minimalist hospital stay

Posted on 10.21.2013 by sarah

I thought I did the hospital stay right! Didn’t pack too much and used almost everything!

Here’s my list, plus some items I wish I would have packed.

Personal (think classic travel toiletries)

Shampoo/Conditioner
Face wash
Face lotion
Lip balm
Dry Shampoo
Make-up
Deoderant
Glasses/Contacts
Medium overnight absorbent pad. The hospital provides these, too.
Ponytail holder
Medula lanolin cream

Clothing – The delivery and first day, I just wore what the hospital provided. This was a gown and panties. Considering how much you sweat those first nights, it was nice just to use the hospital items. Each day they would change the sheets, too.

2 Gap V-neck maternity tees – put this over a cami during the day.
3 Nursing camis – great, easy access sleepwear. I love these even now.
Nursing bra
1 Comfortable pants/shorts – I bought Gap Body cropped pants which worked great.
1 Comfortable outfit to go home. Think early maternity.
Flip-Flops – I wore these (one less item to pack) to the hospital and they were great to walk the halls with.
3 pairs of underwear 2 sizes bigger than your usual.

Other – We paid an upgrade fee so our room was a little bigger and included a roll-away bed for the hubs, pillow/sheets for him, stocked refrigerator (water, juice, yogurt), snacks (granola bars, cereal, fruit), mini-shampoo/conditioner/soap, and hair dryer. Think hotel amenities. Check with your hospital to see what they provide to help minimize what you have to bring! Plus we had room services.

Photo ID & Insurance Card
Hospital Registration Papers
Camera + charger
Phone + charger – I wrote my notes on my phone and had a book on my phone.
Baby Book – The nursery nurse put Jack’s hands and footprints in the book! Too cute!
Snacks for you and your hubs
The hospital provided a big water jug for me that I had the nurses refill hourly! I was SO SO thirsty!

Baby Items – Jack was swaddled and in hospital diapers the entire stay. They gave us a pack of diapers, wipes, a zipper swaddle blanket, thermometer, and enema bulb when we went home.

Swaddle blanket
A going home outfit
Infant Carrier (remember to put the base in the car prior to delivery!)
Socks

Items that are on most lists that I wouldn’t (don’t need to) bring…

Boppy – I used hospital pillows to prop Jack up. It worked great.
Robe – I was really warm (sweaty even) my entire stay, so a cami or t-shirt and cropped pants worked great.
Computer – (slept most of the time or chatted with the hubs/guest and just used my phone), plus Back to the Future Trilogy was on during my stay! Bonus! ;)
Nursing pads – Your milk doesn’t usually come in when you’re in the hospital. I didn’t need mine until I was home.
Curling iron – I just didn’t use it.
Emory Board – The nurses don’t cut your baby’s nails, and I didn’t either. It wasn’t until Jack’s first bath at home.

I wish all those mommies-to-be the best of luck!! Remember, you will always have friends, family, and nurses around to get you anything you need or forgot, so don’t worry too much about the packing!! Get all the rest you can and have tissues close, there will be lots of happy tears!

i love her

Posted on 10.19.2013 by sarah

Tina Fey is hilarious. I liked her on Saturday Night Live. And fell in love with her when watching Baby Mama and reading Bossy Pants. She writes for the modern woman and well, she’s hilarious. I have read her book once and listened to her read it another time (while running). It’s been two years since reading it, so maybe I’ll take it out again? Read it, you’ll laugh and maybe relate.

This interview was a couple of months ago, but I can imagine these moments to come with my bambino.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIGFa3mEX2c

Thank you, Tina Fey, for not taking life too seriously! Happy Weekend, Friends.

cloth diapers

Posted on 10.04.2013 by sarah

Cloth diapers have always intrigued me, and I really wanted to try it with my own bambinos. Yes, it’s a weird thing to be excited about, but I was. Being “earthy” gets me all excited and it’s right up there, in my mind, with organization, recycling, and using glass instead of plastic! Plus, most moms who cloth diaper say they love it, AND it helps our planet, pocket book, and Jack’s bum. These all helped in my own decision to try!

