Cloth Diapering Momma!

If you think

"Cloth diapering is too hard, too dirty and just more work"

you have no idea the new improvements cloth diapering has made! Its not your Mom's prefolds and pins. I am writing this for a couple of different reasons 1) because so many people have looked at me like I have 3 heads because we have gone this route 2) because it really is easier than people think and the more people know how easy it can be the more people will follow this lead 3) because I honestly love my diapers and could talk about them forever! Okay, LOL I know I must seem like I am a little obsessed! (Maybe I am!!!)

Okay, to be completely honest, it can be overwhelming at the start. Especially when you have no idea what everything means and stands for. Like what the heck is a prefold or a pocket diaper? HUH? I had those issues but I am very fortunate that Nick's cousin's wife (did you follow that?) is in the business and hosts a cloth diapering workshop once a month at their chiropractic clinic. When I was approximately 5 months pregnant Nick and I went to said workshop with no expectations. We had not decided either way if we were going to go cloth or not we just wanted to make sure we were making an informed decision if we decided to not do them.

Nick was the one that said when we were walking out to the Jeep after the workshop "So, we're doing cloth then eh?" I hadn't even said anything about my personal decision. That was how great the workshop was. Kristen (my resident diaper expert) had convinced Nick how easy it was. Of course, she had convinced me too!

I started a registry with Kristen before my shower so people had the option to help us out with the initial cost. (and many people opted for this option and I only spent half of the initial price because of this -- YEAH!) I think my original order was $850 and I only had to spend $400 after my shower. It was awesome! Of course, there are cheaper start up costs to cloth diapers - you can use prefolds and covers and I think that start up cost is only $250. To think you will spend $3600 over the course of your babies diapering years if you use disposables - spending even $1000 on cloth just makes more sense! If you start with your first child you will have already bought and paid for the diapers for your second, or third! And to think of our landfills!! The environmental benefit should be enough for new Mom's to rethink their diapering decisions. BUT I am only trying to share my experience not make the disposal diapering Mom feel bad! We have enough new pressures as Moms.

Nick and I decided to go with a couple different options and brands to see what we liked and then we could always purchase more... Yes, I have become a little addicted and we now have way more diapers than you actually need but they are so cute and stylish. We've fallen in love with AMP duo pocket diapers www.ampdiapers.com We've got lots of different colours in our diaper stash now. We also use Baby Kangas, Happy Heinys, and we use Motherease Sandy's for night time. All of our diapers have been purchased at www.ecobabies.ca Kristen is the owner and she is awesome at answering all your questions. If I have had any issues I have sent her a quick e-mail and I get a response usually the same day! And usually its a quick fix and we are back on our way.

I got Nick to set up a clothes line in our backyard and I currently have a load hanging to dry right now! I think it took me 2 min to start the load soaking in the machine, 30 min to sit while I enjoy a tea and catch up on some tv and then 2 min to run down and start the load. Then another 10 to hang them on the line. okay so the entire load works out to be 15 min of my time? Oh wait, I should factor in the folding - so thats another 5 mins -- yes, I am mocking the whole it takes more time!

Madelyn needs some attention time for me to go!

Good Morning Heat!

Yikes! Thank goodness we have A/C or I would be cooking! It is way to hot for me these days...its 24 with a humidex of 32 and its not even 9am yet!! Madelyn and I will be enjoying the view of the outdoors today. http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/caon0109

Still trying the "solids". Oatmeal isn't going exactly how I thought it would and I am going to keep giving her spoonful or two every morning just to keep the routine of the highchair going. Madelyn, even if she doesn't "eat" a lot, will entertain herself in the chair long enough for me to enjoy a tea -- now, I need to start eating breakfast as well so maybe tomorrow I'll force myself! LOL Why is the best meal of the day so hard to get down? I love eating at 9pm and could eat the entire fridge but trying to get that toast with peanut butter down...argh! Let me tell ya is a whole other story!

