Books Read: January - March.

So, in January, February, and March. I've read a total of FOURTY books. Pretty damn good! I have set my goal for the year at 100, but I'm already 15 books ahead! Maybe I should have set it at around 12 books per month instead. This month I haven't be reading as much, been a little bit busy. But I'm sure once my husband leaves I'll have tons more time to read again. Only on book 3 for the month!


January 2012 
1. Darkfever: The Fever Series - Karen Marie Moning 
2. Bloodfever - Karen Marie Moning 
3. Faefever - Karen Marie Moning 
4. Dreamfever - Karen Marie Moning 
5. Shadowfever - Karen Marie Moning 
6. Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi 
7. Divergent - Veronica Roth 
8. Matched - Ally Condie 
9. Loud in the House of Myself: Memoir of a Strange Girl - Stacy Pershall 
10. Crossed - Ally Condie 
11. Pretty Little Liars - Sara Shepard 
12. Delirium - Lauren Oliver 
13. Flawless - Sara Shepard 
14. Perfect - Sara Shepard 


February 2012
1. Unbelievable - Sarah Shepard
2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor
3. Wicked - Sara Shepard
4. Killer - Sara Shepard
5. Heartless - Sara Shepard
6. Wanted - Sara Shepard
7. Twisted - Sara Shepard
8. Ruthless - Sara Shepard
9. On Becoming Baby Wise II: Parenting Your Pre-Toddler Five to Fifteen Months - Gary Ezzo
10. The Lying Game - Sara Shepard
11. Never Have I Ever - Sara Shepard
12. Two Truths and a Lie - Sara Shepard
13. Fever - Lauren DeStefano
14. Torment - Lauren Kate 


March 2012
1. Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
2. Pretties - Scott Westerfeld
3. Bumped - Megan McCafferty
4. Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver
5. Specials - Scott Westerfeld
6. Baby-Led Weaning - Gill Rapley
7. Extras - Scott Westerfeld
8. Passion - Lauren Kate
9. Wintergirls - Lauren Halse Anderson
10. Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
11. Demonglass - Rachel Hawkins
12. Spell Bound - Rachel Hawkins

Broccoli & avocado.

So tonight Boston had some steamed broccoli, and sliced up avocado. He LOVED the broccoli. I had let him suck on a piece at dinner the other night to keep him occupied so we could finish eating at the buffet. But he picked it right up on his own and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. He had two big pieces and out of those he ate one whole head of one, and about 1/4 of the other one. The avocado was much harder for him to pick up since it is slippery. I gave him 3 slices and he probably only managed to eat 1/2 of one slice.

Slippery avocado!

Had about enough

Big mess

Bath time!

Ultimate Breastfeeding Preparation Checklist.

This checklist is from Best for Babes. The site is a GREAT resource for breastfeeding mothers. 

Ultimate Breastfeeding Preparation Checklist

Get your best game on, girlfriend!  While pregnancy lasts nine months, the benefits of breastfeeding last a lifetime.Position yourself for success by getting inspired, prepared and empowered™ in advance so you can hit the ground running!  Here’s your “to-do” list, trimester by trimester, but don’t forget to ask for help too, by circulating our Mother’s Help Sheet!   

0-3 Months Pregnant

¨Get inspired.Read some accurate and motivating material on why to breastfeed, and especially, what to expect!   It is really important to have realistic expectations, short-term goals, and a plan.  Talk to other moms who have succeeded with breastfeeding.  

¨Get honest. Examine your feelings about breastfeeding and talk to someone you trust and respect about any reservations, fears, etc.   You’ll be able to debunk myths, and get clarity and confidence, and you’ll have an ally to help you succeed!

¨Start your A-Team.Find and choose a truly breastfeeding-friendly doctor (Ob/Gyn, Family Physician or Midwife) and hospital/birth center.  Having the right team in place can make for smoother sailing, and make the whole experience wonderful the way it should be.   Consider creating a breastfeeding-friendly birth plan; how you give birth can impact how easy it is to start nursing.

  

3-6 Months Pregnant

¨Watch another mother nurse or check out breastfeeding videos to get comfortable with it; most of us have never seen another mother nurse up close.

¨Enroll your spouse/partner.  AFTER delivery is where they can really be a hero!

