Diaper chic

gDiaper Hybrid Review

2013-06-06T11:39:00.001-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to visit my best friend and help throw her baby shower. While I was planning what things I would need to travel with my 20 month old, I decided to try out two hybrid systems. This first review will just focus on the disposable inserts and not the gDiaper reusable cloth inserts that you can also use with the system. As a cloth diapering fanatic, I was interested in a way to "cloth diaper" while I traveled. When I am at home, I still prefer my pockets, AIO's, and fitteds. But, I could easily place a prefold in the pocket of the gdiaper if I was really curious. Actually I am really curious, so I'll be testing this option out at nap time this afternoon with a prefold. (I'll update you all with results.)

UPDATE!!!!!

My dd had a poopsplosion of epic proportions this afternoon. I think she knew mommy was blogging and needed her to test out their ability to keep it all in (or she has gotten sick and ate a bunch of nopales yesterday which are basically natures laxatives). Holy crap, literally! Wow, that hasn't happened in awhile and it was no bueno. While the diaper did hold in all of the gift, it was so hard to clean. I put a small Sustainablebabyish prefold in the "pocket" and it didn't leak, but boy was it annoying to clean. A pocket or AIO diaper is WAY easier to clean than a gDiaper with a washable insert. The only time it wouldn't really matter was if you were still ebf (exclusively breastfeeding). In that case you can just throw the entire diaper in your diaper pail and it will all come out in the washer. This time I had to get my hand in the toilet water. But to be honest, nothing really phases me anymore, so it wasn't horrible.

Pros

If you're really dedicated to cloth diapering, like a more breathable option than disposables, or, are like me and just extremely curious, this system is a good option. My daughter, as you know, poops in the potty. Well, lucky for all of you readers, she had a regression and pooped in this diaper several times, so I know how it works for holding poop in too!

-Cute prints and colors.

Is this not a.dor.able?!?

-The inserts are the better of the two brands I tried.
-The design keeps the PUL off of the baby, unlike most other hybrid systems.
-The liners can be torn apart and disposed of in the toilet! (I never tried, but it's a great alternative to throwing away another diaper into the landfill.)

Here are the instructions from the website.

-Can be used as a nighttime solution for all ages.

Cons

-Even though I bought the large inserts, I had to double up the inserts for nighttime :(
-Sometimes the waterproof snap in would get so soaked you needed to put a new one in, which I didn't have. Very annoying when traveling. I would recommend several extra snap-in liners if you are using these on a trip.
-The inserts are sold everywhere, so be sure you bring enough with you! You can't just run down to your local big box store to pick up the liners.

Unknown

-I have not tested these yet with runny newborn and/or EBF poop. Once baby #2 arrives, I'll update this post with my thoughts!
-I don't have the gDiaper reusable inserts, so I can't comment on those. This is eating me away a little bit, because when I review something, I want to review all of the options. Hey gDiapers, do you want to send me a newborn package with cloth inserts to review?!?!?!?!?! Haha...in my dreams.

Overall, I would say these are a great travel option if you are really opposed to spoosies. Taking these on trips I think would be a great space saver, cute option, and a way to keep up with your cloth diapering routine without the laundry. If you are curious enough to try these out, I would go over to the gDiapers website and take a look at their starter bundle. In it, you get two covers and a package of disposable inserts for only $40! Each gPant can run you from $18-$30 alone.

I hope this helped those of you who are curious about the hybrid function of these diapers! Happy diapering!

Ps. Check out this video.

Cloth Diaper Trainer Review Part 2: Blueberry Trainer

2013-04-08T14:27:00.004-05:00

The big "musts" with training pants in my humble opinion are speed in getting them off, convenience, the child's ability to feel wet, usability without mommy or daddy's help, and similarity to underwear. Of course, I think these all change from child to child. Some kids will absolutely refuse to think of cloth trainers that look like diapers as anything other than another diaper. On the other hand, some kids don't care what the trainer looks like, and will easily transition from cloth diaper, to cloth trainer, to underwear. Even other kids (lucky parents) will transition from cloth diaper to underwear in a few days.

Let's all agree we hate those people and get back to our real parenting problem, potty training with a cloth diapered child.

Now, I have not fully trained my child to potty train, and I am not going to give advice where I have no expertise. I know what I know, and I hope that you find my review of this cloth trainer helpful in determining if it's the right fit for your little one.

Blueberry Trainer

For me, this trainer is perfect. I love it soooo much because it's like underwear. The reason I like it more than the one's with the snaps is that we really don't need the snap sided trainers thanks to EC or Elimination Communication. I've been putting my little girl on the potty since she was under a year, and we've pretty much eliminated any and all poopy diapers. Occasionally we have a few misses, but for the most part, it's poop in the potty. This is nice, but I feel like my laziness has really prevented us from taking full advantage of the EC program. I can't help but wonder if I had been more diligent, maybe she would be in underwear already!

Well, to be honest, I didn't really care to get her out of diapers. Let's face it, those fluffy butts are cute! Now with baby number deux on the way, I want to have the girls in matching diapers. I mean, how adorable would that be? And, with my new discovery of Good Momma Diapers, I'm really in trouble if that happens. Can you say buying tons of newborn diapers and one size diapers for matching diaper photo shoots because this stay at home mom has no life?

Haha. I can.

And it's an expensive sentence...

If your little potty trainer does still have quite a few poopy accidents in their pants, then I would say skip this diaper. You'll not want to take off a poopy pair of Blueberry Trainers and smear all of the "accident" down their legs. After a few dry heaves, then it's off to the shower to wash off all of that ~~disgusting, oh my god do I see last nights dinner in that~~, beautiful gift that's been distributed up and down your little angels legs. And, if your child is as active during changes as mine, you might need to call in a hazmat unit to get the room cleaned up as well. Yuck!

Enough babbling, let's get to the good stuff.

Pros

-Similar to underwear, for the picky child that wants "big girl or big boy underwear."

-Layers of cotton terry (to feel the wetness), PUL, and micro-terry make these a great option to help catch one accident.

-Comes in S(22-28lb), M(25-35lb), and L(32-42lb) This is great, because they aren't super bulky or too big for my tall, slim daugher. We have a small, and it fits her 25 lb frame perfectly.

Cons

Even though I love these diapers, I have some serious complaints.

-Really expensive! These things are ridiculously expensive at around $16.00 a pop! If you want to get several of these and you don't want to do laundry every day, you'll be paying quite a bit just for an intermediate phase.

- Most of the prints are for boys :( This is my biggest beef, because I would be willing to shell out the extra cash to get enough of these so that my daughter had "big girl" panties, and then my next daughter could also use them. I'm so annoyed with Blueberry because I want to get a bunch of these, but they have seriously left the girls out to dry print wise. Take a gander at the options from the Blueberry website.

What gives Blueberry? Why leave the ladies out? Have you not taken a look around you? Who is usually willing to spend more money on nice underwear? Women! Duh! I'm hoping in some alternate universe the people at Blueberry read this review and give us mommies with girls some more options! In the meantime I'm still putting my dd in her cloth diapers because she doesn't care if it's a trainer or a diaper. Lucky me! Yesterday we had an almost entirely dry diaper day. I'm a little sad actually...I'm thinking my dreams of matching diapers are not going to be fulfilled. Thanks baby girl for thwarting mommy's plans again!

-Cassandra

Don't buy these diapers!

2013-03-26T13:04:00.001-05:00

I hate it when I come across a diaper I don't like. Especially because I love them so much, I want all cloth diaper companies to do well. I have learned the hard way that just because you sell cloth diapers, doesn't mean you have a good product. In honor of another friend, Laetitia Knight, who is expecting a baby boy and thinking about cloth diapering, I'm bringing you the first installment of "Don't buy this..."!

Here are our culprits (one will not be pictured because it's mia)

On the left you have the Sweet Pea pocket diaper, the right is the Bumkins pocket diaper, the bottom is the Baby Kanga pocket diaper, and the fourth which is not pictured is the bumGenius pocket with aplix, hook and loop, or velcro, for those of you who don't speak cloth diaper lingo. I hate all four of these diapers for one reason, and one reason only. Well, that's a lie, I hate some of them for several reasons. But, the point is, they all leak! Ugh! The one job you have is to NOT leak, and that's exactly what you do. Even though you may have an innovative concept, at the end of the day, it doesn't translate into results, which at three in the morning on your third feeding of the night, is a necessity.

Sweet Pea One Size Pocket

I got this diaper for free after taking a class at a local cloth diaper shop. It was my first foray into the cloth diapering world, and I quickly learned that this was not only going to be possible for my family, but I was going to have a ton of fun doing it! The diaper I got was white, and while it was a one sized pocket, I didn't get to immediately try it out on my little 6lb 4oz baby girl. As soon as she grew out of her newborn diapers, I popped it out of the packaging, washed it per instructions, and began happily using it on my little girl. It wasn't until after she had started crawling around that the problems started. While she was in the relatively inactive phase of newbornhood, this diaper worked wonderfully. However, as soon as she became mobile, the fit stopped working and I had major leaking issues. The sides would typically be hanging down and her pants would be wet. Now, when I buy an one-sized diaper, I want it to last until potty training. Now, I'm stuck with three cute, albeit ineffective diapers. What makes this one great is that it has openings on both the front and back, which means you don't have to take out the soakers during a diaper change before you put them in the wetbag. Instead, the agitation of the washer makes them come out on their own, translating into a daddy friendly pocket!

But, this innovation, while genius, does not outweigh the fact that this diaper is not a good diaper for the long haul. I also have another friend who texted me in exasperation after having similar problems on her three month old! These diapers will run you about $12-$15, which is really well priced, but in my humble opinion, not worth the headache. Shell out a couple of dollars more and go buy yourself a workhorse diaper that can last from birth to potty training.

Bumkins One Size Pocket with Aplix

This is the diaper I hate the most. Of all the diapers I've bought this past year and a half, this diaper has been the biggest disappointment. I was really surprised by how affordable it was, so I thought I'd buy two in a flower and butterfly print. Similarly built to the Sweet Pea diaper, this diaper has the openings on both ends to avoid taking out the soaker, effectively making it an AIO and daddy friendly.

However, I'm not sure if the leaking is due to the fit, or the fact that both of these diapers seem to be falling apart after minimal use. I quickly stopped using them back when Lucy was maybe five or six months. Considering she wore newborn diapers until two months, three months of use in a Very large cloth diaper rotation seems ludicrous. Every now and then her father will put her in this diaper, but because it's so flimsy and poorly constructed, she ends up with wet pants and me questioning why I don't just chunk the thing in the garbage. Maybe I'll keep them for the girls dollies, but for now, they go back in the drawer. Out of sight, out of mind, right?

Look at how awful the inside of this diaper looks and how flimsy the velcro is!

