Cloth Diapering, 5 Years In

As I stuffed our cloth diapers the other night, I was thinking to myself, 'I have been cloth diapering non stop for 5 years!'. And 18 of those months were with two babies in cloth diapers. That is a lot of poop, a lot of laundry, and a lot of cute fluffy bums. It's funny now that my youngest is almost 2, I feel so out of the loop on baby stuff. There are new gadgets, toys, and must haves, and those newborn days feel like eons ago so I have a hard time making recommendations to new mamas anymore. I am in the thick of toddler tantrums and preschool attitudes so I am your girl if you need encouragement there! Diapers are the one thing that I feel very versed on. The thought of not having anyone in diapers in the next 6 months (pleaseeee potty train easy Gideon!) is beyond me. I am sure we will potty train Gideon and decide it's time for another booty to wipe. SO. The point of this post is to tell you how the last 5 years have gone, what I've learned, what products I use, and how EASY cloth diapering can be.

Ford- 3 months old 

Lucy- 21 months old, Gideon- 3 months old

WHY CLOTH DIAPER
I am not a crunchy mama on today's standards but I do like trying natural approaches in addition to modern. There are a ton of reasons why cloth diapering is so great but I can't really give you one simple reason why we do. It saves a ton of money, it is better for the environment,  it is better for your baby's bottom (my kids have only had diaper rashes when they are on medication or in disposables/traveling), and cloth diapered babies often potty train earlier . Those are all awesome reasons but I just wanted to do it. It felt like a challenge that I wanted to face and when Jon said he was on board, I was all in. We started with our first baby so we don't know any different but we LOVE it. 5 years in and we still talk about how easy it is and how cute our kids look in the diapers. Hey... no one ever said "how cute is that baby running around in a soggy Huggies diaper!" but have you seen my babes in cloth?! Did you also know that they can double as swim diapers? We have a few Charlie Banana reusable swim diapers but our Bum Genius diapers have been swam in a ton of times!

PRODUCTS WE USE
Bum Genius 4.0 One Size Pocket Diapers
It looks like there is now a 5.0 edition but we have about 35 of the 4.0 diapers. I started out with 24 gender neutral diapers before I had Ford and that was plenty for one baby in diapers. I could have easily gotten away with 18-20 diapers but I wanted extras. I added 10-12 pink and purple diapers when Lucy was born because I couldn't help myself with the colors! I assumed we would have 2 in diapers with the 2 of them but Ford potty trained when Lucy was about a month old. I chose Bum Genius after reading reviews, blogs, and recommendations from other mamas. I've tried almost every style of cloth diaper and have gotten rid of everything but Bum Genius pockets. They are so easy to use and wash (more on that below) and they also look/work similarly to a disposable diaper (which is nice because we have a lot of babysitters/childcare at church/etc changing diapers).

Step Trash Can
We use a large white Sterlite trash can with a step lid as a diaper pail liner. I started out with a cute tin trash can from IKEA but had to get something bigger eventually. I keep it in a corner of the kids bathroom.

Cloth Diaper Pail Liner
We have 2 of these liners, one in use, one in the wash or backup. I wash diapers every 3 days (more below) and I was the liner with the diapers each time. There are many brands, I recommend reading reviews.

Diaper Sprayer
We are on our 2nd diaper sprayer in 5 years. Something broke/happened to our first one when we moved so we got a Bumkins one, highly rated on Amazon. I have it hooked up to the toilet in the kids bathroom and the diaper pail is nearby.

Wet Bag
We have 2 Itzy Ritzy wet bags. Like the liners, I keep a clean one in my diaper bag and then one for backup. I use the backup one a lot in the summer for swimsuits. We exclusively cloth diaper (as opposed to people only doing it when they are home) so I throw wet/dirty diapers in my wet bag and into my diaper bag when I am out and about. When I get home, I take them upstairs and put wet ones into the pail or spray dirty ones.

Coconut Oil
You cannot use traditional diaper rash ointment with cloth diapers because it ruins the absorbency of the insert. I keep a small mason jar of coconut oil on our changing table and use it at every change. Our kids have had very few rashes (usually when they are sick or on an antibiotic) and if it is bad, we will switch to disposables for a few days and use Dr. Smiths.

