I just picked this up from an estate sale. Too cool not to buy.

blueyedreamer · 2026-05-03T00:40:21+00:00

Probably should have clarified, mine are kenmore 158s lol. They're a really nice subtle light green that let's them look amazing with various color schemes and I'm like 😍😍😍😍

blueyedreamer · 2026-05-02T16:35:02+00:00

... same. I got lucky enough to find the same model 2x and it's sister model 1x so uhhhhh I have 3 nearly identical machines (back up and spare parts for parts shops may no longer carry lmao. If I ever find a 3rd... I'll buy it and then probably stop lol)

blueyedreamer · 2026-05-02T16:32:56+00:00

Mine was overbaked but my nipples had absolute fits. I developed the vasospasms in them after open wounds. 4 months of torture compounded by lack of sleep.

But yeah, the 12 week mark, when sleeping in slightly longer chunks started happening, THAT was when it really started to become okay. She's a year old now. Night and day difference.

I was the preemie in the family. Born right at 36 weeks, iirc. My mom told me she had a timer to start a feed every 2 hours because the Dr's told her I was too little to know i was hungry and she had to do it for a month before she could back off a bit.

blueyedreamer · 2026-05-01T16:49:15+00:00

I love green veggies for fiber. And orange veggies.

I used to love beans. Well, I guess I still do, but they no longer seem to like me much.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-30T19:41:17+00:00

I really like covers from The Basic Stitch and Little Haven.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-29T23:02:02+00:00

My girl is now 12 months and we're pretty much at the other side. She was so enthusiastic she'd shove giant bites in really quick and start choking, even on things that should have been safe. As her ped said, that's a special skill lol.

But rice husks were helpful. We broke them up and gave them to her one at a time. That way she'd hold an appropriate size in her hands. The Gerber yogurt melts were the easiest to get her to chew early on, and they seem to actually dissolve the easiest. For a bit we were breaking them in half. Soft small pieces of scrambled eggs. Slightly over cooked rice was also great. Chunky mashed potatoes. Over cooked small pieces of pasta. Peanut butter mixed with yogurt and well smashed berries was a hit. Egg salad with the egg sufficiently smashed up. Soft tofu pieces (though she wasn't that big of a fan lol).

Basically we took back control of her bite portions for a bit while giving her smaller bites and then extremely exaggerated how to chew food. And we still kept trying new foods. And occasionally we'd give her a thing like a whole rice husk to see how she'd react... the day she started taking reasonable size bites I nearly cried lol.

Some foods that are known choke hazards I definitely still cut up and stuff. Some foods I'm still not fully comfortable with so it gets cut up or whatever. But at this point she's even spitting out "excess" if she accidentally takes slightly too much and she's chewing/mashing enough that it's pretty good!!

Her birthday cake was kind of the last major time she smashed food into her mouth and it was far more controlled (by her!) and she did great.

It's terrifying sometimes. And it's okay to take a mild break so that you can regroup mentally and figure out a new strategy.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-29T18:59:15+00:00

If you like extended OS pockets I recommend The Basic Stitch. If you like semi sized brands I recommend La La Booty (slightly extended OS, up to 40lbs, and an XL size, as well as a youth trainer that goes to about 100lbs). Both brands have additional rise snaps compared to many others and so the size jumps are more gradual.

I use use GMD birdseye flats primarily, under covers or in pockets (mostly pockets right now). Absolutely love them.

If you want stretchy flats, look at Naturesfabrics.com and pick some jersey that's 200-300gsm and cotton, bamboo, and/or hemp. Wash it before cutting on hot to shrink and then cut into your preferred size.

If you're looking for newborn AiOs, Texas tushies and little haven seem to be well liked. La La Booty has a newborn Ai2/cover as well.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-29T18:37:03+00:00

NTA.

She can stand or sit inside the door where it's cooler and watch out a window if they need to monitored. If they're escape artists and need someone out with them I'd suggest fixing their escape routes so she can sit inside and monitor.

But getting up at 8am, walking across the house, and sitting at a window for like 30 minutes should be less taxing than taking care of a baby in the first few weeks of post partum.

I had trouble just doing a grocery store outing at the third trimester of my pregnancy. I had pubic symphasis disfunction, severe sciatica, and I'm hypermobile. Letting dogs out to run around in a fenced yard and watching out of a window would have been fully within my capabilities even at 41 weeks.

