How have we been...

It's been over a month since i've written on here, so I'd figure I would do an update for people who actually read this (I don't think there's a lot!) So how have we been.....hmmm...busy for sure!

Autumn just turned 9 months old last week and she's changing everyday! She's now a professional crawler, and she's pulling up on things  to stand up. I give it  2 months max and she'll be walking in no time. She has 6 teeth now! 4 on top, and two on the bottom. And since she has all these brand new little teethies, she likes to bite, and chew, and knaw on everything including books, mommy, and her crib. Teeth marks EVERYWHERE.

Since Autumn is getting older and venturing out into the world of foods, I have decided not to make her baby food anymore, pureed chicken & apples & rice baby food, it's too much for me to make all of these combinations, especially since I'm working. I just don't have the time to do it. SO we opted for organic babyfood! Mainly Plum Organics, Happy Baby, and Ella's Kitchen baby food. Granted their options are amazing and they have a huge variety of fruits and veggies, but they can be a bit pricey from .89 to 1.80 for one packet. But you get what you pay for right?

Breast feeding is going great, no problems anymore now that I'm not pumping at all. I've been taking Autumn to work with me for about a month now and it is AWESOME. SOOOO GREAT. I'm so glad I can pack my pump away and never have to look at it ever again. No more supply issues!! YAY!

Cloth diapering has been going great as well. Although now I'm having stink, buildup, and leaking issues. I'm pretty sure it's time to strip the diapers again (I just stripped them two weeks ago and I saw no difference). I'm pretty sure it's because of the detergent I'm using. I've been using Tide Free & Gentle, which is "okay" to use on cloth diapers, but you have to be careful because they have enzymes in them which can cause rashes for sensitive skin. But I'm pretty sure thats what is causing the problems. So I ordered Country Save Detergent (great for CD) and Rocking Green Funk Rock (meant for diapers with stink issues). Picking those up today, can't wait to try it! I've also been branching out and trying different brands of diapers. Since April, my views on certain diapers have changed completely. I used to be in love with Happy Heinys Diapers, but since I've tried different ones, I'm now favoring Charlie Banana and Oh Katy Diapers. They fit great and they have cute patterns/colors.

Another issue we've been having with diapers is Autumn's night time diapering. Since she's asleep for a long period of time, the diaper has to be more absorbent to hold all of the pee-pee. We were using Charlie Banana's but recently in the past two weeks they have been leaking every single night. Which has resulted in us using disposables at night...blahh!

Autumn's sleep patterns have been really crazy the past month or so. When we went to Michigan in July, she was still being swaddled and waking up throughout the night. But since it was 200 degrees and no AC we didn't swaddle her so she wouldn't melt! We didn't plan on weening her off of her swaddle but thats how it happened. So when we got back from Michigan we continued to not swaddle her and she still isn't swaddled....at night. Naps are a different story. When she's at my work she's swaddled (i'm not quite sure why) but when she's napping at home she's not swaddled. VERY CONFUSING! Also we (I mean myself)  started sleep training Autumn last month, it took about 4-5 days for her to put herself to sleep at bedtime....I felt VERY accomplished for achieving that. But she was still waking up at night to nurse. So I started leaving her in her crib to cry it out...but that didn't go too well because Bryon doesn't like her crying.. So now we're back at square 1 again. I'm still getting up every 2 hours..ugh.

Also Bryon got switched to 1st shift! So he now goes to work during the day like a normal person. And he's able to come home and help me out with Autumn in the evenings. Thank you baby jesus. I couldn't ask for anything better.

You have a Youtube Channel?

So some of you may know have noticed that I haven't blogged in darn near a month, but there's a reason behind it. I've had my own youtube channel for a while and have only started making videos religiously as of March. And VERY few of my Facebook friends knew about it and some of my Facebook friends have met me off of Youtube. And for the LONGEST time I was so scared to tell people about it or even put my YT link up because I was so worried about what my friends would think. And by friends I just mean people who have known me for years, have worked with me, have gone to school with me and who are related to me. I don't know why, but it worried me more of what those friends thought about it, in comparison to people i've never met! But now i'm just at the point where I don't care what people think about my channel. If they like it then WONDERFUL!!! And if they don't then whatevaaaa.

So a little about my channel (for people who don't know about it)...

I make videos about:
Cloth Diapering Topics
Cloth Diaper Reviews
TAG videos
Breastfeeding topics
any issues or struggles I have as a mother
ANY topic for that matter

ANDDDDDDD I have my own youtube series called Mommy Memoirs #whatever.
Which is pretty much a video summary of my week (although I've been neglecting it for some time).

And I've met some of the AWESOMEST women on youtube! Seriously...I love them! They're so supportive and give amazing advice and they're just all around great people. I wish I was a millionaire so I could buy plane tickets to go visit all of them. But anyways...

SO NOW I WILL FORMALLY ANNOUNCE TO THE WORLD....
HERE IS MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL LINK.

www.youtube.com/user/mms2071

ENJOY <3

May Likes & Dislikes

So here are a couple of things that I really liked and disliked throughout this past month.