Drying Rack
We use this accordion drying rack to dry both the inserts and diaper shells. It stays in the closet next to our laundry room, more info on that below.

HOW TO CLOTH DIAPER
Cloth diapering isn't any harder than using disposables, it is just a tiny bit more work. Our diapers are one size and have adjustable snaps so your baby can wear them from 8lbs to potty trained. We started all of our babies in cloth diapers at 6 weeks old, after the continuous poops subside a bit! We cloth diaper exclusively and aren't scared to change cloth diapers in public. I change them just like you'd change a disposable but I put it in my wet bag when we are done. I empty the wet bag when we get home (usually 1-2 diapers because we aren't gone for more than 4 ish hours at a time, more diapers when they are younger). My biggest recommendation for cloth diapers is to change more often. It takes a while to figure out the correct snap sizes for your kiddos and since they are always growing and gaining weight, they can leak if you aren't making adjustments. Gideon is almost 2 so not peeing that much (and he pees on the potty throughout the day), but as babies, I changed my babies every 2 ish hours when we were home just to be safe. The boys were both heavy wetters so we used/use disposable overnight diapers (Target brand) after not being able to find a good cloth solution. The kids all slept 12 hours at 6 months so that is essentially being in a diaper for 13 hours, hard not to leak out!  When we travel, we use Target brand disposable diapers. We also keep a package or two on hand just in case. Gideon has to wear disposable diapers to Mother's Day Out (he just started last month) and uses about 4 a week. I put him in a cloth diaper right when we get home.

So.... you change the diaper, you remove the insert, and put it into the diaper pail. If the diaper is dirty, you spray it out in the toilet and put it into the pail.

WASH ROUTINE
I wash diapers every 3 days, sometimes 4 days now that Gideon doesn't use that many. When Lucy and Gideon were both in cloth, there were days where we went through so many diapers with blowouts so I washed more frequently. When I am ready to wash, I grab the pail liner and call it my Santa Sack, ha! I dump everything directly into the washer (remember, the poop has been sprayed into the toilet already so there isn't any solid waste in your washer). I add about 3/4 cup vinegar (I eyeball it so that is a guess), and put 1 TBSP Purex Free and Clear into my detergent dispenser. I did a lot of research on detergent and Purex is the only "normal" brand you can use on cloth diapers (versus cloth diaper specific brands that are incredibly expensive). It is important to use specific detergent because most mainstream detergents can strip your diapers of their absorbency. I switched over to using Purex Free and Clear on all of our laundry, easy easy! I wash everything on COLD and do a custom cycle. COLD RINSE, COLD WASH, COLD RINSE. Okay I lie, I don't do the last cold rinse anymore. I used to at the beginning of our cloth diapering days but my current routine is cold rinse then cold wash and it is done in an hour. Once they are done, I hang everything on an accordion drying rack. You can dry the inserts in the dryer but not the diaper shells, heat causes them to lose their elasticity. I use Grovia Mighty Bubbles on my diapers every few months to strip them of any build up or ammonia smell. They are tablets and really easy to use in your washing machine. I didn't start using these until after I had two in cloth but I recommend using them proactively. Once my diapers are dry (usually less than 24 hours), I load them up into my Santa Sack (also hang dry), and bring them upstairs to stuff. I can stuff 20 diapers in about 5 minutes and either do it in my room catching up on Jimmy Fallon or my audiobook, or in the playroom while the kids run around. We have a big wrought iron basket by Gideon's changing table that I keep the fresh diapers in.

TIPS AND TRICKS

• I put a few drops of Young Living's Purification Essential Oil on a cotton ball and put it in the bottom of the diaper pail. It helps with the pee smell.
• Every time I take the big bag of diapers out of the can to wash, I spray Thieves cleaner inside the can and on the outside too. I've always been terrified of Pink Eye and I know you catch it from fecal matter. It gets me in the cleaning mood and I usually spray the toilet seat, handle, diaper sprayer, and doorknobs in the bathroom while I am at it. 

Have additional cloth diaper questions? Send me an email! 