Baby Kanga One Size Pocket

Another great idea, but severely lacking in execution, the Baby Kanga diaper is another unfortunate purchase. Maybe I got a defective diaper, and I hope that I did. I'm not sure why this diaper leaks. My only guess is the micro-fleece inside is to blame.

It almost seems to repel liquid, which is curious. I don't use diaper rash creams, and if I do for any reason, I either put my daughter in disposables, or I use coconut oil. (We had one little rash in one spot that wouldn't go away, but finally has thanks to some over the counter medication!) Back to the diaper, it's got great fit, extra hip snaps to ensure that the sweet pea diaper problem of the sides coming down is not an issue, and even a zipper in front, which makes changing a pocket diaper the most convenient thing imaginable.

What a great innovation! Now you don't have to possibly get poop on your hands (even though you're going to in disposables or cloth) when you change a pocket diaper. I may call the company and tell them my dilemma. I'll keep all of you updated, because it just seems too impossible that such a great diaper could give me this problem!

bumGenius One Size Pocket with Aplix

I love bumGenius diapers. They are such a great, versatile diaper with tons of options ranging from organic cotton AIO's, to the Flip, which is a great option for those on a budget. Whatever you think about bumGenius, please don't hate me for what I am about to say. Do not, I repeat, do not buy the velcro verson of these diapers. I have had such an awful time with these, I can see why people get so passionate about the velcro vs. snaps debate in the cloth diapering community. Just get the snap version and be done with it. I can't even put my daughter in this diaper because the velcro doesn't hold at all. Ugh. It's my mistake, and I am passing on this knowledge to you. I have tons of other diapers with velcro that I've been using for the same amount of time or longer that don't have this problem.

I'd like to leave you on a cute positive note. Here is my daughter playing with her moover pram sporting a cute itti bitti d'lish size medium. Happy Tuesday y'all!

bumGenius Freetime Diaper Review

2013-03-22T13:37:00.001-05:00

I don't know why it's taken me so long to do a review on this diaper. A few texts last night with a friend of mine over at Oh Audrey Sue, who is cloth diapering her new little baby girl reminded me that this review is long overdue. It all started with a discussion on pocket diapers and a certain brand of diaper that is leaking on her. I have had the same problems with that same diaper, and I feel her pain. While the idea of the diaper is genius, the execution is lacking. I'll review this diaper in a later post, along with two others that I loathe. Yes, I loathe them.

Back to the BG Freetime, which in my opinion is a great option for those of you who want an AIO, but are also leaning towards pocket diapers because you can adjust the absorbency. In walks the geniuses over at bumGenius and their new (well, not really that new anymore) diaper, the Freetime. I bought the Albert print, even though my little Lucy is not a boy. It seems like it's one of those made for boys prints, but that didn't stop me one bit! Daddy was a scientist and girls can be just as cute wrapped up in faux chalkboard print with "I'm a Genius" and E=mc2 all day long. Besides, I think it's a lovely marriage between BG and the genius of Albert Einstein. Personally, I think they should run with that idea and start issuing Limited Edition prints featuring different great minds from our past and present. Let's inspire our baby butts to dream big and push the limits of human knowledge.

Outside (I've had this diaper for over a year and it still looks brand new!)

Inside panels lay over each other and can be used alone as an AIO. You can also place a soaker underneath the stay dry panels to up the absorbency, making this diaper so versatile and great for heavy wetters!

Pros

-Hybrid between an AIO and a Pocket, which makes it daddy friendly while still offering mommy a chance to adjust absorbency according to age.

-One size, which is very economical for those of you who are not wanting to spend a fortune on diapers. This one will last you from 8-35+ pounds.

-Great BG fit

-Stay dry interior

-Sewn in flaps of absorbency that bend to pinpoint absorbency for girls and boys. (Genius!)

-A great nighttime diaper for younger babies!

-Very stain resistant and resilient! I've had this diaper for over a year and it's still bright white after repeated use.

I don't know if you can see the panels on each of the flaps, but those fold over, creating a way for you to customize the absorbency in the front for boys or the middle for girls!

Cons

-I have never been a fan of BG hook and loop diapers. I have had a serious loss of stickiness with the ones I have bought. If you do get one of these, be sure to get these in snaps if you're planning on using them a lot.

-I am also not a big fan of their snaps. I know it's picky, but they just don't snap as well as some other brands.

Since we have another little girl on the way, I'm thinking it's time to spring for two more of these diapers in honor of her arrival!

Here are my picks:

The Lovelace print is also super cute and I love the multicolored snaps!

Dazzle is so pretty! I love how saturated the color is.

Well folks, that's all I have to say about the bumGenius Freetime diaper. That's it for another diaper review. If you have any questions or just want to rave about how much you love/hate this diaper, leave a comment! I love reading comments by other fluffy butt moms or those who are just curious.

Workout totals,15 weeks

2013-03-14T13:33:00.002-05:00

Sunday, March 3
Walking 2.5 hours with the family

Monday, March 4
Lindsay Brin Second Tri Cardio and Toning-35 min
Turbo Jam Cardio 20 min

Tuesday, March 5
Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2-43 min

Wednesday, March 6,
Tracy Anderson Pregnancy Project 3-56 min
(Holy cow that was hard!)

Thursday, March 7
Tracy Anderson Pregnancy Project 3-56 min

Friday, March 8
Turbo Jam Cardio-20 min
Prenatal stretching-5 min

Saturday, March 9
Nothing. Lazy day with the family.

I'm still tired, but this working out is really making me feel more in control of the pregnancy. I wish I enjoyed this process more, but at least I get a beautiful baby at the end to add to our family. I'm not showing yet, just getting thicker in the stomach region. I can still wear all my own clothes, but I tend to wear my pregnancy jeans because they are more comfy.

Norah is going to be smothered with love from all three of us. I know Lucy is just dying to have someone to play with!

Cloth diaper Trainer Review Part 1: Kissa's by Kissaluvs

2013-03-14T12:50:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time coming on the post, and I apologize Jocelyn on my tardiness! A few months back I decided to wet my feet with a few cloth diaper training pant purchases. My daughter is only 18 months, but we've been doing EC for about 7 months, and I figured it might be the next step in the journey to potty training. Just as a disclaimer, I am not very religious about putting her on the potty after transitions. I know I could be better about it, but I'm not. Sorry EC gods, I know I've let you down.

Back to the stash. Currently I have three official training pants and one unofficial pair that I think would be a fantastic training pant. Here they are, can you guess the brands? Have you been checking out all the cute options as well?

Which one of these is not like the others? Three have side snaps. One is clearly like a pair of underwear, so it can't be that one. Given up yet? If you guessed the left one, you were wrong! If you guessed the gray one on the far right you were right! Bravo you fluff addict, you spotted the impostor! You may recognize this adorable piece of poop/pee catching goodness from a previous post.

Here are the diapers from left to right: Kissa's by Kissaluvs in 2T, Blueberry trainer in small, Grovia trainer, and our beloved Bottombumpers in the limited edition christmas print with an embroidered owl on the back.

I won't review all the trainers today, but I'll split them up for the sake of brevity. I can't imagine how long this post would be if I continued to ramble on and then did a review of each of the trainers. Without further ado, here is the first installment of cloth trainers

Kissa's by Kissaluvs

This trainer is really adorable. I fell in love with the owl print inside as soon as I saw it. Here is a link to the website where you can see all the adorable colors and prints these come in.

Pros

Side snapping
This is so important if you are just starting out the potty training journey. Chances are, it's going to take awhile before your little one is pooping in the potty. If that's the case, you'll really really want a side snapping option to keep any accidents (or misses) from being smeared down their legs. Isn't that just a lovely thought?

Pocket in the back-This is genius! It's like a pocket diaper, but flannel on the inside, so your pee monster gets a little added boost during nap time, or when you're just starting out. The flannel lets them feel wet immediately, meaning they still get the message without having to clean up a big mess afterwards.

Cute designs inside-This I think is genius! Who wants to poop or pee on all the cute owls, or monsters? Telling your child not to not poop or pee on their friends is a great way to get encourage them to ask you for the potty. I think having your toddler even pick out the prints they like is genius in really getting them involved in the process. And like most of you know, it's much easier to get a toddler on board when they have some control over what they are doing!

Microfiber liner and PUL outer layer-These two combos mean you can contain one accident, providing it's not too large, without wetting clothes. I think this would be the perfect pair of trainers to take out on your first errands out of the house.

Price- These are very reasonably priced at $15 each. For the quality and function, you could easily use these on several kids, or in the alternative, get a great price back on resale.

Cons

Sizing-If you practice EC, these trainers will probably be too big for your little ECer once you are ready to transition to a trainer. They only come in 2T and 3T. My daughter is wearing 2T clothing, but at 25 lb and with a slim build, these are not really feasible at the moment. Right now, they sit in her diaper drawer, waiting for the day when she will grow into them. The website says 20-32 lb, but my little Lucy is not able to wear these yet.

Design-If you little trainer is very perceptive, he or she may not be thrilled with the idea of "graduating" to big girl or big boy pants that look very similar to his other cloth diapers.

Overall, I think these trainers are a great addition to a family with a toddler who is a little on the chunkier side. The design is a great first trainer to get your toddler transitioning out of diapers and into trainers.

Workout totals, 14 weeks

2013-03-04T12:19:00.000-06:00

Week two of my accountability posts and I'm feeling like this pregnancy is going to be better than the last. We found out on Friday we are having another little girl, which is fantastic! I was really surprised, but the OB here in Mexico assured us that it is very common to find out the sex in the fifteenth week. For those of you not familiar with pregnancy weeks, you may be wondering why I wrote workout totals for 14 weeks, but 15 weeks here in the post. Well, like centuries, it's @ss backwards. No, I'm joking. Seriously though, this is a family show. Sorry for the added ampersat. Say I'm 14 weeks 3 days. That actually means that I have completed 14 weeks 3 days, meaning I am in my 15th week. Confusing, right? Well, try figuring out how many months you are every time someone asks you that question. Ugh, division, why must you haunt me the rest of my life?! So, this week I will be 15 weeks, ie, in my 16th week of pregnancy. If you really want to get confused, go look up luteal phases and all the things women do to try to conceive. We have to become doctors, mathematicians, chemists, witch doctors, and pill popping fiends to try to get pregnant.

In other news, I also want to rant a little bit about my OB. He is very nice, but really made me mad on Thursday. He weighed me in as gaining 4 kilos (2.2 lb to the kilo) in between my first visit which was at 7 weeks (?) and last Thursday, around 14 weeks. He told me I was gaining too much weight and that I needed to stop eating so much. Ugh! I have been working my tail off, and only adding in one more snack! I could have lost it I was so po'ed that he didn't believe me. Anyways, y'all are my witnesses, right? Well, the news had the opposite effect that he would have liked I'm sure. For dinner, I ordered a burger with fries. I ended up not being able to eat the burger because I had such bad nausea.Thanks karma. The next night I had Mike run out to the store and get me some orange Fanta (my strange pregnancy craving) and a pack of Bilbo knockoff Ho Ho's, and I had some chips. If I'm going to gain anyways, I might as well indulge, right?

