As some of you may already know, I have been trying to become more “green”. I have replaced all of our household cleaners with Vinegar and Baking soda. I have replaced our laundry detergent with a more environmentally friendly product. We now have bins in our kitchen for cardboards and plastics.
One more change looms ahead in our future. Yes, we are a bit scared. Yes, it’s a smidge overwhelming. Some days we talk about turning back and running full speed. You know what I’m talking about…cloth diapers.
I had toyed with the idea before I had my miscarriage last summer. Steven thought that I had either gone crazy or it was the hormones.
Then with this pregnancy I just tossed the idea aside. I mean who cares that it takes a disposable diaper 500 years to decompose, it’s just so much easier, and I LOVE pampers swaddlers.
Well, I’ve been running along side the bandwagon again, so to speak. I’m not completely on yet, but I’m headed in that direction.
I have done so much research online, I have just about confused myself. Lucky for me, there is a local cloth-diapering store in town that gives a class I like to call “diapering for dummies”. I went to said class a few weeks ago and have been high on cloth ever since. My biggest fear was the laundry. We have a HE washer and I just didn’t know how that would work, but she explained it all and it really doesn’t seem that bad.
The last cloth diaper I used was on my niece, who by the way is 18 and graduating high school. Let me just say, cloth has come a long way.
Now I just don’t know what to choose. My daycare said that they are fine with it as long as we use either an AIO or Pocket (I actually know what that means now!!). There are just so many brands to choose from. Of course, I like one of the most expensive ones. That seems to be how I roll sometimes. The other thing is that there is less to be desired in the boy print category other than camo.
So what I want to know is there any of my comrades out there that used cloth diapers? Which ones did you like? Anyone, anyone?
Friday, May 29, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Eighteen and Life You Got It
For some strange reason this bit of song always plays when I think of being 18. Did I mention that my niece is 18 now?
That’s right, my sweet niece is graduating high school and I can not believe it. It doesn’t seem possible that she is eighteen. Where has all the time gone? Wasn’t it just a year or two ago that I myself was making that walk in Lion Stadium…hmmm…I guess it has been longer than I thought.
We are making the trek across the state to our beloved stomping grounds where we grew up to witness Miss E’s rite of passage ceremony. I’m hoping to see a few friends (Amy can you email me your # again?) while we are there and visit the Lake since it has been FOREVER! I know for sure we will visit the LR Zoo (Sie loves the tiger exhibit there). I’m sure time will run short as it always does, and I seem to tire (and swell) much quicker than before so we’ll see what all we fit in.
We plan to leave Tuesday after work. We’re going to try to get to the halfway point. I can’t handle the car much more than that here in the third trimester and with Silas potty training…this trip should be interesting!
That’s right, my sweet niece is graduating high school and I can not believe it. It doesn’t seem possible that she is eighteen. Where has all the time gone? Wasn’t it just a year or two ago that I myself was making that walk in Lion Stadium…hmmm…I guess it has been longer than I thought.
We are making the trek across the state to our beloved stomping grounds where we grew up to witness Miss E’s rite of passage ceremony. I’m hoping to see a few friends (Amy can you email me your # again?) while we are there and visit the Lake since it has been FOREVER! I know for sure we will visit the LR Zoo (Sie loves the tiger exhibit there). I’m sure time will run short as it always does, and I seem to tire (and swell) much quicker than before so we’ll see what all we fit in.
We plan to leave Tuesday after work. We’re going to try to get to the halfway point. I can’t handle the car much more than that here in the third trimester and with Silas potty training…this trip should be interesting!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Carriers, Slings, and Strollers
Okay, it’s almost baby time. I’m really struggling on the decision to buy a double stroller or not. When Silas was a baby, I had a VW Bug convertible. There was no way a stroller would fit into it in any way or form. My answer to this was to wear him. It was great! It kept him close, my hands free, and strangers at bay.
We started with the Baby Bjorn, which was wonderful until he hit about the 15 lbs mark. Then we switched to the Mei tai. It too is a wonderful carrier, but there is a learning curve and there’s no way of just throwing it on quickly-especially a back carry.
This is when the Ergo entered my life. It has been the best carrier I have tried. I love everything about it from the pocket to the padded straps.
I can’t wait to try them with this little guy. I just bought the infant insert for the Ergo. It seems a bit awkward, but I’m excited about it. I also purchased a Moby wrap. Alicia had told me how much she enjoyed hers when E was tiny, and it looks so comfy. There is definitely a learning curve to it as well. I’m going to have to enlist one of Sie’s stuffed animals to help me learn how to use it.
So, this is where the stroller confusion comes into play. Silas is not as thrilled about us wearing him anymore, but he has acquired a new infatuation with riding in the stroller. I had my heart set on this one, which is a sit, and stand. However, being the logical thinker I sometimes am, I’ve about talked myself out of any kind of new stroller. I think Sie can roll and I’m just going to wear this little one like I did his big brother.
Well then…I went to the music city marathon. I saw all of the cute double jogging strollers. OMG! I have had my eye on this one as well, but had decided that it was just too much money to spend. The thing is, EVERYONE that has one raves about it-not only for jogging, but for everyday excursions as well.
