Father's Day 2014

Happy Father's Day 

Super Dad 

Patient, kind, considerate, loving, joyful, hard-working, gentle, attentive.

I don't think there is much more I could ask for in a dad for my kids. 

As parents, I feel we balance each other out so well, and I am SO thankful our kids have both of us to learn from. 

They'll get their crazy from me and their smarts from you. :)

Thank you for all you do for our kids and our family. 

WE LOVE YOU! 

Dad, you were everything I needed in a dad growing up and now you are a great Grandpa to my kids. 

You've taught me a lot throughout the years and I've always known how much you love me and our family. 

I know the kids will never forget fishing with Grandpa. :) 

WE LOVE YOU!

Father's Day 2014 

Little ones in our bed

I took this video the other morning after a night when both babies ended up in our bed.

Although we ARE a co-sleeping/bed sharing family, I had never even heard either of those terms until after Ezra was born.  For us, having our children in our beds has never been something we've done because we think it's what we should do, rather, it's something that's happened naturally since becoming parents 3 years ago.  Cambria slept in our bed sporadically until a year old and then slept in our room until 18 months when we moved into our house the day after Ezra was born.  Ezra was in our bed full-time for the first 8 months and has only gone a few nights of being in his crib all night since then.  I think having them in our beds at different times during their lives has made them feel more secure, connected, and comforted.  Sometimes we don't mind having an extra body in our bed and sometimes we go through phases where we can't stand it and do everything to avoid it.  

Right now, we bed share with both our kids for different reasons.  Besides the emotional benefits, it's a lot easier to just bring a restless child into your bed at night instead of trying to get them back to sleep in their own bed.  And when you're as sleep deprived at Kyle and I often are, it's the most appealing idea at 3 am.  Although Cambria has been an amazing sleeper since birth, she's recently started waking up at night crying and upset and sometimes she will only be calmed by coming into our bed.  Ezra winds up in our bed almost every night when he wakes anywhere from 2-5 in the morning.  Plus, if we just left one of them to cry in their bed alone they would most certainly wake the other one up.  Nothing is worse than having TWO crying children at 3 in the morning. 

I love being woken up by Ezra climbing over me saying "Mama, mama, mama, mama" until I open my eyes.  And on the nights when Cambria winds up in our bed it's nice being able to snuggle with her because she never lets me do it during the day. I oftentimes wonder if I'll miss these little bodies in our bed in 15 years and quite honestly, I'm not sure that I will.  It's nice at times, but I think having 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night sounds really, really appealing too :)

Ezra At 14 Months

Ezzy in super cute baby leggings

 This boy. 

He's a walkin', talkin' little toddler now. 

It's crazy how that stuff happens overnight. 

He's saying tons of words: lots of animal sounds, Daddy, Mimi, balloon, paci {dee-dee}, bubbles, water, hello, more, go and more I can't think of right now. 

And he knows five signs as well: more, all done, sleep, bath and eat.

 Ezra is waaaaay more verbal than Cambria was at this age and that girl was talking up a storm by 2! 

I can't imagine what he'll be doing.

 It's funny how babies develop at such different rates. 

Ezra is saying new words every day, but he just started walking at 14 months. 

Although, I am glad he waited so long to walk because he was good and ready when he finally did and he's had zero bad falls so far. 

Ezra seems to have a love of learning new things just like Cambria does.

 But really, I think all babies love to learn, it's just a matter of teaching them on their own terms.

 And I've found that sometimes you just have to let them learn on their own.

And do things like this....

yes, they did that in about 10 minutes, and yes, Cambria is naked

 It's amazing the things children observe and learn on their own.

Here's a little video of some of the things Ezra knows.

Notice in the video how he responds to me asking if he wants to do signs with a "NO!" 

"No" is his favorite word and he uses it to respond to anything he doesn't or does want. 

He hasn't learned yes yet... :) 

I think Ezra is starting to wean himself.

I'm a little sad because I wanted to nurse him for longer, but it's all up to him and what he's feeling is best so I'm not going to worry about it. 

Gosh I love him <3 

boy on the move

Making Colors

Recently I discovered an extremely fun way for Cambria to explore and learn more about colors. 

All you need: food coloring + water!

It can get a bit messy, so I just have her in clothes I don't care about or I just strip her down. 

{But actually Cambria loves being naked so usually I don't have to do anything}

I fill a bunch of small glass bowls with water and let her go at it. 

 We can make primary colors or mix the primary colors to make new colors.

Cambria loves learning new things so seeing two colors make one is an absolute thrill for her.