Gideon 6 months old

Our precious Gideon Aaron turned 6 months old on May 7th! How on earth has a half a year already passed by? He is happy, healthy, and the perfect fit into our family. This weekend I get to celebrate my first mother's day as his mommy (and his birth mama, R) and we finalize his adoption later this month. Gideon is so sweet and gentle, I couldn't love him more!

• 17lb 2oz (41st%), 27.75 in (90th%), 17in head (42nd%)
• Gideon has the most beautiful big brown eyes and his hair is starting to curl! I also feel like he is darkening up as he gets older.
• We have a long and lean boy on our hands! We had his 6 month well check this morning and he is hitting all of the milestones, strong, and growing perfectly. He got two vaccinations which sucked and then our doctor ordered blood work for allergy testing and that was awful. We went to the lab in the building (we go to a clinic that has a bunch of different specialties, mostly adults) and they tried twice to stick his little veins but couldn't get enough. It was so sad... holding him down while he was screaming and flailing with a needle in his arm. They referred us to their pediatric specialty lab and I will go next week. They are testing for dairy, gluten, egg, soy, and nuts.
• Gideon had an eczema flare up in these photos but it has cleared up about 80%! I was looking at him this morning and thought wow I haven't seen those cheeks so clear since he was a newborn! So dairy is definitely the culprit for his eczema and we will meet with an allergist once his blood work is back.
• He is quite the eater... aka always eating. He drinks 6 ish ounces of Nutramigen every 3ish hours. Typical 3rd child I don't really keep track of how much he eats, whoops. His spitting up has also diminished drastically since going dairy free. 
• We started solids last week and he's had peas (he hated them), carrots (loved them), and apples (so-so). I am trying to do a little bit of solids every evening when we eat dinner. 
• Gideon got his two bottom teeth right after he turned 5 months old... no signs of any more popping through but he is a drool machine. We go through multiple bibs a day. 
• Sleep... not the greatest of subjects for us. 4 month sleep regression lasted about 8 weeks for us (holy moly I didn't think I would survive) and we are slowly getting better. Some days he will sleep 10-12 hours straight, but most days he eats once in the night and it is never consistent. He naps really well at home... yesterday took a 3 hour and 2 hour nap, woo hoo! He doesn't sleep so well on the go anymore because he loves playing and looking around but I am trying to keep him flexible so we can be out and about. He sleeps in his crib in a sleepsack (medium) with his soft little lovey, he clutches it while he sleeps it is so cute! He mostly sleeps on his tummy and cozies up to his bumpers.
• Gideon is so strong! Just this morning I let him stand up on his own holding the chair and he stood for 10 seconds on his own. He is a rolling machine and often makes it across the room scooting and rolling.
• He has just started being able to sit up for 5-10 seconds... he would rather stand.
• He LOVES his jumperoo and doorway jumper... it is so cute to see him bouncing and playing with the toys.
• Favorite toys: Zoli teether, his "crunchy" book, Freddie Firefly, bubba keg straw, Lincoln logs
• Ford and Lucy absolutely love their baby brother and he is smitten with him! They know how to make him laugh so easily and he loves watching them play. I love thinking about how he'll be playing right alongside of them before we know it. 
• G can now flip out of the Rock and Play that we use to feed him bottles so we need to get rid of that soon... boo.
• He goes to church nursery once a week, childcare at my bible study once a week, and childcare at the gym about twice a week... and he is so great! All of the ladies working love having him and he just plays and hangs out. 
• He has found his raspy little voice and sings and sings, especially when he is playing with a toy he will grab it and stare at it and sing to it.
• Loves being in the swings at the park, he cracks up the whole time. Also loves going on walks... anytime he is fussy in the evenings we can bring him outside and he is instantly calm. 
• Very grabby these days... grabs at his toys on the playmat and grabs at faces, earrings, hair, beards.
• He has the BIGGEST smile ever and it just makes me smile thinking of it. His mouth gets so huge and it is contagious. He is so easy to make laugh, I love his raspy chuckle. 
• G man loves his baths and just kicks and kicks with a stoic and concentrated face. I've started bathing all 3 kiddos together and Lucy gets so offended if he kicks her haha. 
• He is very ticklish, just like Ford and Lucy!

