So I officially have been bitten by the cloth diaper addiction bug! I have almost 80 diapers and still want more! Most of mine are pretty plain, functional but lacking in fashion. I have the chance to win a FREE fashionable cloth diaper from Cow Patties Cloth diapers! This would be a perfect chance for me to give her Famous Pocket Fitted diaper a try!
If you want to try and win enter on her blog here
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Going Au Naturel the list...
Ok so I have made lots of changes over the last few years, but there are still a lot of things I can do to be better to the earth, my family and myself. I have heard that if you put your goals out there you are more likely to stick with them. So here goes...
First let me list the changes:
1. We are now recycling paper products and alluminum soda cans. This may not seem like a huge change but with 4 kids, 3 in school we produce HUGE amounts of paper waste DAILY... Teachers send home no less than 5 sheets of paper per kid. That and soda is still my daily vice so instead of tossing the cans I send them home with my little sister and she crushes them and takes them to the recycling place and gets paid a little over 50 cents per pound.
2. We are now cloth diapering the 2 that still wear diapers. I have wanted to make this switch for a while now but because of start up costs it was not possible before this year. Little man is in them full time, and Cam wears cloth pull ups at night.
3. After 6 months of cloth diapering while still using disposable wipes, I finally said this is really dumb. I already wash poo and pee off the diapers every other day, why am I still picking disposable wipes out of the diaper to throw away when I could invest in cloth and toss EVERYTHING into the pail! I made the plunge and bought 3 dozen adorable wipes in assorted prints! BEST decision ever!
4. I made the switch to cloth feminie hygine products. I bought 3 sets of GEM cloth pads and they are wonderful. I miss my tampons, but I am not too sure of the reusable tampon alternatives so I will stick with the pads for now. Again this may not seem like a big deal when it's just one person a month on the rag (hee hee literally), but I know that T.T. is not too far off from her monthly gift and then the other 2 girls will be right behind her. The plan is to invest is several more sets of cloth pads so that when the girls get thier gift they will start with cloth from the get go.
Ok, so now for the LIST (in no particular order):
1. Recycle plastics, cardboard, glass and the other metal items besides soda cans. For this to happen I will need to sign up for some sort of recycling pick up service. I am not even sure if that is avaliable in my community but I will look into it. If not it will take a little more effort on my part, but I guess I can make the sorting and bagging into a chore for the girls so, it may not be so bad afterall... :)
2. Ditch the disposable kitchen products. Right now I admit we use a lot of paper plates, plastic forks, paper towels, and napkins. It is shameful how much we throw away in the kitchen. In my defense I am the only person (adult) in this house who bothers to clean the kitchen (namely do the dishes) and between school, work and the kids, the disposable options have saved my sanity a few times. This one item is actually one of the highest on my list. I have been researching unpaper towels, but I think I can just buy bar towels at Walmart for a lot less money and they will get the job done. I am trying to figure out how many we typically use per week so that I can buy enough to go 3 days. For napkins I already planned on just buying plain white washcloths.
3. Ditching convience foods. Like #2, these items have kept my kids fed on days when there were literally not enough hours in the day. Not only do they produce insane amount of waste, they are chock full of chemicals... I hate letting them eat junk... but allowing them to starve would have been criminal... My plan is to take this step one farther and to switch to organic where it is most beneficial and thereby justifying the extra cost. I also will be working on eliminating food dyes. I also want to batch cook healthy foods and freeze them for easy re-heating. Cooking from scratch with whole grains as much as possible. For this to happen successfully I need to replace my TINY chest freezer with a much larger upright freezer. I have even thought about what to freeze the foods in. I plan to use reuable plastic containers... I know some think plastic is the devil, but in my opinion it has got to be better than throwing away a ton of foil containers all the time.
4. Homemade bath soaps. I know it seems silly but we use an insane amount of soap in this house. The girls bathe themselves and can't seem to grasp the concept that "a little goes a long way" or that "less really is more". I want to experiment with making homemade milk/coconut/olive oil soap scented with lavendar oil, colored with vegetable/flower dyes. I found a recipe and it seems doable... I just need the time... I'm thinking this summer will be perfect time...
5. Kitchen waste part 2. This time I'm specifically talking about ziploc baggies, and cling wrap. I research reuable options and want to make the switch. My only hang up with this one is they are SUPER expensive to buy. I could sew my own if I had the time... ACK, stuck between being frugal and crunchy... I will get there, eventually.
..............................................................
I will be back later to fix the spelling grammar on this... little man is demanding my full attention RIGHT NOW!!!!