That being said, you have to do what works with your household and your bambinos. I don’t think any different of friends who don’t cloth diaper. It’s my thing. I get that.

To start, I took advice from a couple different blogger moms (here, here and here), and even interacted with a few to ask questions. They were all super positive, and it was even more motivation to try!

I nervously bought everything to move forward with my decision and still remember putting that first cloth diap on Jack; I snapped a pic and sent it to the hubs saying, “we’re really doing it!“. Now its second-nature, and I don’t know why I was so nervous. Our cloth diapering routine has been going on for over two months now, and I cannot tell you how easy it is. Honestly, it’s pretty much the same protocol of disposables, but instead you’re throwing them into the diaper pail to be laundered instead of throwing them into the garbage.

Here’s our routine:

I bought 18 bumGenius Elemental One-Size All-In-One organic cloth diapers for Jack. The cloth diapers we went with mandated that Jack be at least 8 pounds before using them, so I waited until his 2 week appointment to confirm he was back up over 8 pounds and started at that point.

The plan is to have them grow with him until he’s out of diapers! Eighteen diapers until he’s potty trained? I hope so! Plus, if we have another kiddo, we could use them for him/her.

Jack’s excited about it, too!

We (obviously) just use the diapers like the disposable ones. Change when wet or soiled. I got an Ubbi diaper pail as a baby shower gift and bought two Ubbi diaper pail liners which can be washed and used again. When the diaper is wet, we just put them directly into the pail. When the diaper is soiled, we use the bumGenius diaper sprayer. We give the diaper a quick spray and put it into the pail.

For wipes, we use disposable. I know people use cloth wipes too, but having a little moisture to wipe is nice. Plus, this was the only way the hubs was on board. We put the used wipes in a separate wet bag which you can get on Etsy (that’s where we got ours), Planet Wise (I have one in my diaper bag), or most baby stores.

Once I’m down to 2 or 3 unused diaps, it’s about every-day-and-a-half, I grab the diaper pail bag and throw them (including the bag) into the wash. I wash them on heavy duty (stained cycle) with extra rinse and use Charlie’s Powder Laundry Soap, which claims to help preserve the diapers longer. One less thing to put on my grocery list!

I mostly dry them on delicate in the dryer, but if its nice out, I put them on a hanging rack and set them outside. They come out perfectly new and clean every time! It makes me so happy! Plus, if you ever do have stains, you can just set them in the sun to dry and it will naturally bleach it away! Amazing, right?!

As for negatives, I must say when we first started using the cloth diapers, Jack was pretty little. So on about three occasions it seeped out the side. Gross! This made for a mess, but once his little legs filled in (a week later) we never had that problem again! Plus, I got better at the cloth placement in the diaper, which may have been the culprit all along!

Another positive is that when we used disposables (the first two weeks and when we travel out of town), Jack gets a serious diaper rash, even though we change them more frequently than we do with cloth. I think the organic cloth saves his little bum from getting a rash, which makes a mama happy.

As you can see, we really like the diapers, and the system in our household is working great. If you are considering cloth diapering and have any questions or concerns, please feel free to write!

Cloth diapering for the win!

four cries

Posted on 9.18.2013 by sarah

I still remember leaving the hospital that day. First, waiting to be discharged. Me from my obstetricians and Jack from the nursery. Once that was done, we had to wait, wait for our nurse to get a wheelchair. I wasn’t allowed to walk, I had to be wheeled down to the car. I thought this was quite odd and even asked if I could just walk myself. The nurse looked at me strange and was very adamant, this was procedure. I must be wheeled.

They were leaving me to fend for myself and nurture a child, yet I couldn’t walk?

My nurse was too busy to wheel me out, so they enlisted an older lady (a hospital volunteer) to wheel me down from our perch on the fourth floor down to the basement. The hubs walked out to fetch our car, and the lady struck up a conversation with me. Asking how much Jack weighed. I noted I would be saying this number a lot, so I should actually really know the answer, instead of saying 8 pounds… and picking an ounce. She said she liked bigger babies because they don’t have as many problems, slept longer, etc.

