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The end.

This blog was an adventure for me. It has taken on many forms: fashion, photography, green living, pregnant life, to name a few. For three years, I have tried to put all of myself into A Nerd Like Me, and have met so many wonderful friends in the process.

But there is another side to this blogger that you don’t see. You aren’t familiar with the girl who struggles to write what you want to hear, instead of what I want to say. The girl who feels incredibly guilty for each day that goes by when a new post is not written.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I just can’t do that to myself anymore. Blogging is not my job. It used to be a hobby, but somewhere along the way the real me got lost in it. That’s why I think it’s time to say goodbye to The Nerd and hello to plain old Evan Davis, wife to Drew, mama to Westley. I just want life to be uncomplicated and easy, and saying goodbye to A Nerd Like Me is going to help make that happen. Maybe I’ll start another blog someday when I have something to say. Perhaps a family blog? That would be nice…someday.

But let’s be real, I pretty much blog everyday on Instagram and Twitter.. I mean, really. So if you like me and you aren’t already a follower in one capacity or another, then let’s be friends. Some of the most amazing people I know today are friends that I met on the internet. So who knows, we could be eating beignets together real soon!

With all my love,

Ev

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Sick Day Photo Shoot

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What does one do when quarantined inside the house for days on end with a sick baby? Have a photoshoot of course! I mean, this face! Those BROWS! I don’t know how this kid ended up as cute as he did, but I’ll take it.

In other news, I promise to blog more. Even if nobody reads it, I need to document this precious time in our lives. Before we know it, Westley will be off to college and we’ll be like, “Where did our baby go?” Yeah, I’m not looking forward to that.

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My favorite (non-nursing) nursing cami!

Attention new moms and moms-to-be! I have found the perfect (non-nursing) nursing cami! If you’re anything like me, you need to wear a tank under everything these days so that you don’t show off your midsection when breastfeeding. I also hate wearing any kind of bra, but love the built-in shelf bras in those ridiculously expensive nursing tanks.

But thanks to teeny boppers and their need for shelf bras, I’ve found the perfect camis at Justice. These don’t unclip like the fancy nursing tanks, but the front is just stretchy enough to pull down without a problem. Bonus: they come in a million colors!

Right now you can buy two or more for $10.90 each, plus take an additional 40% off with the code “737″ at checkout. So stock up, mamas! You deserve it.

A quick word about the sizing: I would compare the size 18 to a small and they only go to size 20, so these camis aren’t for all ladies, unfortunately. But they are stretchy and perfect for wearing under all kinds of clothing, so it may be worth trying even if you are unsure of the size.

Is it pathetic that the only cyber deal I’ve taken advantage of is for camis from a teen girl’s clothing store? For myself? It may be pathetic, but when you find the perfect article of clothing that you’ll pretty much be wearing every day, you should jump on a good deal!

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Enough already.

As a new mother, I too often find myself googling random baby-related questions or concerns, such as:

-will the tv hurt my baby?
-SIDS risk factors
-is it bad to feed my baby to sleep?
-baby will only nap in my arms
-breast milk supply problems
-best first food for baby

And my personal favorite as of late:

-is my baby pooping too much?

Google never fails to find me answers. Well, maybe just opinions and studies that can lead any mother to believe that she is doing a terrible job. From what I’ve read in the last 3 months, I can assume that the tv will scramble my kid’s brains, letting a breastfed baby sleep through the night will dry up my boobs, and rocking him to sleep will spoil him, but that’s if sleeping him on his tummy doesn’t kill him first. (Side note: I just love how that’s basically how SIDS is advertised these days, even though they don’t really know what causes it in the first place.)

Then one day, while reading the latest study about babies watching tv, I read a comment from a mother that said, in all caps no less, “CAN WE PLEASE STOP WORRYING ABOUT EVERYTHING?”

To that mother I say THANK YOU! Thank you for reminding me that women have been doing this for thousands of years. That we know what we’re doing, regardless of what the studies say. That my boobs will miraculously have milk when my baby is hungry, whether he sleeps through the night or not. That if I need my baby to focus on the bright lights and sounds of the tv for 5 minutes so that I can put on makeup, it’s perfectly ok. That if my baby sleeps better on his tummy, well then that’s how he’s going to sleep. And that rocking my baby to sleep will not spoil him for life.