Likes:

1. ELF Studio Tinted Moisturizer With SPF 20: In certain area's of my skin I get really dry skin, normally around my nose and chin. And foundations tend to really dry me out in between days where I exfoliate. This tinted moisturizer has never ever dried me out, and it has just enough coverage to even out my skin tones. I wouldn't use this on a date night, but I normally use this on days where i'm running errands or working.











2. Coolababy One-Size Velcro Pocket Diapers: Absolutely my favorite diaper at the moment. I love the prints and i've never had a leak in them at all. Also these diapers can definitely hold in poop. So it's for sure been my go-to diaper this month and I highly recommend them. And I mean, honestly I can put Autumn in one of these diapers and a shirt and she can look as cute as a button...even though she already is :)

3. Sheepish Grins Washy Wafers: Oh my gosh!! I am so glad I bought these!! These little coin sized wafers are used to make diaper wipe solution. All you have to do is add 1 cup of boiling water and TADA!! They come in many different scents and the one I purchased was in "Fresh Baby". Before I bought these I was making my own wipe solution with soap, baby oil, and water. But it just took too much time to make it. So this was definitely a good decision to switch over.









Dislikes:

1. ELF Essential Duo Eye Shadow Cream: Worst WORST WORST thing I have ever bought!!!! There was no pigmentation, and it creased like no tomorrow. And they left my eye lids super greasy and oily. I had ordered 3 of them in Butter Pecan, Blueberry, and Black Licorice. Good thing they were only $1.





2. Nuk Ultra-Thin Nursing Pads:  You might as well put a piece of toilet paper in your bra because thats as useful as it gets. First off, there's no sticky adhesive to keep the pad snug in your bra. Secondly, there's no closure on the edges so all of the liquid leaks from the sides. Another negative about this product is that it doesn't contour or fit in a bra. COMPLETELY USELESS!!!!

Baby Items I Regret Buying!!!

Okay so every one is different, but here are some baby items that I either never used, found useless, or disliked.

NUMERO UNO: Baby socks: I don't know how this has occurred, but I think Autumn has more socks than me. Probably over 40 pairs. And what baby needs 40 pairs of socks? Not including the fact that she kicks them off after 5 minutes. USELESS!!!!

2. Nasal Aspirator (aka: booger sucker): It's not that I dislike this product because I don't. I just added this to the list because I went and bought one and I completely forgot that hospitals give you one for free...most of the time. So now I have 2 of them.

3. Receiving Blankets: Okay...it's 2012, most people use "swaddle me" blankets which are pretty much pre-sewn blankets with velcro so it's easier and less likely for the baby to bust out of their swaddle. Everyone ALWAYS told me "you can't have enough receiving blankets"...I extremely beg to differ. I have less than 10 receiving blankets and I use maybe 1 a week. I mean what are they really used for...receiving? Receiving what?? I only use them if I don't have a burp rag or Autumn doesn't have a bib on. The good thing about receiving blankets though..is you can turn them into cloth wipes if you're cloth diapering.

4. Baby Mittens: After 1 or 2 weeks...these become completely useless! Unless you're afraid to cut your babies nails (which you'll have to overcome someday). I have maybe 5 or 6 pairs and I only used them twice. And when I did use them Autumn just soaked them with slobber.

5. Crib Bumpers: I honestly feel that crib bumpers are purely decorative. Unless you have a baby that scoots around a lot (which I know babies that do that) But in that case there are breathable bumpers which are much safer than the bumpers that come in a crib set. The decorative bumpers are SO thick!!! And seriously..think about it...you have bumpers in your babies crib when they're a newborn so they won't hurt themselves, but they can't even roll over or move yet. But when they start rolling over you're supposed to take them out because of the risk of suffocation. Doesn't that defeat the purpose of bumpers??

Autumn's 6 Month Update

Yesterday Autumn turned 6 months old, and I would've written this then but I wanted to wait until after her doctors appointment. As of today Autumn is 17 lb 14 oz.  and is 25.5 in long. Since her last 4 month appointment a lot of things have happened. She's rolling over, sitting up by herself, she has her first tooth, and she's babbling. The next step is crawling!!! She is also allowed to drink water from a sippy cup...woohoo!!!

Cloth diapering is going great!! I just bought 5 more to replace the crappy ones I bought when I first started CDing. My all time new favorite brand is Coolababy. If you don't know what they are then I suggest you look them up!
Breast feeding is also going wonderfully perfect. BUT pumping on the other hand is becoming quite the issue. I seriously cannot wait until I can take Autumn with me to work so I don't have to pump anymore.
She also got her 3rd set of shots...not too happy.

After Shots

Before Shots

Cooking Homemade Apple Sauce

Since Autumn is nearing the 6 month mark, I will be experimenting with other fruits and vegetables in making her homemade baby food. Today I had some left over apples in the fridge so I decided to make some applesauce. And I have decided to share the applesauce-making-process with you guys. :)

I had three apples, now when making applesauce you can either keep the peel on or off. I just decided to peel it but I'll probably in the future leave it on since the peel has the most vitamins. So peel, core them, and then cut them into chunks.

