Cloth Diapers

Yep, I did it. I switched to cloth diapers. Say what?! Ok I have a few reasons 1. Jackson was wetting through his diapers at night (because he is sleeping through the night :) ) the thought of paying more money for night time diapers seemed stupid 2. He constantly has a diaper rash which is most likely due to food allergies but hey his skin is so sensitive it could be the diapers....let's eliminate one more possible allergy 3. I started calculating the cost of diapers and about fell out of my chair. We are struggling (as in they said NO) with our insurance covering prescription formula and it is $88 a can. I even researched "relactation" (which apparently is possible but tough and then who knows if I could eliminate enough foods for it to be helpful to Jackson or produce enough for entire day) my thought was if we could at least cut down on diaper costs that would help with formula. 4. It is GREAT for him! Which is originally why I wanted to cloth diaper but I was scared.

So I did my research. Ok not really. On a whim I bought one diaper to try at night. Which doesn't really work because then how do you clean one diaper? So then I did some research. Here is my advice:

1. Buy cloth diapers at least 6 but you will need a lot more if you stick with it. I got ours Here

2. Buy a wet bag this is to place the diapers in after they are used. Wet Bags

3. Buy a sprayer to hook up to your toilet and pay a plumber to install it and you may end up spending $$ on a broken pipe that floods your guest bedroom, leaves you without water, and causing your house to smell from the wet carpet during a party you are throwing. I'm not saying that happened to us... No actually they are easy to install our pipes are just old. Sprayer

4. Figure out how to wash them with your washer. I have a front loader which is not ideal for cloth diapers. I just googled and read a bunch of blogs and so far so good.

5. Buy soap. I'm still using baby ganics.

6. Buy a drying rack. I got mine from target.

Random things I have learned:

1. AIO means all in one diapers. This is great if you don't want to get dirty (you don't have to take the liners out to wash) but it makes the diapers really bulky. I am using these for night time diapers. I think these would be a good idea to leave with your nanny because then you don't have to worry about finding which diapers still have the inserts in them- I would never make our nanny do the dirty work! 

2. Pocket diapers have inserts or what I call liners. These you should remove before washing which is a little gross. I am still figuring out when we should use which liner- thick vs. thin.

3. Snaps vs. velcro- the snaps take a little getting used too but it's not that bad- I mean you snap their onesies all the time same thing. I just ordered some velcro ones to try out. Velcro ones are probably better for daddy who leaves half of his onesies unbuttoned... and always leaves Jackson's pants off. Getting Jackson in pants is like wrestling a bucking bronco, he kicks his feet as fast as he can... you can't catch me!

Realistically cloth diapering is "gross" -er than disposables but I don't mind it- I mean babies are gross anyways at this point to you even flinch when you see poo, spit up, snot? It does take a little more time but I've got a pretty good system going. They are so cute! And you feel great every time you put a little chemical free diaper on your little one's booty! 

Week One of part time cloth diapering: His diaper rash is almost nonexistent! I can't wait to see what full time cloth diapering will bring. I haven't gagged once :) The sprayer is actually pretty cool and easy to use. The laundry I didn't even think twice about. The drying time is nothing. Maybe it's because I have a front loader but it's a half day at the most. I have started putting them in the sun to help with drying and with the "wet" smell. We have terrible water in Florida that makes everything smell which does concern me long term.. but I have noticed the diapers smell a little like you left your towels in the washer too long. I had one little stain but it's gone- this is because I didn't prep the diapers correctly. 

Now I'm waiting on my big order. I need to teach Jamie and the nanny how to cloth diaper- obviously I'm not going to make them spray anything. And we need to try it when we are out and about. Pictures on him in them to come!

Getting Baby to SLEEP!

Right after Christmas it was my goal to get Jackson to sleep in his crib. I knew I had a few weeks off of work so it was a perfect time to get no sleep. He did really well for 1-2 weeks. The one problem we had was if the pacifier fell out he would be hysterical.

