Happy Halloween!

Forever Bliss Photography

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Play to Learn

Play to Learn in sponsoring a great giveaway! Everyone who comments on this post before November 7th is entered to win 5-7 embroidered letters of your choice in letters (maybe your child's name or your last name!) from Play to Learn! They're handmade with love and a $30 value! Leave a second comment if you follow them on twitter, facebook or Google Friend Connect. Random.org will choose the winner. Good Luck!

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Winners for Print Runner Business Cards: #13 SwankMama, #5 Mama Talk, #10 Gena

Sprout Change Starter Kit: #88, The Domestic Princess

Try Cloth Diapers Before You Buy

Are you a cloth diaper skeptic like I am was?

Not sure if cloth diapers are worth the time and not sure if $40 a month is worth the savings?

Not sure if poop is too darn gross to mess with?

Not convinced cloth is that much better than Pampers?

Think cloth diapers are for crunchy weirdos but there's a possibility there's a sleeping crunchy woman inside of you?

Well I used to pretty much feel that way about cloth diapers. There's nothing wrong with going on and doing what you're doing. BUT... If you're willing to awaken that dormant cloth diaper curious woman inside of you and see if cloth diapers could be for you, than listen up!

I really have enjoyed using cloth diapers. So much so that I plan to keep using them. They're one sized and holing up very well, and since we're pretty much adjusted now and feeling a little "greener" for using less trash, we're going to keep it up!

I learned you really can't dog it 'til you try it, and things I thought I'd be totally grossed out about don't seem so gross now. Especially since it's coming from my adorable little baby. Now other people's poop... That's another story!

I totally get the hesitance though. I know how it feels to stare at a $20 diaper and think "what if I hate cloth? Then what am I going to do with it?" You don't want to buy a small stash only to find you hate it and have just wasted $100. I worried I wouldn't have time to sell them all and $20 a pop could buy a case of disposables. I GET IT!

So I wanted to let you know about a few things that could be helpful for you.

1. Jillians Drawers has a program where you can try a whole stash of different kinds of cloth diapers (so you can see which kind you like) for 21 days for only $10. You pay a deposit of about $145, then if you don't like them, send them all back, stains and all and you're refunded $135. You get cash back, not a store credit!

2. Diaper Junction also has a "test drive" program where you can try any of their cloth diaper sets for 30 days risk free. Send them back and get refunded!

3. I'll buy you a starter kit! That's right. Well, for one of you. I'm not rich like Oprah (yet) so I can't give all of my readers a car, or a cloth diaper starter kit for that matter. But I am such a big fan of Sprout Change that I'm going to buy one of my readers who doesn't have ANY cloth diapers a super saver starter kit. You can choose the color and if you want microfleece or organic hemp.

All you have to do is leave a comment telling me why you are skeptical of cloth diapers but why you're willing to try.

I'll post all of the answers in a week (Friday November 5th), and let people vote for their favorite answer. Answers with the top 5 most votes I'll put in a drawing and let Lil' J pull the winner from a hat!

Oh, and promise me if you don't like them that you'll pass them on to someone else who is willing to try cloth but doesn't have any.

Easy enough right? So go ahead, tell me why you want to win! Already have cloth diaper and bummed you can't enter? Help spread the word. The more people who use cloth the less expensive it'll become (or that's my hypothesis at least.) Tell your skeptic friends about the giveaway!

She'll Grow Into It: Sorta Wordless Wednesday

Ok, so the hat's a little big, but it doesn't get much cuter than this, does it? There's lots more where that came from at Lollipop Moon (seriously, I'm not just saying that, I can go crazy at this shop!).

What do you like? Everyone who lets me know in the comments before November 3rd will be entered to win $25 to the store! Random.org will choose the winning comment. Good Luck!

*Thanks Lollipop Moon for sponsoring this review and giveaway!

How to Find a Deal on Etsy

I'm a girl who loves to shop. But I'm also a girl who knows how to find a good deal and won't get ripped off. I'm constantly posting my finds on my Facebook page and one of my online buddies asked if I'd post about finding deals on Ebay and Etsy.--Cause that's where I do most of my shopping.

It may come across as strange to some people that I shop for cloths and just about everything else on Ebay but it's really pretty convenient. I love getting mail so it's more fun than going to the store. And 90% of the time I'm getting a rockin deal.

I just recently started shopping on Etsy and that's a little more overwhelming to me, but I'm quickly learning tips to finding a bargain.

1. Be Specific: Personally, I get overwhelmed by just searching for random things on etsy, and that's a quick way to buy something you don't need. I use as many key words as possible to get a good amount of return results, but not enough to have to sort through dozens of pages of stuff.

The Groovy Mommy $10

2. Narrow the Results: If I'm searching for something like a "baby dress" and get tons of results, the first thing I do is usually click "sort from lowest to highest" but then the first half a dozen pages seem to be patterns, so I enter a prize range to sort it even more, maybe between $5 and $15, so I can skip through pages of patterns, but scan for the cutest, lowest-prices results.

3. Compare Compare: If you're coming across several items that look alike and are priced similarly, check out things that may be "deal breakers." How quickly they ship (is it ready to mail, or made to order?) and compare things like shipping costs. Sometimes buying multiple items can save you on shipping, depending on the seller.

4. Communicate with the Seller: I almost always write to the Etsy sellers and tell them what I'm looking to buy, and ask specifics about the order, (my husband makes fun of me because I can never order a meal without some exception, I think I'm the same way with buying things on Etsy) sometimes (not always) if you get a really nice seller, they'll offer something extra for a discount.

For instance, I was just going to buy one dress from Sumo's Sweet Stuff for a rockin' deal of $10. But then I saw another one that had just sold that I liked, and decided I wanted to buy two, but then I really liked the headbands and wanted one to match one of the dresses, but the seller was nice and said I could get two for $10, when normally they're $6 a piece. I've found lots of sellers who are nice about my custom orders and offer a discount when I'm torn between something. You never know who will hook you up with a deal so you'll buy more!

So these adorable dresses Lil' J and I took a photoshoot in today are from Sumo's Sweet Stuff. I saw one listed on her shop as a tunic top and asked if she could make a dress like that. She whipped them up so quick and sent my like 10 emails to make sure I was getting what I wanted. Etsy ROCKS!

5. Word of Mouth: I'm constantly finding awesome deals by just asking my friends about their favorite shops. I'm always finding things I wouldn't have found on my own. There are SO many sellers and it's impossible to see them all. Sometimes I'm looking for dresses and end up finding hairbows I love by a seller who also makes dresses.

