep.  Won't let you lay her down.  Is nursing every hour.  Or not nursing properly.  You're sleep deprived and frustrated.  Tears flow down your face.  You want to give up.

I always felt like such a bad mom in these moments.  I felt guilty for being frustrated.  Guilty for just wanting a few hours of sleep.

Over the last four months I've begun to (finally) realize that this is ok.  That I'm going to have those moments where I am frustrated, tired and just done.  Its what I do in these moments that is key.  Whenever I am at that pivotal moment He reminds me of this little blessing I hold in my arms.  That she needs me.  That this is only a phase.  That we'll get through this.

Having an amazing husband to remind me of these things doesn't hurt as well.  I don't think I have told him enough how thankful I am for him.  For his support.  For not laughing at me when I am crying over the little things.  For always listening no matter the size of the issue.  For reminding me to turn to Him.

Being Mara's mommy is the hardest thing I have ever done but I wouldn't trade it for anything.  Every morning I wake up to her little face I am reminded of this humongous blessing she is.  As I write this she has her head buried in my chest and is sleeping peacefully.  The smell of her little head.  Its softness and kissability just brings me full circle.  There's no where else I'd rather be.

Southern Snow Day

Coming from the North, the thought of a little snow doesn't really phase me.  I was in for a whole new experience when they put snow in the forecast for Fayetteville.  With few snow plows, even the smallest of snow showers can spell a big problem for folks down here.

The snow was supposed to start about noon yesterday, just enough time to get to our meeting on base and a quick run to the grocery store.  I was happy to see clear skies after my meeting and immediately ran to the store in hopes of beating the traffic home.  To my surprise I was told the store was closing early.  Guess its probably for the best as I'm sure the rest of Fort Bragg had already beat me to the bread and water. (For some reason everyone goes out and clears the shelves of these things at the slightest hint of snow) I was more just frustrated that I had already dragged Mara into the store and now had nothing to show for this.  You get this if you're a mom!

snow angel

The snow didn't start till that evening and was mainly a mix of freezing rain.  Ha I thought.  So much for their six inches.  Well sometime during the night that freezing rain changed to snow and we woke up to a winter wonderland this morning.  Very different than our usual winter drab around here.

just in awe of the white stuff

Sure it was probably only about 3 inches.  Laughable for those up north but we dragged out our snow gear and headed outside.  Determined to show Mara her first snow day.  We made snow angels and shoveled the little bit in our driveway.

Mara got her first taste

When the chill started to set in we headed inside for some hot cocco (mama's milk for Mara) and changed into some warm clothes.  Oh did I mention Josh got a snow day?! Yes we are loving having Daddy home in the middle of the week!!

Mama and Mara

Dear Baby Girl

Dear Baby Girl,

My mama's heart is so full for you these past few weeks.  I don't know if its because you're growing so fast or because I've seen so many of my friends give birth recently but I've been really thinking about what a whirlwind this last year has been.

At first you were just a speck.  A dream.  A hope.  Then you were the size of a pea, an orange, a mango, a pumpkin....Oh man how nervous I was.  I read so many books baby girl.  Thought all the books and blogs would prepare me to be a mom.

Then came that hugely pregnant time where all you wish for is delivery but at the same time wishing time to slow down because you're not ready.  You're scared.  You're not ready.  Are we going to be able to do this?

But then you were here.  All seven pounds of immediate joy and love.  We kissed your cheeks, counted your toes, and snuggled you close.

We fell in love.  Head over heals in love.  There isn't anything we wouldn't do for you girl.  We will spend our lifetimes making sure you know that love.  I never thought I could love someone one so quickly and deeply but then you came along.

Being your parents is the most fulfilling job we've ever done little girl.  Sure there are times where we want to quit.  Where we want to throw our hands up and walk away.  Call your grandmas and say yes we get it now.  But then you flash us one of those smiles.  You grab our fingers and look at us with all that wonder in your eyes. You giggle and the sound brings us to tears.  Words cannot adequately express our feelings for you little girl.  How blessed we are to have you in our lives!

We may have made you baby girl, but you made us parents.  We love you to the moon and back!

Mommy & Daddy

MLK Weekend

This past weekend Josh got a four day so we were excited to take advantage of it and explore some of the surrounding area.  We had been meaning on getting over to the western side of base because we had heard that the towns over there have quaint downtown areas and good restaurants.

