I have been sewing up a storm

Due to Benjy having a growth spurt and sleeping lots, I have had a chance to play with my sewing machine.  In the last few days, I have made lots of things.  Some good, some bad.  I have made two covers for one of my nursing pillows.  The first one was too tight, the second one, way too loose.  Maybe the third time will be the charm.

I have also made two diaper covers out of fleece.  I will post pictures amd how tos of that one later. I just need some hook and loop to finish them off.  The only stuff I have around the house has a sticky backing and it goops up my sewing machine needle.( I had to change the needle tonight :P)

My living room currently looks like my sewing room which is rather messy, so I will need to find a way to store my stuff neatly here.

Cloth Wipes

Since we have started cloth diapering, I have seen the amount of garbage that we throw out go down by quite a lot.  It doesn't make sense to keep using disposable wipes.  So cloth wipes it is.  The original ones that I made were flannel, but even cutting them with pinking shears, they were still shredding when washed. I also cut some fleece ones too.
I finally had the bright idea to move my sewing machine upstairs so I had a chance to sew some stuff while Benjy naps.  So I was able to sew cloth wipes.  I sewed them inside out on three sides and then flipped them the other way around.  I then sewed another hem around the edge.  Doing this ensures that when they are washed, they retain their shape and do not get twisted.
Last night after Benjy had come to bed, I sewed up 18 of them. It didn't take me too long as I used some burp cloths I had made and cut them up.

The blue ones are all flannel on both sides

The middle one is a wash cloth with a reddish flannel backing

Most of my wipes are 4 inches by 4 inches.  Not too big, but good for having a boy

A bigger wipe for bigger messes

This one has a fleece backing

For my wipes, I am storing them dry.  I have a bottle of solution which is water with some baby wash and baby oil which I spray on the wipes as I use them.

Seven Years of Marriage

It doesn't seem like that long ago that my husband and I got married.  We were young, only 19, but we were determined to make it work despite others not thinking we would make it.

I won't lie and say the last 7 years have always been peachy, but we were committed to each other. I will say that happy times have far outweighed the rough times.   So yesterday we celebrated 7 years of marriage by eating lunch at KFC and going grocery shopping while Grandma watched Benjy.  So not the most thrilling of things, but when you have a 2.5 month old, time is limited.

It was very strange being out without Benjy.  He is with me pretty constantly as he is a breast fed baby.  Thankfully he does take a bottle when he needs to so I left 3 bottles of pumped milk and 2 containers of formula for just in case.  He ended up drinking all three bottles of formula as we were an hour away to do our shopping and we had lots to do.

Anyway, a little off track here.  Looking back on 7 years of marriage, we have done lots of things together.

1.Got our first place away from home ( and not on campus) August 2004
2. Got a cat-  Bacon Feb 2005
3. Graduated university with our BAs ( Bachelor of Arts) June 2006
4. Graduated teacher's college with our BEds ( Bachelor of Education) June 2007
5. The Chief got a job in his hometown July 2007, I got a job November 2007, got bumped June 2008, got another job Sept 2008, got bumped June 2009 and finally landed a permanent job Sept 2010
6. Bought a house July 2008
7.  Finally got our driver's license  ( July 2010 for me, December 2010 for the Chief)
8. Bought a car in Sept 2010
9.  Had a baby April 2011

Looking back at this list, I wonder what the next 7+ years will entail.

Benjy is Getting Bigger

At Benjy's last appt, he was weighed and measured.  According to doctors, they want a baby to double their birth weight by the fourth month.  At birth Benjy was 8 lbs 1/2 oz.  At 9 weeks, he is 15lbs 4.5oz.  He has not quite doubled his birth weight yet, but he is getting very close to it.  He is an avid nurser and during the day is nursing every 1-2 hrs.  I think he likes snuggling with me too.


His height also changed.  At birth he was 19 3/4 inches.  At 9 weeks, he is 25.5 inches.  I can't believe how much he is growing.  


In clothing he is in mostly 6 month clothing with some 3 month stuff still fitting.  I find that clothing manufacturers are all over the place with the sizing on the clothing.  When things list weight, it is easier to figure out, but when they do not, it is really hit and miss. 


Benjy also did something new today.  He was away from me for more than an hour.  My MIL took him from 10-1:45.  I really needed to put away some laundry and do some tidying up around the house.  So she took him for a walk and then to her parent's house so he could see his great grandparents.  


The best part of him being away is when I picked him up from his stroller he sighed and snuggled me.  He doesn't mind being away, but he sure is a momma's boy.


While he was away, he even took a bottle of breast milk.  Apparently he fussed a bit, but did take it.  This is a good thing.  I love nursing him and want to do it as long as possible, but I also want to be able to go swimming in the evenings. I lost 15lbs swimming before I got preggo and would like to loose some weight again.  If he takes a bottle that means the Chief can feed him his last feeding before bed.