It's fun to hop around, and ask around for favorites.

What are your favorite Etsy shops? Everyone who comments before November 2nd will be entered to win a $15 credit to Sumo's Sweet Stuff. If you follow her blog or tell me what you want from her shop you'll get an extra entry! Random.org will choose the winner! Good luck!

 

How to Make a Tutu Dress: What I'm Making Monday

Before Lil' J was born I already had about six tutus and three tutu dresses made for her. I posted a tutu making tutorial already, but tutu dresses are even more fun, especially for little babies and in my opinion, they're easier to make!

I didn't want to pay $40+ on something I could make for $5 so I learned how to make them myself.

I was making one for my friend While Sol Sleeps, so I took photographs along the way to show you how it's done.

First, what you'll need is tulle, a crocheted tube top (which can be made of you cut the tie at the end of a big beanie, or you can buy 6in crocheted headbands here), tulle, sissors, and whatever embellishments you want: flowers, ribbon, etc.

1. Cut the tulle in lengths that you like. I buy my tulle by the roll at Hobby Lobby. It's rolled up 6in wide which is perfect for tutus. Then I cut the strips 20in long since it'll be folded in half and become a 10in tutu.

2. Fold a tulle strip in half, and push the hoop part through a bottom crochet hole in the tutu top.

3. Pull the other end of the tulle through the loop to make a easy knot, pull it tight.

4. Repeat all the way around the crocheted top.

5. Add the flower, and ribbon embellishments to finish it off. I make the flower detachable on a silver hair clip so it can be a hairbow, or clip onto the dress!
What do you think? Don't think you can make one? Ourlittletutus.com sells cute tutu dresses for an affordable price!

Also, I'll give away a small pink and black tutu dress to a commenter who comments on this post before November 1st. Lil' J wore it once to model for this picture, then out grew it!

If you want an extra entry (or just feel like showing off your creation), participate in What I'm Making Monday. Link up your What I'm Making post!

(I'm still getting used to this Linky thing, so bare with me while I try to figur this stuff out!)

<a href="http://babymakingmachine.blogspot.com/search/label/makin%20monday" target="_blank"><img alt="What I'm Making Monday" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4571783992_a80397e7d1_o.png" /></a>
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Butt Wipes

So I came across a friend's blog post on the concept of cloth wipes. The first thing I thought after "eeew" and "what the...?" was "People buy these things?"

Then, out of curiosity I searched on Etsy and stuff and sure enough, came across all sorts of pretty cloth wipes.

$85 Source

"Why would you buy pretty wipes?" I asked myself. Quite frankly that's the last thing I'd want to do. And nice wipes are... Ok nice. But seriously, they're touching your baby's butt for a couple of seconds every few diaper changes, are they really necessary?

So then I looked at my situation. Wipes aren't expensive. I always get the cheapo ones for a dollar at my grocery store. Or heck--They have wipes at the dollar tree. But the one thing that's a pain in the butt is having to throw the wipes away in a separate bin than our cloth diapers.

Gee, wouldn't it be nice to have them all go in the same place? Actually, half the time they do. Last time I did laundry, I pulled out half a dozen wipes from the washing machine along with the cloth diapers. I guess my husband didn't feel like taking the extra five seconds to throw the wipes in the trash can. They surprisingly held up well and were very clean.

So here I am considering cloth wipes. I sure as heck don't want to spend twice as much as a bag of disposable wipes for one wipe on a pretty wipe to wipe my daughter's crap with. If anything, I'd want to wipe it with something ugly.

I read that some people use baby washcloths and guess what I found during our last trip to the dollar tree? Yep. Baby washcloths. Four for a buck! So I stocked up and got four boxes.
I decided to use those, and other things around the house to make cloth wipes. They're not bad, pretty, and colorful. I thought of sewing some fabric on the other sides to make them fancy like the ones I saw on etsy but again, I thought that would just be ridiculous.

These colorful washcloths still wasn't enough to make me excited to use cloth wipes. I needed something ugly, something that screams "wipe me on your butt."

Just when I thought that, I had, an idea.
If you know my family you know we're big BYU fans. We're teaching Lil' J young. Yes, the poor cougs are having a bad season this year but we still stand behind them.

So in order to pay homage to our team and get rid of some useless fabric I have lying around, plus wipe my baby's butt with something deserving of that duty, I thought I'd make appropriate baby butt wipes...

 

Out of Ute fabric.

Why do I even have this disgraceful color around my house? You ask. Well, I bought it to make these. Now, since my craft is on hold, and since we live in a different state. There's not much use for it. Using it to make butt wipes seems much more appropriate anyway.

So I got to work. I cut up a receiving blanket/ burp cloth I didn't need. I cut both pieces of fabric to be the same general size as the baby wash cloths (about 6in by 6in).

 

I zigzag stitched them back to back. Oh, it was crooked and stuff but really--They're butt wipes, it doesn't matter. In fact, Lil' J sat on my lap the whole time, and we made six of them!

Then I read this and that tutorial to figure out how to fold them to put them in a wipes container so they'd pop up. (I was so excited, and since I only have the $1 refills around the house I went out and bought a box of Huggies wipes just to make this).

I mixed a little bit of this and a little bit of that with water to make the wipes solution. (If you're really curious here's what it was: 1TBS baby wash, 3 drops lemon essential oil and 3 drops lavender essential oil, 1 cup warm water).



Poured half in the bottom, set the wipes in, and poured the other half on the top and TA DAA!

The perfect butt wipes.

My husband even gets a kick out of using them. It was the perfect way to convert the family to cloth wipes.

Creative Enough to Win $1000?

I always saw myself as a pretty creative person. I was in Odyssey of the Mind when I was in elementary school, and I surprise myself from time to time with the ability to think outside of the box.

I was challenged to think of something cool to make out of toilet paper rolls. Why? Well, because White Cloud has just announced the start of their new Imagination Unrolled Contest where you and your kiddos have the chance to show off your creative juices.

The coolest entries will have the chance at winning the grand prize of $1,000 and $500 for 2 runners-up! --You'll get to get your friends to vote for your picture!

Basically, the concept is to use While Cloud toilet paper or paper towel rolls you have lying around (I found about 5 in my trashcan (I know, I know... I'm going to recycle from now on, or save them to play with later).


So what did I do? Well, first I looked at the other entries. Then kicked myself for not thinking of some of those. And I had some trial and error with a few things: A windchime, and a baby mobile. I won't post the pictures to save myself from embarassment.