After hanging around the house most of Friday, Saturday morning we headed out for Southern Pines.  It took about an hour to get there but the drive was beautiful.  Mara slept most of the way too so it was nice to have that time just Josh and I.

Once we got there we stopped at a small coffee shop to warm up and get some beverages.  The shop was an old house that had been converted with a few small tables and a welcoming fireplace. From there we wandered down the main street checking out the local shops and restaurants. We had a few hours to kill before heading to Aberdeen for a brewery tour.

My dairy restrictions made finding lunch a little difficult but we ended up in this little crepe place that had breakfast crepes, savory crepes and dessert crepes.  Of course all of their crepes had milk in them but I was able to find a really good panini that didn't.  From there we kept walking, peaking in shops as we continued down the road.  We browsed a local book store and green store before heading across the street.

On the other side we wandered into a great local meat and cheese shop.  I wish I would have been able to sample the majority of the selection but we walked out with some great garlic and herb goat cheese!  We also checked out an outdoor store similar to REI.  I wish we would have had more time to browse but our time was running out.

Our last stop in Southern Pines was a great little growler brew shop.  There you could sample a lot of different beers, most of them North Carolina.  Once you found one you like there were multiple growler sizes that you could purchase and fill.

In Aberdeen we toured Railhouse Brewery, a local brewery owned and operated by veterans.  Lately Josh and I have been checking out the local breweries via groupon.  They always seem to have a deal where you get a tour, a free pint and a glass for under $15.  We weren't overly impressed by the brewery compared to others we had seen but it was a nice afternoon nevertheless.

Overall I really enjoyed our time in Southern Pines and Aberdeen.  I only wish we would have had more time to really look around and take our time.  Maybe next time we won't sleep in so late :)

Mara-4 Months

Weight: I'm not completely sure.  I think you're probably still around 15 lbs.  You do seem to be getting longer though!

Health: Oh you poor girl!  Not only are you still teething but you have a small cold on top of it.  You are completely congested which has made feeding really hard.  You will feed for a few seconds and pull off to breathe.  It breaks mama's heart.  We are using saline and your Nosefrida to get all that snot out!  Last night we slept with eucalyptus oil in the humidifier and you seem a little better today.  Hopefully another night or two with it will clear things up.

Your teeth are still killing you.  You have been running a mild fever at night and are super fussy.  I can't even imagine the pain you are in.  We have the amber necklace on you and are doing Hyland's teething tablets during the day.  We have also found this pumpkin butt oil that we have been rubbing on your gums.  It has given you the most relief as far as we can tell.

Social: You are still super social and checking out your world.  You still love to flash that grin at Mommy and Daddy but now easily give it out to strangers.  We have recently been going to events where there are other babies.  You LOVE watching others and interacting with them.

At our infant massage class you made friends with a little boy and held hands with him for most of the session.  He even was nice enough to share his chew toy with you (although mama quickly declined and got you one of your own)!

Next week we are going to start going to an 1 and under play group on post and I'm excited to see how you react to all the little kids.  We were going to go today but health wise we both weren't up to it.

Diet: Breast milk! People are starting to ask me when we are going to start her on cereal and honestly I'm not sure we are.  I mean is this really necessary?  She shows absolutely no interest in anything in her mouth food wise besides mama.

Clothes:  You are getting those last wears out of a few 3 month items but for the most part we have packed that all away.  3 to 6 month clothing fits you well but you are also in all of your 6 month sleepers.  You have short legs so we are thankfully still in your 3-6 month and 3 month pants.

Your cloth diapers' fits are constantly changing.  We have made some larger while others we seem to have to snap smaller.  I can't figure it out...

Out for a stroll

Mama's Favorites: This week I got a ring sling and love it.  We took it to the grocery store today and you did great.  You passed out almost immediately and when you did wake up were perfectly content to hang out.

Crying: The teething has brought its fair share of tears this week, especially at night.  It just breaks our heart.  Last night you screamed.  Like ear ringing screaming for about a half an hour until you passed out.  Hopefully we see those little teeth soon and we can move on from this stage (for now). 

Sleep: So transitioning you to your crib didn't happen...The teething kicked into full gear and honestly we just didn't have the heart.  We will get you in your own crib after things calm down a bit.

Otherwise you are doing pretty good in this department.  You are still waking up a bit to feed lately but I think that's mainly because you were so congested during the day and weren't able to fill up.  You will sleep for about 10 hours at a time no matter when you go to bed so this helps mama a lot.

