Answers to Questions, Round 2

I answered some more questions! I still have a lot more, so I'll probably post one more round after this one.

When can we look forward to seeing another one of your youtube videos?

I'm going to do one next week. Right now I'm working on one for when I hit 2000 subscribers that's made of old clips and unseen footage. It's taking a lot longer than I thought it would!

How long does Carter normally take a nap for and how frequently does he take naps?

He naps an average of 45 minutes about 3 times a day.

How long do you plan on making youtube videos?

I'm not sure, probably for as long as people keep watching and subscribing, or until I get tired of it or run out of things to talk about :o)

Haha, what does the "r" before your YouTube and Formspring accounts stand for/represent? Just curious :)

It's the first letter to my maiden name. It was the first email address I ever had, and I made it my YouTube name because I thought it sounded kinda cute, like "Our Meghann." And I also kept it because my married name starts with an F, and fMeghann sounds ummm, not so good!

Have you ever used the cry it out method? What are your thoughts about it?

My answer might spark controversy from people who disagree with me, I realize this is a touchy subject. Please remember this is my opinion, everyone is entitled to her own.
Ok so right now I can't get Carter to sleep without rocking him or laying with him beside me. And then as soon as I move him to his own bed, he wakes up if he's not in a really deep sleep. I don't have any plans to change this right now, because first, he's still really young, and second, I'm not for crying it out.
As soon as he cries, i pick him up. People might say this is spoiling him and he needs to learn to be independent and soothe himself.
My opinion is that he's a BABY, he might be my only baby, and he won't be a baby for much longer, so he deserves to be spoiled and have his every waking need met right now. I also think this is developing trust. I didn't spend all that time crying, hoping and praying to have a baby to let him cry it out now that he's here.
Here's an excerpt that really influenced me from the book "No Cry Sleep Solution." It's also against crying it out.
"He awakes in a mindless terror of the silence, the motionlessness. He screams. He is afire from head to foot with want, with desire, with intolerable impatience. He gasps for breath and screams until his head is filled and throbbing with the sound. He screams until his chest aches, until his throat is sore. He can bear the pain no more and his sobs weaken and subside. He listens. He opens and closes his fists. He rolls his head from side to side. Nothing helps. (...) He begins to cry again, but it is too much for his strained throat; he soon stops. He waves his hands and kicks his feet. He stops, able to suffer, unable to think, unable to hope. He listens. Then he falls asleep again."

What do you miss most from before having a baby?

Sleeping and having lazy days

I know this may sound silly, but do you get paid to do your youtube videos?

I actually do! But not very much. I applied for the YouTube partner program about halfway through my pregnancy and got accepted. This means that I can choose whatever videos I want to have ads put on them and, depending on the amount of views the videos get, I get money. It usually just amounts to about $1-2 per day though, and I put that money in a savings account for Carter.

Do you watch sports?

I got really excited about Phillies baseball this past season. And I've always been a Carolina Panthers fan.

Do you ever nap? Or do you just sleep at night?

I usually take a mid-morning nap with Carter

What's the longest amount of time you've been away from Carter? I had a baby 4 months ago and the longest I've been away is an hour. (Even then I missed my baby soooo much!)

Four hours last month. I felt nervous and guilty for the first 2 hours ... I don't know how I'm ever going to be able to leave him at a daycare or school!

After your pregnancy did you notice that you were losing more hair than usual?

Yes, but it didn't start until I was about 1 month postpartum

How was Carter's 4 month check up?

It was good! He weighed 14 lbs 8 oz and he's 24 inches long. The doctor said he could start rice cereal and fruits and veggies. Oh and he has a weird variation of cradle cap, like yellowish spots on his head ...

Does Carter have any baby-friends?

Not yet, but he wants them!

Where did you get the 4 month pictures done at? They're really cute!! :)

Thanks! The place is called Picture People, I think they have locations all over the US http://www.picturepeople.com/

What inspired you to do your pregnancy youtubes?

When I first got pregnant, I wanted to see when I could expect my stomach to start to pop, so I went on youtube. The first person who came up that I clicked on was "Devlinfamily." She did weekly youtube videos of her belly, I watched all of them sooo many times. She made me decide I wanted to do them too.

Have you tried giving Carter any rice cereal?

Yes he's been on it for about 2 and a half weeks

Has Carter tried rolling over?

He can do it on soft surfaces, sort of. Not on the floor yet though. Edit as of a few hours ago: He rolls over now! Even on hard surfaces YAYY

My husband gets upset with me because he thinks I take to long to get ready. Does your husband ever get upset with you about the same thing, and if so what do you tell him?