I kept thinking "binoculars" but that was just too obvious. So I settled for the next less obvious thing, but adapted it to something I think is creative... Napkin holders! But not just any napkin holders.--Napkin holders with team spirit!

You know--Something to bust out at a superbowl, or game-watching party.

Materials needed

And they're so easy to make. Just grab your TP rolls, some glue, your favorite fabric and scissors!

Cut the toilet paper toll to the size you want your holder to be

Tadaa!

Convinced? Ok, so maybe my creative skills are lacking... If you're like me but still want to win some moolah, join the #WhiteCloudMom's Imagination Unrolled Twitter Party Thursday night.

Thursday, October 21st 3pm - 4pm CST, they'll be giving away a $50 gift card to a random participant every 10 minutes!

Follow the host @WhiteCloudMom and #WhiteCloudMom to participate. They'll give tips on how to "unroll" your imagination! I'm hoping I come up with a better idea for my entry after the party.

Never been to a twitter party? Just go to tweetgrid.com and enter this:

Except enter your user name, not mine!

See you there! So what do you think? How did I do?

*Disclosure: I am a White Cloud blogger, and I am compensated for my time. All opinions are 100% my own.

Sprout Change Cloth Diaper Review and Say What?--GIVEAWAY!

If you've been following my blog the past few weeks you know I took the plunge and tried cloth diapers. I mostly used Sprout Change. To be honest, my husband has had to work with them more than I have but we've talked about and both gotten a feel for them now and I can give my honest opinion on this whole cloth diaper thing.

First of all, like I explained in my initial Cloth Diaper Experiment post--I'm not one of those people who is going to make people feel bad for using disposables. That's not my personality, and quite frankly I'm not trying cloth because I'm scared of Pampers harming my baby. Sure, that's a possibility, but it's also possible that my toaster will burn my house down. I wanted to give it a try because I figured if it was as easy as everyone says it would be a great way to save a few extra bucks a month, and keep extra trash from hitting the landfills. I also was thinking it would be more comfortable on my baby's bum and prevent diaper rash (although she's never had it *knock on wood*).

I was sent Sprout Change Cloth Diapers, the All in Two Super Saver kits.

I had organic hemp/cotton and stay dry microfleece (fleece on top, microfiber underneath) inserts to use in the covers.

Here's what I like about them:

1.They're one size. TRULY. There's elastic around the legs, and the back, which you can adjust while the baby's wearing it (here's my video demonstration of how that works). It was easy to fit wide around her thunder thighs, but taken in a little around her belly. It's nice because you set it once, and don't need to change it for months.

I know people who are used to multiple snap diapers for one size say adjusting the elastic is a pain but for me, it makes it faster for every diaper change after the one adjustment every few months. You don't have to line up a gazillion snaps every diaper change. I won't need to buy more covers because these are suppose to last until she's potty trained, or 40lbs.

What's cooler? They now have snap extenders if your baby gets bigger than that! No need to buy more for every time your child moves up a size.

2. The covers are reversible. It's the ONLY reversible diaper on the market. I have 8 covers aka shells, but if you count the other side with different colors that's 16 shells! Depending on the way you put it on the snaps close on the side or on the front. I prefer the front snaps, which close like I'm used to with disposables but different cloth diaper people have different preferences.

3. They aren't super bulky. I don't have a huge stash of diapers but compared to the others I do have (Fuzzibunz, gDiapers, Nifty Nappy) these are the least bulky of the bunch, which is nice because a lot of time her diaper is covered with adorable clothes.

4. Easy to use! I love this all in two system. During each diaper change I don't have to take the shell all of the way off. I just grab the insert, roll it up, and toss it in our diaper pail. Then place a new insert down. If poop does get on the shell, I toss the whole diaper in, but that usually happens just once a day. It's easy when we're out too because I don't need a ton of huge diapers to carry around, just an extra shell and a couple of inserts.

I have gDiapers too but think these are easier because they don't have an extra layer of plastic inside like the gDiapers do. These are EASY! Perfect for a first time cloth diaper person for myself. Did I mention they're easy?

5. Very Effective: They're waterproof, so we didn't have any blowouts like we did/do with disposables. She takes a big crap every morning and these always contain it. (I really need to start taking her to the toilet). Did you watch my waterproof demonstration? 

6. The price is right! The all in two system is one I wanted to go for, because the all in ones are more expensive for me to buy a whole new diaper and throw it in the pail after every use. With these all you need are a few shells and additional inserts for however many changes you think you'll have. The inserts are only $5-$7, as opposed to diapers from $16+. Plus, like I mentioned before, they're one size!

7. The stuff is interchangeable. Since we've decided to stick with cloth diapers (can you believe it?) the diapers we already have can be intertwined with stuff we get. The inserts can be used in pocket diapers, the covers can be used with prefolds. I can even use the biodegradable inserts I have for my gDiapers in these!

8. Mom made: I bought a cheapo $5 diaper off ebay then felt a bit guilty after when I realized it was from China. Sprout Change diapers are handmade my mamas like you, right here in the US. I feel right supporting them, versus "The Man".

Some problems I had:

I adjusted the elastic too tight around my baby's thighs (thinking oh she's only 3 months, I can make these tight) but they were too tight so I had to go back and readjust all of them all over again. My advice would be give one shell a try at one size for a few changes and make sure that's working before adjusting them all to save you some time.

For naptime, sometimes we'll stuff the sprout change inserts in a pocket diaper to absorb more while she sleeps (she pees a lot aka "a heavy wetter").  At first she went through a nap strike when we switched to cloth. Now she can sleep longer in her Sprout Change diapers now that she's adjusted (or maybe she was starting to teethe?) Either way, I may try an experiment with two of the hemp inserts to see if those work better for nap time, or lay fleece inside too, we'll see!

Cloth diapers as a whole:

In the beginning we all had to get used to more diaper changes. Lil' J wasn't used to feeling the cloth and wetness like you can feel (which is why cloth diaper users tend to have less diaper rash--because you have to change them more frequently than disposables) so we've had to adjust to more diaper changes. This isn't necessarily a problem with the brand as much as it is with the adjustment period.

Despite what people say, it IS more work than before, nevertheless, after two weeks I feel pretty adjusted. We still use disposables at night, but I don't mind because we were gifted SO MANY diapers that we have a lot to use still. By time time we're running low I'll probably look into tips for overnight diaper usage.

Even though it is more work, it's not as much work as I expected. Washing them is a piece of cake as I just dump the pail of diapers into the wash. Drying them is easy, and then it's not like I have to fold them or hang them.

