Kaspar Family

The Birth of Judah Bennett Kaspar

2011-08-05T16:29:00.025-04:00

Judah: One Who Praises God Bennett: One Who Is Blessed

Monday May 23, 2011 I woke-up at 4:30am with mild contractions. I got up and went to the bathroom, smiled to myself and went back to bed thinking that we were soon going to have a baby. When Michael got up I told him that I had been having mild contractions and he suggested that we have my mom start watching Haddie for the day. After some breakfast Michael and I went for a LONG walk in the heat. Naturally I had to go to the bathroom after walking several miles. Unfortunately, after knocking on several of our neighbors doors (so I could use the bathroom) no one was home. So back home we went. Then I decided that it would be a good idea to go to target (my favorite place) to buy some PJ pants and a robe for after the birth. Then my mom took us out to Panera for a nice light lunch. It was such an odd feeling knowing that my body was slowly getting ready to have a baby while we sat and enjoyed a nice lunch. No one around me knew my little secret! When we got home we all took naps knowing that the night might be a long one. After a while I got up and decided to make strawberry muffins. What a nice afternoon treat! Contractions seemed to come and go with no real major pain or pattern. With Haddie I had a long pre-labor and it was looking like this was going to be the same way. My dad was scheduled to come in that evening and I was sure he would make it before this little one made his entrance. Sure enough, my mom and Haddie went to go pick up my dad from the airport and stopped off to pick up some dinner. That evening we all enjoyed a nice dinner of chicken, corn on the cob, and fresh fruit on the back deck. It was during our dinner (around 8ish) that I started to have contractions that I was having to relax through a bit although still not regular. No need to time at this point. After dinner I spent some time on the exercise ball doing figure eights and listening to some worship music to prepare my heart for the night. Around ten I put on Pride and Prejudice and enjoyed that. Around 12 I got into bed and decided to try and get some rest for the night. It didn't last long. I decided to get in the shower at around 12:30 and at this point I had to truly relax through contractions. I was making the transition from pre-labor to labor! At this point we really started to track contractions and see where things were going. At about 1:30 we were having contractions about 2-4 min. apart lasting for about a min. at a time. We decided to call the midwife and she said that it was up to us as to when we wanted to come in. She said we could stay at home a bit longer (knowing we wanted a natural childbirth). She told us she would notify the staff in the ER that we would be coming through. After talking through things for awhile we decided to get things ready and head on into the hospital. We live about 20 minutes away and I wanted to have time to get the antibiotics in before I went into transition. I was positive for Group B Strep and was hoping to get 2 rounds of antibiotics in before I delivered. I also wanted some time to get settled in my room before I was in transition. Around 2:00 am we left our house for the hospital and called our photographers to let them know that they could meet us at the hospital. We arrived at 2:30am. When we got to the ER I am not sure that the staff believed that I was truly in labor. I calmly told them that I was in labor and that I needed to go to Labor and Delivery. They asked if this was my first. I smiled and said no, it was my second. I then added that they should have been notified that I was on my way. After this they had an aid bring us up to labor and delivery. I had to stop twice on the way up to breath through contractions. We had a great nurse (Gina) who checked us in, and I asked if I could start the antibiotics while they did my initial 20 min. read on the baby. She kindly told me that they would wait to make sure that I was going to be staying. In my head I was thinking that I better be staying! At the same time I had not been checked internally at any point in the pregnancy and really had not a clue how dilated I was. I got dressed in my clothes I had brought from home (my cozy pants from high school that needed to be tossed and a nice new tank bought for labor). They checked me and we were all surprised to find out that I was about 7 cm dilated! Way to go Lindsey! I got completely energized at that point. We did the 20 minute read and they said we were staying and did the first round of antibiotics.

Michael was an amazing coach. We had a great time being refreshed in the Bradley Method as we taught two 12 week courses to 3 other couples leading up to our birth. This time we felt even more prepared and we knew a bit more what to expect. We had talked through the areas we felt we could improve on and had grown in our relationship as a couple.

During the initial reading Michael made me as comfortable as he could. I hate staying in the bed when I am in labor and so this is always the hardest part for me. I did much better this time than I did with Hadassah.

As soon as I could I got up and started walking around only pausing to relax through a contraction. The staff was so great at just letting me do my thing. They dimmed the lights and got the room at the right temperature. They also got everything set up for the birth so that it would not bother me later. Our midwife, JJ, came in and checked on us to see how we were doing. She did a great job of just letting me labor and we even enjoyed some time together talking about where she went to school and the history of midwifery. I would just pause during a contraction when I needed to.

Another thing that was new for us this time was that I had my own personal retreat a few weeks before my due date. It was a time for me to get away and prepare myself for the birth and the adjustment of having a new baby. I spent a lot of time praying for the birth and letting go of any fears or hesitations that I was holding on to. I also prayed that this birth would be a testimony to those around me to the awesomeness of our LORD and Creator. During that time I picked out some verses from the Bible that helped me to keep my focus on Jesus during the labor. He truly is my strength and rock I can rest upon.

At around 5 am I decided that I wanted to go in the shower. Here you see one of the nurses covering my port so that it didn't get wet in the shower. I am amazed to see how calm I am in these pictures because it was so different with Haddie. The shower felt amazing.

After the shower I got really warm and needed to cool down with some ice chips. Those things are amazing during labor!

I love this picture of Michael because it shows how active of a coach he is! He does a great job of meeting each of my needs and truly serving me during this time. My love for him is always so great during labor!

Just a cute pic! Amazing that this is just a few hours from Judah coming into the world!

After the shower I asked to be checked one last time. I wanted to know where I was at. I was tired from staying up all night and wanted to know how things were progressing. Maybe it is my "finisher" side of me. I wanted to get this task done! I found out that I was 9-9 1/2 cm and had a bit of the cervix left until I was fully effaced. I love how calm I look. It was like I knew it was time to rest up for the hard (but fun) work ahead. Michael did a great job helping me out there.

Again, he is such an AMAZING coach!

I surprised all the staff by making it until the shift change. At 7:00am the new midwife on call comes in. Around 7:30 Brandy (on the right) came in. JJ (the midwife who I had labored with) is on the left. After a long walk in the hallway I was feeling more and more ready to push. I was starting to go through transition and was done with labor. I was ready for this to be over. With Haddie I was very verbal with transition, but this time around it was more internal. I was tired and ready to start pushing.

