Alison's Here!

The wait is over!  Alison Savannah was born 9/2/10 at 3:16am!  She weighed 7 lbs, 14 oz and was 20.5 inches long.  Technically I'd been in labor for 21 hours after my water broke, but things were not moving along as we would have liked and we ended up having a C-Section to avoid the risk of infection that sets in after your water has been broken 24 hours.

As many of you know, I was looking forward to a natural labor with no drugs (if possible), but as soon as I heard this little cutie bean cry, I realized we'd done the right thing.  I can't explain how incredible she's been so far and how fun it's been being a mom!  We're both doing great!

Even though I'm pretty sleepy, I think we got off pretty easy (so far)!  Alison only cries to tell us she's hungry and only wakes up a couple times per night (only once last night)!  She's a champion sleeper and really curious.  We're pretty sure she said "hi" the other day. :P  Not much more I can say right now, so I'll let these pictures do the talking.  I love my little Allie Bean!

Just Born!

 

The Infamous Baby Checklist - With Mom & Eco-Commentary

Last week I printed this list without Mom & Eco-Advice.  Here's the same list with the helpful advice from my mom, friends, and some of the research I've done.

General Great Mom Advice: Bring an extra outfit for the baby and an extra shirt for yourself wherever you go, you never know when the baby will mess one of your outfits up! 

Hospital

• Outfit/socks
• Mom Advice: Get as many outfits with footies as possible, socks tend to get kicked off.
• Eco-Advice: There are lots of organic clothing options out there, many not that expensive!  Here's the list that comes up when I search Amazon.
• Receiving Blanket

• Mom Advice: Make sure your blankets are big enough to swaddle the baby.  You need at least 36" sides on your blanket to make this easy, preferably 40".
• Eco-Advice: I found this large, organic blanket at Target.
• Diapers & Wipes / Diaper Bag
• Eco-Advice: I'll be using cloth diapers and cloth wipes.  I'll also check the extra purses/bags in my closet to see if they'll work as a diaper bag before purchasing one.  A nice bag seems like an easy thing to get second-hand also.
• Carseat
• Mom Advice: In this case, safety should probably trump eco-living.  Consumerreports.org recommends Chicco Keyfit and Chicco Keyfit 30, which both received Excellent or Very Good ratings for various safety features and ease-of-use and come as part of a travel system.

Room

• Crib
• Mom Advice: Make sure the crib adheres to all up-to-date safety regulations and hasn't been recalled.  I've also heard it's best to avoid Pine (which dents easily).
• Eco-Advice: Lots of cribs are made from sustainably harvested and untreated wood.
• Waterproof Crib Mattress
• Mom Advice: You should not be able to fit more than two fingers between the mattress and your crib sides as your baby can be trapped if there is too much space.
• Fitted Crib Sheets
• Mom Advice: Make sure you have at least two sets because they'll get dirty often.
• Eco-Advice: Lots of great organic options for crib sheets.
• Storage for Baby Clothes & Gear (Dresser)
• Eco-Advice:  It took our new tiny master bedroom for us to realize that if we got rid of some clothes we don't use, the baby can just use our second dresser.  That'll save us between $250-$500.
• Receiving Blankets (see Hospital section) - 3
• Baby Monitor
• Mom Advice: You don't need one of these if you can hear your baby crying from all over the house.  [I won't be getting one.]
• Colorful Mobile
• Mom Advice: This is also a luxury item, but a colorful one can provide something stimulating for your baby to look at.
  
• Rocking Chair

 Clothes

Since babies grow so fast, the "stages" refered to here are 1) 0-3 months, 2) 3-6 months, 3) 6-9 months, and 4) 9-12 months.  Eco-Advice: I'd like to make a blanket plug for organic gear and second-hand items.  There is some question as to whether the fire-retardant chemicals used in some lines of baby clothing causes cancer, thyroid, nervous, and reproductive system damage.  If you buy pre-used clothing, washing the item several times has usually removed the chemical treatments, so you save money and can feel better about what you're putting on your child!

