Mother Day Wish List
4/30/2014

I am getting really excited as my first mother day quickly approaches. Today I blew up Austins phone with ideas for the most perfect gifts.
Hello Apparel - I'm So Tired Sweater
I have been loving this sweater for awhile, and it would go perfect with a gift card for some shorts. I still dont fit in my pre pregnancy jeans (insert hysterics here) and I have been avoiding buying more that are a size up.
Alex and Ani - Mom Bracelet
Austin got me my first Alex and Ani for Valentines and it is one of the few pieces of jewlrey I wear, I cant wait to have a ton to stack together.
Sakura Bloom Pure Maple Ring Sling
I love the way this sling could go with anything, and I just love Sakura Bloom.
Sakura Bloom Simple Plum Ring Sling
Oh and this color to, my eyes have been on it for awhile. Oh who am I kidding? I got my eye on every single color.
BOB Revolution SE Jogger
I have started CT5K and my jogger is a joke. I have been dreaming of
Sakura Bloom Volume 5 Sling Diaries Audition
4/28/2014
It seems like forever ago I found Sakura Bloom ring slings. The sling has become such a major part of our lives its hard to imagine what I did before them, but in reality it really only has been about 6 months. I barely missed the last audtion for the sling diaries and have been anxiously awaiting this round, but woah is it intimidating. After looking through the instagram entires I decided to email mine in, it felt less daunting that way. I am not a great writer, nor anything close to a model (thats all up to Lilly) so putting my face next to some of those entries seemed ridiculous.
Though putting myself out there for the sling diaries is a long shot, I am happy with the piece I wrote. If anything it is a great way to share with Lilly one day about the ways she has encouraged me to grow, so I thought I would share it on here.
I have always been very strong, ready to take on the world, fight any battle, overcome any obstacle. But there come moments in life where everything changes. The moment you came into this world, Lilly Joyce, is the moment my world was rocked. I went from an untouchable, confident woman, to being rather unsure of myself. I have never loved someone so much in my life, and to me that is scary. I want to make the right decision every time, do everything just perfect, because you, my love, deserve the world.
I know as time passes and we both grow, new obstacles will come. One day I will have to find the courage to be strong while we say goodbye to your Daddy for months on end. I will have to find the courage to endure a deployment not only as a wife, but as a mother, and face the trials that it brings. But I find courage in you Lilly, to face things I never thought I would; to face my fears, challenge myself, and open my mind. But it is the courage you give me Lilly that is making me a better woman, and I am so grateful for that.
Keeping those diapers clean.
4/27/2014
One of the scariest parts when I decided to cloth diaper was how to get and keep them clean. If you look online there is an abundance of information out there, and it can become quite the heated debate. I want to make it very clear that this is what works for our family, and that may not work for everyone. I by no means am claiming to be the know all by writing this series, I am just letting people know what we have found to work.
Storing Soiled Diapers
First I want to talk about what you do with the diaper after it comes off the butt until wash day. If it is just a pee diaper I un-stuff our diaper and put it into the diaper pail. If it is dirty I un-stuff it (if I can without getting poop on myself) throw the insert into the pail, and take the diaper to the bathroom where I use a diaper sprayer and spray pal to rinse it off. I then put the diaper into the diaper pail. You can also use a liner, and 'plop' the poo off. A lot of times this will negate the need to rinse at all. It is also important to know that if you child is EBF there is no need to rinse the diaper. Breast milk poo is water soluble and breaks down in the washer, while regular poo can clog and ruin the washer.
Washing & Drying
On wash day I take the wet bag full of my dirty diapers and empty it into the washer, I then flip the wet bag inside out and throw it in there as well. There are tons of overpriced "cloth diaper" detergents but I have found tide cheaper and way more effective. I have never had an issue with stink or build up as long as I use an ample (typically to the max line) amount of detergent. It is very important when picking a detergent that you choose one without fabric softener, brighteners, enzymes, or scents, as this can also cause build up. For my wash cycle I set my HE front loader to the heavy duty cycle with hot water, not extra hot because that can be to hot for the PUL. I start with a prewash (my washer does this in cold), run my cycle with hot water, then set an extra rinse to make sure all the soap is washed out.
To dry my diapers I hang them on a clothes line outside. The sun exposure takes staining out and keeps them nice and white inside. My inserts I dry in the dryer like a normal load of laundry. In the chance that for whatever reason my diapers cant dry outside or on the table I will run them in the dryer on air dry, never do I expose them to heat.