Then someone told us about the Ferber Method. The Ferber Method teaches the baby how to put themselves to sleep on their own and bonus they don't have to cry it out. The baby does have to cry some but you get to go in and soothe them every so often- there is a whole chart in the book. It's a gradual approach. I immediately started reading the book and realized we had to get rid of the pacifier which actually wasn't that bad. We had Jackson sleeping in his crib all night for a couple days when he got sick :( but we were still struggling with naps.

After about a week of us letting him sleep in his favorite spots- swing, bouncer, being held, I decided to quite cold turkey and start the Ferber Method again. I made a few changes.
1. I made a set time schedule. I figured out that our night time sleep was going so well because it was the same time every night but naps were all over the place due to a stupid book I read when he was a newborn..
2. I had to be consistent. If he missed a nap because he cried the whole time then he was NOT allowed to sleep in the swing. If he fell asleep on his own fine.
3. I had to carry this plan out for the full two weeks to see if it would work.

Day One: We started with naps and I'm pretty sure he didn't sleep at all. Jamie and I spent the whole day walking around with him because he was so cranky. Thank goodness Jamie was home to help!
Night One: That night he slept ALL night without waking up once.

Day Two: Naps were between 30-45 minutes
Night Two: He slept through the night.

Day Three: Naps were between 60-90 minutes
Night Three: He woke up 1-2 times but we were able to get him back to sleep.

Day Four:  Naps 60-90 minutes
Night Four: He woke up 1 time that we had to go soothe him and the other time he went right back to sleep.

Day Five:  Woke up during his first nap, played a little, I soothed him a little and he went back to sleep. Nap time 2 hours!
Night Five: He woke up at midnight for an hour which was really weird. Finally I put some soothing stuff on his gums and he passed out. He was up again at 5 and I did the same thing and he went right back down.

We are officially teething now...

Day Six: Nap 1 was 2 and half hours! Nap two was in the car and nap three was 45 minutes. The last one I like to keep short so that he will sleep at night
Night Six: Went down in less than 4 minutes. Woke up 1x at 5:00 ( I think the baby tylenol had worn off) and got up at 5:45

Day Seven: It's Saturday so our schedule is off but the first nap he went right down. Second nap- nope. Last nap 45 minutes after teething pads and tylenol
Night Seven: Went right down no crying! He woke up at five but by the time I made it to his room he had fallen back asleep. When he woke up he played/talked in his crib until I got him up.

Day Eight: First two naps he went right now and slept 60 minutes or more. His last nap didn't happen due to sleeping in the jogger stroller.
Night Eight: Went right to sleep and slept through the night. Jamie actually checked on him to make sure he was still breathing :) which is so cute because I always wake up around 2/3 to check but the fact he did it on his own is just so sweet!

Day Nine: First nap- Went right to sleep no crying!...

Now I can't remember the rest because it pretty much goes- All naps in the crib 45-3 hours, sleeping through the night.

I would say we are officially sleep TRAINED! Whoohoo! I know it's not perfect but I'll take it!

5 months!

Jackson,

        I really think this month was my favorite! You are much more interactive with us and love playing. You are now grabbing at everything- food, drinks, toys, etc. You continue to be the happiest, smiliest baby we have ever seen. This month you and daddy have bonded more than ever. You give him great big smiles and laughs when you see him. I still think you are a mama's boy :)

       This month has been a big month for milestones:

• Rolling both directions
• Sleeping in your crib all the time
• Popping lips and today raspberries
• Tripod sitting and today at baby gym you sat indep. for 30 seconds
• Standing supported by yourself for brief periods of time
• Going to baby gym! 
• Jumping/Standing in the jumperoo
• You are noticing the kitty cats and you love them. Every time they walk by you smile and laugh.