I decided to use the birthing bar again. This one was a little bit different than the one I used before at a different hospital. It took some time to get used to it and find a comfortable position but once I did I was ready to go. I love the excitement in Michael's eyes here! I can tell he is proud of me!

Here he is keeping me encouraged as I start to push. My water still has not broken at this point. This time around pushing was so different. Haddie was very fast (15-20 min. with no breaks). This time around it was more slow and steady. I would push through a contraction and then I would have a pause for about 5-10 minutes before another contraction would come on. The first time this happened I sat back and asked what I was supposed to do while I waited for a contraction. We all laughed as they told me to rest. I was ready to push not to rest!!

At one point Judah's heart rate went down so I laid on my left side to bring it back up again. Then I went back into pushing. While there was a little bit of fluid coming out, the bag of waters was not breaking and Judah was not coming down. We decided to have Brandy try to push on the hole but it still didn't break. Then we had her go in and break the bag of waters. At that point the contractions really started to come and I was very uncomfortable for the first time. Haddie's birth came rushing back to me in my mind and I was thankful for the more relaxed labor this time around! After a few pushes Brandy told Michael that if he wanted to catch the baby that he should come around next to her. He quickly replied that he wanted to but needed someone to take his place supporting me. I was truly blessed to have JJ (who stayed after her shift was over) come and support me. She rubbed my back and was fanning me between contractions.

At 8:24 on May 24, 2011 after about 45 min of 2nd stage labor and about 4 or so pushes Judah was brought into this world by the loving hands of his daddy and Brandy. Michael brought him right up to my chest and it was love at first sight! We have a boy! I have a son!

I remember thinking, "You look nothing like your sister and you are huge!" His fingers were so long and his body was long as well! At the same time I thought "He is so tiny!" He came out just like his sister with one hand on his face! This time I was spared any internal cuts and I did not tear at all. What a blessing!

I love my expression here as I look at Judah for the first time. We were pretty sure that we wanted to name a boy "Judah Bennett" but waited until we could look at him to decide this for sure. After holding him for some time we agreed that he looked like a Judah and boy was he praising God with his lungs! This little guys sure had a loud cry! A beautiful sound to our ears!

I had the joy of having Judah on my chest from the begining. They checked him out as he was on my chest and he wanted to start nuring right away. He nursed for a sold 45 min! Way to go little guy! It was a beautiful sunny morning and Michael and I celebrated with a Bradley tradition of a nice cold glass of orange juice. Nothing tastes better! After Judah was done nursing I asked them to weigh him as I was dying to know how big he was.

Judah weighed in at 8 pounds 12.4 ounces! He was 21.5 inches long! No wonder he looked big compared to Haddie who was 7 pounds 14.6 ounces and 20 inches long!

Look at those beautiful baby feet! I loved taking the time to just look him over and fall in love with him. He was so sweet and beautiful!

I couldn't have done it without Michael! His care for me during the pregnancy and through the labor and delivery was truly a gift and a blessing!

Later that day Haddie got to come to the hospital to meet her little brother! She loved him and was not so sure of him all at the same time! As long as he wasn't crying she was fine. She also loved the new "pack pack" (aka back pack) that Judah got for her.

Here is Judah 24 hours old. He was (and still is) such a good baby. He slept well and ate well all night long!

Brandy came in the next day to see him and see how we were doing. What a special time to see her again. She was such a blessing to have during the delivery and an answer to prayer. When I first got pregnant I prayed that Brandy would be able to deliver this next baby and I was blessed to see how God cared about even this detail! We were getting ready to get checked out to go home when the nurse noticed Judah was breathing a bit fast. She decided to take him to the newborn holding nursery where she could watch him closer. Little did we know that he would not come back to us in our room. Michael went to check on Judah and then came back to let me know that Judah had been taken to NICU.

There is never something more devistating than to hear that your baby is in NICU. I couldn't go see him right away but was thankful for Jan (one of the lactaction nurses) being on staff. We had met before and when she came in to see what was going on I just burst into tears. I had been holding them in to be strong and I couldn't hold it back anymore. I quickly asked if I could start pumping my milk for Judah. She said I could and got me all set up. If I couldn't be with him at least I could spend my time doing something for him! When we finally got to see him it was such a comfort to touch him and have him hold on to us.

While this was not the start we wanted we tried to stay positive though the process. I was again blessed to have Michael right there by my side as we ended up spending an extra week in the hospital. I won't go into all the details as that is a story on its own but here is a little bit of what the next week looked like for us. We got to spend 2 extra nights in our room and then we spent the rest of the nights in the lobby or in rooms that were empty. The midwives and Gina

(our labor and delivery nurse/charge nurse) did a great job of helping us find a place to stay so that I could nurse Judah through the night. We will be forever greatful for their help. I don't know how I would have been able to handle leaving Judah through the nights!

We came in one morning to find one of the nurses had made this cute sign for his bed! It made us smile to see the care that some of them had for making us feel welcome.

After a few days of antibiotics Judah was looking much better! To this day we will not know 100% sure what infection he had but we are almost positive that it was Group-B Strep.

Each day kept getting better as I got to hold him more and feed him more. If I could, I would have spent every moment in there with him. It was so hard to leave him each time, but the times together were so sweet!

On the day he was supposed to leave the NICU we seemed to hit every little bump along the way. His port didn't get flushed and it had closed over so they had to start a new line for his last dose of antibiotics. I think it took 7 or so tries before they could get one in. They tried his arms, hands, legs, even head before they finally got one in his foot. They took a little diaper and covered his foot (pictured above) so that he would not kick the line out. I prayed that he would keep it in long enough to get the antibiotics in so that we could finally go home. Well he did and we packed up his little room and got him ready to go home!

On May 31st, one week after he was born, Judah Bennett Kaspar finally got to come home! We were all so excited. It had been a journey but we were blessed to see God's hand at work through it all. Judah continues to be a joy and a delight to us all and we look forward to seeing how he grows and changes over these next few months. As he name says, he truly is blessed! He had a tough start to life but he is blessed to be in perfect health to this day. We pray that one day he will live a life that praises God!