Wrong, I know.

I'm over my anger and I'm not going to eat junk just to prove him right. I'm not a really strict dieter, but I do enjoy healthier food. I've been eating homemade baked oatmeal every morning, a salad for lunch, and then whatever Mexican food gets whipped up for dinner. I've added in one snack before my afternoon workout so I am sure that I have more energy. Hopefully some of the weight gain is muscle. My goal is just to have a healthy, fit pregnancy. If that means I go over the 25 pounds that my doctor is recommending, then so be it. I'm just going to smile and nod next time he berates me for weight gain and hopefully not run and console myself in hamburgers and ho ho's.

February 24-March 2

Sunday-Jennifer Wolfe's Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga 45 minutes

Monday-Turbo Jam Punch, Kick, and Jam 50 minutes

Tuesday-Lindsay Brin Second Tri Cardio and Toning-45 minutes
Pilates-5 minutes

Wednesday-Turbo Jam, 20 minute Cardio Booty sculpt & Abs-30 minutes

Thursday-Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2

Friday-Day off!

Saturday-P90X Chest and Back with Mike-50 minutes

It's a.....

2013-03-02T17:07:00.002-06:00

We're having a little girl! After much debate and thanks to an awesome friend Stef who didn't mind us stealing her precious daughter's name, we are proud to announce that Lucy's new sister is going to be named Nora Rose Leach. We're both so excited and I can't wait to meet our new addition!

Fit pregnancy, here we go!

2013-02-24T15:24:00.000-06:00

For those of you who don't know, I'm pregnant. Yay and well, boo...I have a love-hate relationship with pregnancy. I love the baby part at the end, but generally hate the act of being pregnant. Don't get me wrong, there are positives, but I for one, just feel like a prisoner in my own body. I don't get horrible morning sickness, and for the women who do, I salute you. If I threw up several times a day, this family would not be expanding past three. My friend Sally, a recent Dallas Moms Blog contributor, is my pregnancy hero. Check out her post on morning sickness. We were also pregnant at the same time two years back while both continuing to teach. I suffered from nausea and dizziness, while she was teaching all day long with a trash can in her hand! Superwoman.

Before my first pregnancy I was working full time, coaching basketball, finishing up my second Masters degree, and trying to do Bikram Yoga several times a week. When the news came that we were expecting our fist child, my hopes of doing a 60 day challenge were dashed. For those of you who are not Bikram yoga followers, the 60 day challenge is 60 consecutive days of Bikram Yoga. From there it was all down hill, as I stuffed my face for the next 9 months on any and everything I craved.

Big Mistake.

Fifty pounds later, it took me an entire year to get rid of all the baby weight. You can see my journey here. God bless Shaun T and Insanity. I can't wait to get back to my Asylum workouts and try out Asylum Volume 2!

This time things are different. I haven't worked out every day, but my resolution is five times a week now that I'm out of the dreaded first trimester exhaustion. Before, I was lucky to get in a workout two or three times. This time around, I wracked my brain to figure out what I would do. I thrive with consistency and got very attached to my Insanity workouts. Most of you don't know, but I had a miscarriage back in October. It was early on and we at peace with what happened. However, I can't help thinking in the back of my mind, the extreme fitness routine I was trying to maintain played a part in the loss. Maybe I'm wrong, we'll never know. The one thing I do know is, I want to be more cautious this time. No Insanity Asylum for me.

I've turned down the intensity quite a bit. My new workouts are a mixture of kickboxing, prenatal yoga, and prenatal weight lifting. I am still doing ab workouts, but I stop whenever I get crampy. Here is the list of DVDs I'm using to keep me in better shape this go around.

Lindsay Brin's Complete Pregnancy Fitness Workout series by trimester

Turbo Jam (old school)

-Turbo Scuplt

-20 minute workout

-Cardio Party 1

-Cardio Party 2

-Ab Jam

-Punch Kick and Jam

-Booty Sculpt

Jennifer Wolfe's Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga 2 DVD set

Tracy Anderson Pregnancy Project (I'm still waiting for this one in the mail.)

Once a week I will post my workouts, so I can keep myself accountable and hopefully inspire any of you other pregnant moms who are trying to also have a fit pregnancy!

February

Week of the 17-23

Sunday

-Acapulco :)

Monday

-Traveling

Tuesday

-Turbo Jam 20 min

-Lindsay Brin Second Tri Cardio and Toning 45 min

Wednesday

-Turbo Jam Punch Kick and Jam 50 min

Thursday

-Turbo Jam 20 min

-Turbo Jam Booty Sculpt and Abs 30 min

Friday

-Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2 43 min

-Jennifer Wolfe Prenatal Yoga 15 min

Saturday

-Lindsay Brin Second Tri Cardio and Toning 45 min

Let's hope I can keep this up!

Here I am at 13 weeks:

Meet my baby carriers!

2013-02-12T18:37:00.001-06:00

It's no secret that I'm a baby wearing fool. I didn't think I would be that hippy chick. Breastfeeding, wearing long flowy skirts, and toting my baby around on me like I'm some sort of @...pardon my French, I meant pack mule. I am an American and I use a stroller damn it. That's where babies are meant to be placed until they can walk next to you like a drunk person. Then you put them on a leash. Duh! I was introduced to baby carriers at a cloth diapering store in Dallas, where I was doing a little research with a friend who was also dabbling in the fluffy butt arts. I saw one of the workers wearing her baby and the rest is history.

Being the obsessive compulsive that I am, I wanted to try several of the "best" carriers on the market. Now, this is by no means a complete list of the best, it's just the ones I deemed good enough to try. There are a few more that I haven't tried, but these are all basically variations on a theme. Just like cloth diapers, they are all similar in style and function.

Some of my fit mom friends and I were talking about carriers, and I got an idea. Since I am a stay at home mom now and have nothing to do all day but chase around my little toddler, I decided to have a little mommy daughter fashion show with her carriers. This turned out to be great because she is also teething and nothing says flexible like a teething baby!

Moby Wrap

While I loved this carrier for when my daughter was younger, now it just seems a little too constrictive for her. It's less comfortable than the soft carriers when they start getting heavier. I believe that I stopped using this one regularly after she got to be about 10 months. But, when I first got the Moby, around two months, I loved it. It felt the closest to being pregnant again, which strangely enough, I missed. The other problem with this carrier is that it is long and you have to be somewhere where it doesn't drag on the floor while you tie it or you have to be very careful. I usually would pre-tie the carrier on me before we left, as a way to avoid this problem.

Best ages: Birth-12 months or probably 18 lb, whichever comes first
Pros: Soft, feels like you're pregnant again
Cons: You feel the weight of a heavier baby on your shoulders and back more.

Beco Gemini

Boy do I love the look of this carrier. It's a little different than most of the soft carriers on the market in that it has a forward facing option like the Baby Bjorn. I know there is a lot of controversy out there in the baby wearing world about if you should do this or not. This post is not going to try to convince you either way. If you're baby wearing, you're probably already aware of this debate and will come to a thoughtful decision on your own. Okay, back to the carrier! I cannot get enough of this print. It's a little harder to match my clothes with, but I think it's a great summer print. It fits similarly to the Ergo or Boba, but the buckles are slightly different. If you're looking for a carrier just for mom, then I think this is a good option. I find it very comfortable, and so does my daughter. While we were doing the photos for this post, I had her in the hip carry and she immediately put her head down on my shoulder. Why don't you just melt mommy's heart right now? I love it when she shows love back. One of the many blessings of toddlerhood! The problem with this carrier is twofold for me. First off, it doesn't have a pocket in the front, which I feel like is a must. Since I don't use a purse anymore, I like being able to put my wallet in the front zipper pocket. If I could get Beco to do this, I would probably wear this carrier more than my Ergo. The second problem is it doesn't fit my husband very well. I don't know why, but it looks awkward on him, despite the super girly print. There is something in the shoulder area that doesn't work right with his frame.

Best ages: 7-35 lb (10 less than the Ergo)
Pros: Very comfortable, a large selection of stylish prints, and 4 different ways to wear it!
Cons: Doesn't fit all body types as easily, lack of zipper in front, the way you tighten the straps is counter-intuitive

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Ergo

The Ergo carrier is my favorite for two reasons, and two reasons only. Well, okay, maybe three. First off, it has a zipper in the front, which for me is very important. It's my mommy purse/binky carrier. Secondly, it fits my husband well, which in turn means we can change out the carrier on one trip easily without having to either bring a second or me listen to him how he doesn't like how the Beco doesn't fit him. Less whining hubby equals more shopping time for mommy while daddy wears baby! I always take the opportunity to remind my husband that I gained 50 lb during pregnancy, and he shouldn't complain about how heavy it is to carry around our 25 lb toddler. So what if we live in a hillier place now. Suck it up! I was 50 lbs pregnant in 115 degree weather in Texas! Ergo doesn't have the same selection of cute carriers as Beco, but they do have quite a few. I've had my eye on the Zebra print for awhile now....Push present? Seeing as I am pregnant again, I think I deserve another carrier, right? And some more diapers! Well, we should probably find out the sex of the baby first.

Best ages/weight: 7-45 lb (10 more than the Beco) You must use the Infant Insert from newborn until 4 or 5 months.
Pros: Zipper in front, fits a wider range of body types, the buckles and straps are more sturdy than the Beco
Cons: The patterns aren't as cute or varied as the Beco.

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Ring sling(s)

I'm just going to write a brief little blurb about ring slings since I honestly don't care for them so much. I really really really wanted to like them, but they just aren't as comfy or as stable as the other three options I just mentioned. There are a lot of options out there on the market, so take your pick. I have a BabyEtte in grey cotton that I didn't take pictures of and the Balboa Baby sling in black(see below).

Best ages/weight: Newborn-25 lb
Pros: Better for newborns, but be sure you have them in the correct position or they could suffocate
Cons: They aren't as comfortable or as stable as the other options above, low weight limit

Boosting your milk supply, does it really work?

2013-01-23T19:46:00.004-06:00

There are a million articles I've read on this subject. When I had to start supplementing Lucy, the Pediatrician suggested that I drink Fenugreek tea three or four times a day. She had used the tea with great success and assumed that I would naturally have an increase in supply if I did the same. I don't know how many of you have tried the Mother's milk tea, but let me tell you, if you'd like to replicate the taste, go to your back yard, clip some grass and brew it up. Add the scent of maple syrup, but not the taste and you have yourself a cup of good ole' boob milk boosting tea.

