Easter decorations made by Teodor

I am kinda heads over heals that he liked today's egg decorating...but first, here is a picture of him planting grass...he didn't seem to understand the concept that there will be grass coming out of those seeds.

Today morning seemed to be too long (which one isn't when you're expecting labour any day?), so I decided it was time for egg decorating. He agreed (I always ask him if he wants to do a certain activity) and was quite excited about it.

Examining the prompts

Smile on command :-)

These colourful pieces of cloth were really great because he was able to paint the eggs on his own (I had to hold them)

Finger prints :)

And then the best part was sticker sticking :) He managed to put the whole sheet of stickers on two eggs :)

And here we go..our Easter decoration(s) is ready :)

Horrible twos and nesting

My first due date is exactly in a week and Teodor is turning two in less than two weeks...this is just crazy...

Since the due date is coming so fast, I decided I finally have to move forward with preparations for the new member...

We finally got some more basket drawers for our built-in wardrobe - so the newborn size diapers have a place where to live.

All her clothes, size 50-56 fits in one drawer. 

Finally washed and ironed all wraps and carriers. 

I also finally emptied the Stokke Flexibath, which was used as a basket for clean laundry (which has been there for at least 2 moths...).

And the last thing I did this morning (it was a looong morning starting at 5:35), I brushed out the sheepskin.

Charlie for some reason thought I made it soft and fluffy for him and was ready to take a nap there. Did not happen for him.

I loved the sheepskin when Teodor was tiny, he loved it too - it was soft and warm. Newborns actually prefer soft surfaces to hard mattresses...so I will use the sheepskin in his play-corner, which might be set up this weekend? In some ways I am ready to give birth, in some, we still have stuff to do...like to figure out the sleeping arrangements.

We didn't buy him a crib as it wouldn't fit in the bedroom and Teodor didn't spend much time in it (he didn't mind sleeping there, like at all, but I minded waking up every hour to feed him and go to poop with him), so it would be a waste of money, bedside crib would be wonderful but when I saw it in real-life, it was just so small that it didn't feel right to spend so much money on it. So there is Stokke daybed left...but our daughter is probably sleep under the same blanket with me...Btw. I loved Stokke daybed for Teodor...he liked it for the first 2 months...then he started hating it.

To sum up, the most important things are ready for the arrival of our daughter, the rest can be figured out on the go.

Going in his own direction

Teodor is constantly teaching me that I should not boast about my parenting successes because nothing lasts forever...Teodor had been extremely good at walking in the city, he would never run away, run into the road...I felt I did it right to make him walk in the city since he was about 15 months and able to walk than couple of metres....but lately he has been showing me he is about to turn two and he has his own opinion about where to go...We walk and then he suddenly changes direction and walks really fast away from me...sometimes I know why, sometimes I have no clue. Luckily, he still hasn't figured out he can run into the road...

It is quite demanding both mentally and physically; mentally because I have to either figure out where and why he wants to go (because sometimes we have time and we can go wherever he wants - like yesterday he decided to go to the forest, ok, why not, right?) or to persuade him to go my direction (power play does not work on him). Physically it is demanding because I'm way too pregnant...today I carried him home because he was just making it up...he was annoying himself and me..there was no point to prolong both of our sufferings, he was tired and hungry, so the smartest solution was to get him home and feed him. Have him to have a rest.

I'm wondering where this will go when the baby girl comes...and is it a short or a long phase?

Otherwise I don't think horrible twos are going to hit us hard...well, I hope...but this running away seems to be a typical feature of "horrible twos"...

Except for his unexpected changes of directions, we are having quite calm days together and I'm amazed by how smart he is despite the fact he has about 10 syllables....but that's for another post.

Solitude

I am about 39 weeks pregnant and I'm having a very intensive need/wish for some alone time. I feel I am never alone, even at night, when I go to pee, Charlie's almost always there lying on my feet. This night, at 4am, Teodor managed to be behind the door even before I managed to finish my business there. It meant making him sleep. I sometimes get so irritated by hearing those four paws doing top top top top or hearing va-va-va or brm-brm-brm going in my direction.

I started taking naps with Teodor in the daytime (because if I wake up at night, I can't fall asleep immediately :() meaning I don't get my toddler-free hour during the day and in the evening, well, Charlie's always close...and also the dad is at home...so no alone time either. 

Always surrounded by the toddler and the dog..

Anyway, I feel like it is something natural before giving birth, to connect somehow with the baby and get ready for the labour. This pregnancy went totally by me. But now, as I am very close to meet our daughter, I feel like I should connect, meditate, look forward to meeting her.. But having only a nuclear family doesn't really make it happen. 

This weekend we're planning to do some nesting, meaning there won't be any alone time either...well, maybe then the next weekend...I am not one of those pregnant people who want to give birth asap. I will be fine to give birth around the due date because otherwise I/we will not be prepared for her...

I really wish I could disappear into a cottage somewhere in the woods and wait for the birth and not to be always on hand to Charlie or Teodor. 

One size AIO - Bambino Mio Solo

The only AIO I bought in Estonia (you can theoretically also buy GroVia, but the shop is totally out of our usual routes, so I am not sure if they still sell them), they are ok and I quite like them.

