Cloth Diaper Series Day 2: Cloth Diaper Lingo

Cloth diapering basically comes with its own language and abbreviations. If you are just starting to look into cloth diapers you could become easily confused by all the different terms cloth diaper websites or Facebook groups use. It really wasn't until recently that I learned pretty much all of the cloth diapering terms. So I am going to give you a little glossary of all the terms/abbreviations you may come across in the cloth diapering world so to say! :)

Cloth Diapers (CD): diapers made out of natural or synthetic material...duh ok I really just want to give you the abbreviation for cloth diapers which is CD because that is on a lot of Facebook groups and that way you won't be confused like me and think they are talking about compact discs. 

Pocket Diaper: This is a diaper that has a pocket in the middle of the diaper where you can stuff an insert in. Usually the opening of the pocket is in the back. 

Pocket opening in the back.

All in One (AIO):This is a diaper that requires no stuffing. It is all one piece. These are typically the closest option to a disposable diaper. 

The inserts or flaps are sewn onto the diaper making it all one piece.

All in Two (AI2) or Hybrid Diaper:These diapers are a two part system. Generally you have a diaper cover and then an insert that you just lay inside the cover. After use, you would remove the insert, wipe the cover, and replace with a clean insert. They are called Hybrid as well because you can use an insert made out of cloth or a disposable/flushable insert. 

Part 1: Diaper Cover

Part 2: Insert

Flats:These are like the diapers our grandparents used to use. People still use them today because they are tried and true. Some options are Birdseye cotton, bamboo, or hemp. 

Prefolds:These are basically flats but already prefolded. These come in all kinds of varieties from bleached to unbleached. There are organic options and prefolds made of different materials such as cotton, bamboo, and hemp. 

Fitted:This is a diaper that is already folded up like a diaper. Most have snaps on them, but they still need a cover over them. So you would put on the fitted and then put on a diaper cover. 

PUL:This is what makes diapers and diaper covers waterproof. It's the shiny slick lining inside your diaper.  If this is cracked anywhere on your diaper it could cause leaks. 

Snappis:These precious babies are what have replaced diaper pins. They are rubbery and stretchy and have plastic claws to hold together a flat or prefold. They are safe and comfortable for your baby. 

The plastic claw

Doubler: This is an insert that you would stuff in your pocket diaper in addition to the normal insert to give you more absorbency. These can be made of microfiber, bamboo, hemp, etc. 

One Size (OS):This is a diaper that fits from birth to potty training. Generally 8-35lbs, but if you ask me they really don't start fitting good until 10-12lbs. 

Velcro, Aplix, or Hook and Loop:This is a type of closure on a cloth diaper. You either have snaps closure or Aplix closure (Velcro or hook and loop). All three of those terms can be interchangeable. 

This is an Aplix closure.

Now I'll give you some abbreviations commonly used on the Facebook buy,sell,trade groups because that's a language all its own!

ISO-in search of

FSOT-for sell or trade

FSO-for sell only

FTO-for trade only

PPD-paid postage domestic. This means shipping is included in the price of you live in their country so someone may price something $10ppd. 

HTF-hard to find. This is a diaper print or color that is hard to find. Generally these go for above retail. Yes cloth diapering for some is like collecting baseball cards.

BG-bumGenius 

CB-Cotton Babies (cottonbabies.com)

Hope this helps you guide your way through the cloth diaper websites and understand the terms being used!

-Hannah

*Disclaimer: I am in no way compensated or affiliated with the products, brands, or websites mentioned in this post. These are simply my personal favorites and opinions. :)

Cloth Diapering Series Day 1: An Intro To Cloth Diapers

I decided to switch things up a bit and do a series. When your a stay at home mom (and for me I literally mean stay at home) most days go about the same. So today, I am introducing a series on cloth diapering based off my most popular post "The True Cost of Cloth Diapers". I have come a long way since writing that post and I feel like I have some wisdom I'd like to share for someone who may be thinking about cloth diapering to someone who may be wanting to try something new, but want a little more info about it first. So, during this series I will be reviewing every type and brand of cloth diapers that I own and also my cloth diapering accessories. I will also be doing posts on troubleshooting for different issues that may arise with your cloth diapers and basic to advanced "how to's".

