Baby K'tan

If it wasn't for the Baby K'tan I wouldn't get anything done with this little girl around nor would I be on the computer right now.  I have the Moby as well but its more restricting.  The best thing about the Baby K'tan wrap is that there is a option to wear an infant with no head control with their legs out.  The Moby wrap only has option to wear infants with no head control in position that hold their legs in.  Ruby prefers her legs to be free.  Also the Baby K'tan wrap is a million times easier to put on;  I don't even have to put Ruby down to get her in it and am able to put the wrap on and get her in it while she is sleeping.  With the Moby wrap I had to put her down and take a couple minutes just to get it on.  If she was sleeping she would wake up while I was putting it on and start crying.  Since you don't have to wrap and tie the Baby K'tan around your waist, you don't have to worry about tucking and untucking your cloths to nurse with it on.  Also since the Baby K'tan doesn't tie around your waist you can sit down with your baby in it and not crush their little feet.   There is some debate that the Moby offers better support for your baby but they feel the same to me; no sore shoulders from either.

Loved breastfeeding products...

5 week old Ruby!

Products I loved and couldn't live without for breastfeeding in the first 5 weeks. 

• Boppy/Nursing Pillow:  I have a long torso and found that if I nursed without this pillow my arms would get dead tired from holding Ruby up.  The boppy pillow positioned Ruby right where I needed her and spared my arms the ache.  With the pillow supporting Ruby my arms were now free to cuddle her and caress her head.  I mainly use it for nursing Ruby at night in bed.  With the support and positioning it provides Ruby is able to barely wake up and start nursing and drift quickly back to sleep.  Also I am able to nurse her and rest at the same time!
• Lansinoh HPA Lanolin:  Oh the soreness that comes with beginning to breastfeed.  This stuff is a nipple saver.  I didn't have it for the first few days and seriously wish I did.  My nipples got so sore I couldn't even bare a thin soft cotton t-shirt touching them.  Also the first shower I took after starting to breastfeed was absolutely horrible.  This stuff is thick and protecting, it moisturizes your nipples and protects them at the same time.  Put it on before you get in the shower, it makes a HUGE difference.  Don't breastfeed without this stuff. 
• Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads:  These are hands down the best.  There are other cheaper brands out there but they don't even compare.  These soak up any leaks and keep you amazingly dry, which help with soreness, without soaking through to your clothes.  I didn't change them because I had to I only did it because it seemed like the right thing to do.  They are also made of really soft cotton so they are not itchy at all.  I was thinking of using cloth nursing pad at first.  Then I read that cloth nursing pads just get wet and stay wet and also soak through to your clothes right away.
• Bravado! Nursing bras:  Being a busty nursing mom I need good support and easy access.  These bra's are the best at providing me with just that.  I have tried other cheaper brands but they just don't have the same comfort, support and access as these do.  
• Glider:  A glider is the perfect chair to nurse and rock in.  Gliders take less energy to make go and stay going.  They also provide an even rock which makes Ruby calm down and nurse much quicker when she is upset than anything else.  I have both a rocking chair and glider and the glider is my number one choice when I need to rock Ruby.  

Next time Ill share my favorite products for baby!

all smiles

 Yesterday Ruby and I went over to Hannah's house for a visit.

 Its nice going over there and getting out of my house.  Ruby likes it too, she gets lots of love from her aunty and her littlest cousin Felix! (her old cousin Asher just ignores her, ha!)

 On our visit yesterday Ruby was all full of smiles and Hannah managed to get these pictures of her.  I love them and couldn't narrow down which ones I wanted to share so I put them all on here. 

Being a mom is challenging

 This morning Ruby was so fussy and nothing would console her.  It was without a doubt my first challenging mom moment.  

Its nice out again so I decided we would go for a walk after she nursed at 11:00.  She nursed and fell asleep, like most days, so I put her down and went out to start my car.  I came back in and brought sleeping Ruby into her room, changed her diaper and put a sweater on her.  She woke up while I was changing her and started crying.  I picked her up and tried to rock her, nurse her again, give her her soothie, walked around the house with her, laid on my bed with her.  I tried a combination of these and a few more for the next hour and twenty minutes.  She cried intensely for the entire time not once calming down.  I couldn't believe that she was so upset for so long.  I may have even cried myself during this whole ordeal.  The one thing that finally got her to calm down was putting her in her Moby wrap.  So since I had her in that we went for a walk down the street to a near by pond.  She did alright until she got a big gust of freezing wind in her face.  Then she started crying and cried the rest of the way home.  Deep breath.

Right now she is sound asleep in the Moby wrap.

In other news Ruby had her one month check up today at the pediatrician.  She weights 9lbs.11oz and is now 22.5 inches long.  The pediatrician said she was 75th percentile for weight and 95th or more for height, in other words she is proportionate.

Happy Presidents day!

We woke up to a beautiful sunny day, which we have been due for!  Another perk, Dan has the day off. 

Today Ruby got her hair did!

we convinced Dan to go for a walk!

 Ruby slept through it all.

 We found a heart on the trail.

we walked through lots of snow

 had beautiful scenery

and made it home with a tuckered out baby!

Our journey to parenthood!!!

Then there where three! from Ashleigh Ewing on Vimeo.

A little slide show I made going throw the months of pregnancy and ending with the birth of our daughter! 

Funny photos

Bwahahahahaha!

2-18

 Ruby and I are sitting around listening to the Toots and the Maytals awaiting for our 2:00 appointment.  My little piglet will be getting weighed today!

I love her hands.

4 weeks!

 

My little darlin' is four weeks old today!  Its amazing how fast it all goes.

 She still nurses like crazy and is putting on the pounds quickly.

 She grunts all night and try's to sleep all day.

 Makes silly faces all the time

 

and likes to do photo shoot's and have conversations with her mommy.

Looks like Ruby has a stork bite birth mark.  It showed up a few weeks ago.

Ruby and her papa!

This past week Ruby has developed a cranky time.  It normally starts around 6:30 7:00ish and she just cry's and nothing satisfies her.  When I say nothing I mean nothing.  Nursing doesn't help, rocking doesn't help, a warm bath does help, being changed doesn't help seriously NOTHING.  The only thing that calms her down is her papa walking around the dark house singing to her.  Its so sweet and I am so glad Ruby and her papa have something special already!

baby shower!

We had a co-ed baby shower for Ruby a couple weekends ago.  It was great, all baby showers should be co-ed.

 We played some baby shower games.

 The goal of this one was to draw a picture of Ruby on a plate on top of your head!

 Uncle Brian was the winner!

 Ruby had fun! (I love this picture)

 and we were blessed with lots of loving, thoughtful and handmade (which are the best) gifts!

By Aunt Lisa!

By Janet! (she also made the fabulous owl blanket and the green leaf hat)

tummy time

 Ruby has been getting lots of tummy time on her sheep fur.  Her neck is getting so strong!

a cute photo Hannah took of her

more pictures!

 

Blanket from Winter Water Factory via Gilt