Look at her trying to sit up on her own

This Week: Daddy got back from the field and we used every minute to hang out together as a family.  We went to Southern Pines to explore a bit, hung out around the house, went to church, ran a few errands and had lunch with friends.

Baby Likes: Oh girl how you love to jump.  I know I keep saying this but you do not grow tired of this toy.  You also love getting your diaper changed and usually take this time to have serious conversations with either mama or daddy.  Lately you have also been giving the biggest open mouthed kisses.  You giggle and laugh when we kiss your cheek and respond by opening your mouth wide and planting one on us.  Its adorable!

Milestones: You are so close to rolling from your back to tummy.  The other day you had your bottom half over but couldn't figure out how to get your shoulders past that arm.  You are still talking up a storm and go on and on especially at night

Toys really interest you now a days.  You reach for them and move them around with purpose.  You get so frustrated in your play gym when you grab a toy and can't bring it to your mouth because its dangling from the gym.  You are no longer satisfied with batting them around.

Best of Times: Any smile we get out of you these days.  You have been so fussy that we are soaking in those smiles and laughs.  It was also great to see your reaction to your daddy when he got home.  You are such a daddy's girl and light up when you see his face.  You reach for him and love being in his arms.

Worst of Times: Teething!!  Yep enough said...

Love that she fell asleep with her hand on her toy

*I know I know.  Photo fail for this week.  I need to take more pictures.  I blame it on the teeth.

Under 4 Month Baby Favorites...and a Few Mama Must Haves

I can't believe how fast four months has flown by.  I feel like I was just compiling my list of newborn must haves.  That being said, I know that as a pregnant mama to be I was reading a ton of blogs and reviews to find the best products out there for US.  Each family is different and so are their needs. These are a few of our favorite things that I'm not sure we would have survived the last few months without...

1. Ergo 
Mara hates being in her carseat which translates to hating being snapped in her stroller in her carseat.  (I think this will change once she's able to sit in her stroller without the car seat).  In the Ergo she can look around her and take in her environment.  She also loves to be close to me whenever possible so she is always game for being in her carrier.  The Ergo is also pretty standard so it can fit both Josh and I which is especially nice if one of us needs a break.  To top it off we scored a pretty petunia pickle bottom organic cotton version so its a beautiful print!

2.  Skip Hop Play Gym
Mara loves this thing.  At first I didn't realize what the play gym was all about.  I mean sure she would look at the toys but overall wasn't too interested.  Now, whole other ballpark.  She reaches and grabs for the toys.  Gets super frustrated if she can't get them in her mouth.  And for the most part knows which ones make the best noise.  Her favorites are the owl and the bird because they rattle.  The bird with the wooden loop next on her list as she constantly tries to get it in her mouth.

3. Lamaze Firefly.  
We received this as a gift and frankly I thought it was just a bit busy for her to like it.  Wrong!  This is one of her favorite toys.  She loves to look at the patterns and grabs at its wings to hear the crinkly sound.  With her teething she is also trying to get the rings in her mouth.

4. Oball Rattle
This rattle was one of the first toys she reached for and held onto.  It has circle cut outs that make it easy for young infants to grab.  Mara quickly learned that if she moved her arm it would make noise.  Now she's not too interested in the rattle part but just wants to figure out how she can get the entire thing in her mouth!

5. Graco Bumper Jumper
This jumper is the best $8 I have ever spent!  I bought it at a consignment sale.  A new version was on my registry but after seeing this deal I snatched it up.  Mara goes to town in this thing.  She loves jumping and spinning around while we are working in the kitchen or the laundry room.  I can put her in this and she will jump for a good 20 minutes.

6. Board Books
We have a ton of books and plan on making reading a constant part of our day.  She has just gotten into looking at the pages and frankly is just at the age where she will sit still for a short amount of time to read a book.  I like the board books because she can grab them easily and they are pretty indestructible.

Now most mommies know that all these items are really for you.  How you get things done around the house.  How you keep them entertained and contained!  But here are a few of my favorite things that were truly for me!

1. Nursing Cover
I could really careless if people saw me nursing but I understand that for others its embarrassing so I cover up.  I have no qualms about nursing wherever if I have this with me.

2. Ergo
The Ergo is for Mommy too!  On fussy days I need this carrier so I can get life done.  I take it to the grocery store and wear it around the house.

3. Boppy
Every nursing mother's must have!  Nursing is like a full time job at first and without this pillow I wouldn't have made it.  Its really important to be comfy and well supported when you are working on that latch!

