Still using Cloth?

So, my three bites of cloth diaper trial weekends came and went and I didn't tell you what happened?  So, here is the very quick version.  We started out this trial with one weekend.  I had 10 BumGenius 3.0s which are pocket diapers, 3 Econobums which are prefolds and covers, and I got 3 Thirsties covers and a ton of prefolds.  The first weekend went great and quickly and I mean quickly went to us using the cloth diapers nights and weekends.  I immediately loved the cloth.  I love her big fluffy butt in the cloth diaper and I liked the fact that it was all cloth touching her skin and no plastic or chemicals.  I thought that they would be gross and difficult but other than having to keep up with washing them they haven't been.  I still need to install the diaper sprayer which will make it even easier but for now it's all working!

CGR's very first cloth diaper! 

 After that first weekend, I already was using them at night.  Whenever I change her diaper as long as it's not the morning diaper that she goes to her nanny's then it's a cloth!  I have used the prefolds a couple times, however, I'm a much bigger fan of the pockets and they get a lot more use.  I will use the prefolds now if I run out of the pockets and need something to put on her.  They don't make her feel very dry like the microfleece pockets do and so she seems a bit uncomfortable.  I think if we used them often she would get used to it as well as we'd be changing her more and that is always a good thing.

My hubby is still resistant against the cloth.  He doesn't understand why I want to do this and I don't understand why he is resistant.  This weekend I made with the help of my sister some cloth wipes.  I took some of the receiving blankets that I don't plan to reuse...I had so many...and made 2 layer cloth wipes with them.  My sister really helped the most with this!   I also got a spray bottle because I don't plan to store them wet as we aren't using them all day but spray them and use them like that.  I have not started this as I couldn't get the 97 cent spray bottle to work but Special K thankfully fixed that!  I made the wipes just big enough to fit in an old Huggies container so they pop out like the regular wipes do.  I'll let you know how it goes.  I figured since I'm already doing diaper laundry what would adding wipes do.

Cloth diapers also make a great pillow when in shopping

I also would love to try out a couple other types of pocket diapers and maybe some All in Twos or hybrids.  That involves spending money on them and since the hubby is still resistant we'll see when I get to increase my fluff stash.  I would love to increase the amount of non prefolds I have by double since right now I can't seem to make it through the weekend without a Saturday night laundry load.  I don't mind doing the load but I would love not to have to so I'd have enough to get me through the weekend. I already have my list of ones I want to try.

Well...all in all I am a cloth diapering convert!  If I stayed at home, little miss CGR would be in cloth all the time.  If you are even considering doing cloth diapers, you should try the three bites weekend.  I know several online retailers do a trial pack that you can use and send back.  This would be a great way to figure out if you even like them.  They are a big investment if unlike me, you don't already have some in the family to try.  I hope that you'll consider them.

I'm sure you will hear more about them as time comes.  I will do a review of the ones I try once I start trying them.  The ones I have are no longer produced so I can do a review but honestly you'd only be able to get them used.

Happy Cloth Diapering!

Where to begin...she's one of us.

So much has been going on that I'm not even sure where to begin.  This often happens when I've been away from blogging and podcasting.  I get so overwhelmed with all I want to talk about that I don't even post and then it just keeps piling up! ;)  So, here I go...just going to dive right in with the first thing on my mind....more allergies in my little family.

What has been occupying so much of my mind lately is the fact that we found out recently that Little Miss CGR is allergic to eggs, peanuts and milk.  I know many of you out there will be like, why did you even give any of these things to her in the first place!  Well, to my knowledge before this long experience, we didn't have food allergies in the family...this has since come out that in fact we do!  And doing the BLWing route, and researching about eggs, it states that if there are no food allergies that it's ok to give eggs to a baby before 1 years old.  Well, that didn't quite go very well with CGR.  I gave her some scrambled egg and she quickly had an allergic reaction.  She never had any issues breathing but she got a rash all over her body and was VERY itchy!  We took her to the doctor and they gave her benadryl and ordered a blood draw for an allergy test.  Since I'm allergic to so many environmental things, we included the environmental test for her as well.

Carmen and her new doggie bone teether.

After the experience was all over and she was fine, it was my emotions that ran away with me.  I felt like it was all my fault and I had done this to her.  I'm glad we found out now because what if we had given her the flu shot?  She would have had a reaction to that....maybe this is why she's had some reaction to the other vaccines she's gotten.  This also could be contributing to her acid reflux, because I have been eating these things.  I LOVE eggs...love them with a passion!  I love them scrambled, fried, deviled, and in things like french toast and omelets!  Seriously...eggs are so yummy!  Since she is so allergic to these, I'm trying really hard not to have any and I have succeeded but man has it been hard. 

The other thing we found out was that she has a stage 1 allergy to dogs.  Which isn't that bad and not surprising since so many of my family members are allergic to them but we all have them except one sister.  She's around dogs all the time and other than some sneezing here and there really doesn't have much reaction to them.  The doctor said to limit her exposure to them and keep the dogs out of her room.  We're working on that but it's hard and she loves them so much that I can't really not let her love on her own puppies.

