Art!

I was researching how to make edible (and healthy!--that was the  hard part) fingerpaint. I found a great recipe using Greek yogurt and you can use pureed fruits and veggies to add color. Well, that sounded kind of expensive for something that would essentially be wasted, so I decided to just use baby food! Thanks to WIC, we are allotted like 20something jars of baby food PER WEEK! (!!!)

So, I bought a few jars for my mom's foster kids (15-month old twins...yes, she just may be crazy) and then I got a few jars for Burkley.

I put some on his tray.
He had no clue what it was or what to do with it.

Then, he started slapping it and it splattered all over.
He whined a little, kind of whimpered, and was overall frustrated/disgusted.
It was somewhat entertaining to me.
We will try again sometime, but this time around he was not quite interested.

...until the dog came along. :)

Putting the Brakes on BLW

We've been doing baby-led weaning since Burkley was six months old.
Turns out, this kid LOVES. TO. EAT.
He will eat anything and everything and however much of it I give him, he will just keep eating and eating and eating.

So, what's the problem?
Well...he was not nursing!
And THAT was a problem.

He was going five, six, sometimes more hours without nursing because he would just eat until his heart was content.
I started to think that maybe a nine month old should be nursing more than just a few times a day.
I did some research and found this awesomely helpful chart.
Wow! Under 12 months old, babies should be only getting 25% of their calories from food.
I also know that Burkley was working on a top tooth last week when all of this was going down, so that could have also been why he wasn't nursing much (and biting lots when he did nurse), but still.

So, we have toned down the food. I'm giving him at least one meal a day, sometimes two if he happens to be awake while I'm eating one of the other meals. This is down from three meals a day and some snacks. Yikes! This week at his 9-month appointment, we talked to our doctor about it. She agreed with my decision and agreed that he needs to be nursing more than he was. I also shared what was going on at my local La Leche League meeting this week and the leader affirmed that maybe slowing down the solids would be good. Most of all, I found this quote from Kellymom slightly concerning: "Babies who start solids early, and babies who eat a lot of solids tend to wean earlier." Eeek! I do not want him to wean too early, so I have taken action!

It could also be that he just thinks food is for play and enjoys shoving it down his pie-hole so much that he doesn't even realize he's getting full. Either way, we are going to sort of stick with BLW- in that we will keep giving him real food, not "baby food," but I guess he needs to learn a little bit more self-control before I fully give him the reins.

In short, this week of slowed down food has proven successful- his top tooth is in (and adorable) and he's nursing again every 3-4 hours as is normal for him.

Wordless Wednesday

The theme over at The Natural Parents Network for this week's Wordless Wednesday is "ecological responsibility."

We practice ecological responsibility by using cloth diapers.
Our EC journey has taught us even more about ecological responsibility, however, because now we go much longer between washes of said cloth diapers. :)

Pictured is Burkley enjoying some diaper-free time. :)

EC Update 2.0

We've been practicing elimination communication for about five weeks now.
We've come so far!
Other than the random day we have once in awhile where he just WON'T go in the toilet, we are really getting the hang of this thing.
We rely more on timing than on cueing because even though we do spend some diaper-free time, I just haven't been able to find anything this kid does to cue me regarding his need to go #1.

enjoying some diaper-free time

 For diaper-free time, I just put down a water-proof pad that goes under the sheets on his crib, and since we don't actually use his crib, I figured we might as well make use of that pad. He enjoys diaper-free time, as is evident by how wriggly and squirmy he gets sans diaper.

He even started pushing himself backwards while going diaper-free. This is closest to crawling we've seen!

Burkley is almost crawling, but not quite. I think he will be there in the next week or two. But, without his dipe, he loves to move around and he pushes himself backwards while on his tummy.

