Cloth Diaper Update #2

Okay. . . We are now 6 months into this cloth diapering journey and it has really been a journey. I have been so blessed with a sweet little girl that has the most sensitive skin EVER!!!! Cloth and disposable break her out! Oh and there is the ear infection she got which was treated with a good healthy dose of antibiotics that gave massive diarrhea oh and a yeasty rash!! (she is gonna love reading this one day) After many trips to the cloth diaper store, a venture into wool covers, and multiple combinations we are now in pampers until I can get her rash cleared up! So what I have learned is that when all is clear all is good! When all is not clear all is not good!

Washing is really not that hard! If you are like me and hate folding and putting away well the laundry is a pain. I have had an issue with them stinking and come to find out I was not using enough soap. To get rid of the stink a little overnight soak and problem solved. Now for the yeast I have to bleach them and rinse and bleach and rinse and so on and so on! A little more work.

I read a blog not too long ago about how easy cloth diapers are. Easy is not what I would call this. I still think cloth is worth it but I did not know that having a sensitive skined child could make this journey so . . . interesting!

6 Months Old!!

Happy 6 month birthday to my sweet EC!!! What is so cool is her aunt Amy and Uncle Cody's birthday was on the same day as her 6 month milestone! Love that she got to share that with her sweet aunt and uncle. I want to capture for myself and my family a few milestones she has hit these past 6 months, because, well I am horrible at keeping a baby book.

Look at this sweet brand new face!!! From the get go she was a great sleeper!!! I could lay her in bed with Jay and I and she would sleep until I woke her up. 12 hours and more!!! I had to quickly snap out of that and put her in her own bed before I had a co-sleeping baby!! After that she only would wake up once a night eat and go right back to sleep! PRAISE JESUS!!! I prayed for a calm baby and oh how He answered my prayers! Linds had colic and the first few months was just so angry. I was so terrified of going through that again but God heard my prayers and sent me EC who is so chill! 

EC and her boyfriend. They are 4 days apart. I was so thankful to have a friend to go through this pregnancy with! Made the record breaking summer bearable. At the month mark I stopped breast feeding. When it comes to breast feeding mama's are so opinionated. Holy cow! I am all about do what is best for you and your family. However, when I made that decision some women decided to step in and tell me how wrong I was. Oh please!!! Somewhere around 1 month old EC was sleeping through the night and eating roughly 4 oz every 3 hours. I had to go buy some NB cloth diapers since she was so long. She may have been 9 lbs but those 9 lbs were evenly distributed. Contrary to this picture she is an extremely happy baby. I had not gotten her nap schedule down but she napped often. We were always on the go so she rarely took a nap in her crib.

2 months old brought drama. I had noticed that she was real pukey. No big deal Linds did the same thing so no biggie. Well the big difference was Linds gained weight. EC was not gaining weight. By 2 months she had only gained a few ounces since birth. Her puking got worse and she was so angry after she would throw up. She would throw up whole bottles. So we lived at the Dr's office for the next 2 months. I was a nervous wreck. Oct brought her first road trip to AR. She loved all the attention my family gave her and Linds got to have her first sleep over with her cousin Hope. Big month in the Dunks house hold. 

By the end of month 3 her puking leveled off. She was gaining weight just slowly. However, she was developing beautifully. Toward the end of month 3 she was rolling over front to back and back to front. O geeze! I got a mover! She began to let me know that being on the go all the time was no longer bueno!! So I was forced to sit down and figure out a schedule. She now wakes at 8 am eats, nap from 930-1130, eat, play, nap from 230-5, eat, play, bed at 8! She is her momma's girl she loves her sleep. Even better she puts herself to sleep! 

4 months old and so smart and beautiful. She loves her sister. She just watches her and laughs at her! Linds is such a great big sister. She is so sweet with her. Lots of kisses and hugs. Month 4 brought her first trip to Texas to see Jay's family. She did great on the car ride down there. The car ride back not so much but hey a week sleeping in a pack and play then a 9 hr car ride would make me cranky too! She began to get on her knees and rock and could scoot on her belly. If she really wanted something she would just roll her way to it. At her 4 month check up the Dr. gave us the all clear for cereal. Since I was putting it in her bottles I just put off feeding her with a spoon. I was in no rush. She was still slowly gaining weight even though she puked like non other. We had to give her Reglan and that seemed to help along with changing to Soy formula. Oh and giggles appeared this month! 

Finally, when she turned 5 months old I gave her cereal by a spoon. She loved it!!! We tried green beans at the end and she broke out with some rash so I stopped them. Not sure that it was the GB but hey why rush things. She got her 1st ear infection and 1st round of antibiotics. The diarrhea was a nightmare!!! She is crawling all over the place now and nothing is safe any more. Month 5 was boring!!!! Boring is good in this house. She is just so easy. She eats 6 ounces. I lied she learned to crawl out of the Bumbo. I thought those things could suction any baby yeah not this string bean! 

