Loquacious Lady

This year, as we do every year, Tom and I headed to Covington for Easter to spend it with family.

(My parents.)

(Tom’s parents.)

It was our first time taking Josey to church, and it was the first time that most people at the church I grew up in had ever gotten to meet her.

That was really special to me, because I was raised in that church and have known many people there my entire life. Most of the ladies were at my Covington baby shower for Josey. Some of them have kids that I used to babysit. So surreal to bring my own sweet baby to meet them all!

And of course, Easter is always a wonderful reminder of how God loves us. What a sacrifice! I could no sooner send Josey to die for others than I could sprout wings and fly. Being a parent has spoken volumes to me about how much God loves me.

And then, there was also the other side of Easter.

Tom gave me a hard time about the size of Josey’s Easter basket.

I had stuffed it full of goodies because she couldn’t eat candy. My mom added in the book gift sets, and my mother-in-law gave her the little basket on the right.

Here’s the deal- next year, she is going to need a big basket.

I am totally going to train Josey for egg hunting. Yes, it is just supposed to be cute and fun. And it will be.

But I want her to have a fighting chance.

See these sweet faces?

Well, they know how to hunt some eggs. It took me 20 minutes to hide all the eggs at my mom and dad’s house. It took them no time to find them.

I mean, I had clamped them onto leaves of branches on the inner area of trees, and they had no trouble. Some accidentally fell by spider webs, and they still picked them up.

They only one they needed assistance finding was one I hid in my dad’s truck. And they didn’t look there because…who would? It wasn’t part of the garden.

And I’ll tell you why. People these days don’t fill Easter eggs with candy. Nope. They fill them with coins.

And these kids find that a strong motivator. Heck. I find it a strong motivator. I could’ve gotten a pair of shoes if I had taken them all out shopping with me!

So next year, Josey is gonna train for the egg hunt like it’s the Olympics. Mama wants some new espadrilles.

Just kidding!

Kind of.

~Meghan

I promised I would share some of my favorite things I’ve used with Josey for the first couple of months to a friend of mine who is also expecting. And then I thought, why not share it on the blog? That way other moms can chime in with their favorite things too! And other mommys-to-be can check out the list as well!

I think I will start doing this once a month since new items we have for Jo will be used as she gets older. Here is my list of my favorite things we’ve used the first couple of months:

Diapering:

1. Pampers Swaddlers.

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I have tried Huggies. I’ve tried Pampers Baby Dry diapers too. Wasn’t a fan.

Pampers Swaddlers are awesome. Other diapers shift (which lets poop leak out), can be too tight, and generally just haven’t worked as well for me.

I also recommend you use Amazon Mom with “Subscribe and Save” to order your diapers. I got a big ol’ box of 206 diapers for about $.19/diaper with that system. I would have to hope for coupons and sales to all line up for me every month to continuously get those prices.

2. Safety 1st Easy Saver Diaper Pail

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I first saw this pail when I was nannying Will. I had been convinced that someday I would have a Diaper Genie. It was the diaper pail I loved. And then I met this one.

With the Diaper Genie, you have to squish the diaper down into the pail and then twist it off to block the smell. When using it, I hated having to stick my hand down into the pail with the diaper. And the refill bags are about $20 for 3 refills. I’m not hating on the Diaper Genie; it’s great. It’s just not the choice for me.

This diaper pail is simple. You use a regular kitchen trash bag, so it’s VERY cheap to replace the trash bag. To toss a diaper, you just push the button on top, and the round center pops up. You toss the diaper in the hole, and then put the center back down.

The inside of the center has a place to put a deodorizer to fight any smells. As long as you take the trash out regularly, it doesn’t get stinky in the nursery.

The price tage of this pail is great too, at $20 a pail. Much cheaper than most!

3. Timi & Leslie Diaper Bag (The Hannah).

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I love this diaper bag. It comes with a little matching clutch to use for your stuff so that when you are headed somewhere without the baby, you just pull it out of the diaper bag and go. But the whole diaper bag looks like a purse, so even when you take the baby with you, you’re in style!