We started cloth diapering Maddox (now 2 years old) when he was 6 months old. I had seen Charlie Banana diapers when I was in Target one day and I thought those are so cute! So I purchased one with the idea that he could wear this one every once in and a while,but I never dreamed it would actually be the start of a completely different lifestyle we live today. After I realized how cute he looked in it. I began to research more about them and I talked to a friend that had just started cloth diapering as well to get some advice of where to begin. Because of the plethora of info there is out there, I was overwhelmed, but my friend thankfully pointed me in the right direction. You can see my full story and first stash of cloth diapers in this post.

So now almost 2 years and 2 kids later, I am ready to lay out all I know about cloth diapers to hopefully encourage anyone thinking about using cloth diapers or are having a hard time with the ones they have or just looking to try something new because we all know no stash is ever really complete! ;)

Question #1: Where do I start?
The first question to ask yourself when you are considering cloth diapers is "What is my budget?" This is a huge factor in determining which way to go next. I had an initial budget of only $200 for everything (diapers, wet bags, laundry soap, etc.) and with that budget I was able to get 20 Alva brand diapers, 2 Wet bags, and all the laundry supplies I needed. If I had to do it all over again I would pay the extra money up front and go with either all Bumgenius or all Best Bottoms diapers and a few more accessories, just for simplicity because they will last through 2-3 kids. To do this would run you in the neighborhood of about $500 new for everything. Keep in mind the average person spends approx. $2,000 per child on disposable diapers from birth to potty training at age 2. So $500 for 2 to 3 kids from birth to potty training is a good deal!

Question #2: Where do you buy cloth diapers?
This depends on what diapers you are wanting to buy and how you feel about buying used diapers. I hope by the end of this series I will have reviewed a diaper or diapers that you think you will like. So I am just going to hit the high spots of where to buy cloth diapers, but I will go into greater detail of where to buy specific diaper brand when I review that diaper. So, first place I would look to buy diapers if you are on a tighter budget like I was is on eBay. They definitely have the cheapest diapers that are new. Other places to buy new cloth diapers are Kelly's Closet, Diaper Junction, Cotton Babies,or Nicki's Diapers. Those are just a few of my personal favorite websites to buy from. Some of those sites have reward points or reward dollars where if you spend so much you get so many point/dollars which will translate to real dollars to spend on their site! If you don't mind buying used diapers (which I was opposed to at first, but it really saves alot of money and there is a way to sanitize used diapers at home when you get them so you know they are safe to put on your baby) then I suggest Facebook Buy, Sell, and Trade groups. Just about every brand of cloth diapers have at least one if not more groups on Facebook where moms from all over the United States, Canada, and even parts of the UK buy, sell, and trade their diapers. Just search "cloth diaper bst" or "Bumgenius BST" or whatever brand your looking for. I will make a post that goes into greater detail about buying diapers on a Facebook group. This is where the majority of my stash today has come from. You know my motto I go by, "buy used and save the difference" :).

Question #3: How many diapers do I need and what kind of accessories do I need?
If you are only cloth diapering one child, I personally recommend 20 one size diapers and 24 diapers specifically designed for newborns (if you plan to cloth diaper from the start). With cloth diapers you do have to change a little more frequently than disposables just because they are not filled with that gel made of who knows what that can hold a gallon of urine. I have used the "two hour" rule ever since I started cloth diapering and have rarely had a issue with that. Obviously, you would want to change sooner than two hours if they have had a bowel movement just as you would in disposables. So with this rule of thumb, you can expect 8-10 changes in a 24 hour period because you most likely won't change every two hours at night when they are able to wear one size diapers. As far as accessories, the options are limitless. My personal recommendation is at least 2 wet bags, a diaper sprayer (I will make a post that goes into more detail about this), Snappis (if you plan to use flats or prefolds), cloth wipes or baby wash cloths, cloth diaper safe rash cream, a diaper pail, 2 pail liners, and hemp doublers for night time.

