NOT a book review

Goodness... I just looked at my blog and realized like every post for the past almost six months has been a book review...  I really DO more than just read, but who has the time for blogging nowadays? Some do, I know! Just not me, evidently... But I shall try. If there's anyone out there that still reads this. :)

What have I been up to? my #1 job is this little (but growing fast) girl!

She's sooo much fun and learning so much! She loves her books, music, play phones and Baby Signing time. She loves people! So much fun to go to the store because she loves to say "HI!" to everyone we meet... several times! ;) How is it even possible that 17 months has passed already? She is an amazing girl! But yes.... she does keep me quite busy. If she is awake, she is moving. ;)

My second (naptime) job is my business! I love my work as a Lilla Rose Independent Consultant! Mostly I do what I can during naptimes (or occasionally after kiddo is in bed.) I don't have huge requirements to keep my consultant status and if I have a very busy time, my job will be right where I left it. And it's such an amazing product that it sells itself! I did my first vendor event last week with my mom and a young friend (she was our hair model!). We had a lot of fun and got to introduce Lilla Rose to our community. :)

A third thing that is happening is, quite frankly, something that ISN'T. We are still. in. our. apartment. sigh... We ARE very blessed! We live in an older, but VERY well maintained complex with an excellent staff! (Our little one loves going to the office to say hi! And they have known her since she was born!) ;) But apartment living is just that. Apartment living. We have neighbors above us with pets - very sweet neighbors - but it is still close quarters. We're not so much "looking" for a house as we are "waiting" for a house. We are ready in every way to buy our long term home, but our home has yet to open up. I know God is working things out in His perfect timing, but sometimes it's hard to wait - especially when you don't see anything happening... But we keep trusting and praying for His will for our little family.

Ah... what else? VBS planning, helping mom with her recital last week, gearing up to plan my sister's wedding... EEEK!!! my baby sister is engaged!!! So happy for her! ;) And many, other things that just keep happening. I reckon you'd just call it life! :) So yes... I do something besides read books...

10 Baby Must Haves - according to me...

I love lists. I write lists. (on paper... my hubby has got me using a list app, just a bit, for sharing things that we need in case someone happens to make a grocery run... but paper is my favorite! There's something about just writing something down! But I digress...) When we were preparing for Joy, I looked up lists of things we needed to have. I've been wanting to write a list of things that worked for us, so here goes. This isn't a list of obvious stuff (diapers, clothes, etc...) just a list of stuff that people don't often think of that were wonderful to have.

1. Rock and Play Sleeper. 
 Forget the fancy pretty bassinet... this thing is awesome! I love that she slept slightly elevated and so close to me. It's very lightweight and folds up easily - travels so well. She slept in it until... oh, about last month... (I had started putting her in her "big" bed (pack and play in our room) but she got sick and congested and I wanted her elevated again to keep her from coughing so bad.) Her's is probably one of the original versions, they've gotten a lot fancier, but it did the job!

2. Baby Nail Scissors!
  Seriously, cutting baby nails scares me! But my mom always used nail scissors for my sister and they just make sense to me. I'm a lot less worried about cutting tiny fingers with these. They are very sharp, but I don't think I've as much as scratched her with them. They work great! (They are pictured above - in my title pic.) :)

3. Bath Seat

First Bath

  I was given a couple of baby tubs (hand me downs from friends) but I never used either one of them. I used this for Joy's first bath and haven't looked back. She has always loved her bathtime!

4. Carriers
This really should be #1 on my list!! I can't express how much we love our carrier. I had a borrowed Moby for when she was tiny, and used it a bit. It was so nice and soft and great for cuddling a tiny baby close. (and also had fold for keeping things handy... such as the burp cloth below!) ;)

First Sunday at church with Joy and my little friend

Then one evening I got ready to leave the house for a bit and leave her with Mark. He wanted to "wear" her, but I knew explaining that super loooong piece of fabric and how to tie it could be a bit much. So I pulled out my Beco. A few buckles are a lot more straight forward than looping and tying fabric. (And the ours comes with an infant insert - she probably could have been in in even younger.)

First time carried by Daddy

And I still use the Beco often. It's great for out shopping - I just pop her in and off we go. I think she likes seeing new things from the safety of mom. :) AND Mark uses it if he takes her out... just a couple of strap adjustments, and it's ready for daddy! It's as easy or easier than wrestling with a stroller and she will sometimes nod off to sleep - though not as frequently as she used too. Mine is a Beco Butterfly II. Unfortunately, they don't make this particular model anymore, but many other soft buckle carriers work just as well. Just do your research, articles such as this one are helpful in understanding why a good carrier is so important. (for mommy and her back as well as a developing baby!)

Shopping with Mommy!