It also comes with straps to hang it from your stroller or grocery cart, a shoulder strap, a bottle keeper, a bag for soiled clothes, and a changing pad. It’s pretty awesome.

Nursing

I use the Ameda Purely Yours pump that I bought from a friend, and it’s great. I also have bottles and a great bottle warmer that I like. But I nurse more than anything, so I’m going to skip talking about bottles and such. If you are interested in what I have and like, let me know, and I’ll post about those as well!

I will say this- it’s worth owning a breast pump. When you first start nursing, that first month is painful, you’re trying to figure it out, and I personally dealt with engorgement and a blocked milk duct. It’s VERY nice to have a pump to help move things along. And if you do skip a feeding and give a bottle, you’ll want to pump later to be more comfortable. Worth it.

1. Nursing Bras.

I LOVE the Medela Ultra Stretch Nursing Bra from – believe it or not- Babies R Us. It is one you can sleep in or just wear around the house. This was the only one I bought before Josey arrived because I heard that you get so much bigger after your milk comes in. (You really do.) It stretches to accomodate varying sizes you will be when nursing.

I also got some more normal nursing bras at Motherhood Maternity. They have all different styles and sizes, so I recommend waiting until a week or two after you have the baby and going to try them on. Your milk should be in by then, so you can be more sure of getting the right size. Just make sure you have at least one nursing bra like the one I linked to above to get you through until then.

2. Nursing Pads- Cloth is the way to go.

I registered for disposable nursing pads, and I also bought some washable cloth ones. Turns out that disposable ones don’t stay put as well, and they can cause infection because they don’t allow the air to circulate.

My favorite nursing pads are actually some that were made for me by one of my friend’s moms out of old t-shirts, and they’re awesome. But the ones I bought (Avent Washable Breast Pads) are also great.

3. Nursing Pillows

 I have both a Boppy and a My Brest Friend pillow. I had never heard of the latter until a friend gave it to me. Here’s the My Brest Friend:

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And here’s the Boppy:

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Honestly, I think they are both great, and I’m lucky to have one of each.

The My Brest Friend is nice because it has a padded strap that goes around your back and buckles so the pillow stays in place around your waist. In the first few weeks, this was AWESOME for me, because I could put my little newborn on it while it was strapped around me and feed her while putting on my make-up when I had somewhere to be and limited time to get ready.

The Boppy is upstairs in our room, and I love it for night feedings. I can quickly pull it around me without needing to fumble with a buckle or wrapping it around my back. It’s great for times when you have your arms free to nurse but want some extra support for the baby’s body.

They both come in a variety of styles and have covers you can buy for them.

Bathtime

1. Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Deluxe Tub

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There are a lot of tubs out there, and this is the one we got. I love it.

It’s easy to clean, the color works for both boys and girls, and it holds Josey really well. It also has an indicator on the bottom that lets you know if the water is the right temperature for a baby (of course, I still test it with my elbow first).

She gets a bath every other day right now, so having a good tub for her is important to me. And as she grows, you can adjust the tub to fit her growing body.

Also, it has a hook on the top so you can hang it from a shower rod and let it drip dry out of the way.

2. Munchkin Shampoo Rinser

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Who would have known that a $5 impulse buy at Target could be so awesome?

I was tired of using drinking cups to rinse Josey during her baths, and when I saw this, it seemed perfect. Turns out, it was perfect.

It’s soft, so it doesn’t hurt when I press it against her head to rinse shampoo, it holds plenty of water, and it has a handle. It’s not slippery either. Love it.

3. Hooded Towels

Not much to say about this. I just love having hooded towels for Josey because it keeps her little head covered when she’s wet from the tub, and I’m drying her off and getting her dressed. I don’t want her getting too cold.

And ok…it’s also super cute!

Naps and Bedtime

1. HALO Sleep Sacks

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These blankets are great. You don’t want to put a baby to sleep with a loose blanket because of the risk of suffocation. But with these blankets that they wear, you zip them into their blanket. And for the littler sizes, it has flaps that you can wrap around the arms to swaddle your baby as well. Awesome.

They come in both micro-fleece and cotton to fit your baby’s needs for warm and cold weather months.

