Four months!

Well, Annabelle is officially four months old today and she is changing and growing so much every day! She has very grabby hands lately, touching our faces, grabbing her rings, pulling my hair!  Just about anything she can get her hands on!  She absolutely loves grabbing both of her feet at the same time - it works in our favor for diaper changes, as long as she can hold them steady.  She is also very vocal, laughing and babbling about everything.  She lets us know how she feels, especially if we're not paying attention!  It has been a delight to watch her learn and grow, I only hope it slows down just a bit!

Rings!

We made some time today for a family photo shoot.  It was a bit sunny for my liking (for photos, not in general!), but overall we got some great pictures and Annabelle was semi-cooperative.  She decided that she would much rather stand than lay down (which seems to be the trend lately), so the best four month pics are of her standing.  Hope you enjoy!

Beautiful and tall baby girl!

Love this dress from YoBaby

My beautiful family!

Cloth Diapering...a journey!

Today I was a bit put off by one of my favorite blogs because she posted for the first time about her cloth diapering experience and it was the opposite of what I thought it would be.  I was excited for the post because I thought it would help those moms that follow her blog to understand cloth diapering a little better and to think of it as an easier and healthier option (the blog author is very health conscious).  Well, the post was a huge disappointment and she basically came out saying she decided not to continue cloth diapering because "I was starting to feel that the extra weight around her tushy was preventing her from moving they way she’d normally do."  I'll be totally honest, I have read lots of reasons not to cloth diaper, but this was never one of them.  Cloth diapering delays developmental milestones???  You have to be kidding me.  And to top it off her other reason was "I didn’t just spend hundreds of dollars in clothes only to have the cloth diapers prevent her from wearing them."  Well, I thought I would post the other side (granted my readership is significantly less than hers...but the premise is still the same.)

I started getting interested in cloth diapers mainly due to the experience of a few of my sorority sisters.  I'll admit, I was excited about the cute patterns and materials (and potential money savings) and as I began to research, I dove head first into the idea of cloth diapering my soon-to-be little girl.  We bought two varieties of diapers before Annabelle was born - prefolds and AIO's (all-in-ones).  I soon realized when I brought her home that the Grovia Newborn AIO's were going to fit her for maybe a week tops.  They didn't impress me in the absorbency department either, so those were used once or twice and put into storage.  Every other diaper we bought is currently being used, some more than others. 

Prefold & Thirsties cover

We began the journey with prefolds and although they were a great option in the beginning, I really didn't like using them much.  I have a heavy wetter and she would last maybe an hour and a half at most and we were going through as many outfits as we were diapers.  I enjoy laundry, but not that much.  The covers we used with our prefolds were Thirsties.  I like the covers, just not the prefolds.  So I made the investment into a few different types of pocket diapers (I learned that this is the option for a lot of cloth diapering moms) and love the current brands we are using.


Thirsties Cover with prefold

My personal favorite are Charlie Banana, we have both the perfect size option and the OS (one size) option.  I really enjoy the perfect size option because they fit like a glove, but as Annabelle grows I know OS will be the way to go (she grows FAST!)  The OS option has adjustable thigh elastic (which I just adjusted up to the medium option) and it works great for her "strong" thighs.  Overall, I love the colors of Charlie Banana and the absorbancy is pretty good.  This is our go-to diaper most days.

Charlie Banana Perfect Size Diaper

My husband love the KaWaii brand.  We originally tried these because we needed an overnight solution and had heard good things about this brand (and the price tag helped).  The goodnight version has been a lifesaver for us - we used to change Annabelle twice a night because she would pee so much, but now we can go from bedtime to wakeup in the same diaper.  We bought a few of the regular version to test as well and those have become my husband's favorite (mostly because of the velcro).  I enjoy this brand simply for the money savings and would recommend them to any new cloth users - as they are very user friendly.

KaWaii Goodnight Pocket Diaper

KaWaii Regular Pocket Diaper

So, overall we have had a great experience with cloth diapers.  I know it will change when she starts solids, but poop doesn't really scare me (which is more than I can say for my husband), so I'm not too worried.  We ordered two new brands of pocket diapers from Zulily, so look for the Lotus Bumz and Bumkins reviews to come soon!

Babywearing!

So, I follow a lot of parenting blogs and one mom in particular always reviews great products for her followers and posts where to find the products.  The problem is most of the time they are way out of my price range.  So, I've committed myself to locating the cheaper more inexpensive versions of the ones I like and then waiting for them to go on sale!  My shopping prowess comes from my mother :)  Anyways, I thought I would take the time to review one of my favorite finds and hopefully help any budget minded folks get their hands on some great products!

