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!)

Six weeks!

Well, its been four weeks of baby bliss and I absolutely love being a mom!  Annabelle is a pretty easy going baby for the most part and she has hit the six week mark full of smiles and coos!

We have had a busy past four weeks to say the least!  When Annabelle was a week old we made a trip to Columbus, Ohio to visit with my paternal grandparents while Brandon was on a business trip.  I had some much needed help and my grandparents were able to meet their first great grandchild.  We were then on our own for a few weeks and luckily the weather was pretty fantastic in Delaware.  We were able to go on walks at the park and when it was cold we ventured to the mall to keep up the exercise routine.  Annabelle loves to walk and she usually falls asleep right when we get in the car (on the rare occasion she doesn't it makes for a not so fun car ride!)

Last week, we were able to make an unexpected visit to Cincinnati to visit with family and friends.  It was great to show off our baby and to see family we hadn't seen since September.  We had a great time and are looking forward to making another visit for Easter.  Brandon started a new job this week in Pennsylvania, so he leaves earlier and gets home later, but he's happier and for that I am grateful!  I start back March 12th and have mixed feelings about leaving Annabelle.  I'm excited to get back to coaching, but I love seeing every change and expression on her face.  Its unbelievable how fast she is growing!

We're hosting my grandma this week and she has been a great help!  I was able to show her around Wilmington a bit yesterday and hopefully we'll be able to go to the zoo tomorrow.  Having help is definitely a great thing and having Annabelle around family is even better.

Brandon and I are getting back into the workout routine this week.  I'm going to try swimming tonight - definitely in the warm pool.  I think it will be easier on me than running and I'm excited to get back to something I enjoy!  I'll leave you with an Annabelle video!

Annabelle pictures!

With Ya-Ya

Big binky!

Big yawn!

With daddy

Daddy time before work

Family picture

First day home

Froggy girl!

   

Sleeping upright

Sleeping on mommy

Playing with daddy

Holding bink

Annabelle's birthday!

Our beautiful girl has finally made her grand debut!  Annabelle Lynn Hammer was born January 17th at 12:44am (only 12 days late...but who's counting!)  She weighed in at 9lbs 1 oz and was 22 inches long.  It was a long labor (24 hours), but we wouldn't have it any other way - Annabelle is perfect!

 Here is mom's version of Annabelle's birth story:

We went in for induction at 1am Sunday night/Monday morning.  I tried my best to get some sleep, but I was too excited thinking about meeting our newest family member!  So dad got some sleep and mom took a bath and tried to relax.  When it was finally time to leave we were of course running late (you will learn that with dad this happens a lot!)  We finally got to the hospital and were able to skip triage - those nurses aren't very nice.  They checked us in and took us to the room where you were to be born!  I got hooked up to lots of machines - one to check your heartrate, one to check the contractions and an IV to deliver the saline and pitocin.  That meant for awhile I was confined to bed...not my favorite thing! 

I sat with dad and we got a few hours of sleep while the pitocin worked its magic.  When I really started to feel the contractions we asked the nurses to hook me up to a portable monitor so I could walk around - that was super helpful for awhile and I think it helped you to descend a bit.  But that's when things started to get pretty painful and I'm pretty sure I was scaring your daddy!  Around noon, I was 4cm dialated and contractions were very intense, so after much discussion we decided to get an epidural so I could enjoy the actual delivery (if you ever decided to come out!)  I felt much better after that and had visitors to keep me company - your ya ya, grandpa and uncle Ben all came to see me and daddy.  Around 4pm, the doctor came and broke my water and told us I was about 5cm dialated.  Boy, you were taking your time in there!

One important thing to remember is that I was not able to eat once we got to the hospital - so I sat and watched everyone eat yummy meals all around me and all I could do is drink water and eat yucky jello!  But I'm pretty sure it was worth it :)  So after the doctor broke my water, we waited, waited, waited and waited some more.  Around 9pm, the doctor came in one more time to check me and viola! I was 9cm!  Half an hour later it was time to push!  After that long day, the pushing seemed to come very quickly and boy was I tired.  Daddy was encouraging and I pushed for 3 long hours...but you were just not coming out that way.  That's about the time I started to yell at everybody in the room - they must have all thought I was crazy!  I kept telling the doctor to get this baby out of me - I was in a lot of pain!  After the nurse calmed me down a bit, they wheeled me to the operating room to deliver you by c-section.  I was very nervous and your daddy was too.  We just wanted to meet you!