Now once your apples are chopped up you can put them in a pot with some water, but you don't want to completely submerge the apples. It shouldn't take too long for the water to start boiling. Once they start boiling stir them occasionally and cover them for about 20-30 minutes (or when they become soft).

Once they're done, drain them with a bowl so that you save the water. Saving the water will help when you puree you're apples and you want to thin them out (and if brings more flavor).

Drop them in the food processor and then TADA!!! APPLESAUCE BABYFOOOOOD! Also when your baby is old enough you can add different spices to it for a different taste.

3 apples made 5 big jars of baby food. Imagine what a dozen or TWO dozen of apples could make.

Netiquette?

So todays topic is internet etiquette.  If you've looked at my Facebook recently then you saw the guy that decided to be the Facebook Photo Police and told me that I "look like someone off of Toddlers & Tiara's" and he's "Sorry for the way I look". Even if I did look orange who are you honestly to judge me? Because I think I look damn good after having a baby 6 months ago. Thank you asshole for giving me inspiration for my new blog post.  Anyways....internet etiquette...where to even start.

I think that people "grow some balls" on the internet because they're not insulting someone to their face...so they grow a back bone while they're typing on their little keyboard. People lose their humanity when they log into their Facebook or twitter or youtube. I have read so many comments from people who lack manners, classiness, and compassion. So I found these  guidelines for network etiquette...or "netiquette"

Rule 1: Remember the Human- Do unto others as you'd have others do unto you. Imagine how you'd feel if you were in the other person's shoes. Stand up for yourself, but try not to hurt people's feelings.
When you communicate electronically, all you see is a computer screen. You don't have the opportunity to use facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice to communicate your meaning; words -- lonely written words -- are all you've got. And that goes for your correspondent as well.

Rule 2: Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life- In real life, most people are fairly law-abiding, either by disposition or because we're afraid of getting caught. In cyberspace, the chances of getting caught sometimes seem slim. And, perhaps because people sometimes forget that there's a human being on the other side of the computer, some people think that a lower standard of ethics or personal behavior is acceptable in cyberspace. BE ETHICAL!

Rule 3: Know where you are in cyberspace- When you enter a domain of cyberspace that's new to you, take a look around. Spend a while listening to the chat or reading the archives. Get a sense of how the people who are already there act. Then go ahead and participate.

Rule 4: Respect other people's time and bandwidth- It's a cliché that people today seem to have less time than ever before, even though (or perhaps because) we sleep less and have more labor-saving devices than our grandparents did. When you send email or post to a discussion group, you're taking up other people's time (or hoping to). It's your responsibility to ensure that the time they spend reading your posting isn't wasted.

Rule 5: Make yourself look good online- I don't want to give the impression that the net is a cold, cruel place full of people who just can't wait to insult each other. As in the world at large, most people who communicate online just want to be liked. Networks -- particularly discussion groups -- let you reach out to people you'd otherwise never meet. And none of them can see you. You won't be judged by the color of your skin, eyes, or hair, your weight, your age, or your clothing, but by the quality of your writing.

Rule 6: Share expert knowledge- The reason asking questions online works is that a lot of knowledgeable people are reading the questions. And if even a few of them offer intelligent answers, the sum total of world knowledge increases.

Rule 7: Help keep "flame wars" under control- "Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion. It's the kind of message that makes people respond, "Oh come on, tell us how you really feel." Tact is not its objective. Flame wars is just online arguing and is rather unattractive.

Rule 8: Respect other people's privacy- Of course, you'd never dream of going through your colleagues' desk drawers. So naturally you wouldn't read their email either.

Rule 9: Don't abuse your power- Knowing more than others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to take advantage of them. For example, system administrators should never read private email.

Rule 10: Be forgiving of other peoples mistakes- Everyone was a network newbie once. And not everyone has had the benefit of reading this book. So when someone makes a mistake -- whether it's a spelling error or a spelling flame, a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer -- be kind about it.

5 Things I Don't Like About Grocery Stores...

Why is it whenever I have a drop of beer in my system I want to rant. Maybe i'm subconsciously an angry winey drunk...although i'm not drunk at all. But today I was talking to one of my awesome employers about people in the supermarket that piss you off. And I decided to make a list of things that make me irritated at the grocery store.



5 things I don't like about grocery stores:


1. Super Duper Extreme Couponers: SERIOUSLY PEOPLE... if you have to bring your coupon binder to the store with you then you're taking it too seriously. If it has to take over 30 minutes to check out then you have a problem.

2.People who hog the aisle: Unless you're 300 pounds and as wide as a buick then how hard is it to move your cart (and yourself) to one side of the aisle.

3. Rude cashiers: I'm not sure if it's just my area..but every grocery store I go to, the cashier has the WORST attitude. Kind of like "hey I hate my job so i'm gonna take it out on you." Honestly it's not my fault you applied to work there...so cheer up buttercup.