These are just a few questions I get asked alot and will get you pointed in the right direction, but I hope by the end of this series you will feel confident in making the decision to cloth diaper or if you already cloth diaper will learn something new and/or be encouraged. Tomorrow we will dive into the world of cloth diaper lingo and all the different cloth diapering options you have in today's time. Cloth diapering doesn't have to involve flats, rubber pants, and safety pins anymore! ;)

-Hannah

*Disclaimer: I am in no way compensated or affiliated with the products, brands, or websites mentioned in this post. These are simply my personal favorites and opinions. :)

Diligence Is Not My Strongest Quality

 Hello again! So things like this remind me of how diligence is not my strongest quality. I have the hardest time staying dedicated to things. I guess my attention span plays a good role in that. I had a friend in high school who literally carried the same Coach purse the whole 4 years we were in high school and I really admired her diligence to that purse. I think how many times you change purses says a lot about your diligence or attention span because me I switch purses/diaper bags ALL the time. So, anyway I'm back, but I can't make any promises as too long or frequent I'll post because life happens and I'm easily distracted! 😊 

I always feel like when I take breaks I spend a week just trying to play catch up, so I'm just going to make this update brief!

Natalie: She is now 3 months old, chunky, and teething. She is such a little blessing to our family and is definitely the calm child. She still sleeps soo good which I am so very thankful for. 

Maddox: He has just blossomed into this little boy that just says everything that's on his mind. The things he says just blows my mind sometimes because he just talks about things that I didn't even know he knew anything about. He has highs and lows everyday. He is definitely a two year old. He is such a good big brother. He likes to rock his sister while singing "Rocking my baby" (Aka Rock-a-bye Baby).  

Hopefully I can get back in the swing of my daily updates because that is so fun to look back on. I've contemplated getting into some vlogging too, but I have the worst country accent and can't stand to hear myself talk on video so that might not be a good idea haha. We will see! 

-Hannah

No Naps

Today was our normal hurried Sunday morning. I have seen time and time again the advice to get out the door in time for church is to lay everything out at night to save time in the morning. Hopefully one day I will actually apply that. I woke up later than I wanted to so I was already semi-panicking, but I decided panicking wasn't going to help the situation. I decided to save time by not washing my hair and just curling it and planning what I was going to wear in my head while I was doing my make up. I also had an extra step in my Sunday morning routine because I was planning a pot roast for dinner, so I had to brown the meat a bit and chop the vegetables to go in it and get that started so it could cook while we were gone. We were only a few minutes late getting there and nobody had any major meltdowns so I consider it a success. When we got home our pot roast wasn't quite down, so we grilled hot dogs for lunch. By this time it was almost 2pm and Maddox still hadn't had a nap and it was showing. He was having toddler meltdowns all over the place. I put him down for his nap, but he never did go to sleep. That makes two days in a row he has went without a nap and I hope he is not making a habit out of it.

After he came out of his room from his "nap", we ate our pot roast which turned out sooo good. I am not a good cook at all, so every time I cook something new and it turns out good I am pleased. I finally got a little time this afternoon to get the house back to reset mode, which for me is just having everything picked up and sweeping. I haven't been able to do that all week and I have no idea why. The past few weeks I haven't had a problem with cleaning. 

I didn't get any pictures today although I said I was going to do better about that, but I did get a screenshot of the cute but funny picture Maddox colored on his Disney Creativity app on the IPad. We rarely let him play on the IPad, but he was being really quiet so I went in to see what he was doing and this is what he was making! :)

It looks like he tried to write his name in the upper right hand corner
even though he has no idea how to write his name.

