Things I've learned

• you can plan all you want, but sometimes wrenches get thrown in your plans... we've been fighting rash after rash with Carlo. we figured out the problem with the first two rashes but right now he has a yeast rash which takes time and antibiotic cream to get rid of... our plan was to use cloth diapers and not buy any disposables. so far we've bought 2 packages and used other packages that were given to us. we'll be in cloth soon!
• it takes at least 30 minutes for me to get out of the house now
• just because you don't have sensitive skin, doesn't mean your baby won't... rash #1 caused by disposable wipes. rash #2 caused by prefolds (keep the moisture at the baby's bum). Carlo was sensitive to being wet so we need to use diapers that wick the moisture away or fleece liners. We are using Pampers Sensitive wipes right now (can't use the cloth wipes because of yeast) and those seem to work for him.
• sometimes you can be surprised... as soon as my milk came in, Carlo was sleeping 4 hours straight at night... then all of a sudden he's had a few 6.5 hour stretches! it's amazing. He's a great sleeper
• my boob is out a lot more at home than while we're out... Carlo eats a lot less while we're out and about. He often naps in his stroller or carseat and basically eats every 2 hours. At home he eats every 1-2 hours but more often 1-1.5 hours.
• babies eat a lot... all the time... especially during growth spurts. It was almost useless to put my boob away for the first 3 weeks. He would eat and then root to eat some more after falling asleep...
• the newborn cry is so adorable it makes me smile
• you really do get used to their noises... Carlo has a grunt and groan he does while eating that means he's got a burp that needs to come out
• bottle feeding a breastfed baby isn't easy... he doesn't understand how to use the bottle
• their startle reflex is so so so cute!
• some babies are noisy eaters and it's kind of embarrassing in a quiet room!
• the hungry fish lip face he makes is the most adorable thing to see when he's half asleep
• it's very easy to keep him quiet at night... he grunts and groans as he wakes up and I can get him before he's totally awake and give him boob. he rarely cries at night unless he's mad at me for taking him off to burp him
• nursing without a cover isn't hard... I don't want to show the world my nipple/boob, nor am I a person who feels confident about her body. I pushed myself to be comfortable with nursing without a cover because it's normal and it's me doing my part to make the world realize that breasts aren't always about sex. I have not been confronted by anyone about it yet and the guys my age that we hang out with seem to be comfortable enough to look me in the eyes and talk to me while I'm nursing. It's still weird for me, but it's getting easier.