6 Months Pregnant

¨Build your A-Team. Find a breastfeeding-friendly pediatrician who will help keep breastfeeding and your confidence going.Find local resources – lactation specialists, consultants, breastfeeding support groups.

¨See and believe success. Begin doing imagery exercises to engender positive beliefs about your upcoming breastfeeding experience & boost your confidence.

¨Start reading reliable and inspiring breastfeeding “how-to” information.

¨Prepare relatives for your breastfeeding plans.

7 Months Pregnant

¨Do your homework.Take an excellent breastfeeding class. Attend a breastfeeding support group at least once.

¨Create a birth plan that includes immediate skin-to-skin cuddling and nursing within the first hour and go over it with your doctor or midwife.  Familiarize yourself with the Learning Curve of Breastfeeding, then create a breastfeeding plan.   Familiarize yourself with some common breastfeeding issues like jaundice and know the facts about supplementation.

¨Continue doing imagery exercises to engender positive beliefs about your upcoming breastfeeding experience.

¨Research breastfeeding policies at your place of employment and talk to your boss about accommodations to continue breastfeeding.Know your rights.

¨Start scoping out places to nurse when you’re on the go—you have a legal right to breastfeed in public in most states.But you still want to feel comfortable!

¨Complete your A-Team.Get in touch with one of the lactation specialists in your area and introduce yourself – reaching out now may make it more comfortable to call later.

 8 Months Pregnant  

¨Prepare siblings for your plans to breastfeed, there are many wonderful books for toddlers. 

¨Continue doing imagery exercises to engender positive beliefs about your upcoming breastfeeding experience.

¨Shop! Although you only need your baby and your boobs, a few things can make nursing easier and more convenient, and some will downright give you mama mojo.

–  Start asking for help:   We’ve created a fabulous tool for expecting and new moms to make it easier to enlist help and manage who is doing what so you can concentrate on mastering the learning curve of breastfeeding and enjoy this precious time.   See our Mother’s Help Sheet and Mother’s Help Sheet Master.

9 Months Pregnant

¨Review your birth and breastfeeding plan with your doctor.

¨Continue doing imagery to stay in the belief that you can do it and that you can stay flexible and adapt to any twists and turns in your path to success! It’s important not to try to control the outcome; you will feel good about having prepared.

Birth

Relax and trust.You and your baby are wired for breastfeeding, and you have prepared yourself for any challenges and empowered yourself to make it work, regardless of what happens.Acknowledge yourself for doing your best to be prepared, and remind yourself that birth is an amazing mystery, and then let go!

The information in this document is in no way intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition and is not a substitute for an in-person evaluation by a breastfeeding-friendly pediatrician or qualified, independent Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Bananas and Sweet Potato.

So I was originally planning on waiting until Boston was 6 months to start solids, but since my husband is leaving in 2 weeks I figured I'd let him see him eat before hand. This isn't going to be a usual thing, I'm still waiting until 6 or 7 months, but it sure made for some cute pictures!

I cut the banana into slices with the skin on so he could pick it up (you need to cut foods into long sticks because at this age they need to hold on to part and eat the top, they do not have the correct grasp to pick up small pieces). The sweet potato I baked, and then cut into long slices also with the skin still on so he could pick it up better.

Taking a little break

Looking at mommy

Talking to daddy

Easter photos!

So we had some Easter photos taken of Boston the other day and they are SO cute. He isn't smiling in most of them because we were outside and he doesn't like the sun, but we did manage to get a few with big smiles. My friend let me borrow a little mini baby suit which was adorable. Today we are going to take some more this time with his girlfriend Zoe. She is 23.5 hours older than him : )

This morning, he also got to skype with one of his grandma's (my mom). He was staring at the screen and got really confused anytime her dogs barked! He got annoyed though, he doesn't like sitting still for too long and started squirming and scratching my arms lol. She got to see him sit up though which is his newest trick, just out of the blue learned to sit up 2 days ago!

Alternative Diapering 101 | GirlieGirl Army

This post is from Girlie Girl Army.