Back Again...and Michael is in India

2011-03-07T19:20:00.004-05:00

Wow! I can't believe how long it has been since I posted anything. Many things have changed since then. The most exciting is that we are expecting baby number 2! I am 30 weeks along and we are all so excited to meet this little baby.

I am also now teaching natural childbirth through Bradley. I am doing my student teaching right now and so far I really enjoy it. We will see what it will be like with two little ones.

While the top two have kept me more busy, the real reason I am back is that my computer is fixed and and I am finally able to type without my screen going black! What a joy! With Michael in India I thought it would be good to get started again so that he has an easy way to see some pics of Haddie. While he is gone I try to do some extra fun things to help pass the time along for her (and me). The older she gets (she will be 2 at the end of this month) the more aware she is of his absence. If I keep her busy she doesn't think to ask for him until the evening when it is time for her to go to bed.

Good morning Daddy!! Guess what mom made for me this morning???

Teddy Bear Pancakes!

If you guys are like us, mornings can be a bit of a crazy time. We try to eat a healthy diet but it can be hard to make everything homemade in the morning. So, I came up with this Pancake Mix. This serves as a great base and then you can add other things to mix in and change it up!

Whole Wheat Pancake Mix

6 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 TBSP Salt

6 TBSP Baking Powder

6 TBSP Sugar (can do less if you want to)

2 Cups Powder Milk

Mix base together and store in an airtight container (I added the following instructions to my jar so that I didn't have to look it up in the morning).

Add to 1.5 Cups of mix

1 Egg

1 Cup Water

2TBSP Oil

Favorite things to mix in (Pick only one dry ingredient):

Oat Bran (1/2 cup)

Brewers Yeast (1 TBSP)

Oatmeal (1/2 cup)

Wheat Germ (1/4 cup)

1 Mashed Banana

1 Cup frozen berries

3/4 cup small diced apples and some cinnamon

Get creative...you get the idea! Enjoy!

I leave you with a special video of Haddie dancing. If you listen carefully you can hear her saying "God so great!" It was so precious to hear! At the end you can tell that her daddy travels a fair bit. She is not sure where he is (his last trip was to Portland and her uncle Ben is in Honduras).

Overseas with Baby!

2010-06-28T19:25:00.004-04:00

As some of you may know, we are planning on going to Jordan and Rome this summer. This will require some new solutions for little Haddie. Of course whatever we take has to be compact, lightweight, durable, and easy to use. Like most families, we have a pack 'n play that we have used from time to time. However, there was no way that we were going to be able to pack that for this trip. I started searching for travel beds. I continually came up with the Pea Pod by KidCo. After looking at several cheaper alternatives, I quickly realized that the PeaPod was the best product for safety, durability, and functionality.

We decided to try it out earlier this month when we went camping. It was not exactly the greatest experience. Haddie would go down in it okay but in the middle of the night would wake up and want to get into bed with us. As you can imagine, this did not lead to good sleep. Upon returning home I decided to keep it open in her room so that she would get used to it. This was our ticket to good sleep for 3 weeks-we had to make it work! We also put it in her crib for naps so that she would get used to sleeping in it. At first I started to have her sleep in it without the top fully zipped shut. But now she will nap in it with me zipping it shut! I am so excited. As we leave in a little under 3 weeks I was beginning to get nervous that this was going to flop. I think it is starting to work!

As you can see, all that you need fits in this handy little bag. There is even an air pump that you can use to blow up a mattress that goes in a separate compartment under the PeaPod. You don't have to worry about your little one messing with the mattress. There is an additional pad that goes in the main section of the PeaPod. I still lay a blanket down for Haddie.

When it is open it is: 47" L x 30" W x 19" H

When it is in the bag it is: 14" L x 5" W x 14" H

This is a perfect option for outside (think beach, pool) as well as it provides UV protection and wind protection while making it possible for you to still see your little one. For us, it will be nice to have Haddie in a place free from bugs crawling into bed with her! I have a feeling that we will be using the PeaPod in place of the Pack 'n Play with future babies. It is so handy when you are going away to have the small compact sleeping solution!

As I was going through the process of looking for good baby gear for traveling I realized that it can be quite hard to find good reliable information. I don't mean just traveling to the park or to grandma's for the weekend. I am talking about overseas travels! So, over the next few weeks as we countdown to takeoff I am going to highlight products that we have found to be helpful as well as a report when we get back! While traveling with a baby requires more work than just traveling as a couple, it is not impossible with the right equipment.

Happy traveling!

Cloth Diapers - Part Three

2010-06-21T19:17:00.004-04:00

Special Situations: bumGenius

Now I must confess that when I first heard of bumGenius I thought it was silly and crazy to come up with one diaper to fit a baby from 8-35 pounds. How can there be one diaper that fits a baby well for all those times??! However, we have often run into problems when we take Hadassah to the church nursery or have a babysitter over. While we had many people who had no problem using the diapers (I have never had someone tell me that they will not try the cloth diapers) I would often find Hadassah in some interesting combinations! On a few occasions I felt like they did not change her as often because her cloth diapers intimidated them. I finally decided to look into an easy cloth diaper that ANYONE could use! Insert bumGenius! It is made for anyone to use! Once I have them stuffed they go on and off just like a disposable diaper. We bought three diapers so that we would have enough for us to go out on a date or to have Haddie at church. We rarely ever go through more than 2 at a time but this way we always have an extra.

When you buy the One Size bumGenius diaper it comes with two inserts and a cover. The smaller insert is for a newborn and can later be added when your baby needs more protection or for at night. The longer insert has a snap on it that allows it to be snapped down for three different sizes that corresponds with the size of the diaper cover.

Above you can see the bumGenius diaper in all three sizes. The yellow is on the smallest size, blue is medium, and green is the the largest size. Each diaper has the ability to grow with the baby, hence the name One Size Diaper. Just snap down to the right size for your baby.

The bumGenius diapers come in many different colors. We have kept all of our diaper covers in gender neutral colors so that we can use them with all of our kids and not just Haddie. I have a bit of an issue with little boys going around in pink diapers (even though I think they would be really cute on a little girl)!

Simply stuff the insert in the pocket of the cover. The part that touches the baby's skin is made of a super soft fleece which helps wick moisture away from baby's skin.

Above is the diaper stuffed and ready to be put on!

Place diaper under your baby's bottom and pull up between legs as you would any other diaper!