Anyway. Back to EC. We take him to the toilet every time he wakes up from a nap (he still takes FOUR naps- what can I say, this kid loves his sleep) or in the morning and he goes potty. We even do this while out at other people's houses or even if he just takes a nap in the sling, like at church or somewhere public. When he wakes up, we just take off his dipe, do the sign for "bathroom", say, "Potty, Burkley?" and take him to the toilet, and...he goes!! And....get this....he stays dry inbetween (for the most part). We are still using diapers though, because when we are out and about, he generally stays awake longer than he would when we are at home, so he's going longer "wake ups" and therefore between being taken to the toilet. So, sometimes we do have some misses while out. But, more often than not, he is dry and it's been so great going many, many more days between washing diapers.

As for #2- well, I pretty much haven't changed a poopy diaper since we started this adventure. I can tell when he needs to poop, but for the most part, he just goes when I put him on the toilet for his first-morning pee (lol, I haven't thought about that phrase- 'first morning urine'- since taking a pregnancy test, haha!). So, we are learning his rhythms and patterns. Plus, bonus! He is also now going for Daddy.

All in all, we're doing great with our EC journey. I did find that for a few days last week when he was getting his new tooth (On top! It's so cute!) we had some issues where he fought me when I brought him to the toilet. He was generally cranky for a few days, and not sleeping well, (and not nursing well- actually, I think I need to do a post about that as well...), but he was writhing and twisting his body and whining to get off the toilet for a couple of days during that teething time, so I didn't force the issue.

I wonder when we will go completely diaper free? I'm interested in trying out some of these training pants that will hold just one pee-- goodness, they're so cute and just imagine his little bum without a puffy dipe! He's a very light wetter too, so I think we could at least use these around the house when we rarely have a miss. Hmm...maybe for his birthday? :) 

I also wanted to say that if you're reading this as your first of my EC posts, please do some research on EC before judging me. So many people, when we're in public, will ask me with an eyebrow raised, "You're potty-training him!?" Most ask it with curiosity, but some ask with concern and quite evident disapproval. No, I am not potty-training him. I've giving him the opportunity to go in the toilet rather than in his diaper and based on the fact that he DOES go in the toilet and NOT in his diaper, I'm going to assume he prefers that option. Wouldn't you?

Wordless Wednesday

Burkley now "smiles" when I hold up the camera to take a picture of him. He squints up his eyes and gives me an open-mouth grin.
Sometimes it's fake-looking, but it is very obviously intentional.
And it cracks me up!

Travel with Baby: I Need Your Tips!

Hi, all!

I'm hoping you can help me out a bit. In a few weeks, we are going on our first family vacation. We've done weekend getaways as a family, but nothing like this upcoming trip. We will be taking a plane and will be staying with family (they have no kids) for a week.  We are sooooo excited for the memories we are going to make and the fun we are going to have. However, there a few things I need advice on, and am a little unsure about.

First, we have been doing EC for about a month now and I'd really like to keep that up while traveling. We also use cloth diapers, and also want to be able to use them while on our trip. I will ask ahead of time, but I assume using their laundry machines won't be an issue. Any cloth diapering and EC tips for travel?

Second, we will be flying. I have never flown with an infant. In fact, I have never flown on my own outside of an organized group trip or mission trip, so I'm hoping we can even figure out what to do in an airport! ha! I've heard nursing is a good way to calm a baby down during take-off and landing. However, I'm skeptical of this considering how distracted of a nurser Burkley has become in his eight months of life (he will be nine months old by the time of our trip). I'd really like to avoid medicating him to a sleepy/zombie-like state, so any tips to avoid drugs would be much appreciated. Also, as of now, he's immobile (a late bloomer, I blame it on the preemie-ness), but by then he could be crawling--who knows--so, any tips for occupying a mobile baby -or possibly still immobile- on a four hour flight?

Third, I've heard about renting baby gear so as to not have to travel with it all. I do think we will rent a little seat with a tray for him to eat in while at our relatives' home, but I'd really rather not rent a carseat and stroller, and here's why: I don't want to spend money renting things we already own. The airline (Southwest) allows us to carry-on and/or check a stroller and a carseat in addition to our luggage. And besides, I can't guarantee the quality (or safety) of the ones we rent, so I'd prefer to use the ones we know, are familiar with, and know Burkley fits in just fine. Also, I am tall, and most umbrella strollers I've seen are super short and uncomfortable to push. We will most likely be doing lots of walking and exploring in New Mexico, and I'd love to have our nice jogging stroller with us. When hiking, however, I do plan on renting a carrier (only $6 for the day!) for Daddy to wear him in, and I also plan on wearing him whenever we can for shopping and sight-seeing. Still, the jogging stroller is quite bulky, so I'm a little nervous about traveling with it. Tips?