Now we are just a day into 6 months but I love it. I gave her peas and she thought they were great. We went on a walk in the stroller and she tolerated it better that when she was a month old. Why my girls do not like to stroller or the car seat is beyond me! She loves to jump and crawl and just plain move. Everything goes in her mouth. She can sort of sit up but just for a second and it is still very tri podish. Her favorite thing to do is stand in a downward dog yoga pose. The cutest thing ever. When she is really tired she will suck her 1st 2 fingers and lay her head down no matter if she is sitting up or laying down. She does not do being tired well. I just love my little ginger! 

For my girls

One night as I was perusing through Pinterset I ran across this pin that put a few things into perspective for me! You see when I was pregnant and had Lindsey I was 24 years old. Little did I know I was in the process of a complete makeover on the inside! Faster than I would have liked I was growing out of college girl and becoming a wife and a mom. The wife thing was not too hard but becoming a mom was a whole different story. I was not ready! I was still selfish. I was just out of school, I just started a job, I was still young, I just got married! So when the first stretch mark appeared at around 30 weeks I was devastated. I was too young to have stretch marks. I mean I had bikinis to wear!!! It seemed like overnight my abdomen was covered in these silvery marks. To make matters worse after I lost all the baby weight and then some they were still there but now my abdomen just hung and was saggy! I was 24 years old with a abdomen of an old lady! I allowed my view of beauty to be all wrapped up in the way my belly appeared. I have spent the past 3 years shedding that selfish self and becoming a mom my girls deserve. Any who, as I saw that pin my perspective changed almost instantly.  Here is what I am coming to know as truth:

Each mark reminds me of each month God allowed me to carry my girls. Every line is a reminder of each breath you took, each kick you kicked, and even each punch to my bladder. Each mark is a reminder of the nights I prayed for your healthy arrival. Each line reminds me of God's love for me and you. Each mark reminds me of the love your father and I share that created you! Each line is proof of God's grace and mercy. The belly that now hangs and sags was your home that kept you safe and nourished you until the time came that I could hold you in my arms and make you feel safe and warm.

No longer will I allow myself to look in the mirror and be disgusted. I will now stand in the mirror with pride knowing that each stretch mark and the saggy skin is a reminder that God allowed me to be a mother to 2 beautiful girls. Those marks are an outward sign of the inner change my sweet Jesus has been doing in me.

***A special thanks to my sweet friend Cheryl for taking this picture for me! She is by far the best photographer and friend I could ever ask for!!

Cloth Diaper Update Part 1

EC has been in cloth for about 5-6 weeks now and honestly I love them. I wish I could say that they have been nothing but smooth sailing but as with any new journey there are bumps in the road. Over the next few weeks I want to share with you some of the bumps we have encountered and the lessons learned so hopefully if you use cloth or are interested can learn from them and avoid them!

When we got EC home I was so excited to put her in cloth but the one size covers I bought swallowed her and irritated her belly button. Her newborn clothes did not fit because of her diapers not her size! So we used Pampers until her belly button fell off. Once it fell off and I ran out of pampers I invested in 4 newborn covers and 2 All-in-1s. I already had 4 newborn fitted diapers and 12 prefolds so I was ready to start our diaper journey. I had 4 all-in-2's with 8 inserts and 2 pocket diapers that were just way to big so I put those in the back of the drawer with her one size covers. I started out using the prefolds with a cover because they were the least bulky. My first few attempts were not successful due to operator error. We had a poop explosion in public because I put the cover on wrong and a few leaks because I folded the prefold wrong. So I went into Green Bambino and they showed me a new way to fold. Once I had the fold down and remembered that the cover actually has to cover all of whatever is inserted inside it we were good to go. The fitteds were ok at first but once we switched to formula with some cereal in it the fitteds were great. The all-in-1s I hated from the beginning. They fit for about 2 weeks, took forever to dry, and leaked out the side. As EC's stomach was adjusting to the change in feeding she was not pooping everyday. When she finally  poops it is massive. The fitted just does a better job handling the massive amount! The prefolds with a cover do keep it contained but when cleaning it up it is just messier. With the prefolds I did run into her bottom being irritated. I figured it was because her bottom was not getting air and the material does not wick away the moisture. I asked my fav diaper store and my instincts were right. My solution was to alternate the prefolds with the fitteds and then when her other diapers fit I used those in the rotation as well. And of course I changed her more often and used a cloth diaper friendly cream. So.....the morale of this story is don't just buy all one sized diapers or all of one kind. I will get into the all of one kind in another post but trust me on this one for now. My All-in-1s may not fit but my newborn covers and fitteds still fit and will continue to fit for a good while. They just extend my stash!

Stay tuned for Laundry and why buy multiple styles. I know you are on the edge of your seats for it!!!

Cloth Diaper Journey

With this baby I have decided, and Jay is reluctantly agreeing, to use cloth diapers for baby number 2! Jay says my hippy side is coming out. I just want to be a wise consumer! This is a whole new process for me so I want to blog about it and share my experiences with whoever can find it helpful! I am hoping to be able and look back and see the ups and downs and track some memories too!