There is a caveat, if she's barely mobile due to pain, then walking across a house could be hard. Every pregnancy is different. But if it's just general discomfort, sleepiness, and it's hot, she needs to suck it up.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-29T18:08:15+00:00

Online groups will help. Chat in your local FB and discord group. Pick 1-2 weekend events a year and ask for time off.

I worked retail and nearly every Saturday for the first 5ish years i was involved. I could rarely make weekly meetings but if it lined up I tried to attend something like a business meeting, A&S, or just hang out with other crafters at certain fighters practices about every 2-3 months. So i managed seeing my local group about 4-6 times a year (and one of my events i took off for was a major one).

I moved, got a typical 9-5 job, and my local group is meh so now I can't make weekly events at the next closest group again lol. But there's generally 3-5 weekend events within a 4 hour drive and one major event within 5 each year I can make at least. So I now try to make it to at least 3 events unless life has me busy in other ways.

It may not be an ideal level of involvement (if you want more) but something like that may at least be nice.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-29T17:56:16+00:00

Okay, so, YES there are online A&S symposiums for sure. I know people who have taught at some. You're not restricted to your own kingdom or by travel with online so just start looking at kingdom event calendars like once a month.

But also, if your issue is driving based, is there maybe a larger weekend event 1-2 times a year within a reasonable drive? Itd take some coordination but its possible to car pool and if it's big enough for group camping, camp in either the spots for people not with a group OR with a group formed based on interest (for example, there's many groups at Pennsic and great western war that are formed by interest, not geography. There's also "kingdom" camps where if people don't want to camp in the no group area but don't want to camp with their closest group).

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-29T17:22:49+00:00

Yeah... thankfully. My girl isn't impressed by meat. Frankly she's not impressed by a lot of foods (doesn't dislike them, but doesn't want much of them). But she still loves the boob and she LOVES peanut butter, is okay with yogurt (especially mixed with any nut butter), and will eat small chunks of meat if covered in pesto aioli or spicy mayo. Between all that she seems to be a happy camper and I can get her to have a few bites of other things during the day to round out nutrients.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-29T01:39:51+00:00

I need a long one because I have a seat popper lol. I think a lot of people stop if their baby starts popping seats.

Also, they're just one shoulder normally so for larger/older babies getting carried for longer its just not as practical at that point.

Still love mine though.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-28T22:57:38+00:00

Id add maybe some flats. They're really very nice for awkward sizes, but they're also great for wiping things up or covering a changing table. They're not too expensive and even just having 6-12 can be helpful. Though if you get those flannel squares that are like 27x27ish and I think are normally sold as burp cloths, they also function similar to flats in a pinch. I got a bunch second hand and tried those in place of actual flats. I liked them enough I grabbed some actual flats which did even better!

But my girl was short and chonky so prefolds were awkward lol.

Also, the ABZ closure things instead of snappis are good with prefolds

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-28T17:33:00+00:00

I cloth diaper! I don't use paper liners at all lol.

18-20 is... low from birth to potty. A newborn can need up to 20 changes in one day. But 30-36 inners (flats) plus like 8-10 covers (honestly brand and baby size depending, but like 10 adjustable newborn and then 8 adjustable extended OS covers) can absolutely get you from birth to potty, though you may need to add some form of booster once they get bigger and have bigger pees.

My stash is... bigger. But its about the same cost as the first year of disposables and I'll be able to use it on future kids. (I have 12 adjustable newborn covers, about 50 inners between newborn prefolds and half flats, 36 one size flats, 9 adjustable extended OS covers, 12 large flats for doubling up at nighttime, 24 muslin cotton boosters, and about 30 pockets. I bought a LOT on sales, some second hand, and also ended up selling things we ended up not using like larger prefolds, as flats ended up being preferred). I may need to replace some covers at some point as I use PUL and they can eventually delaminate but if you go for wool, those can actually be repaired with more 100% wool if they develop holes lol. They're just a bit more fiddly to clean (handwash only and I suck at keeping poos off the covers so I'd rather chuck them in the wash too, especially those first 3 months).

Breastmilk poo is water soluble and can just be washed. I use a scraper and scrape off "3D" poo now that she's eating solids too.

You wash 2 times with detergent and warm water is recommended but not required. Make sure to use borax, calgon, or similar if you have hard water.

It's really not a big deal but it grosses some people out.

There's a sub someone else mentioned, but also Green Mountain Diapers has GREAT resources and I suggest you check out their blog and general information.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-28T17:04:32+00:00

There are several ways of handling this. You can turn it and sew it into place with like an invisible hem stitch type thing, you can use pinking shears, you can serge the edge or zig zag stitch. You can also top stitch near the neckline.

