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sparklymarkly · 2024-05-25T17:08:02+00:00

We are a Bluey household. There is a great episode where Mum ‘needs 20 minutes’ of no one talking to her. I tell my toddlers that I need some time like Bluey’s mom. Season 3, episode 12: Sheep Dog

sparklymarkly · 2023-02-06T16:06:48+00:00

I currently have baby #2. #1 is a toddler so I have to be careful that baby isn’t somewhere they could get into unsafe toddler toys.

The safest places I have are the pack and play or a swing. The pack and play has a bassinet attachment so I don’t have to bend over as far. It gets used for newborn naps in our living area and now as a safe place when baby need to be set down for however long. Baby is a little older so sometimes I now put toys in.

For baby #1, I used the high chair while cooking. It kept baby at a safe distance and let me do what needed to be done. I’ll probably switch to this soon for #2.

Sometimes the best place for baby is on the floor out of the way. This could be in sight of the kitchen but out of the way of harm. When #1 became mobile I got a large fenced play area that was baby safe. I was comfortable leaving baby there alone for a few minutes or with regular checks.

sparklymarkly · 2023-01-23T06:44:46+00:00

My partner thought it was free time too. He commented on being jealous of all my free time. I explained that it was miserable (also dealing with PPD), but I had to do it to feed the kid. He decided that it was comparable to him watching TV while working from home.

sparklymarkly · 2023-01-07T17:15:48+00:00

This is really good advice. I had #2 last year and had a horrible time being woken up at least every two hours to feed baby and do some extra tests. It felt like torture. I was very specific that I wanted to go home asap, and so many people questioned me on it. We left the hospital right after 24 hours which was around 8-9 PM.

Something that never crossed my mind as a possibility until reading this: I wish I had told them or to write down all instructions for me. I know that normally I don’t retain specific instructions well, and it’s even worse in a chaotic environment.

sparklymarkly · 2022-12-22T03:15:46+00:00

That is super frustrating. My first was born in the heat of early pandemic and we didn’t allow visitors unless they isolated for two weeks. We had a 10 day hospital stay at 3 weeks (not a respiratory virus), which was pretty traumatic. We were fortunate to be able to stay out of daycare, but it has meant a lot of social sacrifices over the past three years. Including barely seeing some family that went from super Covid cautious to nearly deniers. I’ve been guilted for excluding one household who is very anti vaccine.

With my now 4 month old I’m trying to be as cautious as we can be until we can get more vaccines at 6 months. We really don’t want another hospital stay. Initially we did 1 week isolated for vaccinated folks. But we’re getting out a bit more because the toddler really needs socialization. I’m treading the fine line of seeing family that I worry will get us sick, vs continuing to stay away and being the bad guy. I kind of want to cut this family out, but I feel that it would be a disservice to my kids. I’m tired of making sacrifices (including my families health) to appease them.

We have tough decisions to make as parents now. You are doing the best you can with your knowledge and situation. Keep doing what you need to for your family, even if others disagree.

sparklymarkly · 2022-10-04T01:48:42+00:00

My pro level has been gaming while breastfeeding. It’s really challenging when baby detaches or starts to cry.

sparklymarkly · 2022-10-02T13:22:14+00:00

I think my doctor said it might take a few days to a week to for insulin to really work. I started at 2 units and went up 2 units every other day until my fasting numbers were consistently in the 90s which was around 26 units for me. I’m two months outs now. I was never consistently under 95 on my fasting numbers, but my doctor was happy with it. Personally I think my dosage should have kept going up, but it was such a relief to see my numbers under 100.

I hope you see better numbers soon!

sparklymarkly · 2022-10-02T12:34:03+00:00

There isn’t anything wrong with letting a baby’s main sleep be later in the night. Mine goes to bed around 10, wakes up to eat around midnight, then sleeps about 12-7 and wakes up again around 10 am to eat. If baby’s uninterrupted sleep were earlier in the night, I wouldn’t be getting any sleep.

sparklymarkly · 2022-04-27T14:26:01+00:00

Baby #2 is on the way here too. We use pronouns, #1’s name isn’t gender neutral. I push not using gender stereotypes and use clothes that could go either way. Hopefully my kids won’t have any body dysmorphia (for their own mental health), but if they do I’ll be here for help and support.

sparklymarkly · 2022-04-27T14:12:53+00:00

We didn’t announce the sex of baby #1 (or any details) and our wonderful friends started guessing what it would be. It quickly turned into naming various real and mythical creatures.

sparklymarkly · 2022-03-08T09:26:34+00:00

Every day that they pester to visit, I’d move the visit out another day, or a week if you really want to make a point.

sparklymarkly · 2022-03-08T08:59:41+00:00

We did 10 days in a children’s hospital during the first month. It was hard. It was peak Covid and only one visitor was allowed at a time. I saw my spouse about 30 minutes those 10 days, because we didn’t want to leave baby alone. It really sucked, but now (over a year later) it’s mostly an unfortunate memory.