Teething

Mara began teething at approximately 3 months. This is a little early for the average child but early teething runs in Josh's family so its not totally out of the blue.  At first we noticed she wanted to chew on EVERYTHING.  She went from having little interest in putting anything in her mouth (besides the breast) to wanting everything in there.  She'd shove toys, fingers, our hands, basically anything within her reach.

Then the drool started.  Lots and lots of drool.  She's never been much of a drooler so this really confirmed for us that she was teething.  We also noticed that her nose started to run and she was tugging on her left ear a lot.  Originally I thought she was getting sick but after some research learned that these two are classic teething signs.  At this point she wasn't really fussy just starting to display the classic signs.

This past week teething has gone from 0 to 10 overnight it seems.  Our poor girl is in pain!  The drool has kicked into overdrive and I think has caused her to spit up a bit as she is producing crazy amounts of saliva.   She is still shoving everything in her mouth but now seems to be taking great pleasure in gnawing on things.  Its like she's saying, "Ah that's better."

Unfortunately she is also having trouble nursing.  I don't know if its due to the pain or the fact that she's pretty congested, likely a combination of both.  She's been only eating for short spurts and pulling off every few sucks or so which is a double edge sword because it makes her take in so much air. (air=gas) Last night she was running a mild fever and wanted nothing but to snuggle and be held.

We've been trying everything under the sun to help her get some relief.  We've been using the Nosefrida and saline to clear up her nose.  Parents be warned babies LOVE this...not.  We have also tried Hyland's Teething Tablets but really haven't noticed the major difference other parents report.  From our local cloth diaper store I picked up a baltic amber necklace.  This is supposed to relieve some pain and help with the drool.  I'm not sure about the pain but it has majorily cut back on the drool!  My latest effort was a sample of pumpkin butt teething oil.  Think of this stuff as the homeopathic version of Orajel.  We've only applied it once but baby girl calmed down and has been sleeping on me for three hours.  Conciendence?  I'm not sure.

Overall teething is rough.  Rough on the parents but mostly rough on the little ones.  Sleep sure I'm a bit deprived but mainly I feel bad for my little girl.  She's in so much pain and if mama can take it away then sure I'm there.  I just hope for her sake we see those pearly white pop up soon!

Our Breastfeeding Journey

*Note I don't write this post to discourage anyone from bottle feeding.  I know that every child and mom are different.  I just write to mainly document our experience and how we've made it work.

Breastfeeding.  I can say honestly the thing I was MOST afraid of with this whole birth/child thing.  Silly I know.  Why worry about that when there are bigger things like giving birth and I don't know raising a child to think about?  But I was...terrified.  What if it didn't work?  What if I didn't produce any milk?  What if she wasn't interested?  Pregnancy hormones combined with maybe one too many how to books drove me to the brink of worry.

BUT here we are almost four months in and (knock on wood) doing great. Our journey isn't without setbacks, tears and one or two sleepless nights.  Like most new moms, I experienced a lot of trouble with her latch early on.  She was interested shortly after birth but wasn't able to due to retaining a lot of fluid.  Whenever she'd latch on she couldn't breathe because her nose was full.  We spent that first night squeezing colostrum into her mouth.  The docs got her some saline for her nose and we finally felt like we were over that first hurdle.  She would actually nurse!

Then started the whole process of figuring out which positions worked best for both of us.  My little girl is picky and we quickly noticed she would only nurse from each side in a specific hold.  Mara likes to nurse from my left side in an across the body hold but on the right she will only eat if she is in a football carry position.  (Yes this still holds true today)  To this day I don't know if its the shape of nipple or something to do with her digestive system but we ran with it happy to just have her latching on.

About a month after coming home from the hospital I was getting frustrated that breastfeeding still hurt.  I know initially there's some soreness as you build up some tolerance but at four weeks I was crying through feedings and feeling really helpless.  While in the hospital, Mara had been diagnosed as being tongue tied.  The doctor said it was minor but referred us to an ENT just in case.

The day we got Mara's tongue clipped was really the turning point in our breastfeeding relationship.  Immediately I noticed a difference.  She was no longer chewing but taking the appropriate amount of breast into her mouth and sucking.  And most important, it wasn't painful.  I am forever grateful to that doctor.  My strong desire to breastfeed my child and a lot of prayer is all that got me through that time (oh and a TON of support from Josh).

