Monday, February 21, 2011

COOKIES!!

So for a lot of women, breastfeeding contains a lot of hurdles. My biggest problem is with supply. Granted, it's not a huge problem for me, but is definitely an issue during certain parts of my cycle. So, when I can feel my supply beginning to dip a bit (and I can tell because the Eskimo is no longer satisfied to feed on just one side. He wants both, and usually ends the nursing session screaming because he wasn't finished), I start drinking Mother's Milk Tea, taking Fenugreek and now, I'm trying out some lactation cookies! I figure if I'm going to breastfeed and supply my baby with all the nutrients he needs, then I deserve some cookies. Plus, they're "guilt-free" because it's helping your milk supply. Right? At least, that's how I'm looking at it. :) This is the recipe I'm trying:

http://www.food.com/recipe/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-lactation-cookies-by-noel-trujillo-192346

You'll notice they're chock full of good things like flaxseed meal, brewer's yeast and oatmeal. All of these are great things for your supply. However, I don't really like oatmeal, so I definitely need to hide it in a cookie. And have you ever tried brewer's yeast? It's nasty stuff. So, pour on the sugar and chocolate chips! I'm definitely going to tell my husband that these are lactation cookies and he probably won't like them. We'll see how long that lasts. ;)

I'll let you know if they help my supply!

Healthy Food on the Go

As your little one grows, your world (and theirs) starts to open up a bit. You're no longer a prisoner in your home and since they can stay awake a bit longer, you can run more errands and even grab lunch while out. This can get dangerous, too. Remember that you are setting an example for you little one, from day one. You'll be amazed at how much these little sponges soak up every single day.

If I'm out running errands, I never leave the house without the diaper bag. I am unwilling to risk a potential meltdown, my son puking all over his clothes, or a big old stinky diaper. I'm prepared for almost anything. I always keep snacks in the diaper bag, too. I bring healthy, organic snacks from home so that I'm not forced to buy something that my son really shouldn't be eating. At this point, the snacks are a bit more about learning and entertainment than they are nutrition. He is still getting most of his nutrition from breastmilk. But nothing quiets a cranky, distracted baby like some organic crackers or cheerios.

There will be times when you stop for lunch with your little one. Just last week, I had a craving for a big old Chipotle burrito. The Eskimo and I went in, I ordered my burrito and I ordered a side of black beans and plain rice for him. He was ecstatic to have his own food and enjoyed smooshing up the rice and black beans and trying to stuff it into his mouth. Almost any restaurant you frequent will have something for your little one to eat. And, as a bonus, if you order something healthy for yourself, you can just share! Even McDonald's has apple slices for your little one to munch on. But remember, you choice of restaurant and entrĂ©e is setting an example for your child, even if they aren't old enough to talk yet.

The other thing I realized as I was sitting in Chipotle and the Eskimo was throwing half his rice and beans on the floor was that I am now one of "those" moms. You know, the moms with the little kids who walk away leaving a huge mess on the floor. I was always shocked that people would do this, but the reality is, there really isn't much you can do about it. I clean up the best I can with a baby wipe, and I always wipe down the table and highchair when we're done, but let's face it, I'm not going to crawl around on the floor picking up grains of rice. Apologies in advance to the person who sits at my table after us. :)

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

I'm not "Super Mom"

A few days ago, my husband was sitting in his chair, reading my latest blog entry when he looked up at me and said, "If I were a mom, I'd hate to be friends with you". What?! He said, you cloth diaper, you make all organic baby food, you blog about it, etc etc. And that's when I realized that the perception held by most is that all of these things are difficult and take up ALL of your time. I'm here to tell you that this is NOT true.

Let's face it, being a mom is hard work, whether you're lucky enough to be a stay at home mom, or if you're in the workforce, trying to squeeze everything into a day. It's hard. But doing a few simple things like using cloth or making baby food really doesn't take up very much time. I'll admit it, I'm about one step above a lazy bum. I would be happiest if I were just left alone to knit all day, every day. But as discussed in my previous post, cloth diapers only create one extra load of laundry every 2-3 days. And they actually allow me to be even lazier because I never have to run out to the store to buy diapers. EVER. It's wonderful. :)

As for the baby food, I just pick up the extra fruits and veggies during my normal grocery run. Then, about once a week, I hand the baby off to my husband, crank up some tunes, and happily peel, steam and puree for an evening. This is kind of "me" time. No one can bug you when the blender is going at full volume. And, because it takes time for things to steam and puree, bring a book into the kitchen with you and you can really take advantage of this time.

And the blog? Well, consider this another way for me to ignore that pile of dishes in the sink. :) Really, the point of this blog is to show people how EASY all of these things are. It's not to make anyone feel bad because they're not doing them. And you don't have to do any of these things 100% of the time. You can put your baby in 'sposies at daycare and cloth at home. Or puree their veggies and buy their fruit in jars. You can cloth diaper without making baby food, and vice versa. I'm not going to lie, we have a pack of disposable diapers upstairs that I dip into when I just don't feel like dealing with cloth. And we have jars of baby food in the house for when I really don't want to puree anymore.

So, the point is, I'm not "Super Mom", but I am a super mom. We all are. Keep loving those precious little babies and doing the best you can. :)

Monday, February 7, 2011

Laundry

Okay, the number one "excuse" I hear for not using cloth diapers is the amount of extra laundry it creates. If you have children, you already know that they create an obscene amount of laundry. You wouldn't think such a tiny creature could fill a laundry basket so quickly, but they can. Between bibs, burp rags, clothes that inevitably get spit up on, pj's, blankets, sheets..... etc etc etc, you probably need to do a load at least every other day.