I originally wanted to do cloth with Lindsey. After months and months of researching on the internet I became overwhelmed with all the information and just went with good ole' fashioned Pampers! Don't get me wrong Pampers were great and all but dang they were expensive! See, I have a little "tree hugger" in me and the thought of throwing away 12 diapers a day to rot in the landfill was heart breaking! Then the cost each month for diapers is just ridiculous! I knew the cost for cloth upfront is great but the overall cost for disposable is even greater! Also, Lindsey's skin was so sensitive that even Pampers would break her little butt out from all the chemicals. So when we found out #2 was on the way I rediscovered my desire to use cloth and I discovered this local store that was dedicated to cloth diapering. Green Bambino is this amazing store with all these diaper options and the staff to walk you through step by step. As soon as I knew E-C was coming I stopped by the store and talked with the owner for probably 30 mins. She answered all my questions that I could not answer on the internet and walked me through step by step. Jay and I have attended a free diapering class to become more familiar with the diapers as well. I have bought a couple of diapers so I can't back out of my decision but have yet to go in and buy the mother load. A part of me is scared of this new journey. I have little family or friend support. In fact most think I am crazy! But I am one to take the hard road just because I can so I am stepping out on my own! I can not wait to capture this journey on this blog! I know it will be an adjustment but I know that the reasons I am doing it are enough to keep me going! I feel as a stay at home mom I need to be extra cautious of the money that comes in and dang it this is one way to do it! I hope ya'll enjoy the ride with me!

Insert something witty here. . . .

Today is a list kinda day with pics to break it up. . .

• I am done having a headache! I think I will FINALLY call the Chiropractor! I don't like going to the doctor or dentist!
• I want to plant a little garden! What am I thinking being pregnant and soon a new mom harvesting food!
• I want to cloth diaper this baby and have gotten absolutely no support from anyone! They all tell me I am crazy!  

• I love these two! 
• Jay is gone and I don't sleep well with out him!
• I just had one of the most amazing weekends in AR thanks to Dave and Lisa Franks! They spoiled me soooo much! Plus they love Lindsey as much as I do! 
• If you love my baby I automatically love you! If you are even a tad mean to my baby I wanna meet you in a dark ally! 

• I am watching "The Talk" and let me tell ya it sucks! 
• I tried Bible Study Fellowship and have decided that it is not for me! The lessons are great but the rest is not my cup of tea.
• I am starting a new bible study at my church and I am super excited! 

• Lindsey is so proud of her painted toes! 
• She has the most jacked up feet and I love them! I hope they stay like that! They are my favorite part of her!
• I am discovering my purpose and I am soooo excited! Who I am now is not who I thought I would be 10 years ago! 
• I am so much better than I dreamed I could be! 

• My sweet friend Kristina made this shirt for Lindsey! I can not wait to find out what we are having so she can make a matching onesie! Check out her stuff and buy from her like crazy! She is so incredibly talented! 
• I am so ready for this baby to get here! I just want to hold a little one for hours and hours and hours! 
• This time around will be sweeter 'cause I will not be so anal! 
• If we have a little boy I pray that he looks just like his daddy! Jay was so cute as a little boy and even now he is not too hard on the eyes!
• My brain is done. . . . Love ya'll

hmmm. . . .

I have been pondering my blog for a while. I read other blogs and am so inspired, then I sit down to write and well there is nothing inspiring there! Frustrating! I want to blog so I can show Lindsey my thoughts as she was growing up.

Speaking of growing up, Lindsey is huge! She is 21 months and full of attitude. She never stops moving! Well, except for her favorite Canadian cartoon, Miss B. G. This sweet little girl never cared for t.v. until we cut off cable and now she can not get enough of Qubo. Qubo, is a cartoon channel that we get over the antenna and all the cartoons are Canadian made. 30 minuets each night she will sit sort of still and watch in amazement! I love it!

Recently, Lifechurch.tv did a series on margin. So now we are on a journey to create margin. Time we are good on, money not so much. So we have now cut off cable, eating out, shopping, groceries, ect. If it can be cut we do it! The one thing we have not cut out is tithing! No matter how tight the week we tithe no matter what! God has truly blessed us. The money goes farther, saying no is easier, we don't fight! Jay and I want so badly to not owe anyone but GOD. I hope as we go through this journey I can share the ups and downs on here!

Well, I guess I made up my mind! I am going to continue this blog at least so I have an outlet for all that life throws my family!

Yeah Yeah Yeah

Ok, lets get this over with! I know it has been forever! This post is all text and no pics!

I am a horrible mom! I have just now scheduled Lindsey's 12 month pics for tomorrow and she is 15.5 months! 3.5 months . . . not a lot has changed. . . right???? Well actually it has! My baby is so big and I hate it! I can no longer lay her down and she be in the same place I left her. I now turn my head for a second and she is in another room detroying something! Long gone are the days of formula for a meal! I now prepare 3 meals and a few dozen snacks a day for Pottie! She is such a good eater. We were at the Dr. and I was complaining that Lindsey's full button was BROKE. He laughed and said he never hears that one. Moms are always worried about their toddler missing a meal. Let me tell you she has NEVER missed a meal! She will push the high chair to me to let me know it is time to eat. She is a very determined baby!!!!! We now, at the age of 15 months, have 1 tooth and another poking through! We are a little redneck!

Hopefully we will have pictures to show to the world soon! Love mycrazy baby!