- We are buying less disposables and putting less waste into the planet!
- They are really easy to put on, because the diaper covers have Velcro.
- Babies with cloth diapers toilet train a whole year earlier than babies in disposables.
- They are super cute.
- Mateo's diaper rash is 100 times better with the cloth diapers. I thought it would make the rash worst, which was why we were holding off on trying, but it has actually gotten better.
- They are actually really easy to wash - just throw in the wash with vinegar and an extra rinse and then dry for 60 minutes.
- They are softer than disposables.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Cloth Diapers
We started using cloth diapers earlier this week, and I wanted to sing the praises of the switch.
Celebrating the adoption . . . with sleep!
After the adoption yesterday, we went to Maribeth's for a lovely dinner! What a treat. Hopefully we will be able to take Mateo over there more regularly. He is so lucky to have so many grandparents and great-grandparents and so many people that love him.
The other really big thing that happened yesterday is that Mateo slept, and slept and slept last night. He went to bed at 9:30, while we were watching Scrubs:) He slept till 1:45, when he woke up briefly, but I got him back to sleep. Then . . . he didn't wake up again till 4:45!!!!! WOW.
He ate, and then slept from 6am till 9am. What a fabulous way to celebrate. That is by far the most he has ever slept at one time, and I feel great.
The other really big thing that happened yesterday is that Mateo slept, and slept and slept last night. He went to bed at 9:30, while we were watching Scrubs:) He slept till 1:45, when he woke up briefly, but I got him back to sleep. Then . . . he didn't wake up again till 4:45!!!!! WOW.
He ate, and then slept from 6am till 9am. What a fabulous way to celebrate. That is by far the most he has ever slept at one time, and I feel great.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Adoption Day!
Today, Sacha officially adopted Mateo and became his legal parent. We had a brief ceremony at the Multnomah County Courthouse this morning and watched the judge sign the order of adoption. Well, all the adults watched it. Mateo slept through the whole thing!
The adoption becoming official was a big moment for all three of us. In fact, it was the first (and probably only, at least for the forseeable future) valid legal recognition of our family (and our marriage). We are so happy and grateful that Mateo can not only have two moms, but two moms who are legally recognized by the state! Obviously, LGBT rights have a long way to go in Oregon and nationally, but they have also come a long way and we reaped the benefits of that today. Sacha's cousin, Rachel, came with us and took a video of the event, as well as providing fabulous company and baby assistance. Thanks, Rachel!
After the hearing, we went out to brunch at Mother's, a very appropriately named restaurant in downtown Portland, and had a wonderful time.
Here are a couple of photos of our big morning. Congratulations, Sacha!!
The adoption becoming official was a big moment for all three of us. In fact, it was the first (and probably only, at least for the forseeable future) valid legal recognition of our family (and our marriage). We are so happy and grateful that Mateo can not only have two moms, but two moms who are legally recognized by the state! Obviously, LGBT rights have a long way to go in Oregon and nationally, but they have also come a long way and we reaped the benefits of that today. Sacha's cousin, Rachel, came with us and took a video of the event, as well as providing fabulous company and baby assistance. Thanks, Rachel!
After the hearing, we went out to brunch at Mother's, a very appropriately named restaurant in downtown Portland, and had a wonderful time.
Here are a couple of photos of our big morning. Congratulations, Sacha!!
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
2 months!
Dear Mateo,
While you were busy growing away inside Mama, she read a blog where the author wrote a letter to her daughter every month, talking about new things she'd learned and what she had been like during that month. We thought that was a cool idea, so we decided to try it. Since you're still pretty little, our best intentions of writing this on your two-month birthday didn't quite happen (you're 9 weeks old today). Still, better late than never!
On December 31st, you turned two months old. These past two months have seemed like the shortest and longest of our lives, all at the same time! You have made the incredible transition from growing in utero to getting your first taste of the big world around us. Our lives without you seem difficult to imagine at this point, although still not so far away. Time has taken on a different quality since your birth, probably due to the immense change in just about every part of our lives.
Your second month, especially, has been full of new and exciting things, for you and for your mommies. However, it started on kind of a tough note. A month ago, you and Mama had just been diagnosed with thrush and were just barely starting to see some improvement in how we both felt. Meanwhile, Mommy was trying to take care of the house and pretty much every other aspect of our lives while Mama rested to try to get better. Today, you're all better, Mama is pretty close, and Mommy is probably pretty relieved to have some help with everything she had taken on!
You're turning into a smiling and laughing baby right in front of our eyes. You seemed to have a particularly big week while we were down in California for Christmas. Over the course of a few days, you started smiling on purpose and interacting with your mommies and the rest of our families through the most adorable little 'conversations'. You also started sleeping longer and more soundly and going to sleep much more easily at night. We love this. Maybe you decided that once you'd had your first set of shots and your first airplane trip, that it was time to start interacting with the world!
Here you are on the airplane:
Since we've been home, you've continued to communicate with us. You particularly love to tell us things on the changing table. Maybe this is because you can see us best while you're laying on it? You seem to be a very strong baby. You love to move your limbs around and we think you will be unstoppable once you start crawling and walking. In fact, as Mama is writing this, you are playing with Mommy on a blanket and you have rolled over several times in the past few minutes. You still don't quite know when you're doing it, but you're strong enough to send yourself over while lying on your tummy. Your head control is also very good, and you love to practice standing up while we hold you around your tummy. Sometimes you even like to stand up while propped up against one of our chests. It's pretty fun!