I'm helping the environment a little by using less trash, and since I am using more energy to wash and dry the diapers I'm going to start line-drying the inserts to save energy too! This cloth diaper experiment has really inspired me to take a look at my life and see where I can cut corners and be a little greener while saving a little bit of $green$ too.--Even though that TOTALLY wasn't me. I guess knowing my daughter and granddaughters will be growing up in this world I'll leave behind makes me think a little more about what I'm doing.

It's not over though, keep following to see more of my cloth diaper findings and tips (I just bought some flushie liners to put over the inserts to hopefully avoid more poop, as well as a cloth diaper safe version of "shout") my cloth wipe attempt is next!

Oh, and speaking of following. Each of my blog followers, old or new (or confirmed email subscribers) who comments on this post before October 27th will be entered to win a Sprout Change Super Saver Starter Kit! It comes with one shell and three inserts. You can choose stay dry or organic. I won't tell you more cause you can read about it on their site. You can also learn more by watching my MomTV show TUESDAY 10/19 at 1pm EST (time change) where Catherine, the owner of The Willow Store will be on to talk about Sprout change. Attendees will be given a code word to get an extra entry to this giveaway!

You can get an extra entry if you follow @TheWillowStore on Twitter or fan The Willow Store on Facebook. Random.org will choose the winner. Good Luck!

*Thanks to The Willow Store for sponsoring this review and giveaway

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Winner of the Sound Beginnings Prenatal Music Belt: #12 Mama Campbell
Winner of the Cutie pa tutu: #38 Alice Anne
Winner of $75 to CSN Stores: #59 ShoeStringLiving
I'll email you all, and you'll all have 48 hours to respond to claim your prize! Congrats!

Women Are the Shiznit

Shiznit:
adj. 1) the best; 2) the greatest, in a certain category or universally.
"Women are the Shiznit."

I don't know how women do it, yet I'm one of them. I keep thinking I've gotta be the busiest mom alive but then I look around and realize a third of the women I work with are moms. Some of them have more than one child. Sometimes I still wonder if they are as busy as I am but I can't flatter myself, I'm sure they have it just as bad.

After putting in 9-10 hours at work, including a couple pumping breaks, coming home, gladly taking my daughter out of my husband's hands to give him a break and let him do the things he wants to do. I feed her a gazillion times, play with her, pet the dog, put her to bed, and give my husband attention (and doing this all on a minimum amount of sleep, mind you, because someone (I'm not going to mention any names) is waking up more in the middle of the night again) there's no time left for me. None. And I don't even cook! I do do some laundry now since we're cloth diapering, but everything else? It's forgotten.

My house is a disaster--Not that I really care. My husband does manage to straighten up from time to time (ok, more than I do, I'll admit!). But I'm just saying, if I added in all of the extra things I want to do that aren't really fun, like cooking a home made family meal a few times a week, and cleaning, I really wouldn't have time for things I really like to do like shopping, blogging, or making some hair bows for my daughter, or a new leash set for my poor neglected dog, or this thing called sleep.

On my day off I try my best not to ask my husband to do things for our daughter because I know he does it all week, and I've missed her, so I want to spend time with her. But at the end of the day, when she's finally in bed, I'm actually getting a chance to open my laptop, reply to emails, and fulfill my side jobs, but I get a guilt trip for staying up late alone. Plus, during these late night internet escapades, I'm sacrificing precious sleep to have a few moments to do this... Blog. A hobby I feel slipping away--Drowning underneath the tide of my busy schedule.

Alas, here I am. Writing away. Complaining. So no more of that.

But really, I'm just pondering about my life, and the business of it all. It's kind of funny. Especially when I consider much of my business at home consist of imprinting my butt cheeks into the sofa while I feed my daughter. I've tried multitasking, but after a scare with a hot glue gun and sticky baby hair, I decided it's best if I confine the multitasking while nursing to my iPhone.

I'm used to being able to do it all. Balance a gazillion things at one time. Run from one obligation to another, and collapse at the end of the day. Now, I'm passing opportunities I normally would give my right arm for, because I really and truly don't have time. I don't like saying no, but it's a word I'd had to add to my vocabulary.

I used to think if I was a superhero I'd want the ability to read minds. Now I think if I was a superhero I'd want the ability to live without sleep. How cool would that be? I'd have eight whole hours to myself (minus middle of the night feedings). I wouldn't have to feel guilty because everyone would be asleep and I could just get things done.

There'd be 3am trips to Wally World, late night vacuuming, and menu planning. Probably another job somewhere in the mix. Ah. If only I had super powers.

But really, us women. We are superheros. I don't see men doing all of the things we do. And when they attempt to do half of it they whine the whole time.

My husband? He gets a break when I'm off work. Me? I get a break at 1am. Or in this case, 10pm cause they're both already in bed.

I don't need a cape and tights to prove I'm the shiz. It's written on all over my face.

PS: Thank you SO MUCH for your encouraging words on my last post! Hubby and I are in dire need of a date... I think but no need in beating myself up about it! We went out with baby today but hopefully in the next week or so it'll be sans Lil' J.

In Need of a Date Night... I Think

A husband? What's that?

I catch myself asking that question from time to time over the last few months. I know what a baby's daddy is. I have one of those--Actually, I'm quite convinced I have the best one. But between work, and my daughter, sometimes it's hard to remember I have a husband who needs attention too.

Being back at work seems to be getting a little bit harder every day. I do have my good days, where time flies and it's time to see my baby again, but overall it's really hard to be away from my daughter so many hours every week.

The positive is she has a great daddy at home who manages to go to school, work on my days off, take care of our daughter, and take better care of the house than I ever did. How he does it, I have no clue. But I'm grateful.

When I come home from work my daughter is happy to see me but her eyes never light up as much as they do when she looks at her daddy. Why that is, I have no idea, but she thinks he's really funny. Even when he's just standing there.

Both of us have put the needs of our daughter before our own but I'm torn because I feel like we need US time too.

What's a husband? I have one, but I don't always act like I do. No, I'm not talking about flirting with other men--Who has time to cheat?!--What I'm saying is we don't spend much time alone. And, we haven't been on a date just the two of us since our daughter was born--three and a half months ago! We've each been out and had alone time, and we've gone out as the three of us, but it hasn't been just the two of us (besides one trip to Costco, which I don't count).

What's worse is I don't really feel that bad about it.

I don't miss it being the two of us, or miss having quiet time alone. But I feel like I should. Like maybe it would be healthy for us to get out alone, to nourish our marriage.

Confession: I always told myself when we had kids we'd go on a date at least once a month. Heck, I didn't think it was a stretch to have dinner together once a week. Now I laugh at that thought.

