Elli's month three update

Ahh! I thought I was going to be doing more updates and maybe daily (ok, every other day?) blog posts, but then we found an apartment!! That pushed us into a rush of packing, moving, and shopping and then before I knew it I was into round 2 of midterms.
At least I know after finals in December I'll have a break for a little while. Here's Elli's 3 month update!! Month 3 favorites coming soon (I hope)!!

Weight/Height: Mama weighed and measured Elli on her 3 month day and she was 11lbs 5.5oz and 23 ½ inches long. She’s growing so well!

Hair & Eyes: Elliot’s hair is still growing and she hasn’t lost any. It’s a very pretty light brown and it’s very fluffy after we wash it. Sometimes when it’s wet it looks curly. Her eyes are a lovely grey/blue and sometimes they still look purple.

Diapers: In this department not much has changed, we’re still using size 1/2 from Costco (Kirkland brand) and prefolds with covers. Mama has decided to retire the newborn AIOs and get to work replacing their Velcro and stripping them so they’re ready for another baby in a few years. The Kushies AIOs that we have are still too loose ar0und the legs to hold newborn poo. We have added a 6 used flip covers to our stash (snaps), two brand new hook/loop (Albert and Zinnia), and one brand new with snaps (Lovelace). They’re great!! The used ones could use new leg elastics, but they’re working for now so we’ll probably do that one cover at a time.

Clothes: Still in 0-3 clothes mostly. Some of the sleepers are starting to fit just right so I think we’ll need to move up a size in the next few weeks. We’ve pulled out a couple 3-6m sweaters, dresses, and a pair of overalls that are oh-so cute!! The overalls still cover Els’ feet, but they’re so darn adorable. We’re moving this month and I think that’s when I will start swapping out her wardrobe.

Eating: E is a champ in this department! Still eats all the time, but it good about going 3-4 hours in between feedings now when Mama is at school or work. She takes a few bottles a week, usually just when I’m at work with a long shift.

Sleeping: Sleeping is pretty much the same, we still wake up around 2am and again around 3:30-4. Since Daylight Savings time ended though we’ve only been having one wake-up, and it’s usually the later one! It’s spectacular! We’ve also found that Elli is very capable of falling asleep without nursing and while she prefers to be held while sleeping, she will fall asleep and stay asleep on her own.  

Milestones: Elliot still smiles and “talks” ALL the time! It’s so sweet. She’s started trying to giggle and has acquired quite the little squeal when she wants attention. This month is the first that she’s really paid attention to toys. She loves the yellow duck we hung on her activity gym and she has an elephant (Phantom) that play Brahm’s Lullaby. We haven’t seen any signs of rolling over, but she loves to use her legs to push herself up if she’s sitting against a pillow or person. She will push herself up and over her Boppy to stare out the window. I have a feeling that Elli will be an early crawler, but who knows!

~Sheridan, Mama Mainly

Elli & Mama's Monthly Favorite {2 months}

Here are Elliot and my favorites from her 2nd month. I'll be working on our faves from month 3 and will hopefully get those up this week!!

This month everything ended up being white & blue!

