Why We Cloth Diaper

I'm doing it.... starting my post(s) on cloth diapering. It's been my intention to write about this since the beginning of the blog, but I haven't been disciplined enough to sit and actually get to it. I've asked what you want to know, and here's what I've been told...

- Why we chose to cloth diaper

- What it takes to get started

- Where do I get diapers

- Which diaper brands I use and prefer

- Anything else that I can think of :o)

Economics. We chose to cloth diaper because it is economical, and with twins, the amount of diapers we would use before they are potty trained is incredible. I change diapers at least 5 times a day per child equaling a minimum of 10 diapers per day, 70 per week. If M and P were in disposable, size one diapers, I would get a box of 192 for $47.99 from Babies R Us. That box would maybe last us 2 1/2 weeks. As the diaper size gets bigger, the amount of diapers in a box decreases, though the cost remains relatively the same. Let's say that M and P were in size 1 diapers for 6 months (which is highly unlikely since infants double their birth weight by 4 months)... We would spend roughly $465.96 in six months. For me, if I'm going to commit to spending that kind of money, I want to have something to show for it, which brings me to my next 'why'. Click here to read more.

Investment. Cloth diapers are an investment. There is an up front cost but then you're finished. Sure, I will add a new diaper here and there, but not because we need it (yet), but because I may want to try a new brand or get a new fabric. (Have you seen these diapers? They are SO cute) 

Health. Even in "sensitive" disposables, there are lists of chemicals that are unnatural. (Click here to read more about the chemicals.) Bottom line, if it isn't from nature, it's probably not good on your skin or in your body. Cloth diapers are free from chemicals and lead, and since M and P are prone to outbreaks, it's comforting to know I'm diapering them in something that isn't going to irritate their delicate skin. 

Green. We recycle, and I try to respect the environment in which M and P will grow and inherit. I don't drive an electric car, and I don't plan on going that route. However, it is an added bonus that the diapers we go through aren't ending up in landfills where they don't decompose. 

There's plenty more where this came from, but I will break it up so you'll keep reading. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, y'all!!!

-ashley

Spring, Is That You??

The weather today was.. well as we say in the south "Gawjus!" It was so pretty, and I couldn't wait to get outside with Mac and Paisley. So this afternoon we went for a walk around the neightborhood. I was quite motivated after my friend went for a 3 miler this morning. I used to love going out for a long run just to be outside... now there's days that pass when I don't even go outside. {This jogging stroller can't get here soon enough!}

I actually felt so motivated that as I heated up my lunch, I did squats. Once the microwave got to the one minute countdown, I began. One, two, three, four, and jump on five. Unfortunately Mac woke up shortly after, and my legs were kind of shaky. I have a long road ahead of me in the fitness world.

Actually, think about it... society wants us to look excellent weeks after giving birth. Plus we're supposed to be knowledgeable about fashion too. It's a lot to take on.... society, stop it!!

Enough of that rant. I wanted to share some sweet pictures of M and P today before and during our walk.

P loved our walk

Mac was talking to his zebra :o)

 Happy Thursday!!

-ashley

TWO Heartbeats?!!

That's what we said at the doctor last year (January 2011) during our first ultrasound. When your memories of ultrasounds aren't happy ones, going to any ultrasound is anxiety provoking. As hard as I tried to not allow anxiety and nerves to overtake my every thought, it was a daily (sometimes hourly) challenge. We had to wait 2 weeks from the positive pregnancy test before we could go to the ultrasound. It was one of the longest 2 weeks ever! 

Dr. Murray began the ultrasound... I think it took all of a few seconds, but it felt like hours.. we waited to hear what he saw... and he said "We have a heart beat!" Jordan lost it, and my jaw hit the floor in shock. What?! For real??? I had so many defenses up that it took a while for the good new to absorb... Dr. Murray continued the ultrasound... "There's a second heart beat." Jordan quickly collected himself and said, "Two??" Then we were searching for a third. The finding of heartbeats stopped after Paisley's was detected. We officially had TWO heartbeats, and we entered the world of Baby A and Baby B. 

6 weeks and 3 days

 How blessed we've been by Mac and Paisley even at such young stages in development. :o)

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; 

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."  Jeremiah 1:5

-ashley

Really, Mariah, Really????

I saw the Mariah Carey commercial today- the one with her new body thanks to Jenny Craig. Well I spit my tea out when I saw it! She had twins last spring, and she's sporting half a shirt without a stretch mark. If this was accomplished with strictly Jenny Craig, I'd be surprised... unless Jenny got her MD in some you know what specialty. 

I mean look at this! Go, Mariah... But you're setting the bar a little high here.. Just saying...

-ashley

Our Baby MUST Haves... pt. 3

This is the last of the "Baby Must Haves" posts... for now anyway. If you didn't get a chance to read the first two posts on this topic, you can click here and here. 

In hindsight, I should have grouped the must haves into categories... I do love organized thoughts, but mine have not been so put together recently. :0) Three of the four items on this post are related to baby sleep.. and when baby sleeps, we sleep, and we. NEED. sleep!

I remember watching the nurses swaddle in the hospital, and I remember swaddling babies being necessary to mock the womb: it's tight, warm, and secure. Blankets are one way to swaddle, but there's more room for error. The swaddles we used were the Halo,  Summer Infant's SwaddleMe, and the Miracle Blanket. All worked really well so it's really a matter of opinion as to what you want. In a nut shell, Halo is pricey, Summer Infant's SwaddleMe has hook and loop (velcro) that attaches to things in the dryer if it's not secured, and the Miracle Blanket has lots of fabric... which can be overwhelming all through the night. 