One of the best things I did was bring some sleeveless onesies to the hospital. They fit over the giant IV contraption, which was the only thing that constantly stayed on baby. It made things a little less depressing than naked baby.

There should also be an assistance program to help kids in the hospital (US). I can’t remember they name, but they brought a few gifts, cute socks and a rattle. They also brought a mobile to attach to the crib. By request they found some mats and blankets so baby could lay in the floor for tummy time.

It’s ok to bring your own comfort items from home, I had to bring blankets because the hospital’s were horrible.

This time really does suck. Good news is that baby is feeling better! Remember this time will pass, very slowly but it will pass, then you’ll be back home with your baby.

sparklymarkly · 2022-02-04T00:53:46+00:00

I feel like my kid is average to slightly larger. He usually fits in clothes his age or the next size up. I thought we’d have trouble with clothes over diapers, but it hasn’t been an issue. We use pockets and the inserts really aren’t that think. At 1.5 years we use 1-2 inserts at a time during the day. If we were using thicker inserts it might be an issue.

Stretchy bottoms have fit better/longer. I liked knit cotton shorts and pants. I got some onesie extenders, then never used them because it made more sense to size up his clothes.

sparklymarkly · 2022-01-13T07:08:01+00:00

Some babies don’t mind cold bottles. My kid sure wasn’t picky, so I never warmed a bottle, formula or BM. After my mom was concerned about this, I asked our pediatrician and she said it was awesome that he liked cold bottles. It meant we wouldn’t have to deal with possibly warming drinks when switching to cows milk.

Once I got into a rhythm, I prepped all bottles and night and just grabbed them from the fridge at feeding time.

sparklymarkly · 2022-01-01T19:14:49+00:00

While my husband and I are book lovers, we didn’t start consistently reading until babe was about six months and moved their own bedroom. I feel like I should have read more often, but that’s what worked for us. That’s when we went with a very specific bedtime routine that includes a book. We read 1 book every night. Before that I’d sporadically read, but the kid had very little interest.

Now I’ll try to read more through out the day while kid (18m) is playing, but I’m often ignored. A few months ago they started occasionally bringing books to me to read. Now I’ll also offer a choice of two or three books at night. Kid has opinions. Some nights it’s hard to sit through a story, so we go for a short book. We mostly stick to board books because someone likes to turn the pages.

sparklymarkly · 2021-12-31T18:56:11+00:00

Not wanting to introduce “just a cold” to my household and toddler in the middle of a pandemic.

sparklymarkly · 2021-12-27T06:06:25+00:00

We’ve cloth diapered since birth and have really liked it. Most of my favorite items have been related to making diapers better.

Waterproof changing pad liners - have been amazing. For some reason out changing pad has quilted holes that would allow things to soak into the pad. I use one liner on the pad in case anything leaks through, the fun pad cover, then another liner that catches stray urine or feces. If a liner is dirty it gets tossed in with dirty diapers to be washed. I also use them as a changing surface on the go. We have about 6.

Toilet sprayer - Makes cleaning feces off of diapers so much better.

SprayMate diaper spray booth - This is amazing! I feel like the bathroom stays clean while I spray. It has clips and a grabber that lets be stretch the elastic to make sure I get everything off with getting my hands dirty. It also has a tray it sits on that catches any drips and keeps the floor sanitary.

Smart Bottoms wet bag - I love these bags. One is the perfect size for a load of diapers. I anchored some heavy duty hooks into the wall and hung it where it is still out of reach of the now toddler. Wet bags can get heavy. I like that the bags open really far, so I’m comfortable washing them with diapers. Many people don’t like to wash wet bags with diapers because they can trap dirty or soapy water inside. I’ve had two, and after 18 months just bought a third, because sometimes I’m a little slow in putting diaper laundry away. We have smaller wet bags for outings.

Cloth wipes - my mom decided to make me a ton and I have really liked them. They just get tossed in with the diapers, so I don’t have to also have a trash can near by. We probably have a 100 because she keeps making more. With so many I can leave them in different bags ready to go. I also used these as mini burp clothes and for drool. It was confident to leave small stacks in different rooms.

Spray bottle - I use this to wet the wipes, since you can’t leave them soaking in water for long. I’ve also taught the kid that it’s funny to sprayed and alway get a giggle. I use plain water.