      Unfortunately, you are now on prescription formula and we are waiting to see a GI for your tummy issues. You continue to have issues with eczema and diaper rashes even though we change you all the time and use diaper cream. We just tried cloth diapers at night and it went really well! I have ordered some more to start trying. You also aren't allowed to have any baby food yet but in the next month you will. I will have to homemake your baby food to ensure that there is no dairy or soy in it. 

       Jackson love watching you discover and meet new milestones everyday! We can't wait to see what next month brings!

The Remedy Basket

I'll be honest (ok I'm always a little too honest but..) I bought a bunch of "musts" for the first aid basket before Jackson arrived and I had no clue what they were for, except the obvious of course. I really thought I would never use any of it, well I was wrong! Here is the run down of everything we have used so far.

1. Gauze Pads/ Vaseline- If you have a baby boy you will need these! 
2. Aveno Baby Eczema Lotion- that's self explanatory but it works the best
3. Aveno Baby Oatmeal Bath- this really helped with the itching of eczema
4. Little Remedies Gas Drops- I actually haven't used this yet but I would think it would be helpful
5. Aquaphor- for any dry patches
6. Rectal Thermometer- this is the best thermometer for taking temperatures and it's really easy too do. We have an ear one too but they aren't accurate until they are older
7. Teething Pods Babyganics- Life saver! They work like a charm every time. And:

• NO Parabens, Phthalates,Toxins, Mineral Oil, Artificial Color or Flavor
• Dye Free and Alcohol Free
• Formulated with Natural Clove Oil & Stevia
• Provides soothing gum relief

8. Ibuprofen- I'm pretty sure I got this was a gift THANK YOU! Jackson has had 1 low grade fever associated with teething and it helped immediately and it tasted yummy. I was so glad we had this at the house because I about had a heart attack when I found out he had a fever.

9. Grip Water- Poor Jackson lived on this stuff when we were figuring out all the food allergies. Seriously miracle stuff and all it is is ginger. It's not medicine but something that soothes their tummies.

10. Nasal Saline- I put this in his nose 1. It loosens the boogies for that awful nasal thingy 2. Usually all I have to do is wipe his nose and he's all clear.

11. Nasal Spray- This has also helped with his first cold.. he hates it but it works better than the saline. 

Now I'm sure your baby will be perfect but just in case you might want to stock up! 

Registry Review- Updated

I have had several people tell me that my blog is helpful (that or they are lying :) ) and I have found fellow bloggers' reviews helpful so here we go!

Baby's Dream Crib/ Dresser/Hutch: LOVE. It is chemical free and made with real wood. It is really thick which makes it look so much nicer than other cribs. We have gotten several compliments on it for looking so good!  Bonus it can covert into a queen or full size bed. Our cats have scratched it when they decide to run across it (when I'm yelling at them- not when the baby is in there) but they scratch all of our furniture doing that.. if it is FAKE wood it would be fine but then you have crazy chemicals and it's made in China.. where there are limited regulations. My suggestion is to really research your crib because your baby is spending hours in it breathing whatever crap has been put on it :)

Moonlight Slumber Mattress- I really wanted an all organic mattress but they are $$$ and at this point we had already spent so much money I felt guilty spending more. So we went with the Moonlight Slumber which is all natural/nontoxic.. as close as we could get to organic and it was cheaper. We love it! It has two sides- one for infant one for toddler. It's light weight which makes changing the sheet easy. I think this is a great option if you don't want to spend all the money on the organic one.

Rocker/Glider- It's from Target and it's the best! I have already written about it in a previous post but I still love it. And it's a great price! I can't say that we use it as much as I thought so I could argue that you could go without this price of $$$ furniture. We do use it every night for our bedtime stories.

NO BUMPERS unless they are the breathable kind. Hello SIDS.

Clothing- I don't know why people tell you you will have too much clothing because we never do. Maybe their baby doesn't spit up or pee on stuff? You will use all of the clothing you buy. We never have enough sleepers with feet. I also have spent a lot of time buying white onesies for when we have gone through three outfits and are on #4 in one day.

