Diapers online @ target.com

I have become a BIG believer to buying diapers online, more specially :

www.target.com

I love their Up & Up diapers. 

When T-man was a baby I did the typical first time parents thing & tested out all the different types of diapers: huggies, pampers, luvs etc.  For one reason or another they didn't suit our needs (mostly because T-man would pee them all out) & then I tried Up & Up diapers (targets brand) & feel in love with them!  And...the plus side?  They are always cheaper than the name brand diapers & I don't have to worry about having coupons to get 'em!  Then came Cy & getting out with the two boys at first felt completely overwhelming (still is sometimes!) and I discovered target.com delivers FREE SHIPPING {as in TO your front door!} of their diapers with any order over $50.00! Not hard to do with TWO kiddos in diapers (I plan to tackle potty training tucker this late spring/early summer when I 'm getting more sleep!)  and...if you go through www.ebates.com you get an ADDITIONAL 3% off your total order.  AND if your order the diapers & they outgrow them you can return  & exchange them at your target store.  pretty cool, huh?  Now I could be saving all sorts of money if I did cloth & I have SO MUCH respect for those that do but if you're like me & not cut out for 'em, give this a shot! 

my 3 baby must haves!

We are borrowing this type of chair from Ryan's grandparents while they are in Arizona for the winter & I LOVE IT!  We didn't use a chair like this with Tucker & I regret not doing so.  We keep it in our bedroom & is so helpful for the middle of the night feedings.   I set Cy on the ottoman part & change him, quick & easy! love it!

to keep me occupied during feedings I've been using our online netflix account & watching the TV show Frasier to keep me occupied. I AM LOVING IT.  I literally crack up, laugh out loud uncontrollabley sometimes!  I've even woke up Ryan a few times in the middle of the night by my laughter. :-)  I get a KICK out of that show.

I think they say your sense of smell is your strongest sense with memory.  So, we used this little trick with Tucker & now with Cy but after his bathtime we lather him up with this Johnson & Johnson bedtime lotion.  Who knows if its helping, but we'd like to think so! :-)  I feel like the last week we've made big improvements with his sleeping stretches...Thursday night he slept for 7 straight hrs & Friday night he slept for 6 straight hrs.  YAHOO!  It is my prayer nightly that this continues!

Only in Iowa...

 First of all i think this is incredible romantic.  I've grown up around alot of farmers &  if you know a farmer they are practical, very practical. So I found this so sweet.

100 Cows Make Moooving Valentine's Surprise

 CRESTON, Iowa -- An Iowa wife got quite a surprise for Valentine's Day. Take a look at this picture!

KCCI viewer deetravis uploaded the picture to our u Local page.She wrote, "My husband surprised me this morning with a heart shaped valentine he made while haying the cows!! Very creative! I loved it. We farm in SW Iowa near Creston."The picture shows close to 100 cows "helping" with the surprise.

Read more: http://www.kcci.com/entertainment/30465965/detail.html#ixzz1mlbAQSt4

STTN week 6

(sorry for the poor quality of picture.  this was taken from my camera phone & it has one too many scratches on the case!)

Cy turn 6 weeks yesterday! The first of many milestones.  This past week has started smiling & cooing...which is totally make us fall head over heels more in love with him!  He is starting to sleep a little better (thankfully!) & we've even dropped a middle of the night feeding already!  I think this next week I'm going to try & spread out his feedings from 3 hrs to 3hrs 15 mins.  His nighttime routine is as follows:

6:45 pm  bathtime
7:00 pm 5 ounces in a quiet, light darkened room. get him swaddled up before feeding him.  burp him then set him down to sleep in his crib.  with the sound machine on.  he'll sleep til 10:00 pm
10:00pm  wake him up for his dreamfeed.  5 ounces with a pinch of rice cereal. don't change diaper & leave lights low.  put down to sleep immedately after.

*he is sleeping in his crib for most of the night!  after he wakes up sometime after 5:45ish we'll bring him back into our bedroom where the pack & play is  so he doesn't wake up Tucker

he usually wakes up 1:30-3:30 for a feeding.  he's been gulping down his feeding & heads right to sleep.  he usually wakes up around 5:45-7:00.

Pros:
makes it to three hours between feedings like a champ
Falls back asleep after his middle of the night feeding (story at that later)
does well at resturants

Cons:
starting to not like his carseat
still working on self soothing himself to sleep during the day
still working on a routine & not going to sleep without sleeping props (such as swing or bouncy seat)
the boys sharing a room has been more challenging then we thought, but we're figuring it out.  
  
This week we're going to work on:
going from 3 hr. between feedings to 3 hrs 15 mins.
working on the Cry it out Method for naptimes
sleeping in his crib for most naps.
work on identifying sleep cues (he has started yawning this week, so that helps!)


that's whats been happening in our little world!  :-)

boys will be boys

in our duplex, on the other side live three boys.  they have been great tenants.  We have two funny stories we'll want to remember.