Being me, I joked and said, he might have problems if they are letting me take him home! She laughed as the hubs pulled up. He grabbed the infant carrier, as the lady wheeled me to the car and said just figure out his four cries and you’ll be fine.

She then smiled, said goodbye, and closed the door.

I looked back at Jack while waving at the lady and said to myself, Four cries? What?

– – – – –

It was one of those sleep-deprived nights when I came to Paul and asked if Jack sounded different to him. Does that cry sound different than his nighttime cry? The husband looked at me strange and said No? I don’t know? It was one of those male responses, not knowing the answer that wouldn’t make me cry.

I let him into the idea of there being different cries, and he said you’ll figure them out, in time; it’s only Week 2.

I broke down in hysterics stating I don’t know? I don’t know the difference? I’m not good at this, and I think I mentioned something about him taking paternity leave because I obviously couldn’t be a good mother not knowing his cries…

– – – – – –

Honestly, I haven’t thought about it since… Until this Friday afternoon.

I was finishing up cleaning the kitchen while Jack was in his swing; he was getting fussy and started to cry. I walked over to him, picked him up, hugged him, and said you’re just bored baby.

I stopped and thought to myself, wait, I know because of his cry. He’s just bored! I know why he’s crying bit*hes! (sorry for the profanity)

And that’s the day I realized – I’m a mom! Or at least I’m on the right track!

I’m sure there will be many times I don’t know why he’s crying, but at least I’ve got a few down!

Happy Weekend!

becoming the president (basically)

Posted on 9.16.2013 by sarah

When you become pregnant or have a baby, you are swept up into an unknown world of nursing bras and baby products. I find it comparable to (what I imagine) the president goes through in his first weeks of the presidency. The way he’s briefed on everything that is going on, brought into the mix of many US secrets from the past and present, and realizing that nothing from his actual campaign will ever make it through congress.

During pregnancy you were briefed on labor and delivery by your doctor and maybe got a hospital tour. You talked to numerous friends and family, read books and blogs referring to their and others’ past and presents experiences, and you realize when the actual delivery comes and that child is in your arms, those ideas you had prior about delivery and childrearing have all vanished.

I’ve been a mom for all of one month now, and I thought I had read all the books, blogs, and pinned enough stuff to navigate through this journey of delivery and having a newborn. Ha! I realize now, I’ll never know enough. But here are my Top 10 things that happened to me or helped me navigate through my new mom jitters, including a couple of products that have been working wonders for both Jack and I!

1. You will be crazy. I read about the possibility of baby blues and before delivery had marked in my calendar after two weeks “signs of postpartum depression?” but never did I realize the emotional roller coaster I would be on right after delivery. I cried. Cried over opening crackers, cried over not sleeping, cried because the baby was crying, cried when my in-laws left because my husband won’t have anyone sane to talk to. Yes. Crazy Town. I cried to my dad over the phone, over sisters in-laws’ text messages, or non-sentimental Facebook updates, commercials, and just how amazing and perfect this little man is. But don’t worry, you know you’re being crazy… and it all gets better! I think sleep has a lot to do with it. I went from 10 hours a night, with naps after work (I know, I liked my sleep) to one hour naps between feedings. It definitely messes with your psyche. For me, it was around Week 3 when I felt more like a human and less like a hormonal trainwreck/walking zombie. Each day you get a little more of yourself back, promise.

2. Breastfeeding is your new job or hobby, or maybe vocation? This is why women get maternity leave, I’ve discovered. You think about your boobs more than most adolescent boys. Too far? They will feel full, hot, and overall different. I even thought I had a fever, but it was just my milk coming in!

