Thursday, April 29, 2010

Whose girl?

Colbie's 3 month pictures were suppose to be taken today, but she was not having it. She skipped her morning nap for some odd reason. Maybe it was because Piper was smooching on her all morning. She was a little on the cranky side and wouldn't give us a smile for anything! Amanda Grantham was kind enough to let me reschedule the shoot for tomorrow morning so maybe we will have better luck.

Matt loves to torture himself by asking Piper whose girl she is. Tonight he asked her if she was Daddy's girl or Mommy's girl. Piper just giggles and says "Mommy's girl". He knows that she loves him, but she really is a mommy's girl. Then I asked her whose girl is Colbie- Mommy's girl or Daddy's girl. She giggled again and said "Piper's girl."

I love that I don't have to deal with any jealousy right now. Don't get me wrong, though. At least once a day they get into screaming competitions. (This is when they decide that they want to cry at the same time) Sorry, Colbie, but Piper always wins hands down. But really, more than anything, I'm hoping that these two girls continue to really love each other in the way that is so evident now.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Still loving it!

The cloth diapering, that is! I need more, though. Between two kids, 2 dozen prefolds is enough to get me through just one day. And that is only if the kiddos cooperate and "perform" they way I want them to. Of course, you know Piper is not going to do that, because well, she's Piper! I don't mean this in a bad way, I promise. She definitely has shown that she is not predisposed to conform!
Yesterday, I had manage to time their diaper changes perfectly. Right before bedtime I had 3 prefolds left and one hemp insert. I double up on the prefolds for Piper so I don't have to worry about her waking up in a puddle. Anyway... Not even 10 minutes after I got her ready for bed, the little stinker, well... stinked! So, I had to put her in a disposable. Boo.
So here is my current wish list:

I want a Planet Wise Wet/Dry bag. In this exact pattern. (Hint, Hint)

I also would like at least 3 more Snappis. This is a cool little contraption.I don't think I would think cloth diapering is nearly as easy as I do with out it! No need for pins with this bad boy. I only have one, I need two and I want 4 total!

I also want another Thirsties Duo Wrap diaper cover. They get the job done!

And of course I want some more prefolds. At least 6 more, I think. I bought the DiaperRite green edged prefolds from Diaper Junction and I really love them.

So, there you have it. The "current" wish list. If you need my mailing address, let me know! ;)

Sunday, April 25, 2010

In the Words of Dora

"We did it!"
We have made it through over 24 hours of cloth diapering! Matt even changed one (the worst one of the day if you catch my drift) and he said it wasn't bad at all. I really wish that I would have been brave enough to try this sooner because it is extremely easy. And, every time I change a diaper, I catch myself thinking "I just saved 30 cents." Both the girls seem to be more comfortable in the cloth diapers, too. However, I must add that they are a lot bulkier than disposable diapers. Colbie looked completely crazy in her onsie. It doesn't help that I bought both the prefolds and the covers that I am using a bit big because she is teetering on the edge of the weight limit for the size she is actually wearing. Anyway, so far I have no regrets about our decision to cloth diaper.
We also hit up Wilder's World today.(And in cloth diapers, too) It is an open room with inflatable bounce houses and slides in it. Essentially, it is a dog park for kids (thank you, Brandon for that little comparison. It is the most accurate.) Two weeks ago, I think, Piper hurt her leg there. But that didn't stop her from asking if she could "go bounce" almost every day. She has been walking without a limp for about 4 days, but today she woke up and the first thing she said was "Leg all better. Go bounce?" So, we did. I love going there because it gives Matt a chance to play with her and they really have a blast. Both of them will be dripping with sweat within 20 minutes because they are running around so much. While we were there, Matt's Aunt La and Uncle Mike popped in. Yay for me, because it meant I had someone to talk to while Matt and Piper played.
I am always thankful for days where we get to really just hang out as a family all day. Before we know it, our girls will be adults and we will long for the days when a kiss made a boo boo all better and the phrase we heard the most was "hold you".

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Holy Prep Time, Batman!

I'm still prepping all of my cloth diaper stash. It really is a little dauntiing. The diapers are on their last wash right now. I have a bridal shower to go to in about an hour, so if they are dry by then, I might be brave and test drive them there. We shall see.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Just call me crazy

My best friend says I've lost my mind. My mom tells me it will be work ( but in the most positive way possible). My husband gives me the "Whatever you think" comment. And I am down right afraid. Why? Because I am venturing into the world of cloth diapering.
I'm doing it to save us money. On average, disposable diapers cost 36 cents per diaper change. Add to that the 2 cents every single wipe that is used costs. The average cost per diaper change when using good old fashion cloth diapers is roughly 6 cents per change. And that does include the cost of washing.


