Elise- 2 Months!

Dear Elise,
Today you are 2 months old! The time has flown by so quickly. You are seriously the most adorable baby ever; everyone says so! You are becoming so alert. You love to stare at blinking lights. You still adore your bouncer and love to sit in it in the mornings and coo, squeal, and kick your little legs. You finally have decided your swing is pretty cool too. You take some nice afternoon naps in it. You continue to wake up so happy, in fact, you have yet to wake up crying. You start to stir a good 20 minutes before you open your eyes. You also try to bust out of your swaddle but you haven't been able to yet. By 7:30 am you are awake and smiling. You have learned to recognize my voice and you will follow me with your eyes when I'm walking around the room. We go on lots of outings and you do pretty well. You still love car rides and walks around the neighborhood with Jaws. We've taken you out to dinner with friends, thinking you'll just sleep through our meal. Oh no, not you! :) You like to be held so you can look around and check everything out. You don't fuss though, so it's okay. You have a very serious look on your face most evenings, like you're trying to figure us out. Good luck! We haven't even figured ourselves out yet!
When we're home, you tend to get a little fussier in the evenings. You like to be held and bounced around. You sure can wail if we try and sit down to relax with you! You love to be rocked to sleep, held tightly. Once you fall asleep you're out and nothing can wake you.

You love tummy time and always have. Daddy and I are amazed at how strong you are. You also love your evening bath. You love the warm water being poured over your body. However, you favorite part of bath time is naked time at the end!!!!! You love to lay on your changing pad and check yourself out in the mirror.
We think you weigh around 12 pounds but we'll find out for sure at your 2 month doctors appointment towards the end of this week. You don't miss a single meal, that's for sure! You have beautiful skin and chubby cheeks. Like I said, you're adorable! Your daddy and I are having a wonderful time getting to know you and we are excited to see what month 3 will bring!

Sip & See

A lovely Sip & See was hosted for Elise yesterday. Lots of yummy treats and wine were served. Elise was on her best behavior and loved being passed around and held. Who wouldn't love all that attention?!?!

Elise- 8 Weeks

She's growing & changing so quickly! She smiles more and more every day and we're slowly but surely settling into a routine.  Naps are pretty hit or miss but we've got bedtime down. (As sure as I type it, watch it change!) She falls asleep by 8:30-9:00. I would like it to be earlier, but she's not interested. She will usually sleep until 1:30 am, nurse for just a bit and fall back to sleep very easily. She wakes again at 4:30 to nurse and then again at 7:30. She's up for the day at 7:30. She's getting good about taking a longer morning nap... but afternoons, not so much. More like 20-30 minute catnaps all afternoon long. We're working on it!

Cloth Diapering a Newborn

Matt and I are both really pleased with our decision to use cloth diapers. Of course, when we first decided this was the route we were going to take, we (or rather, *I*) was so overwhelmed by all the options out there. I literally spent hours researching what would be the best option for us. And I concluded that there was no "best" option. Rather, I bought an assortment and we're figuring out what we like. Then, as she moves to the next size, we'll know what we want to buy.
We have no complaints about cloth diapering. I love the fact that she has natural material against her skin. I know for a fact we are saving money and of course, cloth diapers are so much better for the environment!! We have not had even the smallest case of diaper rash. They're working out really well for us.
Most of these are newborn size diapers and will fit her until she's 12-15 lbs. Then we'll have to move to up to the next size. A few are one-size...
So, I snapped pics of Elise in all the different brands/styles of CD that we're using. In all, we have 32 diapers and it's the perfect amount! I could probably get away with doing laundry every 3rd day but I go ahead and wash ever other. It's just not a big deal to me.


(Note- all pics were taken when Elise was 1 month old and weighed ~8 lbs. I am kicking myself for not getting these pics when she was smaller. However, all the diapers pictured here worked perfectly even when we came home and she weighed less than 7 lbs.)

Fitted with a Thirsties Cover

All fitted diapers need a cover. Thirstie makes a great cover and it does the job. No leaks!!

Kissaluv Fitted- needs a cover

Kissaluv fitteds are a great fitted diaper, especially for newborns. They have a snap down for the umbilical cord. They're so soft and absorbent. These are size 0.

Swaddlebee's All In One

Matt really likes this diaper. It's "All In One" (AIO) which means it doesn't need a cover. It's really absorbent. It also has a pocket, so if you have a super wetter, you could stuff it with a doubler for added absorbency. Downside- takes a long time to dry in the dryer. Once it's warmer, I'll hang them outsideto dry.

Very Baby All-in-one (AIO)

This is our favorite diaper. It's as trim as a 'sposie and super easy to use. Plus, it dries quickly! I don't know if I would trust it overnight... but considering Elise doesn't sleep through the night yet, it hasn't been an issue. I don't see this fitting her much longer though... probably only through 12 lbs.

BuBuBeBe Fitted (multi-size)

(needs a cover)

Great fitted diaper- will last through potty training!!!!! Very absorbent. I would trust this overnight.

Muttaqin Baby- fitted (needs a cover)

This also has the snapdown for the umbilical cord. Fits awesome and dries quickly. The "Mutts" in my opinion, would not make great overnight diapers. However, at this stage we're changing her so often that we've never had a leak. They do a great job at containing that runny BM poo!!

Blueberry- fitteds (needs a cover)

This is my favorite fitted. I don't really know why... it's just SO soft and absorbent and fits her really well. I have 5 of these and I seem to reach for them first. Even though it's the same style as the Mutts and Kissaluvs, it is far more absorbent.

Thirstie AIO (All In One)

A great AIO, super easy and fast to use. I tend to reach for these in the middle of the night when I'm changing her in the pitch dark. It has extra leg "gussets" to prevent leaks. Though.. I have to say, we haven't had any leaks with any diapers yet.

Muttiqin Baby- 3SR

Cute, trim, & soft fitted diaper! This is sorta low rise, so even though it isn't a NB diaper, it fits below her belly button. This is also a multi-size diaper and will fit her until she's potty trained. Since it's a fitted, it needs a cover.

My wash routine- I use Rockin' Green detergent, which is made here in San Antonio!! I toss all the diapers in my washer and do a cold rinse. Then I wash them with hot water. Toss them in the dryer and they're good to go! Since Elise is exclusively fed breast-milk, the diapers w/ poo on them go straight into the washer as well. Once she's on solids, we'll use liners. It's super easy!

Nursery pics!

Mary was here last week and we got the nursery finished! I just love the way it turned out and I know Elise will too! Mary made every single pillow herself; aren't they fun?! The painting is done by a very good friend, Diana Hendrix. I love how the side of the painting matches the stripes on the wall. Anyway, it's complete yea!