1. Fisher Price Rock 'n' Play // here
This has been a lifesaver. They now come with a vibration feature which mine doesn't have, but I bet it's awesome! We use this for Elliot when she's napping, when we need to eat, sometimes we even take it in the bathroom so she has a safe place to sit while we shower. I love that it rocks with an easy rhythm from my foot and that I don't have to worry about adding new batteries. It was a cinch to put together and it folds up nicely and easily. I LOVE the cute pattern and colors (we have the one pictured) and this was the first place Elli would take a nap that wasn't in my arms.
2. Gerber Pre-fold cloth diapers // here
We've been more consistent with the cloth diapering in month 2. I've been loving the pre-fold/cover system. Pre-folds are super easy to wash, I don't have to worry about damaging PUL if I want to use bleach or something to get stains out. I also love that they're cotton instead of synthetic material.
3. Thirsties Duo Snap Wrap // here
Gotta have something to go over the pre-folds, These are nice because they have an adjustable rise. We have size 1 which should fit until Elli is about a year old (18#s).
4. Ameda Purely Yours breastpump // here
This has been awesome to have! I was able to get it through my insurance without a copay!! (Under the affordable care act everyone should be able to get some type of pump through their insurance at no cost to themselves). I knew when I was shopping for a pump that I wanted one with a closed tubing system so that I didn't have to wash all the tubing between every use. With this milk only goes in the bottle! There are a max. of 4 parts that need to be washed!! It's amazing. I always pump one side while Elli is nursing on the other, this way I don't have to try to get a 'let down' with the pump. It has worked really well for us! Elliot probably takes 4-5 bottles (4-5 oz) a week.
5. Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature bottles // here
I chose this bottle because it's supposed to be similar to nursing. So far we have had no problem switching back and forth between the two. This bottle is also anti-colic (which was not a problem we had) and has a temperature sensing rod in the bottle which is nice!
4. Mam Pacifiers // here
Getting Elliot to take a pacifier was tough, but she finally liked these! The nipples don't have an angled/flat portion and they're textured which I think helps the replicate the feeling of sucking on a breast. She really likes these and they have even put her to sleep which is tough to do!

Hopefully looking at our monthly favorites is helpful. For you veteran Mamas what was your favorite item(s) for the infant stage?

~Sheridan, Mama Mainly

Elliot's first photo contest!

It seems like baby photo contests are all over nowadays. I can't help, but jump on the bandwagon to try to win some cool stuff!
Cuisinart is holding a competition to win a bottle sterilizer, bottle warmer, or baby food maker and I entered Elliot because I really want to make the baby food we feed her (although we're mainly going to be doing baby-led weaning to introduce food) so that I know exactly what's in it! I think it would also be great to make homemade apple sauce and other snacks that she can continue to eat as she gets older. Cuisinart makes great products and I would really love to win this.
Here's the contest and here's Elliot's entry!

Please log in through facebook (or a Cuisinart account) and rate Elli's photo 5 stars! If I win I'll be sure to tell you all about the Cuisinart baby food maker.

-Sheridan, Mama Mainly

Any/all opinions posted on this blog are my own. I was in no way compensated by Cuisinart for these opinions. 

Elli's month two update

It's midterm season at school which is why I've been absent this past week. After these month two updates (this one and a Mama/Baby favs post) we'll be caught up and onto real-time (ish) updates.

Elli at 2 months

Weight/Height:  10lbs 4oz, 22.75”

Hair & Eyes:  Elli’s hair is crazy! It keeps growing and we can now see some blonde in it. Sometimes it almost looks auburn. Her eyes are the same color as they were at birth and I have a feeling they’ll stay that way. They are gorgeous.

Diapers: I’m a lot more comfortable using cloth diapers now and so we try to do that most of the time. We use Kirkland 1/2 disposables at night and sometimes when we go out. We’re mostly using prefolds with covers, but I’m starting to shop for some pocket diapers or AI2s (covers with snap-in inserts). Elli does not like wearing a wet diaper so we change her often. This makes me really appreciate cloth because we would go through a lot of disposables otherwise.

Clothes:  E has grown out of pretty much everything newborn (there’s one 2-piece outfit that will fit, but not over cloth diapers). Some 0-3s are still too big which seems crazy, but most fit pretty well. Old navy has ruffle butt pants that fit better than any others that she has so those get worn the most.

Eating:  Not much has changed in this department. At about 6 weeks Elli started taking bottles. At first it was while I had to go to the dentist (and once when Mom and Dad had a date!), as a warm-up for when I started classes. Once school started Elli started staying with Grammy Hopie or Nana for about 3 hour stretches, once on M/W and twice on T/Th. She has bottles to take during that time, but doesn’t always need one. When she does take one she’ll eat from 3-6oz.