You had a baby??
Feb 1st our doorbell rang and one of the boys came over to pay Feb. rent.  I answered the door with Cy in my arms & he looks at me down at Cy completely bedazzled.   His face said it all ... "where the heck did that little guy come from!?!"  Ryan & I got a GOOD laugh out of this because they have lived next to us for the last nine months & must not of seen my belly expanding! :-) 

Wellness Check:
When Cy was about two weeks old & sleeping for all of us was at a prime (still is, but that is another post :-)) at about 3:00 A.M. in the morning we heard LOUD pounding on the door next door.  (to the boys' place)  it kept going & going. So Ryan headed down to see if one of the boys had been locked out.  He opened the door to find two police officers.  He said they were doing a wellness check for our one tenant Rob.  Ryan lets the officers in, they look around & don't find Rob & they left.  The next morning Rob comes home & we told him that alot of people were looking for him.  He said that he had drank too much & texted his dad (who lived 2 hours away) he had  MEANT to text 'help, I need a ride'  instead he was just able to write  'help' then passed out.  his parents of course freaked out (as they should have) & tried calling him & couldn't get ahold of him & then called the police officers.  ahhh the joys of living next to college students! :-)

STTN

STTN is what every mother strives for, from the day they get home from the hospital...SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT. With each week I feel like we are getting closer but still have a WAYS to go!  Cy is such a good, laid back baby!  {which is sch a huge blessing!)   I specially remember Tucker sleeping through the night at 10 weeks...and it.was.glorious!  Since then we think he's been up ONCE since then--(in the middle of the night--one bad night of teething--he's a great sleeper, but I can't take any credit for, I attribute it to babywise!)  Cy just turned 4 weeks last Friday & here is his schedule.  (so i remember for the next kid)  We have been working like CRAZY to get the babywise schedule established. Have I mentioned I thrive on routine??  I am most efficient  & pleasant (as my husband will attest!) when I have a routine. :-)  The below "flow" of our day is working on this routine.   According to the book I follow  this routine should be established by week 9ish.  (keeping my fingers crossed!)

**Warning:  this will be boring for most readers, really this is for us to remember for our next kiddo**

Cy at 4 weeks:

7:00 am.  Wake up  (change diaper & eat 5 ounces)  (wake him up if he isn't already)
7-8 play (activity mat, face time with mommy, daddy & tucker)
8:00-10:00 Nap 

10:00a.m. feed & diaper change (5 ounces) (wake him up if he isn't already)
10-11 playtime
11-1 Nap

1 pm feed & diaper change (5 ounces) (wake him up if he isn't already)
1-2 playtime
2-4 naptime

4:00 feed & diaper change (5 ounces) (wake him up if he isn't already)
4-5 playtime
5-7 Naptime

*****
6:45p.m. wake him up (or he might even already be up) & give a bath, change to p.j.'s
7:00 p.m. turn down lights,  give bottle & put right to bed (no playtime) (5 ounces) lights down & quiet atmosphere. turn on sound machine

7-10 sleeps  ---(I usually go to sleep around 9 & Ryan does the last feeding)
**amazing what a week will make, last week he only slept from 7-8:30!) **

10:00 p.m. wake him up & give him his "dreamfeed."  don't change diaper, lights off & feed him 5 ounces & put him right back to bed.  turn on sound machine

then...wait for HIM to wake up.  This time is usually sometime around 2:30ish.  Two weeks ago it was 1:30 so I feel this is an improvement! At around 2:30 I change his diaper, wrap him back up in his snuggie & feed him 5 ounces then put him back down to bed.   & wait for him to wake up again.  Usually its around 5:00 or 5:30 & follow the same routine as the 2:30 feeding.  We're still working on him going back to sleep & STAYING asleep til the 7:00 feeding but I keep reminding myself this will come!  At the time he starts crying again --usually around 6:00ish I bring him into our room into the bassinet & try & get him to fall back asleep til the 7:00 feeding. 

Right now he is sleeping ALL of his naps in his swing.  I will try & attempt the cry it out method in a week and a half when he is more ready to learn to sooth himself back to sleep.  I have heavily learned on the 5 S's (which a dear friend of mine introduced me to & am so thankful for, thanks Ashley Buller!)

1. Swaddling: Wrapping makes your baby feel magically returned to the womb and it will keep your baby from flailing his/her arms. If not done correctly, the baby may cry even harder. Remember to swaddle snuggly. Loose blankets may be a choking risk. Also, don't overheat your baby. (Babies should never be sweaty and flushed.)

2. Side/Stomach: Newborns are easier to calm when they're lying on their side or stomach. This triggers the calming reflex by imitating your baby's position in the uterus. Lying a baby on his/her back can sometimes trigger a falling reflex and make your baby feel insecure. Keep in mind the side/stomach position is great for calming crying, but babies should only sleep on their backs.

3. Shhhh: "Shhhh"ing your baby imitates the sound he/she heard in your uterus, which was as loud as a vacuum cleaner. Place your mouth two to four inches from your baby's ear and make the "shhhh" sound. It must be loud enough to match the sound of your baby's crying, or he/she won't hear it.

4. Swinging: Rhythmic moving imitates the jiggling your baby felt inside the uterus and activates the calming reflex. Ways to use motion are: baby slings and carriers, dancing, infant swings, rocking, car rides, bouncy seats.

5. Sucking: Putting a pacifier, finger or breast into a baby's mouth satisfies hunger and turns on the calming reflex.

cheap pregnancy tests!

pregnancy tests are so DARN expensive so I was happy to come across these from a frugal blog I follow.  I ordered some just yesterday!  While we're not even THINKING about our next kid yet you can never be too prepared, right?!

if you’re looking to score Pregnancy Strips on the cheap, head on over here to snag the Wondfo Pregnancy Test Strips 25 ct for only $5.69 + FREE Shipping through Amazon Prime.  That makes each Test Strip Only $0.23, which seems like a bargain – and you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to snag this deal!

cute finds

since Cy's been born I've been dying to find a project I can do. Something that makes me feel "normal" again. While I haven't found that time yet, I'm hoping it'll be here soon. In the meantime here are three cute things I've run across:

1.) since tomorrow is the superbowl I just might have to try & make these. Super cute & not too difficult. :-)

2.) use an CD sleeve as a cute way to deliver monster cookie goodies. free printable to go with it! Click Here!

3.) super budget friendly idea to show your love to lots of people. free printable. Click Here!

4.) turn a cinnamon roll into a waffle...YUM! can't wait to try this one! Click Here!

5.) Yarn wrapped letters. LOVE this!Click Here!