stop and smell the baby

Today, after putting on something cute and making sure my purse had all the appropriate diaper-bag things, I grabbed my Anthropologie bag to go exchange a top I had recently purchased. The girls were still helping Blake build the fence out front, and George, my constant companion was changed and recently nurse and ready as well. I realized though that I didn't actually know where I was going--Bridgeport Villiage in Tigard had the shirt I needed (I had just spoken with them on the phone to confirm the exchange.) So as I mapquested this uber-shopping-mecca, guess who passed out in my arms? Oh, yes, Mr. Man. Baby Meat Fat. Little Georgie Boy. Is that a big deal, you ask. Well, it is. I say it all the time but George-Ephraim is such a good sleeper. At least compared to my other children he is. When I know he is tired, I merely swaddle him up and bind the swaddle with my American Apparel scarf (who knew it had such a perfect other purpose?) then lay him down in his Moses basket or in the purple baby hammock that hangs in our dining room. Sometimes he need to suck on my finger for a few minutes, other times just a few minutes of bouncing, or otherwise he just "meeps to sleep" gazing at the grass-woven grasshopper mobile. He'll sleep like this for a long time--maybe 2-3 hours, and usually twice a day. I used to either nursing or wearing my children to sleep. I feel very productive as he sleeps this way, and at times wait for him to awake b/c I miss him. On days where we are out-and-about, he takes little naps between the car seat and sling but is past that can-sleep-through-anything-newborn phase, and by teh end of the day is pretty cranky for a big fat nap...again I just swaddle and bind, and lay him own in his bassinet and he's out like a light. He sleeps his first night-time stretch between 4 and 7 hours (7 is our best yet and it only happened once). I use that time to read, connect with B, and sleep a few hours in any position I want without a hot baby body next to me. When he finally does fuss anywhere between 2 and 4, I scoop him up and pop a boob in his mouth and he nurses on and off the rest of the night, and we sleep until 9 or so. This is the routine we are all getting accustomed too. Which brings me back to my story. not since the first few weeks has he really napped ON me. So when he passed out in my arms today, I could not resist. Screw Anthropologie (yes, I said it!!) it can wait. I moved to my rocking chair and listened to U2's All That You Can't Leave Behind while just studying his sweet face--the round baby nose, pale yellow eye crusties clinging to his eyelashes, the poochy overbite and delicate chin, and the sweat-soaked curls smashed against my chest. With a family of five in full force, I wasn't sure if I would have the chance again for a long while. I thought to myself sometimes in life you just have to stop and smell the sleeping baby.

keeping up with baby g

tell me this not the cutest george you've ever seen?

look! milk flows so freely here, even mayan is producing! hehehhee

oh my god, who does baby g's hair?
(danielle, this blanket rules!)

post-first-great-nursing after the milk came in

duh, we just realized that we haven't taken a family photo yet. this is the best we can do for now:

and these last two are specially for the chef and his wife!

mama-baby wishlist

mama's eyeball hurt from surfing the web for baby products. yeah, on the third baby, at first i was like, cha! we don't need anything...got my boobs and i will just use some hand me down cloths for wiping up messes...plus i saved some stuff from the girls. but you know i am product hound by nature, and i love looking at the different products and making comparison, honing it down to just the right piece.

but i also don't like to have a little or this and a little of that...i like to find one item that is simple and perfect, then buy 10. makes life easier when you are digging around the laundry and baskets. also i am completely dedicated to wholesome products--i have carefully chosen things that are either organic (but not fancy) for close to babies skin, natural fibers, and made in the US or by reputable companies. i plan on keeping the new baby wrapped in simple goodness as long as i can--at least the first few weeks and months. since i don't know what we are having, i am sticking to unbleached natural white. nothing shows off a baby's purest beauty than clothes and diapers that don't stand out. downright edible.


i am taking care of the basics right now, things i need a lot of and am very picky about--tops and diapers, and wool covers. i am planning on doing cloth diapers but also part-time ECing (elimination communication), to cut down on diaper use, so i don't need many covers (i want to know as soon as baby is wet, not hide it) and would prefer wool pants when necessary. also i will have plenty of prefolds around. i don't know why i never discovered the beauty of these before--just caught up in the excitement of fancy cloth in my first time around, i suppose--but they are great for diapering, burping, spit-up, changing dipes on, and any type of mess. they make great cleaning rags when they are retired from bottoms, too. these items are the most important.


then there are other things, i hope to get to...or just get. think of it as a bloggy baby registry. here's is mine and the baby's wishlist:




#1) wool puddle pads. not picky about these, they are just super handy to have around. this is the one we have now (isadore's is slipped under her sheet to protect her mattress from accidents.) i saw really beautiful green one at the local Zoom Baby Gear....


#2) a baby hawk. believe it or not, babywearing mamas, i have never had a mei tai. we have an ergo backpack (which has been waaaaaay used) but the mei tai seems so much more adjustable and snuggly for a newborn. plus look how COOL they are now. it's almost too hard to choose one, but i would probably end up wearing it pattern-side in, anyway (so as not to clash with my outfits--lol!). i like the charcoal trim best. here are some of my fave prints:

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#3) organic nursing pillow with removable cover. i used this a ton with the girls, then sold it on ebay when i *thought* we were done. but mine was a boppy and it always kind of bugged me that it was made from all polyester. of course they have a natural version.




#4) nursing tanks. pretty handy-dandy for nursing in public (or NIP for all you who don't know) my friend danielle just told me she can get these half-off! all. over. it.



#5) snugglewool blanket. because it has a fabric backing instead of leather, it can be easily washed. we would use this all. the. time.




#6) video baby monitor. i am not one for thinking technology is essential to raise a baby but, ya know what, we have a really big house! we had the just-sound one for the girls which was fine but i did get nervous when i didn't hear a peep for a long amount of time.





#7) wet bag. for putting dirty dipes in on the go. sounds boring but it's necessary. just need a small one. the two i like are not pictured--melon and pink dots.




#8) newborn padraig slippers. we have these in every size from toddler to kid. but the newborn ones didn't come out until after Isadore was too big for them. they are the BEST! the insides are soft sheepskin, and they are washable, too. and what about a pair of slip-ons (medium/grey) for mama...? :-)






#9) the best baby socks ever. maggie's organic. they don't fall off like other baby socks. and they save adorable baby toes from being eaten 'cause baby toes are so. darn. edible!




#10) a handknit blanket from a skillful mama:) kind of like this or something like it, only in charcoal grey, with a cream, yellow, or purple trim, or something equally unisex and cool.

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all this "preparing for the baby" and shopping had brought things to a whole new level of reality for me. i have plenty of time to go but i am well over half-way and it may sound silly but it is starting to sink in. no more sleeping 10 hours straight with no interruptions. no more milk-less boobies. no more family of four.....we'll be a family of FIVE! more than anything though, it's the reality that we are going to meet a new person, OUR new person. once we see that face, we'll say of course that is what our baby looks like! and once we find the perfect name we'll think, how could it be anything else? once we fall madly in love, we will wonder how our lives ever were without this new being....just like it was falling in love with each other, and with Mayan, and then Isadore. *sigh* it's all very exciting....