2. Summer Infant Complete Coverage Video Monitoring System

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I LOVE this monitor set. It shows her in color if the lights are on, and we can also see her on the video monitor if her room is pitch black.

We have the big monitor in our kitchen, and I keep the portable one in our room. If I need to run an errand while she naps, I just hand that one to Tom in the office while he works. Easy peasy!

Travel

1. Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat

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This is our exact carseat (the style is “Cubes”), and we got it in gray because it would work for a boy or girl.

This carseat is awesome. Not only does it have great safety reviews, but it’s so easy.

The base gets secured into your car, and then the carseat locks into the base. Then, when you need to take the carseat out, you just lift it out while holding a button in to unlock it. No more need to fumble with the seatbelt every time you need to take the baby out of or put the baby into the car.

You can also buy additional bases if you have more than one vehicle that you will regularly use to transport the baby.

2. B.O.B. Stroller

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Specifically, we have the B.O.B. Revolution SE (and yes, we got ours in orange).

I cannot praise this stroller enough. It is SO smooth, it turns on a dime because the front wheel swivels, it can handle all kinds of terrain, you can jog with it as easily as take it to the mall, and it has accessories for all your needs.

For now, we have a bar that we have attached that Josey’s carseat locks onto to keep it securely in place while she’s too little to sit up in the stroller on her own. We also have the handlebar console that has two cupholders and a zippered pouch to hold keys, pacis, phone, etc.

Other accessories include covers for weather, sun, and bug protection and a tray for snacks and drinks for your toddler.

This stroller also comes in a double (called the Duallie) for families with more than one kid in a stroller.

The price tag is higher than many strollers, but these are durable, awesome strollers and WORTH EVERY PENNY.

3. JJ Cole Car Seat Cover

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We bought this car seat cover because we were having a January baby. The last thing I wanted was to worry about whether Josey was going to be too cold every time we got outside the house.

This cover is great. You just pull it over the rim of the carseat, and it stays put with the elastic band holding it in place.

The cover part can flip up over the baby’s face if it’s really cold, snowing, or raining to protect them while you walk from the car to the building or vice versa. (Obviously don’t leave it up once you get inside.)

The cover also zips open (and completely off if you need it to) if it’s too warm for the baby.

We aren’t using this right now since it’s so warm, but it was a great item to have for the winter.

Miscellaneous

1. WubbaNub Pacifier

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Oh man, JoJo LOVES her Wub. These pacis are attached (as you can see) to tiny stuffed animals.

Many babies have a hard time keeping the pacis in their mouths as they suck, and moms and dads end up having to hold the paci in with their fingers. With the WubbaNub, the stuffed animal puts a little pressure against the paci, helping to hold it in place.

The animal rests on the baby’s chest. It’s not perfect; the paci still falls out at times, but it’s MUCH better than having to use your finger to provide pressure all the time. Sometimes Josey is holding onto the animal and accidentally pulls it out of her mouth. I’m still a fan.

2. Fisher Price Infant to Toddler Rocker

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This is a great chair (and they have different styles in case pink isn’t what you’re looking for!). JoJo loves to look at the flower and butterflies that hang from it, and I can take that bar off if I want an unobstructed view of her. I also rock it with my foot when she is sitting in it and I’m busy working on the computer or doing something else.

You can also turn on vibration to soothe the baby while they sit in the seat. If you don’t want movement, you can pull the bar underneath forward and it will stabilize the chair. You can strap the baby in to keep from slipping down in the chair.

And when they get to be toddlers, just adjust the seat up more to a sitting position (versus reclining) and take the butterfly bar off. It becomes a toddler-sized rocking chair! Cute.

3. Infantino Vintage Twist and Fold Activity Gym

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I love that this activity gym could work for a boy or a girl. Josey has been playing on this since she was two or three weeks old. I have it set up in our bathroom now so that she can look at the animals (and punch and kick them) while I get ready in the mornings.

One cool feature is that you can twist the little tab on the top (on the orange plastic piece on top), and it straightens the arched “arms” of it. You can pull the mat up into it, and roll it up to take with you quickly and easily. It takes up very little space when folded up.

To get it back to normal, you just spread the mat part back out and then press down on the orange plastic part. It press out on the arms and locks them into place. Super easy.