One problem, it doesn't always work.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands and I researched online what I could do. I had already started eating oatmeal every morning, which I hate by the way, and upped my water intake up to the point that I was disgusted by the taste. I started drinking juice, milk, anything to change it up. I supplemented with Fenugreek capsules and blessed thistle AND bought the More Milk mixture from Whole Foods that tasted like grass vodka. I was mainlining all the "galactogogues" I could get my hands on. I took nursing vacations on the weekend, we did skin-to-skin every night in the tub and I slept with her in just a diaper against my bare chest for two months. Nothing worked. So I took the pumping route and I did something that probably aided in the decline of our breastfeeding relationship. I had been recommended the Avent bottles by my sister-in-law, who had a daughter several months older than Lucy. I decided that I would abandon my Tommy Tippee ones that I had registered for, and go with the Avent. They had been recommended to her by a lactation consultant as the most breastfeeding friendly of all the bottles. (I am not sure if this claim is true in retrospect. I am going to buy several bottles and do drip tests before the next baby to put my mind at ease.) Fast forward to my breastfeeding difficulties with Lucy, I did some more snooping online and came up with another major error I had made when Lucy turned two months. Naive me had bought the number 2 nipples for Lucy when she turned two months. I had been giving her faster flow nipples and had thus, encouraged her bottle preference. No one had told me earlier that breastfed babies should stay on the slowest flow nipple the entire time they are breastfeeding. The logic is that your own milk flow does not change, therefore the bottles should be similar to your own breasts. Stupid, stupid, stupid mommy.

Rookie mistake....ugh...

From there, I switched back to the number 1 nipples, but the damage had already been done. She stopped latching except for once in the morning. That was hard to deal with. There is nothing like the sight of your baby screaming in horror when you try to breastfeed them. I tried a supplementor, but she wouldn't latch. At that point she was too independent to get close to me and wasn't mindlessly rooting around anymore. After a bought of Rota virus when she was five months, I had completely dried up. I guess all the frequent trips to the bathroom to have my body do things I didn't know were humanly possible, my breasts had said "f-this" and decided to stop producing.

Looking back on everything that happened, I have done a lot of research. I mean, crazy, obsessive amounts of research on how you can boost one's milk supply. Every woman is different, and it seems that a lot of women have great results with Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle. Most take the capsules three or four times a day, usually several at a time. Most seem to believe four capsules three times a day plus one capsule of Blessed Thistle is the right combination.

So what about those of us who have tried this and didn't see an increase in supply? Well, there are a few at home remedies, and a few medical interventions.

At home
Lactation cookies with brewers yeast and oatmeal, some also put in Fenugreek (belch)
Dark beer
Goat's rue
Fluid, fluid, fluid
Make sure you are eating 500 calories more than you did pre-pregnancy. Now is not the time to start dieting.
Pump after every feeding for five minutes. The idea is that breastmilk is all about supply and demand.
Take a breastfeeding vacation-Lay in bed with baby and have them feed or suckle as much as possible for several days. Skin-to-skin is also helpful when doing this.

Medical
There are two drugs that are used most frequently with boosting milk supply, they are Domperidone and Metoclopramide. Both have side effects and I have read that the former is not used in the US. You should also talk to your pediatrician about the use of these and possible underlying causes that could effect your milk supply.

Here is a quote from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine taken from this article on other causes of low supply:

Evaluate the mother for ‘‘medical’’ causes of hypogalactia:

Pregnancy, medications, primary mammary glandular
insufficiency, breast surgery, polycystic ovary syndrome,
hypothyroidism, retained placenta, theca lutein cyst, loss
of prolactin secretion following postpartum hemorrhage,
heavy smoking or alcohol use, or other pertinent conditions.
Treat the condition as indicated, if treatment is
available12 (Level of Evidence II-2, II-3, and III).

I already have plans to try making a lactation cookie of my own that is not at all healthy, but tastes delicious. I've also heard of breastfeeding cupcakes, which could also prove to be interesting. I'll be working on those two in the next month, so stay tuned! Any guinea pigs want to test them out for me?

Moooo, moooo pump that milk

2013-01-20T23:00:00.001-06:00

As promised, I will impart my pumping, no supply wisdom to those of you real moms who are struggling with juggling a newborn and figuring out how to balance breastfeeding and freedom. Now, when I saw freedom, I mean those precious moments at the beginning of newborn's life, when you really do feel like a cow. Sleep deprived, probably still in pain from whatever form of labor and birth you had, adjusting to this new being that is constantly glued to your body. You're in love and could stay lying on the couch forever watching your little precious bundle sleep. While at the same time, you're silently screaming inside to get out and move, but you just can't find the time to take a shower. Before I get to pumping, let me give you a piece of advice that was passed down to me from one of my mom friends while I was still pregnant. She told me, "Everyone tells you about how great breastfeeding is and that they feed every two hours. No one ever tells you that it takes them an hour to eat. That means you've got one hour of rest before the next feeding."

Just let that sink in.

Now, I don't want this to come off as anti-breastfeeding. I am very pro-bfing. I just want you to understand that you are really going to have to be mentally strong and prepared for the challenges you are going to face the first few months. We bed shared for the first three months, which made the late night feedings very easy. But, you may be one of the lucky ones whose newborn sleeps for three, four, maybe even six hour stretches right off the bat. If you are, just keep that between you, your pediatrician, and God if you believe in him. No mother with an infant wants to hear about your baby who is sleeping through the night by two months. We hate you behind your back and you don't want us to do that.

Okay, now what you've all been waiting for......pumping! What kind of pump should you get? How often should you pump? What do you do with the milk? Can you freeze it? Make ice cream with it? Should you start pumping early to build up a supply? Should you introduce the bottle early to get your baby used to the bottle since you'll be going back to work? What about bags or bottles? How do you thaw the milk? How long can it sit out? Breastfeeding hurts, why? My nipples are bleeding, I think I should stop. What is thrush? What is mastitis? When will my milk come in? I'm so frustrated, help!!!!

Those are a lot of questions and I'm not a doctor or a lactation consultant. However, I had problems with milk supply so I read my fair share of books, articles, and blogs about the art of breastfeeding. I'll let you know what I've found and point you to some practical solutions that I think will help you troubleshoot when you really do find yourself having issues.

1. Pumps

There are all manner of pumps out there on the market. If you have insurance, I would strongly recommend calling your insurance company and seeing if they will pay for your monthly rental for a hospital grade pump. They are the best on the market and will get the most milk out. You never know if you are going to have supply issues, and hey, why not get the best pump for free instead of spending hundreds of dollars on something inferior?

2. Shields

If you are going to go back to work to pump, you are going to have to determine when you will have time to pump, where you will be able to do it, how you will clean your equipment, and how you are going to store the milk. I was a teacher and was lucky enough to have my own room that I could use during my free periods. The downside was, I didn't have a private place to clean all my breast shields. I also am very lazy when it comes to doing dishes, so I decided to buy enough shields to last my entire day, avoiding the need to do embarrassing dishes in the faculty lounge.

If you can't afford to buy several sets of shields, just realize that you will need to sanitize them in between each use. Medela makes these awesome bags that will sanitize all your accessories in the microwave! Each bag can be used up to twenty times, so it's pretty convenient and economical. You could also buy one of the Avent sanitizers and keep that at your work if you don't mind having it sit around all day.

3. Storage

I'm just going to let La Leche League take the lead on this one. Here are the basic guidelines on how long you can keep breast milk in the fridge or freezer.

From the website:

Storage Guidelines

All milk should be dated before storing. Storing milk in 2-4 ounce amounts may reduce waste. Refrigerated milk has more anti-infective properties than frozen milk. Cool fresh milk in the refrigerator before adding it to previously frozen milk.
Preferably, human milk should be refrigerated or chilled right after it is expressed. Acceptable guidelines for storing human milk are as follows. Store milk:

at room temperature (66-78°F, 19-26°C) for 4 hours (ideal), up to 6 hours (acceptable) (Some sources use 8 hours)
in a refrigerator (<39°F, <4°C) for 72 hours (ideal), up to 8 days (acceptable if collected in a very clean, careful way)
in a freezer (-0.4 to -4°F, -18 to -20°C) for 6 months (ideal) up to 12 months (acceptable)

Here is the link to the web page.

Okay, now that you know how you should be storing your milk, here are your options and here is what I did.

a. Bottles v. Bags

This is personal and will depend on how much you are pumping and how much you want to store. If you are not the most productive cow, you might just go with bottles, since they won't be in your refrigerator for more than one day. If you go this route, you will need to use the bottles that correspond to your pump. I used Medela products, so I typically used the 5 oz bottles they sell. They also offer a nipple that you can attach to the bottle, which is convenient as you don't loose milk transferring it from one bottle to another. Medela also offers a nipple that attaches to these bottles called the Calma, which is supposed to simulate breastfeeding. I tried to use this nipple with Lucy, but she was already too far gone and went on a feeding strike. Next time, I possibly will use this nipple from the beginning and see if we fair better with transitioning between bottle and breast.

Bags on the other hand can be a great option for the high producing momma or for the low producing mom who wants to use a different bottle. Again, I am totally not a Medela spokesperson, but I used these products and can give you the pluses and minuses. The Medela Pump and Save bags are a great option if you don't get out 12 oz at a time, these can be a great option to pump straight into a bag and then freeze and thaw as needed. They have handy little adaptors to attach to your shields, so you skip having to use bottles, which means less dishes. If you are a big producer, you can also use the Lansinoh bags that hold twice as much, but they do not attach to the Medela shields.

4. Hands free pumping bra

God bless the hands free pumping bra. Now you can surf the Internet and pump! Go get one of the immediately if you are going to use an electric pump. Go now and thank me later. This is a great way to just relax and make pumping a little less boring. I have pumped for over thirty minutes using one of the these puppies.

5. Pumping schedule: When do I start?

I'm not a lactation consultant. I started pumping maybe a week after my daughter was born, to try giving her a bottle. In retrospect, I think that was foolish. My daughter ended up expressing a bottle preference and I can trace that back to the first bottle feeding and my low supply. You don't know if your little one is going to express a bottle preference, so I say, wait until right before you are going to go back to work, or two to three months before you introduce a bottle. If you don't care if your supply wanes or not, then give a bottle. It's really a personal choice. I'm just hoping to outline my mistakes, so others can learn from them.

6. How often should I pump?

Ideally, you should pump whenever you would normally breastfeed. If you are trying to boost your supply, pump after every feed for at least five minutes. Working moms will probably not have a schedule that allows them to pump whenever their baby is actually feeding. In this case, do what you can. It's better to pump more frequently than to pump for long periods of time. You need to relax while you're doing it. A little funny tidbit about breastfeeding is that you need to have an emotional reaction to have "let down." The release of oxytocin is what causes let down and is harder to achieve with your pump. So, keep photos of your baby around and visualize holding him or her, while imagining "waterfalls of milk." I kid you not I read that in a breastfeeding book. I don't remember which one, but I've always found that imagery hilarious. Unfortunately, no matter how many Niagara Falls of breast milk I envisioned, I never had an increase in supply.

