Cloth Diapers

Considering I am a rare breed who cloth diapers, I figured I should post some things on here about it since I’ve been at it for well over a year.

I decided to try cloth diapering because I wanted to save money.  That was my first initial reason.  Then I started reading up about how great it is for the environment.  I still don’t really use that as a reason.  That’s great that I help the environment but I do plenty of other things that prove I don’t really care.  I have the type of personality that when I hear about something that might be difficult or challenging and I set my mind to it, I have to do it.  I took the plunge and bought some cheap diapers to try out when Andrew was 4 months old.  When a baby is exclusively breastfeed you don’t have to even spray the liquid-y poop off because it is water soluble.  That was really nice and an easy way to ease into cloth.  I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it!  And you know what, I have done it.  For over a year.  I thought cloth diapering moms were crazy when all they would talk about were the stashes they had.  Some had over 50 diapers and I even read a lady that had over 100 for one child!  Well, after buying a brand that I found to like and fit Andrew’s skinny body I started to understand what those moms were talking about.  When the Blueberry one size deluxe pocket diapers with bamboo inserts go on sale or have sales on the seconds, I buy them.  Here is the current stash ;)  We’re up to 33 in the current rotation.

So pretty!  HAHAHAHA!  I know, call me crazy.  I’m totally fine with that.  I get a lot of, “Oh wow, you are so brave” or “I could never do that” or “That would be too hard”.  My answers are these.  Yes, it does take a little bit more extra work.  Washing them is easy though.  Once I figured out my wash routine with the right detergent it has been easy.  I use a bidet type spray thingy by my toilet.  I spray the poop right off, take the inserts out and throw it all into the wet bag.  Once the bag fills up I know it is time to do a wash, which is usually every 3rd day.  I love folding and stuffing the diapers once they are dry though.  I just put on a good show and get going.  It’s satisfying.  Am I brave?  Maybe for being crazy enough to try it out, but like I said it really is pretty easy. 

A couple of things that I love and don’t love about cloth:

LOVE that Andrew rarely leaks out.  Every now and again it happens.  Andrew has been in disposables for about 4 days because of a bad diaper rash and he has leaked out every flipping morning.  That means no morning in pj’s and new sheets on the bed. 

LOVE how cute Andrew looks in them

LOVE that I don’t have to run to the store to buy a package of diapers.  Though I do keep a package on hand for emergencies, bad diaper rash or for babysitters

LOVE that I can use flushable liners so that when he poops I just grab the liner and flush.  So nice when at church or gone all day so I don’t have to carry poop around :/

LOVE that I don’t have to keep a poop diaper grocery bag right outside my front door or run to the dumpster every day.

LOVE how much Brian has evolved about it all.  He use to change into disposables and now he will do cloth every time.  I’ve even caught him spraying some of them off and he said he would never do that.

DON’T LOVE that I can’t treat a bad diaper rash in them.  I have to use Triple Paste and that would ruin the cloth diaper. 

DON’T LOVE how bulky they can be.

DON’T LOVE the smell when I dump it all in the washing machine :/

DON’T LOVE when I let the diapers pile up after changes and I have to spray a bunch off at one time.  When I do it after every time then it is fine.

The love outweighs the don’t love.

I was on the news for the Great Cloth Diaper Change.  It was for the Guinness World Records on how many cloth diapers were changed at the same time across the world.  Pretty nerdy but kinda cool at the same time. :)

Dishwasher, Pool and Popcorn

Nothing super duper exciting happened this week.  Quite a few small things worth mentioning though.

Andrew has been obsessed with the dishwasher lately.  I remember Tyson being the same way as well.  When he hears the faucet running and that dishwasher door opening you better believe he is there in less than 5 seconds.  I get a little paranoid because of the knives or chicken juice on cutting boards.  I usually either give up right away or try to get the dishes done during naps or in the evening.

I left the dishwasher door open to go put on Mickey Mouse to try to distract him from the dishwasher.  I came back and he had climbed on to the lid. 

Andrew can now say “nana” for banana.  He asked for it this morning with his cereal and I was happy I had one left for him.  So adorable!  He also said “Ty Ty” today for Tyson.  Brian heard it and for 5 minutes after we kept telling him to say it and he would.  It is so much fun hearing him say things now.  Then Tyson said, “Andy say Mathew!”  We busted up laughing. 

We have had steak for dinner lately and Tyson keeps calling it mistake.  “Mom, can I have more mistake and carrots?”  We keep correcting him and Brian even told him that if he keeps calling steak a mistake he wouldn’t be allowed to have it anymore.  Every time we have it he calls it that.  It’s been funny.  Tyson told me about a dream he had earlier in the week and I could not stop laughing.  I can’t remember it now though, dang it!