When I read this question, I handed my iPhone to Matt and asked him if he wrote it! He does think I take too long, he says I don't need makeup. He's learned to be pretty patient over the years .. I remind him that I've been this way since before he knew me, and looking pretty makes me feel happy and confident.

do you ever buy makeup by nyc, bonnie bell, wet n wild, mary jane you know cheap makeup . if not why beacause ive realized cheap makeup sometimes is better than expensive makeup?

Wet n wild does have good lipliners and cheap nail polishes

do you ever shop at walmart?

it's too far away, mostly Target

How long did you try to conceive before you realized that you had infertility issues?

about 2 and a half years ... we put off going to a doctor because I thought we just weren't trying hard enough

Do your parents or in-laws live near you?

My parents live in NC and TN, my in-laws live about 10 minutes away

do you set a house cleaning schedule ? what do you house clean and when?

I don't have an exact schedule, I just try to get what I can done when Carter naps, as far as picking up things that are strewn around the house. I find it's easier to take an hour or two on the weekend when Matt's home to sweep, mop, change sheets and do bathrooms.

are you a perfectionist when it comes to your looks?

Some people might say that

Have you ever struggled with anxiety?

When we were dealing with infertility I had major anxiety, so much that I couldn't sleep. I made a doctor appointment about it with my family doctor at the time, and I also talked to a therapist-type person. The doctor gave me prescriptions to help me calm down, and the therapist was incredible as far as just listening to everything that was on my mind.

do you ever where drug store makeup if you do what kind do you own? and what kind of mac makeup do you own ?

I have L'Oreal Telescopic mascara in carbon black. I have Mac blush, eyeshadow, lip liner, lip gloss, lipstick, eye liner & powder

How many lip balms/glosses do you own?

About 20, they're scattered everywhere, purses, drawers

How did you come up with the name carter?

We've always liked the name, we thought it was a cute name for a baby, child and adult. And it was the only boy name we really agreed on.

when do you drink coffee and what type is it expresso from expresso maker?

I have an espresso in the morning when I'm feeding Carter his breakfast. I get it ground from Starbucks and make it with a stovetop espresso maker.

what do you plan on doing for carters first birthday?

We're thinking of doing it at a pumpkin patch, since it's in October

How long have you lived in Philadelphia?

Almost 6 years

What is your favorite restaurant? and whats your favorite meal there?

California Pizza Kitchen, the Pear Gorgonzola Pizza

You have a beautiful complexion. What is your skin care regimen?

Thanks! I use a Clarisonic with Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash at night, and before I go to sleep I use Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer. In the mornings I just rinse my face with cold water.
My face wasn't always clear ... before I got pregnant I had a new zit on my chin every day. But ever since I did IVF, I think I've only seen 1 pimple. I think it really got my hormones straightened out.

Do you go to church?

Occasionally

do you always burn candles?

Almost always ... unless my house is a mess, then I feel like it's a waste :)

how often do you give carter a bath? do you change his clothes everyday?

He gets a bath every night. I put him in new PJs at night and a new onsie and sweats during the day.

where do you buy your sweats from can you post a link?

Right now these are my favorites, I just got them from American Eagle http://www.ae.com/aerie/browse/product.jsp?catId=cat520029&productId=0492_2215

are you a perfectionist?

I think with certain things that require creativity, I am. When it comes to things I know will formulate opinions, I'm also really picky about being impressive.

where do you buy carters clothes from?

Old navy has great, trendy outfits for pretty cheap. I've found that for cute footie pajamas Babies R Us has the best sales. Target is cheap, but I don't think their boys' clothes are very cute. I think Carter's (the store) is a little expensive, unless they're having a sale .. same with Baby Gap and Gymboree

have you tried L'Oreal Lash Boosting Collection im curious if it works?

No, I want to though! I've heard it works just as good as the really expensive ones

how do you organize your clothes?

I hang most of them and group them by color. My summer clothes are boxed up and in storage.

when you and matt have time together at home what do you do?

We watch tv or movies, talk and eat. We also do Carter's bedtime routine together

how often do you take a shower?

Every night

what kind of walker does carter have?

He doesn't have one

How is Carter's sleep and how do you handle it? My 3 month old still gets up all the time at nights and only catnaps- my friends babies slept through the night by 2 months and say it is because of stuff they've done (like bed routine) but I do the same!!