-Hannah

Toy Story Boy

Today was an interesting day not really our typical day. I thought Maddox would take an early nap because he woke up early this morning, but he ended up not taking a nap at all. I thought he was asleep at one point so I decided to get myself ready because we had a baby shower to go to at 2. Once I got in the bathroom I heard him in his room reading The Wheels on the Bus to himself (he just says the parts he can remember haha). After I did my makeup I went back in and read to him again hoping he'd take a nap because I did not want to go to the baby shower and him not had a nap. I finished getting ready and he still hadn't went to sleep. By that time it was time to get him and Natalie ready to go. 

Love that smile!

Surprisingly they both did really well at the baby shower. Maddox's had small kids to play with and Natalie slept in the Moby wrap the whole time. 

We came home about the time Bryan did so I made a quick dinner of cheese sticks because none of us were real hungry. 

I just took mozzarella string cheese and cut them in half then rolled them in flour, then in egg whites, then tossed them in bread crumbs. Then I baked them for five minutes at 350*.  This is a healthier alternative to frozen premade cheese sticks. 

Maddox finally got a Woody doll with his birthday money. We had got him a Buzz for Easter this past year so he was excited to have a Woody to go with him. 

We had to tie the balloons to them so they wouldn't got to the ceiling.

I don't know if I have mentioned this yet, but I signed Maddox up for the Disney Movie Club so he could get his favorite Disney movies and not have to pay full price for every one. Any day they should come in the mail and I can't wait to see his face when he gets then. He hasn't got to watch Toy Story since we cancelled our satellite so I'm sure we will have to watch it a few hundred times when it gets here!

All and all a good day! Now time to prepare for our busy Sunday we always have! :)

-Hannah

Respect

Sorry this post is going to be short because I have had a really fussy baby today that has wanted to be held constantly. I'm finally getting five minutes to myself so I thought I'd share it with you. :)

A topic that's been on my mind lately is respect. You look around our society today and not many children or adults for that matter have respect for their elders, their parents, or even anybody. I love watching Leave It To Beaver because kids in those days respected their parents and elders. That is what I want for my children especially for my boys. There is nothing that makes a man more attractive to a woman than one who is respectful especially to his mother. 

I read a great article today that said if you want your children to learn respect you have demonstrate it first which is so obvious but most of us don't apply it. It says to look your children in the eye and get on their level when they are talking so that it teaches them how to listen respectfully. On an episode of Leave It To Beaver I was watching today Beaver pulled out the chair for his mother at dinner. I thought you never see that anymore. I want to teach Maddox and any future boys I may have how to be respectful and courteous to me so they will know how to treat a potential wife one day. I want to start being intentional about training Maddox now so that being respectful becomes part of his character rather than waiting until it becomes a problem. 

It all starts with me and Bryan as with anything in parenting. Dr. Charles Stanley says kids are going to do what you do not necessarily what you say. 

Just thought I'd share what's been on my mind instead of a daily update, but if your wondering another normal day except with some fussiness, but I survived and tomorrow's a new day!:)

I leave you with a cute Natalie picture since I obviously did not get any pictures today. 

Surprised Face 

-Hannah

Meal Planning Tips

So today we went to the grocery store because we were supposed to make last week's groceries last for 2 weeks, but they only lasted a week. It was because I did not have a meal plan. So this week I downloaded an app on my phone called Meal Maker. It has the seven days of the week listed like this:

Then you can click on the day of the week you want to see the meal plan for like this example;

When you hit view meals that is where you can edit what you want to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that day. You can add the ingridents that go in each meal and then add them to the shopping list feature it has. 

So this one for me was turkey sandwich with carrots and oatmeal cookies. Then as you got through the grocery store you can check off items as you get them. I really like this app because I used to do my meal plan on paper, but either lost the paper or forget to bring it to the store. This way my meal plan and shopping list is in one place. The only bad thing is the shopping list isn't categorized by meats, produce, etc. and if you want to add other things like snack foods or items that aren't designated for a specific meal you just have to add it in under the ingredients for a meal.