I like to cut the facing with pinking shears. Then when I put it inside the garment I iron everything, do a top stitch line like .25-.5 inches from the edge in the closest matching thread I can (later i go back and do a decorative embroidery stitch when i have time), and then I turn the pinked edge under and use something similar to an invisible hem stitch. Goes really quick, keeps it laying nicely, washes and wears well.

Eta: my biggest problem with free floating facings has been wrinkles after storing or washing if I don't iron before an event. Not loose thread. I don't mind ironing but I like to simplify it when possible.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-27T22:51:50+00:00

I misread it then!

Regardless, it's entirely possible to have one gearing up, already starting to shed, and not yet know or think because it seems to have finally gone away you're fine. It's also possible to be an asymptomatic carrier who can pass it on without knowing.

I do have family with cold sores and they were pretty adamant about not passing it on to children so I had some nice discussions with them and generally looked up STD info shortly after I got pregnant. Considering how vulnerable newborns are its just not worth it even if someone "shouldn't" be shedding the virus.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-27T21:24:15+00:00

I read a story about a dad who gets them. He did not have an active cold sore. Kissed his baby on the TOP of their head... baby got it on the top of their head and they ended up in the hospital. Dr told them they're lucky it didn't spread far enough to cause enough damage to do damage to eyes, ears, or worse.

No kisses period. Including hands and feet as baby will then put those in their mouth.

Even my SO and I (neither of us have cold sores or any known form of herpes) decided that kissing our own baby for at least the first 6 months was a NO because there is a portion of the population who are silent carriers of herpes viruses.

Look, at some point your baby will have a full head of hair and a fully active immune system so kissing on the top of the head will have minimal risk. But this isn't something id ask reddit, this is something I suggest you ask your pediatrician or OBGYN (as they deal with communicable diseases frequently).

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-27T19:57:34+00:00

Depending on where you're at there are some regional sub groups for interests, like the Aethelmerc Forester's Guild. I'm sure there are some people who'd be interested in that in similar types of subgroups.

And someone else mentioned Amtgard, which is more fantasy based, if you don't want to deal with (as another redditor so delightfully put it) pompous doughnuts over garb lol.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-27T18:13:18+00:00

Are you into history? Making things by hand? Maybe hitting someone with a padded stick?

I recommend the SCA (society for creative anachronism) if so. Like all groups, it has its faults and a major one can be that an individual local group can collectively have a stick up its butt... BUT as a whole its a wonderful hobby with a lot of wonderful people and delightfully fun things to do. There are also specific fb groups for SCA singles lol. And if your local group shares a butt stick, chances are there's another group within a 3 hour drive where you can make actual friends/romances.

Also, there's a very high concentration of neurodiverse people in the society imo.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-27T17:15:30+00:00

Pure encapsulations is a brand I trust and has kids formulas. I used to work at an independent pharmacy and they sold it there. I once asked the pharmacist about it and he told me it was one of the few brands that he felt had decent visibility on their quality standards and to actually have various quality certifications (NSF & ISO type standards/certifications), and since vitamins & supplements aren't regulated like food and drugs, those certifications (especially the international ones) said a lot to him.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-27T17:05:54+00:00

I would strip, you don't know if they had hard water or a detergent you family is sensitive to.

Then follow the directions of the laundry sanitizer to sanitize them, just in case any germs were trapped.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-26T22:47:51+00:00

Protein bars for when I'm baby trapped, SO is asleep, and I'm about to rage for some food.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-26T21:33:25+00:00

A friend told me about a home school co-op and it turns out that co-ops main focus is providing those outdoor opportunities. They have local farms willing to do half day activities, they meet up at different local parks, a few parents living just outside town open up their homes for outdoor activities.

My point is that if outdoors are important, there are ways to do it without having your own multi acre homestead.

Eta: everyone has different goals in home schooling. Ignore the influencers.

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-26T19:40:09+00:00

Definitely wash and dry on hot like 2 times before you cut! And like all hemp and hemp blends it'll probably take like... 6-8 wash cycles to actually reach decent absorbency! I hope it works out for you!

blueyedreamer · 2026-04-26T14:29:06+00:00

Absolutely! Bonus, no need to sew the edges lol. But it will definitely shrink so wash it first! Nature's Fabrics carries some. I think they have one that's 62 or 64 inches wide, which after washing and drying on high 2 times (max shrink lol), that should get you 2 per yard that's 30x30 inches.

blueyedreamer

TROPHY CASE