Fourth, I tend to be an over-packer. Can you give me any ideas on what I really need and what I really can do without?
 
I am not worried about him sleeping while on vacation, as that hasn't been a problem on even our short weekend trips. Since he sleeps with us, he does well wherever we are.

Any tips for invading someone's babyless home with a baby-- so as to not overwhelm them and have them wish us gone in a matter of hours? Burkley is a very low-key, laid-back, easy baby, so I assume all will be well, and they are family, so....anything else I should be aware of? Your tips and advice are greatly appreciated!

So many books, so little time... :)

Wordless Wednesday

I wonder if he will be a bedsharing daddy one day. :)

Summer is here!

...and in full-swing!

What summer means to us...

playing in the yard with baby and puppy

Fountains!!

cookouts (with sweet potato fries)

4th of July fireworks!

admiring the garden

bedtime stories with Daddy (with no jammies because it's so hot!!)

playing the in the sprinkler with friends

playing in the fountains with friends

being ridiculously cute and happy :)

Facebook Time!

Alas!
I have joined the FB world as an official blogger.
Please "like" me if you...well...like me. :)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommying-My-Way/162066780531619https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mommying-My-Way/162066780531619

...and a picture for good measure. :)

The Sun is our Friend

Welcome to the First Annual Freedom of Cloth Carnival


This post was written for inclusion in the Freedom of Cloth Carnival hosted at Natural Parents Network by Melissa of The New Mommy Files and Shannon of The Artful Mama. This year’s carnival will run from Sunday, July 3rd through Saturday, July 9th. Participants are sharing everything they know and love about cloth diapering, including how cloth has inspired them.

***

I can’t say enough about how COOL it is that the sun takes the stains out of my prefolds. I mean really. I know there is some sort of photo-science behind this phenomenon, but it so cool. I almost wish I had the time to sit outside and watch the poop stains fade! Whether it’s 30 below zero outside with snow on the ground or the middle of summer, the sun will take the stains out of your diapers (after they’re washed, of course). Pretty darn amazing. I dare you to try it. Just wash your prefolds, put them outside in the sun (if it’s really sunny, it only takes about 30-45 minutes, longer for really bad stains or longer if it’s not very sunny) and come back and check them! If the spot you put them in is a little windy, like in my case, and you come out and find some of your diapers down in your yard, you might have to run them through one more quick rinse cycle in your washing machine, but other than that, I just toss them in the dryer to fluff them up a bit, and Viola! Clean dipes. Love Love.

Even after a snowstorm, the diapers will bleach clean!

When the weather's nice, I even wash and air out my diaper pail, as well as hang the covers and dry the wipes!

I do not have enough space for a clothesline, so I make my porch work for me! :)

***

Visit
Natural Parents Network for the most up-to-date news on the Freedom of Cloth Carnival!



Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants on the following themes. Articles will go live on the scheduled theme day:

• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011: Cloth Related Recipes — Writers share their best cloth-related recipes and tutorials.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011: Choosing Your Cloth Style — Today’s posts discuss parents' individual journeys to finding the cloth diapering "style" that best suits their families.
• Tuesday, July 5th, 2011: Cloth Diapering Must Haves — Parents talk about the most important items in their diapering “stash” and why they love them.
• Wednesday, July 6th, 2011: Wordless Wednesday, Inspired by Cloth — We asked parents to share their favorite cloth-related photo with us and turned them into a fluffy Wordless Wednesday photo montage on Natural Parents Network. Link up your own Wordless Wednesday post there!
• Thursday, July 7th, 2011: Cloth Through the Stages: From Infancy to Potty Independence — Today’s participants explain how cloth diapering has served their families throughout one or more stages of their children’s lives.
• Friday, July 8th, 2011: Cloth Troubleshooting and Laundry Day — Seasoned cloth diapering parents share their best tips and tricks for handling common cloth problems and tackling the diaper laundry.
• Saturday, July 9th, 2011: Inspired by Cloth — For today’s theme, we’ve asked writers to explore the ways cloth diapering has inspired them to become "greener" overall.