Sweet Babes Bridgeman

People warned me and I didn't listen. Having baby girls does something to you and you can't control it! Once one finds out they are having a baby girl, you instantly get the urge to buy anything and everything in sight to outfit your little lady. Bows, headbands, shoes, hats, bibs. They just don't make the same accessories for baby boys! A few days into Lucy's life someone asked me just HOW many bows she owned and it got me thinking. I am actually too embarrassed to count because I know it is a LOT (50 would be a conservative guess). I love being able to dress my baby girl how I myself would want to dress, just in mini size. One of my favorite hair accessories in Lucy's collection is her aqua tie headband from Sweet Babes Bridgeman.  Jessica is the owner if this adorable shop and mama to 2 sweet littles. Each piece is handmade (not sure how she has the time!) and she makes more than just headbands- bandana bibs (Ford lived in these when he started teething), pacifier clips, leggings, and infinity scarves. I love supporting mamas who are working hard to support their families, especially when they use their talents to make the most adorable baby items!

Everyone needs a fancy headband for your night gown (especially when you wear a night gown all day)

Jessica made a bandana bib to match Lucy's headband and it is about the size of her whole body right now! I remember having to keep a bib on Ford from 4-8 months all the time while he was a drooly teething monster and I can't wait (well I CAN wait for teething hehe) to put Lucy in this bib!

These are just a few of the prints available for the headbands and bibs, talk about stylish babies!

Right now Sweet Babes Bridgeman is offering all headbands for $5 on Instagram  ! You don't want to miss this sale ladies! 

Shop // Instagram  // Facebook

Giveaway
1 lucky winner will receive a Sweet Babes Bridgeman headband or bandana bib of their choice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Flying (& traveling) with a baby

Ford was exactly 6.5 weeks old when we took him on his first plane ride to Indianapolis, tagging along with mama to the Influence Conference. Part of me thought we were absolutely nuts for traveling with him so young but then again it seemed like a great time to travel with him when he is still small, cuddling, and will sleep anywhere. I was anxious the days leading up to our trip and dreading the fact that we didn't have a direct flight but honestly, the flights were the easiest part of our trip! Thankfully my sister has flown with Embry quite a few times and gave me some tips and I wanted to share my thoughts on making a flight with a newborn/baby successful.

• Bring a carrier! We brought the ergo and because it's hands free, it was awesome. Ford was due for a nap right before our first flight so I popped him in there and he fell asleep instantly. Unfortunately you have to take baby out of all carriers, car seats, and strollers to go through security and for take off/landing but he made a great transition.

• Bring a copy or phone photo of baby's birth certificate to verify that they are under the age of 2, unless you bought them their own seat. We weren't asked for proof on the way to Indy but had to show it on the way back. 
• Bring your stroller and carseat to gatecheck. Children under 2 grant you the permission to gatecheck items for free (we flew Southwest so bags fly free anyway). We were able to stroll around the airport with our stroller and carseat and take it directly to your gate. We checked in with the flight attendents before the flight to get tags.
• Ask if the flight is full. If there are empty seats, you can take your carseat actually on the plane. We were able to do this 3 of the 4 flights we took and it was PERFECT! Our 2nd flight to get to Indy was late and we were able to put Ford in his jammies and to bed in his carseat. He slept through the whole flight and ride to the hotel.
• Preboard and sit in the back. It is louder in the back so if your baby screams, it is muffled by the plane sounds. You are also closer to the bathrooms.
• Pack extra diapers. If you think your baby will go through 5 diapers, bring 10! You never know if your bags will get stuck or if the altitude will cause extra poops. Be prepared to change diapers in the tiniest of bathrooms too.
• Pack 2-3 extra outfits. A friend of mine packed 2 backup outfits that her sweet baby pooped through and she had to wrap her in a sweater for the rest of the flight. We did end up having 1 blowout on the way there and I was prepared with 4 extra sets. 