Diapers- ahhhh I mean obviously cloth is the best for your baby, however, I'm not quite sure how that works if they go to daycare or stay with a nanny? We currently use pampers and I like them. I like the little line that tells if you they peed or not. But I think Jackson might be allergic to them so I can't say I love them. I did really like Honest Diapers and the chemical free ones.. not sure the brand.

Wipes: Baby ganics! They are so thick you only use 1 instead of 16 on a poopy diaper. Who knows maybe your baby has baby size poo?? And they are all natural.

Pumps- Get the medela. Don't be a cheap person like me you will regret it!

Nursing Pillow- I love the Mumbo! It's similar to a boppy but it fits around your waist better, it has a hard and a soft side, and it vibrates! We have both the boppy and the mumbo so I can tell you that I would 100% get the mumbo. We never use the boppy..but Oscar does so it's not a complete waste.

Bottles- Buy one of each kind. Not kidding. We tried Dr. Browns and avent and ended up with MAM. LOVE the MAM bottles. He doesn't spill any milk with these, they are cute, and easy to clean. You can actually self steam them in the microwave.

*Bottle Warmer/Sterilizer- Dr. Brown's and yes it fits the MAM bottles! These I'm torn on because they are really hard to clean and I feel like they get dirty quickly. I seriously sanitize them (with vinegar like the directions say) every week. It is annoying. Does anyone know of better ones out there?

Playmate- Fischer Price Rainforest. It's great! It plays music and has lights. It has plenty of spots to hang toys. The only thing I don't like is that you have to buy a little mini boppy pillow for tummy time.

Snuggle Bunny Bouncer- Awesome! This thing vibrates, plays music, and bounces.. I think it does something else but I can't remember. I have used this since day one to put Jackson in so I can shower or get ready for work. He actually just slept in it for a week when he had a cold. It's super easy to clean too.

Monitor- Summer's Day and Night Monitor. I'm obsessed! I'm not quite sure why anyone would not get a monitor without video... but it's totally worth it! I can see him breathing on the screen. I still kinda wish ours was in color.
*Now that we have hung this up it's much harder to see if he's breathing. My suggestion is to get the color one so the picture isn't grainy.

Swing- Fisher Price Snuggle Bunny- it can swing in two directions- this is way better than you think... I didn't know it could do that until last week... which would have been nice early on because Jackson HATED going side to side. You can also make it sit up so it's like a real swing. And it's cute :)

Carseat- Infant Carseat is GRACO and I know I picked it based on safety. Enough said. And the convertible one is Britax also picked for safety.

Jogging Stroller- the BOB. Obviously the cadillac of strollers. This thing is my favorite! I can go running all the time! And I really like it for outdoor activities. Great turning radius.

Regular Stroller- someone gave us theirs and it's great! Fits our GRACO carseat.

Carriers- Baby B'jorn- I rave about this every post. And the K'tan- see newborn posts.

High Chair- This is another mistake I made. I didn't realize you could get really cute ones! Grrr. I mean ours is great don't get me wrong but I kinda wish we had one of the new models. But we will probably use the one we have for all of our kids.

Honestly the BABY BARGAINS book lead me to all these great purchases with the help of some mommy friends. The only two things we have regretted- breast pump and our diaper thing.. we switched to the diaper genie elite and love it. We haven't looked back on that purchase! Don't be fooled by the $$$ ones they aren't any better. And the high chair could be cuter.

I hope this is helpful! Always always check out amazon.com before ordering expensive items we saved a lot of money on the mattress and jogger stroller and carseat for that matter. Actually always check them first when I was writing this post ALL of our baby stuff was half off what we paid. GRR. I always check diapers.com too. And buy buy baby takes Bed Bath and Beyond coupons FYI.