All of these things do not make me a terrible mother.

They make me human.

So lets just do what the nice lady said and stop worrying about everything, k?

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The Tree Farm

Truth be told, I haven’t really felt Christmas’y for a few years, but I knew there was an annoying little Christmas elf hidden in me somewhere. Now that our little family has grown, I feel this incredible desire to make the most of every holiday – even the ones I have never celebrated, like St. Paddy’s Day and Valentine’s Day. You better believe I’ll be making heart and shamrock-shaped pancakes next year. Fact.

Growing up, I thought that all Christmas trees came from big chain stores, but this year I decided that we were going to a farm to pick out and cut our own tree. Sadly, we only left with pictures because those suckers are expensive! Turns out that cheap wins when it comes to a tree that’s just going to die in a month anyway. Hello, Lowe’s! Thank you for a glorious 6ft tree that doesn’t break the bank. You win!

The point is I’m going to make the most of holidays from now on. I remember holidays from my childhood, especially Christmas, with such love and happiness, that I want to make memories for Westley as well. Let’s just hope they’re good memories and not the “my family is crazy” variety. I think we’re off to a good start.

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Introducing…

{photo by Amy Anderson Photography}

Westley is a Leo.

He enjoys long rocking sessions on the couch.

He has serious brows.

Total boob guy.

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Sweet Moments

Stealing quick kisses with a sleeping babe between us.

The look on my boy’s face as he sleeps soundly with his precious head on my shoulder.

Watching my two favorite boys cuddle in the morning light.

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Yesterday was frustrating. Westley would only sleep in my arms and every time I put him down he’d be awake in no time. Needless to say, I got absolutely nothing done around the house and that fact was making me crazy. I may have complained about this fact quite emphatically when my sweet, hard-working husband got home.

But as I fed and rocked my sweet baby boy to sleep last night, I had to remind myself that these moments are fleeting and will be gone before I know it. If he only wants to be held, I need to just sit there and enjoy it. Soon, he’ll be letting go of my hand at the playground. Then, in the blink of an eye, he’ll have his own life with his own family, and he won’t need me quite so much anymore.

Sometimes I find myself staring at Westley’s little face as he sleeps, silently begging for time to stand still for just a little while…

…then I think, never mind. Time can move quickly…preferably to an age when I can get a full night’s sleep (which actually happened last night, you guys!).

The point is this: Our little boy won’t be little for long. I’m going to enjoy these sweet moments while I can.

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Adventures in Cloth Diapering

We’ve had leaks and we’ve had mishaps, but overall I’m really enjoying using cloth diapers! Once you find your groove (and the right products to avoid those leaks) its really quite simple. I’m going to share our system with you, as well as review a few products for ya. Lets do this.

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Our System

First, lets talk about the system we’ve got going on. I have a tall garbage can and two cloth diaper pail liners. These liners are waterproof on the inside. I use one liner a day, switching them out every morning when I wash the diapers. I just dump the contents and the liner into the washing machine together (more on the washing process below). I also have a small plastic bag attached to the inside for dirty disposable wipes. That bag gets replaced everyday as well. The key to making our system very user friendly is pre-stuffing the diapers as soon as they are clean. That way nobody has to worry about stuffing diapers with a fussy baby on the changing table. Once stuffed, they open up and go on just like a regular diaper. Easy peasy.

Notes:

1) Leaving the garbage can open and allowing air in has kept the smell to a minimum. Washing everyday also helps, but I do that because I only have enough diapers for one day. Although, if I had enough diapers I would stretch the washing out to every other day.

2) We have a diaper sprayer attached to the toilet, but I don’t use it right now because breastfeeding makes for very watery (and water-soluble) poop. When he starts on solids that will all change.

