Diapers!

For some reason, I think one of my most favorite jobs as a mom is diapering. I know that sounds strange to most people, but diapers have become my hobby. I'm not talking about disposable diapers. I'm talking about cloth diapers.

Cloth diapers have come a long way from the diaper service pins, prefolds, flats, and rubber pants that my parents used. That's what most people envision whenever the subject comes up. They also think I'm up to my elbows scrubbing poop. I actually do less poop-scrubbing now than I did when Josie was a baby in disposables.

There are all kinds of cloth diapers these days from pockets and all-in-ones that have the waterproof layer already sewn in, to fitteds and the basic prefolds that still need a cover. Moms and dads have price options from the more expensive commercial diapers like BumGenius or Fuzzibunz to more reasonable handmade diapers from a mom on HyenaCart.com. I've been lucky enough to sample just about every kind for both girls.

For Josie, we experimented with cloth when she was 14 months old. I had looked into pocket diapers like Fuzzibunz or BumGenius when I was pregnant with her, but decided not to do it because daycare wouldn't use them. After she was a year old, we were desperate for a solution to her constantly waking up at night with a leaky diaper. Prefolds to the rescue! As much as Trenton hated switching to cloth diapers, I think he was glad to not be waking up at 3 am to change the crib sheets anymore.

A 16 month old Josie showing off her All-in-one Nana's Bottoms diaper


When I was pregnant with Georgie, it was only natural to immediately start out with cloth diapers for her. After a few weeks with a stubborn umbilical stump that wouldn't heal, we finally were able to get her into her tiny prefolds. We became pros at folding and snapping the diaper in place that we forgot how to use a disposable diaper on vacation when she was two months old. She's now big enough to use the pockets and all-in-ones that Josie used now that she's completely potty trained, which are even easier to put on.

4 week old Georgie in a prefold with snappi


5 week old Georgie in a TK Cuddler pocket diaper


Laundry is really a breeze for the diapers. I just dump my dirty diapers in the washer, do a short cold wash without detergent, a hot wash with detergent, rinse, and rinse again. Most everything goes in the dryer, although I do like to line dry my covers and pockets to keep them lasting longer. The elastic around the legs and in the back really contains the baby poop so I don't have to scrub poop off her clothes anymore.

Last month I even gave up disposable wipes. I have tons of baby wash cloths that I wasn't using so they became my wipes. I also stitched up a few double sided flannel wipes from material I had in my fabric collection. I use a little peri bottle with wipes solution (drop of Aveeno baby wash, 8 oz water, and tablespoon of baking soda) to squirt on my wipes when I need it.

With cloth, I'm doing my part for the environment, saving a bunch of money, and I can't resist the cute little fluffy bum.

Life sometimes gets in the way of blogging

I feel like it's been forever since I've updated. In the end our vacation went really well. Somehow Georgie got herself onto a sleep schedule for naps and bedtime. I am so thankful that she's finally getting rest, which means so am I. We are down to waking just twice at night! I'm not expecting that to change for a while, but it's such an improvement that I won't complain.

Josie had tons of fun at the beach. We couldn't get in the ocean because of some serious rip currents, but she played in the sand and in the pools. She even learned to let go of our hand in the pool to swim by herself (life-jacket on of course).

I feel really accomplished because I managed to bring along the cloth diapers for Georgie. I knew there was a washer and dryer at our condo and disposable diapers give her serious diaper rash. The washer was teeny so I was doing diaper laundry every day, but I would rather toss in a quick load than to see her little bottom so sore.

Anyway, since we've been home Josie has gotten back into the swing of preschool. We even signed her up for dance class. I am so thankful they made an exception on her age (she's 2.5 and the class was for 3 and 4 year olds). Georgie has started getting fussier after feedings, so we are back to her reflux meds. I have gone back to sewing like a mad woman to get several projects completed for their October deadlines. All in all, we're back to our hectic life.

Vacation!

We are headed to the beach this afternoon. I am in serious need of a vacation, but have my doubts on whether this will even be the relaxing week I need. What is it about getting ready for a vacation that stresses me out beyond belief? I have to get all the laundry done so that everyone has clean clothes and diapers (yeah, cloth diapers- more on that later). Then I have to make sure the dishes are done because I don't want dirty dishes sitting in the dishwasher for a week growing who knows what kind of science experiment in there. Then there is the packing for me and the girls. I should do Trenton's packing because he always forgets something important like boxers if I leave it up to him.

Let's not forget the mountain of baby gear that has to go too- stroller, pack and play with changing table attachment, exersaucer (ie- most likely cause of ADD in babies), floor blanket, assortment of toys, and don't forget the baby swing because Georgie refuses to nap anywhere else. I'm pretty sure we need a car three times the size of our current one just to fit the baby stuff. I'm glad Josie has outgrown the baby stuff. I just need to pack some books, some craft supplies like markers and stickers, and her blanket.

So here it is, 10:15 and I've only managed to pack my clothes and Georgie's clothes. Trenton is at work without having picked out a single thing to bring. The next few hours are going to raise my blood pressure I'm sure. Getting in the car won't be any better. Georgie isn't fond of doing anything that we want her to do unless it involves eating. The last 3.5 hour drive to the beach we made took 6 hours and 4 of those involved a screaming baby. Hopefully this trip will be easier.

When I get back, I'm sure I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation.

Coming Soon!

I'm excited to announce that I will be opening an Etsy shop soon! My fabric scraps and glue gun have taken over the kitchen counter and dining room table much to Trenton's dismay, but it's allowed me to get some of my projects complete. As soon as I get all the last details over shipping preferences settled, I'll be up and running. I'll be offering travel wipes cases, monogrammed hairbow holders, and embellished onesies so far. I'm really looking forward to having an outlet for my creativity.