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So those have been my very favorite things (besides clothing) for the last two months. She is about to get some new things in her Easter basket, so I’m sure I’ll have new things to add next month!

Anything else to add from your baby’s first couple of months, other moms?

~Meghan

Yesterday, I took Josey for her two month check-up. It included a round of vaccinations via 3 separate shots.

Good gosh. It was awful.

Here I was holding her little hands. She was staring at me contentedly, and then the shots happened. The look on her face about did me in, and then the screams and crying were almost more than I could take.

I had to fight back the tears, and the nurse asked me if I was okay. I probably would have let myself just cry if I had had on waterproof mascara. But I had to go buy her some children’s Tylenol afterward and didn’t want mascara streaked down my face in Publix.

Oh poor Josey. I hate knowing that she has to do that every time she has a doctor’s appointment for her whole first year. But I know it’s what needs to be done so she can avoid life-threatening illnesses. And I know she won’t remember it.

Sure is hard on this mama, though.

But the beginning of the visit was great. I had been so curious about her weight and length.

You ready for this?

At two months old, Josey weighs 13lbs, 10.5 oz, and is 25 inches long.

She is 97th percentile for weight and over 97th percentile for length.

Her head circumference is in the 50-75th percentile, so even though she is overall the size of an average 5-month old, her head is right on track, as it should be.

I love those roly-poly thighs and arms, chins and cheeks. =)

And hopefully, today, those little thighs won’t be so sore.

~Meghan

Unless you live under a rock, you are aware that The Hunger Games hit theaters last night at midnight. I read it for the first time back in January 2010, and I have been in love with the trilogy ever since.

The first time I ever reviewed the books on my blog, I commented that it would be an awesome movie. Exact words -> “This is one story I would LOVE to see turned into a movie. It would be an action/thriller for sure, and no worries, guys, it’s NOTHING like Twilight, and romance is not the driving factor.”

Hopefully the movie did the book justice. I know they had to tone down the violence or it would have been rated R instead of PG13. But my hopes are high, seeing as it has an 86% from Rotten Tomatoes, which is virtually unheard of for a movie based on a young adult book.

I’m willing to bet it has to do with the fact that Suzanne Collins, the author, was very strongly involved with the movie, helping write the screenplay and even listed as an executive producer.

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It’s about time this book was turned into a movie. The entire trilogy is superbly written with suspenseful action, strong characters, a societal critique you can’t miss, and so many themes worth discussing that it’s no wonder teachers across the nation have put it in their classrooms.

If you haven’t read the books, pick them up TODAY. They are great. I’ve been singing their praises for years.

I could hardly stand the wait for Mockingjay, the third in the trilogy, to arrive. When it did, I devoured it in one day. Though it was my least favorite of the three, I read all three books again and again.

I put them on my list of books to give for Christmas. And The Hunger Games even has a special spot in our living room- right up there with the Bible, Harry Potter, and Lord of The Rings.

So you’re telling me I get to extend my love affair with The Hunger Games via the movies? It’s about friggin’ time.

~Meghan

UPDATE: My bag has been sold. Thanks for the interest!!

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I LOVE my camera bags by Epiphanie bags. I have two, the Belle bag and the Clover bag, and they are both awesome. Here’s why:

• They look like purses, not manly camera bags.
• The inside is bright, so I can see all of my equipment.
• The inside is also able to be rearranged to suit my needs thanks to the super thick padding having tough velcro on the edges.
• It can carry all of my camera stuff PLUS all of my necessities from my purse, so when I go to a photoshoot, I only need one bag.
• When traveling, no one even knows I have a nice camera with me because they just think I have a purse. I feel like less of a tourist (and therefore less of a target).

The only thing my Belle camera bag didn’t carry was my laptop, which was too bad because when I was traveling, I had to bring it in another bag.

So, for Christmas, I asked for the Clover bag by Epiphanie bags. It can carry a 15″ macbook pro, which is what I have, as well as all the other things my first Epiphanie camera bag could carry.

And I got it! I LOVE it.

