Introducing Little Miss Camryn!

Hi everybody!!! I don't have a lot of steam to write a long post, but here are the stats:

Camryn Lee Shelton arrived this morning at 12:31 am weighing 8 lbs 6 oz and measuring 20.5 inches long. She is the most beautiful thing Andy and I have every laid our eyes on. She is nursing like a champ today, sleeping inbetween, and got a clean bill of health from the pediatrician.

I hope those can tide everyone over for a day or so. More to come, we promise! Love to all!

And we're off!

The big day is here! Andy and I both woke up at 4 this morning and could not go back to sleep for obvious reasons. We are showered and ready, and in the kitchen about to eat some breakfast (my last meal for a while!). Here are a few pictures I wanted to post before Camryn gets here:

Flowers on our deck that bloomed this week just in time for her arrival:

My weekend sewing project (Andy got me a sewing machine and...yeah, I know, I went a little overboard... "nesting" perhaps?!)

And... us all ready to go:

Thanks to everyone for your love and support today. We can't wait to share our daughter with you in just a short while. :-)

Induction tomorrow at 7:15 am!

I have been trying to update the blog, but this website has been giving me trouble today. Ugh.

If you haven't already heard, I am being induced tomorrow morning at 7:15! My mom is here safe and sound, and Andy and I spent the weekend making sure that we are completely ready (or as ready as can be) for the big arrival!

We will try to post some pictures etc tomorrow or Tuesday as soon as we have any news to share!

And in case I don't have the chance to update tomorrow, HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA (one day in advance!). Assuming we are lucky enough to have Camryn make an appearance before midnight tomorrow, April 27, we are honored that she will share such a special day with you!!

P.S. Mom says "hi everybody!"

You can call us the Weekend Warriors!

We have been busy! We had Friday off, and welcomed the three day weekend. Things got off to a bang when we found out on Thursday afternoon that our dear friends Carolyn and Eddie were at the hospital anticipating the arrival of their little girl Hayes! She arrived early Friday morning, and we got to see her that afternoon. She is SO adorable (and tiny)! Here is a picture of Andy and I (and Camryn) with little Hayes:

Isn't she just so cute?! Carolyn and I have had the joy of being pregnant together, and it is hard to believe that Hayes is here. It really makes us realize that Camryn's arrival is JUST around the corner! Congratulations Eddie and Carolyn!

Next, we completed the raised garden bed we have been working on in the back yard. We really wanted to get this done before Camryn gets here since our time afterwards will likely be limited. We are very much looking forward to having some fresh vegetables this summer. I contributed as much as I could, but to be honest, Andy did the majority of the work, including the worst part: hauling the blocks and soil from the truck to the back yard. I did help to build the wall and fill up the soil though. We love how it came out... here are pictures of the finished product:

We have a little herb garden in the circular part in the center, tomatoes and cucumbers in the left section, a variety of peppers and some squash on the right, and we threw in a few flowers to add some color.

We also hung up the outside baby swing we got for Camryn. We spend a lot of time out on our deck in the warm weather, especially eating breakfast and dinner. We tightened up the front ropes on the swing so it tilts back a bit, in hopes that she will be comfortable in it right away. Here it is, all ready and waiting for the little one:

Finally, we spent this morning cleaning up and doing yard work. Andy did the outside work (mowing the lawn, etc), and I did the inside work (cleaning up, vacuuming, etc). We are taking some much needed time to relax this afternoon and watching the Masters.

I am heading to the doctor again tomorrow afternoon. Camryn is riding pretty low these days, hopefully getting ready to make an appearance sooner rather than later. I'll try to post a new belly pic in the next couple of days, I know it has been a while since the last one. I have resorted to dressing myself mostly in Andy's t-shirts and shorts, mine are like spandex across the mid-section. :-P 17 days to go...

HAPPY EASTER!

Camryn's coming home outfit!