Ford was really interested in the couple across from us haha

• Pack warm clothes for baby. Remember airplanes are cold, pack socks, footies, or extra blankets to keep them warm.
• For nursing moms, pack a travel nursing pillow. I have a cheap pillow I got for "free" from here that I keep in the car and decided to bring along with us. This was INCREDIBLY helpful for nursing and also just laying Ford on my lap. 
• Nurse, nurse, nurse. We nursed on take off and landings and in between. Ford was going through a growth spurt that weekend so he didn't mind it at all. The suckling helps baby's ears from getting clogged and nursing helps pacify an upset baby.
• Bring pacis. Ford doesn't take a paci on his own but if you hold it in his mouth he will kind of knaw/suck on it and if baby doesn't want to nurse during takeoff/landing, the paci will help their ears. 
• We did not bring a pack and play and assumed Ford would sleep in the crib provided by the hotel. Well... those things aren't made for short people. I couldn't reach inside the crib because the rails were too tall. And the crib sheets I brought didn't fit. Ford ended up sleeping in his stroller laid back or his carrier the whole weekend. Just keep this in mind if your baby requires certain sleeping conditions

• Pack your sound machine. We have this one and it is the best thing ever invented. 
• If you feel like you've packed enough, pack a little more. Although we were in a city where we could easily go buy diapers or clothes, I wanted to be stocked and prepared. I brought a sleeve of 75 Costco diapers and we used all about about 20. Pack extra jammies in case of blowouts (but hotel soap DOES get out poop stains!). I am glad I packed an array of outfits because we were expecting cold and it was actually pretty warm and nice.

Honestly it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. Ford did great besides being extra needy during a "leap" but he was pretty adaptable. Ford is going on another flight in a few weeks so hoping for the best!

Waiting (patiently)

So here we are, exactly a week before our due date and I can tell you with 100% honesty that we are pretty darn calm. I laugh at the thought of thinking throughout the ENTIRE pregnancy that I would never get to this point of pregnancy. Everyone assumes their baby is massive and will come early, I expected no different with baby Hart who was always a big boy. We've been making progress (dilated and effaced) and experienced lots of contractions the past couple of weeks but lately we feel like the labor signs have decreased. And that is fine with us. There have been many times during this pregnancy that I've been way more anxious and antsy than today. And we could literally meet our son any day now. 
One of my favorite worship songs as of late is I Surrender by Hillsong and we sang it yesterday in church. It meant so much more to me yesterday than it has ever before. Lord I surrender this baby's birth to you. I want this to be about You, for You, and on Your time. There isn't a time I listen to the song and don't gulp back tears when we sing about breathing in the rushing wind of Christ and allowing Him to have His way in me. Yes I want to meet baby Hart SO SO bad. I want to finally look into his eyes and kiss his chubby cheeks. I want to watch Jon hold him and cuddle him and introduce him to his aunts, uncles, and cousin Embry. And in 2 weeks maximum we will, I know it. I am at peace.
I can't lie and say that I am physically at peace because man oh man carrying around a 32lb basketball in my tummy is quite exhausting but I can say with confidence I am peacefully, excitedly and calmly waiting the birth of our son. The less I get caught up with sorting out details (could it be tonight, well what about tomorrow, what would we do with Ernie, what route would we drive to the hospital), the more relaxed and excited I am. We know it's coming but I feel like it will still be a big surprise when it does. 
We are heading to the doctor this afternoon, be back tomorrow with an update!
Our days/nights have included swimming, naps, Too Cute on Animal Planet, Yahtzee, Marbles, dinner with friends, more naps, eating pineapple, walking, foot massages...

Big brother is ready!

DIY Pacifier Clip Tutorial

 I couldn't seem to find paci clips that I liked (or I found some I liked but they were ridiculously expensive) so I turned to Pinterest to find a tutorial to make my own. Now that I am confident in my straight line sewing, I was excited to find this easy tutorial to create pacifier clips.
Supplies Fabric, you'll need a 4''x10'' rectangle so not much (I recommend duck fabric because it is thicker and sturdier than regular cotton, they have cute patterns at Hobby Lobby) 1 inch suspender clips ($2 for 2 in the sewing section of Hobby Lobby) Elastic (about 2 inches worth, color and style of your choice, I chose thin white) Iron Sewing machine
I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Please email me with any additional questions you have! Oh and I made these for a friend who has a baby girl, baby Hart's are more masculine :).