• Pajamas/Sleepers - 3 to 6 per stage
• Mom Advice: Get ones with feet (a.k.a. "barbaloot suits" as my dad called them when I was growing up), so you don't have to deal with socks.
• Onesies - 3 to 6 per stage
  
• Socks - 2 per stage
• Sleep Sack
• Mom Advice: Unnecessary, you can do the same thing with a swaddling blanket.
• Sweaters
• Snow Suit/Jacket
• Mom Advice: Sometimes the extra layers don't allow the carseat harness to fit correctly.  Another option for winter would be to get a carseat cover like this one.
• Warm Hat
• Interesting Fact: In Africa, almost all little babies had a knit stocking cap on their heads, even on the hottest days.  I think it was to protect them from being sunburnt!
• Swim Suit / Sun Hat / Sunglasses
• Mom Advice: Make sure the suit is large enough to fit over a swim diaper.

Diapers

• Cloth Diapers - 36
• Mom Advice: This will have you doing laundry every three days or so.  My father-in-law thinks you'll want to do it sooner than that because of the smell!
• Diaper Covers (if not using all-in-ones)
• Dirty Diaper Pails
• Mom Advice: I originally thought I'd need two of these, but got some good advice from the moms on the BabyCenter Cloth Diaper forum.  Most of them use only one container: a normal garbage can with a locked top.  They also mentioned these PlanetWise pail liners, which are easy to wash with the diapers.
• Wet Bag - Used for cloth diapering on-the-go
• Diaper Wipes (see Hospital section for a link to organic, reusable ones)
• Petroleum Jelly or A+D Ointment
• Diaper Rash with Zinc Oxide
• Mom Advice: This is most-used.

Health

• Thermometer
• Mom Advice: The hospital usually gives you one.
• Bulb Syringe
• Mom Advice: The hospital usually gives you one.
• Plastic Infant Tub
  
• Mom/Eco-Advice: I just used the sink until the baby was big enough to sit up in the tub.
• Inflatable Baby Tub
• Mom/Eco-Advice: No need for this as you'll be holding onto your baby in the big bathtub anyway.
• Baby Nail Clippers
• Mom Advice: Sometimes the hospital will give you one.
• Eco-Advice: Scissors will also work.
• Baby Shampoo & Soap
• Washclothes
• Eco-Advice: You probably have enough of these already, there's no need for special baby ones.
• Bath Toys - After 6 Months 
• Eco-Advice: I've heard safe household items, like tupperware can be just as exciting as specially-made yellow submarine. 

Travel

• Carseat (see Hospital section)
• Stroller
• Front Carrier (until baby can hold up her head)
• Back Carrier - At around 6 months
• Mom Advice: Go shopping for this with the baby so you can find one that's comfortable for both of you.
• Eco-Advice: I think these carriers are going to be an important first step in introducing my kids to one of my favorite nature activities - hiking!!
• Portable Crib
• Eco-Advice: I'm a sucker for anything that promises to allow me to travel with my baby more easily.  I'm not sure if this is absolutely necessary yet as a lot of hotels will provide cribs if you request them.

Nursing

•  Breast Pads
• Eco-Advice: Yes, they do make reusable breast pads that you can wash!
• Lanolin Cream
• Cloth Diapers or Burp Cloths - 12
• Eco-Advice: Lots of organic options here.  I plan to get extra diapers to use as burp cloths.
• Bottles
• Eco-Advice: Most bottles are now BPA-free, but there are other substances recently discovered to cause cancer still found in baby bottles.  While there are plenty of plastic bottles that are made without these substances, I'm left wondering what are they going to find next?  So, I decided to go with glass bottles - a little heavier, but worth the peace of mind.  Most glass baby bottles come with a protective plastic coating to help prevent breaks if they are dropped.
• Freezer Bags

Feeding

• High Chair 
• Mom Advice: Get one that sits on top of a regular chair to save space.
• Eco-Advice: They still sell wooden high chairs, which is far more biodegradable than the popular plastic ones.
• Food Processor
• Mom Advice: A cheaper, more portable alternative is a food mill like this one.
• Eco-Advice: I plan to make all of my baby foods myself, preferably from organic/natural ingredients.
• Baby Spoons - 2
• Plastic Baby Bowls - 4-6
• Mom/Eco-Advice: We just used our regular bowls.
• Sippy Cups
• Eco-Advice: Again, you definitely need BPA-free cups here.
• Bibs

Toys

Now this is an interesting subject! I've been to plenty of moms' houses covered in plastic kid toys and have vowed never to let that become my house!

One of the best ideas I've heard of is http://mybabyplays.com/.  It's like Netflix, but for children's toys.  You pay a monthly membership fee and get toys sent to your home.  You return them when you're done and if your kids gets attached, there's a way to buy the toy and keep it.  I think it's brilliant since you're sharing toys with other kids and you never get stuck with too many toys your child is no longer interested in sitting around your house.