Plus she just loves being able to squeeze and play with something that seems like it should be off limits.

Perfect way to teach light, medium and dark.

Her favorite thing to do {and mine} is to make a rainbow.

Of course.

Cloth Diaper Update

We've been cloth diapering now for a year + a month, so it's about time for a little update on how it's all going.  I think the easiest way to get information out there is a Q&A sorta format, so I'll start with that.

Do I like cloth diapering after a whole year of it? YES, actually, I love it.

Has the initial upfront investment actually paid off in the long run? I think it has.  As of today, we've spent just at $700 dollars to diaper two children (well, 1 for 1 month, 2 for about 10 mos, and now just 1 during the day and 2 at night).  We haven't actually worked all the numbers but I'm certain buying disposables for both of them would have cost us more money. 

What does $700 include? The diapers, laundry detergent, diaper bags, Bac-Out cleaning spray (we don't use that anymore), wipes, wipe solution, and a few other accessories.

How many diapers do we have? You guys may be shocked to know that we only have 14 all-in-one/pocket diapers.  This is an extremely low number considering we had two children using these diapers at the same time for a solid 10 months.  We also have four fitted diapers and one cover which we used when both kids were in diapers, but we rarely use now.
Do we have a favorite brand? Yes, by far we love our bumGenius diapers the best.  Fewest leaks and best durability.

How often do we have to wash them? When they were both in diapers we were doing a load every night.  Now we do them every day and a half.

How do we dry our diapers? We always hang-dry the shells, unless we are leaving the house and have none ready.  I hang the inserts probably 90% of the time too. 

How are our diapers holding up? Out of the 14, two of them are almost useless.  The waterproof barrier on those diapers are gone or torn, making them extremely prone to leaks.  We will likely be tossing them soon.  I've also had to replace the Velcro on all of our hook BumGenius diapers.  There is definitely wear and tear on many of the diapers, but overall most are still in good, usable condition. 

Do our diapers have stains? Our diapers have no stains at all.  I think it's a combination of the intense washing cycle we use and the sun.

I replaced the tabs and laundry strips on all the diapers.  They were very easy to replace and I bought a kit to do it here.

our only all-in-one that is literally falling apart at the seams, no idea why

What are our reasons for using cloth diapers? All our reasons are pretty much the same: they benefit our wallets, our earth, and our children's booties.  Also, they are cute.

Is it gross getting up close and personal with so much poop? Yes, of course.  I will never miss smelling, touching, and washing away poop.  But our sprayer makes it sooooooo much easier to deal with.  For us, cloth diapering would be way more nasty if we didn't have that sprayer.

Have we bought disposables since making the switch? Ezra wore disopasbles for the first week or so,  but after that we did not buy a single disposable diaper until the first week of December when Ezra developed an ammonia burn from a little ammonia build-up on our diapers.  (We've since changed some things around to help with the ammonia problem) And then we bought another package when we flew to Texas for the weekend during the middle of December.  We just figured it would be easier for our mothers and sisters.  So, we didn't buy disposables for 9 months.  I'm proud of that.

Do we always take care of the diapers right after we give a change? No, sometimes they pile up on our toilet for a few hours before being dealt with.  It's kinda stinky so we try not to do that...

stinky diapers waiting to be sprayed

Do I judge other people for not using cloth? No, I try not to.  BUT, I'm very passionate about using cloth diapers so I love to encourage curious people, parents, and friends to find out more about them.  I realize cloth diapers are not the right fit for every family though.

Is it a lot of extra work? Yes and no.  Yes they are less convenient + more work than disposables, but the whole process is so engrained in our routine that I never think about it anymore.
How do we handle diaper changes in public? We just change the diaper and then put the dirty diaper in our travel diaper bag.  We sometimes dump or scrap some poop off, but usually we just throw it all in the bag and take care of it when we get home.

What do we use during the night? We stuff our "nighttime diapers" with one large insert and one prefold gerber cloth diaper.  Having the cloth diaper in there to soak up all that nighttime pee has been the key to having fewer leaks at night.

the large insert on the left, and the prefold cloth diaper on the right. both are stuffed into our nighttime diapers.

stuffed

What's one secret behind cloth diapering? CLOTH WIPES! You want to save some money, freaking use cloth wipes.  We bought 3 or 4 packs of wipes for less than $5 each and have saved tons of money by doing so.  We've had to buy more of this wipes solution concentrate a few times, but the money saved has been much greater.  I'm in the process of making our own soulution too which will save even more money.