Afterwards it was seemingly smooth sailing.  I healed.  Mara kept feeding and growing.  Then at about 7 weeks we noticed she was just so fussy.  Sure some would chalk it up to colic but I was convinced I had a happy little girl under there.  After a diaper filled with "curds" we had our answer.  Mara couldn't handle dairy.  It was so heart breaking.  Here's my little girl who hurts and is trying to find comfort the one way she knows and that's to feed.  Yet its my milk that is causing the issue all along.

All of my nieces and nephews couldn't yet I didn't heed my sisters' warnings to eliminate it from my diet.  My child will be different I thought.  I can't give up cheese.  Lesson learned.

So I started the process of cutting it out of my diet.  I know some people would have taken this as a sign to switch to a soy-based formula but I was determined to continue breastfeeding.  No milk.  No cheese.  No yogurt. Nothing dairy.  And it worked.  As the dairy left my body, Mara's temperament mellowed.  Days were filled with smiles rather than constant feeding and fussiness.

Today we're still exclusively breastfeeding and I don't see that ending anytime soon.  She loves to nurse and hates taking a bottle.  She will but only when she is starving otherwise she cries for her mama.  Thus far we haven't had to overcome any issues with infection, blocked ducts, supply, etc. but if we do we'll deal with them then and hopefully overcome them.  She isn't interested in other foods yet and we're hoping to continue to breastfeed exclusively till at least six months.  As for long term, I'm not sure yet.  I would like to continue to feed at least one year but we'll take each new day as it comes.

Breastfeeding has been an up and down roller coaster for us.  We've had our struggles but its all been worth it.  I smile when I see you go into a milk coma after you feed.  When your little hands roam my body because you need to be able to touch mama.  When you smile because you know I am going to feed you.  When you reach for me for comfort.

I am your Mama and it makes my heart so full to be able to do this for you baby girl.

Mara-14 Weeks

Weight: You clocked in at 14 lbs 11 oz. at the doctors the other day.  You were also 22 in. long.

Cheering on Clemson for the last time

Health: You are dealing with all things teething at this point.  You are drooling, chewing on everything you can get in your mouth, tugging on your ear and are even a bit stuffed up.  I'm not too concerned about the last two symptoms as I have read they are common when in this stage.

We have gotten you an amber necklace a few days ago and I can already see a decrease in the amount of drool.  I think time will tell whether it has a large impact.  I have also ordered some teething tablets that should come in the mail any day now.

Loving your jumper

Social: You are so vocal these days.  You just go on and on especially at night. You want to make sure everyone knows what you are thinking.

You are constantly moving and checking things out.  Whether its observing people around you or playing with your toys.  You love to be active.  You no longer fuss when others hold you but you still look around to make sure Mommy and Daddy are near.

Diet: You are still breastfeeding exclusively and have no interest in a bottle.  This is probably Mama's fault as I do not try to get you to take one.  

Clothes:  You are growing out of your 3 month clothes and we have definitely put away all of your 0 to 3 month things.  I have a feeling you will so be in your 6 month things.  I am hoping you will stay in your 6 month things till I can get to the consignment sale at the beginning of March!

We have officially made some of your diapers bigger.  All of your bum genius now no longer fit on the smallest setting.  Your other brands still fit on the smallest setting.

Found a new way to keep her occupied in the car seat

Mama's Favorites: These past few weeks I have loved your play gym, jumper and ergo.  All have kept you entertained and contained so I can get things done around the house.  You love playing in your jumper and gym.  The ergo just keeps you near mama and elevates you so you can check things out.

Rocking one of my outfits

Crying: You have been a bit more fussy the last week or so.  I don't know if it is the teething or if I ate something that's bothering you.  We're getting through it.

She outranks everyone

Sleep: So I've heard about the four month sleep regression and I've think you've hit it.  As soon as we got back from traveling you have refused to sleep alone in your rock n play.  You do not sleep unless you are next to us and not only next to us but curled into our arm pits.  You insist on having your hand there which makes for a rough night for mama who is ticklish.

You sleep for long stretches still but its hard for mama to tell because I am always waking up making sure I have not rolled on top of you or because you are hitting me.  You like to nurse laying down now to fall asleep (which is not good for your gas) but have started to suck on your thumb during the middle of the night to fall back asleep.  This usually happens a few hours after you eat so I know you're not hungry and don't feel bad for letting you continue to suck.

