Nursery Furniture

The baby has Daddy to thank for getting all his future nursery furniture ordered! And...the baby will have to thank his Daddy and Daddy's co-worker for getting the furniture home this coming Thursday!

It is very exciting to be getting the baby's room ready! As mentioned above, Clint ordered all the furniture last week and he will be picking it up this Thursday to bring it home. It was all finalized last Friday...so we spent our Friday evening packing books from two large bookshelves into boxes and taking about the Sleep Number bed in that room. Sleep Number beds are not the easiest to assemble, or disassemble for that matter! But we got it done and everything was moved up to the attic for storage.

Melissa started on some craft projects for the walls of the nursery and hopes to be finished with those this week. All the bedding is in, so the crib will be 'dressed' on Thursday! Watch for pictures on Friday!!! :)

Another great check-up

This is Melissa writing...I went to the doctor this morning for my 24-week appointment. All is well with baby and momma! I heard the heart beat and it was 152 beats per minute. Still rockin' right along! My 'fundal height' (the distance from my pubic bone to the top of my uterus) was measured for the first time today. It was right on track - 23.5cm (should be ~ the number of weeks that I am pregnant +/- 2cm).

The doctor ordered a hemoglobin test to make sure my iron levels were ok after I mentioned I was more tired than normal. My levels came back normal....so the recommendation was that I slow down and try to not do as much. I will see what I can do about that... :)

The doctor did not seem to be concerned about the red blotches on my skin, nor about the tingling sensations in my legs. The blotches are from increased blood flow and the sensations are most likely because our little guy is sitting on a nerve at the moment. She said to just keep exercising when I can and feel like it and once I make more room for the baby, he will be able to re-position and relieve some of the pressure he is causing.

At my request, my doctor recommended some pediatricians...so I will most likely start calling them in the next few weeks so I know which one the nurse should call when we are in labor and delivery.

Overall...another great appointment with the doctor!

Parenting 101

We attended our prenatal class at Anniston's Regional Medical Center (RMC) today. Labor and Delivery Nurse Lisa presented a lot of great material to ten expecting moms and their respective partners. The hospital seemed very grateful for us being there. We are their job security!! The topics ranged from how to tell when we're in labor to what the delivery process is at the hospital. Postpartum was also explained including how our baby will be cared for after he enters this world. We all got a quick lactation lesson, which was both important and informative. And we received a tour of the labor and delivery area, which reduces a lot of anxiety of what the environment will be like in a few months. We were impressed with what we saw at the hospital and are pleased to have such a great Women's Center in our area. As first time parents, we both commented that we were glad we spent our Saturday the way we did!

Exciting day

Yesterday Momma-to-be had an exciting day....the baby moved SO much that the movement was visible on the outside of her belly! It happened at about 8:30am and Melissa ended up staring at her belly waiting for it to happen again....and it did! It was crazy, but very exciting. It means that Daddy-to-be should be able to start to feel the baby move. Fun stuff.

Crib and Glider Research

We have settled on a crib and dresser/hutch combo (for the changing table, dresser and bookshelf). It is the Babi Italia Pinehurst Collection from Babies R Us.


We will not be getting the wardrobe in the middle of the picture, but the crib and the dresser/hutch are exactly what we have been looking for.

We've also started to do some research on gliders for the nursery. We have looked at a lot of rocker/gliders, and found that many are reviewed poorly by owners. Several gliders out there are too small to be comfortable when sitting in them to nurse/feed a baby. That's not good, since that is what we will be using it for!!!! Others report that the glider squeaks after a few months of use. We definitely want a glider that is covered in microfiber. We just know the quality of this fabric is great and it cleans up well. We also know that we want the wood to be a 'pecan' color, as our furniture for the room is "tea stain" in color. And, we want an ottoman to match to rest our feet!

Here are our top finds:

GLIDER and OTTOMAN SETS:
Shermag Ultra Glider & Ottoman Set in Pecan
http://www.rockingchairs.com/glider-rockers/indoor-gliders/shermagultragliderwithottoman.cfm#ReviewHeader

Dream Collection Glider Rocker and Ottoman - Pecan
http://www.babysupermall.com/main/products/she/she37779pec.html

Crib Sheets - Coming this Friday!!!!

I just got an email with the confirmation that our crib sheet set will arrive via UPS on Friday. I am SO excited to see it, touch it and...well....leave it in the box. :) We will order the nursery furniture in a couple of weeks.

Tonight's sewing project

This is Melissa...I sewed two burp cloths tonight. The pattern is SIMPLE. 9x22" with rounded corners and notches cut out of the middle (to fit the contour of a neck). They consist of two layers of flannel (one patterned and one solid) with a terry towel in between. I still need to work on how to finish out the end that needs to stay open in order to turn the cloth to the right side after sewing all three layers together. Some pictures are to the right.
A great way to spend Spring Break Night! :)
Now back to cutting out some more....