How do you use cloth wipes? We spray the liquid on a wiper using either our spray bottle or a peri bottle then wipe.  We use 1 for #1 and 1 or 2 and sometimes 3 for #2.

Is it true that cloth diapers help ease a child into the potty training process? Ummm, for us, no. We're currently dealing with a serious potty training disaster, so I don't think that little myth is true. 

Any negatives? Cloth diapers make clothes fit a little odd at times.  Basically they make the baby's butt look huge.  That's kinda cute though. 

We've learned a lot since we first stared cloth a year ago. 
Overall, we really do <3 our cloth diapers. 

They're such a huge part of our daily life and I really think I'll miss not having a child in them one day. 

And I hope I answered some questions some of you may have had. 

my cutie ezra in one of my favorite diapers

Breakfast Time

Just a scene from my favorite time of day.  Talking and laughing while eating fruit and our favorite Chobani yogurt.

I don't want to talk about it

Conversation from today outside of Fresh Market: 

(Cambria runs away from Kyle in the parking lot after telling her to stay put.)

After he catches her: 

Kyle: Cambria, I told you to stay by me and you ran away.  That was a bad decision and it made me sad. Cambria, what did you do wrong? 

Cambria: Run away. 

Kyle: Yes, I don't want you to do that again. 

(I walk around the car to where they are) 

Kyle: Cambria tell Mommy what you did wrong.  

Cambria: No, no, no talk about it. 

And then Kyle and I laugh hysterically because our two year old just told us she didn't want to talk about it.
Gosh I love her.

366 Project

Today was busy, busy. 

We woke up, ate breakfast, went to storytime at the library (it was awesome!), came home, ate lunch, went to storytime at The Ice Cream Stop, came home, took naps (well, Cambria did), woke up, went to the chiropractor, got dinner at Seasons of Japan, went to the Farmer's Market, played at the park, came home, got baths, went to bed. 

Whew, it was long, but I loved every minute of it.

Right now, nothing else could compare.

...now onto my {newly titled} 366 project...

A few days ago Kyle realized my 365 project is actually going to be a 366 project.  

2012 is a leap year. 

SO my 365 project is now my 366 project.  

And I'm posting all the pictures I've taken up until today and starting next week I will start posting them weekly.

Day 62- mowing, out the window

 Day 63- big girl underware

 Day 64- one of our family's favorite foods

 Day 65- 1st night in the big girl bed

 Day 66- Mr. Cutie

Day 67- banana pancakes 

 Day 68- avett brothers love

Day 69- baby shower invites

 Day 70- boys + FREE chair

 Day 71- pretending to sleep in a crib

 Day 72- pink sky at night

 Day 73- grilling pizzas, drinking wine, enjoying the evening

 Day 74- the worst chore

 Day 75- high-school kids a washin' my car

 Day 76- 3's taste yummy

 Day 77- flowers from the garden

 Day 78- watching Adele

Is 2 so terrible?

The terrible 2's.  

dun dun dun....haha 

I've been thinking about that phrase a lot lately and have concluded that it's only half complete.  Now don't get me wrong, the 2's have been sorta terrible so far, but they've also been not-so-terrible.  Terrible AND not-so-terrible.  But let me talk about the terrible first. 

For anyone who's ever spent extended time with a 2-year-old, they know the "terrible 2's" are real. VERY real.  The broad issue {which causes many small fights and issues} stems from one main problem: Cambria wants to be independent and make her own decisions BUT she's 2, so she can't communicate fully and doesn't know what's best for her. 

For example, she's recently started this little habit of running away from us in public: in the street, parking lots, at the grocery store, etc. She thinks it's hilarious and fun.  I think it's scary and dangerous.  When I finally catch her, she does the arch-the-back-and-flail-the-limbs move on me.  It can be exhausting, especially when I'm out by myself and I'm lugging Ezra around too.  She is starting to realize what she likes and what she wants and when she can't have it, well, you can imagine.  

It's hard.  It's hard for her and it's hard for us.  She wants her every desire met in an instant and I want a healthy, respectful child who has patience and understanding.  But then again the issue: she's only two!  And she doesn't fully understand danger or true consequences yet.  So the key for me has been trying to control my own emotions.  When Cambria is upset, frustrated, or on the floor kicking and screaming I try and focus on myself first.  Even though I instinctively want to become angry, loud, or emotional in response to her behavior, I know it'll only make the situation worse.  But it's easier said than done and sometimes it takes everything I have to control myself from getting upset.  I also try and give her choices "you can either read books or paint a picture."  I think Cambria ultimately just wants control, so when she's given a choice, she sometimes feels validated and satisfied with just that.  And sometimes she just freaks out.  I just try and remind myself that Cambria truly is a sweet little person who is slowing but surely figuring herself out.  In the meantime, Kyle and I will continue to parent her in the most loving and respectful way we can find. 