Yesterday, we went to the pool here.  First time this year.  I had said we were going, so we were going.  I say we are going to do something and then don’t follow through so much that I was determined to make it happen. Even though it got windy and overcast and the water was cold we still went.  We stayed for about 30 minutes because that was the longest we could go before Andrew started shivering.  Ty loved it but was also scared about going under the water.  He starts swim lessons tomorrow so fingers crossed that goes well.  He did eventually get brave enough to jump into the water and get caught.  Andrew loved splashing the water with his arms.  He kept crawling in and out of the pool.  He had a great time but like I said, once he started shivering we were done.

“Mom, take a picture of me jumping!”

  

We have a fabulous system down with one of neighbors, The Jacksons.  We do a babysitting trade off.  It has been the best thing the last 4 months.  Brian and I have gone on more dates the last few months then we have had when combining the last few years.  Last night we ventured to Color Me Mine.  Brian painted Andrew a monkey piggy bank and I painted a plate to use on birthdays.  Their stencil machine was broken so I had to hand paint “Happy Birthday” and then I decided to paint balloons on it.  I’m curious to see how it will turn out when done.  We had a lot of fun and I am sure we will be back.

 

Tonight we made popcorn after dinner.  While I was preparing breakfasts and lunches for the week Brian was doing some cleaning/rearranging in the kitchen cabinets.  He found the popcorn maker so we put it to good use tonight.

At first Andrew was concerned with what was happening…

 

Then pure joy!

Tyson loves popcorn but Andrew beats him in how much.  I am pretty sure he could have eaten the entire batch by himself.  We first learned of his love of popcorn on Wednesday.  I took Tyson to see The Lorax at the dollar theatre for some quality Mommy/Tyson time.  It was so fun and Tyson kept telling me Thank you and I love you and was laughing and smiling during the whole movie.  We got a giant popcorn to share but couldn’t finish it and so I thought Brian would like some.  Turns out whatever was left mostly went into Andrew’s begging mouth!  Tonight Brian put a little bit in a bowl and Andrew tried to grab all of it to put in his mouth but most ended up on the counter :)

Dance Recital

This weekend was one of the studio’s dance recitals.  I worked for 4 hours Friday night and Saturday night.  It can be pretty stressful running around remembering to change props, entertain the girls and try to keep them quiet, and help my own class get on the stage and be supportive from the curtain.  I love it though.  There is so much excitement at recitals.  The owner had a little speech with all the girls before the show started and she said, “These are really some of the best years of your life.”  I completely agree.  Being in a ballet company growing up and dancing on stage and forming friendships that I will NEVER forget really have been some of the best years of my life.  My fondest memories are from behind the scenes of shows or being on the stage. 

Here are my classes.  Both classes are the same level and almost the same exact dance.  One class was probably one of the most rewarding and special classes and the other was my most difficult class I have ever taught in my life.  It was a learning experience this past season.

The treats I made for my girls.  Tyson picked out the ring pops and insisted on me getting them for my “ballet girls” as he calls them.  One of the girls started crying at the end of the show when she was packing up her stuff.  She couldn’t find her treat and was devastated.  There are a lot of girls with the same name so someone must have grabbed it.  As sad as it was it made me feel good that she liked the treat and note so much.

Preschool Program

Ty had his preschool program on Tuesday.  He did a great job.  He actually sang a lot of the songs and participated.  I think having it in the little classroom wasn’t as overwhelming as a giant gym with a million students and camera-flashing parents.  The program was super cute.  They sang a bunch of songs and did some dancing.  I apparently picked the worse possible seat.  Miss Jenny was in front of me to the left and Ty ended up being right in the one spot where it was difficult to see.  We are so proud of Tyson and how far he has come!  I love that he has had this outlet twice a week.  He always told me how much fun he had in school.  I actually got a little teary-eyed when they were singing their good-bye song. 

  

Getting his diploma from Miss MyKell!

Miss Jenny and Miss MyKell!

 

Letter Sounds Song.  It took Ty a little bit to get into the song but when he did it was really cute.

Days of the Week and Months of the Year songs!  He always sang these ones at home so I wanted to video them.

Non-stop weekend!

Saturday morning started off with Andrew’s first hair cut! He has a very different type of hair then Tyson’s.  Andrew’s is thin and blonde and Tyson’s is super thick. We decided it was time to really get a nice trim because he was looking more like a mullet.  He did really well during the cut and better than we expected.  Towards the end I think he was getting really tired because he stared in the distance in a trance.  That made getting the back much easier on Liz.

 

Then we left for Woods Cross for my niece, Madi’s, dance recital.  We were a little early so we ate our packed lunches at a near by park.  I love supporting Madi with her dancing and she did such a great job.   The boys did pretty well during the performance.  It mostly had to do with the fact that I was prepared with candy and lots of it :)

After the recital we got to catch up with Mike and Emily.  We ate at a super delicious mexican restaurant.  Oh man, every time we are up in Farmington we are eating there.  I already can’t wait!   Then we drove to Salt Lake to celebrate my Grandparent’s 68th wedding anniversary.  So exciting that my grandparents have hit such a remarkable milestone.  They exude pure love and it is inspiring!  It was really fun to catch up with some cousins as well.  Rachel, Talmage, Evan, Gavin, Betsy and all of their families.  What a really fun evening.

