Lullaby Earth

From the generosity of my wonderful school who threw a beautiful baby shower, I was gifted enough gift cards to purchase my dream crib mattress! Crib Mattresses come in all price ranges with various labels and promises of safety. I believe they are generally all safe in regards to being firm and fitting the crib, both important for SIDS and the general health of baby. However, what they are made out of is another story.

Often crib mattresses claim they are "Green" or "Eco" because they contain a small percent of organic cotton or material from plants or soy inside. The key word is small. Worse, they are treated with chemical additives because it is cheaper.  On the outside, these types of mattresses are wrapped in a plastic vinyl material that emits toxic chemicals harmful to a growing baby. As a baby spends most of its first year sleeping, this is a big deal. Not to mention, we got a crib that will convert to a toddler bed, so this mattress will last our little girl a few years!

I always knew that we wouldn't be able to afford a naturepedic crib mattress. Starting at $260, it was just too steep a price for our small teacher salaries. I toyed with the idea, that I would use gift cards and pay the difference, or ask a bunch of people to go in on that one gift as a shower present. In fact, if I didn't find the Lullaby Earth Crib Mattress, I probably would have paid the difference after gift cards. Lullaby Earth is actually made by Naturepedic. The only difference is the inside is made with cotton, not organic cotton like the true Naturepedic varieties.  And as the exterior of the mattress is what baby actually sleeps on and touches, the inside being made with 100% cotton is good enough. 

Here is a little information from the Lulllaby Earth website about what the mattress is made out of: 

Even in very small amounts, chemicals can have a negative effect on a baby's development. The Lullaby Earth baby crib mattress was designed to be free from harmful chemicals and allergens. Unlike most crib mattresses, Lullaby Earth mattresses are completely free of polyurethane foam (including "soybean" foam blends), vinyl/PVC, polyurethane coated nylon or damask, PFC water-resistant treatments, antibacterial biocides and the various chemicals associated with these materials. Fire protection is achieved with hydrated silica, a harmless natural mineral. 

Tested for Chemical Emissions The Lullaby Earth crib mattress has been tested by independent third-party laboratories and certified according to the GREENGUARD® Children & Schools Certification Program. Lullaby Earth has also achieved GREENGUARD "Select" Certification, meeting an even more stringent standard

If I hadn't gotten enough giftcards and wasn't able to spend the money on this mattress, I would try and find a mattress without vinyl on the outside (so probably it would not be waterproof) from amazon or babiesrus (good luck). Hopefully it wouldn't be filled with polyurethane.  I would buy it as early as I could, let it "air out" and cover it in a naturepedic mattress cover which is around $60. This is a good option because that pad comes closest to baby.

It is comforting to know that the materials in the Lullaby Earth are safe for baby. A Bonus: it is made in the USA!! And finally, upon opening my brand new crib mattress, it does not smell (and this is coming from a pregnant woman)! 

The Final Countdown....

I am convinced that the reason we have pregnancy brain/ mom brain is so that we can't remember how awful the third trimester is. Pregnancy brain is really just mom brain in training. Because if I can remember the physical aliments of right now, I am not sure I would rush off to do it again. Of course, ask me in a few months, a year, or five years. But I want to get this out there before my brain sneakily hides this information from me!

Last week I had my first trip to the hospital, at 32 weeks, which is way too early for this bambino to come out and play. I started having contractions after a day of cramps that got worse, spreading from my lower abdomen into my thighs and my lower back. A call to the doctor, and I was sent to the hospital to rule out pre-term labor.

Now, I know I have been preaching how I want this baby to come earlier than her due date, but I didn't mean that early!!! And yes, I want all these leg cramps, bathroom trips, unending hunger pains and heartburn adventures to end. But now that I had that little taste of what if she is coming NOW, I feel like nothing is really ready!!!! She can't come because look at the pile of clothes that have to be washed. The floor boards have to be wiped. Fix that darn sink! Get that table out of my house. Hang (and purchase) those curtains. Write your sub plans and clean your classroom for the nice lady who is coming to be you for three months (thank you nice lady!). OH, and finish your homework for the three classes you took, knowing full well you would be in your third trimester.