Now the not-so-terrible part. Cambria has just exploded since turning 2!!! She has 20x the vocabulary she did just a month or two ago.  She's saying words like: only, first, embarrassed, happy, iguana, Georgia, earring, rectangle, alphabet...and so many more.  I am actually having conversations with her and sometimes I still can't believe it.  And reading books is the #1 thing Cambria loves to do more than anything.  That girl would have someone read books to her all.day.long of she could.  Just ask anyone who comes over to our house, she'll suck you in.  She can identify every letter of the alphabet and can usually come up with an animal or something else that begins with each letter.  She can count to ten.  And she can identify most of her shapes.  I love hearing the thoughts and ideas running through her head come out in words. When I'm home all day with them she's like my little sidekick, helping me when I need it and trying to boss me and Ezra around.  She makes us laugh every day saying thinks like: "Ezra, you're good boy" or "Mommy me wipe Ezra's butt."  She's always eager to help and learn.  I love teaching her things.  We dance, sing, cook, laugh, play, read, watch movies, paint, color, learn, eat, and talk together.  And it's awesome.    

So, I guess having a 2-year-old is a win/lose situation.  But really, the win is much greater than the lose and I wouldn't trade any second of this time with her.  I know I'll miss all of it one day. 

what a smile she has :)

Cloth Diapering 101

WARNING: I talk frankly about poop in this post so If you don't like to hear about it, you may want to stop reading :) 

Right now, it has been about 3 weeks since we started using cloth diapers and all I can wonder at this point is why we didn't start sooner.    Seriously, I feel like I want to become an advocate.  Now I know most who are reading this are thinking "yeah, I'm sure you're denying how nasty and difficult cloth diapering really is..." But seriously people--IT'S REALLY VERY SIMPLE.  Like most, I was skeptical, nervous, and just outright terrified of the thought of Cambria pooping in a piece of cloth and me having to deal with it.  Before we made the plunge, I was fearful that we would invest tons of money into something that would eventually become a big fat FAIL.  But I am here to say that we are definitely succeeding and I could not be more excited about it!

First let me explain why we decided to switch.  As most would assume, money was a factor in our decision.  Since Cambria was born, I would say we've spent anywhere from $60-$80 a month on disposable diapering supplies.  So as a rough estimate, we've spent $1,190 dollars on diapers since her birth.  So far, we've made three purchases for cloth diapering supplies- $97.92  $161.58 and $75.77.  That's $335.27 total.   That money has given us all the necessary supplies to diaper Cambria for the remainder of time before she is potty trained.  But don't forget that all of her diapers will be used on baby #2 and any other children that may come along especially since almost all of them are one size diapers.  Check this out for a better breakdown.  Kyle and I try to make responsible, "green" choices whenever possible and the argument for cloth diapers is pretty obvious.  Use the same diaper hundreds of times over or use a new diaper after each change?  I think the former makes the most sense especially because we use a high efficiency washer and dryer.  Lastly, cloth diapers are more natural for a little baby bum than the materials used to make disposables.  Plus their tooshies look so darn cute in them!! 

If you ever decide to cloth diaper your child you will quickly discover there's TONS of information out there and TONS of different types of diapers.  Like an overwhelming amount that made me freak out at first.  Cloth diapering has really come a long way since we were babies and the technology is kinda ridiculous.   Kyle and I read through several sites and watched some videos that were very helpful and made everything seem a lot less daunting.  After a lot of thinking and researching we decided the best thing to do was to buy several different types of diapers in order to figure out what we liked best.  Turns out we like all the different types for different reasons.  Let me give you a brief breakdown.  

Fitted diapers with a cover. 

Fitted diapers or diapers called prefolds are your most basic type of cloth diaper.  Prefolds are folded and then fastened with pins or these things called snappis. We actually didn't try using prefolds with Cambria, but I'm thinking this is what we are going to use for the new baby for the first few weeks until he or she can comfortably fit into Cambria's one size diapers.  We did get several fitted diapers and two very cute covers for them.  Fitted diapers just have more of a shape to them than prefolds and seem to prevent leaks better too.  You have to have a cover when using the fitted diapers or prefolds because there is no waterproof layer on the outside. 