Alternative Diapering 101 | GirlieGirl Army

Alternative Diapering 101

Published on March 11, 2010 by admin   

Madeleine Shaw is co-founder of Lunapads International and proud Mom to almost-5 year old Gigi . And she knows more about cloth diapering than anyone you know.   Today she shares her extensive wisdom with the Mommazon’s of the GirlieGirl Army;

Your belly’s looking nice and round and you’re looking forward to the bliss of snuggle & smiles – and on the other hand, the not-so-blissful reality of dealing with your bundle of joy’s toileting needs. Mainstream disposables are an eco nightmare: what are the alternatives?

It can seem a bit overwhelming at first, but I’d like to share my own story in the hopes of assuring you that you too can find a way to manage your child’s waste in an eco-friendly way that suits your lifestyle.

Benefits

The benefits of choosing alternative diapering products and practices are practically identical to those of choosing cloth menstrual pads or the DivaCup (something to think about for when your period resumes, if you’re not already a fan), namely:

* Financial savings: up to $2000 per child.

* Earth Friendly: keep more than 7000 disposable diapers out of landfills – equivalent to one tonne of solid waste per child.

* Easy to use: innovations in recent years have made cloth diapers just as easy to put on and take off as disposables: no more pins and crinkly plastic pants!   And the washing – if you can operate a washing machine you can do this, without getting your hands dirty.

* Reduce exposure to potential toxins: parents choosing to use cloth diapers know exactly what is up against their child’s delicate skin 24 hours a day.   Disposable diapers don’t always include full disclosures on their “ingredient” list.

* Promote better skin health: with less chemical exposure in cloth and cloth diapers being changed more often, babies in cloth often have a healthier environment for their skin.

* Earlier Potty Training: Parents using cloth diapers tend to be very aware of their child’s elimination patterns and are able to help them learn in a more efficient manner.   Children that have been diapered in cloth often retain the association with “I pee and I am wet” facilitating earlier and easier learning.

What’s the tradeoff?

* There is an initial investment that is not present with weekly purchases of disposables (you can use a gift registry to get started, or look into picking up some second hand cloth diapers – most are so well made that they can easily last for several children – and no, this is not gross.)

* There is a bit of a learning curve – you need to educate yourself about how to make this system work in your life.

* Without the needed learning, there is a higher rate of families discontinuing cloth diapering due to perceived failure.

* There will be two to three extra loads of laundry to do each week.

Cloth diapering: My “Recipe for Success”

When I had my daughter in 2005 I already knew that I wanted to use cloth and got a few different types to start me off. I experimented and adapted to suit my own lifestyle and would like to share my “recipe” for successful cloth diapering in the hopes in inspiring any fence-sitters out there.

You will need:

- about 2 dozen cloth diapers and 6 covers (or equivalent AIO diapers – more on the different designs shortly)

- a large pail with a lid

- biodegradable detergent and hydrogen peroxide

- washing machine and (preferably) dryer

- a roll or 2 of diaper liners (disposable or cloth –   I have never had much luck with them personally, but many people find them really useful.)

Use the diapers, remove any fecal matter into the toilet (this is easier once your child starts eating solids), and leave the used diapers in the bucket. If you are out of the house, store them in a plastic bag and/or reusable “wet bag”. I washed a load about every 3 days.

Initially I soaked the diapers, but after a while realized that it wasn’t really necessary in our climate, which made things a lot easier. Wash the diapers twice in hot water with biodegradable detergent and tumble or line dry.

Once I got comfortable with cloth diapers, I moved on to cloth wipes. I liked these so much that I now make a package of a wipe warmer and cloth wipes as a shower gift for friends. Take the wipes on the road with you as well (I used one of the plastic ones that you can get with a small quantity of disposable wipes.)

You will need:

- 1 “wipe warmer” (readily available at baby stores)

- about 4 dozen kiddie washcloths or cut-up bits of flannel or other cotton fabric (Lunapads sells organic fleece wipes that would be perfect for this)

- liquid soap

Note: the wipe warmer instructions will tell you not to put water in it – ignore this. Take the cloths and stack them inside the warmer. Take a tall drinking glass and add 1 pump of liquid soap, then fill with hot tap water. Empty the glass into the warmer on top of the cloths. Use the wipes as necessary and put the used ones in with the diapers & wash together. You will notice that these homemade wipes work better than disposables and are also not chilly on baby’s bum.

What cloth diapering options are out there these days?