We went to our first swimming class last night! I think I had more expectations than DH (dear husband, Nick). I thought she would be more excited and at first she was a little scared, which completely surprised me since she loves her baths so much. She did warm up to the idea after she got over the coldness (is that a word?) of the salt water pool. I was surprised it was a little chilly. Her adorable little swim diapers worked great too! https://canshop.motherease.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=12&cat=Swim+Diapers Madelyn has the Splashing Daisies which I purchased from www.ecobabies.ca (AMAZING store - they have completely been a godsend when its come to diapering Madelyn) I should mention I use cloth diapers... I should do an entire post an ode to cloth diapers! I think I will :) Now back to swimming... ha! So easy to get side tracked when there is so much on your mind to share. Overall, Madelyn did wonderful at swimming. We don't have a picture :( Not allowed to bring cameras into our public city pools - I was mad at first but I understand there are a lot of creeps out in the world and I wouldn't want a picture of Madelyn in her swim suit out on the internet if it weren't on my terms (as we know I use Facebook!) As I was saying... Madelyn got a little cold and was a bit leary at first but she got the hang of it by the end of the half hour so we are really looking forward to bringing her back on Thursday. Seems like everything we join lately there are a lot more little girls then boys. Weird. Do Mommies of little boys just not join stuff or there just a lot more girls being born than boys?

Maybe later today while Madelyn naps I will post about diapers as I think its such an important thing to use cloth and it is so easy! REALLY! But for now I am going to go play on with her on her mat and encourage the rolling over! She's getting to be quite good at it!

Introducing Solids :)

Wow! Okay, what a tough call when it comes to introducing "Baby's FIRST food"... There is so much info out there and so many "expert" opinions... that you can really get lost as to what to give first! I am a complete mess sometimes when it comes to "Am I doing the right thing?" I always second guess myself because "AAARRGGGHHH" I read too much. (My husband will be happy I admitted that!)

The "new" recommendations are starting Rice Cereal first. Okay, but most Mom's that I have conversed with said their babes got a little constipated with this first food... not exactly my idea of a good time!

So, this past Sunday, after much debate I started with Oatmeal. I should also mention that you should be starting solids at 6 months, and yes, I decided to go with my gut (I think I may have found it!!) and start her 5 months and 1 week old.

Madelyn can sit up now (my babe is getting so big way too fast! Sitting early, proud but sad all at the same time!) so I strapped her in her high chair made a quick little bowl and tried it. It was humourous as maybe she's not quite ready but we've fallen into a morning routine now, and I get to enjoy a tea while I feed her in her high chair.

This is day 3 of the "new" food and so far no reactions! I am going to have to try rice too... maybe that wil be tomorrows adventure!

Decisions Decisions!

Okay this post was started on June 25th but with a babe sometimes youg get side tracked LOL... here goes and I will obviously add more and finish it ;-)

Well, Madelyn is now 5 months old!! CRAZY!! Let's give the reader a little info so this post doesn't completely confuse the heck out of you... I am have been exclusively pumping for Madelyn for the last 3 months or so. My goal was to breast feed her for at least 6 months and since she was such a grazer and would hang all day I did not enjoy breast feeding...so, what was I going to do? I had this goal, all this pressure (from myself, really!) and doing something with my baby that I could not stand doing... this made for a really sad mommy! One night I was searching online for different techniques and info and I came across www.kellymom.com I was browsing through the site and read "Exclusively Pumping" Once I started reading I felt more and more compelled to this idea. I had already purchased a ridiculously priced, good quality pump, that I was only using once a day. I mentioned the idea to my husband, who thought I was a litte nuts because "wouldn't you miss the bonding"... had he just forgotten how miserable I was the last time he said "I think she's hungry, again". Through kellymom.com I found an amazing board on ivillage.com -- Exclusively breastfeeding Mom's like me to connect with! To ask questions, get advice and share the experience with. AMAZING really! So, I have been eping (that's the online short form) for practically 3 months. Of course at the beginning I would just breastfeed her in the middle of the night but that quickly stopped because I would still have to pump since I am very fortunate to have so much milk (my lactaction consultant referred to it as cream because of my little chunky monkey's weight gain at the beginning!)

So, the original reason for this post... DECISIONS! As I am getting closer to my 6 month goal and contemplating switching to formula (AAHHHH!) so many thoughts and emotions have been running through me! Wow, who woulda thought that I would be so emotional about stopping something I didn't enjoy! (Ohh I should mention that when I did stop breastfeeding Madelyn I cried! Yeah, I cried about something that I didn't even like doing...)