Picture with us and Grandpa and Grandma Dickson!

On Sunday we attended the Genola ward’s sacrament meeting for Brian’s oldest nephew’s mission farewell!  He leaves next week and will be in San Bernardino, California.  Andrew was being difficult so I took him in the hall.  I could hear most of Brendan’s talk and the spirit was very strong.  You can tell he is ready to serve the Lord for 2 years.  He actually reminds me of my brother in so many ways and so it has been fun to see him grow over the years.  I remember interviewing him for my adolescent development class in college when he was 12!!!  I took a picture of him and my two boys.  I figure it will be so fun to take a picture when he returns in 2014 to see how much they have all grown.

We love you Brendan!

Andrew is 15 months!

I took our little cutie in for his well check up.  I asked the Dr. about the virus he keeps getting and he isn’t concerned.  Instantly put my mind at ease.  I trust our pediatrician whole heartedly.  If he had been even the slightest concerned he would have run tests to find out the issue.  He isn’t concerned with him not walking yet.  I am not either.  That kid truly has his own time table.

Here are his stats:

Length:  29 1/4” –5%

Weight:  18 lbs 10 oz – 0%

Head Cir:  47 1/2 cm –60%

His weight is not a typo.  Can you believe that?  He’s a tiny little guy.  He babbles more and more everyday.  The best is listening to him in the car.  He’s still rear facing but it doesn’t seem to bug him.  I know he understands the word “hungry” because whenever I say it he starts squealing or whining.  He also knows the word “more” and “milk”.  I am sure he knows more words then that but those I can really tell.  He babbles mamama or dada every once in a blue moon.  He crawls ridiculously fast.  Sometimes I have to do a slight jog to catch up with him.  He is also getting really good at pushing the walking toy around the house.  When he gets stuck he whines and lifts his leg up and down in protest.  He has figured out that if he walks around the toy to the wrong side he can start pushing it again that way.  So funny.  He loves balls.  He throws them all over the place.  He still has the biggest wide open smile.  When he gets upset though or just done with an item or toy he chucks it.  That can be a bit frustrating at times but we love you Andy Baby!

Video of him crawling

Video of him walking with his toy

Mother’s Day

I am so grateful to be the mother to my two boys, Tyson and Andrew.  They bring me so much joy and happiness.  There are times that I do feel like I have lost my mind or I look around and see the house in disarray and want to cry, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love them.  They are precious gifts from God and I often feel the burden of whether I am doing a good job raising them.  Nevertheless, I will always try my best.  Thank you boys for making me a mother.  And thank you for your never ending patience with me.

On Thursday when I picked up Ty from school he had the cutest little gifts to give me.  My heart melted from the stuff.  Ah, the simplicity and pure love from a 4 year old.  Does it get any sweeter than this?

Brian told me on Saturday that he didn’t know what to get me (I have been talking about getting a new bed spread, decorating the kitchen, getting more clothes, getting a new bag, etc.)  I think I confused him with what to get me :)  I went to lunch with some friends to Zupas in the afternoon and it was so fun.  I decided to hit up Target afterwards to spend a little bit of time to myself.  I ended up seeing some awesome platters and plates that were in the EXACT colors I had been picturing for my kitchen.  I started loading up the cart and checked out.  I called Brian from the car and told him I had just spent my mother’s day gift! Once I set everything up on top of the kitchen cabinets, I realized I needed just a few more things so he took me to Hobby Lobby.  He was very patient and even helped me find a few things.  Afterwards we went to the Olive Garden for dinner and had a great time.  We rarely go out to eat to nice places with the kids anymore, but the kids were well behaved and it made for an enjoyable dinner.  Then my neighbor came over once the kids were down for the night and Brian and I left to see the Avengers.  Awesome movie. Saturday was such a fabulous day!

   

I am not done decorating yet, but I am close and I am already so in love.

On Sunday, Brian had church meetings but he still got up early and made pancakes, eggs, hash browns and toast!  Thanks babe.  I love Sunday breakfasts so much and to know he got up early to do that for me was so sweet. He was able to come home around noon and finish getting the boys ready for church.  After church we went straight to Brian's parent’s house.  Dinner was delicious and the company was lovely.  The weather was also really nice for Tyson to go out and play.  Unfortunately, Grandma Ramona went for a walk and ripped her leg open on a wooden stake that was sticking out of the ground.  A total freak accident.  Brian said the cut was super nasty and she got a lot of stitches.  Tyson didn’t see any of it.  But he was concerned and when he saw the blood on the sidewalk.  Once they got home from the ER, Tyson made sure Grandma Ramona was okay.  He kept softly touching her foot, giving her kisses and telling her she’ll be okay.  It was so sweet.  It was an eventful evening and we stayed past 9:30 but it was a lot of fun.