Diaper Materials used

As previously mentioned A LOT of research went into making the cloth diapers. The diapers we make are called "All-in-Ones" (AIOs). AIO diapers are a one-step diapering system that is easy to use. They are shaped like disposable diapers and consist of a waterproof outer layer with a sewn-in absorbent layer and then fitted with a soaker (or insert). All-in-one diapers are put on just like disposable diapers: Open the diaper, lift the baby's bottom, slide the diaper underneath, close the diaper and you are ready to go! The one-size method that we chose is adjustable based on the size of the baby. For smaller babies, the front flap is placed higher on the baby, the touchtape is secured around the baby and then the flap is folded down securing to some touchtape tabs.

Why Cloth!??!? Well...numerous reasons...Not only are cloth diapers comfortable for the baby, they are more economical, healthful and environmental. From the comfort stand point - would you choose to wear paper/plastic undies!??!?! Cloth diapers are made from breathable and cushiony fabrics that are soft to the baby's skin. The inner fabrics are moisture-wicking, keep the baby's bottom feeling dry. They don't have any plastic on them that would otherwise rub against tender skin. From a health standpoint, the fabrics used in cloth diapers allow for increased airflow inside the diaper, keep the baby cooler and help to prevent diaper rash. Disposibles contain chemicals and plastics that have been known to cause allergic reactions and other health problems. And from an environmental standpoint, hands down cloth diapers are a responsible choice. Disposable diapers leave a trail of waste from manufacture to disposal. In addition, the solid waste in disposible diapers goes into our landfills, which can leach into groundwater and potentially spread disease. On the other hand, cloth diapers release solid waste where it belongs - into the sewage system to be treated with other household waste water.

All those reasons aside....I can't help but mention that cloth diapers are CUTE!! They can be stylish and soft at the same time. We chose to do solid colors with a contrasting color on the inside. The ones in the pictures from yesterday's post are red/navy, celery/olive, burgundy/black and turquoise/brown. The remaining sets to be sewn for our little guy are sage/chocolate, baby blue/navy and chocolate/turquoise.

What we decided on was to use at PUL fabric on the outside and a suedecloth on the inside. Then a Microfiber insert is placed between the two layers through a welt pocket in the suedecloth. This insert comes out and is washed seperately. The benefit is you can adjust where the insert lies, depending on how big your baby is and whether you need more up front (for a boy) or more in the middle (for a girl). We also choose to use Touchtape to close and secure the diaper around the baby.

Fabric glossary:
PUL (Polyurethane Laminated Polyester) - The PUL fabric is a highly waterproof fabric. A thin polyurethane layer is bonded to a stretchy polyester knit in a high heat industrial process. It is recommended as an outer layer on diapers and for waterproof bags for wet diapers

Microfiber - Usually 75% polyester 25% polyamide, and is a great diaper fabric for soakers and inserts. It traps moisture between its fibers and can absorb up to 8 times its weight in liquid! Light and thin, microfiber dries quickly and gets more absorbent with use.

Suedecloth - Is thinner than microfleece but has many of the same qualities that make it perfect for diaper inners. Suedecloth wicks moisture away from baby, resists staining, and does not hold pooh. In addition, suedecloth does not pill and stays new-looking longer.

Touchtape - Is a durable hook & loop system similar to velcro and aplix. We prefer touchtape to aplix because it is so flexible and has an extremely strong hold. Best of all, touchtape comes in lots of colors to match our beautiful outer diaper fabrics!

One big resource for the above informaiton is http://www.zany-zebra.com/

...more later on storing dry and dirty diapers and how to wash cloth diapers.

The Diaper Factory!!!

We went to Mom and Dad Lloyd's this weekend for a visit and to start up the diaper production line!!! Mom and Melissa completed 24 diapers! Doesn't sound like much to some??? Well...these little diapers are made completely with LOVE and HARD work!!!! And LOTS of both!! They are very labor intensive, but we had good fun making them. Mom had already done a lot of prep work (all the diapers were cut out, the pockets were made and the velcro was cut). After a few hours, we had a system created on the production line and had a complete set of six diapers done on the first day, plus another set that just needed its velcro sewn on. The second day we finished the set from the day before and completed two whole sets.
There was lots of talk about going into the cloth diaper making business. Any buyers out there? Let us know!!!!

Below are some pictures.

Sets of four diapers in each color that we made.

All the different colors we made this weekend set-up in the bigger size ("Bigger Little Man Under Pants").

