Happy weekend everyone!

Andrew and I started a newborn care class with MedCity Doulas and our adoption study group on Tuesday. We will be doing one class a month on the first Tuesday of each month. This is the time we meet with other adoptive parents waiting for a placement match. Before our first class MedCity Doulas sent us a nice email with some things to get ready. So here is our ready for class photo from Monday night.

Our teachers were amazing, and we learned so much, I can’t wait for our next couple of classes. This week, we learned about different things we might see on newborns skin, about the umbilical cord, and some key facts on infant development through the first year. We learned how to put on a diaper, and practiced on our stuffed animals.

Along with diapering, we learned about baby poop, bathing baby, safe sleep, and how to sooth baby. We learned about Dr. Harvy Karp’s 5 S’s: swaddle, sway, shush, side, and suck. This included practicing different ways to swaddle baby. One of them I feel like I am getting, the other one I need a lot more practice with. Here is a photo of swaddled piglet.

During this two hour class, I feel like we learned so stinking much. I have about 4 pages of notes and Andrew took about 6 pages of notes on his iPad as well.

This week Andrew and I also took some time off to relax and have a staycation. In fact, we took off Thursday, Friday, and this coming Monday to have a nice 5 days off in a row. It is so amazing and much needed. Thursday we relaxed, read, napped, and did our errands. Yesterday I didn’t do much— more napping, relaxing, reading, and just being a bum. This morning I woke up super well rested and have been having a blast! Some reading, chatted with my mom, walked Goldy, and watching some TV. I’ve got crafting with my best friend Mary coming up in a few minutes as well. The best thing is it isn’t raining today!

A final note, is that we’ve created a few new accounts for building our nest! Check us out on Instagram: @_buildingournest and on Facebook: @buildingournest1

~Natalie