Wordless Wednesday: Cloth

Continuing on with the cloth theme this week, today's Wordless Wednesday picture is of Burkley showing off his cloth (and apparently, his flexibility)!

Prefolds: My Drug of Choice

Welcome to the First Annual Freedom of Cloth Carnival


This post was written for inclusion in the Freedom of Cloth Carnival hosted at Natural Parents Network by Melissa of The New Mommy Files and Shannon of The Artful Mama. This year’s carnival will run from Sunday, July 3rd through Saturday, July 9th. Participants are sharing everything they know and love about cloth diapering, including how cloth has inspired them.


***

I’m a self-proclaimed cheapskate. When I heard how much disposable diapers cost (an average of $1,500-$1,800 per child for the diapering years), I knew we’d be using cloth. Environmental, sure. Cute, I had no idea. Cheap, yes!! When I first got interested, I was visiting with my friend and doula who happily showed me “how to do it” with prefolds. Gosh, I thought, that was easy. Done. I was sold.

Prefold Heaven

A year or so later, I was prego and saving up money for our own cloth stash. Prefolds were it for us- none of those fancy AIOs and whatnot. By the way- and I don’t mean this to offend anyone because to each his own, but AIOs really confound me. One, they are way too expensive, in my opinion, for something that gets poo and potty all over it. Two, it’s used once and it’s done till it’s washed. Or, even for the pocket diapers, all that stuffing and unstuffing seems like it would take too much time. I have TWO, count them, TWO BumGenuis diapers that I use at night and it’s really too much work to consider using them all day every day. I love the prefolds (heck, at around $1 a piece, what could be cheaper?) and we have several kinds of covers. Drop the prefold in the diaper pail and reuse the cover. All. Day. Or even for a couple days in a row, unless the baby decides to really let one blow.

Burkley, showing off his Flip cover

For covers, my personal favorite is the Flip cover. We have the adjustable ones so they can get super tight on little newborn legs, or super big for when your little one is, well, not so little anymore.















We also have Bummis covers, which I’m not crazy about, though they come in super cute patterns. One thing I don’t like about them is that sometimes if you wait too long to change the dipe, the cover will get kind of wet and soak through. That, and to get it tight enough around my little man’s tummy, it gets really tight on his thighs. However, they do work well in lieu of bathing suits. :)

Our two Bummis covers

We also have several Econobum covers. These work pretty well too, and same as the Flip covers, they are adjustable so will fit for his whole diapering life. They are a little thin though, so they will get pretty wet if you want too long to change the prefold. (Diaper changing happens to be my Mommying downfall- I tend to forget to do it.)

Burkley modeling the Econobum in his 3-month pictures. :)

We have several of these (they're the cheapest)!

I mentioned we only have TWO BumGenius pocket diapers. I put a doubler in there and also a prefold, so he can wear it all night and not need to be changed. We call this his "Ghetto-Booty-Nighttime-Diaper" look. Pretty cute. :) Here is with Daddy reading bedtime stories.

BumGenius close-up. Ours are a little...used. :)

All in all, we love our prefolds. They are cheap as well as simple to use. What more could I want?
Oh, yes, a Snappi. That's important, too. :)

***

Visit
Natural Parents Network for the most up-to-date news on the Freedom of Cloth Carnival!



Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants on the following themes. Articles will go live on the scheduled theme day:

• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011: Cloth Related Recipes — Writers share their best cloth-related recipes and tutorials.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011: Choosing Your Cloth Style — Today’s posts discuss parents' individual journeys to finding the cloth diapering "style" that best suits their families.
• Tuesday, July 5th, 2011: Cloth Diapering Must Haves — Parents talk about the most important items in their diapering “stash” and why they love them.
• Wednesday, July 6th, 2011: Wordless Wednesday, Inspired by Cloth — We asked parents to share their favorite cloth-related photo with us and turned them into a fluffy Wordless Wednesday photo montage on Natural Parents Network. Link up your own Wordless Wednesday post there!
• Thursday, July 7th, 2011: Cloth Through the Stages: From Infancy to Potty Independence — Today’s participants explain how cloth diapering has served their families throughout one or more stages of their children’s lives.
• Friday, July 8th, 2011: Cloth Troubleshooting and Laundry Day — Seasoned cloth diapering parents share their best tips and tricks for handling common cloth problems and tackling the diaper laundry.
• Saturday, July 9th, 2011: Inspired by Cloth — For today’s theme, we’ve asked writers to explore the ways cloth diapering has inspired them to become "greener" overall.

Made by Me: Butt-Spray and Cloth Wipes

Welcome to the First Annual Freedom of Cloth Carnival

This post was written for inclusion in the Freedom of Cloth Carnival hosted at Natural Parents Network by Melissa of The New Mommy Files and Shannon of The Artful Mama. This year’s carnival will run from Sunday, July 3rd through Saturday, July 9th. Participants are sharing everything they know and love about cloth diapering, including how cloth has inspired them.


***

My drug of choice. :)

I’m a cloth diapering junkie. I get a high from stacking all my freshly washed and dried prefolds from the laundry.

As far as cloth related recipes go, I love making my own butt-spray as well as my own cloth wipes. My cloth wipes are just sewn with two pieces of fabric- one terry-cloth (for getting the chunks) and the other flannel (for smoothness of wiping)- sewn together inside out, turned, and top-stitched. Easy peasy. And oh so cute!
 

 For the butt-spray, for the longest time I was using the Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion concentrate mixed with witch hazel.

However, I found a website (http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-wipe-solution.shtml) and my friend and I got together one day (she’s so sweet- she even brought over all of the ingredients!) and made several bottles of the Lotion Potion recipe. It smells so good and leaves my baby’s booty nice and soft! It’s so easy and cheap, no more Kissaluvs for me (though I did love that stuff too)!

 I followed Zany Zebra's recipe and then put it in a small travel spray bottle. We made lots of this at once and then just divvied it up into little spray bottles that my friend got from the travel section at Target. These little spray bottles go perfectly in the diaper bag or up on the changing table. You can use whatever brands or scents you like for the lotion, soap, and oil. This also makes a great gift for any cloth diapering mama!

***

Visit
Natural Parents Network for the most up-to-date news on the Freedom of Cloth Carnival!



Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants on the following themes. Articles will go live on the scheduled theme day:

• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011: Cloth Related Recipes — Writers share their best cloth-related recipes and tutorials.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011: Choosing Your Cloth Style — Today’s posts discuss parents' individual journeys to finding the cloth diapering "style" that best suits their families.
• Tuesday, July 5th, 2011: Cloth Diapering Must Haves — Parents talk about the most important items in their diapering “stash” and why they love them.
• Wednesday, July 6th, 2011: Wordless Wednesday, Inspired by Cloth — We asked parents to share their favorite cloth-related photo with us and turned them into a fluffy Wordless Wednesday photo montage on Natural Parents Network. Link up your own Wordless Wednesday post there!
• Thursday, July 7th, 2011: Cloth Through the Stages: From Infancy to Potty Independence — Today’s participants explain how cloth diapering has served their families throughout one or more stages of their children’s lives.
• Friday, July 8th, 2011: Cloth Troubleshooting and Laundry Day — Seasoned cloth diapering parents share their best tips and tricks for handling common cloth problems and tackling the diaper laundry.
• Saturday, July 9th, 2011: Inspired by Cloth — For today’s theme, we’ve asked writers to explore the ways cloth diapering has inspired them to become "greener" overall.