4. Reckless Cart Driving: Just like theres driving etiquette, the same things should apply to when you're pushing a cart. DON'T cut someone off in an aisle, and if you're behind someone who walks slow..don't tailgate..just go around. OH and use a blinker ;)

5. Wait lines in the parking lot: I can not tell you how much this irritates the crap out of me. If I'm walking to my car with a cart full of groceries and a screaming baby..and you decide to stop in the middle of the parking lot to wait for me to load up my car..that is so rude. Not only are you holding up traffic, but it's going to make me go slower since you are so anxious to wait on me. I have literally had someone HONK THEIR HORN AT ME to hurry up and back out of target because they wanted my parking spot.  And you know what I did? Turned my car off and sat there. Put that in your juice box and SUCK IT.

The Downer on Breastfeeding...

SO I AM A COMPLETE ADVOCATE FOR BREASTFEEDING...and this post is just my opinion to some downers for myself breastfeeding. Since Autumn was born she's been breastfed...and will continue to be until other wise, but there are some not so wonderful aspects to breastfeeding that I myself have found challenging. 

Let's start with the concept of breast milk...it's nutritious, free, and quickly digested....very quickly digested. I get up ON AVERAGE around 3-5 times a night to feed Autumn not including I get up at work at 5 in the morning monday through friday. Breastfeeding would be so much easier if guys could do it too! Seriously. I know parents who switch off every other night on feeding their child formula so they could catch up on their sleep and I am envious (not really). And I guess you could pump and and then you'll have extra bags of milk so your partner could feed the baby at night...but then you have to worry about your milk stash depleting! And thats a rough thing to deal with when you're a working mom...believe me I know. So even if you wanted to keep your stash replenished you would still have to pump when your baby is being bottle fed so you're not loosing milk. It's kind of pointless to me. 

Also, if you wanted a girls night out, you couldn't be gone for more than 3 hours. Because (a) you're boobs could possibly turn into rocks...or (b) your milk supply could decrease due to not releasing the milk.  In addition to girls night out...you can't really drink. And I'm not big on drinking at all...but if I wanted to go out and have a couple drinks the MOST I could really have is like 1 or 2 drinks. Which again is pointless to only have 1 or 2 drinks.

And if you are a working mom you have to pump at work. For me it's not a problem at all because I can pump whenever I want. But the effect of supply and demand is so crucial in pumping. Because as all of us moms know...pumps aren't as good as the real thing. You're more likely to have decrease in milk supply when pumping at work.....while using formula...you don't have to worry about the supply. 

But there are wonderful WONDERFUL things about breastfeeding! It's a way to bond with your baby, it builds up your babies immune system, the risk of them getting certain illnesses is slim, it's good for brain development, it's good for the mother (dropping the baby weight), and of course...IT'S FREE!!!

And I know i'm going to be getting comments from people saying "well I breastfeed my child and he sleeps through the night blah blah blah blah.." Like I said before...this is my personal feelings for me breastfeeding.

To move in or not to move in?

So I had a girlfriend recently ask me to make a post about moving in before marriage or after marriage. The common perception is that if you move in before marriage, then your more likely to get a divorce. In comparison to couples who wait to move in after marriage. BUT recent studies show that moving in together has no effect on todays divorce rate. I honestly feel that moving in before or after marriage is a personal decision. But I think the smarter choice would be to move in before marriage for many reasons.

First and foremost, the way someone carries themselves doesn't always reflect on their everyday habits. For example: if your significant other looks well put together you would think they were a clean person. But if you move in together you most likely would have never known they were a slob! Luckily I never had that issue when I moved in with Bryon because he is a well kept clean boy!!!

When people start dating they want to spend every waking minute with that person...except you don't live together. So you really don't know someone until you're around them 24/7. THEN the newness wears off and the real test is to see if your personalities are compatible with each others all the time. Another reason why I think it's a good idea to move in before marriage is so you can "test drive the car before you buy it." Or as Gretchen from the Real Housewives of OC says "you can lease before you commit to buy." Thats what Bryon and I are doing...I moved in 2 years ago and look at us now..baby and engaged. I test drove the car. HAHA!

Favorite Cloth Diaper Survey

Favourite style (aio, pocket, ai2, fitted, prefold, hybrid etc): Pocket Diapers
Favourite brands: Happy Heinys
Favourite colors: Pink, Purple, and Teal
Favourite prints: Leopard Print!!
Favourite closure (snaps, aplix, pins, snappis) Aplix and some snaps
Favourite type (one-size or sized): Depends on the brand, mostly one size but I like happy Heinys sized.
Favourite diaper in your stash: Happy Heiny's size medium pocket diaper (Candy Pink)
Favourite laundry detergent: I just use Tide Free and Gentle. No problems so far.
Favourite diaper cream: Just started using Grandma Els Cloth diaper cream.
Favourite cloth wipes: I ordered mine from ebay from a private seller. No name brands.
Favourite fabric (for cloth diapers): Either Cotton or Fleece.
Favourite fabric (for cloth wipes): Flannel.
Favourite wipe solution: I make my own (1 cup water, 1/2 cup baby soap, 2 tsp baby oil.)
Favourite storage items (pail, pail liner, wet bags): Wet Bag-Alva baby, Pail Liner-Diaper Rite
Favourite place to purchase:  nickisdiapers.com  they always have free shipping and great deals.
Favourite thing about cloth diapers: They're so gosh darn cute, and you save SOOO much money in the long run.

Marriage After Baby???