Of all baby items, this is probably the one I researched the most. I researched many different carriers and realized how important the right carrier is. (I have had some back trouble, in fact have a bit of scoliosis and sway back. I had to be careful to choose the right one.) The cheapy version at your local stores might be tempting, but if you never use it, it's a waste of money. And trust me, if it hurts to wear, you won't end up using it. Even with this carrier, I can only go so long (quite a while, though.. especially when compared to trying to carry her without a carrier). But I can't imagine a carrier without the proper support. A lot of her weight gets distributed around my hips - not my back and shoulders. And when I can do a back carry, it's awesome!! I've only done it once, but we both loved it. (I hadn't tried in a while. I'm not quite as experienced at getting her on my back and the first time scared her... this was last week and it went very well, as you can see!)

First time on mommy's back!

5. Muslin Swaddling blankets
I swaddled her a lot. (Not any more... she loves to sleep stretched out in her "big" bed!) :) I haven't swaddled her for quite some time, but I do love these muslin blankets! I have a couple of different brands, and my favorites are a bit larger than the others (44 inches square). They are awesome for swaddling and you can find all kinds of swaddling tutorials online. The light muslin is a bit stretching and the fabric breaths great! I still love to have them on hand - great for grabbing to run into the house in a rain storm!  ;)

Baby Burrito!

6. Small swing

 I registered for a big fancy swing - the kind that plugs into the wall... Thankfully we were able to borrow one and not spend money on it because she hated it. I know, some kids might like them, but it was toooo smooth for her. She liked our little Fisher Price travel swing that was fast and a bit more jerky, I guess because she could feel the movement more. She still loves it, and is barely in it. It is now at my parents where she naps there. I'm sure we don't have too much longer and she won't fit in it at all. We love her little swing and I've been thrilled with how well it has worked. I even bought it used - though it still looks brand new.

7. Wubbanub
Ok, I have to admit, I think my love of these pacis is probably mostly the cuteness factor.... They are so much fun! She hasn't been a huge paci baby, but she doesn't suck finger either, so mommy is happy. (It's my opinion that a paci is a lot easier to get rid of later than fingers, but thankfully I don't have to worry about either.) She still enjoys them, though... they make great teethers! ;) (And you can also see this one in the first picture.) :)

8. Car Seat Cover

Home coming!! (Car seat cover folded down... if it was up- you couldn't see baby!) 

 A friend gave us one of these. I loved it!!! Having a new little one, especially in the winter, it really came in handy. I felt like it kept her warm and cozy going to and from the car. It also kept "lookers" at bay - you know, those well meaning people who just want to squeeze and love on your new little one, but you, being the new mother and it being flu season are paranoid that your little one is going to get some horrible disease! It worked out rather well. ;)

9.  Backseat Mirror
With a rear facing seat, it is almost impossible to see that precious little face from the front of the vehicle! We love our little mirror! (Joy also likes looking at herself, and often smiles when I put her in the car - even though she isn't a huge fan of car rides. It was great in the infant seat, but even better now that she is in a big convertible (still rear facing) seat. She outgrew that little seat pretty quickly!  

10. Cloth Diapers.

I just love a baby in cloth!!

Yes, I still love them!!!! You can read my cloth diaper post here. I have updated it with new info as I have learned more. I have tried a few different cloth diaper brands, but Mark and I agree the ones that work the best are our original BumGenius Freetime diapers. They hold more, and contain more... The way the diaper is designed, they also dry quickly! (The diaper above is by Thirsties. I love the diaper itself - sooo very soft. It just doesn't hold quite as much as our favorites.)  She tends to be a heavy overnight wetter, and I have just added an extra liner in for those long nights. (Although, we haven't had many of those recently... growth spurt?? Hoping for long nights to return very soon!!!)

Another HUGE plus: We have rarely had a diaper rash in her cloth! I do sometimes use "paper diapers" as I call them. (occasionally mommy doesn't quite stay on top of the laundry...). She doesn't usually have a problem, but there is one brand I tried (given to us) that literally blistered my poor girl! I won't be using them anymore!! So thankful for comfy, soft, money saving cloth! ;)


So what worked for you? Did I miss anything you couldn't have lived without? :) Or maybe you even tried something here and it didn't work for you. Not everything works for every family!
(None of these companies even know I exist. None of the above are advertisements...)

In which I talk diapers....

When you wait years and years for a little one, you have a LOT of time to do research! ;) One of the things I researched was cloth diapers. After using them for about 3 weeks, I am by no means a pro, but I thought I would share some reasons why I chose to cloth diaper and what is working for us at the moment. Any other cloth diapering moms out there? I'd love to hear your take on things!

 Reasons why:

 #4: Less Waste! 
 I'm not huge into environmental issues, but I do feel it is our job as Christians to take care of God's world. So less trash is a good thing. I also just didn't see the point of pouring resources into something that couldn't be reused. Just didn't make sense! (This goes closely with number #1... so hang with me.) ;)

 #3: SO CUTE!! 
 I mean, really!! How stinkin' adorable is this? (Ok, poor choice of adjectives...) ;)

 I'm very much a texture/tactile/sensory person. (Part of my reason for my knitting love...) And I love the thought of these soft cotton/fabric diapers. (Especially when you think of what is in the disposables!)