There are velcro tabs the keep the diaper on! It is that easy!

Here is Haddie wearing the diaper! She has no issues with mobility while she wears the diaper. For the most part it is a trim option but I still usually need to put her in a size up for pants.

To clean the diaper you just throw it in the wash like you would the other cloth diapers and the liner will come out on its own. That makes it very handy to use. You may also choose to pre-stuff the diapers after you wash them so that they are ready to use when you need them.

Now...here are the few issues that we have with the diaper. I know many people who use the bumGenius diaper and love it. What I share is just my experience.

First of all, I plan on using the diapers we have bought for more than just Hadassah. Even though she used the diapers and covers (Kissaluvs and Thirsties) they are all still in great shape and are packed away waiting for baby number two (and three and four and five...)! While I do not know this for sure I have heard that in general, when you buy a one size diaper it will have more wear (possible for 2 years). By the time you are ready to use them on another baby you may find that you need to buy another set because they are too worn out to use again. With our Kissaluvs we will be able to use them for 2 if not more babies. They hold up well as you only ever use one size for a season as opposed to using the same diaper over and over for two plus years. Also the Kissaluvs have a lifetime guarantee on the snaps (we may have to buy a few more covers at some point as those use velcro like the bumGenius).

Second, I don't like that it doesn't have a double gusset. I did not use these when Haddie was younger and had runny BF (breastfed) poop but I can imagine that it will not hold it in like the Kissaluv/Prorap cover. We DID NOT have a single blow out diaper! For those of you who have had newborn BF then you will understand how amazing this is. Just a few weeks ago we had to change Haddie's sheets for the first time because they were wet (she broke a fever). Before this point I just changed her sheets to keep them clean. She has never had a leaky diaper. On one or two times with the bumGenius she has had wet pants because the diaper tends to leak a bit more.

Another issue that I have with bumGenius is the sizing. It takes a while for most babies to reach 12 pounds. While they say that the diapers work from 8-35 pounds Jillian's drawers says that in their experience it works better from 12-32 pounds (anyone want to share your experience??). While we used disposable diapers the first 2 weeks, we made the switch to cloth by week 3. Hadassah was 7 lbs. 14.6 oz when she was born. She dropped down to 7lbs 3 oz. She was 8 pounds by her first month and did not hit 12 pounds until sometime between her 3rd and 4th month. So while they say that this is a one size diaper you will need to be prepared to possibly find another option for the first few months. We could have started cloth diapers sooner but I found that I had enough to adjust to before I needed to introduce doing a few loads of diapers each week. That is why we waited until she was 3 weeks old. Also, Haddie is about 22 pounds (my guess) right now and I am not sure how much longer the diaper will fit her. Maybe it will be fine but I would not be surprised if she outgrows it sooner. We will have to wait to see.

The final issue that I have with them is that you always have to wash the cover. With the diaper/cover combo you can wipe the cover down with a wipe and let it dry and use it again. I find this helps keep the cover from getting over worn from the washing and drying. Because the bumGenius diaper cover has the soft cloth/pocket then you have to wash it after every use.

All this said, we have found bumGenius to be a perfect option for the occasional use. I specifically chose a one size diaper so that we would be able to use them from the time they are a few months old (about the time we put Haddie in the nursery at church) until they are a toddler. For what we are using them for I have no doubt that they will be able to be reused for multiple kids! Once a week is a lot different than daily use. I do not think I would choose this for my daily diaper but it works great for those who are not used to using cloth diapers or for those who have a nanny or daycare. There are many diapers like a bumGenius that you may want to look into. If I ever need to buy another I may opt for one that has all snaps and no velcro. Snaps just seem to hold up more. But for the price you can't beat it! bumGenius goes for $104.70 for a 6 pack and $203.40 for a 12 pack at Jillian's Drawers.

Answers to Questions:

1. Where do you get your wetbags??

I buy almost all of my cloth diaper stuff from Jillian's Drawers. They are a great company and until I find a store like that in Atlanta I will continue to give them business!

2. have you ever used "Rockin' Green" detergent? I've heard it's great for cloth diapers?

I have not ever tried anything other than Tide. Tide has always worked well for us and we can buy it at any store. For the cost and the quality I am happy with Tide. I am sure I could pick a better option for the environment but for now on our budget this works well for us! Let me know if you have a good experience with it! I hear that Charlie's Soap and Allan's Naturally work well. Both can be bought at Jillian's Drawers. South of Atlanta (where I live) we really do not have many natural options. We would really have to order something.

Baby Evan Riley Davies

2010-06-18T14:47:00.004-04:00

For those of you who have had a baby, you know that moment of hearing your babies first cries! What a joy it is to know that all is well! This morning I learned that a girl I grew up with had her second baby (first was a miscarriage). When little Evan Riley came out he was not breathing. It also appears as if he has little brain activity. We know that God is the giver of life and that nothing is impossible for Him. Please join with me in praying for this sweet little baby boy and his parent's, Kara and Glenn.

With his mommy

Ready for transport. His hat reads..."Bring it! I'm a fighter!"

I Love My Family!

2010-06-14T21:33:00.003-04:00

We are a family of three!

We have been married for 3 wonderful years!

I have been dreaming of having a little girl of my own since I was three!

She is just like her daddy! I love them both so much!

What a joy this journey has been! Can't wait to see what the next three years look like!

Cloth Diapers - Part Two

2010-06-14T19:17:00.013-04:00

How to actually use cloth diapers...

Once you buy your cloth diapers you are only half way there. Often you will need to pre-wash them up to 3 times to remove the natural oils. Just enjoy the fun nesting season while you do it! There is nothing more precious then to see a line of newborn diapers drying in the sun!

The next thing you need to do is figure out how to use them! The following is some ways that I have used my cloth diapers as well as some little tips! We have found that the best way to figure this out is to try different combinations for different times! For example, I use a different diaper during the day than what I use at night.