I had a really hard time last week with the whole thing. Crying to my husband... honestly the last 5 months have been the most emotional time in my entire life... thinking that I wasn't doing the right thing with stopping... worrying about how she is doing to do on formula - will she get sick? am I going to go from having this baby go lucky babe to a monster? (I know, its irrational but honestly, is there any rational thoughts that go through a new mom's head?) and the last thought, ever so hard to admit but "She's not going to NEED me anymore" All she'll need is some water and powder! (Now, I say this with my rational part of my brain that of course she will always NEED her Mommy but the irrational part screams she WON'T)

So, I think it comes down to me being mentally ready to stop pumping but emotionally not ready. Although within the last week I have made quite a bit of progress on the whole "don't feel so bad" campaign. My Mom and friends have been completely supportive and understanding.

I just have to realize that I have been doing a great job pumping! Many mom's would just throw in the towel but I stuck it out and hooked myself up to a pump several (and I mean several, at the beginning) times a day to give her the best. I have a freezer full to prove it! And I need to use that liquid gold up so I have to think - is pumping 3/day so bad? And really, I shouldn't cry everytime I pull frozen liquid gold out of the freezer - that was the point in the first place right?

Great Day :-)

She did wake up last night at 340am... gave her her soother and shhhhed her back to sleep and she slept until 7:45am! Yeah :) Eventually she'll get it and hopefully not bother waking up...

oh a Mommy can only dream right?

Madelyn was fantastic this afternoon! Lunch with Auntie Rachel then a shopping trip - I let her take her afternoon nap on me this afternoon... 12-2... I know, I should have put her in her crib but she's so cute and cuddly and I get to take a little nap too ;-) We got up and got ready and went for lunch with Madelyn in tow in the Ergo! www.ergobabycarriers.com BEST carrier ever!! I got to sit on the patio, enjoyed a Guiness she fell asleep then I got to eat! Then off the mall we went and she was great with Rachel while I got to try on some jeans... as Mommy is having a night away on Saturday! (I have to say I am very nervous about being away from her for an entire night!)

I would have to say everyday is getting easier and easier... this Mom thing does get easier!

Just some thoughts.

Its amazing the amount of time I spend wondering, I should say worrying, if I am a good Mom. Everyday I think, was that okay? Should I have let her take a 2 hour nap on me? Is it okay to leave her on her mat to play with herself for 15min?

My husband will ask me something about her and I just don't know the answers and its frustrating to all hell! WTF ?? Read a book! I have and I've got 4 different answers to that question who would you like to follow today? Or I feel like saying -- Can you please make a decision yourself?

Why is it so hard to find "my gut"? What I mean is, everyone says trust your gut...trust your gut... but what if your gut isn't saying anything at all?

Doing something for the first time is always challenging but I never imagined this! I mean the shear love I have for this little being is probably why I doubt myself so much. I want her to be perfect... to have the perfect little life... but maybe my logical side of me should take over, because it knows that nothing is perfect and there is ALWAYS trial and error and sometimes those errors turn out to be exactly what was needed in the first place.

I just don't want to make the wrong decision with this precious life that looks at me and requires everything from me.

Okay...motivation where are you?

Thanks to fellow Mom, Kelsey, I hope I can start blogging a little more frequently...

Madelyn slept through the night on June 18th :) Then repeated this for the next 2 nights so are we on a roll? Fingers crossed its not just a fluke and she does this EVERY night!! (Is this just wishful thinking? I hope not!)

She just fought me on her nap... ugh! Seriously kid, if I was you I would kill to nap every couple of hours :) Oh the life of a babe!

Went from a late breakfast with the Mommy's from momstown.ca kitchener/waterloo group! Thanks to fellow Mommy, Melissa, who gratiously brought me her portable booster seat - it was great! Reclined and everything, which is perfect for Madelyn since she hasn't perfected sitting yet. We are getting close though!!

Well, I gotta pump and I haven't mastered typing and pumping yet so, I gotta go! Maybe the next blog I will find the time to explain... Should of called this Adventures in Pumping! LOL