7. When to introduce the bottle.

The question that has a million answers. I'm going to answer it from a mom whose daughter expressed a bottle preference early on. If you can, hold off giving a bottle for as long as you can (and a binky). I would wait until two weeks before you return to work. Also, try not to give your little one the bottle if you can, so your baby doesn't associate bottle with mommy. I started my daughter out with the bottle after a week with pumped breast milk. By four months, she was down to one early morning feeding and by five months, she had completely weaned herself. I had a really hard time with this and went through anger and feelings of rejection. Breastfeeding was important to me and I didn't want to give up that special time with my daughter. Just know that if you are enjoying breastfeeding, try and establish the best relationship you can with your baby before giving a bottle. You won't know you have a baby that is going to express a bottle preference until it happens. By then it might be too late. You just never know, and if you don't want to risk it, don't give the bottle for at least two or three months.

8. A pain in the boob

Engorgement, nipple pain, bleeding, mastitis. Breastfeeding can be really painful and there are a number of problems that cause each of them. Most breastfeeding pros will say that an improper latch is the cause of breastfeeding pain. Other moms I've talked to say that it wasn't the latch, they just had to get used to the feeling and for their nipples to toughen up. By the way, breastfeeding in the first few days has an added perk of shrinking your uterus back. However, the way this happens is by way of contractions...Remember those? For some women, this can be quite a shock to feel the baby latch on the first time and feel those dreaded things you just finished having! My mother remembers having to pull me off several times because the pain was too excruciating at first. Other women don't feel as bad or have copious amounts of pain meds to numb the pain. I had a c-section because my daughter was breech, and I was so drugged up, I couldn't remember if I was having conversations in my head or with the people around me. I'm so thankful to my mother and husband who kept my daughter and I both safe while I was recovering.

If you are suspicious your pain is caused by a bad latch, call up that lactation consultant that you already have or go down to your local La Leche League meeting and pick the brain of some of the other moms.

Finally, Mastitis is something every mother should be aware of. Thank God my OB explained to me the symptoms during a prenatal visit and begged me to call him as soon as I had them so he could get me on antibiotics. God bless him and God bless antibiotics. Sorry for all the gods, I just really really really had a hard time with Mastitis and the treatment made me feel a million times better. It basically feels like the flu, and having a baby while having breast pain, flu like symptoms, and working full-time can be beyond draining. Talk to your doctor about the warning signs and what you should do if you suspect you have it. Do this BEFORE you have your baby. You'll thank me when you get it on the weekend.

That's all I have for now on pumping. Next blog I'll write about how to try and boost your milk supply. I say try because I did almost everything you can think of and I never was 100% EBF (exclusively breastfeeding). I have a couple new tricks up my sleeve for next time, and I'll share them with those of you who are suffering or have suffered in the past with low supply. To the rest of you future and current mommies, good night and happy pumping!

Breastfeeding?

2013-01-11T17:32:00.002-06:00

In honor of my best friend announcing her pregnancy and entering her second trimester, I thought I would write about breastfeeding from the perspective not usually heard from in the breastfeeding blogosphere. If you have read any of my earlier posts on this subject, you will know that I had a hell of a time with milk supply. I was lucky enough that Lucy latched on great from the get-go. In that, I am truly grateful. However, by one month we started supplementing, and by four months, she had completely weaned herself. It was really hard for me to deal with, and I tried everything to get her to come back to b-fing. Everything, except for two things, that probably would have either saved our relationship, or saved my milk supply at six months when I completely dried up.

1. Have a lactation consultant who will make HOUSE CALLS. I am yelling that in print because I talked to several on the phone and I didn't get anything out of the phone calls that I didn't already know. Believe me, I became a booby expert after we started having issues. My goal in life was to be a milk machine, and instead, I just started to smell like maple syrup. I am sure that some of our problems with reflux and my little hungry hippo could have been solved had we had someone who could come over and help me coax my daughter gently back into breastfeeding.

2. Find a local La Leche League group and GO! Why I didn't do this, I will never know. I should have gone while I was pregnant and started learning and building a support group before I ran into problems. To be honest, I didn't really know. I read the La Leche League book, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding while I was pregnant. It helped me understand more of what to expect from this new frontier, but it can come across condescending at times, especially if you run into serious problems.

The best advice I can give to someone who is on the fence about breastfeeding is talk to someone who has done it, or is doing it that you respect. This choice is very personal, and breastfeeding is not for everyone. It can be an amazing experience if you are open to it. It can also leave you heartbroken when it doesn't work out. Welcome to motherhood.

That being said, most problems can be solved with the right support system. I may look into asking my pediatrician for a prescription for Reglan or Domiperidone next time around. Whatever you decide to do, just know that your child will grow up happy and healthy with formula or breast milk. Regardless of what you may read, you are not going to poison your baby if you give them formula. However, breastfeeding can be one of the most amazing moments you will ever have as a mother, and if you want to give it a try, I say go for it! You may run into bumps, but with a good support system around you, you'll hopefully sail over them with ease. Later I'll post about pumping. I was a working mom, and I turned pumping into a science and so can you!

Folding cloth wipes tutorial

2012-12-07T12:53:00.000-06:00

Next time you are at a party and you are stuck talking to that one person you really don't like, but is obsessed with being your friend, think of me and use this neat trick I am about to show you. Or maybe you're talking to the new girlfriend or boyfriend of one of your friends that you know is not going to last, but you don't want to be rude, so you keep the conversation polite. The problem is, that person hasn't seen the writing on the wall, so they are talking your head off and saying "Next year at Halloween, I'm going to dress up as a sexy ___." Listen up carefully because I am about to give you your exit strategy. Start talking about this awesome cloth diapering blog you read (Let's face it, who is going to want to hear about that?) and how you just learned the coolest trick to getting your cloth wipes to pop out of a plastic wipes case. If this doesn't send them running for their next shot of tequila and a new victim, I don't know what will.

I don't remember the exact place I saw this, probably Pinterest, but it's genius and if you are using cloth wipes you have to have this trick up your sleeve to impress all your friends. Because once you become a mommy, your conversations change. Forever. You go from talking about what you did last weekend, or the latest movies that you saw to, "Look, I can fold wipes to make them pop out of the top of a wipes case!" This is something you will have to accept and should probably consider before ttc. (For those of you who don't know all the lingo the kids are using these days, ttc is short for trying to conceive.) That's right. I'm hip. I'm with it...You get the idea.

Now to the tutorial

1. Take your stack of awesome cloth wipes that you either made with the sweat of your brow, or if you are lazy like me, purchased on Amazon with your Prime account. (Amazon is my new addiction, and Prime is my enabler. Damn you free shipping. You get me every time!)

2. Okay, seriously, compile all of your wipes and a wipes case. Today, I will be using a mixture of Grovia wipes (my favs), Swaddlebees, and random wipes I bought off of Etsy.

2. Lay your first wipe out flat like so.

3. Then take another wipe and lay it flat half way in between the first wipe you put down.

4. Now, fold the first wipe (ie bottom wipe) over the top wipe.

5. Now, here comes the tricky part. You have to lay another wipe over the folded wipe, making it cover the top of the first wipe, but leaving the second wipe still visible. (I'm horrible at directions, aren't I?!)

6. Fold the bottom wipe over the top wipe, and repeat!

You get the picture.

Stop folding up your wipes when you reach your preferred height.

Here is a side view. just in case you want to compare.

Then, after you have your stack, you will need to open the wipes case like so.

Just a hint, it helps to use your dominant hand. Also, beware of the spiky plastic pieces around the edge of the container.

Then place the stack of folded wipes into the container.

After you have placed them inside, take the top flap and insert it through the hole on the top of the case. This step is essential in transferring the wipes from the inside of the case to the outside.

Now, shut the case and start pulling!

I generally poor my famous wipes solution over the top of the wipes BEFORE I shut the case. Just be warned, it will not be effective if you close the case and then poor the solution. Boy will I never do that again!

There you have it! Cloth wipes that pop out of a wipes case. You can also use this as a toddler toy with tissues. I have yet to try this because my daughter is still in the tasting phase and I'm not prepared for her to have a Kleenex lining to her intestines just yet.

Color essentials

2012-12-06T14:28:00.000-06:00

Since I'm trying to not buy so many diapers or diaper accessories, I thought it might be fun to pick some of my favorite cloth diapering accessories and display them by color. First up in this new series is lavander.

Displayed are the following items:

1. Grovia diaper in Mod Flowers
2. Planet Wise hanging wet/dry bag in Chic Petunia
3. Aveeno Baby Calming Comfort Bath in Vanilla and Lavender
4. Happy Heineys diaper One For All in Lavender
5. bumGenius diaper Freetime All-In-One Snap closure in Dazzle
6. Grovia Cotton Cloth Wipes
7. Aura Cacia Lavender Essential Oil

Click here to make your own cloth wipes solution. It's so cost effective and eliminates the need to have a trash can in the baby room at all. Everything goes straight into the wet bag!

I'm coming out of the SAHM closet

2012-12-05T13:17:00.001-06:00

This morning started like any other average weekday morning for a SAHM. I got up, went in and got the baby, came downstairs and prepared her breakfast while little Lucy practiced her new found ability to screech. Oatmeal, lolo, and apple slices were on the menu. The only difference is, what I am about to say is going to make you all hate me. I hate myself sometimes just thinking about it. Seriously, why do I have this life and why am I so bored? Okay, I am just going to say it....I really will...This is going to take a lot of courage on my part and I hope you all don't think differently of me.

We have a live in nanny.

There, I said it. You all know now. I am a fraud. I'm not a real sahm. I don't cook most of the time, and I hardly ever clean anymore. My day is just filled with taking care of my daughter. This seems like the dream scenario for most moms, right? You don't have to worry about any of the household chores. All of your attention can be devoted to your little bundle of joy. Well, to tell you the truth, I'm bored. I never pictured myself as a sahm. That wasn't the plan, and I honestly am having a really hard time adjusting to it. Don't get me wrong, I understand how absolutely amazing this opportunity is. I just feel so unsatisfied. I'm sure I'm probably doing something wrong, and if I were to only focus on the fact that I am "living the dream," maybe I would be happier. The second problem is, we live abroad (hence the nanny) and I don't speak the language. She has been indispensable in helping me communicate with the guards in our neighborhood, people at the grocery store, the dry cleaner, and has been the best company I could have asked for. I don't know what I would have done when the cable guys came to fix our internet, or when the movers brought our stuff.