So I can not tell you how many people have asked Bryon and I when we're getting married. And we're getting asked more now than before we got pregnant. So here is our answer...we will get married when we decide we will. It could be next month...or next year..or in the next 5 years.  And this is why we haven't gotten married yet..

It is socially acceptable to get married before giving birth to a baby, BUT is it the right thing to do? Is it the right thing for me? No. I believe that getting married just because you're having a baby is a very very bad idea. At least for me it would have been. In my opinion, I feel that a couple is more likely to fail at a marriage just because there's a baby involved. I mean honestly you're already stressing out about preparing for a baby AND THEN you have to stress about preparing for a wedding too? Not to mention after you have the baby you have to get accustomed to your new life with a baby...I think that getting married would make it that much harder. I know SO many people who are getting divorced before the age of 30 because they made a rash decision.

This is my theory on marriage and a baby...as long as you know you'll get married one day then it doesn't matter what order it goes in. Marriage then baby, or baby then marriage. Bryon and I got engaged WAY before we got pregnant so we weren't in any rush to have a wedding for the sake of Autumn. I think that you can successfully take care of a baby together without a marriage certificate just as well (if not better) than people who are married.

And yes there are couples that do get married because they're having a baby and DO have a successful married life..but it's not as common now and days. THIS IS JUST MY OPINION FOR MY OWN RELATIONSHIP...i'm not speaking badly about anyone else's relationship.

Possibly TMI...update on "Pumping At Work"

Soooo after I had written a post about 3 weeks ago about my issues with my supply and pumping while at work,  I did a whole bunch of trial/error phases to figure out how to increase and maintain a good milk supply. At the time I was NOT drinking the Mother's Milk Tea and was taking 3 capsules of Fenugreek 3 times daily. And after about a month I started getting serious abdominal pains...almost unbearable. And at first I thought it was this antibiotic I was taking because I had a bladder infection...but after my anti-biotic ran out I was still getting these horrible pains in my stomach. And normally when I have a belly ache I just deal with it and go about my day. But these pains left me on the couch curled up in a ball.


Anyways...I lowered my dose of fenugreek to just 1 capsule 3x a day....still massive stomach pains. So I just stopped taking it all together. BUT my employer had mentioned another supplement called "Blessed Thistle" which is good for healthy milk production. I had heard about this herb but I could not find it ANYWHERE! But luckily my employer had two extra bottles of it...so she gave them to me. So I started taking 2 capsules 3x daily...and it has made a difference (not too drastic). Before I was taking Blessed Thistle I was only pumping like 1-2.5 oz every 2 hours (which made me have to supplement Autumns bottles for about two weeks) but after taking the Blessed Thistle i'm now making about 2.5 to 3.5 oz every 2 hours. So I NO LONGER HAVE TO SUPPLEMENT!!  YAYYYY!!!
Now I just need to build up my stash in the freezer, because i'm literally pumping for the next day at the sitter's house.


ALSO I read that eating oatmeal could possibly help increase milk production (no one knows why though), So it looks like momma's going on a Oatmeal binge. 

First Try at Homemade Baby Food...

SOOOO today is the day! The day that I will introduce something besides Oatmeal cereal to Autumn. So I decided to make Avocado baby food, it was either between avocado or bananas. No particular reason to why I chose avocado. So I went and bought 3 of them while I was doing my normal grocery shopping.
Once I started peeling the avocados I realized that they are a MAJOR pain in the butt to prepare. If Autumn decides that she doesn't like it, I won't be too upset!

Luckily while I was pregnant, I was given the Ninja Master Prep Pro System for free from a friend of mine. Which is pretty much like the baby bullet, but it doesn't have the glass storage containers. But thats okay because I ended up using miniature tupperware containers anyways. 

Three avocados made about 8 containers, and each container held about 2 ounces each, so the three avocados made 16 ounces of baby food. Also, once I pureed everything I ended up adding about 2 ounces of water to thin it out. Ideally I would've liked to add breast milk to it but since I've been having supply issues I can't really use any for her solids. And I would've used formula in her food but since I was freezing it, you aren't supposed to freeze formula. Long story short, Autumn was not too fond of it, but i'm thinking maybe it's because it's something new but her facial expression says other wise.

Final product....TADA!!!! I can't wait to start experimenting with other fruits, veggies, and combinations!

Why I decided to return to work...

So my little vacation from work this week has reminded me of when I stayed at home with Autumn for 3 months. One of the reason's to why I decided to start working again was because I got bored so quickly at home! I thought "well I could keep myself busy around the house and with Autumn." But honestly, I could only clean the house so much, and Autumn slept the majority of her first couple of months. So I started just sitting on the couch doing nothing except watching the complete series of Desperate Housewives and other tv shows on netflix. And once I started doing that, I got lazy and some what depressed. Another reason to why I returned to work was because I have too much self pride and stubbornness to ask my fiancé for money. For some reason I just don't like asking anyone for money, even when I was younger I would never ask my parents for money.