Edit to add:
#2: Safer
One of the huge things that I like about using cloth diapers is that they are a lot more natural! There aren't any crazy chemicals in them. I'm not a mom that has to have 100% pure natural or organic. BUT I do think that there are so many chemicals that we don't even think about that we are daily in contact with. Using cloth diapers helps reduce that a bit. :) Edited yet again to add: One particular brand of disposables actually burned my poor baby. Enough of THOSE! :/


 #1: Saving Money!!
 Yep, this is the number one reason!! I can hardly stand the thought of using something I am just going to throw away, when there is an option of me just washing and reusing it. (Told you this went with #4!) And the more kids that use these, the more savings we will have! We know one family who's fourth child is using their cloth diapers. Imagine the savings!!!

Colorful fluffy shipment!!!

 What works for us: 

This is what is working for us now. Things may change - as they are very likely to with a little one. Right now, obviously we are on formula so dirty diapers are pretty (ahem) consistent. I know there will be some adjustments when we introduce more foods into Joy's diet.

We have seven diapers and more on the way... seven doesn't work. I am doing a load of diapers every day - ok if I am home every day to do laundry, but it gets a little old and doesn't seem to be a good use of resources. I'm thinking 12-15 diapers will be a good number for us. You don't want to go too long between washes anyway. ;) (and I just use Tide Original - I read that many CD moms like it just as well as the fancy stuff.)

 I have one diaper pail liner - and another on the way. One wasn't enough. (ETA: I wrote this last week. Since then I got another liner and also realized that it is ok to throw the liners in the dryer...ON LOW HEAT! So one is probably sufficient.) It takes a while for them to dry and about the time it's dry, it's time to do laundry again! I think two will be perfect. I also have a small wet bag and a medium wet/dry bag on the way. The small one fits about three (very squished) of her diapers when we are out and about. I think the medium will be just right. (ETA: Got the medium! I LOVE having a dry section in my bag... I keep the wipes and clean diapers in the dry section and then wet in the waterproof side. Kindof a mini diaper bag - easy to grab and go!)

 Right now we are using disposable wipes. But why buy wipes when I can (once again) wash and reuse something? So I have cut up some old stained knit and plan on keeping a few at a time damp in her wipe warmer ready to use. We'll see how that goes... :) (ETA: I love using cloth wipes. SO much easier just to throw them in the wash with the diapers than to have to throw them into a separate trash can. I just dampen them as needed - although I have kept them wet in the warmer as well.)

 As for the diapers themselves??? WOW. You can't imagine. I am so impressed with the quality, and we have yet to have a dirty blow out. (Some leakage when she's been in a wet one overnight, but nothing nasty.) Yesterday we had a nasty disposable - and one of the top brands too. Let's just say, I'd rather rinse out a diaper than a very nasty onesie that I have to pull over her head. The ick factor of the diapers doesn't bother me a bit right now. (Like I said, that may change when we diversify her menu.) The wet ones just go in her pail with the wet bag and I rinse the dirty ones before putting them in as well. No biggie. (eta: with milk only babies rinsing even the dirty ones isn't necessary... the wash takes care of any issues. Later "big productions" will go into the toilet before the wash.) :)

ETA: I also wanted to add that Mark has no problem changing the cloth diapers. I have still done the washing out on the dirty ones. But there really wasn't much of a learning curve for daddy to still do diaper duty. (And yes, I know I'm very blessed to have a hubby who will change diapers!! We both have much younger siblings, so we've both had lots of experience!) ;)

 Initially I thought I would use prefolds mostly at home and save the all-in-ones for daddy and out and about. (Someone gave us a huge stack of prefolds.) But she feels icky so much faster in the prefolds and cover than she does in the all-in-ones and I had to change quite frequently. The all-in-ones are very absorbent and the layers help pull the moisture away from her skin. So, yes, I'm a fan!

My first box - including supplies for using prefolds.

Negatives? Yes, I must be balanced... but really I can't think of many for us. Like I said, right now, the ick factor isn't an issue for me. I love that we are saving money (especially when we are hoping to get a house soon.) The diapers are rather bulky, so we have probably gone up a clothing size a bit faster than we would have, but really she's growing quite fast anyway... ;)

Do I think cloth diapering is for everyone? Nope! It works well for us - I am a stay at home mom and a bit more diaper laundry isn't a big deal. (Love a pile of clean diapers!) It may not work into someone else's schedule or lifestyle. OR you may be one of those coupon queens that can get disposables cheaper anyway. BUT I do think that cloth diapering is an awesome thing with the  amazing diapers that are available now. (Yes, I've only tried one brand, and I know there are other awesome ones out there. ETA: I've tried a couple other brands and the BumGenius Freetime are still our favorite and hold up the best.) I just think that it is something that most moms don't often think about and maybe after reading this you might see it as an option! :) I'd love to hear from other cloth diapering moms or even if you've chosen not to!
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 PS- None of the links or mentioned brands are asking me to advertise. They don't know I exist. I'm just sharing what is working for us.