We do a bed routine too. I've noticed the major key to getting him to sleep for longer periods at night is not to let him nap after 4 p.m. He's still not falling asleep until around 10 p.m., no matter what time we start his bedtime routine. He wakes up twice after that, usually around 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. I'm not going to try to force anything on him yet, I figure as he gets older, sleeping will start to get easier for him.

Do you miss working?

Sometimes I miss the freedom of sitting at my desk and working at my own pace, but overall I'm soo much happier staying home with Carter.

Ive seen those pics of Carter's "bumbo" I think thats what it's called. What is it for? anything specific? or is it just for him to sit?

Yep it's called a Bumbo. Here's what their website says the benefits are: The Bumbo seat stabilizes the child into slight hip flexion, placing the pelvis in a slight anterior pelvic tilt which facilitates lumbar extension. This action, combined with the gentle curve of the seat back that matches the natural curve of the rib cage, facilitates the baby around the lower ribs and trunk for stabilization. The seat allows for active practice of head and postural trunk control. It also allows a child the pelvic stability needed to get the hands into midline for play. Upright posturing facilitates an improved visual field of the environment, improved respirations and breath control, assists a baby who needs to be upright after feedings due to reflux and many other benefits.

Do you think you will ever go back to working outside the home?

Probably eventually .. I'd love to find something part time

What did you pack in your bag for the hospital?

Playing cards, pajamas, granola bars, toiletries, makeup, underwear, clothes for matt, pillow from my bed, nursing pillow, nursing bra, outfit & hat for the baby, tennis ball (for massage, didn't use) hair ties, video camera, camera, mini laptop, battery chargers, dress & flip flops for me to wear home, baby blanket

Did you suffer any baby blues or teary episodes after carter was born?

Yes, for about 3 or 4 weeks after he was born it felt like my hormones were plummeting. I felt really sad and could never pinpoint why.

I'm from Canada, how much app. are hospital bills when you have a baby? Does it cost extra for the drugs and such?

With my insurance, it was a flat rate of $250 ... I think that would be with or without drugs

How tall are you?

5' 7.5

Do you own your house? or rent?

Own

Have you found breastfeeding bras and or tank tops that you really like? I can’t seem to find any that I really like yet.

I have 3 bras and 1 actual "nursing" tank top, and I'm not that crazy about any of them. The bras I have are:

The Medela Seamless Softcup (white) http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012811&CAWELAID=178812847
The Medela Sleep Bra (white) http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3012821&CAWELAID=158316144
The Pea in the Pod Medium Support Soft Cup No Wire Nursing Bra (nude)http://www.destinationmaternity.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=195570361&MasterCategory_Id=MC29

I think nursing bras are too expensive to be able to buy a wide variety of them. I'd say the bra that I like the most is the Medela Seamless Softcup, but I don't love it enough that I'd actually recommend it. I wish they made sexier nursing bras!

how do you deal with your in laws relationship wise especially when it comes to there advise do you respect them? is it overbearing

I honestly can't think of any advice they've given.

how do you decide when to do your hair and makeup? do you everyday look like this or just on occasions, and in the house do you dress up or just wear sweats?

When I'm home, I only do my hair & makeup if Carter's napping and I feel like doing it, or if I'm going to make a video. This is usually every other day. When we go out of the house, I always do it.
I almost always wear sweats around the house.

do u use false eye lashes or just mascara? how do you do your eyebrows?

I do use fake lashes, not all the time, but sometimes ... I've never been able to find a mascara that gave me the length I was looking for with fake lashes. For my eyebrows I use Mac's brow pencil in Lingering to fill them in and even them out on the top & bottom.

what jumper does carter use?i mean activity center?

He has the Fisher Price Laugh n Learn Jumperoo. He's still a little too short to jump in it though. He dangles and plays with the toys.

what is your contact lens rx?

My eyesight is TERRIBLE. I think my rx is 7.5.

Are you back to your pre-pregnancy weight?

I'm about 5 pounds above it. I'm not trying to get back to it though.

when you go out where do you take carter and when you go out how do you occupy him? fyi i have a daughter and always when i go out get nervous about taking her out like if shes crying or just makes sounds

We bring him to Target, the mall and places like that, We bring a pacifier and a toy for him to hold onto, and if those things don't work, we take him out of his stroller and carry him. He's usually only fussy when he's tired of being in there for so long.

What is your favorite baby item?

Right now it's these really soft blankets by Circo. They're so cute, we have 2 of them. I'm going to put them in my February favorites video.