When Lil' J is in bed and we have time to catch up, we interrupt ourselves constantly asking "is she crying?" (we still need to invest in a baby monitor).

And remember that letter I wrote? Yea, still a problem.

I don't think our relationship is suffering from living this way, but I can't help but wonder if it's one of those things that could build up and form something bad. A big fat tumor on our marriage. I don't want to give our marriage cancer, and if a date every once in awhile is the antibody, I'm all for it.

How long did it take for you to go on a date sans baby after birth?

"Do These Pants Make My Butt Look Big?"-- "No, But Your Diaper Does": Cloth Diaper Experiment Week 2

Call me vain, but one of my concerns with putting Little J in cloth diapers was them not fitting under her adorable clothes.

Now thank goodness, 95% of her wardrobe is made up of dresses, so it's not a huge deal that her bum is now the size of a grapefruit--A big one--Thanks to her cloth diapers. I just have to be sure that what little part of her diaper that is showing, matches her ensemble.

Some say this is a misconception but I'm here to tell the truth... Cloth diapers DO make babies butts bigger! But to me this is a big fat "DUH!"

Luckily, with Little J's Sprout Change diapers, we haven't had a big problem with getting her clothes on, UNLESS I double up the layers of inserts. When I add an extra piece of cloth in there her booty is a balloon.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing if you like that sort of look. Some people like big butts. I, by habit, find myself spanking her bum all day just because it's fun to hear and it's soft--I dunno, it's a strange obsession. If she was standing and were to fall she'd have a lot of cushion to soften her fall, that's for sure.

But back to the dilemma-- Cloth diapers and clothes.

I was watching Lil' J on my day off and her daddy had to work. It was my second full day of being with her and changing her new diapers all day, while he's used them full time for the past week. I must say I have a whole new level of respect for my husband because I was changing her diaper what felt like every hour!

Every time she'd get wet she'd get cranky and fussy (which could be tied in with teething but really, wouldn't you if you're sitting in your own puddle?), and I was curious if adding an extra layer of microfiber would help her sleep and maybe not feel it at much.

I have 10 Bum Genius inserts I bought originally thinking I'd use them in my gDiapers, before I learned that you can't put microfiber right against your baby's bum (it over-dries their skin) so I took one out, and placed it under her organic Sprout Change insert and voilà! A big absorbent butt!... I mean diaper.

When I was performing this experiment it kinda reminded me of that scene from Teen Mom where Farrah forgot diapers for Sophia when they were at the car cleaners, so she asked for towels and she wrapped a bunch of hand towels around her daughter's butt and tried to put her pants back on.

It worked-- For both of us. Little J was able to take a long nap and when she woke up both layers were soaked! But it didn't leak from the waterproof cover and I guess she didn't feel it as much. Or maybe she was just really tired. The downside was the appearance, but we were just hanging out all day so no one saw her lowriding her pants.

I pulled her bottoms up as much as I could but the crotch of the pants stopped short, stuck on her diaper.

Same goes when she wears her FuzziBunz... Her Bunz are HUGE!

She's already a big girl wearing 6-9 month clothes at 3 months, but I guess cloth diapers may mean we'll need an even bigger size for some things.

Luckily she won't need to wear so many cloth layers unless she's napping (if we want her to nap more than 15 minutes). Other than nap time her Sprout Change diapers are nice, slim and sleek, like her disposables would be. Some other diapers I have (like gDiapers and most all in ones) are a little bigger, and check out this one...

...To be used when we visit Utah in the winter.

I'm not sure why this even bothers me. Maybe because I'm a woman and I know no woman wants a humongous butt. I, personally could use a little more junk in my trunk, and sometimes I'm in a hurry to the bathroom. Do they make cloth diapers for women?


Three people who comment on this post before October 25th at 11:59pm will win 250 business cards from PrintRunner.com. The cards can be full color, black & white, printing on one side or two sides, glossy or matte - it's up to you to choose! Follow @printrunner on twitter for an extra entry.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Thanks to everyone who entered my GAP jeans giveaway! Random.org chose a 2nd winner since the first didn't respond and it's #59 Melifaif!! Congrats! You'll have 48 hours to respond with your address info! Hopefully you read my blog or yours, and see you won!!

Meanwhile, Lil' J and I will keep practicing her model poses for the GAP Model Search Contest. You can enter your kid too!

Entries are open until October 24th and it's open to babies ages 0-4 and kids ages 5-10! Good luck! Ooh, and if Lil' J is a finalist get ready to vote for her :D

They Weren't Lying, These ARE Waterproof-- Cloth Diaper Experiment Day 5

I must admit, one thing that definitely has cloth diapers ranking over disposables in my book is the fact that we have not had one blow out since the switch.

We've had a couple of close calls. See, before, with disposables every morning following her morning feed fest she poops a TON. She doesn't poop while she sleeps, so I guess it gets all stockpiled up for her morning dump. We're usually downstairs watching Say Yes to the Dress before my evening news shift. I'll start to hear the thunder from down under and next thing I know, my thighs are all wet and the poop came from her diaper. Either out through her legs or up her back or stomach. It's gross. And if I may have been worried about cloth diapers being gross before, but, really--this isn't much different.

Every morning with my Sprout Change diapers we've gone through the same morning routine. Go downstairs, I make my oatmeal, we watch Say Yes to the Dress, (and you think by now I'd take her to the toilet since I'm know what's next) but today--and the rest of the week for that matter--when I've heard the squirts and farts nothing comes out!

We have close calls at times, with it going up the font of her diaper or the back of her diaper but it always stays inside the diaper. *knock on wood*

Sometimes a little poop gets on the shell but that's it. It's doesn't escape. So just for fun (I know, I'm a little weird) I decided to see if these Sprout Change covers really were waterproof. So I did an experiment. I was so impressed with the results I didn't think anyone would believe me if I just told you so I decided to reenact it for you via video!

Today Little J has been in a MUCH better mood. She was so happy this morning even after I put her cloth diaper on and my husband says she was happy all day. We think she's finally getting used to them (or maybe she was just missing me after we had a weekend together, I'm still not sure which theory is true). I also left out the FuzziBunz all in one pocket diaper Gina aka The Feminist Breeder gave me at BlogHer for my husband to try during her nap today and guess what?... He said it worked GREAT! She hasn't been able to sleep long in her diapers because the wetness keeps waking her up. My husband said she napped for two hours today! That's the first long nap she's had since being in cloth diapers.