They finally pulled you out at 12:44am and both mommy and daddy cried because you were so beautiful (mommy also cried because you were 9lbs 1oz and 22 inches long!)  I didn't feel so bad about not being able to push you out after I heard those numbers!  They cleaned you off and wrapped you up and daddy brought you over to me.  I had lost more blood than normal, so they made sure I was okay and then after everything was finished I was able to hold you in my arms as they wheeled us to recovery.  It was the happiest day of my life!  I nursed you right away and soon learned that you would be hungry all the time!  Grandma & grandpa Hammer and yaya and grandpa Stone and uncle Ben came to see you.  They all fell in love with you and couldn't believe how big you were!  Then they finally took you, me and daddy to our room and we all got some sleep - our first night as a family!

I'm now watching you sleep and you are 10 days old - so much of you is changing already!  I can't wait for this amazing journey with you and dad - we are so excited to welcome you to our family!

Love,

Mom

Due date!

D-day comes tomorrow and I don't feel any closer to having this baby girl!  Of course I absolutely love carrying her every day, but the aches and pains are definitely something I will not miss!  Annabelle will be worth the wait and in the long run, it really isn't that long :)  We have set an induction date of January 16th, but I'm hoping that it won't last that long...and I'd really like everything to start naturally (less pain for me, less complications, less risk of a c-section!) 

In the mean time, I'm keeping myself busy at work and trying to get everything in order for my absence.  I haven't been able to be on deck much due to pain in my legs and it is something I really miss.  In the end it will be worth it though (that's what I keep telling myself!) 

The cold weather is finally upon us in Wilmington and I can't say I'm ready, nor that I really missed it in the month of December!  Having a bundled up newborn is not going to be fun!  But we're ready for it and hopefully all the snow will fall during my maternity leave!

Hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and happy new year!

Almost at the finish line!

Well, this Thursday will mark 38 weeks carrying this baby girl and I can say I am more than ready to meet her! We've had two hospital trips in the past week - one for my hip (couldn't walk) and one for some pretty strong contractions...but no baby yet!  It is kinda cool to watch the baby's heartbeat and your contractions on the monitor though :)  I'm not sure whether she will be early or late or maybe on time, but I do know that we are ready for her!  We finally organized and completely finished the nursery this weekend and everything is ready to go.  I've even made a video to give everyone the official tour of her room.  Hope you enjoy!

In not so great news, our dog Winnie passed away Saturday morning.  She was an older dog, but a great companion to Brandon and me.  We have so many great memories of her and we're glad we were able to have her for as long as we did.

We'll keep everyone updated on the status of our baby girl, have a great holiday week!

Forgot the most important thing from the past week...I'm 2 cm dialated already and 50% effaced, which Brandon and I think is great news!  Woot!

A few more pictures!

The rocky statue!

Annabelle's Room

Annabelle's future rocking spot

This week marks 5 more weeks (more or less) until we meet our baby girl!  My parents came to Delaware for Thanksgiving and they helped us finish the baby room - all is done but a few final details!  Seeing Annabelle's room makes me more excited to meet her and spend time with her.  She is going to be a very loved little girl and the closer it gets to her birth, the more anxious Brandon and I get to meet her!

Dresser/diaper changing table (with Bianca in the bumpo)

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving with my parents!  It was smaller than both of us are used to, but we made great food and 4 pies, yum!  The turkey was fantastic, having been soaking in brine for my parents drive up here - I now know how to make a great turkey!  It was great to finally have family in our home and we even got to spend a day in Philadelphia climbing the Rocky steps!  Overall, I was sad to see them go, but excited that I will see them again in less than a month.

The crib and my grandma's handmade quilt

As we head into December, there is a lot to look forward to in the Hammer house.  My birthday is at the end of the week, we are decorating for Christmas tonight, and my parents come back to visit the week after Christmas.  Not to mention...maybe the arrival of our little girl!  Hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving full of family!

My diaper stash so far!

My parents helped with this project - chalkboard & magnetic

Our cool Ikea find - put together by Brandon!

Delaware and big bellies!

As we're nearing the 31 week mark of the pregnancy, I find more and more things I can't do!  Tying my shoes, for example, was quite the chore this morning!!  Don't get me wrong, I love being pregnant and feeling my beautiful baby girl move around inside me...but thank goodness there is an ending point to the madness :) 

I have to say the closer we get to the holidays, the more I am missing home.  It is always difficult going into winter - no one wants to be out in the cold and there are only so many times I can clean the house!  I adjusted to living in Chicago for four years in college, but I think this transition will be a little different and a bit more difficult.  Having a baby is something best shared with family and mine are far away!  I encourage anyone and everyone to visit - our apartment is small, but we can always find a place!  When Annabelle is born, we want to share in the love with everyone!

