1 Month

Good news folks! Everett has "turned the corner" according to the pediatrician. His weight gain is steady and all is well! And to what do I owe this improvement? Following my intuition and ignoring everything the doctor told me to do. And there you have it.

My name is Everett Simon Wirth. Today I am 1 month old. I weigh 7 pounds 12 ounces (5-10%). I am 22 inches tall/long (50-75%). My head is 38.5 cm around (50%). I'm a bean pole like my Daddy. I love to cuddle and hate getting baths.

Today Everett has peed on 2 outfits (and his face), pooped on 1 outfit and the changing table (twice), and had a great visit with friends and family (thank goodness he didn't poop or pee on them). I'm not mad.

Here is what I have learned after a month --

• Hire a lactation specialist to meet you in the hospital right after Bebe is born. The specialist at the hospital was so busy it felt like a tornado had been in the room after her 5 minute visit with us. Make sure there is a professional who can really spend some time with you, as breastfeeding does NOT come naturally to most women.
• People talk a lot about the weird "underwear" given to you at the hospital. Don't be silly and bring your own. Wear the diapers! And bring some home with you. No maxi pad will contain what happens after the first couple days.
• Ask for extra witch hazel pads at the hospital. They feel amazing.
• Do not take too much pain medication after delivery. I had a second degree tear and manged just fine on Advil. Those stronger medications make Baby too lethargic to eat.
• After giving birth, stool softeners are your friends...Senna tablets will not effect Baby too much according to my hot doctor.
• You can never have too many baby wipes, then all of a sudden you have too many baby wipes when your little one develops diaper rash. We found wipes to be the culprit. And yes we bought the ones "for sensitive skin." Now we only use wet paper towels. We haven't had a problem since we made the switch. Simply wet some paper towels in advance, and put them in your wipes warmer for the next few changes.
• Use diaper rash cream at EVERY diaper change.
• Never let Baby stew in a dirty diaper. However, after you hear movement, wait 10 minutes. Chances are the movement isn't quite over. Live and learn...
• Kirkland diapers from Costco are great. We started using them when Everett was around 7 pounds, and still have not had a blow out despite the fact that they are quite big on him. However, please read my upcoming diaper changing tutorial...I promise there will be some helpful info.
• Read The Happiest Baby on the Block. We use Karp's advice hourly.
• Turning on the shower is the best way to stop our crying baby.
• Have a method for keeping track of your nursing/feeding schedule. I use the iBreastfeed App from Medela.
• Drink so much water. Since you are spending much of your efforts caring for Baby, this is the most essential way you can care for yourself.
• Let people help you, and be sure to get out of the house. If I stay cooped up for an entire day I go nutso. If you can't get out, I at least suggest asking someone to come over for a visit. But everyone is different, so know your limits.

Essentials:

• The Moby Wrap. If your baby is anything like mine, he/she will love being close to you. When you are wanting to eat dinner with the family or play a board game, this little tool is essential. It is also nice having a place to put Bebe when you need to do chores. We also use this when we go out and don't want to deal with a bulky stroller that gets in everyone's way...seriously mothers, don't bring your stroller into small spaces...you are annoying to everyone, even those who have children of their own.
• The Boppy. If you have a vaginal birth I also suggest borrowing a second Boppy from a friend; one for nursing and one for sitting upon. If you have a corgi you may need a third. Willow loves curling up inside the Boppy.
• Yoga ball. Although my pelvic issues continue to keep me from utilizing this method, bouncing on a yoga ball is a good way to calm down a frantic baby.
• Bouncy chair. It's good to have a place to put baby when you need to shower, dress, eat, clean, put on makeup (yes I'm crazy and still do this), etc. 
• The BOB. Okay so not everyone has awesome coworkers that will buy them a BOB, but we loves us some BOB. I recommend saving some money and making the investment. The thing goes in the snow like a champ! You don't see many strollers with such good control. Speaking of snow, we use the Bundle Me for our frigid Spokane outings. Although it's cold outside, Everett really loves being in the stroller so we bundle him in the Bundle Me and go fer it. PS you will also need the car seat adapter, since newborns are too young to sit up in the stroller.
• Sound machine or a loud fan. We use the Sleep Sheep, on-the-go version. Per my advice above, read The Happiest Baby on the Block if you aren't convinced you need this.
• Everyone has their favorite nighttime sleepwear for babies. Our favorites for now are the Carter's one-size fleece sleep gowns. They are warm, fuzzy, and have zippers that are easy to get Baby in and out of in the middle of the night. Sure Everett looks like a girl when he wears them, but they are really quite wonderful. 
• Long-sleeved shirts with hand covers. I'm def a fan of the kimono shirts that have this feature. Everett flails his arms quite a bit, and the kimono doesn't need to go over his head (he gets pissed when we put clothes over his head...he should probably stop peeing on his clothes then). The thing about newborns is they use their hands, but don't know their hands exist. Keeping Everett's nails covered has helped avoid many a scratch.
• Lanolin. For after nursing. I have also been using disposable nursing pads and think I should get some more environmentally friendly ones. I've blown through 3 boxes already, and at $8 a box I'm also interested in saving ca$h. I'm taking suggestions for any good ones on the market.
• Folk songs. Jeff and I loved singing Christmas songs to Everett this year. Okay so maybe I enjoyed it more. Oddly enough, he loves when we sing "Oh Come, Divine Messiah." Calms him down every time.
• Breast pump. It's good to have some pumped milk on hand for when grandma is babysitting. Jeff and I went out for my birthday, and it was nice not having to worry about getting home at a scheduled time to feed Everett.

That's all we can think of for now. Stay tuned for more updates on our adventures in Babyland!