All the different colors we made this weekend set-up in the smaller size ("Little Man Under Pants").

A front view of the turquoise and brown diaper. On the left is the "Little Man Under Pants" and on the right is the "Bigger Little Man Under Pants".

A side view of the two different ways you can fold the diapers to fit a growing baby!

First Public Pics!!!

Here are some scanned pics from our last sonogram (@20 weeks, February 26th). The scans did not come out too clearly...but we can make out the profile of our little guy, as well as the big foot he stuck in front of the camera. Check it out...he has all five toes!!! :)

Baby Wise

This past weekend when we drove to GA to register, Melissa started reading a book from Nonnie and Pop called Baby Wise. Since Clint was driving, Melissa read important and interesting parts aloud and we both learned a lot. The theories presented are completely our style and we plan on implementing the suggested schedule from day one. What can it hurt?? We are new at this and don't have any better ideas than those proven by others!
Melissa finished the book by the end of the weekend and was happy to have several questions answered. Of course....there are a million more left unanswered....but we still have four months (and the rest of the child's life) to learn! :)

For the other expecting mom's reading this - let us know if you want more details about the book or would like to borrow it for a couple of weeks. It is a quick read!

Baby Size

Wow....according to the weekly email we get from Babycenter.com, our little guy is 11 inches length (the length of a spaghetti squash!) and weighs 1 pound!!! His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. So....it is yet to be determined whether we will have a blue eyed baby or not!!! :)

Well on our way....

The crib sheet set was purchased last night, the crib is picked out, we are registered, diapers are being made as we type and stationary for birth announcements and thank you cards have been purchased. And....Melissa is looking more and more pregnant everyday. Thankfully, she is still feeling great!
We enjoyed a fabulous weekend. The weather was phenomenal (sunshine and in the 70s!). We had a smooth and productive trip to Douglasville Georgia (to register and go to Sam's Club), we went to the movies (Slumdog Millionaire) and watched a movie at home (Taken). Clint also smoked a whole chicken on the Big Green Egg last night, which was fantastic. The baby may not like chicken given how much we eat it these days. :)
Must go to research a glider....that will be our next big purchase!

Baby Movement

We've got an active little guy already!!! Melissa reports that the baby is movin' and shakin' in the womb several times a day. There is definitely a pattern too...he is most active in the morning after sitting down to get some work done at Honeywell, then again mid-afternoon and he does another round of exercising around 7 or 8pm. Quite an interesting feeling and thought to know that he is so active!

We're all exercising three mornings a week now at the gym. We start our workouts at 5am with some other brave souls and it feels good to start the day out like that! We definitely hope that we can continue working out through the pregnancy, but Melissa's body will tell her when enough is enough!

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Melissa's high school friend Julie Gough who is taking her little one year old daughter to her first chemo treatment today.

Sewing Machine!!!

Melissa bought a sewing machine and can't wait to use it! It will be put to good use next weekend when we head up to NC to sew some diapers! We bought a Janome DC2007, and it appears to be in great working order with a great user manual! There is hope that this sewing machine will last for years to come and be used frequently for a variety of projects. Both our moms have had their sewing machines for many years and they are still going strong! Happy Sewing!

Diaper fitting

Last week Melissa's Mom made a trial diaper out of some flannel fabric and sent it to us to make sure we liked it. Upon receipt we stuffed it with a microfiber cloth and commented how super-cute it was. We pulled up and watched the video on Kayla's Cloth Kits website that shows how to put it on everything from a small baby to a five year old. During the lesson, we tried the diaper out on an OLD cabbage patch and ALF doll! hee hee....




In the real version, a few things will be different....for one...the velcro will be substantially larger and two, the outer layer will be a solid color.

We really liked how the diaper fit and worked....so we gave a 'green light' for production to start!!! In a couple of weeks, we will be part of the sewing team at the Lloyd household! More on the diaper production line later....

BIG Baby...

So...according to babycenter.com, our little guy is supposed to be about 12 oz this week. Apparently we already have a starting linebacker in Melissa's belly, as he weighed in last week at 13 oz (estimated from the sonogram). HA! He is also supposed to be about 10.5 inches long (or about the length of a carrot). We cannot recall being told how long he measured, but perhaps we can find the information on the sonogram DVD that we received.

Other than that, the colors of the nursery have been chosen...sage green, brown and ivory. Below is a picture of the sheet set we're looking at getting:



We started a registry at Target yesterday, but still have to do some research to make sure we picked stuff that we actually need and want. And, next weekend we have planned a trip to Douglasville GA to register at Babies R Us! It has been exciting picking out all the necessities and fun stuff. We are anxious to settle on furniture and get that ordered so it can be assembled in the nursery.