Halloween

It's been a crazy couple of weeks.  I'm finally getting around to posting the little stinkers' Halloween pictures.  Here there are, enjoy!

Bear had two costumes.  Mickey Mouse and Granny got him an adorable chick costume.

I made Avery's costume from scratch.  A paper mache mask and a furry jumpsuit.  

We went to two costume contests and much to my dismay he didn't win either.  For some reason the judges at both contests did not appreciate homemade costumes.  The winners were cute, but store bought   costumes, poo.

Whilst Holding My Baby

 I am trying very hard to be organized and keep my house tidy.  Being an artist I tend to also be a pack rat and jump from one project to the other and forget to make sure everything is in order.  My biggest challenge is that every time I try to tidy up, one of my children needs me, most of the time it is the baby who wants to nurse.  I have a baby sling now and I'm trying to get the hang of nursing in it but tying and positioning a hungry baby in a Didymos is not so easy.  For those times when I cannot put Barrett in the sling but it is necessary to hold him I have compiled a list of things I can do with one hand:

Put away the dry dishes (most of them, save heavy pots/pans).

Clean a junky drawer.

Make our bed (takes a little longer but I get it done)

Clean off table/dresser (I can tidy up the space on our dresser where I dry/straighten my hair, do my make-up, etc.  It makes a big difference in how clean our bedroom appears.)

I have several little plastic bins/baskets from the dollar store.  I set one on the coffee table and ask Avery to help mommy pick up the things off the floor.  When the basket is full I put each thing in its place without having to bend down to the floor!

Wipe down kitchen or bathroom surfaces.

Transfer things from the washer to the dryer.  (This only works if the dryer is empty.  If you have to empty the dryer forget about it).

Use a single electric/battey operated breast pump on the opposite side the baby is nursing on.  (You would be surprised how fast you can build a stash in your freezer this way)

Make phone calls - I have a Melaleuca business and 90% of my business is done while breastfeeding.  If you are a stay at home mom or want to be ask me about Melaleuca, it is something anyone can do.



It's a list I'll be adding to.  For now it is helping.  I have also learned to assign tasks to certain times of the day or while I'm doing other routine activities.  For instance while I brush my teeth, (I also give Avery his tooth brush and it keeps him occupied for at least 3 minutes) I tidy up my bathroom and wipe down surfaces.  While I brew my coffee I tidy the kitchen and wipe down the coutertops.  After I fold a load of laundry I immediately put those clothes away (this is really hard to stick to since it is much easier to let them sit in the laundry basket for awhile but if I don't then I tend to get behind on laundry).

We'll see how it goes, keep ya updated and what not.

Wisconsin: Relaxing

We made our way back from Wisconsin about a week ago. It was one of the most relaxing vacations I have ever had. My brother-in-law and his wife treated us to their lake house rental for a week. It was gorgeous and the kids loved being right on the water. They also lent us their pontoon boat, which we took advantage of every day.  





We also briefly visited the "pig wrestling" event a local bar hosts every year. The first year we went was before we had kids and we knew it was not really something for kids -- lots of drinking and as you can see from the pictures it was crowded. My husband really wanted a shirt so we just popped in to grab some souvies and show the boys the pigs.

One of my favorite things about Wisconsin is all of the waterfalls. They are just about every where.

We visited Christmas, Michigan and Lake Superior. While there we visited a few tourist attractions including: the Yooper Museum (hilarious), a Christmas store (got some ornaments), botanical gardens with waterfalls (we also fed giant trout!) and of course my husband and father-in-law visited the casino after they tucked us in for the night.

Was I Not Meant to Breastfeed?

Well, sorry I have neglected this blog lately.  I have taken on a new business venture and we also just came back from a 17 day vacation.  Bear (5 months old now) was taken in for a check up and it seems that his weight has fallen off of the "average" growth curve.  He was an 8lb baby and lost a little more than the doctor was comfortable with in the first few weeks.  After having his frenulum snipped to correct his tongue-tie he started slowly putting on weight and the doctor seemed happier.  He now weighs only 10 lb 14 oz.  He seems to be a long and lean baby.  Developmentally he is right on track, if not slightly advanced.  He is very alert, almost crawling and very active physically.  He is a bit of a fussy baby but I allow him to nurse on demand. 

His doctor suggested that I supplement with formula.  I really love my doctor but he doesn't seem to have the best education when it comes to breastfeeding.  Why wouldn't he suggest pumping and supplementing expressed breast milk?  That is what I am doing because it seems ridiculous to give an exclusively breastfed baby formula to supplement when his mother has an adequate supply and an effective pump. 

Bear doesn't seem to interested in the bottle of expressed milk after his feedings so it would seem to me that he is getting enough to eat.  He is a very active baby, constantly moving his arms and legs and rolling over and getting into the crawling position for several minutes at a time.  I was wondering if maybe he is burning most of the calories he consumes, causing his weight gain to be slower than average. 