Speaking of sleeping, Benjy sleeps pretty well at night.  He has a bath around 8ish.  He will then nurse and then fall asleep by 9:30.  He will usually sleep till about 2 and then nurse and wake up around 4-5ish and nurse, and then 6-7ish and nurse.  So I get some interrupted sleep which is great.  During the day he takes little cat naps.  He sleeps for about 15-30 minutes after he eats.  In the afternoon, I take him for a walk and he usually sleeps for about an hour in his stroller.  He loves going in his stroller and lets me know his dissatisfaction if I stop.


The other new thing that Benjy is doing is "speaking".  Not words yet, but he loves to squeal and "say" lots of things especially when he is in his crib and his mobile is running.  We will put him down in there and turn on the mobile while we wash our hands or prepare dinner and as long as the mobile is on he is in their squealing in delight.  It is so cute.


I will leave you with some pictures of the little guy

Bacon's reaction to the baby

Since this blog was originally called Bacon needs a pal and the address still is that, I thought I would talk about how Bacon is reacting to Benjy.  He is reacting good and bad.

The good is that he doesn't really care too much about Benjy.  He will froll his bouncy set, sniff him, and look at him.  He gives me a look if Benjy really starts wailing.

The bad is that he thinks that Benjy's stuff- bouncy seat, playpen, and his swing ( yes he managed to get into a swing which moves very easily).  He also tries to step on him if he is bugging me for food.  As well he is a very loud cat and sometimes meows really loudly just as I get Benjy to fall asleep.  In short, he is being really annoying.

I don't want to get rid of my cat. He was my first little baby, but man has he been annoying lately.  I am going to try to give him more attention and hopes that his annoyingness subsides.

Sunny Baby Cloth Diapers Review

In pursuit of cloth diapering but not having tons of cash to buy lots of diapers all at once, I turned to Ebay.  As mentioned in other posts, I tried two Kawaii diapers as recommended by two cding friends.  I really like them, but sometimes they are out of stock.  So I decided to look for other types of pocket diapers to try out.

Sunny Baby Cloth Diapers come from China which is where many cloth diapers originate. As mentioned they are pocket diapers which mean that they come with an insert that can be inserted into the pocket.  They are one size diapers which means they should be good from 8-35lbs.    They come in a variety of colours.  I ordered 10 Deep Blue.  In hindsight, I should have ordered more colours as that is some of the fun on cloth diapering.

This is the basic diaper.  It has 3 size settings. Small, Medium and Large.  It only has one row of snaps at the top.  The outer is made of TPU with the inner being a microfibre suede ( not fleece)

Currently I have it on the medium setting for my  2 month old son is who 15lbs

The insert is very easy to insert into the diaper.  

The insert/ soaker pad is made of microfibre.  Sunny Baby diapers only come with one insert.  I prefer to use two at night so if you child is a heavy wetter you might want to invest in more.

All stuffed and ready to go.

The pocket is elasticized to keep the insert from falling out.

This is my son wearing the diaper.  Although the snaps for the body of the diaper are adjusted to medium, even at 15 lbs the waist snaps are still done to the tightest.  I don't see how a smaller baby would be able to wear the diaper.  

I have used these diapers for a few days now.  The ten I have get me through about 2 days.  I use a different diaper at night.  Even when the inserts are soaking wet, my son's bottom is still dry.  I have had a few leaks with them along the top and the legs when he was really wet and had been wearing them for at least 2 hrs.




Pros:  Really easy to wash and dry.  I put them in the machine on cold with a bit of liquid detergent.  I then hang the covers to dry and put the inserts in the dryer.  The covers dry very quickly hanging up as they are very thin.
Really affordable.  I bought 10 diapers for $50 and the shipping was free.

Cons: Some leaks.  This could change though as the diapers are washed more and no longer have any oils and such on them.
The waist is not as adjustable and would possibly not fit some smaller infants.


Overall for the price, it is a good diaper.  My son seems to like them and they are easy to put on and take off.

 Update: I originally posted this review 2 years ago. Since then I have continued to use these diapers for Benjy and now for Johnny. We have recently begun potty training Benjy who is now 30lbs. The diapers still fit him fine, although they were starting to get a bit tight. These diapers were part of the stash I sent to the sitter's everyday as they had no hip snaps and could quickly be put on.  The Chief preferred these ones as he found them the easiest to put on.  

Johnny now wears the diapers.  After 2 years of use, the elastics have relaxed in some and the PUL is a bit thinner.  The diapers still work great. I don't find I have any leaks any more as I double stuff the diapers since Johnny pees so much.  I imagine if I had double stuffed them when Benjy was smaller I would have not had the leaking issues. 

Another update on my washing process is I wash on hot now.  Hot kills bacteria. Rinse cold, hot wash/cold rinse, extra cold rinse with free and clear detergent.  

Bibs

There are lots of bibs on the market.  Unfortunately a lot of them are made with a very scratchy hook and loop.  As well the neck holes on them are not that big. When you have a larger baby like mine, that makes the big useless as it is pretty much strangling the poor kid.

One bib that I like at the moment as Benjy likes to spit up a bit is from Carter's which in Canada I purchase at Bonnie Togs.



The bib is thick. It clasps as the side, rather than the back so it is easier to put on.  Did I mention it was thick? His clothes do not get wet at all underneath which is nice for him as who wants to be soggy.