He said the diaper weighed a ton when she woke up from the nap but it didn't feel wet. So he threw it in the pail and we'll wash it tomorrow with the rest of our Sprout Change diapers. So, now I'm thinking I should buy one or two more FuzziBunz diapers to use during nap time so we can wash them every 2-3 days. He asked how much they cost and when I told him $20+ shipping he said "No way!" It is hard buying one diaper for the cost of an entire bag but we just have to remember that we can wash and reuse, over and over and over for years... And hopefully two (or three?) kids! You can't do that with a pack of diapers.

So I'm trying to decide if I want to buy a brand new pink one, or get a used one from someone. I know... It sounds gross. But you can strip them so they're all clean, and some people only use them a time or two. It may sound yucky but if I really want to try to be more green I should consider this. I mean really, what's better for the environment? I can save one more cloth diaper from being bought brand new and eventually ending up in a landfill.

Now I just have to find someone who isn't charging $15 for a used diaper. I mean come on people, just it looks clean doesn't mean you can charge $17 for something you paid $20 for. Not fair! I have to be REALLY trusting if I'm buying a diaper your kid crapped in. Plus, whose saying you didn't clean your toilets with it... Just saying. Give me a deal people!

More on my recycling cloth diapers experiment later!

Breastfeeding Burnout

I love breastfeeding. I really do. I thought it was something I would just put up with a few months before switching to formula, but I've actually enjoyed it. I have a Breastfeeding Diaries blog I've been keeping over at Bravado Designs, and I've been lucky enough to have been able to exclusively breastfeed my daughter for more than three months now. But now this duty is becoming my demon.



Before having Little J I set a personal goal to breastfeed her for three months, during my maternity leave. That didn't mean I'd exclusively breastfeed her, or that I wouldn't supplement at times, but it ended up being to where I didn't need to supplement. In fact, I build up a stash of more than 200 frozen ounces of breast milk to use once I returned to work.



But the stash I speak of is one that is to be used for emergencies, and only taken from when it's about to expire and it's replaced with, fresh pumped milk for the day. This stash is now beginning to drive me crazy.



My first week back at work I was able to find time to take a pump break, usually two, during the day. I would pump about seven ounces a session, then nurse my daughter during my lunch breaks. That got old fast. I felt like I was lactating more than I was working. That's saying something, considering I sometimes work 55 hours a week.

I like feeling like I'm doing something for my daughter when I'm away from her, but it can be a difficult battle. Set up to take down takes me about 25 minutes. I felt guilty taking an extra 50 minutes out of my schedule to pump. Sometimes I'd try to take my laptop with me so I could keep working but that felt awkward.

So I cut back a little and pumped once at work, and fed her during my break. But then my supply started to dip. So I brought my pump home on the weekends and would pump after Lil' J went to sleep to try to get it back up to where it was.

Now, I pump six ounces during my shift, feed her during my lunch break, and then pump once more before I go home, and if I'm lucky, I get another five ounces. So I'm bringing home 11 ounces of expressed milk a day, plus feeding her during my break, and get this... She STILL wants more!

She can eat about 13 ounces of pumped milk while I'm away. Which on my 12 hour days is understandable, but on my 9 hour shifts, I'm a little confused. Regardless, imagining myself doing this routine for the next nine months is awfully daunting.

I've been counting down to the day that I can start giving her cereal and baby food/purees, whatever the crap you want to call it, but people tell me babies still drink as much milk when they start solids, and that food isn't a supplement for breastmilk or formula. Now this kinda ticks me off because I was count on this--Just gotta make it to six months--I kept telling myself. But who knew that star I've been shooting for may still be out of reach.



My friend Emily, over at Baby Dickey is hosting a series of blog parties Monday nights and I plan on asking the "baby expert" about babies and food.

Now I know there's no need to panic because of my huge milk stash, but we're slowly chipping away at it. Based on my prediction 200 ounces, using 2 a day, it should be gone in about 100 days, or 3 months give or take a week or two. Oh, and that's if she doesn't start drinking more.

When coming to this realization I've had a mix of helpful reactions in response. Some say "yea, I wasn't pumping enough so we supplemented some, no big deal." And there were others who recommend all sorts of teas, herbs and remedies to help with my "Milk Misfortune." And to be honest, I don't want remedies.

I want to just enjoy breastfeeding my daughter when I'm with her. I don't want to have to stress about pumping enough every day, then yell at my husband for pulling from the freezer stash when I didn't pump enough. I don't want to feel like I'm being a slacker at work because I need to pump every 2-3 hours. Then feel like a slacker at home when it's still not enough.

From my understanding some women are able to breastfeed at home when they're with their baby even if they're not pumping when they're away. I don't want to feel guilty if I run out and need to supplement. I don't want to drive myself crazy trying medications, acupuncture, and voodoo tricks to increase my supply. I already eat a ton of oatmeal every morning for breakfast because someone told me it helps. But I also worry part of me will feel guilty for not giving everything else a try before giving her her first bottle of formula.

I want to find some kind of balance between keeping the bliss of breastfeeding, but loosing the fear of failing.

Maybe the realization of needing to supplement will be easier to cope with once she's started to eat cereal and other things that don't come from me. At six months we'll be starting her on solids and if I'm still unable (or unwilling) to keep up with her needs while I'm away, maybe the sting won't hurt as bad since she'll already be getting other sources of food.

I don't know if I'm just sensitive because it's my first child, and maybe I'll be more laid back next time or what. But I've never felt like my worth was hanging over a single responsibility as much as I do now.

I just hope I can find a way to loose the stress and bring back love as the main emotion in breastfeeding.

Still Skeptical: The Cloth Diaper Experiment Day 4

My husband and I are getting the hang of these things now. Lil' J still seems to be her happy cheering self around me so I'm chalking up her misbehavior to missing me while I'm at work.

My husband is still convinced it's the cloth diapers that are keeping her from taking long naps so tomorrow we may try a FuzziBunz all-in-one pocket diaper we have because some commenters suggested pocket diapers for naps. I may also buy some soft sleeves by Sprout Change to add an extra layer of absorbency. You can use these with any other system of diaper you already have so I think this may make it less expensive overall since I won't be buying an entirely different diaper and cover etc. It'll only be $4.95 versus $20+ for each additional diaper.

It is a little discouraging think about all of the different things you need for different scenarios. So, I'm with one commenter on my last post--I'm still not totally convinced cloth diapers are as economical as people say. Especially when you consider the special detergents you need (I still use Tide despite some people who suggest a special, more expensive kind). If you want stain remover you need a special kind for that. Buying a diaper sprayer, a diaper pail (I didn't though, I'm just using what I have). Then when you consider doing an extra load of laundry every-other day (I could go longer but I hear it's not best to let the diapers sit more than 2-3 days). That's 15 extra loads of washing and drying a month. You're using hot water in the wash, then some suggest running an extra rinse cycle... It's a lot of water and energy you're using.