Cloth Diapering Out Of The Home
When we leave the house I start by packing diapers, a wet bag, and disposable liners. Disposable liners are a liner that can be placed in the diaper closest to the babies skin. The pee goes through them but they hold poo. After use the liner can be flushed (according to packaging), but we just throw ours out. This makes dealing with poppy diapers without access to a diaper sprayer a lot easier. If I have access to a bathroom I take the liner and dispose of it then place the diaper in a wet bag. If I do not have access to a bathroom I just place the entire diaper in the wet bag and deal with it when I get home. It really is simple, and not nearly as hard as I imagined it to be.
Used Diapers & Stripping
Buying used diapers may sound disgusting, and I definitely was hesitant at first but there is a process that makes this not an issue. Stripping is the removal of build up and bacteria/germs in a diaper. This can be done for used diapers, if you have ammonia issues, your child is experiencing some sort of rash, stink, or other possible issues.
There are many ways to strip your diapers, but the easiest is with bleach. All you need to do is buy sanitizing bleach and have a place to sanitize. Either a bucket or the bathtub could work depending on how many diapers you are sanitizing. Create a water/bleach mixture according to the directions on the back of the bleach (it is a VERY small amount, so be careful), make sure to mix the water and bleach extremely well as this will prevent fading/bleaching of the colors on your diapers. Soak the diapers for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Then rinse, rinse, rinse! Then possibly rinse again, just to make sure.
April Weight Check
4/23/2014
Yesterday Lilly was 14 pounds 10 ounces, she made up for the weight lost and a little more. However she has decided she doesn't want to drink as much milk. It's like pulling teeth to get her to drink even 4 ounces. Instead she has become way more interested in her solid foods. Normal for her age, but of course an issue when we are trying to get weight on her. The doctor suggested we mix formula into her food, continue supplementing, and come back in a month.
But the bottom line is this, I can't exclusively pump anymore. Now that Lilly is getting more mobile it has become way to difficult. Oh, and I am loosing my sanity. I have to ask myself what is more important, being a sane mother or giving Lilly breast milk? I have decided I need make some calls as Lilly's mom, and I have made a decision on where we go from here. I am going to nurse as much as Lilly will nurse. Hopefully a lot, but currently she will only eat for about 4 minutes before she is uninterested. If she needs a bottle she will get a bottle, if she weans then that's her choice. I am going to add formula to her food since I won't be giving her supplemented bottles (as long as she nurses). I can pray she turns around and starts nursing all the time, but if she doesn't I am starting to accept that.
Easter Recap
4/22/2014
Easter was such a great day celebrating Easter for the first time as parents.
I loved preparing Lilly's Eater basket with books, a Jellycat bunny, sippy cups, and some wooden toys. I threw a little something for Austin together as well, Mt. Dew and Reece's are his favorite.
It was so much fun watching Lilly dog into her basket, she was completely interested in it which made it all that more special.
After opening Easter baskets daddy took Lilly on her first egg hunt in the back yard.
She loved holding the eggs.
Then we went to breakfast at our favorite (okay maybe the only) diner in town. I even let Lilly try a little taste of the whip cream off my waffles which she loved. She got tons of attention, and she definitely put on a show. She really is such a ham.
I am so thankful for a wonderful day with my family. It is crazy to think next year we will be living somewhere new. I can only pray we will be lucky enough to be together again.
EUC, PPD, PUL.... HUH?
4/18/2014
AI2: All in Two, a type of cloth diaper.
AIO: All in One, a type of cloth diaper.
AP: Attachment Parenting
BF: Breastfeeding, can also be seen as bfing.
CD: Cloth Diapers
DD, DH, DS: These are terms used to refer to family members (dear daughter, dear husband, dear son).
Diaper Pail: Where dirty diapers are stored until wash day.
EBF: Exclusively Breastfed, this is commonly used because EBF poop does not need to be rinsed prior to wash.
EUC: Excellent used condition.
Fleece: One of the most common types of fabrics used on the inside of cloth diapers.
Fluff: This is a term used for cloth diapers. You will commonly see the term fluff mail used, which is referring to diapers ariving in the mail.
GUC: Good used condition.
Hybrid: Type of cloth diaper.
Insert: The absorbent part of a cloth diaper, usually used with pocket diapers.
One Size: A size of diaper that fit most babies from birth through potty training.
Pail Liner: This is the liner that is placed in a diaper pail to keep it clean, this is also reusable and is washed with diapers.
PIF: Pay it forward.
Pocket: A type of cloth diaper.
Prefold: An absorbant rectangle used in cloth diapering.
PUL: This is an abreviation for polyurethane laminate, this is the waterproof material that is chemically bonded to that back of fabric.
PPD: Paid packed delivered.
SAHM/SAHD: Stay at home mom. Stay at home dad.
Snappi: A brand name fastener that can be used with prefolds in place of safety pins.
Soaker: The absorbant part of a diaper, generally used with fitteds and AIO's.