There are cloth diapers made for any parent’s lifestyle whether your priorities centre on budget, convenience, natural options or simplicity.

A cross section of what’s available today includes cloth diapers made from natural fibres such as organic cotton, hemp or bamboo, wet-proof cloth diaper covers made of high tech breathable fabrics, one-step cloth diapers with everything integrated and one-size cloth diapers that can be used from birth to potty training.

There are 3 main types of cloth diapers: prefolds (flat diapers that do in fact need to be folded), fitted diapers, covers (used for both prefolds and fitted diapers, and All-in-One – commonly known as AIOs, that include both the diaper and the cover in one piece.   Fitted diapers are further subdivided into Pocket diapers (where a cloth insert is folded and inserted into the cover) and a style where the fitted diaper goes on first, followed by the cover.

And the newest invention: a swap-in disposable insert that is compatible with your existing cloth diapering system so that when life demands something more convenient, you can have some guilt-reduced convenience.

So how do you choose?

I wouldn’t worry too much about finding the “right” or “best” style. As is the case with cloth menstrual pads, anyone who cares enough to make them for a living probably has an excellent product – the important thing is to commit to going for it and making at least an initial choice.

Consider a less costly option for your first diapers as you’ll need the most of them and use them for the shortest time.   The second set won’t be as numerous and you’ll use them for longer so this is where to weight your budget.   You’re often also dealing with wigglier babies at this stage and easier (ie AIO) diapers may work better.

Even if you go for very simple/economic such as prefolds, it’s a good idea to have a few “one step diapers” like Pockets or AIOs around for trips out or grandma, etc.

There are several cloth diaper companies that offer “Sampler Kits” that allow you to try several brands.   I would try to connect with some other local Moms who are already cloth diapering (the forums at Motheringdotcommune – known as “MDC” at www.mothering.com/discussions, are the best way to “find your tribe” locally) and get tips from them about local suppliers or leads on second-hand diapers.   Again, chances are that you will be able to find a Mom-owned business close to where you are who will have a good selection and be happy to answer your questions just by googling “cloth diapers (my city or town)”.

What are some of the myths of cloth diapering?

The biggest ones are the anticipation of how difficult it will be, the worry about leaking and the cost.   As we’ve already discussed, the work of cloth diapering is relatively minimal and the cost is surprisingly affordable over the three years of cloth diapering.   Leaking is a fixable issue. Cloth diapers are engineered to prevent leaks and contain what comes out of your baby.

That said, there are no chemicals in cloth diapers to make them super absorbent like disposables. To get the best performance from a cloth diaper we suggest the following:   ensure a good fit around the legs and the waist (no gaps), increase absorbency in special situations like at night or long car rides and change your baby every 2-3 hours during the day.   These are simple, yet effective methods to ensure that your cloth diapers do what they are meant to!

What other alternatives are there?

New biodegradable disposables, as well as Elimination Communication (skipping diapers completely in favor of learning when you child needs to go and helping them on the toilet) are other options to consider – see the links below for more information.

Congratulations and good luck!

Spring cleaning.

Guess I'll be doing a ton of cleaning in the house today before my husband beats me (totally kidding, but really, he's sick of me not cleaning anything all day). Which is fine, but if he starts leaving 800 plates all over the kitchen the second he gets home then I'm never cleaning again. Got started on the kitchen first, I guess I'll be doing room by room and then do the vacuuming all at once.

Kitchen

Dishes (these were already done)

Sink

Counters

Stove

Sweep & mop floor

Living room

Vacuum

Clean up dog toys

Organize baby toys

Put blankets and pillows back where they go

Bedroom

Put away laundry

Make bed

Vacuum

Straight up clutter

Boston's Room

Put clothes/extra toys back in bins under bed

Put away laundry

Vacuum

Box up old clothes and put in closet

Bathrooms

Sweep & mop floors

I'll do the bathrooms besides the floors a different day

Besides cleaning, today at noon Boston is having some Easter photos done! Can't wait, it's going to be so cute. I'm probably just going to put him in a plain white onesie since I don't want his clothes distracting the photo and I don't have any "Easter" type clothes for him to wear. I hope he doesn't have squinty eyes in all of them since we will be taking them at a park in the sun.