On the move...

I really thought Minion was going to skip crawling and go right to walking, he always hated "Tummy Time" and as soon as you would try to have him sit he would arch his back so he would be standing up instead. He is always trying to pull himself up on things and when you hold him standing he gets the biggest smile on that cute little face of his like he just did the coolest thing ever. Well yesterday he proved me wrong, he was at my in-laws house for the day and when I went over there I was told how he was crawling all day and I missed it. (He did crawl a tiny bit a few days ago in front of me though so I'm going to go with that) Today I put him on the floor after breakfast and there he was crawling all over the place chasing one of the cats around and laughing, glad I decided to take the glass/wood/slate coffee table apart last week and store it. Now I just have to figure out what to do with all of our video game systems and the stereo so I can store the media tower too (with it's non-secured glass shelves), finding a place to put it would probably help too... As much as I love watching him accomplish new things and how proud of himself he gets I don't think I'm ready for this, sure it's just crawling now but then comes school and going to the mall with friends and just generally not needing me as much (yes I'm being way dramatic about this). For now at least he is a Mama's Boy and loves to be snuggled and kissed and hugged. I'll keep it that way for as long as he will let me, even if Daddy does get a little jealous sometimes. Usually if I walk into a room and he sees me he will fuss until I come over to him... Oh the powers of being Mama!!!!

Apple Cider Vinegar... The new duct tape?

OK, so it won't hold your bumper on your car and you can't make a wallet out of it but it does have TONS of uses for just about every aspect of life. I personally have at least 2 bottles in the house at all times.

I first came across Apple cider Vinegar (ACV) when my dog, Alice, developed really bad skin allergies which are common to her breed (American Pit Bull Terrier) and we were at a loss for what to do for her. She was losing fur, she had hives and she would itch herself to the point of bleeding...and that was on a good day. We are regulars at the vets office and originally she was prescribed a steroid to help, at first it did but over the years the dosage has been upped and she has to take it more often and has to take other pills to counter act some of the side effects. Some days, even that doesn't work, especially since it seems to get worse every year. This lead me to research some home remedies that might help her, the most common one I came across was to spray her coat with equal parts Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and water at least once a day, another said to add a tablespoon to her food 2-3 times a week (bonus, not only does this help her skin and coat but it keeps fleas away...this one we give to both dogs). At our next vet trip I mentioned it and Dr. said it definitely couldn't hurt and gave is the OK to try it. ALWAYS TALK TO YOUR VET BEFORE TRYING ANY HOME REMEDIES ON YOUR PETS, THEY COULD HAVE SIDE EFFECTS OR REACT WITH MEDICATIONS! CATS ARE EXTRA SENSITIVE. Within 2 weeks I noticed a HUGE difference, she still had issues but they were noticeably less and Deuce's coat shined up quite a bit too. It's been 3 years and I still use this remedy.

The amazing effects it had on my dogs lead me to look into other uses for ACV. It is antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-fungal and astringent, it contains various minerals and vitamins including Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin B2 and many others. It has health & beauty benefits for people and has many cleaning remedies. I've tried many but not all; here are just a few examples:

*Helps easy itching due to bug bites, ringworm, eczema & psoriasis (for the first 3 just apply to the affected area often throughout the day, for psoriasis, I soaked in a tub of water and added 2 cups of ACV, it's also restores your skins ph levels)
*Eases indigestion & heartburn (drink 1 tablespoon ACV mixed with a glass of room temperature water)
*Helps cure athletes foot (toe nail fungus (mix equal parts ACV and water, soak feet for 15 minutes 3 times a day)
*Health & beauty tonic (mix 2-3 teaspoons ACV in 8oz glass of water and drink daily)
*Shines and softens hair (use equal parts ACV and water as a final rinse then rinse again with cool water)
*Discourages cats (spray ACV in ares you want cats to stay away from, they hate the smell)
*Non toxic weed killer (spray in leaves and stem of weeds at full strength, works best in spring when they are beginning to grow)
This is just a small list of things ACV can be used for (now do you see what I meant about duct tape?) When using for health and beauty remedies on people or pets, always talk to your doctor and be sure to use NATURAL ACV with the "mother" still in it (it looks gross and cloudy...that's a good thing) you don't want the kind you find in the baking or cooking isle...that stuff is distilled. Apple cider vinegar is definitely a go to product in my house, try a few things out for yourself...you might be surprised.

M.I.A.

I just want to apologize for not posting anything for the last week, I was on vacation and spending some much needed time with Minion and the rest of the family. I didn't go anywhere but it was amazing non the less. I cleaned...seriously, it happened and I even started to childproof the living room since Minion is starting to crawl and wanting desperately to walk. Hubby was home for the first 3 days and we got to have some baby free time, we went to the movies and out to dinner...I forgot what that was like, we used to go out all the time. I'm not complaining though, Minion is well worth the sacrifice :) Family from out of state came to visit and a close relative had her baby shower...there was fun all around.