Baby Hart's Baby Shower

This weekend, my mom and sisters threw me the most amazing baby shower for our sweet little guy! The week leading up to the shower I kept saying, "I can't believe it is here!". I remember telling my family we were pregnant on Christmas Eve and my sisters were already planning the baby shower. I thought June would never come and we are a third through the month and just 8 weeks away from meeting our baby. 
The theme was mustaches and bow ties (duh!) and if you follow me on Instagram, you got a few sneak peeks. My sister had my camera the whole time and I am so glad she took pictures because the whole thing was so surreal. It was over before I knew it and we were left with stacks of gifts and great memories. Family and friends have been the greatest blessing in our lives and we are so lucky to have so many people to love and support our family, and our unborn son. 

Perfect cookies made by the ladies of Sweet & Sour Showers

The wonderful hostesses!

My little mustache girl

 Daddy and mama

Advice from friends!

So many precious gifts for baby Hart! Can't get cuter than baby Polo and baby Under Armor (Jon was psyched!). Honestly we only have a few small things we need to prep for baby Hart and thanks to gift cards, I am going to go pick those things up in the next few weeks and we will be set! I really have some talented friends, we got so many handmade blankets, outfits, pillows, etc. Can't wait to show them off when baby is here!

Friends who came to the shower, friends who have showered us from a far, blog friends... we are so blessed to have you in our lives. Thank you for loving and supporting us!

31 weeks

Thoughts: Due date is 2 months from tomorrow! I am feeling VERY pregnant this week. I've got the full on pregnancy waddle going on and I feel like my belly grows overnight. I told Jon yesterday that I feel like I am growing a lot under my belly button which makes it hard to even just sit. 
Baby: my app says he is 18 inches and 3.5lbs! I can't wait to get a more accurate measurement on Friday at our appointment. He is now processing information (wonder what he's thinking about?!), tracking light, and perceiving signals from all 5 senses.  
Symptoms: had to take Zofran twice in the past week but no sickness, just took it to prevent it. Heart flutters/palpitations, a few Braxton Hicks contractions, and heaviness in my belly. 
Movement: yes! Sometimes I feel like he's going to break through my skin because it's so hard. He is getting really squished inside of me so instead of quick little punches, they are slow and intense. He's been getting the hiccups a lot lately and my whole tummy moves. It's cute to think about him playing around in my belly!
Cravings/aversions/eating: lots of fruit! And of course I am craving chocolate but having to satisfy the cravings with sugar free/low sugar options (pudding cups, sugar free cookies, diabetic friendly yogurt). I have also had extreme thirst and drinking lots of water lately. 
Workout: I lifted some weights twice last week and went on a couple walks which are getting to be quite the workout for me! We washed the cars last night and I woke up SORE this morning haha. 
Sleep: some nights I zonk out so easily and other nights I toss and turn like crazy. Since I can only sleep on my side, moving from one side to the other is quite the chore and leaves me exhausted!
Clothes: maternity all the way! Pre pregnancy I always bought tanks a size bigger and was able to wear those for most of the pregnancy but now they are becoming too short. Luckily I have lots of maternity tanks and tshirts, and can also wear non maternity flowy dresses as long tunic type tops. I've noticed my undies getting really tight around my waste so anytime we are at home, I wear Jon's boxers. 
Random: my baby shower is this weekend and I am so so excited! The theme is mustaches (of course) and I am really looking forward to spending time with family and friends. It seems like yesterday that we told my family we were pregnant and they were already planning the shower.
Doctor's appointments: we have our 31 week appointment Friday afternoon (I will be 31w5d) and they will retest my fasting blood sugar to make sure I pass again and we will have an ultrasound to measure our boy's growth! My mom and sisters are going to come with me to see him :)
I took this yesterday at the gym (exactly 31 weeks). Earlier in my pregnancy I bought some flowy workout tops from Old Navy thinking they'd cover my tummy but they are slowly creeping up!