21 Weeks

21 Weeks

Weight:  16.7 pounds

Sleep: ha.ha. Jackson is still congested so we have pretty much stopped "crib" training. Friday night he decided he wanted to play at 3am...after Ferbering for 2 hours we finally let him get up... he was WIDE awake. Surprisingly we (mom and dad) did really well in the patience department and continued on our day like we had a full 8 hours of sleep. Jackson did decide he wasn't happy about baby gym and wanted to sleep the whole time. Go figure. 

Clothes: 6 months we need to buy 9 months though! AHH

Visitors:  Thursday night Jackson got to hang out during the girl happy hour :) which we had way too much fun staying up until 11 on a school night. Woah. hahha Friday night we had the Huntley's over which was really cute... Their son was so adorable with the cats- he kept running after them super excited! I can't wait until Jackson can do that. He would also point at Jackson and say "baby". Aww Saturday Daddy came to baby gym! Of course Jackson wouldn't do anything. Then we all went to the vet which turned out really great. 1. We LOVE the new vet. They were so good with Stella and she is one tough cookie. Our last vet Stella hated!!! And I ended up hating too but anyways the vet had great things to say about our Pediatrician which is always good to hear and his wife works with the GI in town! He also told us that if we couldn't get an appointment soon we could call him and he would talk with his wife. Awesome! His son was also born on our anniversary..small world! Then the Shield's came to visit with their son and new baby. We had a great day going to lunch, the beach, and then to get yogurt. All of the kiddos were great! What a fantastic weekend!

Out and About: See above! 

Baby Gear Love:  

Nothing new! Everything we own still.

Crying:  Going to sleep and waking up in the middle of the night.

Milestones:  
Popping his lips! He does this back and forth with me it is hilarious! He is holding and grabbing for his bottle now. He still needs help when it's heavy. Rolling both ways all over the place. Standing with the ottoman more. Playing with toys. He is really loving his little blankie and cow. He is taking steps on the beam (when I hold him up) at baby gym! We let his feet touch the ocean water.. of course it was pretty cold so it was for 1 second and he didn't even mind it.

Medical: Headed to the GI. I'm pretty upset about it but we need to get this figured out so he can start solids. 

Postpartum: 3 pounds left! Still loosing hair but the bald spots are growing back..great! 

20 Weeks

20 Weeks

Weight:  16.7 pounds

Sleep: Awful. At first I couldn't figure it out but then he got an awful cold...  I mean who can sleep flat with a cold? After battling him for a few days, I started letting him sleep in the bouncer or the swing. I'm sure this will come to bite me in the booty but I'm not going to make him suffer. 

Clothes: 6 months.

Visitors:  None

Out and About: He went to the beach for the first time and LOVED it! Who knew kicking sand could be so much fun?!

Baby Gear Love:  

Everything we own. Seriously I have used everything we bought a million times. 

Crying:  He was really fussy this week because he isn't/wasn't feeling well. He only wanted to be held up right while you were standing. I think I strained a million muscles this week.

Milestones:
Going to the beach!

He rolled over on his belly 1x in his crib and I missed it. I put him in the crib, walked out to get the monitor, turned it on and he was on his belly screaming. I have spent the last two days trying to bribe him to do it again. He also surprised me at baby gym by standing (leaning?), on this round mat where they stand and play with toys, by himself for at least two minutes. He has done it for shorter periods at home with the ottoman. He is now using two hands together to grab things. If I hold a little ball up, he will reach with two hands to grab it! He is purposefully grabbing now. He is moving all over (reminder to start baby proofing). He is talking so much more.. ok more like screaming but I'll take it. He is giggling a lot more now too.

Medical: Grrr. We had to up the reflux meds due to him refusing to eat, screaming during feedings, etc. He has a cold :( Blah.

Postpartum: 

6.5 weeks pregnant

4.5 months post partum

Almost there! My stomach def. still looks different but it's getting there. And don't let me fool you, when I am holding Jackson there is a pooch. I haven't tried on my smallest jeans but everything fits now...with a muffin top :)