Fluffiness

I've had the Sproutling in cloth nappies for a few weeks now so I thought it was time to try to sound like I know what I'm talking about with them.  Haha.

The range of types, brands, fabrics and colours of modern cloth nappies out there is truly staggering these days, dwarfed only by the numbers of websites selling them. Not only is there about a million different types and brands, there is an enormous range of paraphernalia that is sold along with them, but isn't really necessary.

I wanted to try using cloth nappies from the start, but I really wasn't sure where to begin. The amount of information out there is completely overwhelming! A friend of mine who is using cloth with her daughter showed me the different types she had in a bit of a lesson one day before Sprout was born, so I started to have a bit of a clue after that.

The next stage was taking part in the Great Nappy Hunt during March, which introduced me to a whole LOAD of sites selling different nappies and various baby stuff. It's a shame it was slightly early for me as there were some great specials on around the place during that time, but it's semi-annual so there will be another round in September. There's a Great Diaper Hunt for you American types too!

Pre-Folds
After Sprout was born, we decided to buy some cotton pre-folds and covers, since they are supposed to fit newborns better than other types. I found that they didn't fit as well as I thought. The covers we used prevented leaks but the pre-folds themselves ended up quite bulky and didn't look comfortable at all. I gave up for the time being and went back to disposables.

Pocket Nappies
In mid-May Sproutling was two months old and getting a lot bigger, so I decided to buy a few different types of cloth nappies to see what I liked. I decided to go for pocket nappies, which consist of a "shell" made of waterproof Polyurethane Laminate (PUL) on the outside and microfleece on the inside. The shell can be stuffed with cloth to suit your needs - more for night time or a long car trip, less for around the house.

I bought a few of a couple of different brands to try. In the end I decided on Blueberry One-Size nappies, fastening with velcro. Although these are a pricier option than other brands, I got them on a great special and they came with their microfleece inserts and boosters included. They're a lovely soft minky PUL on the outside in lots of different designs.

They fit Sprout really well and only leak around the legs if I leave it too long before changing him. Also sometimes when he sleeps on his tummy the wetness can wick out the top of the nappy a little bit - I haven't worked out how to prevent that just yet apart from trying to make sure he doesn't go to sleep wet. We're still using disposables during the night.

Aussies, I've bought a few things now from Baby Blossom and they were great. No, they didn't pay me to say that :) Shop around though, there are some amazing shops out there!

The Routine
Looking after the nappies is proving pretty easy so far. I don't have a dryer and my clothesline isn't in the sun, but if I get the nappies out there by lunchtime they usually dry before dark, except for the couple with bamboo inserts that take two days to dry in the winter. Including the trial nappies I bought to start with, I currently have 14 in my stash. I wash the dirties every morning on the "synthetic" cycle at 40 degrees, with a little sensitive detergent. Some people recommend pre-wash cycles or rinses - I haven't bothered so far and haven't had any stains or funny smells yet. This may change once we start on solids!

The Advice
All that was a bit of a wall o' text so I'll give you the low-down on what you'll need:

• Buy enough nappies to get you through at least two days, in case you have wet weather or can't wash one day. The nappies do need to be changed more frequently than disposables.
• Get a nappy bucket with a sealing lid for dirties, or a wet bag (like this one that Darcy suggests) for the nursery.
• Cloth wipes are not a necessity but they do mean that you can just throw it all in the bucket and not worry about disposing of wipes seperately. We just bought some fleece from a craft shop and cut it into squares, but you can buy special microfleece wipes if you prefer. I have a spray bottle with water in to wet the cloths when I'm changing Sprout.

And that, my friends, is pretty much it! Feel free to ask and questions or tell me about your cloth experience!

Going Cuckoo

I come from a rather musical family, so I wanted to try to instil in the Sproutling a love of music from an early age, as my mum did with me. Now, I'm terrible at thinking up rhymes to sing to him so I looked around for a musical playgroup-type-thing we could go to.

We started going to Boppin' Babies when Sprout was nine weeks old. The group was only about six or seven kids of which Sprout was the youngest, ranging in age up to about two years old. A lady with a guitar sings the songs and we all join in, sometimes with rattles, drums and other instruments - it's a lot of fun! Sprout is still a little small to be joining in properly but he seems to enjoy the singing and watching the other kids play and dance.

I have also recently discovered thanks to Lathere (of Hots & Dots and My Little Sapling) that our local council libraries put on a similar Babies and Rhymes session for free each week. Sproutling and I went along to one this week and sang some songs and some little rhymes along with about 15 other babies of varying ages.

We learned a new song while there. It goes something like this:

Tick, tock, tick, tock,
(rock back and forth)
I’m a little cuckoo clock,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
Now I’m striking one o’clock
CUCKOO!
(lift child in air)
(Repeat until as many o’clock as your back holds out.)