Well, cloth diapers only add one load of laundry every two to three days. We're in the 21st century here, and you no longer have to scrub on a washboard. You do NOT spend all your time washing diapers. I hardly even notice the extra load every few days. It just fades into the background of a busy washing machine. And if you read my previous post on the washing routine for cloth diapers, you know that it's easy to wash them too. Nothing complex here, guys.

So, you are no longer allowed to use laundry as an excuse to stick with disposables. ;)  One of my pet peeves is when other people tell me how they can't believe I use cloth diapers because it's SO much work. First of all, I'm not asking them to do the work. Second of all, it's NOT that much work, and that's just their ignorance talking. I think a lot of people who would have cloth diapered have been turned off by their friends (who use disposables) telling them how much work it is. For me, the most difficult thing about cloth diapering was the information gathering. And, since you're lucky enough to have found this blog, you can check that one off the list too. :) Consider me your personal source of information. Feel free to email, comment, ask me questions.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

It's never over

Just when you think you've got all the diapering accessories you need, you find one more cute diaper cover and you just can't resist. Believe me, I've tried. So, say hello to the newest additions to my diapering stash:

On the left we have a Happy Heinys pocket diaper and on the right is another Bummis Super Brite diaper cover. Best part about the Happy Heinys? IT GLOWS IN THE DARK!!! I am SO excited to get this on the Eskimo's butt and turn the lights out. :) It's the little things, you know? I've not tried HH before, so we'll see how it goes. I mostly bought it because it was cute and the Eskimo had already drooled all over it and destroyed the packaging. I'm of the opinion that if your child has drooled on something, you should buy it.

I have another Bummis cover, but it's the Whisper Wrap, which doesn't have exposed PUL on the inside, so you can't wipe it clean. I've also found that's it kind of starting to smell like urine too, which is NOT cool. The Super Brite has exposed PUL on the inside, so you can wipe it clean in between washes. Plus I really like the gussets on the Super Brite. We had one in size small when the Eskimo was little and I really liked it then. And who can resist Bummi's patterns anyway? Definitely not me.

So, as you can probably tell from the picture, shopping for diapers can be really fun. There are so many cute patterns and options out there. I mean, who doesn't want glow-in-the-dark skulls on their butt? Am I right? And I'm in big trouble because a brand new baby store just opened up about a mile from my house. Today was their first day open, and I ran over there first chance I got. They're pretty tiny, but they had a lot of diaper options, which makes me happy. Check out the website: www.mamawise.com.

Time to wash these babies so I can put them on the Eskimo!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Babies and Pets

I'm not just a mother to an amazing baby boy. We also have two German Shorthaired Pointers and 5 (I know, I know) cats. There are a lot of concerns with pets and babies and you should take pause before deciding to have either.

If you're planning on having kids, or are already pregnant and you're thinking of getting a dog or cat, don't. Just plain don't do it. Wait until the baby is born and a little older. I love all of our animals, but they are a LOT of work and when it comes to priorities in our house, the baby always comes first. This means that the dogs don't get walked every day and that the litter boxes don't get scooped as often as they should. But most of all, it means none of the animals get the attention they deserve. Having a child is all-consuming. It leaves you with very few spare brain cells. I'm not saying you can't have pets and kids at the same time, but that if you can be pet-free during the newborn stage, your life will be a little easier. You're about to embark on a brand new adventure with a tiny human. Save the adventure with your furry friend for a time when you can focus.

Also, when picking a new pet for your family, do your homework. Read up on different breeds of dogs and cat and find one that will suit your family's personality. German Shorthaired Pointers are known for being amazing family dogs, but they are VERY energetic and can easily knock over a child in their enthusiasm. We know this, and have taken the appropriate precautions. Don't just wander down to the shelter one day and pick the first dog that strikes your fancy. You will have this dog for the rest of its life, so make sure you can live with it.

Okay, for those of us who already have pets and are unwilling to give them up: It's okay. Like I said, we have 2 dogs and 5 cats and it's fine. We didn't let any of the animals anywhere near the Eskimo for the first couple of months, but as he got older, there wasn't much we could do to prevent them from hanging out. One of our cats absolutely loves him. She sits next to him and will actually carry a feather wand over to him so he will play with her. But he's a grabby little boy and often will end up with a fist full of cat hair and an angry cat. Do NOT leave your pets alone with the baby. I don't care how much you trust your animals. They are animals and that is not their baby. In their eyes, it's just another tiny creature in the house vying for your attention. Supervise all interactions, watch for cues that your pet is getting stressed and intervene when necessary. The Eskimo loves nothing more than pulling on our dogs' ears, but if they're not in the mood, I let them walk away. I never keep one of our pets near the baby if they don't want to be there. I want nothing but happy thoughts for them when they're around him.

The supervision thing carries over into naptime and bedtime as well. I can't supervise pet/baby interactions at night. I don't let any of our animals into the baby's room, at all. It would probably be fine, but we've all heard horror stories of cats smothering babies and that is NOT going to happen in my house. Plus, it's a lot easier to keep the nursery clean without pet hair in it.


We've had a really good experience with our pets and our baby. We've not had any problems, yet. Just pay attention and do your best to set your pets up for success.