Here is a picture to share with everyone of my growing belly:

Looks are deceiving!  It definitely feels bigger than it looks!

Love you and miss you all!

Sarah

No drugs!

Well, I had my first bout of sickness being pregnant and let me tell you...it is not fun being pretty much without the necessary drugs to cure a sinus infection!  You can take a lot of things for a cold or for allergies, but sinuses create a problem - especially when they aren't working well.  Anyways, 4 days later I am about 85% back and able to pretty much fully function.  I must say, I was very useful as a bitchy, sick, pregnant lady when we went to the car dealership on Saturday.  I really don't think they knew what to do with me and all my complaining - so they decided to give me a new tire.  Goal accomplished!

Speaking of cars - we purchased a new car two weeks ago, a Hyundai Touring to be exact, and its great.  The only problem is that it was a "demo" car, so it already had 8500 miles on it.  We got a discount, had everything checked out, and life was good.  Or so we thought.  The tire pressure light has come on for us twice now and we have been back to the dealership three times to get it figured out.  Finally they found a nail in the back tire, fixed it, and sent us on our way free of charge.  Well it wasn't five miles later, I got out of the car and looked at the front tire only to find a nice bubble in the side.  So back we marched and 20 minutes later left with a new tire ordered.  The only thing I'm happy about is that all of this is getting figured out before the baby gets here.  Thank goodness for that!

We are settling into Delaware great and working on the baby room.  My parents come to visit over Thanksgiving and we'll finish everything up then!  I'm so excited to finally meet my baby girl in a few short months.  She definitely will fill our house with lots of love (and good cooking!)  It will be a fantastic January...or sooner!

Love and miss you all.

Can't WAIT!

I can't wait for Annabelle.  Now, every single thing I do I have her in mind, but I think in January I might cry because I will have a tiny hand to hold to show me why I do/live/work for her and Sarah.  I hope she is not as handy as her Mom though.

Settled into Delaware

Well, we're officially residents of Delaware and as of this afternoon, everything has settled into a normal routine.  In the span of a few days (during the drive to Delaware and after), my car and Brandon's car decided to completely fail.  That was not fun!  We were about 3 hours from Delaware when a belt came loose in my car and thank goodness for AAA - they towed us and tightened the belt in about 30 minutes at a cost of $30.  This was all with a car full of animals, so thankfully it went quickly.  Then we picked Brandon's car up from a friend's house and about a mile from her house his car died.  So we had it towed to a shop and resigned ourselves to one car for the week.  So finally, after all the fixing and wondering if we were in the market for a new car, we got Brandon's car back Monday and my car (after another problem) back today.  Yay for two working cars!

As we acquaint ourselves with Wilmington, I have been touring and evaluating local daycares and preschools in preparation for our baby girl.  I found one I love (Brandon has yet to see it) and of course there isn't an opening until June!  But I'm sure it will work itself out and I have a few more places to see in the mean time.  I can honestly say it is bittersweet knowing I will have to hand off my baby to others for even just a short time, but I love my job and a happy mom makes a happy child.

Brandon loves his work environment and I am adjusting to him having coffee every morning (much more "awake" than me).  Thankfully our workplaces are about 5 minutes apart, so we are able to have lunch every day before I go to work and then Brandon stops by the Y to work out after work.  All in all, things are relatively quiet and normal.  I can't wait to meet our beautiful baby in a few short months and welcome her into our lives.  I hope she knows how loved she is already!

Packing, packing, packing!

The one thing about moving is you really start to understand how much stuff you have!  We have been packing (although slowly) for four days and we are still not finished!  Pregnant packing is definitely less fun, that's for sure...but we're getting it done!.

In less than a week (four days to be exact), we'll be permanent Delaware residents!  Brandon and I are both excited and anxious to start the next phase of our lives.  Lots of change, lots of new things...going to be an exciting year!

One Week

Less than one week before we start our lives in Delaware. We had a wonderful baby shower with our family and friends last night. Who knew there was a such a thing as a baby spa? We are blessed with wonderful family and friends. How did we get so lucky? Karma and the golden rule.....

Let's keep the ball rolling.

-Dad to be