I like having a meal plan so we know we will have enough food for the week and we don't impulse buy on junk food and blow our grocery budget. Meal plans are definitely a must if you are on a budget. I can only meal plan a week at a time because we eat at home at least 6 days a week breakfast, lunch and dinner. We may have fast food once a week if we are out for a long period of time and usually I eat dinner at my mom's once a week, but other than that we eat at home. So to plan 3 meals a day for more than a week would be too much to handle. It usually takes me 2 days to make a meal plan for a week just because I have limited time to research recipes and sit down and think strategically so that food doesn't get wasted. 

So there are my tips on meal planning. If you have any questions on meal planning comment below! :)

6 Weeks Old!

We have made it to the six weeks postpartum mark! My little angel is growing up so fast! I had my six week check up today and everything has healed up nicely. We have had another typical day today which I love so I don't have too much to report. My dad always says, "no news is good news" and I find that true too. We just did our normal routine with a little less cleaning. Natalie had been a little more fussier than usual the past couple of days which I'm pretty sure it is because of some tummy troubles that will hopefully pass soon. So cleaning got traded in today for extra baby snuggles. I wish I could do that everyday, but it doesn't take long for my house to look turned upside down.

This was as happy as she got today, poor baby!

Bryan and I have started the Dave Ramsey way of becoming debt free. We haven't created a strict budget plan yet just because right now Bryan's income is fluctuating a lot, but we are following the "baby steps". We have completed #1 which is to save $1000 as quick as you can for an emergency fund. Now we are working on #2 which is to pay off debt from smallest to biggest excluding your mortgage. Thankfully we don't have very much debt other than our mortgage so it shouldn't take us very long to complete that step. We have already paid off the smallest and working on the next one. After we finish that we will be on to step #3 which is saving 3-6 months worth of income. There are 7 steps I believe, but I haven't read a lot past step 3. My goal one day (hopefully a 5-10 year goal) is to be completely debt free with no mortgage, car payment, etc. Hopefully we can become debt free before one of our cars kick the bucket because right now both of our cars are paid off. We have said we were going to do this before, but quit before we really got started. Now we are committed to it because we look at debt differently now and we also want to have a nice retirement one day Lord willing. 

"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8 KJV)

Any tips for becoming debt free??

-Hannah

Finally Organic Beef!

Today was another rainy day. I'm glad we enjoyed yesterday as much as we could. The morning started off a little rough mainly because I was letting my emotions control me. So when Maddox would do something he wasn't supposed to I would get frustrated instead of looking at it as a opportunity to teach him. I always tell Bryan that you can let your emotions control you or you can control your emotions, but you have to intentionally decide to control your emotions. This morning I wasn't taking my own advice and I realized it pretty quickly so I decided just to hold my tongue until after nap time. I decided to cheer us  both up by making a pizza at 10:30am. We usually eat after his nap, but pizza makes us both happy lol.

Nap time is always a good reset for both Maddox and I. It gives me time to reflect on the morning and figure out what I need to do different and to get my emotions in check because I'm the adult and I have the ability of self control that he doesn't have yet. 

Happy boy!

We snacked and cleaned up the kitchen. Then we snuggled in bed and watched Blues Clues. His favorite thing right now is watching movies in our bed. We made a trip to the farmers market and they finally had organic beef! We haven't ate ground beef in a while because every time we go the vendors are always out. I probably should of stocked up on it, but I bought enough to last a couple weeks. We are now at my moms as usual on Tuesdays so I can catch up on my shows. 

What are your favorite farmers market finds?

-Hannah

Fall Breeze

Today was absolutely beautiful! I definitely needed a day like today. It was about 75* outside and breezy, just perfect. I actually got to hang my towels and diapers on the clothes line for the first time in over a week!