The drive to the hospital took us 50 minutes, including getting gas. Not bad. Trying to navigate through a crowded parking lot while having to release your bladder after that long of a trip- really bad. I could hear myself being nasty with Bryan even though it was not his fault all the parking spots were full. At least I noted to myself that I was doing it, and that I should try not to. So once I was out of the car and waddling to the entrance, I calmly pointed out the route for Labor and Delivery and how he would need to proceed there in the future (you know, the part six feet away from the door with loads of parking spaces!)

The registration process took almost an hour, even though my doctor called ahead.  The lady registering us did ask if I was okay enough to do it, though. It is nice to know that if I was really far into labor they would rush us and take care of the business later.  By the time we were put into a room and I changed into the lovely hospital gown (really, they call it a gown. Why?) my uterus stopped contracting. The cramping stopped a little while later. The nurse told us that the rooms there were special, causing contractions to stop all the time.

I had two monitors put on my belly, one for the now non-existent contractions and one to listen to the baby's heartbeat, which was perfect. My blood pressure was great, no fever, urine test showed I had plenty of water. And after an hour of this, an exam revealed my cervix is still closed and there are no infections down there. Go home.

All in all, I am glad and relieved we went to the hospital. I know she is okay, that I am okay, that I have cramps that are normal, and that I will be having a baby girl sometime soon. Who by the way, is possibly going to be an Olympian based on her non stop ricochets off my uterus walls, all the time. I don't think she sleeps. 

The Nursery Diaries: Part Three

It's official. This baby room is the best room in the house. It is the only space that has been redone floor to ceiling. I love these brand new Pergo floors! They were the best we could afford and I feel good about having them in the baby's room.  Bryan did such a great job putting them in! 

Now all that is left to do is to retouch some of the painting, install the window treatments, set up the crib and dresser, and bring baby home:)

I already got a head start on her wardrobe:

The Second Trimester Rocks

Before becoming pregnant and even through the first and second trimester I just didn't get why every person I spoke to, magazine or article I read glorified the second trimester. And then I entered my third trimester and my eyes are now WIDE open. Oh My BNSGHTHSTHGVCD!!!! The woes, the pains, and I am still 11 weeks to due date! (10 weeks, 2 days...but whose counting?)

My first trimester is sort of a blur. I was really lucky not to have morning sickness. I had a few hormone induced pimples and mood swings, and I was tired. I remember thinking if this is how tired I am, how would I ever be able to be pregnant again while raising my first child? But, honey, I didn't know what tired is.

So I thought it can't get worse. It got worse. But not before it got better. When I was in my second trimester I didn't realize I wasn't so tired. The first and second trimester  you have so many exciting things: passing countless blood tests, ultrasounds at 8, 13, and 20 weeks, milestones- first visible bump (the one that is actually baby, not just bloating), first flutterings and then full on bladder punch (the first time is cute, really). My uterus moved up so I didn't have to use the bathroom all the time. I slept through the night, mostly. No more pimples, thicker hair, glowing skin. A cute, perfect sized bump. And when you enter the second trimester you are ready to share the wonderful news with everyone, so you are always being congratulated and asked how you feel.

As soon as I hit the third trimester, the wave of exhaustion hit me like a bus going 60 mph. I read and heard about swelling in your feet and legs. Wow, who knew your legs could look so much like logs? They can. (Solution so far: bought ankle socks so as not to cut off circulation, or at least not see the line left from my socks where the width of my leg is really suppose to be). Also, what is up with the return of pimples from the first trimester? Oh and the return of really weird dreams, insomnia wakings at 2 am, countless trips to the bathroom- all day and night, and this hunger- I need food all the time, right now, and in 20 minutes. What about that "mom brain?"  And to cap it all off, incredibly itchy skin everywhere and places I didn't know could itch. Did I mention I am tired all the time, like this morning I woke up at 1:30 am.