This week while Daddy is away we're going to try to transition you to your crib.  You are already sleeping pretty well in here for naps so I'm going to bring it into our room for night.  I know its going to be rough but I think everyone is ready for it.  I'll miss having you close but I know its time for our family for you to move out of our bed.

Last night (hopefully) in mommy and daddy's bed

This Week: Daddy is going to the field this week so its just us girls.  We are going to miss him so much!  You are becoming a Daddy's girl and I know you're going to wonder where he went.  We'll be sending him lots of pictures and doing lots of activities to keep ourselves busy.

Baby Likes: You love your jumper and usually spend about a half an hour in it at night just jumping away.  You also love your toys especially this one.  You will lay in your play gym and roll back and forth to get them.  You also try shoving them in your mouth and get so frustrated when they do not fit.

Jumper love

Milestones: You are talking so much!  You just babble all day.  I don't know if you have a lot on your mind or you just like to hear yourself talk.

You are still trying to roll from your back to your front and are getting close.  Mama is scared at how mobile you'll be once this happens.

You continue to laugh and smile daily and its just a joy to be around you!!

Best of Times: Waking up to your smiling face.  You are so happy in the mornings and are filled with smiles.

Worst of Times: Your small sleep regression.  I'm a little scared because I don't think the worse is behind us.  I'm praying that you'll be able to make a smooth transition to your crib and we'll both get some sleep.

Dear Baby Girl

Dear Baby Girl,

We can't believe that you are already three months.  Where did the time go?  I feel like they just placed you on my belly yesterday.

These past few weeks have just been a joy.  Your little personality has just blossomed.  You love to smile at your Daddy and I and are instantly in a better mood when you are near us.  I don't know how you do it but the minute you wake up in the morning you smile.  It instantly brightens my day and reminds me how lucky I am to have you in my life.  

You have recently started "talking".  You will go on and on especially at night.  You really love to talk to your Daddy and have long conversations with him.  What you are saying we have no idea but we love hearing you make sounds.  Sometimes Daddy and I just smile at each other during your talking sessions because we know these moments with you are so precious.  Before we know it you'll be turning those sounds into words and words into sentences.

It warms Mama's heart to see how much you and your Daddy have bonded.  You instantly light up when he's in the room and will reach for him when you are close to him.  The other day I played a video of you on my phone and you stopped what you were doing the instant you heard his voice and looked for him.

You are still my curious girl.  You are constantly studying and wanting to explore.  You kick and flail your arms to get there.  I hope you never lose this!

Everyday you grow and change.  We are constantly saying, "Do you believe it?  She did this today!"  You are the light of our lives, Mara, and we are so blessed to be your parents.  We can't wait to see the person you become and will be there to support you every step of the way.

We love you more than you will ever know!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

A Mouse Invasion

Backstory: About a month ago we discovered mice in our garage.  They had taken up nest in a bag of Buddy's cat food.  After discarding the bag we thought we had solved the problem...

Christmas had come and gone.  The gifts had been opened and put away.  We had been home from our vacation for about a week at this point.  New Years Day I went upstairs to do some filing and was nauseated at the smell coming from the closet.  Brushing it off a bit I started to pull out my filing boxes and noticed bits of cat food and cardboard on the lids.  Upon further inspection I noticed that the half eaten bag of cat food had two tiny holes in it.  Thinking maybe Buddy had gotten into the bag I called Josh up.

Josh took one look at the bag and smelled the closet before exclaiming MICE.  While we were away the mice that were living in our garage had burrowed their way up the wall and into the attic, which is directly above the garage.  Smelling the food in the closet, they ATE their way through the wall and took up home.  

Lets just say there was poop everywhere.  On EVERYTHING.  On our camping gear, on board games, on boxes of old pictures from Josh's family.  I was immediately disgusted.  Sure I grew up on a farm but mice in the house.  Not cool.  

We went to the store and got about ten traps.  Josh baited them and placed them strategically in the closet and attic areas.  Then we started capturing them.  The first day we had six mice, two of which were half eaten.  Yes we have cannibalistic mice. Guess they were desperate?

Buddy got in on the action capturing two that escaped downstairs.  He helped Josh corner them and get them outside.  We have even let Buddy have free reign of the attic in hopes he will assist in the mice clearing.  He's so cute standing guard at the top of the steps in order to prevent them from running down stairs.  

Five days in and we have caught a total of 13.  Thankfully the traps have been empty the last two days.  I hope this is because there is no more mice to catch and not because they've gotten smart.  The upstairs is still in disarray.  Poop is still on everything.  I refuse to clean it until we are certain the problem is taken care of.  I also do not want Mara up there so cleaning will have to wait till Josh is around and one of us can watch her.