Maddox was my big helper all morning. He helped me clean up the house and do the laundry and hang the towels. I've found that the more involved I keep him in what I'm doing the less he is focused on me sitting in the floor playing with him. It's a win-win for both of us because he's getting the attention he needs and I'm getting housework done. While he napped I got on Pinterest and found this cute routine/chore chart. 

Print your own copy here

The sad part is he ripped it off the fridge and tore it apart before we ever got to use it (toddler moment). I had "laminated"  it with tape so he could take a dry erase marker and mark off each thing as he does it, but I guess I'm going to have to find a chore chart he can't rip up. I want to start implementing some responsibilities to him. Nothing real hard just picking up after himself and grooming himself with just a little help. 

When he woke up from his nap he saw his Buzz Lightyear costume hanging in his closet so he wanted to put it on. 

...but he didn't want me to take his picture.

Natalie swaddled up during her nap

After he finally decided to take the costume off, we went outside to play. Natalie laid in her rock n play the whole time just smiling and enjoying being outside.

Happy girl!

Bryan came home and we ate dinner outside, which we haven't done in a long time! We gave both kids their bath and then he had to head to his other job. 

I've got Maddox down for the night and I think I'm going to use this time to catch up on some bible reading. 

-Hannah

Celebration

It is still raining here! There's a pretty good chance that it won't rain tomorrow, but I won't be surprised if it rains all day. I got up this morning at 6:30 which is about an hour before I normally get up for the day. As I was feeding Natalie in bed I kept thinking of all the stuff I needed to do and how rushed we always are on Sunday mornings to get out the door. I went ahead and started my pot of beans in the crockpot for a meal I was planning on having today, but now will be for tomorrow. I got Maddox's bag together and started to get ready when Maddox woke up. So I put that on pause and made his breakfast. We made it out the door in time which seems to be a rare occasion around here anymore.

After church we had a church picnic, which Bryan calls it Golden Corral when we have lunches after church because it looks like a buffet from all the dishes people bring. Then, he dropped the kids and I off at my step sister's baby shower. I love baby showers and celebrating new life. 

Our dinner I had planned got put on hold until tomorrow because once I got home from the baby shower none of us were really hungry from all the food we ate today! We spent the evening resting and now I'm going to bed really early because  I think that post partum fatigue is finally catching up to me!

I didn't get any pictures today from all the busyness but here's a couple cute pictures of Natalie :)

She likes to "wink" :)

Sweet baby

-Hannah

Home Bodies

Another rainy day here, so we stayed home all day. I was hoping to go to the farmers market and library today, but I didn't want to take the kids out in the cold rain. We have been such home bodies lately that I'm sure Maddox is starting to go stir crazy. I tried to get caught up on my laundry. I actually got 3 loads done today! 

After Maddox's nap, we did some more fall activities.

I found this scarecrow coloring/cut out page. I helped him color it and then I made him a little shirt and pants. Maddox then taped the head, hands, and feet on. 

Finished product

Then we made a big candy corn. I just printed off a color page of a candy corn and cut up little pieces of orange, yellow, and white construction paper to glue on. 

Candy corn template

Maddox liked sticking the little pieces on.

His gallery is growing!

After our crafts, I had one of my friends stop by for a visit. I love having visitors! It seems to break up the monotony of the day. We usually talk on the phone everyday, but since Natalie has been born I haven't been able to call as often so I think she was starting to worry about me haha I reassured her I was adjusting well, but I hadn't got in the complete swing of things yet. She has three children so she knows it takes a while to get back in that swing. She doesn't live far from me so I hope to start having weekly play dates with all of our kids. 

Bryan came home and none of us were real hungry for dinner so I made one of Maddox's favorites, homemade cheese sticks with marinara. Now we are all winding down for bed and getting ready for our usual busy Sunday tomorrow! 

-Hannah 

Rain,Rain Go Away

 It has been raining everyday for almost a week now. I wake up and think it's still really early in the morning because it's always so dark outside. 