I got an email tonight with this preview picture, and stating that it was going in the mail tomorrow!!! Tawny Stillar at Baby Bean Designs custom knit this for us. I am so thrilled, it is exactly what I wanted. I can't wait to see it in person, and better yet, see Camryn in it!!! I might not be able to sleep tonight I am so excited!!!

Cloth Diaper Informational

Here it is: the long-awaited (by some) cloth diaper informational! As you probably know, this has become somewhat of an obsession of mine, though I much prefer to call it my “new hobby”. I never dreamed that I would look forward to diapering my child, but alas, here we are 29 days from my due date, and I can’t wait to get started!

Here is a link to a great article which brings to light many of the reasons Andy and I have chosen to use cloth: http://diaperjungle.com/why-use-cloth-diapers.html For anyone who does not wish to read the entire article, here are a few excerpts from it that I consider important and somewhat shocking facts regarding disposable diapers:

“Most parents go through 6 to 8 thousand diapers per child, from birth to about age three. If we take an average of what those diapers cost, that equates to between 2000 and 3000 dollars per baby. Once those children are potty trained those diapers are gone. They can’t be re-used. So a significant chunk of our hard earned money has gone to buying what is essentially garbage. In comparison, enough cloth diapers to last for three years will usually cost between 3 to 8 hundred dollars. At a minimum that is about a 1200 dollar savings. But wait Consider, too, that those cloth diapers may last for one or more successive children and your savings doubles and even triples. Of course, it is difficult to make any hard and fast statements in this regard because of the varying costs of diapers, electricity, water, and detergents. Yes, cloth diapers will usually mean an extra one to three loads of laundry a week, but if everyone were to weigh the extra costs of their electricity, water usage, and detergent, I think they would be pleasantly surprised. These costs are infinitesimal compared to the cost of expensive disposable diapers.”

“Dioxin, which in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage, is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Trace quantities may even exist in the diapers themselves! Dioxin is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer related chemicals.”

“Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.”

“Disposable diapers also contain sodium polyacrylate. If you have ever seen the gel-like, super absorbant crystals in a disposable, then you have seen this first hand. Sodium polyacrylate is the same substance that was removed from tampons because of its link to toxic shock syndrome. No studies have been done on the long-term effects of this chemical being in contact with a baby's reproductive organs 24 hours a day for upwards of two years.”

“According to the Sustainability Institute, eighty percent of the diaperings in the United States are done with disposables. That comes to 18 BILLION diapers a year, just in the U.S. alone! These throw-away diapers require thousands of tons of plastic and hundreds of thousands of trees to manufacture. After a few hours of active service, these used diapers are trucked away, primarily to landfills, where they sit as neatly wrapped packages of excrement, entombed or mummified, undegraded for several hundred years. The idea of a "disposable" diaper is a myth; the ramifications of which will stay with us for centuries to come. They are the third largest single product in the waste stream behind newspapers and beverage containers. The urine and feces in disposable diapers enter landfills untreated, possibly contaminating the ground water supply.”

And with that, we were sold!

The choices in the world of “CDing” are innumerable. I remember the rectangular cotton diapers and waterproof rubber pants that I wore as a little girl, and initially thought that these were still the only choice. They are not. Many people DO still use that system… For one thing, it is the most cost effective route. That type of diaper is called a prefold: A rectangle of cotton with more layers in the middle than on the side. We will be using some prefolds, here is a picture of one:

Another great thing... no more pins! They make this nifty thinger-jinger now called a snappi! It is stretchy, and has small plastic hooks on each of the three ends much like an ace bandage fastener. Here is a picture of our lion (what we use to test out all of Camryn's diapers and baby gear as it roughly newborn size) wearing a prefold fastened with a snappi:

Cool, huh?