I am a sahm mom who hates it and I have no good reason. What is wrong with me? Why do I want to work again? Doesn't every woman hope they can arrange their finances so they can stay at home with the youngins? I'm sure there are other educated women out there, maybe in the foreign service like us, who feel the same way I do. I spent countless years in school, earned two masters degrees, and now I spend most of my brainpower repeating the same word over and over to my child in the hopes that one day, she will repeat it.

Maybe if we lived in the US, I could pop over to Michaels or the Dollar Store and buy some Modge Podge to make a wreath out of plates and photos that cost $3.00. Or I could scour garage sales and start re-purposing old TV's into playground equipment. I can only bake so much, and half the recipes I see on Pinterest I can't make because we don't have the same ingredients in the super markets.

To quote one of my favorite lines from Friends, "Oh, my wallet is too small for my fifties and my diamond shoes are too tight." What kind of person complains about staying home and doing nothing but love on their child? This post makes me sound like such a spoiled brat. Maybe I am. Can I love my daughter and want to work at the same time? Rock, meet hard place, you'll be living here for the foreseeable future. Life in the foreign service is hard sometimes. I don't regret this decision, and I'm so happy that my daughter gets to see her father again. We've gone on some fantastic vacations already, and I might even leave this tour speaking a little Spanish. Basically, the moral of the story is, the grass is always greener on the other side of the sahm fence. Count your blessings and I'll try and count mine.

Pity party over

Cloth diapering, a year in review

2012-11-30T14:00:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it's been over a year and I'm still cloth diapering. I remember when I first heard about it, and I was immediately appalled and intrigued. (I seem to have that reaction a lot.) These days, the idea of washing your diapers seems so medieval, primitive. Everyone uses disposable diapers because that's what is done. It's not really a hot button issue, just a way of life. Having a diaper cake at your baby shower is a right of passage for the pregnant mother. Once you get one, you are officially going to have a baby. Before that, it's all a mirage.

So of course I had to be different. Not because I love being different, just because I'm usually trying out stuff I read about to prove someone wrong. Cloth diapering must be impossible, so let me do it. Wool diapers are for barbarians, I'll buy 15. Elimination Communication is the love child of the devil and a madman. Babies will never, I repeat NEVER go to the bathroom on a potty. I've got to try this.

What is wrong with me? Why am I doing this to myself? Whatever brain abnormalities aside, I've learned a few things over this past year of cloth diapering that I'd like to share with you.

1.) Newborn cloth diapering is not for everyone. You have to want to do it. If it becomes overwhelming, stop. Love that baby and focus on more important things like establishing breastfeeding (if you are doing that) and getting some much needed sleep.

2.) You will eventually stop buying a new diaper every week. This usually happens when you have at least one of every diaper you just can't live without.

3.) Most likely your spouse will eventually jump on board. At first Mike thought I was a raving lunatic and now he's telling me we need to do diaper loads and begging me to put wool on her at night.

4.) Aplix (or velcro, as normal people like to call it) is not all created equal. My aplix Blueberry diapers are still going strong, but my Bumgenius one is no longer reliable. My daughter walked right out of it last night right before bath time. That being said, different people have different experiences with different diapers. Just know that you might not be able to use all of your diapers for multiple children.

5.) Never underestimate a hip snap with a crawling and walking baby. I HATE my Sweetpea diapers now because they don't have hip snaps and she is constantly leaking out in them.

6.) You are going to start hating some of the diapers you loved and vice versa.

7.) Cloth wipes are still easy and you never run out of them like disposables.

8.) Different one size diapers work better for different stages of your baby's development. I used to like Blueberry for nap time and now they don't hold in all the pee. Sweetpea's used to be my favorite day diaper and now I can't stand them.

9.) Buy the most expensive diaper you can afford that works well for your baby. I bought two really horrible diapers I will write about in another blog. They were super cute and really reasonable. Now they just sit in her diaper drawer and I curse at them every time she has a diaper change. I could have spent the money I used on the two of them to buy one really nice diaper.

10.) If you are traveling or your baby has a bad case of the runs, just go to the store and get some disposables. It's only a week here or there. No one gives you a trophy that says you 100% cloth diapered your baby's bum after they have potty trained, so save yourself the trouble of doing diaper laundry in a hotel at midnight and enjoy your life.

11.) This process is totally doable if you want to do it. If you find that it's too hard, you might need more diapers. At the beginning, I remember feeling pressure to make sure I had a load of diapers in so that she would have some for the next day. Now that I have enough (cough, cough) for a few days (a week), I feel more calm about washing. Everything is more fluid and I know that I'll be using these diapers for the future youngins to come. However, if you get more diapers and you still can't figure it out, don't worry. Sell your diapers on eBay and move on. You're not a horrible parent if you don't cloth diaper. (Email me first though, because maybe I'll want to buy your diapes!)

Elimination Communication

2012-11-08T12:23:00.002-06:00

Being the hippy in denial that I am, when I first heard about EC, I had a similar reaction to this. What kind of voodoo believing, co-op membership holder, community garden gardeninger (wait, is that a word?), chia seed enthusiast would do something like this? I mean, seriously? I can understand cloth diapering. I have a website devoted to the subject. I’m progressive, hip. I’m with it. (insert Dr. Evil docadocadoca dancing scene from Austin Powers) Potty training a baby is NUTS! No one does that! I mean NO ONE. Only crazy people do…

And so I had to try it.

I needed to prove them wrong, the thousands of mommies out there who in fact do this unfathomable thing. How in the world could someone actually expect a baby to go potty in a potty? Newborns even?! Say what! So, I promptly bought an EC book and got to reading. As per usual, it was filled with hippy crap that appealed to me. Damn it. Why am I so gullible?

Here is what I gleaned from the book:

1.) A lot of cultures actually do this. (I have no proof of this, nor do I really care.)

2.) Babies don’t like to feel dirty or wet, so they take easy to the method.

3.) Your baby wants to potty train. (I have not asked any babies, so I am not endorsing this statement.)

4.) Babies go potty during transition times, ie. getting out of the car seat, carrier, after a nap, after mealtime, etc…

5.) Naked time to help your baby learn about how it feels to pee is essential.

6.) You have to grunt with your child to help cue them for poop and go “ssssss” to help them go pee. (This one is hilarious.)

7.) Offer the potty often.

8.) Potty time can be bonding time between parents and baby.

9.) Take your baby with you to the bathroom and describe what you are doing by using the cues. (Again, hilarious in practice! Hey Lucy, I’m peeing, “ssssss.” Mommy is going pee in the potty.)

10.) People are going to automatically think you are crazy for doing this. Get used to it.

I am no expert on EC, and we are not really religious about offering the potty after every transition, but, my daughter has gone two months with only two “misses” in her diaper. I’m talking one to three poops a day in the potty and sometimes pee! Granted, my little bundle of poopy joy is not walking by herself yet, but she’s content to sit on the potty while we read, watch Baby Einstein, play with my phone, sing songs, or play with her toys. I’ve had to wash fewer diapers, which is a plus. But, more importantly, I haven’t had to clean any poopy diapers in ages!

I started this around 9 or 10 months, but really got into it after our move at eleven months. Some people start from day 1, which I think is great if you can! At that point, I was in survival mode, so I don’t know if I would have the wherewithal to stick with it. However, I think starting around 6 months, would be a great way to ease your child into using the potty. Remember, every child is different and you are not going to actually “train” a newborn or baby to do anything they don’t want to do. My daughter is headstrong (I wonder where she gets that from?) and believe you me, she would not be going to the potty unless SHE wanted to sit there and go.

So, do with that what you will. If you EC or are thinking about it, let me know what you think! I’m fairly new to the whole process, but we have taken two successful trips now with no poops in the diaper. Crazy, right? For now, I’m a big fan.

Lucy catfishing (A term we coined after we discovered that giving the cat toy to the baby on the potty provided hours of entertainment and distraction while mommy sat by cueing.)

Baby monitor with wireless IP camera-Foscam FI8910W review

2012-10-24T20:43:00.002-05:00

God bless Pinterest and God bless this blog. After finding out that we would be moving abroad, I decided that I better invest in a baby monitor. As per usual, I immediately went to Amazon and started reading reviews. I coupled this with polling some of my mommy friends about their choices in monitors and the pros and cons they found with their particular models. Our little L shared our bed for the first two months, and after transitioned into the cradle next to our bed. Because of this, we didn't really need one. She did take naps in her own crib or in the swing, and I just listened for her cries.
Flash forward to our move to a new country and house; I decided it might be more prudent to have a baby monitor to ease my fears. I was shocked to find out (not really) that all the monitors were outrageously expensive and seemed to only have a one year lifespan. I knew there was a better option, and thank god for Stephanie at Literally Organized!

I'm not going to talk about the set up because you can find those instructions here by R. Tickle in the reviews. (Thanks dad!) I'm loving this new capability as I can check in on my daughter during her naps on my iPhone or iPad. We haven't quite figured out the best place to put the camera yet, but here are a few stills from today.

This is the view from the web browser. I don't have the app yet, but Mike does. I'll post photos of what that looks like later.

You can see she is still up playing with one of her loveys :)

Out cold

So, if you are in the market for a baby monitor and are tech savvy enough to set this puppy up, I highly recommend it! We are having a blast checking in on our little pumpkin butt while she sleeps. I just need to think up a better place to put it so I can get some better views :)

Happy Wednesday everybody!

I'm not a bad mother.

2012-10-19T14:16:00.000-05:00

I've been talking with a few of my mom friends online about breastfeeding, and it got me thinking about the problems that I faced with Lucy and where we are now. It seems like it's been ages since I pumped, had a night feeding, or prayed to god that Lucy would just latch this once so I could breastfeed her like a normal mom.

Well, we weren't normal.

Our time breastfeeding was awful. It started off pretty normal, but early on she began exhibiting signs of reflux. She would latch, suck for about a minute, then pull off screaming. Then latch on again, suck, scream, and repeat. This usually lasted about forty minutes. I thought maybe it was normal because she was so young. Well, I was wrong. I've seen enough breastfeeding mommies to know that my daughter was not "the norm" when it came to feeding. Even bottle feeding her, I couldn't hold her cradled up next to me. She always wanted to lye on my thighs head at my knees and feet in my stomach. Even now I can't get her to cuddle me while she eats. Oh well.

My supply was dropping and around two weeks, we started supplementing her with formula. That was hard because I didn't want to have a low supply. I wanted to exclusively breastfeed. All the books I’d read and people I talked to said it was the best for my baby. Formula was evil. It caused obesity, you wouldn’t bond with you child, it could even kill them if it was a bad batch. Mother’s milk was best. No, it was mandatory.

I would prowl around online, reading about all the millons of women who were creating these giant stashes of frozen breast milk. Damn them. Why not me? How did they do it? Did it have something to do with love? Maybe if I loved my daughter more I would have milk. Or maybe if I wanted it bad enough it would just come. The power of positive thinking would get me engorged.