+

• They don't make big butt
• They dry fast (even without using the dryer)
• Cute prints

-

• The print fades after a few washing, after one child (the white one + the one with cars) they don't look cute any more, the velcro fastening is kinda disgusting, but still functioning if that's what matters :)
• Only one insert which is sewn in

• Price tag - I think paying for them about 20 euros is quite expensive. Especially if they look how they look after only one child using them not very intensively - impossible to sell them..

This is how grey the insert will get over time...

Newborn AIO cloth diapers

I received a box full of stuff for both of our children from a friend from the Czech Republic - lots of things are simply not available in Estonia, so I bought them in my home country, this friend was so nice to pay for them (and then invoice me) and pack them...and the arrival of the box totally made my day today.

Today I just want to share the joy from those small cloth diapers our baby girl is going to wear.

I had 4 AIO for Teodor, 3 newborn Tots Bots and one GroVia, which was really small - I used them when going outside (doctor, baby gym class, baby swimming,...) hoping to raise the awareness about the cloth diapers (they are cute, even modern people can use them, blah blah blah...). 

Anyway, 4 was just not enough for a newborn who pees very frequently, so I decided to buy more this time (there was no point in buying more for Teodor because he was gaining weight way too fast in the first 2 months and then he outgrew them, not to mention there were no newborn AIO available in Estonia) and they are all so cute and new compared to the used ones (I bought them used, a friend of mine used them, they look pretty used up). So two more Tots Bots, one Rumparooz Charlie, one Blueberry Simplex and one Bamboolik (made in the CZ) joined the diaper family. I'm happy with all of them, especially Rumparooz is super-cute and I love how it looks inside! Like a disposable diaper! It has double inner gussets.  

I'm now googling Slovak e-shops with cloth diapers because I want to order more Rumparooz one size AIO (not newborn, there's no point).

Are you STILL breastfeeding?

This question/well, the comments after my answer made me so worked up that I decided to get over my sickness and write a post. 

Yes, I am STILL breastfeeding him. Yes, I am due to in about 3 weeks. Yes, I feel fine. Ok, lately I don't feel fine, I throw up a lot, but I suppose it has nothing to do with breastfeeding. On the other hand, the contractions I'm experiencing while breastfeeding will have something to do with that. But they are not my big concern, I wouldn't mind the girl to be born a bit earlier, especially if I should keep throwing up and generally not to feel very well. 

Here are my reasons for breastfeeding:

1) He didn't wean naturally during the pregnancy, which was something I hoped for. (good news, I don't babywear him any more for 2 weeks now, I hope it'll stay this way till the birth)

2) I somehow consider it important to breastfeed till 2 y.o.

3) I am way to lazy to deal with weaning. We tried some night weaning, but after a few sleepless nights I realized it's ridiculous and I'd rather give him the breast for some short time, so he falls back asleep and we both get ok night sleep. Win-win. I actually did a bit of sleep training, so he is able to sleep through the night or with only one feeding. He also accepts when I take the breast with the word "auch" (breastfeeding in pregnancy IS painful, not always, but often it is), he does not accept "milk is sleeping" or "let's give you milk in the morning" - that makes him immediately awake and angry, I mean seriously angry.

4) On my forum, my attention was caught mostly by examples of weaned toddlers who still don't sleep through the night or who wake up at 5am...that was not something I would want to do. I believe majority of weaned toddlers sleep ok...

5) We both calm down so nicely while breastfeeding if the emotions start to be to intense. 

6) Breastfeeding helps with teething pains (it helps him to fall asleep again) - it was one of the most important reasons why I decided to keep breastfeeding at the beginning of the pregnancy.

Before I gave birth, I was listening from the same person how important it is to breastfeed, when he was born, she asked me if I was breastfeeding, since T. got 6 weeks she keeps asking me if I am still breastfeeding and she tries to teach him to use a bottle whenever she has a chance. Even if I stopped breastfeeding, I wouldn't use formula any more, he's old enough to live without it. 

Anyway, my point is that it's everybody's choice when they wean their child or even if they decide to breastfeed or not...as long as they have their reasons for it and it's not because of the people around them (I believe listening some grandmothers and friends who have a totally different point of view and are repeating themselves like million times per day must be very difficult, I'm lucky to be surrounded by people who don't meddle).

I am still breastfeeding, I wouldn't say I feel proud about it, it's just happening and I'm too lazy to deal with it because it actually works well for us. If I had any health issues, I would probably be forced to deal with it, but I don't, my blood analysis are perfect...so why to look for problems where they are not...

We're in business

As promised on MK, here is the link to our shop www.memme.ee - we ship worldwide, the only thing is that most of the toys are quite heavy, therefore the postage might be quite expensive. But if you'd like something, don't be shy to ask for a price quote, my mother's coming in spring to visit, she could bring something back to CZ and send it.

You can also like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/memme.ou/ , so it would look like we are popular :)

It is both exciting and scary because we have toys for several thousand euros at home and we need to sell them..we're now thinking about marketing strategies as neither of us is active in Estonian forum life, nor is fluent in Estonian. But can you imagine how nice it'd be if the shop actually worked out?

Hand-made doll house

The doll house the dad made for our friend's son has finally arrived to Helsinki and it looks awesome! I'm so proud of him! I really like his transformation from couch potato into an active person with hobbies :)

Pictures are from the friend, the furniture is store-bought.