A friend of mine buys 200 diapers at Costco averaging $.14 a diaper. That's hard to beat. Then on the other end of things, some people get "addicted" to cloth diapers and are always buying more and more cloth diapers and while having a minimum stash I think is awesome, and cost effective--having dozens of brand new, different brands and styles seems to defeat the point... To me. I'm NOT going to go crazy with cloth diapers. Mark my words. We have enough. And if I want to save money, I must not go crazy.

Using the Sprout Change diapers for a second child I'm sure will make up the difference in costs, and I'm going to look into buying an indoor drying rack that I can set out on my porch, or use inside to dry the diapers after they've washed. I figure that's more green, and more economical. It also would keep from the wearing on the elastic--Which one of my commenters mentioned can happen with continued dryer use. Lucky for me though, the Sprout Change diapers have a lifetime warranty on the snaps and a year warranty on everything else!

I have been using my diaper champ as a diaper pail instead of buying a new pail to put them in. I've been reusing a plastic bag after dumping the diapers in the washer, but the bag is beginning to stink so I'm thinking of buying a cloth bag to put in the champ, that I can throw in the wash with the diapers.

So if money is your main and only motivation for trying cloth diapers, you may want to check your numbers and make sure it would work out for you. If you're planning on having more than one child and using the same diapers more than once like I hope to if these work out--That for sure will save ya some dough, probably about $40 a month.

There are other reasons for liking them though besides possible savings and that's what I'm trying to focus on now.

My husband isn't skipping a beat with the diapers. Tonight when he brought my daughter up to work for my break, she was in a cloth diaper, and he brought extra to change her while he was there. He just put the dirty one in a plastic bag, and did diaper laundry when he got home. I told him I'd do it but he said he would. And he did!

I noticed a couple of the inserts did have poop stains on them (see, breastfeed baby poop CAN STAIN!) these were ones that weren't rinsed, just thrown in the pail then washed. They're faint, but I don't mind because it's just the inserts (not the cute, reversible cover), and I can always sun them later if I want to get the stains out. A commenter on my last post also mentioned a diaper-friendly stain remover I may try.

So day 4 of my adventure is down. What's next? Who knows!

***

Winner of the bumblebee costume from Flowers and Beyond: #27 Emily. I'll email you and you'll have 48 hours to respond!
Everyone else gets $2 off your order from their shop my mentioning my blog! :)

Washing My Cloth Diapers: Experiment Day 3

I know you're probably just dying to know if the poop stains came out. I was nervous and excited to take my diapers out of the wash--Specifically the shells, and see how they turned out with the poop stains. Like I mentioned in my last post about the experiment, poop has stained a few of Lil' J's cute outfits, from previous blowouts, so I've been skeptical about them coming out of her diapers.

I pulled the out of the wash last night and here's how they looked:

Like new! I did spray a squirt of shout on them but I've been told that can mess up the waterproofness of the covers, so I'm going to resist next time and see if they'll still get cleaned.

I also didn't know (probably because my husband has been doing the laundry) that warm/hot water sets the stains, so from now on I'll rinse with cold first. But I don't think I'll need to worry about poop staining until she begins cereal/solids starting next month.

People don't seem to agree whether or not sun will fade the colors on the diapers or not. But everyone does seem to agree that the sun will lift any stains in the diapers.

Today was Day 3 of wearing the cloth diapers. I woke up before my daughter, got ready and left for work, only to find that I didn't have to be there until that afternoon.

When I got back home my husband had put Lil' J's first diaper on for the day--Backwards.

I had laid it out for him with the insert already placed in it but he didn't remember which side was front (even though there's a tag in the back). I reminded him of that and fixed it.

I just made this video to show how the Sprout Change cloth diapering system works. Since someone asked about what was what with the inserts and the covers:

I can say these diapers have been very husband-friendly so far. Which is nice because since I'm working, he's gotta do a lot of the changing. These also are very daycare-friendly too since the center can just put the cloth inserts in a bag you leave and you deal with the washing later. They aren't doing much more than they'd normally do with disposables. And I know in daycare they change diapers a lot (having worked in one I remember the requirements).

Using the diapers today started out not so fun. Lil' J has still been fussy during diaper changes and she doesn't have a rash or anything so I've been at a loss. I called home during a break and my husband told me she was still acting that way so I sent a tweet asking if there's an "adjustment phase" to cloth diapers.

Some people suggested that she may be upset because she feels "more wet" in cloth diapers than she did in disposables. So I told my husband to change her more frequently--We have enough inserts--and to see if that helped.

It did for the most part.

When I got home from work tonight I asked him how it went.

"I like these diapers a lot," he said. "I hated them at first, but now I actually like them."

He then went on to praise me for breastfeeding and said "If we keep using these, and you keep breastfeeding we can save a lot of money." True true.

I'm already thinking what I want to splurge on as a reward for my pumping and laundry efforts.

My husband likes the microfiber/cotton inserts better than the organic ones because they seem to be more absorbent. And poop only got on one of the shells today. I forgot to tell him not to spray Shout or anything on it like we do for clothes so out of habit he did. Next time we'll both have to resist that.

What he told me he DOESN'T like is the fact that she doesn't nap as long... Which he's convinced is because she pees and feels wet while she's sleeping and wakes up. He said today she only took 20-30 minute naps when normally she'll sleep for an hour or two. I'm not sure what we'll do about that. Maybe after the next wash they'll be more absorbent?

Lil' J doesn't seem to be as ornery now, perhaps cause we're changing her more. Or maybe she is starting a teething phase. She's drooling a lot and chewing on her hands. A commenter mentioned that and it reminded me that she's coming up on that age. (Yay--Breastfeeding's about to get real fun).

We all seem to be getting used to cloth diapers now--My husband, Lil' J and I. Poop doesn't seem as gross to me now. I guess because it's like "Eww... But I can wash my hands" I mean, it's not like I'm eating it.

I'm still anxious to see how our energy bill will be next month. A commenter suggested a diaper service but I'm sure that would be much more expensive for us. Especially considering we already have cloth diapers, and a washer and dryer.

I know I'm helping the environment a bit by not creating as much waste, but I'm still curious about the energy usage. I may try stringing a clothes line across my balcony and hanging the diapers to dry to do be a bit "greener."