I started the day today making eggs, bacon, and toast (my favorite breakfast) for Bryan, Maddox, and I. As I was throwing away the bacon pack after we had already ate I realized that it was out of date! We haven't had it long, so I never thought to check the date. So far no food poisoning so that's good. 

Bryan left for work as usual and Maddox and I played for a bit. It was a pretty usual day of playing, nursing, naps, & cleaning. Maddox has been a finicky eater lately, so I have tried to get a nutritious meal in him all day. He's a snacker right now. Hopefully it's just a phase that will pass soon. 

He wanted to wear his hat after he woke up from his nap. 

Sharing his beloved cars with sister. 

Maddox has really stepped into the big brother role. He puts her diapers in the pail for me, he gives her a pacifier (under close supervision), and for the moment he is happy to share his toys with her.  He's always asking to hold her or give her a kiss. He has done really well with his independent play today. Some days he constantly needs someone to play with him, but today was good. 

Maddox, Natalie, and I snuggled up in bed and watched some Blues Clues until it was time to fix dinner.

 Bryan had show some houses today so he didn't go to his other job. He came home just in time for dinner. After dinner we just let the mess sit for a bit because Maddox wanted to lay and our bed and watch his Blues Clues movie again. It was nice to have everyone all snuggled up! Bryan put Maddox to bed and is now cleaning up the dinner mess for me while I feed Natalie and debate cleaning up Maddox's toys. I usually like to "reset" the house for the next day, but sometimes I feel like cleaning up Maddox's toys is pointless because he tears them all back out as soon as he wakes up. Most nights I'll clean them up, but maybe not tonight haha. So there is out exciting day, but I've come to appreciate "normal" days. 

Do you have an everyday routine?

-Hannah 

Happy Thursday

Bryan finally took a day off work today which means I got a helper! I love days he is off. They always seem to fly by so I treasure every minute. I got to sleep in a little and start my morning slowly rather than hit the road running as soon as my feet touch the floor. We started the day by going to the Sprint store because Bryan was eligible for an upgrade, but because he's such a wonderful husband and because his phone is still in perfectly good shape and mine looks like it's been run over by a car, he let me use his upgrade to get a new phone! My upgrade is in March and I was perfectly content waiting until then, but he was determined that I was going to use his upgrade.

We then headed to the grocery store, which went fairly well with two babies. It usually doesn't go very well when we take both babies, but Natalie slept the whole time in the Moby wrap and Maddox behaved well. 

It started out a beautiful day, but then a storm blew in. I'm glad we made it home before it started storming. 

Little Sister

After we got home Maddox  took a nap while Bryan and I cleaned. I actually got some laundry done today even though the basket is still over flowing. 

My one load accomplishment for the day

Maddox woke up from his nap really cranky so we headed out for a stroll since the rain had stopped. A change of scenery is a good way to reset Maddox's mood. After we came back I gave sister (as Maddox  calls her) her bath. 

Bryan and I are ending the night watching Survivor online and having some chocolate chip cookies. It's been a good day and definitely a well needed day!

-Hannah

I Made It

There are some days where I get to the end of the day and lay down and think "I made it". Some days just feel like I've been through a battle and today was one of those days. I think I ran out all my energy in the first five weeks of Natalie's life and now the postpartum fatigue is kicking in. Natalie sleeps so well so I know it's not because of lack of sleep. Today I just had no energy and it seems my patience level is very low when I have no energy so I tried to keep that in mind when I felt like I was getting frustrated. Little situations can seem like a big deal if you don't stay on top of your emotions when your overly tired.

We had some good moments though of playing, snuggling up in the big chair, and silly dancing. We made it to bed time with no major meltdowns so I count it a success. Natalie on the other hand is having her own little meltdown. I'm not sure if it's tummy trouble or if she is fighting sleep (she's figured out at a very young age how to fight sleep!). I am currently walking around with her and she's wrapped up in swaddle blanket. Hopefully I can get her in a deep enough sleep that we can go lay down. 