First let me list the changes:
1. We are now recycling paper products and alluminum soda cans. This may not seem like a huge change but with 4 kids, 3 in school we produce HUGE amounts of paper waste DAILY... Teachers send home no less than 5 sheets of paper per kid. That and soda is still my daily vice so instead of tossing the cans I send them home with my little sister and she crushes them and takes them to the recycling place and gets paid a little over 50 cents per pound.
2. We are now cloth diapering the 2 that still wear diapers. I have wanted to make this switch for a while now but because of start up costs it was not possible before this year. Little man is in them full time, and Cam wears cloth pull ups at night.
3. After 6 months of cloth diapering while still using disposable wipes, I finally said this is really dumb. I already wash poo and pee off the diapers every other day, why am I still picking disposable wipes out of the diaper to throw away when I could invest in cloth and toss EVERYTHING into the pail! I made the plunge and bought 3 dozen adorable wipes in assorted prints! BEST decision ever!
4. I made the switch to cloth feminie hygine products. I bought 3 sets of GEM cloth pads and they are wonderful. I miss my tampons, but I am not too sure of the reusable tampon alternatives so I will stick with the pads for now. Again this may not seem like a big deal when it's just one person a month on the rag (hee hee literally), but I know that T.T. is not too far off from her monthly gift and then the other 2 girls will be right behind her. The plan is to invest is several more sets of cloth pads so that when the girls get thier gift they will start with cloth from the get go.
Ok, so now for the LIST (in no particular order):
1. Recycle plastics, cardboard, glass and the other metal items besides soda cans. For this to happen I will need to sign up for some sort of recycling pick up service. I am not even sure if that is avaliable in my community but I will look into it. If not it will take a little more effort on my part, but I guess I can make the sorting and bagging into a chore for the girls so, it may not be so bad afterall... :)
2. Ditch the disposable kitchen products. Right now I admit we use a lot of paper plates, plastic forks, paper towels, and napkins. It is shameful how much we throw away in the kitchen. In my defense I am the only person (adult) in this house who bothers to clean the kitchen (namely do the dishes) and between school, work and the kids, the disposable options have saved my sanity a few times. This one item is actually one of the highest on my list. I have been researching unpaper towels, but I think I can just buy bar towels at Walmart for a lot less money and they will get the job done. I am trying to figure out how many we typically use per week so that I can buy enough to go 3 days. For napkins I already planned on just buying plain white washcloths.
3. Ditching convience foods. Like #2, these items have kept my kids fed on days when there were literally not enough hours in the day. Not only do they produce insane amount of waste, they are chock full of chemicals... I hate letting them eat junk... but allowing them to starve would have been criminal... My plan is to take this step one farther and to switch to organic where it is most beneficial and thereby justifying the extra cost. I also will be working on eliminating food dyes. I also want to batch cook healthy foods and freeze them for easy re-heating. Cooking from scratch with whole grains as much as possible. For this to happen successfully I need to replace my TINY chest freezer with a much larger upright freezer. I have even thought about what to freeze the foods in. I plan to use reuable plastic containers... I know some think plastic is the devil, but in my opinion it has got to be better than throwing away a ton of foil containers all the time.
4. Homemade bath soaps. I know it seems silly but we use an insane amount of soap in this house. The girls bathe themselves and can't seem to grasp the concept that "a little goes a long way" or that "less really is more". I want to experiment with making homemade milk/coconut/olive oil soap scented with lavendar oil, colored with vegetable/flower dyes. I found a recipe and it seems doable... I just need the time... I'm thinking this summer will be perfect time...
5. Kitchen waste part 2. This time I'm specifically talking about ziploc baggies, and cling wrap. I research reuable options and want to make the switch. My only hang up with this one is they are SUPER expensive to buy. I could sew my own if I had the time... ACK, stuck between being frugal and crunchy... I will get there, eventually.
..............................................................
I will be back later to fix the spelling grammar on this... little man is demanding my full attention RIGHT NOW!!!!
The wonderfulness of breastfeeding:
I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to look directly into the eyes of a nursing baby, to feel their body wrap around you, to witness the bonding that only occurs while nursing... you will have to experience it for yourself...
However, I can try to explain what happens when I nurse little man...