I'm back to work tomorrow...sad but hopefully this week I find out if I got the promotion I went for before my vacation. I'll miss having Minion all to myself but money must be made.

Tomorrows post will be well with the wait I promise. Get a pen and pad ready folks...your going to want to take notes.

Time for a schedule

I have no schedule for myself other then I work 4pm - 12am...the rest is in the air (part of that is due to Minion but not all). I really think I need to set an alarm for myself in the morning and do some exercises or something to get my self going, maybe actually eat breakfast, walk the dogs if it's not to cold outside... I feel like I'm always rushing around because I either sleep when Jacob naps (which is not always necessary but I do it anyway) or just sit around and wait for him to need something afraid that if I start a project he will only interrupt me. I've been feeling a little out of sorts lately and I think this is why. I was in so much better shape when I was pregnant, how sad is that LOL. I ate better, walked for about 20 minutes twice a day, cleaned my house... right up until the day before my water broke. Now of course Minion won't allow me to do all of that and no I didn't expect him to but I definitely slack off WAY more then I need to. I belong to a walking Moms group on Facebook which is awesome because it's exercise and Mommy time all wrapped into one but I want to do more. I will be on vacation in a few weeks I think I'll start making a plan for myself and get into a routine while I'm off. It's not all about being in shape but I do think it will help with a routine, and I would really like to get rid of my baby squishiness. I just need to get up around the same time, spend a little while doing DIY projects like I used to, have Minion's bag packed for the sitter so I'm not looking for his ring toy last minute (all Hell would break loose if he went anywhere without the rings). Routine can be a wonderful thing. I know my dogs would benefit too, they've both gotten a bit heavy since Minion was born, part of that is because Mama won't go out in the cold and part because I don't get up early enough anymore. I feel like I'm blaming my laziness on Minion but it's not all him, I really just don't feel like doing these things most of the time, I'm lucky if I fold the laundry (not that I particularly enjoyed that task before). I'm so much more happy snuggling with him for as long as he will lay still with me or just relaxing on the couch while he plays. Who wants to work full time AND be a house wife? As stated in one of my previous blogs I'd much rather be a SAHM and keep the house tidy but let's not go there again today. I'm curious, if you have a routine everyday, what is it? How did you get back into it after having a baby? If not, how do you keep your self going? I've never been a "just wing it" kind of girl and honestly I don't like it but I know not everyone shares this mentality. Comment or email me with your thoughts, maybe it will help me establish a game plan of my own.

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I'm jealous...

  I am jealous. Jealous of the Mamas who can stay at home (whether they work from home or not). I love my job, I'm a dispatcher for a high volume animal shelter's animal control department. Don't get me wrong it's very emotionally stressful and some days I cry but I'm making a difference and working in a field that shares my passion. Not many people can say that they love their job....I can and it took me a long time to get where I am. That said, I miss my baby. I took 10 weeks after he was born and it was VERY hard for me to go back to work, I was having borderline panic attacks for weeks and then found out I had to go back 2 weeks earlier then planned. Dropping Minion off at my In Laws that first day was the single hardest thing I have ever done in my life and I cried the while way to work, barely got a thing done and couldn't get home fast enough. I've been back to work since September and it's still hard, especially when I get 3 amazing days off every other weekend. Everyone keeps telling me I'll get over it and it will be OK but I just don't see it getting any better. Here is a run down of my day:
    Minion gets up between 6-8am to nurse, then we usually go back to bed until around 10-11am. We nurse again, play for about an hour then I give him some fruit or veggie puree or baby food. After that I put him in his jumparoo or entertainment seat with his favorite educational channel on while I get ready for work and pack his things for the sitter to pick him up. By the time I'm done It's about 1:30pm and I have to change him out of jammies, nurse him and then it's 2:30pm and the sitter is there to pick him up. I go to work when they leave and get home at 12:30am (Hubby picks Minion up when he is done work) unpack my things, pump on side then nursing Minion (sometimes he's awake sometimes I wake him) and we go to bed. In between all that I have to take care of the dogs.
  I feel like I never see him! It's getting quite depressing actually. I'm a bit crafty and I have been thinking about trying to sell some of the things I make, but I'm afraid I won't make enough for us to pay the bills. Another problem is I have our health insurance, Hubby's job won't cover all 3 of us and it's way to expensive even for just him. I'm not sure if you can just get insurance through the state or not or if it's only a welfare thing and I would never quit my job just for us to have to go on welfare. I'm so torn. I don't even think I could go just part time because then I would lose our insurance. Minion will be 7 months old tomorrow, he's getting big so fast and I'm terrified I won't be there when he says his first word or takes his first steps...what kind of mother would I be if I wasn't there for that?
  Before anyone says it, yes I know I'm doing what I must to provide for my family but I just wish there was another way. In Canada, they get 1 year maternity leave! Here in the US, we are one of the only countries that doesn't provide financial support for mothers. We are supposed to be so advanced and think so highly of ourselves yet we force mothers to leave their children just so they can out food on the table. Side-note: We are also have some of the lowest stats when it comes to breastfeeding. If only we could get our act together... Maybe I'll write a letter to the powers that be in Washington.
  Well, now that's I'm done my rant I'm sorry if I depressed anyone. I just really needed to get this off my chest. Now, to go spend some quality time with Hubby & Minion before bed :-)

