Diapers anyone?

I've found a passion, for a while anyways...:) Below are some pictures of what I have made.

Here are the 1st 4 I made. Just a fitted diaper with the soaker sewn right in.

These ones take forever to dry!

And here is Mr. Man showing one off.

This material came from an old pair of PJ's of mine!

Can't forget my wool soakers! This is the 2nd size I've made, and I have 5 or 6. I luv them! A newborn in nice soft cloth and wool! I've had only 2 leaks, in 8 weeks. Really not bad if you think that with plastic covers you get an odd leak. Even disposables you get the odd leak!

Here are the pocket diapers. A pocket diaper is a shell of a diaper, and you add the soakers in the front pocket as you need them. I've made 2, and I like these. They fit nicer in the legs, and dry way faster in the dryer!

And here he is, smiling away! He likes his cloth!LOL

My mom is going away for a week and has promised to let me borrow her sewing machine while she is away! I will make tones of diapers! Well, but then I think, how many does a baby really need? Even if I had more then 36 I would need to do laundry before I used them all. But I figured I would make some for the girls for their dollies and Abby for hers, and make some for Bryan in the next size up as well. Its nice to know I'm doing something good for the enviorment, and for my baby! 2fold actually. Cloth are better for his health, but I am also leaving him a better world by not using disposable, right?

I was thinking of starting a online cloth diapering business! I would sew cloth diapers out of recycled clothes and sell them cheap. And make wool soakers and sell them. But then I was like, "But if anyone wants to cloth diaper their own baby its not hard to do, so who would buy my diapers, really?" I don't know. Its a nice idea because then I'm still at home with my kidz, but I don't really know how practical it is. I will have to think more on it all.

My Last Visit

Yesterday was a sad day for me. It was my last visit with Sylvia. That is always such a hard day. She was my midwife, but as my midwife she became my friend. She supported me, had faith in me, and she is someone I confided in. When little Bryan was breech, she gave me my options, but respect my choice to let my body work and let Bryan turn on his own. Each day that I was over due, she reminded me that my body would do it, despite my fears I would be pregnant forever! During labor she supported me but respected my need for space, allowing Goran and I to work together. She cheered me on when I thought I couldn't go another minute, and reminded me to listen to my body when I had to push. She caught my baby, but let me take him into my arms to hold and adore. After the physical need for her was over in the room, after the birth, she quietly left the room giving my new family uninterrupted time to bond. Over the last 6 weeks she has just been quietly standing in the sidelines, giving advice when I needed it, but letting me mother my baby as I needed, and encouraging me at the same time. Yes, that last visit with her is very hard. The last visit with Grace was hard too. Maybe more so this time, because I've now known her longer and respect her as a person that much more. Because during my pregnancy, labor, and birth, she empowered me. She gave me the faith to believe and trust in my body, and in myself. She did this as a midwife, but also just as being the wonderful person that she is.

Sylvia, thank you for it all. For catching my babies, and making a difference in my births.

As for Bryan he is 10lb 13oz yesterday, and 25 inches long. He is a happy content baby. This too, I believe is due to the peaceful pregnancy, and wonderful birth I had.

Glimpse' of a Smile

A few glimpse' of those smiles, but it's hard to get on camera!

And here is the strong little man, trying so hard to lift his head up!

Bryan has begun to smile. If I can get his attention, I can quite easily get a smile now. He has also started to 'baby talk'. He caught me off guard last week one the morning I was changing his diaper and he let out a little coo. He figures he has joined such a noisy house hold, he's not being left out! And he can hold his head up a few minutes now if I place him on his tummy. He's 6 weeks old on Monday. They grow too fast.

I luv my fitted cloth diapers so much, I am going to make some of my own. Last year when I had first got pregnant I bought some from my friend Erin, who had sewn them herself. Well I decided I will try my hand at it. I will keep posted on how that goes.

Happy Birthday Grace

Happy Birthday 2 year old!!

I can't believe how much she has grown and changed in the last year. A year ago she wasn't walking, or talking, and she just had short baby hair. She still slept in our bed, wore diapers, and still sat in the high chair. Now Grace runs after Angelina down the side walk and sleeps in a big girls bed with her sister. Her hair is no longer the short baby hair, but has grown 5 or 6 times its length. She is 100% toilet trained, quickly letting me if she's had an accident so she can have clean clothes. She doesn't even use a boaster seat. She's a big girl like Angelina and just sits in the chair. And as far as talking... she's picked up lovely phases from Angelina like "No fair!", "Your Bad!", and an all time favorite from Daddy, "Knock a bonk!" My favorite is when she all of a sudden for no reason at all, hug my leg and say "I love you Mommy!"

Now she fights to hold Baby Bryan, and cries when we take him from her arms. She calls him "Baby Bron", and thinks him pooing in his diapers is "Grooooooss!". She loves her big sister and hangs on her every word. Goran and I got her up this morning and gave her a birthday present. We gave her a dolly swing. She loves it!! But when Angelina first got up, it was war over that toy. (I knew this would happen, and I thought it was a great time to teach Angelina about sharing.) But after a few minutes Grace changed, and I felt sad for her. There they were, Angelina crying because she wanted a turn, and Grace crying because she doesn't understand sharing but she didn't want Angelina to be sad. Her attention was not on the toy anymore, but on Angelina. Now she was sad for Angelina. (Her sensitivity to others is one reason I love her so much!) As the day goes on I will make sure to make the time to spend with her to play with her and the swing.

Tonight we are just spending time together. We are having soup and hot dogs for supper, because that's one of her favorites, and cupcakes for dessert!! And as the week goes on, she has a few parties to attend to get all the relatives in!!

This morning when we got her up and said "Happy Birthday Grace," she would say 'Happy Birthday' back to us. Too cute!