Even though being a SAHM wasn't for me, I know tons of women who do it and enjoy it. And I always hear people say that being a SAHM is so easy and shouldn't complain about anything, but seriously being at home with a baby is just as hard as working 40 hours a week...IF NOT HARDER! At least when you work you get breaks throughout your 8 hour shift. While stay at home mom's don't get a break throughout their 24 hours a day/7 days a week/ 365 days a year shift. NOT INCLUDING keeping the house cleaned, maintaining your families finances, and having a home cooked meal every night.

And myself being a nanny, you would think that I would've enjoyed staying at home with my baby. Which I mean I DID, but  for my own sanity and mental well-being I wanted to return to work. And now that I'm working again, it makes me appreciate the time that I do spend with Autumn at home (not saying that I took it for granted before).

drunk blogging and ranting.

So i'm sitting here on my couch having quite a few beers and I have ALOT on my mind..and I'm having diarrhea of the mouth. And no, I don't always drink excessively due to the fact that i'm nursing, BUT i'm starting off my lovely one week vacation with a bang. Anyways, you know what I can't stand???

Mother's who have their priorities out of place. I know so many women who bitch and gripe about how their life is so hard, and they can't support their children, and their "baby-daddy" is such a dead beat. And these same exact women go out to bars EVERY NIGHT and get drunk. Excuse my vulgarity (I try not to curse in public) but why the hell are you spending your time partying instead of trying to work and support you children because GOD FORBID your children might be more important than going to bars. 

And don't take this wrong way, being a single mom is a HELL of a job and I bow my hat to anyone who does it, but i'm not even a single mom and I don't even go out and party. In fact, me drinking tonight is probably the third or fourth time since november. ALSO! why don't women stop investing their time into finding a sugar daddy, and (a) go back to school, (b) find a better paying job, or (c) both a and b. And if you're reading this, and you're a single mom who can support your babies and aren't negative, then i'll put my foot in my mouth.  THE END :)

Autumn's 20 wk update

SOOO today was a momentous occasion, Autumn had her first taste of solids!! Bryon and I purchased Beechnuts Single Grain Oatmeal Cereal. I decided to use this brand because we were looking at the ingredients in all of the other brands like Gerber and what not, and I couldn't even pronounce some of the stuff that was in the baby food. And since I really plan on making my own baby food, I definitely do NOT trust brands that had 50 things in the ingredients. But Autumn love love LOVED IT. At first she was spitting it out because she was trying to make spit bubbles, but afterwards she was going to town on it.

The reason we decided to start Autumn on solids a little bit early was because we are hoping it'll help her sleep through the night. And no we did not put rice cereal in her bottle, which is a huge "no no" according to pediatricians. Autumn gets up on average around 5-6 times a night, and since i'm still only nursing there's nothing that Bryon can really do to help. If I didn't have coffee then I don't know how I would survive throughout the day.

Autumn still hasn't learned to roll over yet but she almost has the hang of it. She can roll onto her side but can't manage to roll past her arm. This month I am determined to get her to roll over, which mean's Autumn will be in Baby Boot Camp. Also, Autumn's legs are SO chunky now that her thighs don't fit in her bumbo chair. Whenever I do manage to get her in the chair, when I try to pick her up the chair comes with her. So we had to put together the high chair (which I like better anyways).

Happy Heiny's Sized Pocket Diaper Review

So I had purchased the Happy Heiny's size medium pocket diaper off of Nickisdiapers.com for $12.95 on sale. I was so excited to try it because I read that this diaper was one of the higher quality diapers compared to the ebay brand diapers. The shipping was super fast and the color of the diaper was exactly like the one on the website (candy pink).

The diaper I got was a size medium (14-25 lbs), with velcro on the front of the diaper to fasten around the waist.  The diaper itself fits very good on my daughter, it didn't sit so low that her booty crack was showing, and it wasn't so bulky that her pants couldn't fit around it. Notice that there are no snaps because this is not a One Size diaper. I have noticed on some diapers that the wings can be very wide and irritate the top of Autumn's skin, but this diaper has just the perfect size wing to where there are no leaks and no irritation. 

The inside of the diaper is made of custom milled-fleece, which differentiates from the common micro-fleece and polyester lining of some of the lower brand diapers.  Also this material helps reduce rashes and is very very soft, while polyester and micro-fleece is more likely to produce rashes for children who have very sensitive skin (but that's not in my case). The middle of the diaper is not too thin, so the insert (or pre fold) doesn't bunch up and create more leaks. Notice that the Velcro on the waist have laundry tabs so that they won't get stuck to other things.










The Happy Heiny's sized diaper has a similar feature to the Fuzzibunz diaper when it comes to the opening on the back of the diaper. The opening for the insert is at the very top of the diaper, with no piece of fabric to hold in the insert. If anyone has used a Kawaii Baby, or Babyland diaper, then they know what I am talking about. I personally prefer to have the cloth lip to cover the insert just because I don't want to have the insert slide up my babies back (especially if it's already wet).





One way that the Happy Heiny's diaper stands out to me is the leg elastics. Like most diapers, the leg elastics could possibly be too tight and leave red marks. The PUL material is normally sewn completely around the elastic, so the PUL material is causes the irritation around the babies leg. But THIS DIAPER doesn't have that. This diaper has the milled fleece sewn around the elastic so you're baby really does only touch softness. And when I had first purchased the diaper I thought that it would be a problem, but after looking online, this was completely normal and doesn't pose as a problem for leaks (and still hasn't leaked). I really really like this feature and wish more diapers did this because my baby has some chunky thighs.