Finishing touches

Josie has been in her big girl room for about 7 months now. I had her decor picked out for several months before then, but of course it took a while to get it painted and set up. Her bedding is purposefully mismatched with black, bright pink, and bright green, and Westies. We have a Westie, and Josie has always loved dogs so it was perfect for her! I was never able to find wall decor that I was happy with the style or the cost. I had given up until the most recent Pottery Barn Kids catalog came out. They had some adorable pictures on the wall in their nursery set ups that weren't for sale. They didn't even match Josie's room, but it gave me an idea. From the tiny picture, it looked as if it was a shape cut out of scrapbook paper and framed. Simple! I can totally do that.

Luckily my favorite craft store was having a sale on scrapbook paper and picture frames this week. I love Hobby Lobby! I pick up a few sheets of some black and white houndstooth print paper and a few sheets of bright pink with a textured look. Head over to the frame section and grab a plain black 18" x 24" frame. It took me just a few short hours (with a few nursing sessions and play time with Josie in between) to get it all finished.

I matched up my houndstooth papers to look completely seamless and fill the frame. Then I sketched out the Westie shape onto the pink paper. Because of the size picture I wanted, I had to seperate the head and body. To cover that seam, I used some ribbon I already had to make it look like a collar. Tape or glue the dog onto the background, load in frame, and voila! I am so pleased with how it turned out and for less than $25.

Arts and Crafts

I've always been a sucker for crafts. Maybe it goes back to the days in grade school where I had projects for book reports or science class, or the "craft nights" my girl friends and I had in high school. My mom was always able to figure out how to make my project ideas come to life. Luckily I've inherited that trait from her. I always have some sort of vision of perfection when it comes to craft projects. Some turn out better than others. For example, my mom and sister learned that making beaded votive holders are a lot harder than it looks. No one wants bead shrapnel flying every which way when you light the candle!


During my nesting phase while pregnant with Georgie, I was coming up with all sorts of projects to tackle. I wanted to redecorate the nursery on a tight budget, but I also wanted to keep myself busy so I wouldn't be counting down the minutes until she was born. I managed to sew up a crib dust ruffle, three curtains, and a pillow for the rocking chair. All those turned out relatively good. My sewing skills are fairly good as long as it's a simple pattern. I also tried my hand at modpodging some decorative paper onto name letters and a DIY mobile. Letters- perfect, mobile- I could use a little more practice on that one but not bad.

My most favorite creation so far has been the hairbow holder. I've made one for Josie and another for a friend. I love how they have turned out. I have a few others in the works for my nieces. Here is an example:

I've also started embellishing onesies. Babies with little ruffles on the butt are the cutest thing to me. Since I know how to gather and had some non-fraying material around, it was so easy to just whip one up. It's too cute on Miss Georgie!

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

I breastfed Josie for about 5 months, and have been breastfeeding Georgie for just over 3 months. It has been so much easier the second time around even though she wants to constantly nurse some days. I wish I had gone longer with Josie. The benefits of breastfeeding to mother and child are awesome! I'm looking forward to many more months of nursing Georgie.

Check out this link from Ameda to read about and listen to some inspiring reasons why women choose to breastfeed their children.
http://www.ibreastfeedbecause.ameda.com/



Regardless of your political affiliation, I think we can all agree that the new health legislation is making great strides for breastfeeding women (http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/07/20100730b.html):

"The Affordable Care Act that was enacted earlier this year takes some significant strides in support of breastfeeding. The new law requires employers to provide time and a safe space for women employees who want to express their milk. It also requires health plans to offer certain preventative services without cost-sharing requirements, including counseling and support for mothers who want to breastfeed and for nursing mothers."

Sleepless Nights

Maybe we're already headed for a sibling rivalry. Georgie seems to want to prove to us that she is so different from her sister. Josie was an almost perfect baby in the sleep department. She started sleeping long stretches almost immediately so I only had to wake up once a night for her. At 10 weeks old, Josie was sleeping all night and it was easy to put her down for bed. Miss Georgie must hate to sleep. She's always been one to wake up twice a night, but the last week has been so different. I've had to get up three and four times to feed and then hold her, rock her, or walk around with her until she stops crying. Well, Trenton is doing most of the holding/rocking/walking after feedings. He's been so helpful at night so that I can catch an hour of sleep here and there at night.

It's obvious that Georgie is in pain, so now I need to play detective to figure out what I'm eating that's causing the problem. Oh the joys of breastfeeding! Totally worth it though.

Introducing Josie & Georgie!

I grew up with a mother that stayed home with my sister and I, but I never wanted that for myself. Don't get me wrong, I think there are so many benefits to the child of a parent who can stay home; I just never considered that for my family. After college I began my career in real estate as a builder rep during the boom time and loved it. The life of a new homes sales agent is a far cry from my life as a stay at home mom due to the recession. Gone are the days of fancy cars and designer handbags. Instead I find myself driving to preschool and carrying the biggest diaper bag known to man. My morning time is no longer spent on deciding which accessory I'll pair with my trendy outfit. Instead, I'm searching for a shirt that isn't too wrinkled and covered with spit up.

Josie, our 2.5 year old, is always keeping us busy. After a super easy pregnancy and normal delivery, we were blessed with an easy-going baby with fair hair. She continues to be a fairly easy toddler despite the occasional two year old tantrums. She'll talk your ear off if you let her. Georgie is our newest addition at just 3 months old. She has been different from the start. A miserable pregnancy led to the lightning fast delivery of our dark haired little girl. Easy is not part of our vocabulary anymore when it comes to her. Reflux, a tongue-tie, and sleep issues have kept us on our toes.

I certainly have my fair share of struggles from day to day, but I'm thankful for my family.