Little Miss

 is TWO months old!

she's smiling, cooing, tracking people and objects with her blue peepers.

It will be interesting to see if she keeps these blue eyes as Oliver did.

Which would mean we have two blue eyed kids and neither Guy or I have blue eyes!

 I haven't taken her for her 2 month check up yet but at our 6 week final visit with the midwives she was a solid 11 lbs 4 oz, so pretty sure she's close to 13 lbs now. I am much less concerned about weight this time around, she's very healthy and gaining weight just (slightly less) as rapidly as her brother. My kids are good eaters! And I'm not letting comments bother me as they did with Oliver. As a first time mom the "Wow he's huge", "OMG he's so BIG" , "How much did he weigh at birth?"

really got to me. Was there something wrong? Was I feeding him too much? Should he not be gaining this fast? these were constantly running through my mind. On the flip side I had friends with much smaller babies that were bombarded with "Oh he's/she's so small", "You should feed him/her more", "Is he/she sick?" So bottom line is people say all kinds of stupid stuff and you can't let it bother you. I don't pay any attention to the growth charts either. Who cares if your baby is in the 20th, 50th or the 90th percentile. If they are developing and gaining weight, life is good!

Georgie's in cloth diapers full time now. I used disposables for the first month and a bit, since I was feeding her every 2 hours (or less sometimes) the diaper changes were fast and furious as well the FLIP diapers fit a bit better now that she's bigger. I am super happy that I purchased the extra sets at the Black Friday Sale back in November. Having the extra inserts and covers have come in handy!

She's wearing 3-6 month clothes now, depending on the brand some are just right and some are a little too big. I can hardly believe how much stuff I've had to pack up and put away already. And now that she's two months old we are going to start putting her in the crib in her very own room, instead of the bassinet beside our bed (although some nights she spends more time in our bed than beside it!).

I bought another double bed that is setup in her room as well so I have a bed to sleep in if need be. I did this with Oliver and it worked well, of course I had plans to move that double bed into Georgie's room to use again but Oliver decided he wanted to sleep in a double opposed to an actual toddler bed,

which I guess in the end means one less sleeping transition we'll need to make!

Look at those lips.... perfection!

A Numbers Game

when 1 becomes 2

then a family of 3 turns into 4.

Georgie is 6 weeks old, Oliver is a month into his 2nd year.

and we are all settling into our new roles.

Oliver is every bit the big brother, always concerned about his sisters whereabouts.
As of late wants to give his kisses every hour on the hour
(and he wants proper kisses on the lips... gone are the days of the gentle shoulder smooch).
But he's also TWO. Something I tend to forget from time to time (like today) when I was getting so frustrated because he wasn't listening and seemingly pushing all my buttons.... then it dawned on me that oh yeah he's two not twelve and stop trying to reason with him about why I want him to do this or  that because it isn't working!

Georgie is doing a bang up job as the baby sister, mostly hanging out in her swing checking out what her big bro is doing. Watching as he whips by her a million times a minute. She loves to eat but doesn't love the organic cloth inserts I have been trying out, definitely prefers the stay-dry inserts. I guess someone is a little sensitive to wetness, so stay-dry inserts it is. I am still using the Flip system that I used with Oliver although I purchased new inserts and covers for her (which I scored for 1/2 price during an amazing Black Friday sale last November). She has given me 2 good consecutive nights that resulted in me feeling more tired for some reason, but I appreciate them nonetheless
(also keep them coming Georgie!)

Guy has become Oliver's go to, especially for night time. He mans the diaper and jammie change, reads bedtime stories or plays Oliver's (new favourite) sticker books. They go 4 wheeling, and walking in the bush. Oliver loves spending time with his daddy which makes it a-ok for this mama to tend to the wee one without issue. Of course he also helps out with Georgie but at this stage it's pretty much the one with milk in her boobs (me) that she wants.

Becoming a mama of 2 is hard in someways and easy in others. I feel so much more confident with Georgie, not as stressed out as I did with Oliver. Which looking back I didn't think I was stressed with him at the time but I definitely was compared to how I am now with Georgie. It's hard letting some of the responsibility go with Oliver. He doesn't need me the way he used to, which is great but kind of sad too. We still have our special moments each day, getting ready in the morning is waaay more relaxing now since we don't have to be anywhere right at 8 am. We can enjoy an hour or two (depending on what time he got up that day) together before heading out for the day. I love bath time, he is always usually in a great mood and we have a blast playing and splashing in the water just the 2 of us. I love our story time or doing puzzles, playing letters and racing cars.
Not to mention the snuggle or kiss I get (steal) every now and again.
Yeah it's safe to say I dig this mama-of-two gig A LOT!

Dirty Little Secret

How eco-friendly are Eco-Friendly disposable diapers?

About a month ago, I broke down and bought a package of disposable diapers. The first package in 16 months (Oliver hasn't worn a disposable since he was 3 months old).

But in the last couple of months he has been waking up soaked in the mornings and obviously our cloth diapers weren't working for us as well as they once did.

So I bought a pack of Seventh Generation chlorine free diapers to use only at night.