Talking to the property manager today, I have hopes that they will bring a profession out to look at the issue as well.  Getting in the garage is one thing but lets seal up the house itself!  

Here's to hoping lucky 13 is our number.  No new mice!!  

Life Lately

A few ramblings for you...

After the business of the holidays, the last few weeks have been kind of low key around here.  Josh had half days till this week so we've been taking advantage of the extra family time.  We've spent a lot of time catching up around the house and just getting back in the swing of things.  The post holiday twilight zone, as I like to call it, is rough.  You never know what day it is and you are just swimming in a sea of Christmas presents and wrapping paper reminits.  But all the paper is cleared, the presents found new homes, and the decorations are finally in boxes.  AND January is not even half way over.  Props to us!

We've gotten out of the house a few times the last few weeks.  We went walking on the river trail.  Mara slept through all of it and it was nice to catch up with our good friends who came along with.  The fresh air was great and it was a much needed reminder that I need to start working out again.

Last weekend we headed up north to tour a local brewery.  With Josh's interest in homebrewing and so many good ones locally here in North Carolina, it has quickly become one of our go to weekend outings.  We toured White Rabbit Brewery which is about 30 minutes away from our house.  They are still at a smaller scale so it was interesting to see how they are doing things while lacking the major brewing equipment.

Today is one of the coldest we've had here.  Sure its not the arctic temperatures they're experiencing up north but its pretty cold for North Carolina.  This morning we woke up to frozen hot water pipes and no heat in half of our house.  They must not use the same plumbing materials as they do up north because there is no way 10 degrees should cause pipes to freeze.  Right?  Thankfully the hot water came on and we are just waiting for the heating folks to get to us.  Guess there's a lot of others on their repair list too.

Next week Josh is gearing up to head back into the field.  I'm never found of these stretches without him but I am glad that Mara is getting better at night than she used to be.  We may use this time while he's away to try to transition her to her own room.  I'm honestly dreading this as she has experienced a bit of a sleep regression ever since we got back from traveling.  She has been going down for naps in her crib (short naps but still napping!) so that is promising to me.

Otherwise life is going around here as usual.  Josh is super busy at work. I'm trying to play catch up at home.  All while trying to soak up Miss Mara.  With her changing each and everyday we're trying to slow down and just savor every minute.  

Cloth Diapering: The Laundry

I think most people dread the laundry process the most when it comes to cloth diapering.  They picture having to touch a lot of dirty diapers and lots of extra work.  Hey I get it.  I was there once too.

We are still refining our laundry process as we are only about 6 weeks into our cloth diapering experience.  I'm sure as time goes on our routine will change as I learn more about what works best for our diapers and machine.  For example we are in the process of transitioning to cloth wipes.  I hate having two trash cans in her bedroom and the stink that comes out of the disposable one.  I think it will just be easier to throw everything into the same pail.  Heck I'm washing the diapers anyways.  Might as well the wipes too!


Anyways a usual diaper changes goes a bit like this:

I unsnap the dirty cloth diaper and shake the inserts into the diaper pail.  We line a basic stainless steel can (stainless steel doesn't absorb odors like plastic) with a Planet wise pail liner.  If I just did laundry the day before I usually spray them with Bio Kleen odor and stain remover.  This is supposed to help with stains as well as cut back on odor.

Our changing station

If its a poopy diaper I take the diaper to the nearby bathroom and spray it down with our diaper sprayer.  I know people say you don't have to with exclusively breast fed babies but I've found that it helps eliminate stains.  Then I shake out the liners and spray with Bio Kleen.  I always spray poopy diapers with Bio Kleen regardless of when I did the laundry.  Recently I have been rubbing them down with a special soap to help fight stains before throwing them into the pail too.

Mara gets a clean diaper and away we go with the rest of our day.  It may seem like a lot but it really doesn't take more work than a disposable.

Yes I have gotten poop on my hands but what mom hasn't?!  Even with disposables.  I think God just blesses you with a tolerance after awhile.  I mean isn't that what soap's for?

Laundry day is pretty simple too.

I take the whole pail liner to the washer and dump it.  While I dump it I turn it inside out so that my arm is inside the side that didn't touch diapers.  We have a top loading HE that requires nothing to be touching the small agitator.  I use the inside out pail liner to move around the diapers so the load is level and not touching the agitator.