Happy New Year!!

Well as you can see Bryan found his thumb.....once. I tried a soother just for when I'm having a shower. Because it seems to be every time I get in there, the little guy starts crying, and that turns into screaming within 2 minutes. So one morning I tried it and the soother lasted about about 3 minutes. Well now I don't wake him up and just hop in the shower. He sleeps while I have a few minutes just to myself without any kids and any crying. A great way to start the day. Anyways, I'm not really sure how he found his thumb. I was holding him a few nights ago, and he was fed and changed, and I looked down and saw that he had it! I thought it was great. He could sooth himself when he really needed to. But that was the only time. He hasn't done it since. But it was very cute, him sucking away, making slurpy noises...babies are so cute! Especially mine!

Talking about cute...here are the girls with their snowman that Dad helped them build. This morning we woke up to a beautiful dusting of snow outside. After Goran shoveled out the driveway and the deck, he took the girls out to play. They are always asking for a snowman, so away they went to build a snowman. (Which was nice for me, because that meant I didn't have to take them outside!) They wanted to bring it inside so we brought some snow in the house in a bowl, to show them what happens to snow when you bring it inside! So we are in the middle of that experience now...half snow half water...and Grace wants to feed it to all her babies so there are little clumps of snow all over the playroom floor:)

Oh, and Happy New Year!! We spent the evening here together, and after the countdown, and champagne, kissed all our children and wished them a happy new year too. What a wonderful way to bring in the new year! With each other and our children. And now, before I get all sentimental, I will end my post.

I hope you all had a happy new years, and I wish you the best the year has to offer you!!

The 'After Christmas'

Ok, I know I only posted 2 days ago, but I was so rushed...a little one doesn't give a mother much time. So I figure if I blog a bit more often, but not as much as before, its still just as good right?

We've had a nice quiet day at home. I got out for a walk in the am with all 3 kids, Bryan in the sling, and the 2 girls walking. My neighbor Cheryl joined us, and it was lovely to chat about the Christmas celebrations we both enjoyed, and about family we'd seen. We went for a walk that by myself I can do it 20 minutes....but with Grace walking, took us about an hour! But I figured, we were all getting fresh air, had nowhere to go, and the girls had fun stopping to put mitt prints in the snow, and dig up sticks.
The girls are busy enjoying their gifts. Gracey go new pots and pans and dishes for the play kitchen. She has been very busy 'cooking' up stews and coffee. Only, strangely enough, those stews contain her much beloved Tigger and Piglet:).
Angelina has been busy painting with a new paint set, and refusing to let Grace use her new 'cell phone'. Girls will be girls! She received lots of princess things for Christmas. Socks, shirts, books, hair do dads, and the like. She puts on the items, and says things like, " I'm a beautiful princess!" She is our very girly girl.
Bryan is enjoying wearing some new clothes that Santa brought! LOL! And other than that doing alot of sleeping. He has a bit of a cold, and is being a bit of a monkey at night. With his snorting, grunting, and raspy nose breathing, he's doing a great job of keeping mommy up to worry! Not really to much, but with him being a new born I do worry a bit. On the flip side, he is getting stronger! When I prop him up against my hand to 'sit' he has been working very hard to hold is head up. He can do it now for short periods, and he turns his head back and forth to look around. A bit wobbly, but its coming. He also tries to lift his head up when he's on his tummy, but I know this is much harder for them to do and it will be awhile before he has great success at it.

That's all the news we have for now. Post again soon with some pics!!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone

From the littlest one!

Here is Gracey, breastfeeding 2 babies at one time!

Ok, one is Winnie the Pooh, but is all the same to her!

Here is Angelina, King...No, Queen of the Castle!

And here is all our wee ones, enjoying a bath Christmas morning!

Merry Christmas everyone! And it has been a wonderful Christmas season, and day for us. Christmas with a new born, just makes the season and day that much more wonderful!

First of all Bryan is growing and doing well. Sylvia came last week Thursday and he weighed in at 9lb5oz. So he is gaining just under an ounce a day, which is perfectly normal. He is beginning to follow objects with his eyes, and he looks for voices as they move around the room. He's been busy looking at the lamp in the living room, and I noticed today he had a bit of a flat spot on one side of his head at the back. But that is quickly fixed by just turning him the other way so he has to turn his head to look at it. Funny really, the things you forget with babies. He is out growing his newborn clothes and moved up to 3-6 month stuff. He is still in the newborn fitted cloth diapers I had purchased for him. But he may get another week out of them if I am lucky!
And Gracey and her babies. LOL! She has taken to nursing her dolls at turn. Sometimes when I am, sometimes just because. In that picture I just happen to catch her nursing 2 dolls, which has become quit a habit. From Santa she received some Winnie the Pooh figures. Small hand held ones. And what do you suppose she was doing? Nursing Tigger on one side, and Piglet on the other. Oh, she makes us laugh!
Angelina has enjoyed the snow we received the last week or so! She is busy climbing and sliding, and having snowball fights. I admit, I was one that taught her that game! We had an open house for my daycare parents the other day, and she enjoyed seeing and playing with her friends again. And in the end of the evening she sent them all home with Christmas play dough and some fun cookie cutters!
As Christmas Day comes to a close I am thoughtful and thankful. I thank God for my healthy family. 2 growing, happy girls, and a new baby boy. I have a husband that loves me and our children. We have a home to call our own, and we are in a country that is save. We have extended family around us to call on in time of need, and celebrate in times of joy.
I am thoughtful as to what the future holds. But I can't change it. I can only wait for time to takes its course, and enjoy each new day as it comes.

And on saying that, I am going to end the day with an evening spent with Goran, in my new Christmas PJ's!

Merry Christmas, from my family to yours, hope you had a wonderful day!