Babywearing is one of my favorite things to do, both around the house and on walks.  Annabelle usually loves it, as long as I keep moving - she is not the sit still type.  We were gifted a hand-me-down carrier from my husband's cousin, which worked pretty well, but it was generic, not very soft and had to be adjusted to fit well every time I used it.  So, I started looking through reviews for a carrier that could be used between the three adults in our household, was soft enough for Annabelle to sleep in and was light enough to wear in the coming summer months.  The carrier I kept coming back to was the Boba Carrier 3G.  Its versatile, soft and lightweight.  The only problem is the $125 price tag.  Seriously, who pays that much for a cloth carrier?  So more research ensued and I found the ultimate compromise - the Infantino Sash Mei Tai Carrier.  It has a $34.99 price tag, which rocks, but also has all the features I want in a carrier - soft, lightweight and every time my husband, brother or I put it on we adjust it to fit our specific body type.  (You can find the amazon version of the product here, which has free shipping with Amazon Prime or Amazon Mom).

Annie on a walk!

Annabelle loves the carrier and has successfully begun to use it as her teether when we go for walks.  The carrier does come with a "hood" which snaps onto the top for sunny days, but I haven't tried it yet and I'm not sure if Annabelle would be a fan of something that blocks her view.  We use hats and baby sunglasses instead and luckily she loves her sunglasses.

Hope you enjoyed the review!  A cloth diaper review is in the works, just waiting on a zulily order to arrive!

Success!

So, in the Hammer household we use cloth diapers.  I love it and Brandon...deals with it (he doesn't change many diapers or do diaper laundry, so his opinion doesn't count as much).  In the past week we have had a disasterous breakdown of our washing machine.  Not so great when you're doing diaper laundry at least every other day.  So, since we currently rent...the timeline falls on our landlord to fix the washer.  We're hoping for a quick fix (cross your fingers).  Anyways, we are currently using disposables during the week so we don't have to worry about going to the laundromat. 

Diposables suck.  They smell weird and don't look cute at all and Annabelle's sensitive bottom does not like them either.  The success I have in my diapering journey is the fact that my brother (currently Annabelle's daytime caretaker) thinks so too!  I enjoyed hearing him say "I hate disposables" this morning and I feel as though I have at least converted one person to cloth diapering.  Now to convince everyone else :)

My three month old!

Three Months!

We've officially reached the three month mark for Annabelle and she is more of a delight to be around every day!  She had her three month check-up last week and she weighed in at 15 pounds 1 ounce and was 25 3/4 inches long.  She doesn't miss a meal!  She is giggling and lets us know when she wants attention and has absolutely fallen in love with her Uncle Ben.  He is here with us for the summer to take care of Annie and spend time with Brandon and me.  We really enjoy having him here and love the extra help!

Coming up this summer, we have a lot of exciting outings for Annabelle to experience.  At the end of May we are planning our first beach outing to Bethany beach at the southern end of Delaware.  I'm hoping she loves the water just like she loves the pool!  The week after that we are heading to Logan, Ohio for the Warrior Dash!  I'm super excited to compete this time - last time I had to watch because I was still pregnant!  Then we'll have my parents with us for a week around the fourth of July and may venture out to the beach then as well.  And finally, we are headed to Nags Head in August with the Hammer family.  Annabelle will hopefully be a perfect age then to enjoy the ocean and beach and our family!

The more time I spend with her, the more I couldn't imagine life without her.  She is amazing and we are blessed to be able to watch her learn and grow!

I want to move mama!

Crib time!

Annabelle slept in her crib for the first time last night and I can honestly say it wasn't a complete disaster!  She has been taking naps in her crib during the day for the past week, so we knew she liked it, but the naps never lasted longer than an hour.  So, we decided to try the crib last night and we both slept in the twin bed we have for guests in her room (NOT comfortable).  It started out well, but by 3am she ended up in bed with us because I was too exhausted to get up again.  Brandon, Annabelle and me in a twin bed...needless to say none of us got a lot of sleep!  We just have to get past the beginning where she is used to having a warm body next to her, wish us luck!

Crib time!

In other news, we have had many visitors in Delaware lately.  Last weekend we had Brandon's brother Ryan with us for his spring break.  We were able to go baby-less to my swim banquet on Friday thanks to him and Annabelle got some uncle time!  That was our first outing without her and it went well.  Next week my mom is in town for her spring break and I'm excited to spend time with her.  I feel isolated sometimes here and its nice to have family visit us.


Spending time at Mommy's work, playing with a monkey!

Annabelle is growing like a weed! She is 13 pounds and looks super long, though I haven't measured her lately.  I do know when we go to the pool and see babies that are 6 months old, she looks bigger than them!  She loves the pool, as long as we make sure she is fed and has just napped :)  Yesterday we spent about 45 minutes just floating around the deep end as she kicked her legs and pushed her head back.  I hope this love of water continues!


Swimming with Daddy

 Last, but not least...Annabelle shows off her Buckeye pride.  Final four!


O-H-I-O!

Video Find

Found this video on Brandon's computer...its amazing how much of a personality she has developed since then.  We had our two month check-up today and got the first round of shots.  Much harder for me than her I think, but she was a trooper!  Now she is sleeping on Grandma Hammer and hopefully won't have too rough of a day.

I started back to work this week after an eight week break and I have to admit, I am looking forward to the day when I can be a stay at home mom.  I miss my baby so much during the day and I know she is growing so fast...I don't want to miss out!   Here are a few pictures of my beautiful girl (she is loving the warm March weather!)