Nursing is a dance between you and your new baby. It takes time, some babies less, some babies more. For me, Jack latched right away but nursed about 15 – 20 minutes on each side, feeding on demand every 2 1/2 – 3 hours. That leaves 1 1/2 to 2 hours between feedings. It gets to be a lot, but again, it does settle down and your baby starts giving you the nights off. Now, I nurse every 2 1/2 – 3 hours during the day, and (usually) every 5 – 7 hours at night! It seems manageable now and part of my regular routine! So, don’t give up! Plus, there’s this amazing bond that comes along with it. My heart melts when I look at him, and I feel lucky I get to spend 30 – 40 minutes just inspecting every inch of his beautiful face, hands, and body.

Soothies – This might be a little TMI but breastfeeding can hurt (at first), at least it did for me. These little lifesavers made me cry happy tears (see #1) the first time I put them on. I suggest them to all new moms now! They can be refrigerated, too! *Thank you to my friend Rachael for this amazing suggestion!

iBaby Feed app – Any one of the baby apps will work wonders! This app records your feedings, has a timer for each feeding, and analyzes the data. It’s actually nice to see Jack’s naturally trying to get into a pattern of feeding times. Plus, for the early morning feedings, when you pass out in the glider, you’ll have a little timer to help you know how long your baby has been feeding. It also documents diapers and averages them, for your pediatrician visits, too. They ask you this at your visits. It’s just one less thing to remember.

4. Start them in the crib. We got mad props from our pediatrician for starting Jack in his crib on day one. It was super hard that first night, I think I stared at that monitor until my eyes hurt. I zoomed in on his chest to check if he was breathing a zillion times, but it was wonderful in the long run. We don’t hear all his weird noises, so we get sleep. Jack got used to sleeping in his crib, so we don’t have to deal with the trauma or tantrums that may come if we would have had to transition him later. Plus, he slept longer. Week 2 we had nights where he slept 5-7 hours and by Week 6 he’s sleeping from 10 pm – 5am or 7am, consistently. Plus, the hubs and I have our own space.

Smart Baby Monitor by Withings – We love this monitor because it’s just another app on your iPhone or iPad. It’s been great not having to carry another device around the house. Plus, the hubs gets to check in on a sleepy baby at work!

5. Point it down! This is for all the pregos having a boy; point it down! The hubs and I would pick up Jack and the side of his onesie or pajamas would always be wet that first week. We thought the disposable diapers were defective, or we weren’t putting them on tight enough. Turns out we didn’t point it down! Ha. Get ready to do a lot of laundry because of it!

Disposable changing table pads – This was good for new moms with boys but it could help all! I’ve blocked more pee than I want to remember, which reminds me don’t check a diaper in their crib in the middle of the night. It’s not faster if you have to replace their pajamas, the swaddle blanket, and a crib sheet. That being said, these changing pads help protect the changing table sheet in those first weeks so you don’t have to wash it twice a day.

Munchkin Bath sponge – We got this simple bath sponge instead of a tub or another contraption, and it has worked excellent for Jack’s baths. Considering we have limited space in our house (northerners we don’t have basements down here) and knowing that someday this kid was going to take over the whole house with toys, I liked how this took up a smaller amount of real estate in the bathroom, plus it was only a $6.00 investment!

Zipper vs. Button Pajamas – I’ll just go right out and say it! Get zippered pajamas! Those first few weeks when you’re a walking zombie, you don’t want to fiddle with buttons in the middle of the night, promise. Even now, it’s just nice to have a zipper. We are loving the pajamas I got at GapBaby, so cute and soft… with a zipper, of course!

6. Stock up. Check your cabinets for toiletries and other items you may be low on. The week before I had Jack, I loaded up on such things as tinted moisturizer, toothpaste, dog food, contacts, cotton balls, dish soap, and a couple other items. It was nice to have them stocked up and one less thing on my to-do list. That being said, there is always Amazon Prime or the Target Red Card (free shipping with easy mobile sites) at 2am! I used it often, especially for those new items that the baby and a nursing mom may need.

aden and anais – I am in love with all of their products. They have swaddle blankets that I have used to swaddle with, nurse with, as a burp cloth, or as the base on the floor during tummy time. I love multi-tasker items! More bang for your buck. Plus, they have great crib sheets, changing pad covers, burp cloths, and bathroom towels and washcloths. I’m definitely brand loyal.

