a spring in my step

it is less than one week before i go on maternity leave, and it's putting a spring into my step!  by the 15th of april, i am officially off!  don't get me wrong, i love work, but i'm super excited to finally be able to focus on what's about to happen, and spend some extra quality time with the lil' man too.  of course, to give the grandparents a break from babystitting!  i'm going to be on leave for almost a year - i feel privileged to have this time to take care of our lil' man and our newest lil' miss. 

photo:  vermishel photography

i know that having two will be a new challenge for the mister and i, but we are really anticipating the moment we meet solana!  i've heard from some, that it'll be an easier transition, that we'll be getting busier, some even told me how hard it is, but i'm trying to be positive and make this experience our own (i'm embracing both the good and the bad - doesn't matter which comes first).

our first time around, i didn't realize how a baby can literally turn your life, home, and emotions upside down.  even change the dynamics of the relationships you have with family and friends.  i also experienced post-partum depression, which was quite intense for the first two weeks after lil' man's birth (those hormones are potent!).  the mister left for work one morning and i remember seeing the home so messy, my c-section incision hurting, and looking down at this crying newborn, and had no idea what to do or which one to deal with first...  i never felt so lost in my life (no kidding)  a couple of things i learned through this experience are, that all the hard parts pass, and as soon as the extra hormones leave, it's quite enjoyable too.

i was also unprepared to breastfeed the first time around... i saw a lactation consultant last march (i thank my friend, rachel, for introducing me to renee - she's been doing this for 38 years, and is such a breastfeeding advocate - i love her!) and was surprised to find out that some info that were given to us in the beginning (with dom) were not true at all...  for example, did you know that the baby's stomach is only the size of a chick pea, not a walnut??? HUGE difference when you are trying to feed the baby at least an ounce of colostrum or milk the first or second day of breastfeeding, besides your milk doesn't even come in until the fourth day.  i'm terrified because some of the old feelings of being unable to breastfeed are creeping back in, yet at the same time i'm excited to push through those fears and focus on doing what's best for baby and i...  also, if you have any advice, i'd love to hear about it!

one thing we are also looking forward to is the use of cloth diapers.  they are so much better than what they used to be.  when someone mentioned cloth diapers, back before dom's birth, i nearly cringe at the thought of washing those by myself.  the last time i was near a cloth diaper, it was a rectangular piece of cotton fabric, folded several times and was pinned with safety pins (that shows you how long it's been since i've seen one).  well, all those feelings changed when i was introduced to the happy nappy diaper service! 

not only do they do the washing for you, the diapers are so similar to disposables.  after talking to my happy nappy consultant, and reading reviews about the service like amber's on the momma stuff blog, i'm convinced that cloth is the way to go!  the inner eco-warrior in me is dying to get out and put a dent on my family's carbon footprint.  plus the fact that it works out to be cheaper than buying disposables is a definite plus!

i'm just hoping that our lil'miss stays until the 21st of april to give me a good week of preparation, until we're ready to greet her...  i didn't have much of a time "off" the last time LOL.

xo,
carla