Thursday, June 28, 2012

Moving On UP!

Usually I would not be so excited about moving again.

I mean, we have moved about 7 times in the last 3 years due to military, baby and different job opportunities.

It's safe to say, we're tired of packing and unpacking and packing and unpacking...

But, something exciting has happened recently...

We are officially BUYING a house!!!

Of course this has been in the process for the last several months. We have put offers on 2 houses, which fell through. We've stalked sites like Zillow and Trulia, trying to find THE house. At first we wanted an older house that needed some work, but had loads of charm. We quickly realized that we had to change our opinion on newer houses because we can't afford a house that needs tons of work. And I finally feel like we have found the perfect house for us. I've been hesitant about writing about this because I was sure something would happen and we would yet again be on the house hunt. But I'm pretty sure, it's a definite thing. We close in 2 days. 2 DAYS!

The house is in the perfect location. It's about 20 minutes from both of our parents. It's 15-20 minutes from all the different cities we usually spend time in. It's in a really safe, up-and-coming newer community. It's what we've always wanted. I'm literally bursting at the seams. I can't wait to get in there and make this house our own.

I plan on documenting the transformation of each room. I have all these ideas swirling around in my head of what I want each room to look like. I've been obsessively pinning home decor ideas. Ahhh! I'm so excited. I'm just so glad to finally have a place of our own.

For now, bring on the boxes!

Monday, June 18, 2012

Pat yourself on the back, mama!

I've been wanting to write this post for a few weeks now. It's something that's been weighing heavily on my mind and heart. I just need to say it (for my own reference when I get down) or for any other moms out there that need a little pick-me-up.

YOU ARE AN AMAZING MOM!!!!!!!!

There. I said it.

I feel like it is so easy to pick on ourselves and compare our parenting choices/styles to other mommies. In all reality, you just need to take a breath, look in the mirror and tell yourself that there is no other mom quite like you. Your child is just that, YOUR CHILD. No one can tell you how to raise your child. You and your partner created this little being, and I believe from the moment your baby enters the world, your mommy and daddy instincts kick in and that is what you should rely on.

I didn't realize how many different people, from a variety of generations, will bluntly tell you what your child should be doing at his or her age and what you need to do in order to have a "better" baby. It's ridiculous. I know that some people mean well, but others are just plain rude. As time goes on, I have learned to just let it go in one ear and out the other. Yes, there are times when a little advice is nice and maybe offers a new perspective. But 9 times out of 10, it's just plain bossy and annoying.

I'm not trying to be negative, I just want to say that every mom is perfect in her own way. Let your heart be your guide when it comes to knowing what's best for your child. I firmly believe in that. I don't look at parenting "how to" books or refer to techniques that were used 30 years ago and apply it to my life. I hate to throw this phrase out there, because lately it's received some backlash, but I follow more of an "attachment parenting" style. For me, that means solely relying on my instincts and feelings as to how I react to my daughter. When she cries, I go to her. I don't rush to her every time she makes a whimper but I don't (and will never) let her "cry-it-out". Even if that means I don't get a full night's sleep until she's 3. I want her to know she's loved and I'm here for her when she needs me. Co-sleeping isn't for me. At least not with Eisley. She thoroughly enjoys her own space and is quite content in her own crib. If we didn't have so many hurdles in the beginning, we would still be on demand breastfeeding and I would have definitely done so past her 1st birthday. I don't go by a strict schedule for naptime or bedtime. I wait until she gives me her sleepy signals (as I like to call them) and then we prepare for sleep. It works out much better that way. Forcing her to sleep just because it's been X amount of time since she woke up just doesn't work. She loves being near us and I love being near her. She's my daughter, not a project.

I try to tell myself this when I feel overwhelmed or pressured to do things that I would not feel comfortable doing...

"This too shall pass..."

Your baby is only a baby for a short while. Enjoy it while it lasts. Soak up all the little things your baby does (good and bad). And just love on your baby... constantly.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

A Cloth Diaper Update

I figured it was time for a cloth diaper update. It has been about 2 months since I first started and I have to say...

I LOVE IT!

I really do. It's a lot more fun than I thought it would be. I know that may sound weird, but there's just something about your baby wearing bright, bold colored diapers and always having a cute little bubble butt. It makes my heart melt. We still only use Fuzzibunz One Size diapers. We currently have 13, which really works well for us. Eisley goes through about 6-8 a day. I am washing diapers every night after she goes to bed. Ideally I'd like to get maybe 4-6 more, then I could wash them every other day but that's just a luxury right now.

The first couple weeks, we kept experiencing leaks from the leg holes. I was really bummed out for a while and desperately tried to find a solution. After readjusting the elastic in the legs to a looser setting (which doesn't sound right, but we were experiencing compression leaks) and stripping them. things have been great! The only time we have leaks is if I'm dumb and forget to change her for like 2 and 1/2 hours :/

She still wears disposables at night. She is a super heavy wetter. I've tried different systems with her Fuzzibunz (double stuffed, triple stuffed, you name it) but it just wasn't absorbing enough. Through some research I've found that the brand Sustainablebabyish makes an Organic Bamboo Fleece Fitter Diaper (whew, that's a mouthful). It has got rave reviews and tons of people claim it is there "nighttime go-to" diaper. It comes with a 3 layer bamboo fleece doubler. So I ordered the diaper as well as a hemp doubler and will soon be ordering a wool cover. Hopefully that will solve our nighttime leaks and we can finally be rid of disposable diapers FOREVER!!!

I will do a review on the Sustainablebabyish diaper once I receive it and test it out!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Eisley's Baby Dilemma

As much as I love how interactive and aware my daughter is at this stage of her little life, it's also quite frustrating... for both of us. She will be 8 months old in 6 days. The day she turned 6 months old she started sitting up on her own. I thought, "Great! She's hitting a milestone at the perfect time!" It wasn't until she was 7 1/2 months old that I started to wonder when she was going to start crawling. I assumed it would be shortly after she started sitting up. Nope. Not for our baby.

I know that everyone assures you that your baby is unique and they will do things at their own pace, which is totally true! I often have to remind my husband of that. I'm not worried about her developmentally. I can tell how smart she is and she is figuring out things about life everyday!

But here is our new hurdle. I can tell that she wants to be a mobile baby. She constantly wants to stand and if it was up to her, I'm convinced she'd be running around our apartment. She just hasn't quite figured out the next step. She HATES being on her belly. Even as a newborn, she hated it. She now kind of hates sitting. She constantly arches her back and flings herself back if she's mad/bored/frustrated/tired etc. But as soon as she's standing she is happy. She just wants to GO! She twists and turns and lunges towards things. I know I should probably be counting my blessings that she isn't yet mobile. But a part of me feels like she would be a much happier baby if she could get to where her little baby mind tells her to go. I also have a feeling that she will bypass crawling and go straight to couch cruising/walking. A couple of times when she's standing and we're holding her hands she has taken a couple steps. Only time will tell I guess!

Another ~~adorable~~ thing she has been doing lately is having meltdowns. Or "baby fits" as I like to call them. If she has a toy she's not supposed to have (like the remote or a cell phone) and it is taken away she immediately starts crying, flings herself onto her back and flails around like a crazy child. It's kind of cute but irritating at the same time.

I know that everything is just a phase. As soon as I worry about one thing, it's all ready gone.