What's worst then all that you might ask?  The level of stress I didn't experience before. In the first trimester you are just focused on the baby being okay, that you don't miscarry or anything terrible comes up from your blood tests. The second trimester you are mostly relieved (though still a little worried because a baby can miscarry even then) and still feel like you have time to get everything ready. Enter the third trimester, and suddenly, the baby is coming, really soon. You have no time. Bryan, get the floor done, put the crib together, buy this, yell at your husband for no real reason, get your paperwork in, HURRY UP!!!!!!

But you know what? No matter how tired I am, stressed out,  how itchy and red from scratching, or extremely hungry, every time my amazing baby girl nudges, kicks, or shakes her booty causing my stomach to jump, stretch, and appear like there is an alien ready to come out through the skin, I get immediately calm and happy. A smile stretches over my face and I can't help but love her more. I even giggle a little because it is just so darn cute when I go to lay down and she wants to practice her reflexes on my organs and ribs. Seriously, I am giggling as I go to bed. And even when I wake up in the middle night and feel her stir, I am so happy she is there. That pretty much excuses everything else- although it doesn't help with my sleepiness. Thankfully I work with kids, and they are forgiving people. They don't mind if I yawn, sit down for a minute, and possibly stare at them for a few seconds without saying anything. You know, because I forgot what I was going to say.

My DHA journey to being a better mommy and making a brainier baby

This week on my pregnancy app (brought to me by Whattoexpect.com) there was a blurb about the DHA found in lean protein rich fish. I already know: protein, protein, PROTEIN!!!!!!! Apparently having a constant supply of these omega-3s aren't just benefiting baby's fast growing brain. They also decrease mommy's chance of postpartum depression as Omega-3s improve your memory and mood. Well all right, bring it on! Luckily, I do not have an aversion to fish like I do to meat. I also enjoy eggs and walnuts which are rich in these omega-3s.  So, I decided on a nice cut of fish that looked good in the store and decided I would figure out the rest when I got home. (It was a work night and I didn't have the brain power to think of recipes and ingredients then and there). So here is what I came up with with whatever I had on hand. (Please note, I didn't measure anything so these are just guesstimates).

Maple and Clementine Glazed Snapper

2 fillets of wild caught snapper

3 cloves of garlic

zest and juice of one clementine

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 clementine segmented 

1 lb steamed broccoli

salt and pepper

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a saucepan over medium. To that add the garlic and zest, releasing their fragrance and oils for 1 minute. Then add the maple syrup, soy sauce, and juice of one clementine. Turn off the heat and set aside. 

Season the fish with salt and pepper, then drizzle the remaining tablespoon of oil over the fish. Spread over the fillet with your fingers to coat evenly. ( I used a nonstick grill pan, so the oil is really optional unless you are using something that is not nonstick).

Heat a grill pan over medium-high and place the fish in the pan, skin side down. Cover the fish with a piece of foil loosely so that it steams. After 4-5 minutes, flip the fish and cover with foil for another 2-3 minutes, or until it starts to flake.

Split the reserved glaze in half, placing some in a small bowl. Leave the rest in the saucepan and add the steamed broccoli and clementine segments to the pan, coating them with the sauce. 

Flip the fish once more so that they are skin side down. Using a basting brush, brush the reserved glaze over the tops of the fish. Return the foil so that the glaze gets sticky, about one minute. The fish is ready when it flakes when grazed with a fork. 

I served this with honey cornbread (made with almond milk) because Bryan and I had a lot of rice last week. You can serve it with polenta or rice instead. 

This really worked out for me as my main craving is natural sweetness, like that of fruit. I also love Chinese food, but try not to eat it out because of the high fat, sodium and all over greasiness. This glaze/sauce taste like a fresher, healthier version of the orange sauce used for Chinese orange chicken. So if you like that, you will like this! 

The Nursery Diaries: Part 2

Once we found out we were having a girl, I was so ready to start thinking about her room! I had already been looking at bedding from land of nod, dwellstudio, potterybarnkids, and restoration hardware. I wanted something organic and modern. We found out she was a she the day before Thanksgiving at our appointment on our way to New York to spend the holiday with Bryan's family. It just so happened that Dwellstudio just released a new pattern and of course were having their After Thanksgiving Sale! With only a little back and forth between Bryan, my mom and me, I decided on the Meadow Powder Blue Crib Bedding by Dwellstudio.