I had already had my dream of going to a birthing center smashed by her being breech (I'll blog about this later). By two or three months I was barely getting enough to give her half and half. I had eight sets of pumping shields and I basically spent all my free time strapped to my Medela pump and trying to daydream about waterfalls of milk cascading into my freezer bags. I was going to join the ranks of mothers who had stockpiled enough breastmilk to give their children breastmilk until kindergarten. Mothers milk tea, fenugreek, blessed thistle, oatmeal, juice, water, and snacks were a few of the supposed foolproof methods to upping my milk production. I mainlined them all. I wreaked of maple syrup, a side effect of the herbs.

They didn't work. Power of positive thinking, power of positive thinking.

All my free time was spent searching for the magic cure to my low supply. I was obsessed. I eventually called two lactation consultants who told me two very different things. The first one said "Give up. I've seen this before and she is not going to keep going." The second took a slightly different approach. "Just keep going. Chin up. You're doing all the right things."
That depressed me even more because nobody seemed to care enough to really help me. I wanted a tangible plan of attack, not encouraging words. Will your encouraging words boost my supply and get my daughter to latch on again? Oh they won't? Then why they hell are you talking out of your you know what?! I was livid.

I decided to take matters into my own hands and I bought a supplementor and a special nipple made my Medela to imitate the breastfeeding action. When it finally came to using the supplementor, it was an utter disaster. The first time left me in tears, locked away in my room because I couldn't stand to look at my own daughter. I felt so rejected. Was she even my baby? What was I doing wrong? Why didn't she love me? What was wrong with me!

The Medela Calma nipple was also a horrible fiasco that ended in two hours of screaming and me giving up. I couldn't do it anymore. I felt like I was fighting a loosing battle. My daughter had won out in the end. Why did she have to win? Why did this feel like a war when it was supposed to be the most natural thing in the world?

Fast forward several months and I am happy to say we have weathered the storm. Now my daughter is 13 months and we are in a much better place. I went through a brief relapse around 9 months and tried to relactate, but that ended in failure. I've accepted, begrudgingly that I won't get to have that beautiful breastfeeding relationship with my daughter. Life has a funny way of teaching us these things. I'm just thankful that we are in a better place. I still mourn our loss, but in the end, I love my daughter and our relationship is so much more than breastfeeding. I know she knows I love her and vice versa. Maybe I have grown so attached to baby wearing because it gives me a chance to imitate that bonding time we would have had breastfeeding.

If you are reading this and struggling with milk supply or reflux, or any other type of breastfeeding issue, just keep some perspective. Your bond with your child is not going to be compromised by not breastfeeding. Take a scroll down your Facebook feed and you might get discouraged. I frequently see people who are railing against women who aren’t breastfeeding and reading articles friends have posted about how formula is poison. For those of us who have tried and failed, this can be devastating. Ladies, remember, what may have worked for you doesn’t work for someone else. This is not a one boob fits all problem.

I didn’t get to breastfeed my child 2 plus years as I had planned and that doesn't make me a bad mother.

Post baby body and Insanity/Asylum

2012-10-17T11:06:00.000-05:00

Sorry my faithful readers (mom, dad, and Mike), you all know I've been sans Internet for over a month here in our new home. Well, I'm back and I thought I would write a quick post on getting my body back after baby.

I really struggled with weight loss for the first six months after having had a c-section, ebf, working, pumping, having to supplement with formula and try to increase my supply, while also trying to shed the last 25 pounds from my 50 pound weight gain. When I was pregnant, one of my friends who also happened to be pregnant told me of the power of breastfeeding for weight loss. She said that the baby weight would just fall off once I started breastfeeding (heretofore bfing). Eureka! Once I learned this I was stuffing my face with all my usual sometimes foods. Hamburgers every day, why not! Second cupcake? I thought you'd never ask. Curiously, it seemed my baby had decided to take up residence in my rearend because my belly never got that big. Alas, after my 6lb 4oz baby was born and I had left 20 lbs in the O.R., I awaited my weightloss miracle. One week passed and nothing. Two weeks, nothing. Three weeks, nothing. By my daughter's one month well-baby visit I learned that she was not getting enough milk and that all that screaming and pulling off during breastfeeding was actually reflux. So, one bottle of formula at night with her meds and I was prescribed to eat more and drink horrible herbal tea and take these godawful herbal supplements to up my supply. If any of you remember this time, I carried around with me a lovely odor of maple syrup. I mainlined mothers milk tea, fenugreek, blessed thistle, and ate oatmeal every morning. Just so you all know I hate oatmeal and tea. The things we do for our children.

By two months and a couple pounds of weight gain, I figured I probably wasn't going to be able to eat donuts and get those coveted six pack abs. Damn it. Why me?

Around my daughters weaning time after a nasty encounter with a stomach bug that forced my body to expel things I didn't know possible, I finally started to loose a little weight. At the same time, I started tracking what I ate using a food and exercise ap. This coupled with the realization that if I was ever going to get out of my fat pre-pregnancy clothes, I needed to seriously step up my game. Yoga was no longer an option because my husband had sold his soul to a big law firm and my daycare put my daughter out on the street at 6:00 pm. Being a working mom with an absent husband* severely limited my chances of success.

I got another wake-up call after I had the amazing opportunity to have dinner with the First Lady, Michelle Obama and other fit moms (and dads) in the DFW area. By this time I could fit in my pre-pregnancy clothes, but the mommy pouch had not disappeared. A picture taken of Mrs. Obama and I solidified in my mind that walking around the neighborhood with my daughter in my Ergo was not going to do the trick. I needed more, but I didn't know what.

To make a long story short, some of the moms from a postpartum fitness group I belong to were starting up a program called Insanity, and I thought what the hell, why not try it! OMG, after doing the fit test, I knew that I was beyond out of shape. How did I let myself get like this? Oh yeah, spending almost the entire third trimester on the couch and eating hamburgers. I remember now.

Here are my results after completing one round of Insanity. I am about a week into Asylum in these three photos. I went from beached whale to this by thirteen months postpartum.

I am not posting these photos to toot my own horn. Rather, I'd like to hopefully encourage some new mom who maybe has recently had a c-section and is worried about whether their abs will ever come back. They will, but it takes a lot of effort on your part.

I did Insanity and I'm currently doing Insanity Asylum. Before I was a yoga studio rat. I would practice four or five times a week. However, baby made it impossible to get to the studio and I eventually jumped onto the workout video bandwagon. It's not for everyone, but for my family it made sense. I think in general, the key is to find something you enjoy and that you will stick with. Insanity has been that for me. I loved pushing myself harder than I had in a long time. I even got my husband to join in with me (kicking and screaming of course). I've completed the Insanity program once and I am currently in the thick of the Asylum.

One of my greatest tools during this journey is a group of moms who are all trying to stay active. I communicate with them daily about my ups and downs. We encourage each other to keep fighting, we post pictures of our little ones, and we swap healthy recipes. These ladies have been one of the key ingredients to my success and I am truly grateful that I am lucky enough to have such an amazing support system.

I hope if you are reading this post baby you feel encouraged. You will get your body back if you work hard! I started slowly working out and didn't truly get back to my pp weight until close to my daughter's first birthday. Now I'm a size smaller! I've never been this thin as an adult. I'll write more later, right now it's time to pop that DVD in and dig deeper! Goodnight ladies :)

*My husband is a great father and was absent because of his job. He is a fantastic provider and I am so grateful for his sacrifices everyday.

Flying with a baby-Part deuce and one more

2012-08-19T20:10:00.002-05:00

This flight, I was lucky enough to have two new things on our journey: a seat for the baby and my husband. This is Mike's first time flying with Lucy and I think the amount of stuff that we needed to bring with us surprised him. Of course we had a suitcase for all her diapers . Lucy has won out hands down when it comes to the ratio of volume of stuff needed to entertain one person vs. poundage.

A couple of months ago I bought a Groupon for a limo service for a one way trip to the airport. As per usual, I didn't read the fine print and ran into a snag in my plan. The Groupon was for a town car, and seeing as we had four suitcases, three carry-ons, a running stroller, and a pack-n-play, I ended up having to call them to exchange it for Groupon bucks. Oh well. I guess life of jet setting around the world with a baby should have started on a more practical note. So at 5:30 we departed good ole' Oakwood in the less exotic, but more reliable minivan. It whisked us away at a reasonable and roomy family of three pace to Reagan, where we promptly called a porter to help us with our mountain of luggage. Little known fact, curbside check-in is not possible with a bundle of joy. I need to do a little research on the age limit for checking bags on the outside, as opposed to the inside of a building. That rule doesn't seem arbitrary at all. I'm sure the agents inside have some sort of advanced baby checking skills that I'm not aware of. "Yep, thats a baby all right." I'm really glad American Airlines has gone above and beyond to provide this valuable training to it's employees. I don't know what we would have done without it. (Just for the record, I'm sure there is a reasonable answer. I just prefer complaining. It must be the high school teacher in me.)

However, we were lucky enough to land one of the savvier porters and were fast tracked through the check-in. Money well spent IMHO. Then we were off to security, where we again were ushered through because of our stroller and bambina. If you are traveling alone, I again highly recommend using a baby carrier through the airport, and if at all possible, bring a baby. I always get through security quickly with Lucy. Best 9 month investment in bypassing long airline lines I ever spent. When you get to the actual You'll need to take it off at the security checkpoint, but then you can pop them back in and be off without the hassle of a stroller.

Another great thing about having hubby with us is he is the designated pack mule. I just had the baby (in my Ergo carrier) and diaper bag. He had our running stroller, ( which we needed to bring because we are moving) two carry-ons, and her gigantic car seat. Which brings me to my next point. There are these amazing metal attachments that you can buy that turn your car seat(not infant car seat, but the toddler ones) into a rolling suitcase. We were going to get one, but I forgot. Typical me. However, I think if you are going to do a lot of traveling with your baby, you should check out the standard width of an airplane aisle, and compare it with the seat's. I did not do that and I have a sneaking suspicion that ours is too wide. It seems like the perfect way to transport the seat into the airplane without simultaneously decapitating everyone sitting in aisle seats. Poor suckers.

Two hours later

Well, the trip is going well and I am pleased to report that the complimentary coffee tastes like watered down metal and the seats are as uncomfortable as I remember. But, at the end of the day the baby is sleeping soundly after a long needed poop, my husband is next to me enjoying the AA wifi, and I get to blog on my iPad and read from my Kindle Ap. Life is good.