In addition to prefolds, we will be using fitteds, pockets, and all-in-ones. Fitteds are a diaper made of an absorbent material (cotton, bamboo, etc), with elastic around the legs and waist, and snap or Velcro closures. Like the prefolds, they require a waterproof cover. Here is what fitteds look like, inside and out:

The cute patterns are just a bonus...you can get fitted diapers with almost any print of knit cotton fabric on the outside. They are adorable! The absorbent layers on the inside (the loose flaps of material you see in the picture) usually snap out of the diaper to cut down on the drying time. If everything was sewn together, the center of the diaper would be much thicker and harder to dry.

Pockets are a diaper “shell” with a waterproof outer layer, a fabric inner layer, and an opening between them where an absorbent “insert” is placed. Like the fitteds, pockets have snap or Velcro closures, but with the waterproof outer layer, a separate cover is not required. Here is a picture showing a closed pocket diaper, the inside of one, and what the insert looks like:

All-in-ones (AIOs for short) are just that… all in one. Literally the same as a disposable diaper, except that you wash them rather than throwing them away. They are all one piece, and again, close with snaps or Velcro and no cover required. Here is a visual of the outside and the inside:

Believe it or not, there are as many choices for covers as there are for the diapers themselves. The three types we will be using are polyurethane laminate (PUL), fleece, and wool. PUL covers are fabric with a PUL backing. They are most similar to the old fashioned “rubber pants”, though they usually come in a wrap style now with Velcro or snap closures, rather than in a pull-on style. Fleece covers are just that…fleece. It is water resistant and non-absorbent, meaning that if you have it on over a diaper, it tends to keep the moisture on the inside against the diaper, rather than wicking it to the outside and onto clothing, bedding, etc. And lastly, wool. You are probably thinking to yourself “she’s crazy”, and I thought wool-users were crazy too when I first heard about this material being used on a baby! I have since learned that wool is water repellent, breathable, and is not always scratchy! Here is a picture showing examples of different types of covers: PUL (top left), fleece (top right), wool interlock(bottom left) and knit wool (bottom right).

PUL covers are great because, since it has a plastic-like inside, you can wipe it clean (if a damp diaper has been against it) and reuse it a few times before washing it. Fleece is nice because, unlike PUL, it is breathable. This allows some airflow between the baby’s skin and the outside, keeping them cooler and reducing the risk of diaper rash developing. Wool is great for the reasons listed at the end of the previous paragraph. It is breathable like fleece, cooler, and can be used for a good length of time before it requires washing. Here is a link to a great little article on using wool as a diaper cover: http://www.fuzbaby.com/articles/diaper-article_wool-science.htm

Wool interlock covers are soft and stretchy… I think this is going to be my favorite type of cover. People also use knitted wool as covers…shorts, pants, skirts, bloomers, you name it! There are some really adorable knit wool garments out there, often made by work-at-home moms, that are just to die for. I like these too, especially all of the beautiful colors they come in. In fact, I am having Camryn’s “coming home outfit” custom knit out of hand-dyed wool by a work-at-home mom as we speak.

We are starting out with a variety of CDing systems, and we are looking forward to figuring out what works best for us. My guess is that different systems will work best for different circumstances (for example, pockets and AIOs at daycare and for grandparents, prefolds and wool for me when I want Camryn’s bum to air out a bit, etc). You can expect updates and action shots as we learn and grow as a cloth-diapering family.

Any questions? :-P

Thinking of you

This post is to honor two special women in our lives who have been dealt a hand of cards that no one deserves. We are thinking of you.

Baby shower weekend!

Well, a week ago today my friend Carolyn threw me a fantastic baby shower. Cath and Nicole came from Myrtle Beach and Tina and Ayden came from Asheville. A bunch of my "new family" shared the afternoon with me as well (a.k.a. Andy's extended family), as did my "local" girlfriends.