Overall I really really like this diaper a lot and will probably be purchasing more in the future. In my opinion I feel that this diaper is as close as it gets to the functionality of a disposable. This diaper is my fiancé's go-to diaper when he changes Autumn because it's so simple to use.

Pros: Good fit, very trim, soft lining, good quality velcro, and great build for leg elastics.
Cons: The back insert is too open (but thats a personal preference).

Overall Rating: 9

Bumkins Cloth Diaper Review

So I recently just purchased the Bumkins Diaper cover off of Nickisdiapers.com. The website was having a sale of buy one get one free. So I had purchased two covers that were "One Size". When I had first received the covers I noticed right away that the website had given me the wrong diaper, but I didn't hold that against the diaper itself.

I had read previous reviews that had stated that the diaper felt very much like plastic. I have to completely agree that they feel like plastic (or a cheaper material). The front of the diaper consists of 3 rows of snaps to adjust the height of the diaper. The Bumkin Diaper Cover differentiates from other covers over the mere fact that there are 4 columns of snaps instead of 3, which makes the diaper slightly wider than other covers. I feel that this feature might be good for a larger baby, but for young or smaller babies it could possibly fit a little loose. The cover is secured in the front with Velcro. The Velcro tabs are fairly wide/large in comparison to other covers, but I never saw it as a problem.

The inside of the diaper has the PUL material to prevent leaking in the diaper. One thing I did not like was that when I first received the diaper, the snaps on the inside of the diaper was connected with strips of scrap material. It made the diaper look very cheap so I ended up cutting the strips of scrap material into little squares where the snaps were. Because the diaper itself is fairly wide, I did not have a problem putting a pre fold or microfiber insert inside of it without it bunching up.

Another thing I liked about the diaper was that it had a cover to hold the prefold/insert into place. Having this feature is another way to prevent leaks and to have the insert rise of the back. One of my favorite features about the diaper is that it has double-leg gussets, which will hold in blow outs and contain most of the mess. I especially like this feature because a lot of pocket diapers and diaper covers no not have this option.

One thing I absolutely do NOT like about this cover is that the elastic on the back is way way wayyyy too tight. I could have the whole cover on lose and there would still be red marks on Autumn's back.  If I had to rate this diaper 1-10, I would give this diaper a 6 for many reasons. (1) Cheap material (2) Used scrap material inside (3) leaves red mark's on my daughter's back and (4) the velcro tabs are bulky. What I do like about this diaper is that (1) it has the double leg gussets, (2) has a place to hold the prefold/insert and (3) the prints are very cute!

Pinching Pennies...

So since I have had Autumn, I have been trying to find better ways of saving money. For example: Nursing (saves a couple hundred dollars), cloth diapering (saves well over $2,000), making my own baby food (When the time comes). I mean who wouldn't want to save money, especially with the economy these days. So I was skimming through some blogs and I came upon a woman who blogged about her weekly meals and how it has save's her money.

Seriously, Bryon and I have been spending well over $200 every two weeks on groceries, and some of the food goes bad even before we eat it!!! So my new goal is to now make a weekly HEALTHY meal plan so we're not over buying and wasting food. And I mean it's so easy to live on a cheap meal plan like Ramen Noodles, but it's not healthy and you'll eventually get fat from it.  So at this very moment I am going to create my own meal plan for this week (lunch and dinners). If you have any tips on how you pinch pennies and some good meals you make let me know! <3

*Sunday      Lunch: Mandarin Salad
                    Dinner: Brown Sugar Glazed Porkchops, Sautee'd asperagus, and brown rice

*Monday    Dinner: Baked Cream Chicken, Corn, and Mac & Cheese

*Tuesday   Dinner: Hamburger filled Manicotti and Salad

*Wednesday   Dinner: Ricotta Stuffed Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans

*Thursday   Dinner: Baked Garlic Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, and Caprese Salad.

*Friday      Dinner: Steak Stir-fry

*Saturday   Maybe Take Out? Sushi??? :)


ALSO!!!!!! I was planning on doing all of my cloth diaper reviews on my youtube channel, but I have since changed my mind because I realized I don't like being recorded for a video. So I will be doing my reviews on my blog.

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!! :)

Pumping At Work...

The first time you decide that you want to breastfeed your baby, pumping comes into consideration if you end up returning to work. I knew immediately that I wanted Autumn to be fed breast milk up until she was a year old, I did not want to use formula at all. My theory was "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"...Same concept, not only was it better for Autumn, but it was better on our wallets as well.
Once Autumn was born, nursing was so easy and I had no issues with my supply at all. But once I decided to start working again I knew that I needed to start pumping.

I ended up purchasing the Lansinoh Affinity Double Electric Pump because I read great reviews about it, was a lot cheaper than Madela's, and was made different so that the tubing can never ever get milk in it. So once I started working pumping was easy, do it every 3 hours and drink lots of water. Everything was going great!! Made more than enough for Autumn and I could stash some away in the freezer. Then as of 2  weeks ago my supply just decreased to half (from 4-5 oz to 1.5-2.5 oz) What the eff? How could this happen? My diet wasn't changed, I wasn't taking any medications, and I was consuming the same amount of water.