They worked well, no leaks but after further research I discovered that they are still made from plastic, contain SAP and are not biodegradable (and I know that they dye their diapers which is kind of ridiculous). The cost per package is 14.99 for 30 diapers (size 4), the smaller the size the more diapers per package or visa versa the larger the size lesser qty per pack.

 I searched online and found good reviews for Nature Babycare Diapers.

(I was a little hesistant since I did NOT care for their biodegradable baby wipes at all!). But they are readily available at my local grocery store and are about the same price as Seventh Generation, so I bought a pack and have been pretty happy with them. We still have had a few leaks in the morning.... Oliver can be a very heavy wetter, he's a stomach sleeper and he thrashes about in his bed like a mad man! As per their website and packaging, these diapers are:

• 100% chlorine free
• Based on biodegradable materials
• Biodegradable back sheet film based on corn
• 100% GM free  
• 100% biodegradable high loft

All of which sounded terrific. These diapers still do contain SAP but less than most disposable diapers, they are soft and have stretchy tabs. The cost is $13.99 per package (size 4 contains 27 pcs).

I definitely don't want Oliver to be sitting in a plastic toxic diaper all day and night nor do I want to contribute a heap of diapers to the landfill that will never decompose.

My thinking was that if I am going to use a disposable diapers part time, I was happy to spend a little extra (average of $0.50/diaper compared to $0.30 for "leading brands") to get one that is biodegradable .... or so I thought! While the diaper itself is designed to biodegrade, a typical landfill environment does not support this function and the diaper companies do not recommend home composting for possible feces contamination with ground water. So in reality this eco-friendly, biodegradable diaper is not any of those things.

For more eye-opening information, click here!

I was pretty bummed out by this discovery. While I continue to use, support and promote cloth diapering (probably even more so now!) I was enjoying the notion that if I used disposables from time to time I could still use something less harmful to Oliver and the environment. So while I can take comfort in knowing that the disoposables I have chosen are made with eco-friendly, less toxic materials- they aren't decomposing they way I thought they were.

Next on my list to try  is a fitted cloth diaper (with a insert) with one of the FLIP covers to see if that works. Right now we use the FLIP system with the stay-dry insert which wasn't working for overnight use. But I am hoping that a fitted with an insert strategically placed for extra absorption will be our solution.

I purchase a package of the Kushies (baby basic) for $40/pk of 8 fitted cloth diapers. I already have the covers and inserts so hopefully this will work and instead of paying at least $40 a month in disposables it will be a one time fee!

Rockin' Green

is Rockin' my world.

The last couple of weeks I have noticed that Oliver's diapers and covers weren't coming out as clean as they once had been. The covers were stinky after one diaper change (which was never the case before) I have been using Arm and Hammer perfume and dye free detergent or president's choice free nature since day one but something's changed.

I think it's the combination of detergent build up and Oliver's new potent toddler pee. (it really stinks!)

So I went to my trusty online cloth diaper shop and ordered these two little bags of heaven.

http://rockingreensoap.com/

Bag #1 is FUNK ROCK ammonia bouncer -$18.00 for the bag, worth every penny. I put all the cloth inserts in a 30 min soak (in hot water) before I washed them with this..

Bag #2 is Rockin Green Soft Rock bare naked (unscented) $20/bag does 45 loads with a top loader and 90 loads with a front loader. Awesome for cloth diapers and regular laundry. 

I couldn't believe the difference. The diapers came out cleaner and whiter than ever! I could totally feel the difference, eight months of use, "regular" ole detergent and diaper ointment (not that I use much- I have only bought 1 tube of burt's bees in a year) had really taken it's toll. I didn't soak the covers like I did with the diaper inserts but I did add a bit of the Funk Rock to a pre-rinse cycle to bounce the funk on those as well.

My new laundry style plan of attack- is to add a little of the Funk Rock to each cold water pre-rinse (as per the directions) and then wash in hot using the Soft Rock (although I might try a scented one next time!) with a double cold water rinse.

I am even washing Oliver's clothes with it. I have the sweatiest kid alive, seriously it's crazy how much he sweats! His pores are constantly open and very sensitive, he gets little rashes and bumps all the time. Especially on his neck so washing his clothes and sheets with this natural detergent really helps those break outs.

To read about the cloth diapers we use click here and here

****Rockin Green Soap Canada will be offering 15% when they get 2000 fans on facebook*******

Flip for Cloth Diaper... an Update

It's been about 7 months since we started using cloth diapers and I chose the Flip diapering system after trying out several different brands which you can read about that here.

I absolutely love the cloth- it's saved a lot of money, the earth and Oliver's bum from a tonne of diaper rashes. We haven't used a disposable one since! The flip system is still rocking my world- Oliver's body has changed a lot in the last 7 months since we started using them and we are still getting a great fit! This onesized diaper fits from 7- 35 lbs and the snaps really allow you to customize to ensure a proper fit. A few leaks every now and then, but isn't that to be expected with all diapers? I usually try and change him every 1 1/2 to 2 hours through the day and  I have been doubling up the inserts at night and he hasn't leaked through once.

Here's a little Cloth Diaper 101 for anyone thinking of using cloth diapers and wondering about washing, stains, cloth diapering on the go, etc.