Sleeping:  Elliot’s sleeping habits are getting better and better, we almost always are able to sleep for 5 hours straight and sometimes it’s a full 7-9. She usually goes to sleep between 8 and 10 and doesn’t wake up until 4-5, sometimes later. After her morning meal she still usually falls back asleep for about 3 hours.

Milestones:  This month Elli got to meet her Nana (Dad’s mom) who came home from New Zealand. She also got to celebrate a lot of birthdays, most importantly her daddy’s. Her first trip to Seattle happened on her 1-month birthday for her Hopie’s birthday, she was pretty good in the car for the 2 hours each way. The last 30 min on the way down was a little tough because she wanted to eat. About a week later we took a trip to Bremerton for my cousin’s wedding. We rode with my dad and he decided we should take the ferry which worked out so well for Elliot, she was able to eat in the middle of what would have been a 4 hour car ride. She ate through the wedding and then was able to hang out with lots of family. She’s started to do the ‘social smile’ this month and it just melts my heart! She also learned how to coo and babble, she especially loves to “talk” to her daddy, it’s so sweet. 

~Sheridan, Mama Mainly

Elli's month one update

Still playing catch-up, here's Elliot's first month update. I love my one month old baby girl!

Elli at 1 month

Weight/Height:  9lbs, 21.5”

Hair & Eyes: Her hair has been getting lighter since birth, it’s now a medium brown color. Eyes have stayed the same grey/blue, sometimes they look purple.

Diapers: We started with Pampers Swaddlers in newborn. Since then we’ve mostly used Kirkland 1/2 diapers, but they were sometimes leaky (not enough leg chub) so we’ve done Target and Walmart brand size 1s as well. This month we’ve started using cloth more often, prefolds with Thirsties due snap wraps in size 1 mostly, but we also have 5 newborn AIO hand-me-downs.

Clothes:  Some newborn, but mostly 0-3. The first thing she grew out of was the newborn sleeper that Daddy bought the day we went home from the hospital.

Eating:  Elli is still eating like a champ, she eats on demand and so it’s still usually every 2-3 hours. Toward the end of the month it’s spaced out further, especially at night.

Sleeping:  Elli will sometimes sleep through the night, usually about 9-5 (I think 8 hours counts as through the night), but more often she sleeps for a 4-5 hour stretch and then eats before sleeping for another 3-4 hours.

Milestones:  In the first month E got a diaper rash and we started taking her in the shower with us. She had only had two sink baths, but the shower proved to be a lot easier. Sleeping through the night is a huge help to me when she does it, but we’re getting used to waking once a night and it’s ok. Elli got to go to her first wedding (my oldest brother’s) in a pretty dress and Daddy gave her a bottle. She slurped it down and promptly spit some of the milk back up. 

~Mama Mainly

Elli & Mama's Monthly Favorites {1 month}

Here are our one month favorites! This month was about keeping mama & baby comfy and getting to know each other. These all made our lives much easier!