The hook and look on this is not scratchy at all.  It is very soft.  I am not sure how it is made, but it is very smooth as well.  It sounds like regular "Velcro", but will not scratch the baby.

Wordless Wednesday 06/08/11

Pacifiers

There are lots of pacifiers out there on the market.  Some are orthodontic, some are one piece, some have little handles, some are like a mother's nipple.  Of all the pacifiers on the market, my little guy will only take one.  The one that he was given in the hospital.

He loves his Soothie

Soothie  

.  Unfortunately for me, they do not currently sell Soothies in the area so I had to order some more online from a baby store.  I also ordered a holder for it as regular pacifier clips do not hold it in place.

First Years Pacifier Clip

I think the clip works great.  It is nice to have a clip for it so he does not loose it especially when he is in a carrier.

Another thing that I picked up recently is a really cute toy/ paci holder which a local store does carry.  The WubbaNub has a Soothie pacifier attached to it. Before I bought it, I though that the Soothie clipped onto the front, but it is sewn on.



This is the one my little guy has.  I wanted the monkey, but this is the last one that the store had.

Benjy is getting used to it.  When he wants to cuddle with me, he prefers just his plain Soothie, but when he is sleeping, it keeps it in his mouth better.

So he is not using it right here, but this is how he fell asleep

Review of things I have bought

Before Benjy was born, I blogged about some of the items that I bought for him as seen here Putting together baby furniture reviews  I posted then about putting them together.  This post is about how I like the items.

The crib-  Storkcraft Libby Crib
So Benjy really hasn't slept in his crib, but he likes to hang out in it.  So far it seems to be good.  Have to revisit this one once he starts to sleep in there more.  He usually sleeps in his pack n play or next to me in bed.

The change table- Storkcraft Libby Change Table
I use this all the time.  I love it.  I mentioned in my other post I have an organizer for the side.  It comes in quite handy.  It makes it very easy to change his diaper. The Chief likes it to as he doesn't have to bend over.  To me well worth the investment. 

Stroller- Graco ALANO Flipit in Hathway ( Travel System)
This is a great stroller.  The fact that the handle flips back and forth is very handy.  Depending on the way that the sun or wind is blowing, I am able to position him so he is in the ideal location.    Also since it is not good for a child to stay in their car seat all the time, the back is able to go down so Benjy can ride in the stroller now without being in his car seat.  


Cons: When the handle is reversed, it is a bit more difficult to steer when you are inside a store.  However outside, it is not an issue as you tend to walk in a straightish line.
Also when it is reversed, you have to be careful not to kick the wheels.  I have learned to shorten my stride slightly and it doesn't bother me anymore.

Bouncy Seat- 


This is a total must have.  This particular one is from Bright Starts.  Benjy loves the vibration.  I eat my breakfast every morning while Benjy is in this.  He is very comfortable in it, and enjoys looking around.  I also put him it in while I am in the shower so he can hang out with me in the bathroom.





Swing- Bright Starts Comfort and Harmony Swing
I love this swing.  At first, Benjy was not sure about it, but he loves it now.  This one has music which we don't use too much.  The battery life on it seems really good... haven't had to replace them yet.


I like that this swing can be put into two positions.  Slighty up right, or flat.  Benjy usually likes to be up right, but when he is tired, he likes it to be in the flat position.   It has a 5 point harness, or you can easily make it a 3 point harness.  He often falls asleep in the swing when he is fussy.  He doesn't stay asleep for too long, but enough to get the dishes done.

Two Months Old

Wow, I don't know where time has gone.  Clearly I have been busy as I barely have a chance to sit down and blog.  I could blog more if I wanted to type one handed, but I prefer to have both my hands to use.

My little Benjy is growing up so much.  He is smiling, cooing, and giggling.  It is amazing to see all the changes.  It is crazy. He loves to kick is legs and move all around.

This is his two months pictures with his bunny to gage how much he is growing.  I know he is growing as he is in size two diapers when he wears disposables, most of his clothing is 6 months.  He is at least 14 lbs.  He is getting stronger every day and tries to scoot forward when I put him on his tummy.  He loves being in his stroller as I walk around town.  He relaxes right away and usually takes a pretty good nap while I get my exercise.

Giggle Life Cloth Diaper Giveaway and cloth diaper update

Over at One Smiley Monkey, there is a give a way for two .Giggle Life cloth diapers.   Since I am starting to cloth diaper I am very interested in this and hope that I win.  They are pocket diapers and are similar to some of the diapers that I am already using

These are the two diapers up for grabs

Benjy wearing a Kawaii Pocket Diaper

I currently have two Kawaii pocket diapers.  They are working out well, but I do not have enough.  I have also started to use the flat diapers with Kushies covers.   I went online and found out how to fold them at All About Cloth Diapers .  It is really quite easy now that Benjy is almost 15lbs.  I don't mind the flat diapers, but I find that Benjy sweats a lot in the covers.

I have 10 pocket diapers on order from China.  I hope they get here soon as I have been waiting for quite a while.