His eyes twinkle with anticipation. His face displays big grin. I listen to his half-giggle, half-desperate grunt and I chuckle because he was getting so excited and I hadn't done anything yet. I reached up releasing the clasp, exposing the breast. His eyes shoot wide with glee and he squeals with delight! As I draw him close, he begins to frantically root around. Just as he makes the latch, his gaze meets mine and his eyes seem to dreamily say, "Thanks mom that's just what I wanted". For a few minutes he gazes at me intently, learning my face I suppose, sometimes bending the corners of his mouth up ever so slightly revealing a partial smile. Another minute goes by and I feel the tingling sensation. I whisper quietly "here it comes". As the milk comes rushing in his eyes once again shoot open, this time they are saying "WOAH!" After a few gulps his eyes soften once again. He has found the rhythm: suck, pause, gulp, repeat. For the next 10 minutes I snuggle him close to me, my big boy of 8.5 months never has time to snuggle unless he is nursing. I breathe in his scent; his almost buttery aroma is intoxicating. I watch him, he looks at me with a dreamy look in his eyes, his free hand reaches up to touch my face, then twirl the piece of hair dangling above him. He closes his eyes as he drags his chubby fingers across the skin on my side. Occasionally he says, "mmm". His eyes still closed he grasps my shirt and his body relaxes, his weight melting onto my lap. His breathing slows as his suckles diminish. After a few more minutes, he unlatches his mouth remains parted as a dribble of milk runs down his cheek. Sleep my sweet baby your mommy is here and is thankful she can provide you not only nutrients but also comfort, safety, and love.
However, I can try to explain what happens when I nurse little man...
His eyes twinkle with anticipation. His face displays big grin. I listen to his half-giggle, half-desperate grunt and I chuckle because he was getting so excited and I hadn't done anything yet. I reached up releasing the clasp, exposing the breast. His eyes shoot wide with glee and he squeals with delight! As I draw him close, he begins to frantically root around. Just as he makes the latch, his gaze meets mine and his eyes seem to dreamily say, "Thanks mom that's just what I wanted". For a few minutes he gazes at me intently, learning my face I suppose, sometimes bending the corners of his mouth up ever so slightly revealing a partial smile. Another minute goes by and I feel the tingling sensation. I whisper quietly "here it comes". As the milk comes rushing in his eyes once again shoot open, this time they are saying "WOAH!" After a few gulps his eyes soften once again. He has found the rhythm: suck, pause, gulp, repeat. For the next 10 minutes I snuggle him close to me, my big boy of 8.5 months never has time to snuggle unless he is nursing. I breathe in his scent; his almost buttery aroma is intoxicating. I watch him, he looks at me with a dreamy look in his eyes, his free hand reaches up to touch my face, then twirl the piece of hair dangling above him. He closes his eyes as he drags his chubby fingers across the skin on my side. Occasionally he says, "mmm". His eyes still closed he grasps my shirt and his body relaxes, his weight melting onto my lap. His breathing slows as his suckles diminish. After a few more minutes, he unlatches his mouth remains parted as a dribble of milk runs down his cheek. Sleep my sweet baby your mommy is here and is thankful she can provide you not only nutrients but also comfort, safety, and love.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
He is finally taking milk off the tap!
.... and it only took 8.5 moths to reach this milestone!
Today little man drank 5 whole ounces of fresh pumped breast milk from a soft spout sippy cup!
Normally I wouldn't feel so pressured to ensure that my nursing infant start drinking from a cup this young but he refuses all bottles and I will be starting a 40+ hour a week student teaching gig in 5 short weeks.
I lubs my bubs!
On another note he is 8.5 months old and the only solid foods he consumes are the bites he snatches off my plate at dinner and the teething cookies he gets a couple times a week. When he is offered jarred puree's he slaps the spoon right out of your hand. I have had a little more luck with pureed avocado mixed with banana. I guess I could feed him that everyday, but it causes god awful diapers that I do not want to face daily.
Today little man drank 5 whole ounces of fresh pumped breast milk from a soft spout sippy cup!
Normally I wouldn't feel so pressured to ensure that my nursing infant start drinking from a cup this young but he refuses all bottles and I will be starting a 40+ hour a week student teaching gig in 5 short weeks.
I lubs my bubs!
On another note he is 8.5 months old and the only solid foods he consumes are the bites he snatches off my plate at dinner and the teething cookies he gets a couple times a week. When he is offered jarred puree's he slaps the spoon right out of your hand. I have had a little more luck with pureed avocado mixed with banana. I guess I could feed him that everyday, but it causes god awful diapers that I do not want to face daily.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Almost 4 months old (random thoughts)
Little man is almost 4 months old and he is getting so big! His personality is starting to develop. He laughs out loud when something strikes him funny. The other day it was my sneeze! Today it was his biggest sister T.T. when she opened the door after school. He has the best smile too. He can melt all my frustration/sadness with one of his toothy grins.