Just look at this pile of money I'm throwing away-- and that is only about 3 days worth of diapers! ( I know, I know. I should take out the trash already!)


Today, all my loot came in. 24 prefold diapers, 4 waterproof diaper covers, a wool soaker, and two hemp doublers. I didn't know what any of this stuff was until I did a ton of research on the Internet. Turns out that you have to prep basically everything. But what is prepping, exactly? I found myself to be a little (okay, a lot) confused.
I scoured the Internet via search engines to figure it out. So far, I have learned that new cloth diapers need to be washed and dried around 5 times before use. Oh, not with just any kind of detergent, but clean rinsing detergent. And forget about a dryer sheet. Those are a major no-no. My new prefolds are currently on the drying cycle of wash #3. And as for that lovely wool soaker I am even more confused. I need The Idiots Guide to Cloth Diapering. Seriously. If you come across one, send it my way.





Oh no you didn't!

Well, what can I say? I've known it might happen since we brought Colbie home from the hospital, but I really was hoping that we were wrong...

My beloved cat, Rampage, bit innocent little Colbie last night-- while she was sleeping. Who/what does that?!?

She had fallen asleep after Matt, myself, Piper and Colbie had taken a walk around the neighborhood. I put her in her bed when we got home and proceeded to do some stuff around the house. Not even ten minutes later, Colbie started to cry and it was her cry that she does when she is in pain. I rush to her bed and there is Rampage, paw poised to strike, in Colbie's bed. Before I freaked out, I checked Colbie out to see if what I suspected had indeed happened. And there on her tiny little wrist were teeth marks. Stupid. Freakin'. Cat.

I was irate. Colbie did nothing to deserve the bite. And that really ticked me off. So, I told Matt to put him outside. That was last night. And today, we still haven't seen him. I'm sure he will show up when he gets hungry, but I also thinks he knows that he crossed the line. Our relationship is forever tainted :(

So, I don't know what to do about this situation. Maybe making him spend his days outside will relieve some of his aggression. I really do hope so.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Big Adventure Numero Uno

Piper is a terrible sleeper. She has been from day 1. We tried for the first 3 weeks to get her to sleep in her bassinet. She would wake up every 30 minutes screaming. And boy could she scream. It sounded like someone was burning her with cigarettes. Once, while out with my mom, Piper started crying her usual cry and a woman came running out of the dressing room to see what terrible thing had just happened to the baby she heard screaming. And there was P, screaming away, safely strapped into her stroller. So, that scream is what started the whole co-sleeping "thing".

Matt was in the other room working on the computer, when I being as sleep deprived as I was, decided to try nursing P laying in bed. Apparently, we both feel into a deep slumber, because 3 hours later I woke up when the hubby came to bed. She slept with us from then on.

Fast forward to her 2nd birthday. My husband had started sleeping on the couch after Colbie was born. (I must add that he does sleep in the bedroom on the weekends when he doesn't have to get up early.) So, there I was, sleeping alone in the bed with 2 kids. And P is not a good bed mate. She would literally kick and push me or herself out of bed every night. So, for her birthday, we set up a toddler bed in our room. Looking back, I wish we would have just put the thing in her room.

The point of all this is that I read an article in a parenting magazine about The Sleep Lady and I am seriously planning on purchasing her book. But, I honestly think that our situation has gotten so out of hand that I need to do a phone consult. *sigh*

Either way, I need Piper to be in her own room-- soon!

Introduction

Sometimes, I wonder how we got here. There are no regrets, but you can't help but look back and wonder.

Hello World, I am Lauren. Mother to two beautiful girls, Piper, circa 2008, and Colbie, circa 2010. I stay at home with these cuties while my hubby, Matt, works to support our family. Although this is not a permament arrangement, we don't really know how long it will be this way. And since I feel like I aggravate my mother with the all the phone calls to have some "adult conversation", I decided this might be a good outlet. There is only so much Nick Jr a person can take, ya know?

So, here we are. In the span of 2 short years, gone is the very laissez-faire person, who literally slept all day and played all night with the love of my life. Now, the love of my life sleeps on the couch while I co-sleep with our littlest choo choo. Piper has a toddler bed in our room. Typing that out literally brought tears to my eyes. But, I must add that he doesn't sleep on the couch because of the co-sleeping. He sleeps on the couch so he can actually sleep. P hasn't sleep through the night since she was born, so neither have I...

I hope that this blog will help me be a better mother, wife, friend, etc. That isn't too much to ask, is it?