So I started scouring the internet thinking of solutions.  Taking Fenugreek, drinking Mother's Milk Tea, and pumping longer were some of the info that I discovered. So I did all 3 and I still didn't see any change in my supply. So then a very good friend had told me to pump every TWO hours so it tricks my body into thinking it needed to make more (which it kind of does).

So as of right now my stash of milk in my freezer is completely gone, and I now have to supplement Autumn's bottle's while she's with her sitter. At first I felt like a failure because I never planned on using formula, but now that I've been supplementing right now, I know it's only for Autumn's well being. No one wants a cranky, hungry baby. But hopefully soon my supply will replenish and Formula won't be needed.

My new #1 rule for pumping: DON'T STRESS OUT OVER IT!! Try to relax.

4 Month Postpartum Update

So I managed to completely forget my password to my blog...which is why I haven't posted in like 3 months. A lot has happened since then, Autumn is now 14 lbs and 6 oz and is now 24 inches long. In addition to Autumn growing, I managed to start my new job! As a Nanny!!! Which I absolutely love and I'm good at. The only tough part about working now is that I NEVER EVER see my fiancé anymore because he works odd hours...So the only time he really see's me and Autumn is on the weekends :(
That's the tough part, to all of the single mothers out there who have no support at all...I TIP MY HAT OFF TO YOU!! It is so extremely hard to handle a baby throughout the night and early morning without someone offering to lend a hand. But I manage to get through it and find it enjoyable (when Autumn behaves).

Also, Bryon and myself have decided to switch to cloth diapers! I know I know...you're probably gagging right now just thinking of having to touch and wash poop, but honestly....YOU DON'T HAVE TO!! Seriously, the only time I have to really handle the dirty diapers is when I toss them in the wash. And for the people who are now officially appalled by the thought of washing your clothes in the same washing machine as poopy diapers....fear no more, Bleach is officially my best friend. Every week I do a bleach wash so my washing machine doesn't start to smell funky and gross. But so far I LOVE LOVE LOVE using cloth diapers. The prints and colors are just too adorable...and theres so many options and types of diapers that you can choose from, Snaps...Velcro...Safety Pins...using microfiber inserts or just using cotton  Prefolds. There are seriously so many choices that it will probably confuse you at first. Bryon hasn't really jumped on the cloth diapering train yet...he's a little redundant to putting them on Autumn and what not. I think it's just because he's not used to it and isn't accustomed to it.

37 Weeks Pregnant 10/20/2011

4 Months Postpartum 3/10/2012

So far since I've had Autumn I'm finally starting to look (and feel) like myself again. I'm FINALLY back to my pre-pregnancy weight and have only managed to work out 4 times in the past 4 months. Everyone always asks me how I managed to stay fairly slim while pregnant and then lose all of the weight so quickly. Two words....STAY BUSY. The worst thing a pregnant woman can do is sit on her tush and eat eat eat whatever you want. And yes I know there are exceptions like being on bed rest and what not. But to all of the other women who have normal pregnancies...walking around and keeping busy was so important for not gaining too much weight. And I know that cravings will literally drive you crazy if you don't get it, and I gave in to my cravings, but in moderation.  As for postpartum weight loss, it's practically the same thing. Once you have your baby, planting your booty on the couch 24/7 is not going to help you get your body back at all. A week after I had Autumn I was vacuuming the house, doing laundry, walking around, and eating healthy healthy HEALTHY food. The hugest factor to losing the weight is eating right, especially if you're nursing. And never ever ever expect it to happen over night!!!

      

St. Patricks Day 2012

Introduction To My Fellow Bloggers.

It's 2012 and I am finally making a blog. New year = new start right? I started this blog not really for people to read, but if someone does come along to read it then be my guest and subscribe. I started this blog just to jot down anything that i'm thinking and my new experiences as a mom.

So a little bit about myself,

I've always lived in Hampton Roads since I was born and I can't wait to move out of here and start over fresh. I've been living with my fiancé for over a year and a half..and I absolutely love it. I've been attending a community college for 3 years now and I still don't have my associate's degree. But thats due to my lack of motivation that I had fresh out of high school. But ever since i've been with my fiancé, motivation has been my best friend. Hopefully I will be done with my 2 year degree at the end of 2012. I have two dogs who are also my babies.....including my REAL baby whom I haven't even mentioned yet.

Once I found out I was pregnant I was so happy! Bryon (my fiancé) and I were trying to have a baby since March of 2010 (with one miscarriage). Throughout my pregnancy I didn't have any complications...only morning sickness and the excessive consumption of banana slurpee's. Once I went into active labor and started "pushing" the doctor had discovered that our baby had the cord wrapped around their neck and had fluid in their lungs. Due to those complications our little baby was in the NICU for 3 days. But luckily enough our little girl was healthy and happy. Autumn Noelle was born at 12:10 pm on November 10th 2011 and was 7 lbs. 9 oz.