 If you're less worried about clutter and more worried about the sustainability/safety of the toys, there seem to be a lot of organic/sustainable options out there, just search for them.  I, for one, am a big fan of these organic fruits and vegetables - could playing with your healthy food make you more likely to want to eat it??

The Infamous Baby Checklist - Printable Version

I've just moved twice within two weeks (once from Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota to our home base of Rochester, MN and again from Rochester to Larned, KS, the new home base)!  Moving your entire life is a great way to make you realize what possessions you really need and was the perfect thing for us to do before starting the bulk of our baby shopping.  I've got exactly three months left before the baby is scheduled to arrive and all we have are the gifts people have given us - mostly clothes and blankets.  I've pulled together a list (mother-approved!) from different sources of the things we'll need for the new baby.

Today's entry is just the checklist - in case you want to print it off.  Next week's entry will be infused with the great info I got from moms and ideas for going green.

Since I'm not an experienced mom I could use some help!!  If you have opinions on what should be on this list or what you can definitely live without, write me a comment or send me an email: ecokidblog@gmail.com.

Start With What You Don't Need

As an eco-conscious mom who does NOT want to move a ton of useless junk the next time we uproot, I feel like sometimes it's more about what I don't need versus what I do need.  I know I don't want a bunch of useless toys and gadgets lying around, especially if they are made of plastics or require my child to be indoors for long periods of time.  I like this list from VegFamily.com entitled 10 Things You Don't Need When you Have a Baby.  Things like a vibrating infant seat, baby lotion, and a changing table are on that list.  I would also add a plethora of toys that make noise - I think that will just drive us crazy!  With that info in mind, I've created my own list of this things I do think I need.

What You Do Need

I found a great list on a BabyCenter Forum Post.  I apologize I couldn't find the source, but the list is broken into categories and is what I started with when creating my own list.

My Favorite List

If that's not what you're looking for, there are literally hundreds of lists out there, so google can be your friend (or enemy).  For a more inclusive/specific set of lists, visit this BabyCenter article: Gear for the First Year. 

My List

I started with "My Favorite List" above, deleted/added a few things, and got some opinions from my personal mothering expert: my mom (and later another friend of mine whose daughter is now two).  To my mom, this list was and still is gigantic. Apparently when I was born I only had a bassinet and some clothes.  In her words "babies don't need much".  I agree and am trying to remember that when our capitalistic society comes knocking on my door.

Below is the printable list without Mom & Eco-Advice added in.

Click here for the same list with advice!

Hospital

• Outfit/socks
• Receiving Blanket
• Diapers & Wipes / Diaper Bag
• Carseat

Room

• Crib
• Waterproof Crib Mattress
• Fitted Crib Sheets
• Storage for Baby Clothes & Gear (Dresser)
• Receiving Blankets (see Hospital section) - 3
• Baby Monitor
• Colorful Mobile
• Rocking Chair

 Clothes

• Pajamas/Sleepers - 3 to 6 per stage
• Onesies - 3 to 6 per stage
• Socks - 2 per stage
• Sleep Sack
• Sweaters
• Snow Suit/Jacket
• Warm Hat
• Swim Suit / Sun Hat / Sunglasses

Diapers

• Cloth Diapers - 36
• Diaper Covers (if not using all-in-ones)
• Dirty Diaper Pails - 2 (one for liquids, one for solids)
• Wet Bag - Used for cloth diapering on-the-go
• Diaper Wipes
• Petroleum Jelly or A+D Ointment
• Diaper Rash with Zinc Oxide

Health

• Thermometer
• Bulb Syringe
• Plastic Infant Tub
• Inflatable Baby Tub
• Baby Nail Clippers
• Baby Shampoo & Soap
• Washclothes
• Bath Toys - After 6 Months 

Travel

• Carseat (see Hospital section)
• Stroller
• Front Carrier (until baby can hold up her head)
• Back Carrier - At around 6 months
• Portable Crib

Nursing

•  Breast Pads
• Lanolin Cream
• Cloth Diapers or Burp Cloths - 12
• Bottles
• Freezer Bags

Feeding

• High Chair 
• Food Processor
• Baby Spoons - 2
• Plastic Baby Bowls - 4-6
• Sippy Cups
• Bibs

Toys