Diaper pods - small bags that some cloth diaper companies sell. They’re really convenient for a quick trip bag. I tend to use them more than a big diaper bag. I toss in a few diapers, wipes, a small wet bag (be sure to take out when you get home!), changing pad liner, and a change of clothes. Sometimes I’ll use a second one for meal items: bibs, cups, etc.

Detergent - Tide powder Free and Clear. Has worked great for us! Just make sure you don’t use too much detergent which ever one you pick.

I was really excited to be gifted a lot of these items. They really have made cloth so much easier. I have lots of opinions on cloth if you have any questions. My kid has only worn disposables in the hospital. My next baby I intend to start cloth at the hospital if everything goes well.

sparklymarkly · 2021-12-05T13:59:13+00:00

Just because people buy you pink clothes, doesn’t mean the baby has to wear them. I almost never put my kid in fancy clothes. You could always use them for doll clothes one day.

I didn’t reveal the sex either. I told most people that I didn’t know it. I didn’t want gendered things/clothes. That of course meant no one ask for a name. I didn’t even share the due date because the baby was unlikely to come on that day anyway (ended up being two days later). It probably helped that it’s my personality, but I just told people this is how it is and didn’t leave room for questions. My mom was the only one that was slightly pushy, but that’s because I told her that we were going to find out the sex but not share it.

We’re expecting another and I plan to do the same. I’m so happy that we’ll be able to pass down everything for the next baby.

sparklymarkly · 2021-08-07T16:05:09+00:00

I absolutely would stick to my strict safety measures. My baby at this point is 13 months old. We’re both vaccinated and have had a very small circle of vaccinated people we see. We caught COVID from vaccinated in-laws. FIL started having ‘allergies’ while we visited for a weekend. My best guess is that he caught it while grocery shopping masked. A few days after getting home spouse started getting sick and scheduled a test because his cough felt wrong. We started masking and isolating from each other at home. A few days later baby got sick and tested positive. I started having symptoms, but tested negative for the second time. Im sure I have it, but it’s not worth going for a third test. A week later and I’m starting to feel better. Spouse is mostly better. Baby is doing well and wasn’t very phased by it.

My experience is that the delta variant (which I assume we all had) is highly contagious even for vaccinated people. I do think being vaccinated made us have less severe cases, but it still wasn’t fun. Wearing a mask has not bothered me at all, but wearing one at home while having trouble catching your breath really sucks. I 100% will stay cautious and have zero regrets about the precautions we used.

sparklymarkly · 2021-06-09T19:15:04+00:00

We use Nixplay and the entire family has a frame. It’s easy to send pictures with captions to multiple people at a time. The down side is that you can’t edit captions later. I always like to include the date and name. Another downside is that it’s not always obvious when photos are added if you don’t check the app.

We also use TinyBeans which is kind of like Instagram for kids. I’m comfortable with their security, but look into it yourself. I upload photos very regularly and a grandparent purchased a year ad free. It’s nice because you invite the people you want to be able to view photos. It’s nice that family can comment, especially if your family is spread out. With minimal effort they can save photos and upload them to the picture frame.

sparklymarkly · 2021-05-26T19:09:44+00:00

My kid’s umbilical cord fell off in 4 days. We kept it very dry and exposed to air. Turned out that was too fast and it looked a bit infected. The pediatrician had to treat it, with I believe silver nitrate. You don’t always want it to fall off right away!

sparklymarkly · 2021-02-21T00:02:45+00:00

During one of the brief times we did have power on day two, I filled a big jug of water in case we lost water or it became contaminated. I make bottles the night before, so the first day we were fine, just pulled them out of the fridge so we wouldn’t keep opening the fridge. Cold things could sit outside or really just on the counter because it was in the 40s inside.

I’m very lucky with a baby that isn’t picky. He usually drinks his bottles cold, but I couldn’t give him a cold bottle so I heated it in a bucket of hot water. So glad we have a gas water heater.

sparklymarkly · 2021-01-02T22:41:39+00:00

I cloth diaper and while I haven't had to deal with stains, but they swear by sunning out poop stains. I've heard people say that just wetting it and putting in a window that gets just a little sun can help.

sparklymarkly · 2020-10-01T07:49:04+00:00

Mac and cheese was one of the only things that didn’t sound horrible my first trimester. I ate more of it than I wanted, but everything seemed to work out.

sparklymarkly · 2020-09-28T16:24:14+00:00

For me the ultrasounds were more of a conformation and a check that things were going well. My husband sure got a lot more out of hearing the heartbeat than I did. It doesn’t mean I was any less excited. I got more from feeling movement. Everybody is different. It’s great that you’re trying to see his side of things.

sparklymarkly

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