Needless to say I didn't get any pictures today, but tomorrow's a new day and we can start fresh! I've been clinging to these verses all day: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23

I'll leave you with another cute Maddox throwback!

-Hannah

Baby Snuggles

If I could choose one day to sleep in as long as I wanted today would have been that day. It has been so rainy outside today. I knew as soon as I got up I was going to have to take a nap at some point. I think Maddox was on the same page to because he was ready for his nap an hour early today. After I put Maddox down for his nap Natalie and I snuggled up on the couch and also took a nap. I didn't get a real long nap in, but I got to rest at least for a couple hours which was exactly what I needed to get some energy on a dreary day. Natalie kept on sleeping while I fixed Maddox lunch and got some cleaning in. I had debated just taking a "lazy day", but I knew if I didn't keep up with my daily chores they would be twice as bad tomorrow. I actually cleaned a little more than I though I would. Sometimes once I get cleaning I go through a spurt and power clean as I like to call it.

She's a tummy sleeper. If shes laying on her side she rolls over to her tummy.
 I try to make sure she stays on her back at night.

Maddox has behaved pretty good the past couple of days thankfully. His biggest thing now is testing my limit. If he does something and I tell him not to, he will keep doing it to see my reaction. It's almost like he wants to see how long he can do it until I snap! lol Thankfully I know that is what he is doing and can keep my emotions out of it and eventually he gives up. Today his test for me was climbing on me. I was sitting in our big chair and instead of sitting beside me as he usually does he just kept climbing on top of me and him being a 30 pound toddler it is pretty painful to be stepped on. I kept telling him over and over he had to sit still or I'd have to put him down in the floor. This went on for about 20 minutes until he finally realized if I climb on mom, she's going to put me down. I wish I could say he learned his lesson and will never do that again, but I'm sure it won't be the last time. At least I was consistent and my hopes is that one day it will sink in that I mean what I say every time and that I'm going to follow through.

Bryan came home between jobs and cooked us all dinner and cleaned up the mess afterwards which is so great to get a little break. As Bryan was headed back to work we headed to my mom's for a bit. 

Maddox decided the tow truck needed a diaper.

Overall a good day! 

-Hannah 

Craft Day

Today started out really sunny and fairly warm, but by mid-day cooled down alot and came a massive rain. It looked like a monsoon outside as much as the wind was blowing. Thankfully I remembered my towels I had on the line right before it started raining!

During Maddox's nap today I got ready some activities for him to do. He's always wanting me to sit and play with him, so I thought I'd shake it up a bit and do something different.

For the pumpkin activity I just googled "small pumpkins printable" and these pumpkins came up. I cut them out and colored the stem of each one a different color. The idea was for Maddox to color each one a different color, but he decided to make them multicolored which was fine too. After he colored them I stuck some folded tape to the back and let him stick them wherever he wanted on the paper. For the apple tree activity, I cut out a tree shape from brown and green construction paper. Then, I googled "small apples printable" and found those apples. I cut them out and then let him color them red (which you could do yellow or green too). I placed folded tape on the back of those and let him put them on the tree. We counted the ten apples on the tree! Maddox does really well with structured activities like that. I'll have to start planning more.

Maddox's Art Gallery (in progress)

I saw the idea on Pinterest to make an "art gallery" for your kids' work. As I've mentioned before I love to hang up thing that Maddox paints or colors, so I made a little place to hang his crafts on display. I just used some twine and clothes pins and a couple nails to hold up the line. The funny thing was Bryan had taken the hammer with him for one of his real estate signs, so I used a fairly big rock to hammer the nails in. I felt like a caveman! It worked really well though!

Bryan had his first closing on a house today, which is exciting. I'm hoping soon he can get enough closings that he can only work one job and we'll be able to spend the evenings and Saturdays together.

We are ending the day watching Charlotte's Web before bed. No big plans for tomorrow, so hopefully I can come up with some more activities for Maddox to add to his gallery!

Sleeping Beauty :)

-Hannah