7. Go with your gut. Remember, this is nature! Somewhere deep inside of you, you already have all the answers. Somehow your baby figures out how to feed and your body responds, and this is the same with knowing what to do. Hug him, love him, and feed him. You can’t spoil a newborn.

8. Ask for help. Friends are amazing. Your friends and family are gold during this time. We had so many people come over, make us dinner, and open up their home just so we could get out. It was so kind and even had us asking ourselves if we deserved such great people in our lives. Plus, it’s nice to talk to people. When I didn’t want to talk baby, and just wanted to laugh, I would call my brother or friends without kiddos. Or if I didn’t know what I was doing nursing or baby-wise, I would text or call my friends or sisters-in-law for encouragement. It was wonderful to have so many outlets. Plus, the outpouring of folks that came over and had dinner with us, loved on the baby, and just talked over wine, was remarkable. Let them all in, even when you haven’t showered, and your house is a mess. I was a little scared but now I think my friendships have grown stronger because of this. Friends are gold.

9. Keep the packaging. We got a lot of cool stuff for our baby during all the showers. Though I tried to be a minimalist, there is just a lot of stuff the baby needs. On some things, you need to get ready before the baby gets here, such as clothes, blankets, and crib sheets, but some things you don’t have to get ready until he’s actually in the world. I say do what you can to keep the packaging. Luckily, we only had one item like this – I wish I would have saved the packaging on our bouncer. There are bouncers, swings, and combos, so we tried to minimize and I picked/guessed a bouncer to be on my registry. When Jack got here, we assembled it, and he was game… for about ~~a day~~ a couple minutes, and he hasn’t wanted to sit in it since. We went out and tried another bouncer/swing combo and he loves it… actually he’s been sleeping in it while I write this post. So my suggestion is either get them all or just one, and return the ones your baby doesn’t want. Also, use refurbished models by the manufacturer or craigslist to save a little cash.

4moms mamaroo – Anything to be able to set your baby down during the day is worth it. Trust me. Jack loves the mamaroo, but I know friends that their baby hated it but loved their bouncer or swing.

10. Enjoy the crazy journey! Holy cow it’s a journey BUT it’s a fun one! Not only for you and your new bambino but for your hubs, friends, and family. I appreciate a lot more of life now and when all those crazy people said it’s worth it… it definitely is. It’s Week 7 and I’m more in love with everything and everyone… Jack, the hubs, friends, and family!

As you can see, this is much better than the presidency and will last longer than four years! Enjoy!

Have a wonderful week friends!!

one month

Posted on 8.29.2013 by sarah

There is a crazy time phenomena going on in our household… the time between 8am and 6pm seems to go slow and I fumble through the day, yet this month has been the fastest month of my life. I have learned so much in this last month about myself and this kid, and I think I googled more in the last month than I ever have as well.

You can put a newborn back to bed if they have hiccups. Don’t worry, I googled it.

Jack started to give us a couple more hours of sleep at night. Thank God, because I thought we were going to have to return him. We have had a couple nights where he has slept 5 – 7 hours! We both thanked him, personally.

He’s starting to be more aware of his environment, too. Following objects and loving those ceiling fans. He’s also working on his tummy time, and I cannot wait for him to get the dogs in his sights, making tummy time even more fun. I’ll keep you posted. We also think he’s grown quite a bit, though I don’t know how much these pictures convey this? His pajamas which he was swimming in, now are beginning to fit! Go Jack!

I just cannot believe how attached I have become to this kid in such a short time. He makes me laugh daily with all of his expressions. Serious old man face (that center part in his hair and chin rolls I want to eat up!) to Toothless grin and Katy Perry “Roar” impressions! Ha. He’s such a ham and I love him SO much.

Happy one month, Jack! I’ll love you more than you’ll ever know… well, maybe when you have your first baby, you’ll realize just how much.