We played a game where you wore a necklace with a little diaper pin on it, and had to give it up if you said the word "baby". I hung in there until gift-opening time, when I said the forbidden word multiple times and promptly lost my necklace. If I am remembering correctly, Devon Shelton won the game by a landslide! We also played baby bingo, where Carolyn reached into a bag and pulled out different baby items that were listed on the bingo boards. This was a blast, and I got to keep the bag of baby stuff! So fun!

The food was fantastic, especially the roasted asparagus and the made-from-scratch-by-the-hostess pound cake. Oh yeah, and the mini cheesecakes made by Anna Wasdell! I could probably list everything that was there actually, it was all so good. YUM!

Last but not least, our VERY generous family and friends brought loads of wonderful gifts... Camryn has everything she needs and more now, sitting here waiting for her to make her debut! Thank you thank you thank you!

I did not get to take any pictures, but Cath did send me a few:

Cath, Nicole, Tina, and Ayden stayed the night, and on Sunday morning Cath made a paper mache cast of my 34-week-3-day belly! It was really messy and cold going on at first, but it was pretty cool. Now it is all dry, and I have to figure out what I am going to make with it...debating between painting it as a turtle or a sun. I am going to try to dig up some crafty motivation and transform it into a decoration for Camryn's room. Here are some pictures of the paper mache party we had in my kitchen:

Cath putting it on:

Front pose:

Andy blowdrying:

The finished product:

And for fun:This coming week I am looking forward to our next doctor's appointment on Monday, which will start our weekly appointment schedule. I am starting to have a little bit of swelling in my hands and feet now that it is getting a little bit warmer. Still feeling great though (all things considered)! I'll post an update about the appointment this week.

Love to all!

Long overdue post!

I didn't realize how much time had passed since I posted on the blog!

All is well here. 34 weeks today! I went to the doctor this week, and he said everything looks great (weight, measurements, BP, Camryn's heartbeat, etc). He estimated that she weighs 4-5 lbs now, and said that she will likely be on the smaller side of average when she is born. Great news for me... that means nothing crazy like a surprise 10 pounder! She is also in the head-down position, ready to go, and he said that it is likely that she will stay this way until delivery day...YAY! With all the acrobatics she does in there, I could have told HIM she was head down, but it was great to have confirmation! The visit before last they told me that I am anemic (common in late pregnancy), and gave me an iron supplement which has made a world of difference. I had been feeling incredibly tired ALL THE TIME. Now, I am still more tired than I would be in a non-pregnant state, but much better than before!

We have now completed our child birth classes, and they were so informative! We just loved the woman that taught the class, who is a nurse for the WakeMed health system. She focused on the stages of labor that my body goes through, what we can expect at each stage, and what my body does during labor. Understanding what will happen has made me feel much more comfortable with the whole process. We learned a variety of relaxation techniques that can be used throughout labor too, which is something we were completely uninformed about prior to the class. It will be nice to "do something" to help ease labor, and I think they are really going to help! Most of all, we left the class feeling empowered, and with the tools and knowledge to advocate for ourselves and for Camryn at the hospital in order to make this experience the best it can be for the three of us.

I must mention that the cloth diaper adventure continues, and we are now very well equipped to start cloth diapering Camryn right away! I am so excited! I have learned so much over the last few months on this topic, and I can't wait to try everything out. We have her whole "stash" of diapers organized on the shelf in her room, washed and waiting for her to get here. Lots of pretty colors, and even some cute print fabrics and tie dye. I will have to do a more in-depth cloth diaper tutorial post one of these days with pictures and everything. My brain is just overflowing with information on this topic now, it would be nice to spit it out in written form :-)

Last but not least, the latest belly pic:

Sure is getting ROUND, huh? HA!

Happy Almost Spring, everyone!

Saw this today...

...and I couldn't resist posting it!


My current mantra:



Yeah baby!!!

This is getting humorous!