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Washing Our Diapers

Washing cloth diapers is super simple. Don’t let the internet scare you here. I simply do a bold rinse/spin cycle without detergent, then a hot wash with a cloth diaper safe detergent (I use Planet Ultra Powder). Using the right detergent will help you avoid losing absorbency due to buildup and, therefore, avoid leaks. I also make sure not to dry them with a dryer sheet, which can also cause buildup.

Notes:

1) If you need to strip your prefolds (not microfiber), simply do one hot wash cycle with a cup of vinegar, then one hot wash with detergent. But don’t even get me started on microfiber inserts…those gave me leak problems, even after stripping and avoiding diaper rash cream, so I quit using them. More on that in the gDiaper review below.

2) Diaper rash happens, so make sure you have a cloth diaper safe cream on hand. I use California Baby Calming Diaper Rash Cream (available at Target) at every diaper change as a barrier and have not had any trouble with absorbency.

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gDiaper Review

The gDiapers were a gift from my cousin. I don’t think they had ever been used before, so they were basically brand new. Here are my pros and cons:

Pros:

  • The small gPants fit a newborn perfectly. I love how snug they are on a little bottom compared to most cloth diapers.
  • The colors and fabric are dreamy.
  • Velcro in the back = genius.
  • gDiapers have a disposable, biodegradable insert option for parents on the go.
  • This who system is super easy to use.

Cons:

  • The gCloth inserts are microfiber and started leaking almost immediately. Even after stripping and avoiding the use of diaper rash cream, they still leaked. I had to improvise then – I had Drew’s aunt cut some larger prefolds in half and sew the seams so they would fit into the small gPants. No more leaks!
  • These diapers started showing wear and tear after the first washing, which is disappointing since they are sp cute.
  • gDiapers are not adjustable, so moving up in size happens pretty quickly. This is no fun since gDiapers are pretty pricey.
  • Disposable inserts cost more than disposable diapers, but since you can flush them it may be worth it to you.

Verdict: I love the fit on a newborn, but would not use or buy these if they had not been given to me. The cost and quick wear and tear outweighs the cuteness. That being said, I do love them and they were free soooo win/win.

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Thirsties Duo Wrap Snap Review

I chose Thirsties covers from the very beginning, and bought two types of inserts: organic prefolds (from Green Mountain Diapers) and Flip microfiber inserts.

Pros:

  • Once the baby has gained a couple of pounds, these covers fit great.
  • These are adjustable and grow with the baby, with only two sizes from newborn to potty training.
  • Snap closures will make it more difficult for those little hands to remove the diaper.
  • Cute colors and patterns.
  • Hold up well in the wash and dry very quickly.
  • Can be wiped out and reused without washing if the piping stays clean.
  • The organic cotton prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers are amazing, soft and super absorbent. We use them for absolutely everything, from burp cloths to diapers.

Cons:

  • Bulky on a newborn.
  • Not as soft and fluffy as the gDiapers.
  • The Flip inserts don’t work well in these and leaked just like the gCloth inserts.

Verdict: These are a great buy! I will continue to use Thirsties covers with prefolds for as long as Westley is in diapers.

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Real Nappies Review

I don’t have much to say about these yet because the covers, although one-size, are too big for W right now. They were used and given to me by a friend, but from the little research I’ve done I can say that they are very affordable and the prefolds are extremely absorbent (I had some of them cut in half to use with the gDiapers).

Verdict: Jury is still out.

So there you have it! Our extremely long and incredibly detailed adventures in cloth diapering. Got questions? Suggestions? Advice? What kind of cloth diaper system do you use? Leave a comment and let me know!

(And if you’re a company that would like some diapers reviewed, I love handouts. For real. Bring it.)

 

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Five Years

Five years ago, we went to the country and got married. The sun was shining bright and the hummingbirds were out in full force, wishing us well on our special day.

Impossibly, my heart is even more full of love and gratitude now, five years later.

Thank you, Drew and Westley, for making my life complete.

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The Little Things

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Drinking my morning cup of coffee.

The moment Westley finishes eating and plops his sleepy head on my chest.

Watching Drew watch his son.

Harry potter before bed.

Pain-free laughing.

Getting dressed. In real clothes.

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