It was during this song that I looked around at the 15 or so women (there weren't any dads there!) shouting "CUCKOO!!" while waving their children in the air that I realised that something must crack in our brains when we become parents, switching off the care-what-others-think part and turning on the idiot-for-children's-entertainment part.

Thank goodness for that because I am having an absolute ball!

PS. No, Boppin' Babies aren't paying me to say how much fun we have there.
PPS. Once upon a time, Mr Ang and I were given a cuckoo clock for a wedding present. We opened it, said, "Ooooh, just what we always wanted!" then quickly relegated it to the back of a cupboard. 
PPPS. Yes, that is my MSPaint artwork :P

Out and About with Sprout

When the Sproutling first arrived, I was apprehensive at the thought of taking him out anywhere. There were so many things that could go wrong! I had visions of people frowning and tut-tutting at me as I carted my screaming baby around. What if there was a poo-splosion while we were out or he projectile vomited over a cash register or something?

My confidence in the matter wasn't helped by the fact that the first time I took Sprout shopping at about six weeks old, he had a complete screaming meltdown in the middle of Target and I had to drop the clothes I was going to buy and high-tail it out of there. Thankfully the "Parent Rooms" at Mount Ommaney centre are very comfortable so I was able to regroup after a big feed and settling him down to sleep.

Last weekend was my mother's birthday so my dad arranged a surprise dinner for her at a local restaurant (Turkish, mmmmm). Mr Ang and I decided we'd go along with Sproutling. Although he's been to plenty of noisy places before and also out at night-time, he'd never been to a restaurant so we weren't really sure how he would deal with it. Also he has been going to bed between 7 and 8 lately so this would be past his bedtime.

The restaurant was quite noisy inside. At first, Sprout was okay with cuddles with his Yiayia, but after a while he started to get a little restless. We were sitting in a corner so I tried to discreetly feed him, hoping he'd drop off to sleep, but it was too noisy and I ended up having to go outside and sit in the doorway of a neighbouring shop where it was quiet.  I'm sure it won't be my last breastfeeding hobo experience.

He did actually go to sleep for a little while after that and only had one other major crying episode the rest of the night, but it was so noisy in there that no-one really noticed. When we got home it was only about 9:30 but it took me at least an hour of sitting in a quiet, dark room before he calmed down and went to sleep.  After that he slept for about six hours in one go!

So I guess we now know that going out in the evening is possible, as long as there's somewhere quiet to calm him down if he gets upset and that we should expect overtiredness afterwards. We don't go out for dinner that often but it's good to know that we can.

Progress: Two Months

The Sproutling has now dinged two months and is growing like... well, like a Sprout! Now he actually fits into the Sproutfit I got for him before he was born! Here's a little catch up on what we've been up to.

We have been getting some smiles for a few weeks now, but he doesn't quite smile on demand so there is precious little photo-evidence. No giggles just yet while awake, but he's certainly vocal and chats away to us.

He is getting much better at holding his head up straight and looking curiously around at everything.  In fact while awake he is so alert and inquisitive that we have a hard time with him wriggling around so much! He doesn't quite reach out for things but does watch them intently.

Just this week I've noticed a bit of a sleeping pattern starting - if we get up early enough he will have a morning and an afternoon nap, but I have to actually go put him in bed when he's tired. If he goes to sleep on me, I have to hold him all afternoon or he wakes up and gets upset. I've actually started to put him to sleep on his tummy at night.  I know, it's not recommended and it's supposedly not safe, but he sleeps so much better that way! Just last night we had a 5-hour stint which meant only two feeds during the night instead of three - I woke up before he did at 3am and had to check to make sure he was still breathing! Hopefully this is the start of a longer night's sleep.

Each day is full of wonder at this stage, as Sproutling discovers the world around him and responds to Mr Ang and I as we try to make him smile. I wish this precious time would never end, it's completely adorable!

A Nursery Tale

Furnishing a nursery is one of the most fun but also the most complicated parts of preparing for a new arrival. Not only is there a bundle of furniture to be purchased, but also colour schemes, decorations and all sorts of other random things to be decided on.

Sprout's nursery started out as our spare room. We weren't able to start putting it together until quite late because my sister in law was staying with us during February, but by the time she left and we got rid of the bed we already had most things stashed away around the house and we could just set it all up.

We were a little bit concerned leaving it all until the last minute but Sprout didn't come until the week he was due so we had plenty of time in the end. We didn't need to paint the room or anything - we're not intending to stay in this house for long so we're keeping the room neutral.

We were super lucky in that our friends and relatives gave us or are lending us a lot of items that otherwise would have added up to a fortune. We even managed to have most things matching!

Sproutling is currently sleeping in our bedroom in a bassinet passed down in my family, so at the moment the nursery is only used for changing nappies and clothes, plus the occasion when I feed him in the rocking chair.