Now I still don’t know what to do. If you know me, you know I’m prone to extravagant purchases (aka my Coach diaper bag), but I just can’t decide what to do. It's really hard to make such a big purchase without a test drive. I can't find either product locally so I just keep reading review after review after review.
So…the plan for now is to keep what we have and wear the monkey. However, there may be a future post about a beautiful orange duallie…
We started with the Baby Bjorn, which was wonderful until he hit about the 15 lbs mark. Then we switched to the Mei tai. It too is a wonderful carrier, but there is a learning curve and there’s no way of just throwing it on quickly-especially a back carry.
This is when the Ergo entered my life. It has been the best carrier I have tried. I love everything about it from the pocket to the padded straps.
I can’t wait to try them with this little guy. I just bought the infant insert for the Ergo. It seems a bit awkward, but I’m excited about it. I also purchased a Moby wrap. Alicia had told me how much she enjoyed hers when E was tiny, and it looks so comfy. There is definitely a learning curve to it as well. I’m going to have to enlist one of Sie’s stuffed animals to help me learn how to use it.
So, this is where the stroller confusion comes into play. Silas is not as thrilled about us wearing him anymore, but he has acquired a new infatuation with riding in the stroller. I had my heart set on this one, which is a sit, and stand. However, being the logical thinker I sometimes am, I’ve about talked myself out of any kind of new stroller. I think Sie can roll and I’m just going to wear this little one like I did his big brother.
Well then…I went to the music city marathon. I saw all of the cute double jogging strollers. OMG! I have had my eye on this one as well, but had decided that it was just too much money to spend. The thing is, EVERYONE that has one raves about it-not only for jogging, but for everyday excursions as well.
Now I still don’t know what to do. If you know me, you know I’m prone to extravagant purchases (aka my Coach diaper bag), but I just can’t decide what to do. It's really hard to make such a big purchase without a test drive. I can't find either product locally so I just keep reading review after review after review.
So…the plan for now is to keep what we have and wear the monkey. However, there may be a future post about a beautiful orange duallie…
Friday, May 8, 2009
Easter
Well, spring has sprung and Easter has come and gone. We had a really good weekend. Steven’s parents came to town to visit and celebrate the holiday. The temperatures were starting to rise, but the shade was still a bit chilly.
The Saturday before we went for a walk on the greenway that runs through our neighborhood. There is a little park there that B and I have started walking to in the evenings to let Sie play. Anyway, we loaded Silas up in the stroller and all of us went to the park.
We had the place to ourselves—which is very rare.
Even Nana went down the slide!
Grandpa went down a few times as well and he even taught Silas how to go down headfirst. He’d never been brave enough to do that before.
Daddy slid down the pole when no little eyes were watching.
Grandpa, however, made the little eyes aware of the pole and they had to slide down as well.
The park is pretty shady, so it was getting cool fast (hence the jackets) so the Bridges Clan decided to trek it home. We saw a random bunny next to the trail. I thought it was pretty fitting since the next day was Easter, but Sie was less than enthused! (and so was the bunny)
Being the lazy bones preggo of a Mom that I have turned into, poor Silas hadn’t gotten to die Easter eggs yet. So, upon our arrival home, all of the coloring festivities begun. Last year we decided this ritual should be practiced outside whenever possible. I gathered all of the items and family in the back yard for the event. Silas LOVED it.
I quickly remembered how messy the process was and made our dear son wear his art smock to protect his clothes.
Sometimes I can’t control my OCD. It about drove me bonkers that he wanted to mix colors. Regardless he thought that every egg was so “boo-ti-ful”. I have a video of all of that, but I’m going to spare you all this time. ☺
The Saturday before we went for a walk on the greenway that runs through our neighborhood. There is a little park there that B and I have started walking to in the evenings to let Sie play. Anyway, we loaded Silas up in the stroller and all of us went to the park.
We had the place to ourselves—which is very rare.
Even Nana went down the slide!
Grandpa went down a few times as well and he even taught Silas how to go down headfirst. He’d never been brave enough to do that before.
Daddy slid down the pole when no little eyes were watching.
Grandpa, however, made the little eyes aware of the pole and they had to slide down as well.
The park is pretty shady, so it was getting cool fast (hence the jackets) so the Bridges Clan decided to trek it home. We saw a random bunny next to the trail. I thought it was pretty fitting since the next day was Easter, but Sie was less than enthused! (and so was the bunny)
Being the lazy bones preggo of a Mom that I have turned into, poor Silas hadn’t gotten to die Easter eggs yet. So, upon our arrival home, all of the coloring festivities begun. Last year we decided this ritual should be practiced outside whenever possible. I gathered all of the items and family in the back yard for the event. Silas LOVED it.
I quickly remembered how messy the process was and made our dear son wear his art smock to protect his clothes.
Sometimes I can’t control my OCD. It about drove me bonkers that he wanted to mix colors. Regardless he thought that every egg was so “boo-ti-ful”. I have a video of all of that, but I’m going to spare you all this time. ☺
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