Inserts and Liners:

To make sure that your little one stays comfortable at night I recommend that you get soaker pads to add to their nighttime diaper. We did not need to do this until Hadassah was about 6-7 months old. At that point she was taking in more milk and therefore needed a diaper that could hold more. They come in 2 different sizes. The one above is made by Kissaluv so it fits perfect in the Kissaluv diaper but can be used in any diaper.
Often when people hear that we are using cloth diapers they always ask if we have more diaper rashes. I am pleased to say that we do not. In fact we have had more issues with disposable diapers (when we are out of town). However, at night we add a fleece insert that helps to keep Haddie's little bum dry. It allows the moisture to go through but stays dry on top. I bought these from Jillian's Drawers and they are made by bum Genius. For about $10 I was able to get six stay dry liners. These can also be used for keeping ointments off of your cloth diapers.
Over Christmas I was making a blanket and had some left over fleece. I cut out the above fleece and did a simple stitch to keep it in one piece. It works just as well as the others! In the future I will just make my own liners as it is much cheaper.
On that same trip we decided to take cloth diapers with us. As a result we bought these flushable liners. They are placed on top of the diaper. When you get a dirty diaper you are able to pick up the mess and just flush it down the toilet. These work great for on the go. No stinky mess to carry around with you! They are about $6.00 for 100 sheets.

How to fold Prefold diapers:

When you look at the prefold diaper it can be a bit challenging to know where to begin. After several searches I found three basic folds to work best at different times.

Twist Fold:
Start with a flat diaper (shorter side under the bum). While holding the top down, twist the diaper at the center so that it removes the bulk from the middle.
Pull up the diaper so that the twist is between the legs.
You can use pins if you like. Or I recommend using a Snappi. If you are using a Snappi, hook right and left...

then pull down the center and hook. This makes sure that the diaper will stay on the baby!
Next you need a cover. Like I said in the last post, I use the Thirsties Diaper cover. Place under baby's bum...
pull up and fasten like you would a disposable diaper.
IMPORTANT!!!!! Make sure you check the sides of the diaper. If you have any diaper sticking out of the cover you need to tuck it in or you will get wet!
The legs should look like this (above). I often pull the cover in to make sure that it is not resting mid-thigh. This will be more comfortable for your baby.
As you can see this is a very trim option for cloth diapers. It is also a good option for when your little one is learning to crawl. It increases the mobility with prefolds.

Wide Fold:
Another option with prefolds is to lay the diaper with the long side under the baby's bum.
Fold in the the right side to the center
Then bring the left over to the edge.
Lay the folded diaper in the cover.
With the Thirsties cover (and many others) there is a pocket that you can tuck the diaper into. This helps the diaper to stay in place.
Place the diaper on like you would a regular disposable diaper.
As you can see in the pictures above, this option adds a bit more bulk, but with that it holds more pee! This is a great option at night or for little boys as it has the most protection in the middle. You may also notice that I did not use a pin or Snappi with this fold. It is not needed when you use the cover. Make sure you use a cover that has a snug fit on your baby. You may also choose to fold your diapers in advance so that you have little to do at the time of changing. We used this fold as well as the one below a lot when Haddie was little. The smaller prefold diapers worked really well with this fold. I found it just as easy as a disposable.

Long Fold:
Another option is to do the same fold but the opposite way. Put the short side under the baby's bottom.
Again fold the right...
and left!
Depending on the size of the diaper and your baby you may want to fold the top down so that you get more protection in the front. This is really good for little girls but does add more bulk in the front.
Again, lay it on the cover...
tuck it into the pocket and put on like a diaper. I must say that the last two ways of folding worked well with the right size diapers. However, we hit a point where these just had too much bulk in the middle of Haddie's legs. Out of frustration (and when there was a big sale going on) we got the size 2 Kissaluvs. Maybe when we have another baby we will get the size 1 so that we have a complete set!

Kissaluvs:
While I don't mind using the prefolds, the Kissaluvs are very easy to use! You lay it under your baby...
pull up between the legs...
fasten the first set of snaps (which have a lifetime guarentee) depending on the size of your baby...
and then the second set of snaps!
This is Haddie wearing the size 2 in the smallest size. She is currently 14 months, 21 pounds, and still uses the smallest setting on these diapers. They should fit her until she is potty trained! I must mention that babies who use cloth diapers do tend to get potty trained faster than babies who use disposable. They know what it feels like to be wet and they don't like it! Hadassah has been going to the bathroom on the toilet on and off for the past few months! I would not be surprised if she is potty trained at 18 months!
Then place the cover over the diaper!
Fasten as you have done before and make sure to check the legs!

These diapers are a bit more trim than the prefold folded. I think the twisted prefold and the Kissaluv have about the same amount of bulk.
These do not seem to keep Haddie from moving in all ways - and fast I might add!
Now...I do have one issue with cloth diapers, or should I say clothing companies??!! It can be a bit hard to buy clothes for Haddie in cloth diapers. Without cloth diapers she is very true to size, if not a bit on the small size. However, with cloth diapers she needs much larger bottoms and normal size tops. This can be hard when you are buying sets. Once I find some pants that fit around the cloth diaper they are too long in the leg! I think some of it is the fitted look that girls pants have. I have found that dresses work well for little girls. Also the basic pants from Gap work well. Gymboree clothes seem to fit really well. I am always shopping sales to find good deals. Maybe this is not as much of an issue with little boys as they tend to not have curvy cuts! This also was not as much of an issue when Haddie was under 6 months. The bottom line is that you will need to try out different stores to see what brands fit your baby with cloth diapers. I am always trying on clothes before we buy them! I can't just shop by size.
While I find these options to be very easy to use...not all would agree with me. For example, it can be hard to explain to nursery staff at church or to a babysitter. Everyone is ALWAYS willing to try but I have found that it is usually a challenge for them. As a result we decided to buy 3 bum Genius one size diapers for these occasions. I will write more about these diapers next week! I will also go over how many diapers to buy! Please let me know your tips and feel free to ask any questions!