Just after Sproutling came home

Cot
The cot is often the most expensive item in the nursery, but we borrowed this one from my cousin and bought a new mattress for it. My cousin also gave us a load of linen for the cot as well as a pile of wraps and blankets which have come in handy!

Bookshelf
Made by my Dad!  Isn't he clever? It is mainly storage for the meeelions of stuffed toys Sprout has been given, but the fuzzy toys are a target for one of my cats so I'm not sure how many he'll end up being able to play with!

Chest of drawers
Storage is the number one most important thing in the nursery. We bought some clothes before Sprout arrived, but that was nothing compared to the amount of clothes we were given as presents. I'm not exaggerating when I say that one of those small drawers at the top is dedicated to singlets and socks. Add to that blankets, wraps, linen, plus any cloth nappies and our chest of drawers is already full! This particular one was given to us by Mr Ang's parents who were moving house earlier in the year and didn't need it any more.

Current state of things

Rocking chair
While a rocking chair is not specifically required, a comfy chair is essential for feeding.  You're going to be spending a lot of time in this chair, it might as well be comfortable!

This beautiful rocking chair was an absolute score. My grandmother was visiting a friend of hers and happened to mention that I was looking for a rocking chair. Her friend was in the process of clearing out some furniture and had one that she could give me! It's perfect - just what I had in mind. Even though the "glider" chairs are more comfortable, I think the classic wooden rocking chairs look way better.  I bought the cushion and my Mum knitted the rug that is on the back of it.

Change table
A stand-alone change table is a luxury of space - I know a lot of people use ones that sit on top of the cot or a chest of drawers. Ours was one of the only items of furniture we actually purchased, and it's from Ikea. It has two shelves below the top which are great for storing changing paraphernalia. It's not quite visible in the pictures but it's also beech-looking and is against the windows on the right of the room.

Nappy bucket
With a lid that seals! We have two of these now - one for disposables and another for cloth ones when we use them.

Wall decorations 
This is a (hopefully) removable wall sticker set. There are loads of different types of these on Ebay and on shop sites, but I got the circus train one from Bella's Little Ones. Yes, I know it's not on straight!

It was good fun setting it all up, and I'm very pleased with the way it has turned out!

Dreamy

What do little babies dream about?

Considering that the Sproutling has had less than six weeks of life experience, we must assume that unless he's drawing on some previous lives (and who would care to speculate on those?), his dreams at the moment must be revolving around boobs, cuddles, cold wet feelings on the bum and a plethora of ever changing faces.

Just after he falls asleep, Sprout goes into a dreaming mode where he can wriggle around a fair bit, roll his eyes while they are closed and coo. Sometimes he smiles and even giggles in his sleep, something he has done a few times while awake but not regularly yet.

Dreams are very important for our brains to process the things that have happened during the waking hours. Babies spend more time in REM (dreaming) sleep than adults do and it's thought to be an important part of their brain development to try to make sense of a new and amazing world.

I'd love to know what it is he's dreaming of, but all I can do is guess. It's certainly cute to watch though!

Demanding

This breastfeeding business is hard work. I had been told this right through pregnancy, which had surprised me a little as I had always been told by my mother that it was the best and most natural thing for babies (breastfeeding evangelist that she is). I couldn't understand why anyone would choose not to do it and feed with formula. Now, I am starting to understand.

I've been lucky enough that the Sproutling is very good at it - right from the start he latched properly and fed well, but after three weeks I was starting to wonder if the feeding every one to three hours was ever going to get better. I haven't had more than three hours sleep at one time since he was born, although I am starting to get used to the broken sleep. I wondered if I was feeding him too much - and a little guilty if I put him on a boob every time he cried. I can't be away from him for very long at all, which starts getting tricky for showers and when I need to eat.

Then my mum sent me a link to an article, and suddenly I didn't feel quite so bad about feeding so often. The article is called Breastfeeding in the Land of Ghenghis Khan. It was written by a Canadian woman who moved to Mongolia with her small baby and is about the cultural differences in the attitude towards breastfeeding she found there. I'm not sure if I'd like to breastfeed the Sprout until he's six years old, but it's an interesting take on the people of another culture's way of childrearing.

On the same site, I also found an article called So I Nursed Him Every 45 Minutes, which explores society's need to impose control on the way babies eat and sleep. It encourages us to trust our instincts as mothers - if I feel the Sproutling is hungry however many times a day, I'm now going to feed him and I'll try not to feel guilty or pressured by anyone that what I am doing is not the best for my baby. I'm not going to try imposing a schedule on him, although we might soon start a bedtime ritual for my own sanity as much as Sprout's. I haven't encountered much pressure just yet since I am lucky enough to have a very supportive husband and mother, but we shall see as time goes on.

The article also has a section further down on a Father's Perspective on Demand Nursing - it's worth a read, you dads.

I wouldn't mind more than three hours sleep in a row though...

Image in this post is from http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/