30 weeks

(my belly always looks so red in pictures! And I am now sporting two unequal "la linea negras"... awesome!)
Thoughts: 30 weeks! I feel like I have been telling Jon I can't wait to get to 30 weeks because it feels so much safer. Not that I want to have him now but each week he stays in, the more he grows! We took a picture this weekend and it was the first time I felt like my belly looked really big and I have a feeling those thoughts will only increase the next 10 weeks. Last week a dear friend gave birth at 35 weeks to a perfect baby girl so it is hard to believe we could meet our boy so soon (or he could be stubborn and stay in for 42 weeks). I am slowing down a LOT and trying to pace myself because man even going grocery shopping is exhausting. Jon has really stepped up and is really helpful and makes sure I am always comfortable. He doesn't mind at all that I require daily naps now ;)
Baby: baby is big!! Our What To Expect App says he is 17-18 inches which is nuts because he won't get much longer before he is born! He was almost 3lbs 2 weeks ago so I am guessing he's about 3.5 or so? We will find out next week at our 31 week appointment. Even though there isn't anything to smell in the womb, his little nose works and he can perceive information from all 5 senses. 
Symptoms: 15 days Zofran free! Hallelujah. You may be wondering why I keep mentioning it each week but it is a huge step for me since I have been so sick since week 7. Tailbone pain/lower back pain are pretty regular these days. Shortness of breath and heart flutters are also here to stay. We did lots of walking last weekend and I am incredibly slow! I've noticed a major decrease in bloody noses this week which is awesome considering I've had 1-2 a day for 3 months. Hmm what else... I am still feeling a sharp pain on the left side of my pubic bone every so often. Not fun. 
Movement: all the time and to be honest, it is starting to get painful at times! I will be completely at rest and bam, a foot in my ribs. For the most part I love feeling his kicks but he is getting so big and moving into my rib cage which isn't fun. I now know his sleep patterns but it's crazy because I will still feel him roll around when he is sleeping. He seems to enjoy attempting to push his booty straight through my belly button. I will kindly pat his butt and he immediately moves it haha. 
Cravings/aversions/eating: well...2 weeks with cutting refined sugars and I miss it like crazy! I am not on a sugar free diet but just restricting any foods with a crazy amount of sugar which sucks because you know how big of a sweet tooth I have. We got froyo last night and I got sugar free chocolate but honestly it sucked because I didn't get any toppings (my normal toppings would have been Reeses or brownies). I am eating TONS of fruit, basically finishing a whole watermelon by myself in a matter of days, also loving peaches, grapes, blackberries, and strawberries. 
Workouts: I am considering going to the Silver Sneakers class at my gym because I swear some of those senior citizens move faster than me! I have been trying to go to the gym at lunch a few times a week for 30 or so minutes to do light weights or walk the track. I feel like being pregnant is a workout in itself though :). Just trying to stay healthy for baby!
Sleep: sleep has been fantastic this week! We stayed at a hotel last weekend (more on that tomorrow) and I swear I slept the best I had in months. I have to sleep with a small pillow between my knees and have started putting either a pillow or blankets under my belly for support. I can literally fall asleep at the drop of a hat and naps have been very popular!
Clothes: 100% maternity pants and shirts but excited that I can still wear a lot of non maternity dresses... although some of them are super short in the front because of the belly! I keep asking Jon if certain dresses are appropriate and I don't know if he is just being nice but we ran errands last weekend and I was wearing a dress and I am pretty sure my butt was hanging out. Whoops. I went to Forever 21 yesterday for some maxi skirts and for a second forgot I was pregnant when I was attempting to try on non elastic ones. Yeah that did NOT work. I found a pair of my favorite Old Navy skinnies in my pre pregnancy size for $8 but I was too chicken to wear them, not knowing what size I will be in the future... 
Random: We took our hospital tour last weekend and it was so exciting! I was giddy at the thought of coming to the hospital without our baby and knowing we'd leave with him. The women's center at our hospital is brand new and really nice (although I'm sure I won't care a bit when I'm in labor). I am glad we know kind of how things will work when we have the baby, I feel a lot more prepared! 
I had a surprise baby shower at work last week and I am still in shock! I figured my co workers would do something for me before baby came but I was so surprised!!! And they got us SO MUCH y'all! One of the greatest blessings during this pregnancy has been to see how many people love our family and our little boy.

Noticing some of my maternity shirts are getting kinda tight! 29 weeks

Last Wednesday (5/22) marks 4 years since Jon and I met and I managed to squeeze into the same dress I was wearing when we met. Fits a lot different these days! 29w2d

We will bring our our boy home in the same outfit my parents brought me home in in 1988 and I finally dug it out of my baby box and hung in his room. 

ADORABLE mustache boat shoes from Carolyn (who is also expecting a baby boy!)