He is starting to coo and *talk* with us. He is mimicking the sounds I make and T.T. swears when he cries he is wailing mama! Oh and is he ever ticklish!
He has really gained great control over his hands. He can now grab toys and stuff them into his mouth to chew/suck on. Speaking of hands. I was noticing today that his hands while pudgy and cute are a lot more meaty than his sisters were. Theirs were kind of soft and squishy. It made me wonder if the difference in muscle tone between boys and girls is already becoming apparent?
He is starting to coo and *talk* with us. He is mimicking the sounds I make and T.T. swears when he cries he is wailing mama! Oh and is he ever ticklish!
He has really gained great control over his hands. He can now grab toys and stuff them into his mouth to chew/suck on. Speaking of hands. I was noticing today that his hands while pudgy and cute are a lot more meaty than his sisters were. Theirs were kind of soft and squishy. It made me wonder if the difference in muscle tone between boys and girls is already becoming apparent?
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tummy time, rolling over, eh I guess I'm a slacker
Well as I said, I am a slacker mom. I hate doing tummy time with babies because frankly they hate it, well at least mine do. I do not see the point of forcing a baby to lie on their tummy and listening to them scream their fool head off. All in the name of learning to roll over, crawl, ect... Well all three of my girls learned to roll, crawl ect just fine and we didn't devote hours to tummy time.
Well this morning I decided to put little man on his belly (only the fourth time since birth) to see if he could lift his head up yet. Lo and behold, not only can he lift his head up and look around, but also he can scoot his upper body around and he rolled over! At first I thought it was a fluke so I rolled him back onto his belly and voila he did it again, 3 more times to be exact! So it is official little man is rolling over and we did not have to torture him with tummy time either!
Before rolling over
Rolling over (caught just the end)
After rolling over
Well this morning I decided to put little man on his belly (only the fourth time since birth) to see if he could lift his head up yet. Lo and behold, not only can he lift his head up and look around, but also he can scoot his upper body around and he rolled over! At first I thought it was a fluke so I rolled him back onto his belly and voila he did it again, 3 more times to be exact! So it is official little man is rolling over and we did not have to torture him with tummy time either!
Before rolling over
Rolling over (caught just the end)
After rolling over
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Breastfeeding
I have always been an avid supporter of breastfeeding. I try not to come off as Breastfeeding-Nazi. Breastfeeding my girls was a challenge at first and I expect nothing less from this go round. I'm glad that I prepared myself for trouble.
Little man was born very fast; he gulped a large amount of amniotic fluid that made him gaggy and very sleepy. He nursed like an old pro for the first hour right after birth, skin to skin in his birthday suit. Then he started to get sleepy and for the next 12 hours, I tried to no avail to get him to latch and nurse. Finally, the shift changed and my new nurse stopped in to see us and looked at my nursing journal and exclaimed, "He hasn't nursed in 12 hours! We need to bring your pump in right now!" I knew that but the earlier nurse kept telling me I'd get my pump upon discharge. So, she brought the pump in and I was able to express 25ccs (5 tsp) of colostrum! The nurse helped me syringe feed 15ccs (3 tsp) to him. She checked his suck reflex and decided that the fluid in his lungs was probably the reason he wouldn't eat and took him to the nursery to be suctioned. She returned him to me about a half hour later and he was wide-awake and ready to latch on.
In the hospital, he had a great latch, things were going great until we reached 5 days post birth and my milk hadn't come in. By this time little man was a ravenous beast desperate for milk and my body was not coming through. In a moment of desperation, I begged Scoot to pick up a can of formula so that I could have a break (he had been latched on for 10 hours straight). Scoot handed me the can of Similac and I frantically mixed up a bottle and placed the nipple in little man's mouth... He looked at me as if I had grown a third eye in the middle of my forehead and pulled away from the bottle. Drat. I drew a little up into the syringe and squirted it into his mouth and he freaked out. Double drat. I latched him back on and peacefully he nursed, while I cringed in pain. I was suffering from a terrible case of thrush and had cracked nipples. I treated them with vinegar rinses, Nystatin cream, and lanolin. However, the only thing I could to was bite my tongue and bear the pain when it was time for him to nurse. His suck was fierce, because my milk had not come in and he was working hard to get it to let down. I visited a lactation consultant and she discovered that after 3 hours of constant feeding him he had only taken in 2-3 ounces of milk...