Ok, here is the latest belly shot:

I mean... 10 weeks more of growing? How is that possible? As the title states, this is getting humorous! The pregnancy book tells me that Camryn is supposed to weigh about 3 lbs this week, which means that she is going to DOUBLE in size, at LEAST, between now and the end of April. ???!!! I chuckle now when I look back at pictures from the beginning of my pregnancy. At this point, I am so used to lugging around this buddha belly that I can hardly remember the "old" me... HA!

So, did you notice the master bedroom paint job? We are much more relaxed in there now that it is no longer electric blue. That was definitely a home-decorating mistake. Luckily it was a somewhat easy fix.

We had another appointment with the OB on Monday, and everything was normal. He told me that I passed my glucose tolerance test with flying colors, that my blood pressure was great, that Camryn's heartbeat sounded great, and that my belly was measuring right on target. Heading back in two weeks for another quick check up.

P.S. Camryn would like to send a shout out to the Peelmans (a.k.a. "Lauren and Bobby from Kentucky")! She says she was really excited to "meet" them last week (hearing their voices when they talked to her through my belly), and she really hopes that she will get to meet them for real this summer. :-P

Funniest thing I've heard in a while

I meant to post this last week but forgot. Amy sent me an email, and it started with a story about Joshua. Here is an excerpt from the email:

Josh talks about Camryn from time to time. He will pretend like he is on the phone with Nana and will say, “Mommy! I just got off the phone with Nana! And you know what? Guess what? She said that Camryn is coming out of Tara’s belly! It’s time!”

Isn't that hilarious?! I am excited to see his face when he actually gets to see her.

We had a doctor appointment on Monday, and it was quick and easy as most of them have been these days. We start going every two weeks now, rather than every month. I did my glucose test too (to test for gestational diabetes), and I am guessing it came out fine because I have not received a call about it. Only 12 more weeks to go!

My latest "thing"

I decided to write a post about my newest obsession... cloth diapers!! I have been researching for a couple of months, and Andy and I decided that we were going to take the cloth diaper plunge! There are a ton of reasons to do it (healthier, environmentally friendly, cost effective, and many more), and not very many reasons not to, so it is a decision we feel great about! I am way beyond excited about this one. It is amazing what is available these days, they have made it VERY easy. I remember my sister Maggie's cloth diapers, complete with pins and puffy rubber pants.

For anyone who cringes as the thought of the "old school" cloth diapers and covers, take a look at this (!!!):

This is just one example from the infinite choices that are out there. The above diaper is an "all-in-one", and works just like a disposable (except you wash and re-use it). They make these in "one-size-fits-all" too, so you can really get some bang for your buck.

Since the one-size diapers are too big for newborns (I have read about a million reviews online), at the beginning we are using this:

plus this:

On the top is what they call a fitted diaper - it is the new version of the old-fashioned flat cloth diaper. On the bottom is a diaper cover, which replaces the "rubber pants."

Is this amazing or what? Major kudos to my wonderful husband who is willing to accompany me on the cloth diaper journey!!!

And so it grows...

Ok, here is the latest picture. I am 27 weeks and 1 day today. I can't IMAGINE what my belly is going to look like after this kid puts on another 4-6 lbs (she weighs about 2 lbs now). !!!
No additional news. We have a doctor appointment coming up on Monday, at which point we begin going every two weeks rather than every four. Hopefully that helps the time pass by more quickly... we are so incredibly anxious to meet our Camryn these days!

The Finished Product!

As mentioned in the previous post, we worked on getting Camryn's closet organized this past weekend:Poor Andy had to suffer through sawing 3 closet shelves with a dull hack saw blade:

Phoenix just sat back and watched, becoming more and more convinced that this new room was for HER:
The crib arrived yesterday (thanks Grammy Dot!)! It was the final piece we needed, and staying true to form, I put it together immediately. Here are some pictures of the finished product:

Here is Phoenix telling us how much she loves the new room:

And, here is Phoenix's reaction when we broke the news that the room was actually for Camryn and not for her:

We are so happy with how the room came out... hopefully Camryn likes it as much as we do!