From there I run a cold rinse.  (I've never tried a hot because my machine will only rinse cold)  After the rinse cycle I add a tbsp of Charlie Soap.  I originally tried Bio Kleen detergent too but didn't get great results with poop stains.  I set the washer to a hot regular cycle followed by a rinse and walk away.  Super simple.

When they are done washing, I throw all the inserts into the dryer (no dryer sheets) and let them dry.  I hang dry the diapers on a pop up drying rack right in my laundry room.  Come summer I am hoping to get a line outside so I can take advantage of the sun's UV stain fighting powers as well.

Diapers hung up to dry

After all is dry, I stuff.  I find that having a pre-stuffed diaper at the diaper change is better than stuffing while you have a squirming infant on the changing table.  Its really not too much more work and I have even got Josh to help me stuff every once in awhile.  The diapers go back into the drawer and a new pail liner in the can and we're ready for the next day!

Our diapers get washed every other day.  I could probably go longer but I don't like the idea of them sitting for much more than 48 hours.

Christmas

Christmas seems to take on a whole new level when you have kids.  Even though Mara is too young to remember her first Christmas, it was really important to me to make sure it was special.  I was also really excited to celebrate the holiday in our home in North Carolina as a family of three. (not that I don't love being with family over the holiday but there's something nice about just doing our own thing.)

Christmas Eve with Mommy

And with Daddy

We had plans of opening gifts on Christmas Eve but Mara passed out early so we decided it could wait till the actual day.  Instead we finished up our Jesse tree by reading the Christmas story and hanging up the ornaments we hadn't.

Christmas morning we slept in and just hung out in bed for a bit. It was nice to catch up on some sleep but eventually the breakfast casserole I put in the crock pot the night before started calling our names.

Reading her new book

Josh and I decided to open one from each other while Mara went down for her morning nap.  After a quick shower and clothing change, all three of us were finally ready to open presents.   

Mara got some finger puppets

She wasn't super interested in her new Sophie teether

We took turns opening gifts with her.  Of course she didn't really know what was going on but she did show some interest in the process.  She would study the gifts and listen to us describe what was going on.  She loved chewing on her new book (even more than the teether she got) and stared at her new shoes when Josh put them on her feet.  

She does love these new rattles/maracas

Let me help Daddy

Buddy even got in on the action as he loved sitting in the used wrapping paper and chasing after the discarded ribbon.  

Buddy was easy to shop for.  Used ribbon.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing on the couch and catching up a bit around the house.  Josh used his amazing computer skills to give some aspects of my blog a facelift while I ran around the kitchen putting things away.  

Overall our first Christmas as a family of three was great.  It was really low key and allowed us to really relax and enjoy being together.  It makes me really excited for the next few years and getting to see Mara's reaction change.

Christmas with Family-Wisconsin

From Illinois we headed up to Wisconsin to visit with Josh's brother's family.  We are so thankful that they are so close to my parents and only wish we could have gone even further north to visit his sister's family.
 

At the Christmas Eve practice

Her turn will be soon!

Mara checking out her cousin

Wisconsin brought relaxation.  I know my sister is reading this now and laughing but it really did.  Sure kids running around isn't everyone's idea of relaxation but I really enjoyed just hanging at the house with them and being lazy most days.  We had no expectations of the trip and just really wanted to visit with family.

Ginger finds a new home

Pick me!!

Scarlett 

While we were there, Wisconsin got about a foot of snow.  It was beautiful to watch it come down and I was just thankful that we didn't have to be out there driving in it.  Josh helped Caleb shovel while the kids donned their snow gear for a day outside.  A huge change from our fifty degree weather here in North Carolina!

This guy never fails to crack me up

Mara checks out her new doll

One of my favorite days was when we got to see the kids practice for their Christmas Eve service.  The entire school was singing songs and reading scripture to perform that night.  Although we weren't there for Christmas Eve it was nice to get to "preview" the show.

Love this for Mara's room

Carrie hangs Mara's handprint ornament

After their practice we headed to a local humane shelter to pick up two early Christmas presents.  Kitties!  It was so sweet seeing the girls so excited about their new pets.  Hopefully Scarlett and Ginger will make a great addition to the Bast family.

It was early.  Don't mind the pjs.

Shoveling

Overall we had a great time in Wisconsin.  We are so thankful that we were able to go up and visit with Caleb, Carrie and the kids.  It was nice to be a part of their little family Christmas.