I have 2 pails- 1 for garbage (wipes, etc) and the other for soiled diapers

These used to have dog treats in them and made the perfect diaper pail. I suggest using a small-ish pail because it gets quite heavy when loaded up with diapers and you want it to be small enough that you can just dump it into the wash without having to touch the soiled diapers. I fill the pail up about 1/2 way with cold water and add baking soda

 (some people use water and vinegar... your call)

This is my changing station, we decided against a change table and thank god! Oliver is such a mover it's hard enough to change him on the ground.

A change table would have been disasterous.

(The pails are just to the left of the basket)

The pail full of soiled diapers

Ok now for the washing!

Babies that are exclusively breastfed have water soluable poos, which means you can just throw the soiled diaper in the wash without having to removed it first. However if your baby is formula fed you must remove the waste before putting the diaper in the wash. Same goes for when you start your baby on solids, the waste must be removed before you put the diaper in the wash. Now Oliver was breastfed until 6 months so I didn't have to worry about it and once he started solids so did his #2's which weren't all that frequent anyway. I have seen different sprayers that hook up to your toilet to remove waste but I haven't really had a need for it. Now I am sure you can see a diaper in the pic with some poo residue on it (sorry I know it's gross....)  I do a rinse cycle in cold water first, then do a wash cycle in hot with a little detergent ( I use arm & hammer dye and perfume free) and sometimes I'll do a second rinse cycle in cold to make sure all soap residue is gone. About once a month I also use a little bleach in the first rinse cycle to keep stains at bay, although hanging the diapers on the clothes line in the sun does a bang up job at taking care of stains!

Since I live in Canada I have to use the dryer for the winter months. But stains do happen and that was another perk about the Flip, the insert costs about $5 so if you have to throw it out it's not the end of the world or as painful as throwing out a $25 diaper!

I do put the covers in the wash with the diapers just not when I use bleach

and I never put them in the dryer! They will last much longer if you just hang them to dry and they really don't take long at all to dry.

Cloth Diapering on the go

These are my new wet/dry bag, wet bag and change pad from Planetwise

This is my old wet/dry bag also made by Planetwise- a soiled diaper in the wet part.

 The whole bag is washable so if you are on the go and things get "messy"

 you can wash it clean when you get home

The dry part- great for storing wipes, inserts, extra cover and whatever else you want.

All my cloth diapering accessories (minus the dog treat pails) were purchased from

http://www.theclothdiapershop.com/

&

http://extraordinarybabyshoppe.com/

The flip diapering system makes a disposable insert as well- I have 2 packs that I haven't used so I can really comment on how good or not they are but it's also another great option for when you are traveling.

Well I think that about sums it up! Feel free to comment with other tips and tricks or questions:) 

P.S I forgot to mention that I have 9 covers and about 40 inserts and I do a load of diaper about every 2 days. I keep an extra cover in the diaper bag along with about 5 inserts. I don't necessarily change the cover everytime I change his diaper and I do wash the covers with his regular laundry and just hang them to to dry.

Flip for Cloth Diapers

I was planning on using cloth diapers right from the get go, I even purchased a cloth diapering system before Oliver was born. At first they seemed too big so I used disposables but then 1 month went by and then a few more weeks and I was still unhappy with the diapers I bought. Luckily I had only washed a few of the diapers and not all 36 that I had purchased so I returned them and went on the hunt for a new cloth diaper....

I tried a few different kinds, the first one was a two part "always fit" that had the cloth diaper and then a waterproof cover with snap in liners for an extra booster if needed. These diaper also are suppose to fit from newborn to toddler so you are only buying one set not different sizes. These definitely didn't work for Oliver's shape (he has a very cute but substantial milk belly and very juicy thighs).

Next I tried the Applecheeks, a waterproof cover with a bamboo insert. It comes in 2 sizes so not the most economical choice but I wasn't happy with the fit of the cover and the fact that he peed through this one in about 2 secends.

Then we moved onto the Kushies ultra lite all in one diaper. These worked ok, they were the best fit so far but still kinda of bulky and again you have to purchase infant size and toddler size. Oliver is a heavy wetter and these handled it but we did experience some poo leakage as it didn't fit very tightly around the leg.

Then during one of our Mommy and Baby yoga classes a fellow mama showed me the Flip Diaper she was using. It was a waterproof cover with a insert and it was a onesize with snaps so you can customize the fit from newborn to toddler. She had tried several types as well and was totally satisfied with this one... so we decided to try it.

And we flipped for the Flip!

 It has elastic-y sides to ensure a snug but comfortable fit and with all snaps you really can adjust the fit. The are a few insert options- the stay dry (which I am using), organic insert or disposable (which is a nice option if you are travelling). The diaper with stay dry liner is about $20 CAD and the individual liners are about $5.00. I purchased 4 covers with inserts and additional 20 inserts for a total of $200 dollars so pretty reasonable, although I think I will add a few extra covers to our stash.

 

So for anyone thinking of using cloth diapers, I would recommend trying a few types before you invest in one system as it really depends on your baby's shape and well we certainly don't all wear the same kind of underwear!