Wow. I feel like I've just traveled back in time. What will I do next?

Cloth Diaper Experiment Day 2: Daddy's Turn

Last night I decided I wouldn't chance it and put a disposable on Lil' J before bed. I've heard seasoned clothdiaperers say they use disposables at night so I didn't want to chance it on the first day.

So this morning I prepped the Sprout Change diaper covers with the inserts and gave my husband a cloth diaper review (which took like 10 seconds) I showed him the microfiber side that's supposed to face down in the diaper as to not dry out her little bum. He promised to use them throughout the day.

When I called home and asked how it was going, he said fine, but expressed a concern I noticed the night before.

"She used to love hanging out on the diaper changer, getting dressed, and getting her diaper changed but she just keeps crying today." He said. "Maybe she just needs to get used to them, I don't know."

I felt so bad hearing that and I had an idea of what the problem was.

I ran home for my lunch break and quickly adjusted her diapers from the fourth hole from the end around the legs to the 2nd hole from the end, giving her chubby thighs lots more breathing room (here's a video demonstration we did on how this works). Originally, I wanted to make sure poop wouldn't come through the sides but when I would change her I noticed marks around her fat thighs. She would also cry during diaper changes which she NEVER did before. In fact, that was usually when she was happiest.

After adjusting the tension she was almost back to her happy self again, and I was able to give a sigh of relief. And the poop and pee still hasn't managed to make its way through yet. She still seems not "herself" today, and I'm not sure if it's because she's adjusting to the cloth diapers, or if perhaps she's getting sick and it's just a coincidence she's acting this way, but she seems to be more fussy these past couple of days, when she's normally very cheery and giggly. I'm not sure if perhaps there's a learning curve for babies too in getting used to them?

My husband was able to change the rest of her diapers no problem, and he didn't complain about it like I expected he would. Once he saw how I fit the inserts in, and folded one end a little, he got it down, and is feeling as comfortable with these as he does with disposables.

My husband said he did change some poopy diapers, but none of them got on the cover. That explosion was saved for me.

Not long after I got home I hear a rumble from her bumble, and sure enough, that one got on the side of the cover.

This time I took my friend Jess's advice and grabbed the insert and took it in the shower. If I had a detachable shower head it would have sprayed it with that, but I don't. Instead I held the cloth insert up to the shower and watched as the shower floor turned breastmilk-poo yellow. I tossed it to the floor, squished it a little, rinsed again, then just gave up and threw it in our pail.

My reaction to the cover caught me off guard. Something in my brain snapped. I grabbed it, took it to the bathroom sink, and scrubbed it with my thumbs. You read right. Me. Ms. Eeew Poop is Nasty.

I don't know what got into me. My desire to preserve cuteness must overpower my distaste for grossness.

The inserts I don't care about as much as the covers. Cause let's face it, these are cute.

So now it's time to wash (I already washed my hands). People keep telling me breastfeed baby poop is water soluble and I don't need to rinse them first but I'm not sure I totally believe that because I've had some of Lil' J's cute outfits get stained with poop from previous blowouts. And ok, I give her a lick of my food from time to time, but that's not making it to her poop! All she's getting is mama's milk. So... I'm not sure if this problem was because the poop dried first or what, and since I'm trying not to wash EVER day, I thought I'd give them a quick rinse before the wash, and hopefully the stains will come out.

If not, people suggest setting them in the sun. We live in a townhome and don't have a huge yard to line dry all her diapers, but I can set them on the porch so they can be sun bleached. But will that bleach the cute colors too? And can I set them out after drying them or must the stain be wet to be sunned out?

Other than that, we're both trying to find an easy way to tell if the diapers are wet without taking them all the way off. That seemed easier with disposables.

So many questions I guess I'll learn through trial and error during this experiment.

BEWARE: I'm about to show poopy diapers!!! I know it's a tad bit weird but this is an experiment, I'm putting it all out there, and sometimes photos speak louder than words.

So here's how they look now. I'm about to spray a tad of shout on them and put them in a regular cycle on hot water using Tide powder detergent (I asked around and people agree this works fine I made sure it DIDN'T have fabric softner, which I guess can cause build up on the inserts and in turn make them not absorb aka work well.) That's another frustrating thing I'm finding with cloth diapers. You can't just throw them in the wash like you would any other wash, you have to pay attention to the detergent and cleaner you use on it or it can do this or that to the diapers. I suppose once you have a system down it's not so hard but in the beginning I'm getting a headache reading all of the rules about what to put, and not to put on the diapers.

Anyway, here's hoping they're nice and clean tomorrow! You can bet I'll let you know!

My Cutie Pa Tutu

Oh how I dreamed if the days long before having my daughter. I saw myself dolling her up and snapping photos. And now here I am, living that exact scenario almost daily. It's addicting. And the nice thing is she loves it too, and when we're done she's so pooped and ready for a long nap!

People joked with me before having my daughter and said she wouldn't get to wear all the clothes I was getting for her. Little did they know me! Lil' J has a new outfit on every day, and sometimes we do outfit changes midday, just because. We're getting use out of these clothes, that's for sure!

I'm a girlie girl and I imagine she'll grow up to be a tomboy because of all of the bows and dress froofroo I'm putting her in, she may be sick of by the time she's old enough to pick her own clothes.

Yesterday evening I took her out in the front yard and snapped a few photos in one of our favorite tutus.

I make a lot of her tutus myself, but I can't make them this cute, filled with the bright adorable little pom poms inside (so she can't eat them), and a bow facing correctly. This one is by Cutie Pa Tutus and it was specially made for her. The Ladybug theme goes perfect with her quilt, made by Lil' J's great-grandma, and her nickname.

Cutie Pa Tutus also recently launched their new adorable pa tutu onesies line with bling like this one, and they're just as affordable as their tutus. You can also get 20% off right now through the 15th by using the code: "babymakin".So here we were, my daughter in I. Lying on the grass, and playing. The sun was setting so the lighting was great, and I snapped a photo capturing this beautiful moment between my daughter and I. My eyes teared and my heart swelled when I looked down at my camera display showing my sweet little girl.

It blows my mind how fast my she is growing, and how much time we have yet to experience together, I pray, in this life, and know in the life to come.

I've always heard people say children are a blessing but I didn't realize exactly what they meant until I had my own.

I am so blessed. I'm living the dream.

Everyone who comments on this post before October 14th at 11:59pm will be entered to win a pa tutu of choice from Cutie Pa Tutu. For an extra entry follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.
*Thanks Cutie Pa Tutu for sponsoring the review/giveaway!