Cloth Diapers - Part One

2010-05-24T18:25:00.008-04:00

As you prepare for the arrival of your first little one you find yourself having to make many decisions that really you have very little if any experience in. As Michael and I thought about diapering we were very interested in looking into cloth diapers. While babysitting in high school I had a family that used cloth diapers and I remembered it being fairly easy (mind you that it was the occasional diapers as to daily diapering). After doing much research I found a company Jillian's Drawers who not only had competitive prices but was extremely helpful over the email and phone. They helped give me the confidence that we could do this! So the weeks before Hadassah arrived we made our first order of diapers, washed them, and get everything in order. Over the next few weeks I wanted to take some time to help the everyday person get a closer look at our journey through cloth diapers. Who knows...maybe one of you will get inspired to start this journey as well! While it hasn't always been easy it has been so worth it.
The first 2 weeks we used disposable diapers. This is not necessary but I personally found Haddie much too small for the big cloth diapers. At about 2 weeks we made the switch. Above are pictures of Hadassah in size 0 Kissaluvs (She is 1 week in these pictures). Kissaluvs are considered "fitted" diapers. They need to be worn with a cover or you will have a wet mess on your hands.
As you can see, they have a way of folding down and snapping so that there umbilical cord/belly button can heal. Once it has completely healed you can undo the snap and it looks like a normal diaper (shown below).
They come in several colors or in unbleached textured fleece. There is elastic around the legs as well as around the back. Unlike most parents of newborns we did not experience any breastfeed blowout diapers. The Kissaluv (with the cover) kept all the mess in while leaving her clothes and bed clean! This made for a very happy mommy! We personally opted for the unbleached diapers as they are about a dollar cheaper. A 12 pack is $143.40 or you can by them individually for $13.95 Right now there are one sale (a new version has come out) for $10.45 each. They fit a baby from 5-15 pounds or until about 6-8 weeks depending on the size of your baby.
We also bought some infant Indian Prefolds (above left). They fit babies 7-15 pounds. It was very handy to have these around when we were a bit tired and didn't have the Kissaluvs washed and ready. They are VERY reasonable ($2.00/each) but not as easy to use. You can either fold them and lay them in a cover or use a Snappi (I will talk a bit more about prefolds in another post) which is a way of fastening the diaper without using pins!
For a cover we used a Prorap Classic Diaper cover. The combination of the Kissaluv and the Prorap made our journey with cloth diapers wonderfully easy! They cost $7.50 each.
The newborn size (which is what we used) have a cutout for the umbilical cord. They fit babies 6-10 pounds. We eventually had to buy another cover when Hadassah started to enjoy milk and started to grow! We used the Thirsties diaper cover (I will talk more about that cover in another post) once she outgrew these.
This is the best part of these covers! They have a wonderful double gussets which really do keep in all the mess! I promise you that they only time we had a blow out diaper was when we were on vacation and used a disposable diaper!
One trick with cloth diapers is finding diaper cream that will work with your cloth diapers. Most diaper creams have water repelling properties that would keep the mess from soaking into the diaper = major problems. However, if you do find that your baby has a rash then I do recommend a few products. The first is Method Diaper cream. It is supper light and works wonders. We did not need to use a liner in between the diaper and the cream with this one. A little bit went a long way. The other one is Burt's Baby Bee. Again we did not use a liner with this but you should always check with the company who made your diaper before you choose to do this. This cream was thicker - more like traditional diaper cream. We found that in general Haddie did not have a problem with diaper rashes (many people think cloth diapers are a cause of diaper rash). As long as we changed her on a regular basis, she was fine.
What about when you go out? Can you still use cloth diapers?? YES!! Unless we were going out of town where we would not have access to a washer and drier we used cloth diapers. They make something called a wet bag (the one above is called a Wahmies) to put your dirty diapers in while on the go. It even had a little cloth that we could put a drop of essential oil on to make it smell wonderful! Everyone always wants to know what smells so good! I am glad to let them know that it is Hadassah's dirty diapers! If you have access to a toilet and you can dump the dirty diaper contents - I would recommend this. If not, just fold up diaper and wait until you are at home. This bag would fit all we would need if we were gone for the day. Now that Haddie is in larger Kissaluvs we would need to bring along a larger wet bag if we were going to use more than 3 diapers (I think). While they do take a little bit more space (before and after) I have not found it to be a hassle.
Here is a picture of Hadassah's changing station. To the right I have a wet bag. When Haddie has a wet diaper I can put the diaper and the wipe straight into the wet bag. For smell control wash diapers every other day and put a small cloth with essential oils on it. Below I have a number of bins. I do not know what I would do without these bins! I have the two on the top right for cloth diapers (one for Kissaluvs and one for Prefolds). Then I have two on the bottom for extra covers, liners, inserts, and wipes. That brings me to my next point...
Cloth wipes vs. disposable wipes. Until recently we just used disposable wipes. One of the main reasons why we decided to use cloth diapers was because of cost. It adds up to use disposable diapers. Well when Hadassah was about 8 months old I decided that wipes were starting to get more expensive as well. I decided to make the switch to cloth wipes. Why not?? I was already washing diapers. What was a few wipes? I bought 4 packs of the Gerber wash cloths and went online to make my own solution.
Here I have the wipes on the left and the solution in a plastic container in the middle.
Our basic solution is water, a little baby soap, a few drops of baby oil (makes it easier to wipe) and some essential oils for fragrence and some of their healing properties. For example, Tea Tree Oil is a natural anti fungal. Haddie was always getting infections when she was on a really strong antibiotic. Once we added Tea Tree Oil and a little vinegar (also a natural anti-fungal/antibiotic) her infections went away - without a prescription! I have been very pleased with using our own wipes - it is maybe a bit easier. With disposable wipes we had to put them in a separate garbage. With the cloth wipes they just go in the same pail as the diapers! We do use disposable wipes for church and when we go out.
Here is the wipe solution. Distilled water helps it stay fresh longer!
Dip the wipe...
Squeeze out excess solution and wipe!
While some people seem to think that washing diapers is a lot of extra work I have not found this to be so. I must admit that there are times when I wish we did not have to do an extra load of diapers but then I remember that I only have to use one outfit most days (unless her lunch gets a little crazy). The diaper covers do not need to be washed each time. You can use a wipe to clean them and then hang them dry. When I am about ready to do a load of diapers I grab all but 2 or 3 and wash them.
When Hadassah has a dirty diaper we bring it to the bathroom to dump the poo into the toilet and to rinse off the diaper. To store the dirty but rinsed diapers we got a basic diaper pail made by Safety First. We then put a wet bag in so that we have a dry pail. No diaper pail full of water solution!
We pop open the top and toss the dirty diaper in!
When it is full or when it has been about 2 days we wash the daipers, wipes, and the wet bag. I only wash the smaller wet bags every other wash. I find that they do not need to be washed every time.
You may be wondering how I rinse the dirty diaper. Michael installed this handy diaper rinser on our toilet. I CANNOT imagine life without this. I simply hold the diaper over the toilet and spray the mess off! I love it!
When it is time to wash I take the wet bag and empty its contents into the washing machine.
I empty the diaper pail wet bag and put that wet bag in with the diapers, covers and wipes.
You must use approved detergent - we use Tide Original he - we have only ever had one stain on the diaper and that is because it was a dirty diaper that got left for a whole day while we were out and about.
Then wash! I wash my diapers on Hot/Cold with an above normal soil level and add a Pre Wash to that. I know the picture shows warm cold but I never wash them on warm. I always do Hot/Cold or Extra Hot/Cold. I then dry them on high in a dryer or when it is warm you can line dry them.