Unfortunately, there was a mix-up, and I received two. Not long after Christmas I had Josey. Then I tried to return the bag, and they told me I had waited too long and gone past the return date.

SO. Here I am with two awesome Clover bags. One I have used, and one I have never even touched. Seriously. I left it in the plastic and green packaging so that I could return it.

Now I am offering to sell it to you for $10 LESS than they sell it for on the Epiphanie Bags website…completely brand spankin’ new.

They sell it for $184.99 plus taxes and shipping which totals to $195, and I am willing to sell it for $175, no taxes and no shipping-as long as it is within the continental US. With taxes and shipping taken out, that saves you a total of $20 from what you would pay to Epiphanie bags for the same thing!

(Here is a picture I took with a cell phone to show the camera in the bag, along with the laptop and cord, an extra lens and a flash):

It is the Clover bag in pink, and here is the description from the site:

Dimensions (LxWxH) 18x 6.25 x13 inches. Exterior is water-resistant, high quality synthetic leather. Interior crafted with extra padding for maximum equipment protection. Velcro panels can be adjusted and moved to any position for maximum customization and flexibility. Removable cross-body strap with padding for extra support. Two exterior pockets, one with zipper . Zipper top closure, with one zippered interior pocket. BAG CAN HOLD: 1 15″ macbook pro with battery cord,1 camera body with lens attached,1 long lens, 2 extra lenses, wallet, keys, cell phone, and other miscellaneous personal items.

If you are interested in buying this from me, you can comment below or email me directly at meghan {at} loquaciouslady.com. It is a great bag; I know from experience!

Get yourself one today!

~Meghan

No one’s going to be pinching us today. (The scarf in my hair has green in it, though none of my clothes do.)

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

  ~Meghan

Tom loves memes, as you might remember from week 32 of my pregnancy. If you aren’t sure what a meme is, you can read about it here.

But there is one that he had shown me a while back that makes me laugh every time I think of it. Every single time.

So here is a little randomness that will hopefully make you smile, or, if you’re like me, giggle every time you think of it.

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Ahahahahaha! So random and funny, and I love the dog’s face.

Happy Thursday!

  ~Meghan

I told my mom yesterday that even though I love babies, until I had my own, I never was all that entertained by just staring at them. I mean, they are cute and sweet, but they don’t do much.

But with Josey, I feel differently. When she is awake, I stop what I’m doing just to look at her pretty eyes and talk to her. I find myself fascinated with her little face and am completely delighted if she so much as deigns to smile at me.

So when she was lying on a pillow, kicking her feet against me and throwing her arms around, you know I was loving it. I whipped out my phone to take a video and captured one of her sweet smiles.

I don’t expect everyone else in the world to be as captivated by my baby as I am, but I still thought I would share the video. She really does have the sweetest smile.

 

~Meghan

This:

= LOL.

I can definitively say that although it was true that I was tired when hugely pregnant and working hard on a nursery, and it is also true that I am more efficient as a mom than as a nanny because I can do laundry or clean or whatever while Josey naps, I can also say that I have never been so exhausted.

The funniest thing about my previous post was the idea that I would get some down time in the first couple of weeks. I can honestly say that I couldn’t have been more wrong about how the first couple of weeks would go.

First of all, Josey was so big that I had to have a c-section. C-sections, as the doctor reminded me on Monday, are major abdominal surgery. And it’s not something I expected. So we spent four days in the hospital, with doctors and nurses and techs and lactation consultants constantly coming in and out of the room.

I also was set on nursing Josey, and because she was so big, she was very hungry. Plus her birthweight had dropped a bit, so I had to nurse her every two hours, followed by pumping, and then feed her the bottle.

Change her diaper, drift off to sleep, then get woken up to take more pills or change dressings or have my temperature or blood pressure taken, and then it was time to feed her again.

A lot of times, that was all going on WHILE I fed her. All modesty in front of the staff went out the window while I was there- anyone who worked for the hospital pretty much came in whenever they wanted, no matter what I was in the middle of doing.

Nothing about that hospital stay was restful, but I will say that I was VERY grateful to be at Northside. The nurses and techs there were very good at their jobs, really helpful, and friendly.

