Cloth Diapers, Day 2

Torah and I have ended our second day of cloth diapers with a small load waiting in the dryer. I actually feel good about this. I can't put my finger on why, but it's a feeling of knowing things are okay....? I don't know if anyone can relate, and if you can please comment.

I have been thinking a lot about things lately. Things like what I want to study and be able to do as a career. I know I plan on being a stay at home mom/wife but if my husband ever cannot work, or if -and let's pray it's not the case- he passes on young, I want to be able to provide for my family. I had been thinking and thinking until it finally hit me that I would love to be a teacher. I think history would be fun, but a language teacher would also be pretty cool. Either of those, though I do not want to be a P.E. coach.... haha!

Another one of the things that I have been pondering on is ways of helping my David more. With the baby requiring most, if not all of my attention, it is very difficult to focus on the man I love. I wish I could do more for him, yet I have no idea how since I can't even feed myself at times. I have noticed that handling the baby has gotten easier little by little, as I get more used to it, so I'm hoping it'll be the same with David.

And lastly, I have an adorable baby, so here, have a picture~

Look at her rocking those Bottombumpers~

Cloth Diapers~!

Many have looked at me as if I were an alien or completely fake looking plastic Japanese lizard monster when I tell them about how I'm going to be cloth diapering with my first kid. It might have something to do with me being barely 20, or with it being my first kid, or maybe even with it being 2013. What some people don't get though, is that this isn't your grandma's cloth diapering. Today, due to innovations in cloths and detergents, as well as many creative products for cloth diapering, it is very simple to choose cloth diapers over disposables. Specially looking at all the incentives for choosing cloth~

First we have the obvious reason, and why I looked into them in the first place: environmentally friendly. On average a child uses between 6400-6500 disposable diapers before they are potty trained. Each of those diapers takes 500 years to decompose, and you as a woman are not helping with your monthly contribution of sanitary napkins.

The other reason, which I found out soon after looking around the cloth diaper community, is the gentleness to your wallet. Yes, it might seem like a lot to pay for one diaper, with the prices of cloth diapers being between 12 and 35 dollars, but lets take a look at the previous numbers shall we? If your child will need 6000 or so diapers, the average price PER DIAPER is 20cents. Let us multiply .20 by 6,000......  and get 1,200. It's a pretty big number when compared to the 200-700 you'd have to invest in cloth diapers and accessories. You will be paying between 1200 and 2000 dollars for something that is polluting the Earth, costing you trash bags, and is harmful to your child.

Yes, you heard me, harmful. There are chemicals in disposable diapers that were banned in feminine pads due to causing shock syndrome. Why the heck are they still in a product we use for our babies!? Other chemicals in disposables have been suspected of causing infertility in boys, as well as being responsible for skin rashes.

A fourth reason, if those weren't enough to explain myself, is that they look darn adorable on my little girl, and so they will look adorable on your little one too. They come in so many different prints, patterns, colors, and styles. Some even come with ruffles or pockets!

To recap, cloth diapers are cuter and better for your wallet, your baby, and the world. You and your child would be saving the world, one cute booty cover at a time.

If you'd like to learn more about cloth diapers just visit the links below or leave a comment. I might be new with this, but that's the best time to ask since I'm asking around myself! If I don't know the answer right off the top of my head, I will talk to my friends who have cloth diapered multiple children- and with the same set of cloth diapers might I add, meaning more savings for you!

The three brands I like, since I use AIOs (All In One)
http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/

http://www.bottombumpers.com/  The Bottombumpers are actually my favorite up to now. I have 20 of their one size AIOs and they dry quickly as well as feel great.

http://www.gro-via.com/ And lastly GroVia, which has a large selection, from prefolds to one size AIOs, they're were you want to go if you are new to cloth diapering and looking for which option is better for you.

Some informational stuff~
http://www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiapers.php

http://www.kellyscloset.com/Cloth-Diaper-Information_ep_34-1.html

You can also find some cute stuff and other ladies who cloth diaper by following certain tags on social networking websites. e.g. #clothdiapers #clothdiapering  and such.

If you have been converted to the cloth side, don't worry, we have pretties~ and good luck.

If you still prefer the convenience and extra time that disposables provide you with, then that's cool too! I'm just not willing to trade all that other stuff for those two things, but hey, just like breastfeeding isn't for everyone, cloth diapering isn't either.

Congrats on your amazing little treasure, that leaves little treasure for you to change.

She's Here!

On Saturday July 6th, 2013, Torah was born. Weighing in at seven pounds and 14 ounces, and 21 inches long, she was the most precious one of the cutest babies in the hospital~

I have been getting used to life with the new addition, and it's pretty hard. Not really as everyone told me, but more on my scheduling. I keep going without food for a whole day at times. I just forget to eat. It doesn't matter to me though. What I'm focused on is keeping Her happy and comfortable all the time. When she sleeps I try to get things done to keep my husband happy, and when she awakes again it's all her. Then my husband gets home and it's all about them. I don't think I will be able to make a schedule for myself again, at least not until She has a more defined one herself too.