I know that some people are not for cloth diapers because of the water use. If you can get a he washer this will help a lot. I also believe that early on you will do less washing as the diapers hold in the messy diapers and you will not need to clean sheets and clothes like you would if you were using disposable diapers. Not to mention - it is a lot cleaner to not throw away human waste! It is recommened that EVERYONE dump waste into the toilet before throwing the diaper away. Using cloth diapers helps to ensure that this will happen.

I hope that this has been helpful! I will be sharing more in future posts but this will give you the basic idea of how to use cloth diapers! I have been surprised at how easy it is to use them. Not to mention how cute they are! Feel free to ask any questions you might have and I will do my best to address them in future posts!

I'm One!

2010-03-29T20:07:00.004-04:00

Special birthday dress picked out by Great Grandpa Bruun

A quick post to give an update on Hadassah's stats. We all went to visit the doctor today for Hadassah's one year check-up. All was well (as we knew).

Her weight: 20 lbs. 8 oz (40%)

Her height: 29 1/2 inches (64%)

Her head circumference (last one they will take): 17 1/2 inches (31%)

Michael and I continue to notice how much she is leaning out. She keeps getting longer and not gaining as much weight. Her cloth diapers keep her looking chubby! SO cute!

She is still nursing 4 times a day, although I think she might drop to 3 times soon. She has been give the okay to eat anything (which really only means adding honey and peanut butter) and so far we have not had any issues. It has been interesting to read up on the whole "when to introduce foods to your baby" issue. They are beginning to think that it is best to introduce most foods to babies at a younger age as opposed to waiting until a specific age. Seriously, lets think about it. Do you ever go to a third world country and see kids with special foods and diets??? No, they just eat the food that they can! I think if we would all relax we would see that our kids would do just fine with a HEALTHY BALANCED diet. I am all about monitoring what they eat and allowing them to slowly get used to food but if I lived overseas right now there would be no telling what Haddie would have already eaten by now and I am sure she would be just fine.

So...more to come on the whole birthday bash soon - I need to upload some video. I wanted to be sure to get this up before life got going too fast again.

Hadassah Sharing about her Day

2010-03-22T23:32:00.002-04:00

I love to her Haddie talking in this video! The best part is that she could see herself at the bottom of the screen while I was recording and she didn't like looking at the "baby" on the screen - which was her! I also love that at the beginning of the video she moves her mouth a bit and realizes that it is her in the screen (or that the baby is doing the same things as her)! I think you will enjoy watch this as well!

From Infant to Toddler

2010-03-22T23:06:00.004-04:00

Over the past few days I have noticed that Hadassah is really stepping out of the "infant" season and is moving toward the "toddler" stage. How exciting to see her grow and change each day. Here are a few examples. While I am not holding my breath, it seems as if Haddie is beginning to learn how to use the toilet. I have only had to change one dirty diaper over the past 5 days! Yep - she is going in the toilet!!! Now, I still have wet diapers to change but we are moving in a new and exciting direction!

Tonight while we were waiting for our dinner to cook I decided to read to Hadassah. However, she had other plans! As she squirmed out of my lap she went over and picked up her sandals and brought them back to me! I asked if she wanted to go outside and her immediate smile let me know that I had guessed correctly!

While we were on our walk (down the driveway) she did something new. She noticed something specific and paused to stop and look at it. She then picked it up and decided that this would be a perfect little treasure! It was such a joy to watch her discover the world around her - and her trying to figure out how she could hold onto my hands and her little treasure at the same time!

Here is an up close of her treasure!

It won't be long and she will be running down the driveway and through the yard. For now I am VERY content with her slower pace at life.

Haddie is definitely hitting those special milestones all the time. One very special one is coming up! Her 1st Birthday! I can't believe that she is almost one. It really has gone by so quickly. Having jaw surgery, moving, and Michael changing jobs definitely helped the year move by fast! I am in awe of how much Hadassah has grown up this year. While we were chilling in bed this morning I turned on a clip of her as a newborn. She sat there quietly next to me and watched the "baby" on the screen. Hard to believe they are one in the same!

For her birthday (and the ones to follow) I am making a birthday banner. Here is the first peak at it! I will be sure to post more as I work on it. Should be fun!

PJs Pizza and a Movie

2010-03-19T22:38:00.004-04:00

Today was one of the most beautiful days we have had in a long time. Haddie and I decided to skip her afternoon nap in order to take a walk around Lake Peachtree. Of course we had to end at the park! I am blown away by how much Haddie is growing. She can climb on the big toys without my help! I think it is just a matter of time before she will be walking!
Something Michael and I have talked about is the importance of having special family traditions. One that I specifically have wanted is something to usher in the weekend! For me, not a whole lot changes from day to day and it is easy to forget that we are in the weekend - minus the fact that Michael is around more. So tonight Haddie and I tried out PJs Pizza and a Movie.
I found a great recipe for a no rise pizza dough that turned out really well (look for it at the end of this entry)
We made it special by 1. Letting Haddie watch a movie (Babies singing songs) 2. Eating in the living room.
Haddie's favorite song was about a giant dog! After I got Haddie to bed I treated myself to a movie as well!
We are looking forward to being able to share this special night with Michael when he gets back. Until then us girls will be sure to continue laughing and enjoying this special time that we get to have together. Hadassah truly is joy and delight to my life! Thanks for keeping mom company!

Pizza Dough:

Ingredients

1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoon bread machine yeast)
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour (I did half whole wheat and it turned out great)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1
Dissolve yeast in warm water in a medium bowl and add rest of ingredients.
2
Beat vigorously 20 strokes and let rest 10 minutes.
3
Press dough onto greased 11x17" baking sheet and add topping ingredients of your choice.
4
Bake at 425° for 15 to 20 minutes or until done.