We swaddled M and P until they started breaking out, which is a sign they no longer need to be swaddled. I totally recommend swaddling. It works!

The second item is the sound machine. I skimmed through a few books and did an online seminar to teach me how to sleep train and organize our days. One thing they all had in common was the importance of a sound machine. The sound needs to be a consistent noise as opposed to ocean waves, birds, heart beats, etc. I read that when the sound isn't consistent in volume and/or noise, the brain stays stimulated, which means little to no REM sleep for baby. Therefore the sound needs to be a shhhh sound such as white noise. This sound is also familiar to them from the womb. 

We got this at Bed Bath & Beyond. It doesn't have a "white noise" option, but the waterfall option sounds just the same.

Next on the list is a SIDS monitor. Knowing the SIDS risk factors, this was vital for me. It gives me a peace of mind, and there's no price value worth a mother's security of her baby's safety. There are a couple of well known monitors out there: the Angelcare Baby Monitor system and the Snuza . 

I debated on which one was for us, and I ended up choosing the Snuza. I chose this monitor because it's portable, the baby can't roll off when rolling around (the Angelcare Monitor is a pad that goes under the mattress), and the version of the Snuza I chose has a vibration alert. Clipped to the diaper with the sensor on the stomach, the monitor moves with baby's breathing movements.If no movement is detected after 15 seconds, the monitor vibrates. If another 5 seconds passes without movement, the alarm goes off. I appreciate something monitoring M and P while they sleep... because I can't be there 24/7. 

  As a twin mom, stroller options are limited. I wanted a stroller where I could reach both babies, but a side by side isn't practical in any indoor setting. I did lots (and lots and lots) of research on strollers because I knew we needed something sturdy, fairly lightweight, and met my wishes. Thank you, Britax, because I found the perfect stroller! The stroller holds one or two children: two infants, one infant and one toddler, or two toddlers. I see this stroller as an investment because it will grow with us. I am able to push and steer this stroller with one hand! That's pretty incredible for a twin stroller! So here it is: the Britax B-Ready. I love love love this stroller! (I promise I'm not being endorsed, haha.) 

Here are all the ways to use this stroller.

*If you're interested in this stroller, check local and online stores because Britax does specials where if you buy the stroller you get a free carseat!

Hope this helps some new and soon to be mommas out there!!!

And of course, I'll sign off with some pics of the babes.

-ashley

Yes, They're Twins

I came across this the other day, and how it reigns so true! There are so many differences when a mom of one baby goes out versus a mom of multiples. The phrases on this picture are hilarious because any mom of multiples can totally relate :o)

This is all true except for the lots of coffee part... I drink a cup every now and again, but it's decaf. Boring, I know.

We were in a restaurant today and sat beside a couple who had twin girls. We chatted for a bit and then separately enjoyed our lunches. There was also a twin parent who started up a conversation with the parents of the twin girls. Fortunately Jordan and I- and the two enormous carseats- went unnoticed because this poor family had their entire lunch interrupted by the parent. He gave unsolicited advice, their twin family history, and twin statistics. The family was trying to enjoy their lunch, but they weren't able. 

PLEASE don't get me wrong... I know babies are cute, especially twins, because they are different from the "norm". I love when a bystander asks about the babies and (stating the obvious) say how precious Mac and Paisley are. I've not witnessed a situation like today before, and I don't know how I'd handle it. Our family time is precious, and while I enjoy sharing our blessings, our time is so limited. Even when I am solo with M and P, I have a time crunch. They eat at 1 (it takes 30 minutes for them to eat), we are lucky to leave by 2, drive to our destination and park, it takes another 10-15 minutes to get them out and in the stroller, at least 5 minutes to walk to the store (I park in the last parking spaces because I need lots of space to maneuver the stroller and put carseats in.. plus I leave all doors open until I'm finished), and I have to be headed home by 3:30 so they can eat at 4. It's a lot. I can relate to squirrels scurrying to gather their acorns for winter, haha! 
 
One plus to having Andrea here this week was her pushing the stroller and answering questions while I shopped. Thanks, Andrea. :o) What were your experiences as a "twin mom" this week?

They are pretty cute, huh? Here's a few snaps I got of M and P today- Enjoy the play by play.

Can you guess what time it was??? Time to eat! Haha! I could just eat them up! 

-ashley

You've Been Waiting...

... for what I said we would be sharing.. After his plant closing in October, Jordan accepted a new job as the Plant Engineer at Plant 4 with Shaw Industries. We had peace through this transition as our foundation is found in our Creator. His plan always prevails, and we are grateful. 

It is funny all the text and phone calls I received about the news we were going to share... most thought the same thing: that we were expecting. I do believe we'd be blessed with such news, but it wouldn't be a casual announcement at this point.Whew! I'm exhausted thinking about it! Haha!

This week Paisley found her feet. She plays with them at every diaper change. I don't have any pictures because I don't typically carry my phone upstairs. But it's pretty cute.

Mac and Paisley have developed this weird vocal noise that's a combination between a scream and a babble. I find it much cuter than Jordan.

I promise I'll start a blog about cloth diapering this week. It's been on my list since I started blogging. Also, I have some discount codes I'll be sharing with you also. These codes are from some of my favorite places to get Mac and/or Paisley clothing and accessories. Woo hoo!

-ashley