1. Summer Infant SwaddleMe // found here & here
These have been so helpful! Keeping an infant in a swaddle at night is tough, I love using swaddle blankets during the day, but nothing beats the velcro catches on these at night. Unless your baby's Houdini this will keep them warm and swaddled all night.
2. Boppy pillow // found here & here
I bought my boppy at the Goodwill because both pillow and cover are washable! However, this was on my MUST-HAVE list from the beginning and I would have gladly paid full price. We have 3 covers for ours, but haven't had to change it. I only use it sometimes while nursing although it makes it so that I can nurse hands-free and eat a yogurt or check e-mail on my laptop at the same time. It's also been useful as a seat for Elli. When she was really tiny we'd set her in the middle with a rolled up flannel receiving blanket on each side, she hated laying down so this was perfect if I needed to fold laundry or get dressed.
3. Boppy waterproof changing pad liners // found here & here
We've hardly used a changing pad this month, but these liners make it so I'm comfortable changing the baby anywhere! She gets changed on the bed, on the couch, anywhere that's convenient and with these liners I don't have to worry about changing the bed linens if we have an accident. They run through the washer with her clothes or diaper laundry and the 3-pack is perfect if you have one main changing location. I would suggest 2 sets if you have two changing areas.
4. Sling // found here
I bought a Seven Sling with a free code (just pay shipping) on a whim long before Elli appeared. I bought a second one (a size up) at Value Village in Alaska! Both have been so handy. Elliot loves to be snuggled up against me and if we use this when we go out she almost always falls asleep. My mom bought one at a consignment store, we tried it on with E in the store and she fell asleep right away, this is such a nice way to be able to shop hands-free. I even baked cakes with E in it. (I took her out before putting anything in/taking out of the stove)
5. Nuk reusable nursing pads // found here & here
I LOVE these, anytime I nurse I leak on the other side and that can lead to a big mess. I bought two boxes of these and they are so convenient. They just run through the wash with my clothes and I've taken to wearing them with shelf-bra camis in lieu of a bra since I couldn't find a nursing bra that I liked (who puts padding in a nursing bra?!). Luckily, even while nursing, I don't need much more support than a shelf bra. Even using these in nursing bras is convenient so that you can change a pad instead of changing out your whole bra. I've only needed to use a disposable pad once or twice when I didn't have enough reusables in the diaper bag or they were all in the laundry.
6. Nursing cover // found here & here
The nursing cover that I have was a gift from my MIL, but it's been so nice. I have no problem just nursing the baby wherever/whenever, but for the sake of others (male relatives, college students, etc.) I try to use the nursing cover when I nurse in public. It's also nice because it shields Elliot from wind/rain/sun if I'm walking outside. This is so much more convenient than using a blanket to cover the baby which can easily fall. I love products that are somewhat multi-use.

~Sheridan, Mama Mainly

All of the views/opinions posted on this blog are my own. I was in no way compensated by any of the above companies for my reviews of their products. 

I'd really like to start this blog with Elliot's birth story, however, I need to look at what I've written and potentially edit it because right now it's very long. Instead I'll start with a fun monthly tracker that I've seen a lot of blogging mamas use. Here is Elliot's info. at birth, I'll post 1 month tomorrow and hopefully her birth story soon after that!

Elli at Birth

Weight/Height:  8 lbs, 19”

Hair & Eyes: Dark brown, grey/blue (sometimes purple)

Diapers: Pampers swaddlers newborn

Clothes:  newborn and some small 0-3, a lot still just looks big on her

Eating:  all the time. Elliot has been pro at nursing since day 1. She likes to eat every 2-3 hours and hardly ever spits up.

Sleeping:  Elli’s sleep habits are pretty standard for a newborn, she wakes up about every 3 hours in the night to eat and naps off and on throughout the day.

Milestones:  First Elli was born! She learned to nurse right away and we had no problems heading home (after 24 hrs at the hospital) and getting accustomed to things there. Everyone who meets her just adores Elliot and she is capturing hearts left and right.
Her first trip out was at 5 days, we went to Target and she did so well (sleeping in the sling) that we walked through the mall as well. 

~Mama Mainly

Hi! I'm Sheridan, or Mama Mainly. I'm a new mom blogging from the PNW. I adore my daughter and love being a mom, but that's not all there is to me! I'm also a student and will be starting a part-time reception job this week. It's scary navigating these new waters and I'd like this blog to be a way to pass advice back and forth with all you other mamas out there.
The first few posts I make will be heading 'back in time' to July when I was due with my baby girl, Elliot. I'd like this blog to be a record for her (and any siblings she might gain) and am still kicking myself for not starting months ago. I've always  heard it's better late than never though, so here we go!
Soon I'll be adding craft tutorials, recipes, and stories from my day-to-day life. I hope you enjoy joining me on this journey into Mama-land with my little family.