Sooooo Big!

2010-01-15T14:59:00.002-05:00

While in Shelton WA with my family Hadassah picked up a few tricks! I just love her in her cloth diapers! They are too cute!

9 1/2 Months Old

2010-01-15T14:33:00.002-05:00

Hadassah is now 9 1/2 months old. I am blown away by how fast she is growing up. We just went to her check-up and all is well. She is hitting all the major milestones ahead of time and is growing at just the right pace. She weighs 18 pounds 15 ounces (45%) and is 28 3/4 inches long (82%). Her head circumference is 17 inches (21%). Hadassah is crawling all over the place and has mastered pulling herself up on anything that will hold her. She is still working on how to get down. She is talking up a storm as well. She now says Mama, Dada, Baby, Book, Bye-bye (and waves), and a few others that she is still working on (like grandpa and more). She understands many more words as well. She is just learning what no means. Whenever she hears it she starts to shake her head no. She is always making us laugh and keeps us on our toes now that she is moving all over the house!

Waiting

2009-11-10T14:36:00.003-05:00

Today has been a very long day! I am waiting for my Grandma Susan and Grandpa John to come! While Grandma came out in July/August while mom had surgery, Grandpa hasn't seen me since I was 3 months old! I can't wait to show them all that I can do now! Boy will they be excited! For now I will just have to play with Georgie the Giraffe and wait for their plane to land!

Sleep...

2009-11-09T22:03:00.007-05:00

From the beginning, Hadassah has always had something that helps her calm herself to go to sleep. At first it was a pacifier. The only problem was that she could not keep it in her mouth and she would wake herself up every time if fell out. Then she learned how to put her thumb in the pacifier to keep it in her mouth. Not long after that she decided she didn't want the pacifier and moved on to a small silky blanket. The problem with that was the fact that she wanted it to cover her whole face. Not so great for the whole SIDS thing. Well...now she has a new thing. A teddy bear! Tonight when we went in to turn off her music this is how we found her! She is always making us laugh! I wonder what will be next!

Loving the Bath!!

2009-11-03T20:42:00.002-05:00

First Taste of Broccoli

2009-10-15T21:03:00.002-04:00

Here is Hadassah having her first taste of Broccoli.

Sippi...an afternoon in Fairburn Georgia

2009-10-15T11:28:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was a cold rainy day in Georgia. So Haddie and decided to go to a new town and try to find a good coffee shop. I must have been missing Seattle!

We found Sippi Coffee Shop in Fairburn Georgia. It is a simple hole in the wall coffee shop that serves up coffee and ice cream. Herald is the wonderful man who runs the place. He was proud of his shop and he should be. They serve up great coffee and hospitality.

Ahhhh....coffee and a good book!

Mommy time!

We ended our day with a nice warm bath. Haddie can sit up on her own now in her bath and she loves the Independence.

She also now loves to hear her full name - Hadassah Lillian Clair! After saying this she would turn to me with this huge grin! What a little doll.

Beautiful Fall Walk

2009-10-15T11:22:00.002-04:00

Fall is FINALLY in the air! Two days ago Haddie and I took the opportunity to go outside while it was brisk and sunny. What a beautiful day!

Our front porch with our pumpkins and mums!

Hadassah LOVES to be outside and look at all the trees and birds.

Stone Mountain - Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-15T11:09:00.003-04:00

After a few days at Catalyst, we were ready for a break as a family. So we headed off to Stone Mountain for their annual Pumpkin festival.

Hadassah and Mommy going down the slide together. Despite the look on her face she enjoyed it each time.

Our attempt at a family picture. We don't have many. This was the best...I think??!

Haddie loved all the pumpkins! (and all the kids!)

"Why won't mom let me eat the hay??"

"Oh...this squash is much better!"

We ended the day with a round of mini golf! Michael won even though he was holding Haddie!

What a man!

Catalyst Atlanta 2009

2009-10-15T11:00:00.003-04:00

A week ago we attended the Catalyst Conference here in Atlanta. Hadassah did a great job - although naps were a little tricky as they did not allow strollers in the building. Crazy!!!!! At least they had some hammocks outside. At one point I guess both Hadassah and I feel asleep. When I woke up there was a cup of coffee next to me that my beloved brought for me. How sweet!

Tons of people at Catalyst (like in the 22,000 range). It was an amazing time of God continuing to speak to me about things he has already put on my heart. I will write more about it in our next update.

Playing the Piano

2009-10-14T22:58:00.006-04:00

One of Hadassah's favorite things to do is to play her little piano. I think she could spend a whole afternoon in her room playing with this thing! I think she learned how to sit up while playing with it. Her favorite part is to get the sun to move and sing. She gets so excited when that happens. Below is a video of her playing. Warning - it is really long for the grandmas and aunties.

Hadassah is 6 Months Old!

2009-10-14T22:38:00.004-04:00

Well...we made it through the first 6 months. So far things have been pretty uneventful, for which we are very thankful. We are amazed at how much Hadassah has grown. She is rolling over, sitting up, talking up a storm of who knows what, has definite likes and dislikes, can say dada and mamamamama, LOVES the song Old MacDonald, is eating solid food, likes to swim in the bath, and loves to smile at anyone and anything. Michael and I feel so blessed to have Hadassah as our first daughter. Haddie just had her check up and we were able to see how much she has grown since birth. At birth she weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz and was 19 inches long. Now she weighs 17 lbs. 1 oz and is 26.5 inches long. I guess she figured out how to eat!

Hadassah - 1 week old

Hadassah - 6 months old

We decided to celebrate by baking half a cake. Although Haddie did not get any of the cake, she enjoyed helping us along the way!

Sorry Haddie - you will have to wait another 6 months before you get to take your first bite!

We love you Hadassah Lillian Clair and can't wait to see how you change and grow in the months to come!

Riding High!!!

2009-10-07T21:52:00.003-04:00

As Haddie keeps growing (and getting heavier) it is harder to carry her around in her car seat. We decided to get a cart cover to use when we go to the store. Today was Haddie's first time to use it and she LOVED IT!!! She thought she was the queen and proudly looked at those around her and smiled. She loved her new ride!

Discovering her new seat

Hey I like this!

This is great!!!