We opted not to get the bumper, as they are a SIDS risk. Instead, we got the crib skirt and sheet pictured above, as well as a sheet that has the same pattern as the skirt, the matching changing pad cover, and the play blanket which will be plush enough for tummy time. I also purchased the bib and burb set so that I would have something small to fit in my purse to match paint colors and decor with.  

Though this bedding is not labeled organic, Dwellstudio has reassuring information on their website: 

"All DwellStudio products are made of the highest quality cotton and linen available. DwellStudio prints are all low-impact fiber-reactive dyes. They contain no heavy metals or other known toxic substances, are AZO free and formaldehyde free, and meet all criteria for eco-friendly pigments. 

All of our products are formaldehyde-free and have NOT been treated with or contaminated by the following chemicals or agents during any part of the manufacturing process:

• Lead
• Formaldehyde
• FWA (Fluorescent Whitening Agents)
• AZO dyes
• Disperse dyes
• Toxicity from chemical finishes"- http://www.dwellstudio.com/faq/

As for the crib, we certainly did not want to dish out $1000 for the Mid-Century Modern Crib pictured above (also by Dwellstudio). I did want something more modern and had been eyeing both the white cribs at Ikea and the Hudson Crib by Babyletto. We received some early baby gifts during Christmas and were able to purchase the Hudson crib with that money. 

One of the reasons we like this crib is for its modern appeal. It also has four mattress heights, while the Ikea Cribs only had two. The Babyletto Hudson crib also has a metal mattress support while the Ikea cribs have a fiberboard mattress support. The Hudson is made out of 100% solid New Zealand Pine from Sustainable Forests and the Ikea cribs are made mostly of solid beech. The crib we choose is made with a non- toxic finish that is lead and phthalate safe as well as JPMA certified while the Ikea cribs have tinted clear amino resin lacquer and acrylic lacquer. Both cribs allow for one side to be removed to create a toddler bed, but the babyletto crib comes with a toddler rail. Honestly, if we didn't have money from gifts, we would have bought the Ikea crib. But I like the stats and features of the Hudson crib better and am glad we purchased it! 

As soon as the floors are complete Bryan will be able to assemble the crib :) 

The Nursery Diaries: Part 1

My original intention of creating this blog was to be able to document the process of putting the baby's nursery together. I searched and searched but cannot find the photo of what this room looked like when we bought the house. I have a sinking feeling that it is on Bryan's computer which decided to die over the summer. I will just have to start with the image I took after the room was primed and the carpet was removed.  But let me try to describe to you what the room looked like before. We named it the "murder" room ( I know, terrible!) because it was painted a dark crimson. The previous owners painted right over a border that lined the wall touching the ceiling, right over the chair rail, and did so with drips and rough spots on the walls. Not to mention getting the lovely paint color on the ceiling and on the already stained carpet below. So when it came time to prime the room, we had to do some serious sanding first. The result was a bright and more angel-like space:

Mind you, this is just primer on the walls. The ceiling has not been touched and I have paint samples up on the wall in this photo. Luckily, the sub floor was in tip top shape. 

After living with the samples for a week (which I painted in more areas in the room) to observe them at different times of day, we picked out one that we felt went best with the bedding (to come in another post).  Actually, the people at home depot who made our samples forgot to give us back the sample chip that has the name of the color, so we had to do some guessing work and went with what we thought was the sample chip. We went with Cool Cream by Behr. We took this to Lowes to have our paint made because we like the Valspar line. We got their Ultra series which is Zero VOC and low odor. It is a paint plus primer, but these walls were so thirsty, the added primer helped by using only two coats of paint. We only did one coat of primer previously because the walls sucked it up, even though the room is only around 10' x 10'. 

You see, this paint color can look warm with a peachy glow in certain types of sunlight or it can look cool with a blue tone depending on the light. 

We had left over white paint that we used in the hall bathroom for the trim and door, so we just used that for the baby's room trim, doors and ceiling. And volia! You can even see a glimpse of the wood floors Bryan is installing as I post! 

While Bryan is doing all this hard work, baby and I are rewarding ourselves with Coconut Sorbet!