Another problem is he is teething again and seems to refuse the breast shortly into a feeding several times a day.  I am assuming that his gums are sore and that sucking aggravates them further.  I am trying several things such as teeth tablets and numbing his gums with ice before nursing. 

I refuse to give up breastfeeding after everything I have survived trying to nurse both of my sons.  I am very happy that we have made it to 5 months and if need be I will reluctantly supplement with formula but I don't want to do this and later regret it.  It always seems that I can only go a few short weeks before another breastfeeding issue arises.  Are some mothers/babies just not meant to breastfeed?  Am I doing something wrong here? 

Cleaning Overhaul: Laundry Room

If you happen to be as lucky as I am and have a laundry room in your home... all I have to say is YAY!!!!  I remember all too well the days of having a stacked washer/dryer in the bathroom.  Here are a few tips to help you make the most of any laundry room or even a small laundry area in your house.

I think you will find that if you keep your laundry room/area tidy it will be easy to keep up with your laundry to at least make it look that way.  There is nothing worse than having someone stop by your house and them getting a glimpse of mounds dirty clothes.  I know they can be pricey but a laundry sorter with at least 2 compartments is a must-have.  If you don't have the space for the one like I have then you can go with a more stream-lined version or collapsible laundry hampers.  Collapsible laundry hampers are great and can be found at several places like the Dollar Store, Target, Walmart, etc. Keeping your laundry sorted and contained makes your house appear much neater, even if the sorter is filled to the brim.  Also, it will save you a lot of time when you want to throw in a load.  My advice here is to stay on top of sorting laundry.  My toddler loves to help me sort the laundry by colors, whites and darks.  He doesn't always get it right but it is a great exercise in learning colors.

I enjoy doing laundry when I have all of my supplies within arms reach.  There should be a place for hangers and a shelf for detergents, fabric softener, bleach, stain-solutions and an iron.  I also find it handy to keep a small cup or bin on the shelf for things that turn up in the laundry such as loose change.  Laundry areas collect dust more than other areas of the house.  Keep your laundry center up to par by using a damp rag to wipe down the washer and dryer as well as other surfaces like shelves once a week.  If your washer/dryer is in your bathroom you will probably need to do this more often.

My laundry room is also the stairwell.  It is an excellent space for hanging coats and book bags as well as storing boxes and my collapsible hamper that I use for towels.  Obviously all homes are different and not everyone has this option.  Products like over-the-door coat racks and heavy duty hooks will provide the same effect.  Also bins with wheels like these from sterilite are handy for areas like underneath the sink or a low cabinet. 

I consider my laundry room to be a home for all things cleaning.  I use this area of the house to store brooms, the vacuum, dusters and mops.  You will be surprised how well you can utilize a small space by installing hooks on the walls to hang such items, instead of leaning them in a corner. 

I know it is hard to resist stacking folded laundry on top of the dryer unless you have a stacked combo and cannot do so.  Make it a habit to immediately fold and put away your laundry after removing it from the dryer.  From personal experience, I know that sometimes you get interrupted in the middle of such a task, whether it be by the phone ringing, a child crying, the UPS man or whatever.  If you do not get back to put your laundry away, try to make it a part of your before bed routine to put away all clean and folded/hung laundry. 

I cannot stress the importance of keeping your laundry in check in order to keep your house looking presentable at all times.  What tips and tricks do you use to keep up with your laundry or to maintain your laundry center?

Handmade Items for Swap

I am addicted to Swap Mamas.  I made this crayon roll and contoured nursing pads to swap for a Baby Einstein car seat toy.

Cloth Diaper Fun

When I started my cloth diaper adventure a few months ago I only had enough to get me through one day. Our family will be vacationing to Wisconsin this month and I knew that it was going to cause a problem having such a small supply. I had been wanting to try Rumparooz and Kickernappies so I decided it was time to bump up my stash. Everything is pictured here aside from a few prefolds, two snappis and my GroBaby shell and snap in soakers. Barrett is now the proud owner of: 12 infant size indian prefolds, 3 newborn size indian prefolds, 3 infant size chinese prefolds, 2 premium size chinese prefolds, 3 under the nile organicprefolds, 4 flannelette Imse Vimse contours, 1 terry Imse Vimse prefolds, 1 Rumparooz in rootbeer, 1 Kickernappy in blue, 1 Kiwipie in airplanes pattern, 1 white Bum Genius 3.0, 2 Gen-y covers, 1 red Baby Beehinds cover, 2 organic cotton Imse Vimse covers, 1 Stacinator so simple cover and two swim diapers... I am hoping to get through 3 days before having to do diaper laundry. What do you think?