Three days later

Oh how naive I was to write that last paragraph! After landing, we had an easy transition through customs and immigration (reverse order). A friend of Mike's helped us with our bags, which was a god send. Traffic to the hotel was unreal. I think the average American grossly underestimates how large Mexico City is. Upon arrival to our hotel, the first thing I wanted to do was contact my parents to let them know that we were safely tucked away in our hotel room. Turning to Mike, I kindly asked him where he had placed my iPad. He then informed me that he had not placed my iPad anywhere because he had already checked the seat pockets and they were empty. Face palm. I had taken it out of the seat pocket and placed it on my seat, telling him to put it in the carry on bag that he was holding.

After five minutes of repeating to myself that it was just a thing, and it didn't matter, Mike had called down to the concierge who had located it and it was being held for him in the AA office. The catch was he had to go right then and get it. Three hours later, Mike arrived in time for all of us to drag our butts out for a late dinner of some fine Mexican cuisine and then back to the hotel for a blissful night of sleep. Which was only interrupted three times by the bébé.

For us, the Ergo carrier and Ergo baby backpack diaper bag have really streamlined our baby traveling. I'm very impressed with their products. This week, I'll do a review on my new splurge, the Beco Gemini carrier and compare it to my Ergo.

Alright folks, buenos noches. If I spelled that wrong, please forgive me. My Spanish is not so bueno yet.

Diapers for college

2012-07-20T12:58:00.001-05:00

Today as I was taking my afternoon shower (since Lucy keeps me pretty occupied until her nap time), I was thinking about how I wanted to buy one of the new Lovelace Freetime diapers by Bumgenius. They are a great diaper, which I will remind myself to do a review on this next week. Feeling a little guilty, I thought to myself, "why do I need another diaper?" I could easily diaper Lucy and another baby with the amount of fluff I have in my stash. I actually have so much fluff, I've loaned out 10 or 12 diapers to my sister-in-law to use with my adorable little niece. I am ashamed to say I may have gone slightly overboard....slightly...And I could also cloth diaper a child exclusively in wool with fitteds, and a newborn...hehehe :)

I have more, lots more....

So blah blah blah, several minutes later it hit me. I like saving money, hence the cloth diaps and making my own baby food. Maybe, I could channel all my diaper buying energy into saving money for Lucy's college fund!

(clouds open up and choir of angel babies sing hallelujah)

Why didn't I think of this earlier? Oh yeah, I was shopping online for more diapers. Oops.

So, I'm going to challenge all of you cloth diapering mommies and daddies out there to do this with me. For each child that is in diapers, if you can make ends meet, try and put the amount of money you would have spent on disposable diapers for that week into a savings account or college fund that you have set up for your little pipsqueak. Also, if you want to be really ambitious and the bank account can take the hit, I challenge you to also put the amount of money that you would spend on baby food in there as well. Breastfeeding mommas you can put the amount you would spend on formula. Y'all get the jist, right? (This is of course on top of the actual amount you are spending for feeding your child. I am in no way suggesting that you save the money you would have spent on diapers, formula, or baby food instead of buying those supplies for your little one.)

So I formally commit, without having discussed this with my husband at all, heretofore to stop buying diapers (after I get the lovelace one of course ;) ), and start saving what I would have spent on baby food and new diapers for Lucy's college fund.

Because in the end, I'm doing it for those cheeks. Look at my little Panda baby. Isn't she the cutest?! Once she potty trains, I'll figure something else out. Ideas anyone?

The lazy mom's guide to making baby food

2012-07-18T13:14:00.001-05:00

Yes I can! No I can't! Yes I can! Wait, I'm lazy. Why would I do that? I can't even be bothered to cook for my husband and me, why would I add on other chores?

Enter the Baby Brezza.

Just take a minute and say a little prayer of thanks to the lazy gods for giving thrifty mommies this lovely contraption

Amen.

Okay, so there is a lot of debate going around the Internet "tubes" about if using one of these baby food makers is worth it. For me, it has been. If you are reading this blog and you don't know who I am, or what kind of lifestyle I lead (doubtful), let me give you my background.

1.) I am lazy. I am a hard worker when it comes to my 9-5 job, which I am without at the moment. But when it comes to cooking and cleaning, I'm a little laissez faire.

2.) I am living in a hotel, apartment without my kitchen stuff. No blender, a toaster made by a three year old, and a coffee maker are all we have in this cozy apartment. Don't get me wrong, I'm not ungrateful, it's just hard to live in a hotel for close to six months.

3.) I cloth diaper, therefore I have extra laundry. This of course taps into my very small storage of cleaning time I allot myself each day.

When we started solids officially, I tried making food for her once and she didn't like it. I used my new Baby Brezza, and I had every intention of making all of her food. Giving her pure, organic vegetables that mother earth had offered up especially for her as a sacrifice in exchange for one day growing a more responsible steward of the planet.

She spat it up and cried hysterically. :(

Failure! Why, oh why must I suck at everything! First my daughter starts refusing my breast and now, my perfectly cooked organic carrots, pureed to perfection? So it was back to the store and eventually Plum Organics won the taste test from the world's pickiest little eater.

Lucy-1
Mommy-0

Well, we passed the stage 1 and 2 foods, and I had started feeding her a little off of my plate. I found out that my daughter in fact did like food, and that she had quite the adventurous palate. Curries, rillettes, and stinky French cheese were all the rage on our two week trip to Pau, France to visit friends and down to Houston to visit my family. This discovery, coupled with the empowerment I felt having taken a baby on a transatlantic flight, by myself, gave me the last push to start cooking for her again. However, this time I had learned that she liked food that tasted like food, and not like mush.

I resurrected the Baby Brezza, pulled out my moon shaped ice cube trays and got to cooking. I looked at all the pouches of food that she liked and decided to try my hand at the same combos. Some were a hit, orange banana, and some were a flop, under cooked mashed potatoes (oops). The great thing about the BB is that you can just prep the veggies and pop them in. Then select the stem+blend option, walk away, and when you come back, they will be cooked and pureed. What? Yes. It's just that simple.

Alright, enough babbling, here are three recipes that have gone over really well with my little stinker. The two sweet ones are sized for the BB. The other one you'll just have to figure out.

Orange Banana smoothie

2 bananas
2 containers of Dole mandarin oranges (drained)

Blend and you're done!

Berries & Cream

2 containers of raspberries, washed
1 banana
2 tbsp of creme fraiche (or full fat Greek yogurt)

Blend and you're done!

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

I got this recipe from here. I had made these fries for my husband and I and thought to myself, man, this sauce sure looks good enough to eat alone. I wonder if a certain baby would eat it? She did and she loved it!
I modified it by putting in full fat Greek yogurt instead of mayo.

1 jar of roasted red peppers patted dry and chopped up (This is the only prep you have to do, but it is required for the BB.)
1 tsp of minced garlic (you can omit this if you like)
1 container of Greek yogurt (the personal size)

Blend and enjoy :)

After about thirty minutes in the kitchen (total) I had all this food to show for it! Each of the little spaces in my trays are 1 oz portions (21 per tray). The cilantro tomatillo sauce was from dinner last night. I used it on some healthy spinach enchiladas I made and had a surplus so I figured I would save it. She ended up loving it for lunch!

That's all for now. Remember mommas, this should be fun! If you don't like making your own baby food, then don't! Whatever you feel comfortable with doing should be king. I love the fact that my daughter eats my food and whines for it when I'm not feeding her fast enough. It gives me a sense of accomplishment and boosts my self esteem. We had a really hard time with breastfeeding, and I suffered a lot of rejection along the way. This is my way of doing a little work and seeing the pay off :)

Happy blending everyone!

Diaper liners, traveling, and improvising

2012-07-02T15:27:00.000-05:00

Parents improvise to survive. It's a skill you learn early on, and perfect around 3 a.m., when your newborn is screaming their head off and they aren't hungry, won't go to sleep, and the diaper has just been changed.

What do you do?

You improvise.

You dance around the house, singing, kissing, and enduring the screaming until it subsides, because whether you like it or not, that baby is going to cry until it's decided to stop.

Well, this post is not about how to soothe a fussy baby. I'm no expert. I know my daughter, and what she likes. Babies are like snowflakes, and pissed off babies are unique little bundles of concentrated fury that only can be mastered by patience and copious amounts of ~~vodka~~ love.

With all of this in mind, I'm going to segue into something completely different, diaper liners. By now, you may have noticed that your child doesn't just pee in diapers. They also do something else that I'm going to refer to now as poop. Birds do it. We do it. I'm not sure if bees do, but Ella, I apologize for soiling your song. I found myself two weeks ago packing for a little vacation for two to the grandparents’ house. I was faced with the question, did I want to cloth diaper while at their house? I have in the past, but this time, we would be flying instead of driving, and I had to weigh the cost of paying for an extra suitcase with buying disposables. I quickly decided to stop doing that because it involved math and committed to cloth diapering so I could blog about it.

I packed up the little one's suitcase with the usual necessities; diapers, wet bags, and clothes for the sahareque temperatures. This time I brought a second large wet bag instead of my pail liner, and I have to say, it was a lot easier because it doubled as a wet bag, which was convenient when leaving the house. haha...However, I had forgotten one of the most important things you mustn’t forget if your child is eating some solids, on formula, or no longer on breast milk.

Diaper liners.

Oh dear lord, I was screwed. If by some freak accident you have arrived at this post and you have not changed a gooey, smelly, peanut buttery diaper lately, let me just tell you that it is not shall we say, not messy. That's right, I just wrote that sentence and I'm not taking it back.

Needless to say, when I arrived in Houston I had a little moment of panic, followed by an epiphany. Why not use paper towels instead?

(For those of you who do not know what diaper liners are, let me enseigner you into the finer points of poopy diaper management. Diaper liners are god's gift to mothers who cloth diaper and whose children have not yet been potty trained. They come in biodegradable and reusable. Personally, I don't see the point of the reusable ones, especially if you use the Bummis brand.*)

So, did it work?

Yes they do, and they were a convenient solution. I honestly would not have been able to do it without them as I was also without my diaper sprayer. The only thing I didn't like was that they were not as sturdy and some of the fabric would break down and stick on my daughter's bum.

Now on to the greatest part of this post-The Bummis liners that I use can be washed and reused at least once, sometimes twice. How cool is that? I had read a review on Amazon when purchasing these in which the reviewer explained that she had done this and I thought to myself, how stupid. Are you really that frugal that you need to rewash disposable diaper liners? You're cloth diapering already. Seriously? Well, by accident some of the liners got into the diaper pail and what do you know, they survived the washer and dryer! I actually prefer the washed ones because they are softer and the weave becomes tighter.

Above you can see a picture of three liners. The first is new, the second has been washed once, and I don't know what happened to the third one. My daughter has had some pretty violent reactions down under, but I haven't noticed anything that could produce that kind of damage. (Just for a little perspective, the middle one is plenty wide and long enough for the diaper. These are the large ones, and the width is quite a bit larger than the actual diaper.)

That's all I have about diaper liners. Until next time!