My Addiction to All Things g

A few years ago if someone had told me I would not only cloth diaper my child(ren) but also become addicted I would have laughed in there face, but here I am with my beautiful baby boy and a nice stash of adorable fluff. When we found out I was pregnant I immediately started researching all things baby (as I'm sure every FTM does); all I knew was that I had an overwhelming desire to breastfeed which surprised me because I was not breastfed myself, nor were any of my siblings and I have never really been around anyone who breastfed their children (so I thought). We did toy around with the idea of cloth diapering but only to save money, I did a little bit of research on it and eventually we stopped talking about it and were probably just going to use disposables like "normal" people. One day I decided to drag Hubby to a Babies R Us expo event so we could see some of the cool baby stuff in action (and maybe win some of it), one of the demonstrators was for gDiapers. She started wooing me with talk about less diaper rash and eco-friendly and easier potty training, I was sold and a Newborn starter kit was added to me registry. Of course no one bought it however we did receive an overwhelming amount of Pampers... and no I'm not complaining because after having an emergency c-section that opened up less then a week later I was not up for going up & down the stairs that often to do laundry.
We started using gs when Minion was about 6 weeks old and there has been no turning back. I am constantly stalking Facebook buy/sell/trade groups and Craigslist for different patterns, having customs made and wanting anything that says gDiapers on it (especially the coveted gMug!). I even co-hosted a gGathering in the fall where I met a bunch of other mamas who love gs, and I can't wait to plan another one. So far I have about 17 different gPants, a gMum shirt, striped gLegs and I can't even tell you how many pouches (I refuse to run out). I also have about 36 gCloths but will most likely start selling them once I get my new inserts. And that's only my mediums :)
Hubby was totally on board in the beginning but now claims it's to complicated and prefers to use disposables, honestly I think he is just revolting against my addiction hoping I will stop and agree with him...YEAH RIGHT. So we compromised, most of the time (including while at the babysitters) Minion is in a cute fluffy g but at night and when Hubby has him while I'm at work he wears disposables. I love my gs and will not back down!
I do have one complaint though, I have terrible luck with gCloths, Minion leaks right through them in about an hour. I don't like the way they fit into the pouch, I feel they are much to small and recently started using charcoal/bamboo inserts and and in love all over again. I bought 5 to start and less then a week later I bought 15 more (can't wait for them to arrive!), and I still want more. The biodegradable/flushable (A.K.A. flushies) inserts are great for going out (I don't flush them though I just throw them away, the flushing is a bit complicated and you still have to throw part of it in the trash anyway). Many people compost the non-poop flushies but I'm not a composter either. They also make liners to put over the cloths for easy poop clean up but to me it's not really a big deal, it's only poop after all and since Minion is breast fed it comes right off.
I'm also not a fan of gInflation, which has nothing to do with the gDiapers company. That happens when a solid or pattern gPant becomes hard to find and so people charge crazy amounts of money for them, which only works because people are willing to pay it. I am not one of those people, I refuse to let myself pay more then $25 and have only gone over once or twice and not by much. Sure I may miss out on some of the greats like a Cycle but I did manage to score a Camper for $31 and part of the money went to charity so I didn't mind.
All in all, I highly recommend gDiapers and talk them up to people all the time. I leave coupons from my gMum kit at my local Babies R Us and other Mama's do too. A gMum is someone who signs up with gDiapers to promote and every now and then the company will send out a package with a ton of coupons and a present for the Mama (which doubles as advertising for the company). Another downside...the gDiapers.com does not take their own coupons but any store who sells them in the store, not online (Babies R Us, BuyBuy Baby and Target in some states) and some smaller online companies will also take them if you email them ahead of time. The company does offer fantastic customer service, the few times I have had an issue someone got right back to me.
The cloth diaper community is awesome! I have met so many wonderful Mamas who are always willing to offer advice if you need it. I have noticed that gDiapers seems to be the red-headed step child of the cloth diaper world, I'm not really sure why though. To be fair I have never tried any other types of cloth diapers but the way I see it is they work for us, why mess with a good thing. The brand you use all comes down to personal preference...as for me, I'll keep my gs. And keep buying more too, sorry Hubby :)