None of that made the pain any less, though. First the air that was trapped in my body was pressing on nerves, making it hurt to breathe. Then it was having to come off the pain pump and relying on pills to help manage the pain as I had to start walking again. (Now, I take nothing.)

Everything hurts when your core is sliced open. Laughing, coughing, sneezing. I never realized how much Tom and I laugh together- really laugh hard- until it hurt to do so. I would literally be laughing and then crying from the pain. We laugh a LOT.

And then there’s the weird knot that is to the side of the incision, just under the skin. It bothers me and hurts constantly, and the doctor said it could take up to six months to dissolve. I’m hoping it’s not that long.

I feel like I’ve never heard how hard c-sections really are before because I had NO idea the recovery could be so unpleasant. But I’ve also been told that going into the hospital expecting it makes a difference.

I can honestly say I’m not looking forward to repeating this surgery every time we have a kid. But I can also say that I would do it all over again today for Josey. She was and is worth it all.

The other thing that made the first two weeks difficult was that 6 days after Josey was born, Tom’s grandmother passed away. We were planning to go out to see her on Sunday, and on Saturday morning we got the call that she had passed on Friday night.

Grandmommie was so special. She was 97 years old and fiesty. She used to mow her lawn in her high heels…in her eighties! She was born before WWI was over and grew up in the Great Depression. She had seen our world change so much, and she had so much fire.

In high school, Tom and I would go down to her house and hang out with her. She always made us sandwiches and just wanted to sit and visit while we would play cards or checkers in her living room.

And in college, one year, I made a big meal for her and Tom for Valentine’s Day. I remember she seemed so surprised that I could cook (haha!) and kept telling Tom to hold onto me because my meal was good.

When we told Grandmommie we were pregnant, she could hardly believe it. She thought it was a joke. For the next few months, she kept asking if I’d gotten a “fat belly” yet. It cracked us all up.

And then, at Christmas, she felt Josey kick, and her whole face lit up. “A baby is a miracle, isn’t it?” She had said.

And it broke our hearts to know she didn’t get to meet Josey. Eight days after she was born, we were attending Grams’s wake and then her funeral the next day.

To go from the happiest day of our lives so far to losing a grandparent all in a week was completely draining. We were happy; we were sad. We were worn out physically and emotionally.

The first two weeks after Josey was born was pretty much NOTHING like I had expected. Least of all did we “chill out for a couple of weeks” after she arrived.

Wrong. I was so wrong about what to expect.

I am so grateful to the sweet friends who have been bringing us meals and to both my parents and Tom’s for helping out around here, cleaning and taking me and Josey to appointments so Tom could work since I wasn’t allowed to drive or lift more than 10 pounds for a couple weeks post-surgery.

It has been a crazy whirlwind. I think we are finally settling into something of a new normal. I have accepted that I will look tired no matter what I wear or how much make up is on my face. That’s life with a newborn. But it’s worth it.

And that has been life since becoming a parent. I can’t believe it hasn’t even been 3 weeks yet.

 ~Meghan

I really can’t get enough of this sweet face. Josey is such a precious gift.

I can’t believe she’s ours!

And, since some of you have wondered who she looks like, here are some photos of me and Tom as babies.

Me in the hospital:

Tom (at about a month old, maybe?):

Personally, I think it’s like you smashed our baby photos together and got Josey. It’s so strange and awesome seeing how she is a blend of us.

She has my: complexion, hair, mouth, cupid’s bow, eye shape, and chubby cheeks.

She has Tom’s: nose, ears, long and lean body, and his dad’s chin. Also, so far, she has blue eyes (though not Tom’s shade of blue).

At birth, I was 8lbs, 13 oz, and 21 inches long. I had long hands/fingers and long feet. My mom and dad thought they had a basketball player on their hands. And then I ended up being the shortest person in my family. ha! Though I still do have long fingers and toes. So you never can tell.

At birth, Tom was 8lbs, 15 oz, and 21 inches long. He actually did end up being tall and still has long fingers. We think he should teach Josey to play guitar since she got that mutual trait.

I can’t wait to see all the things yet to come that are completely her own.

I’m so in love with this sweet baby.

 ~Meghan