*Thanks Rachael, Matt, & Will for the adorable overalls!

suckers

Posted on 8.19.2013 by sarah

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Since having our dogs, I never thought twice about spending money on them. I would think long and hard if I was considering something for myself, but with our dogs it was another story. Otis our pug was referred to a dermatologist for his allergies. Before we knew it, he was getting patch tested and put on immune specific allergy shots, ketoconazole shampoo, and a strict rabbit formula diet. Because rabbits are less allergenic? I’m serious. Yes, it was expensive, but these were our babies and we want the best possible life for our K9 family!

That being said, that idea has now extended to our baby boy. I can see it already. While we were in the hospital, they had a photographer come in and take a couple pictures of him. It took all of 20 minutes to get him naked, prop him up on some white sheets, and the photographer to do her thing.

I thought to myself: I could do that at home. Don’t agree to the photos Sarah.

She then uploaded them and put them to some sentimental music and loving quotes on some generic PowerPoint deck, inevitably making me feel these days are fleeting and obligating me to buy the photos. I looked at the hubs and he knew all too well, regardless of what I said prior to the photographer coming into the room… we’re buying them. They are only that little once, right?

Don’t worry, I bought them without the cheesy backgrounds and music. I have some standards.

With that, I wanted to share some of the expensive 20 min photo shoot with you! Jack’s all but 3 days old here! He’s already changed so much.

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Maybe this will prepare me to saying “no” to the 96 count crayons and make Jack get the 24 count instead. Or the Air Jordan’s he’ll claim he needs to play basketball that much better.

… I’ll probably say yes to both. Because he’s worth it, the photos where worth it, and his mom’s a sucker for him already.

flyin’ solo

Posted on 8.09.2013 by sarah

This week the hubs headed back to work, which left Jack and I alone to fend for ourselves.

I’m a rather anxious person by nature, and the idea of being alone was no exception. What if I don’t know what he needs? It reminds me of the those survival shows. They send contestants out to some remote destination and see if they survive. Except, I’m in Dallas, and have all the amenities one would need to succeed. Plus, it’s my kid; my prize is keeping him happy for a whole week.

Though it does feel like I’m in an African desert because of this Texas heat! Horrible. It’s been triple digits all week, making it not the ideal environment to head outdoors with a newborn.

It turns out, Jack is pretty easy. Right now at least.

He likes his sleep. Just not at night.
He doesn’t like hats or being swaddled when sleeping. Hands above the head is a must. Genetic? See above.
He’ll fall asleep 99% of the time while feeding, so I must change his diaper, clothes, etc, between sets.
He’s a sweetheart and going easy on his mom.

Other than that, I stare at his face for hours and take way too may pictures of him.

Happy Weekend Friends, and thanks Jack!

one whole week

Posted on 8.05.2013 by sarah

We survived a whole week with Jack in our lives! I guess, more like, he survived a whole week with us! Either way, here’s his one week photo! I plan to do these until he leaves for college…

I’m only mildly joking.

BUT I might refer to him in weeks or months until then. Ha.

And one outtake that makes me laugh every time! What a ham!

he’s here!

Posted on 7.31.2013 by sarah

Jackson Paul Snitker finally entered the world Monday night at 5:06 pm, weighing in at 8 lb, 5 oz, and stretching 20 3/4 inches long.

It was a long day and a long night beforehand. At 5 pm Sunday night, we had a date for cervical ripening at the hospital. We started the induction process at 6 am that next morning. 8 hours of dilating, followed by 2 1/2 hours of pushing, ended with an upward facing baby, shoulders shifting back and forth with each push, and a doctor with a grim outlook of getting him out vaginally. Eventually a c-section ensued.

So, the images of my labor being as easy as my mothers have abandoned me but the outcome of all these amazing events left me to believe it was all worth it. The hubs made a great point when he looked at me and asked me – When have we ever done anything the easy way? Why should we start now?

We spent the rest of the night and next day just staring at Jack, watching his first bath, completely memorized that he is ours. It’s amazing how your perspective on life can change dramatically in a couple of days. We are so so so blessed. He definitely has our hearts.

spaghetti on bath night

Category Archives: parenthood