These are the fitted diapers.  They come in cute colors and are fastened with snaps.  Very simple.  These are the most bulky so Cam looks like she has a ton of junk in the trunk when she wears them.

These are the covers we use.  One is fastened with velcro and the other with snaps.  I can't say which I prefer because they are both simple and easy.   I really like the fitted diapers because they are durable and I know they are going to last forever.  Cambria can only wear them for maybe 2 hours tops before they become pretty wet and have to be changed, so she can't wear these to bed.  The covers can be used several times before washing unless there is any leakage or if they become stinky...The fitted diapers are not one size but we ordered two different sizes and they both fit Cambria just fine. 

Pocket One Size Diapers. 

Pocket diapers consist of one outer shell that has a slot for an absorbent insert.  Technically the outer shell can be used more than once by replacing the wet insert with a fresh one if it isn't pooped on.  I think they smell bad after one or maybe two uses so we don't get much more use out of them than that.  Plus, my daughter is not one of those 1 time a day poopers....try 3, 4, 5, 6 times!  (I think it's because of her vegetarian diet and her yogurt and fruit consumption)  All of her pocket diapers are one size meaning they will fit a baby from about 8-40 pounds! I know that seems crazy but it really is true!!

We have several pocket diapers that come in many different colors.  The extra buttons on the front are what allow you to adjust the size so that they fit any size baby.  Again, I can't say if I like the snaps or the velcro better.  When Cambria wears these to bed we stuff two inserts in the pocket instead of just one to soak up the extra wetness.  I really like these diapers for when we are out and about because she can wear them longer before needing a change.

We have three different brands of the pocket diapers. 

Fuzzibuns, Happy Heiny's, and bumGEnius

All-In-One One Size Diapers. 

These diapers are the most similar to disposables.  They have everything you need--all in one! So whether Cambria just wets it or poops it can only be worn once before needing to be washed.  The AIO diapers are most convenient because there is no prep work involved.

                                                 This diaper has the layers sewn right in.

This one has an insert sewn into a pocket which allows us to stuff an extra insert in if she wears it to bed.  Both of these ones have snaps instead of velcro and they are both one size.  

All in all, I cannot say which diaper system I prefer.  They all work better for different times of the days and they all seem very durable.  Maybe after more experience with them I will be able to pick a favorite.  

Accessories

After one of Cambria's diapers is soiled, we rinse it off with the AMAZING mini-shower we bought on Amazon.  I do not think cloth diapering would be as easy without one of these.  This is the number one accessory I would recommend to anyone considering cloth diapering.  This mini-shower makes it so easy to wash off every last poop particle stuck to the diaper.  Even when Cam's poop goes unnoticed for a while and gets a little....squished...it comes off so easily! It attaches to our water line and clips right onto the toilet.  Suuuuuuper easy.  I've started spraying off Cambria's wet inserts to prevent odor too.  

After it's sprayed with the mini-shower we spray the diaper and insert with this natural cleaner that prevents odor and stains.   I have another crazy fact for you all--since we've started using the cloth we have had NO stains on ANY diapers.  I attribute that fact to this stuff!! I found it on sale at a local natural living store downtown for cheap which made me very happy. 

After being sprayed we put all the diapers into a cute diaper bag.  Once we get into our house and have two kids in cloth diapers we will get an actual pail to put the dipaers in but for now the bag works great.  We even have a small one for on-the-go diaper changes.  We do a load of diapers every day or day and a half.  Doing laundry is never a fun job, but honestly it doesn't take much effort to do one small load of cloth diapers every day.  We use an all natural detergent that was recommended on many sites.  It should last a while before needing replacement.

Our diaper bag is made from such a cute fabric--you would never know it's full of poopy diapers!   It's just thrown right into the wash with the rest of the diapers. 

  

I cannot explain the joy it brings me to have such a nice washer and dryer.  This one is my parents but ours is going to work just the same.  LOVE IT. 

Cambria has shown no discomfort with the cloth diapers and they actually seem to help with the occasional diaper rash she used to get with disposables.  Making this major switch has given me such a sense of satisfaction.  It makes me feel more responsible as a parent and as an environmentally conscious person.  I will admit that it would not be as easy if I did not stay at home with Cam and I DO NOT judge anyone who doesn't care to give it a try.  Like everything else involved in parenting, I think each decision should be made according to what works best for the parents and child, no one else.  

If I left anything out or if there are any more questions please ask me because I would love to answer them! And yes, I chose the color of the font in this post to go along with the theme....if ya know what I mean :D