Stash: Your collection of diapers.
Stripping: The removal of built up residue.
WAHM/WAHD: Work at home Mom. Work at home Dad.
Wet Bag: A reusable bag that is used to storing dirty diapers.
Wicking: Transferring liquid from one surface to another, this usually means that moisture is being pulled into the fabric away from the babies skin.
Pockets, Inserts, Prefolds OH MY!
4/11/2014
I have to admit the many types of diapers available today can be quite overwhelming. I actually had to do some research just to write this post. Hopefully this post will explain the most popular options when cloth diapering, and help you decide what is best for your family.
Pocket Diapers are what I am most familiar with. These are what I started using from the beginning. They are just what they sound like, a diaper with a pocket. You stuff the pocket with inserts to get the absorbancy level your baby needs. There are many types of inserts, but the most common are made of these materials:
- Microfiber is one of the most common inserts for those new to cloth, as they often come stock with a new diaper. They are made of a synthetic material, absorb liquid very quickly, and are one of the cheapest insert options you can find. These inserts should never touch babies skin as the material can dry it out and cause irritation. Although these inserts are a cheaper option, they are bulkier and less effective then alternatives.
- Bamboo inserts are one of my favorite. I find I don't have to worry about how often Lilly is changed when one of these is in her diaper. They are safe to touch baby skin and wick away moisture unlike microfiber. Although these inserts absorb more liquid they absorb slowly, which is why they are often combined with something else
- Charcoal Bamboo Blend inserts give you the absorbancy of Bamboo inserts but a quicker absorbancy speed so they don't leak before the liquid absorbs..
Covers are also exactly what they sound like. They typically go over either a prefold or fitted.
- Prefolds is the original cloth diaper. It is a rectangle with a thicker middle. There are certain folds that can be secured with safety pins or a item called snappis, or folded into thirds and used like an insert, or as a lay in.
- Fitteds are diapers that do not have a waterproof layer, meaning they need a cover. They are one of the most absorbent diapers though, as the whole diaper is made of absorbing material. They are often used as a nighttime solution for heavy wetters.
AIO stands for All in One. This is a diaper that has the absorbency sewn right into the middle where it is needed. There is no stuffing, so it is "ready to use" like a disposable. They do however take the longest to dry.
AI2 stands for All in Two. These are similar to AIO except the absorbent part either snaps in or can be laid in the diaper.
Hybrids are similar to fitters except they have a hidden layer of fleece between the outer print and the inner absorbent material. The fleece repels liquid and the inner material is able to absorb more rather than just soaking the middle and needing to change. Hybrids are more breathable than an AIO or AI2 but are not waterproof. They are often used with out a cover around the house to allow baby to "air out" a little with out worrying about messes!
Thank you for joining me for week two of my cloth diaper series. This was the hardest week to write and I want to thank my friend Miranda for helping me write it. Without her it would have been a jumbled mess. I look forward to next Fridays post about all those terms and abbreviations you see when researching cloth diapers.
Are cloth diapers for you?
4/04/2014
I have had quite a few people ask me about cloth diapers, and this is so exciting to me! I love cloth diapering, but when we started just a few months ago I was so completely overwhelmed and I am so thankful for the few friends who walked me through it.
There are a lot of opinions out there about how you should do things when cloth diapering, and I am not saying that any of them are wrong or right. I am not an expert of cloth diapering, I just know what works for us.
There are so many benefits to cloth diapering. First is the financial savings; we noticed a difference right away! It is estimated that you will spend $2,500 on disposable diapers. Depending on what system you use for cloth, you may be spending as little as a few hundred. Another financial perk, cloth can be used for multiple children and later resold. Hello even more savings!
Cloth diapers have come such a long way, and they are not anymore work than disposables. Except for the laundry, which I honestly don't even notice. The main reason we switched and the main reason I find cloth superior to disposable is simple. Blow outs. I dont know about you but I find poo gross, even when it comes out of the cutest little bit I ever did see. But every single day without fail we had a blow out, the final straw was in the post office parking lot. It was in her socks, on my husband and on me. That night I went home and started looking into cloth. I figured if I was going to be cleaning up poop I might as well save money while cleaning it. Turns out we dont have blow outs in cloth. WIN!
There is also the factor of chemicals, the natural resources disposables absorb, and landfills. By using cloth you are doing your child a solid by not exposing them to chemicals that are linked to all sorts of nasty things. I wont get into what exactly - to controversial. But if you are anything like me, and becoming a mom has made you more were health conscious, bleght. A single disposable roughly takes 500 years to decompose, releases methane into the air which is dangerous to breathe, use 20 times more raw materials to be made, and those are just a few reasons they are toxic to our environment.
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