I knew I had to do something because at 8 days he should be flooded with milk. I bought a bottle of Fenugreek from the local health store and started taking them. 3 tablets, 3 times per day. I took the first dose and an hour later, I felt a tingly sensation in my breasts. By the second day, I could feel my milk let down and finally after a week, I was beginning to heal and he was finally happy.
I share this not to scare people. I will be the first to tell people that breastfeeding can be very hard in the beginning. I think of it kind of like morning sickness. It sucks and luckily gets better. I always say that if you can grin and bear it through the first 6 weeks you will be rewarded greatly! I am happy to say that we made it through and I am reaping the rewards of breastfeeding.
I love the fact that I don't have to fully wake at night to feed him, I just pull him close and latch him on. I love that I do not have to carry bottles, water and a can of formula! I love that I do not have to wash all those bottles! I love that he never has to wait to eat! I love the fact that he can nurse in the sling! I love that we can side lie nurse! I love the way he rubs my side when he nurses! I love the way he grins at me when he's nursing! I love how he tugs at my shirt when he wants to nurse! I love the sparkle in his eyes as he gets excited when I unhook my nursing top! I love that it's our special time! I love his big toothless grin when you ask him if he wants some boobie! I secretly love the fact that he will not take a bottle! I love breastfeeding!
Little man was born very fast; he gulped a large amount of amniotic fluid that made him gaggy and very sleepy. He nursed like an old pro for the first hour right after birth, skin to skin in his birthday suit. Then he started to get sleepy and for the next 12 hours, I tried to no avail to get him to latch and nurse. Finally, the shift changed and my new nurse stopped in to see us and looked at my nursing journal and exclaimed, "He hasn't nursed in 12 hours! We need to bring your pump in right now!" I knew that but the earlier nurse kept telling me I'd get my pump upon discharge. So, she brought the pump in and I was able to express 25ccs (5 tsp) of colostrum! The nurse helped me syringe feed 15ccs (3 tsp) to him. She checked his suck reflex and decided that the fluid in his lungs was probably the reason he wouldn't eat and took him to the nursery to be suctioned. She returned him to me about a half hour later and he was wide-awake and ready to latch on.
In the hospital, he had a great latch, things were going great until we reached 5 days post birth and my milk hadn't come in. By this time little man was a ravenous beast desperate for milk and my body was not coming through. In a moment of desperation, I begged Scoot to pick up a can of formula so that I could have a break (he had been latched on for 10 hours straight). Scoot handed me the can of Similac and I frantically mixed up a bottle and placed the nipple in little man's mouth... He looked at me as if I had grown a third eye in the middle of my forehead and pulled away from the bottle. Drat. I drew a little up into the syringe and squirted it into his mouth and he freaked out. Double drat. I latched him back on and peacefully he nursed, while I cringed in pain. I was suffering from a terrible case of thrush and had cracked nipples. I treated them with vinegar rinses, Nystatin cream, and lanolin. However, the only thing I could to was bite my tongue and bear the pain when it was time for him to nurse. His suck was fierce, because my milk had not come in and he was working hard to get it to let down. I visited a lactation consultant and she discovered that after 3 hours of constant feeding him he had only taken in 2-3 ounces of milk...
I knew I had to do something because at 8 days he should be flooded with milk. I bought a bottle of Fenugreek from the local health store and started taking them. 3 tablets, 3 times per day. I took the first dose and an hour later, I felt a tingly sensation in my breasts. By the second day, I could feel my milk let down and finally after a week, I was beginning to heal and he was finally happy.
I share this not to scare people. I will be the first to tell people that breastfeeding can be very hard in the beginning. I think of it kind of like morning sickness. It sucks and luckily gets better. I always say that if you can grin and bear it through the first 6 weeks you will be rewarded greatly! I am happy to say that we made it through and I am reaping the rewards of breastfeeding.
I love the fact that I don't have to fully wake at night to feed him, I just pull him close and latch him on. I love that I do not have to carry bottles, water and a can of formula! I love that I do not have to wash all those bottles! I love that he never has to wait to eat! I love the fact that he can nurse in the sling! I love that we can side lie nurse! I love the way he rubs my side when he nurses! I love the way he grins at me when he's nursing! I love how he tugs at my shirt when he wants to nurse! I love the sparkle in his eyes as he gets excited when I unhook my nursing top! I love that it's our special time! I love his big toothless grin when you ask him if he wants some boobie! I secretly love the fact that he will not take a bottle! I love breastfeeding!
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