I know I didn't update this while in the hospital like I said, but I had given up on her getting here before the induction so I wasn't ready. I hadn't packed my computer..... hehehe. Now though, I have this free time due to being in pain and granny taking care of Torah. Since I am in pain, waiting for the medication to kick in, I am also distracting myself with this. I am not sure what the harsh contraction like pains are, and I had my doctor say they were just because I wasn't taking it easy. I got told to try to be on "bed rest" but I hate that idea. Who will take care of my darling little bundle of cuteness? Who will pick up my loved bigger bundle of handsomeness' socks off the floor? Yeah, granny would volunteer but I would feel really bad......

Well, anyway, getting my boring stuff out of the way, here is what you were all waiting for! Adorable pictures of Torah! I should seriously try to get her to enter a baby pageant or something......

Google it~

I have come to realize that maybe it's a good idea to try and keep certain things private. For example, your plans for baby care and parenting. I have had a lot of people flood me with questions about the whole cloth diapering thing, and I'm just here thinking, "Well, do what I did and google it."

That'd be a rude response though, and so I have to dig in my head for all the answers to their questions. I'm a new mom. New to breastfeeding, cloth diapering, and baby caring. Do you really think I have a secret answer you haven't been able to find? I understand them, I just wish they wouldn't make me feel so inadequate sometimes. I find myself thinking it might just be easier to go with formula and disposables and save myself the whole, "What about on long car rides? Will her clothes fit over that? Are you sure they're better? 15$ for a diaper is a bit much, no? What about when you can't breastfeed her? What will you do in public? She needs to bond with her father as well." and all the other things like that.

I am a very stubborn person, but if overwhelmed and overloaded, I will take the easier route. The path of least resistance. I will leave it all to others to make decisions for me, be it what I want or not at all, and will end up just going along with things. I do not want to do that when it comes to my children. I want to try my hardest for them, same way I try my hardest for my husband. In 5, 10, 20, 40 years I want to look at our kids and know that it's because of what WE as parents decided to teach them, and not because we were following an instruction manual.

Our kids were made from scratch and with a recipe of our own, with our Heavenly Father's help, and that's how we will raise them.

Nursery: Am I done yet!?

Hello everyone and welcome to the "Are you sure you have everything?" talk! Today we look at the topic, "But it isn't like all the ones I see online." 

That's my way of poking fun at something I'm finding very difficult at the moment; creating the nursery. Now, it seems pretty simple right? You need you're crib, changing station, and a dresser. Throw some cute stuff around the place and done! 

Haha....... I wish. I'm seeing now that I need a hamper for itty bitty clothes, a few cute storage containers, a larger trash can, something to organize my breastfeeding stuff on the table next to the rocker, a low watt light for leaving on at night, some curtains, a better place for stuffed animals, a place for toys, and pretty much a bunch of other things I really have no clue how to make fit. 

My husband and I were planning on having this room double as a sitting/craft room. Pfft, my beads and his yarn were already dominating all, so with the baby coming in they kinda lost their place. I stuck my beads in my closet, hoping once baby starts crawling around she won't get into them. His yarn is with the beads, but I'm pretty sure he'd love it out in the open. At least it's not getting dusty, right?

Anyway..... I really believe that this baby will not only stick to her room, but also pour out into the rest of the house. Like a cute and adorable roommate that can't change their own clothes or bathe alone........ 

Something else I need, a baby bath thingy. I've got plenty of towels ((thanks to everyone that's gifted them. Torah will love them!)) and I know I won't give her a bath until after the little belly button thing falls off, but it's still one of those things teasing me at the back of my mind. 

I learn from watching, then copying, then changing it up to were I can do it my own way. I still NEED that first experience of watching someone though! I couldn't even buy stamps at the post office on my own! It took forever to get me to order food in person, and I'm still more comfortable with the little talk boxes. I had to watch my mother in law wash a bathroom to know what she wanted me to do. I mean, if someone says, "Hey, could you wash the restroom?" I'm over here thinking, "How? Like, the toilet or the shower or do I have to mop or am I taking everything out, cleaning the walls, and then putting stuff back in? Do you want me to organize it or put things exactly where they were? Should I use the same cleaner for everything, should I not use a certain cleaner? What about a scrub brush? Should I use a washcloth, scrubbing brush, scrub sponge, normal sponge, or just a towel?" because I need a detailed list of what I'm supposed to do, or else I'll freak out and think I'm doing it wrong and then get frustrated and quit. 

Babies don't come with instruction manuals...............


--I apologize for going off on a rant, but hey, that's kinda what this is for. Doctor said to keep a journal to help my depression, so I'm blogging. Thanks for reading! If anyone has any advice on baby basics, NOT PARENTING STYLES, then I'd be happy to hear it and try it out and heed to it.--

P.S. No, like seriously, telling someone that having a bunch of onesies is very important is advice. Telling someone that they should breastfeed and formula feed instead of fully breastfeeding is telling them how to raise their kid. So, advice good! Pushing a certain parenting style on someone, BAAAAAAAD!!!!!!

Baby!

        Just thought I should actually post something about the baby that's on the way, so here you guys go! 

             Husband and I have a little baby girl on the way, I'm currently 8 months, due date is on July 5th, and the shower- as well as my 20th birthday- is tomorrow! Woop! I will post a bunch of pictures later as well, tagged as- wait, can I tag things?- tiny clothes, baby gifts, baby, and cuteness.

This stuff was from an amazing friend of mine that has helped me spiritually throughout this, as well as physically, by making me some meals and such earlier in the pregnancy when I was having some serious issues.