Most of the time, you are a pretty happy baby. This has been especially true since your reflux problem got diagnosed and you started taking fabulous baby Zantac. This has made you feel much better and helped you stop fussing so much after every time you nurse. Sometimes, mostly in the late evenings, you get too tired to calm yourself down and then you get very upset. We have learned lots of different techniques to help you relax, most of which involve lots of bouncing. You really like to be bounced. You also sometimes like to have a bath and a little baby massage to help you calm down. And, sometimes you fall right asleep when we take you for a walk in your Baby Bjorn.
Mateo, we love you so much. We love you just the way you are. We even love you when you spit up all over us, just as you are doing to Mommy right now. You have added so much light to our lives in the past 9 weeks (and really, in the 41 weeks before that while you were growing). We still can't quite believe that 11-ish months ago, you were a tiny clump of dividing cells and now you are a chubby, wonderful boy. We are having a lot of fun getting to know you, and we think you are having fun getting to know us, too. We feel incredibly lucky that you came into our lives and we look forward to whatever the future has in store for all of us.
With much love,
Mama and Mommy
While you were busy growing away inside Mama, she read a blog where the author wrote a letter to her daughter every month, talking about new things she'd learned and what she had been like during that month. We thought that was a cool idea, so we decided to try it. Since you're still pretty little, our best intentions of writing this on your two-month birthday didn't quite happen (you're 9 weeks old today). Still, better late than never!
On December 31st, you turned two months old. These past two months have seemed like the shortest and longest of our lives, all at the same time! You have made the incredible transition from growing in utero to getting your first taste of the big world around us. Our lives without you seem difficult to imagine at this point, although still not so far away. Time has taken on a different quality since your birth, probably due to the immense change in just about every part of our lives.
Your second month, especially, has been full of new and exciting things, for you and for your mommies. However, it started on kind of a tough note. A month ago, you and Mama had just been diagnosed with thrush and were just barely starting to see some improvement in how we both felt. Meanwhile, Mommy was trying to take care of the house and pretty much every other aspect of our lives while Mama rested to try to get better. Today, you're all better, Mama is pretty close, and Mommy is probably pretty relieved to have some help with everything she had taken on!
You're turning into a smiling and laughing baby right in front of our eyes. You seemed to have a particularly big week while we were down in California for Christmas. Over the course of a few days, you started smiling on purpose and interacting with your mommies and the rest of our families through the most adorable little 'conversations'. You also started sleeping longer and more soundly and going to sleep much more easily at night. We love this. Maybe you decided that once you'd had your first set of shots and your first airplane trip, that it was time to start interacting with the world!
Here you are on the airplane:
Since we've been home, you've continued to communicate with us. You particularly love to tell us things on the changing table. Maybe this is because you can see us best while you're laying on it? You seem to be a very strong baby. You love to move your limbs around and we think you will be unstoppable once you start crawling and walking. In fact, as Mama is writing this, you are playing with Mommy on a blanket and you have rolled over several times in the past few minutes. You still don't quite know when you're doing it, but you're strong enough to send yourself over while lying on your tummy. Your head control is also very good, and you love to practice standing up while we hold you around your tummy. Sometimes you even like to stand up while propped up against one of our chests. It's pretty fun!
Most of the time, you are a pretty happy baby. This has been especially true since your reflux problem got diagnosed and you started taking fabulous baby Zantac. This has made you feel much better and helped you stop fussing so much after every time you nurse. Sometimes, mostly in the late evenings, you get too tired to calm yourself down and then you get very upset. We have learned lots of different techniques to help you relax, most of which involve lots of bouncing. You really like to be bounced. You also sometimes like to have a bath and a little baby massage to help you calm down. And, sometimes you fall right asleep when we take you for a walk in your Baby Bjorn.
Mateo, we love you so much. We love you just the way you are. We even love you when you spit up all over us, just as you are doing to Mommy right now. You have added so much light to our lives in the past 9 weeks (and really, in the 41 weeks before that while you were growing). We still can't quite believe that 11-ish months ago, you were a tiny clump of dividing cells and now you are a chubby, wonderful boy. We are having a lot of fun getting to know you, and we think you are having fun getting to know us, too. We feel incredibly lucky that you came into our lives and we look forward to whatever the future has in store for all of us.
With much love,
Mama and Mommy
Friday, December 29, 2006
First Round Trip Flight
Mateo made a wonderful round-trip flight back from Oakland, California. Although once we got to the airport, we found out that our flight was delayed, three different times, he did amazingly well flying home. We realized, sitting near three different toddlers, that infants are actually pretty quiet . . . it's 16-24 month old babies that are really noisy!
We also had a first on riding the MAX . . . and that was even easier than the plane. So, overall it was an uneventful, wonderful first trip to visit the family!!
We also had a first on riding the MAX . . . and that was even easier than the plane. So, overall it was an uneventful, wonderful first trip to visit the family!!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Sleeping more and more at night
Mateo has been much better about sleeping. Since we started him on the baby Zantac, he has consistently slept between 4 and 6 hour stretches at night! This is wonderful. Also, after eating at night, he goes to sleep with much less fussing. He must have been feeling pretty uncomfortable before:(
Tonight is the Christmas Eve and we are making ginger bread cookies. My parents and I went on a nice 40 minute walk on the bike path and Alayna did some last minute shopping.
Tonight is the Christmas Eve and we are making ginger bread cookies. My parents and I went on a nice 40 minute walk on the bike path and Alayna did some last minute shopping.
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