Well...this is what we are going through right now.  I'm trying to adjust my eating and it hasn't been easy but I think it will be for the best.  I can't eat all the cookies and cupcakes and milkshakes I want anymore.  And that is a good thing. :)

As many have said, this too shall pass.  There is a big possibility that she will outgrow the egg and milk allergy and the peanut is a big maybe but we'll get to that when we do.  Changing my eating habits is good because that way if I can't eat it, we can't give it to her.  Great practice to adjust our diets now. 

Little Miss Carmen has been getting a lot more solid foods.  She's been eating peaches like a champ and this weekend I actually picked up some puffs and she did a great job with them!  She LOVES them!  She's also had some zucchini, sweet potato, avocado, tortilla, pita, and I'm sure more.  She's getting really good at eating things.  Since she's crawling all over the place now with quickness she's also hungrier so it's a good thing.

Hope you enjoyed an update about allergies and Carmen.  If you all recall, everyone in my little family other than Special K is allergic to something.  I'm allergic to the world of pollens, dust, grasses, dogs, cats, and more.  Jackjack is allergic to Lamb.  Abby is allergic to rice, turkey and chicken.  And we welcome Carmen to the allergy family with Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, and dogs.   Special K is the odd person out...hope he stays allergy free!

Happy Living!

Happy 4th Blogoversary to me!!

Wow...I almost missed it!  Thanks to a kind commentor I actually am getting a post up on my 4th Blogoversary. I still can't believe I've been blogging for 4 years. As I've mentioned lately this blog has been over posted to neglected and talked about lots of things from knitting, dogs, weddings, and babies.  Going back and reading posts is a great way to remember what I was doing these past 4 years.  I'm so glad I started this blog back then.  I know I don't always write much now but I hope you enjoy when I do post and the pictures I've posted.  But to be completely honest, I don't always blog for you...I mainly blog for me.  It's a place to share my thoughts about life and everything else.

There has been so much going on lately and I want to talk about it all but it's been a very long day.  I'm ready for the couch and my knitting needles.  I will be back later this week with more on what's been up with my life.

Hope you all have a great Wednesday and thanks for stopping by for my Blogoversary!!

Happy Blogging!

This moment - hanging with my momma.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual from Soule Mama.  A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your “moment” in the comments for all to find and see.

This moment - enjoying time in the grass.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual from Soule Mama.  A single photo(multiple this week) – no words – capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your “moment” in the comments for all to find and see.

Holiday weekend update and some knitting progress!

This past weekend went by way too fast as weekend's often do.  There was lots of play time, napping

swimming,

cleaning, crafting(even though this picture was taken today it was started this weekend)

and family time.

So, as you can see in the picture above I cast on something new.  I've talked about how I've been wanting to learn how to do a steek, which means to cut your knitting.  Often times it's used in cardigans, when you knit the piece in the round, secure your stitches by crochet or sewing them, and then cut your knitting.  Finally this weekend I did a swatch and it was fun!  I'll share pictures and details of this in a post soon.  After I did the swatch, I cast on the Toddler Raglan Hoodie for Carmen that I am modifying the pattern to knit it in the round and then plan to steek it!  I'm very excited.  I'll share pictures of it as I go.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July weekend!!! 
Happy Knitting!

Organizing my WIPs!

I mentioned in the post the other day about how I've been getting back to my knitting.  It started when I dove into my stash to look at what's there and what I have on the needles.  I also decided that I needed to organize the projects I have on the needles so that I only have a couple I'm actively working on.  I decided the best way to do this was to pick themes for projects.  I often times have a project sitting in a specific place to work on for a specific time.  Such as my nightstand, in the stash closet for couch knitting, and in my purse or diaper bag for travel knitting.  Using this theme, I organized the projects on my needles into four categories and picked out some projects that I have been wanting to knit and add those to the lists.  This is what I came up with.  Project currently on the needles are in bold.  I've posted this on the group on Ravelry.com and also talked about it on the podcast.  It has morphed a couple times. :)

Travel  Project:

1. Barknknit’s Barknknit Raising Quilt by Shelley Mackie and Larissa Brown (longterm project)
2. Barknknit’s Simple Anklet made up pattern

Challenging Project:

1. Barknknit’s Moonfleet by Janine Le Cras
2. Aidez Cirilia Rose

Selfish Project:

1. Barknknit’s My Hemlock Ring Blanket pattern by Jared Flood
2. Spectra by Stephen West

Carmen/baby Project:

1. Simple Burpcloths in a pattern that I made up. (yes the projects page says I completed it but there is one left on the needles that I'm gifting to a friend)
2. Soakers for a friend (edited to add this)
3. Toddler Raglan Hoodie by Megan Goodacre
4. Baby Tiered Coat and Jacket by Lisa Chemery

Feel free to take this idea and post a similar post on your blog and come back and link it in the comments so I can  go check it out!

Since I'm sure many of you are like me and feel pictures are important on blog posts.  Here is a WIP pic of my Hemlock Ring Blanket that I've been working on since last April!

I'm SO SO close to being done.  I'm on the bind off and I chose to do the knitted bind off and once I figured it out it's going famously. My plan is to have this off the needles this weekend.  I really want to cast on the Spectra which I have the yarn in my stash for but promised myself I couldn't until I finish the hemlock ring.  Wish me luck!

The project bag was gifted to me by my friend Amanda who used to be NH Knitting Mama but is now Sunflower Yarns.  You should definitely check out her online store!

Happy Knitting!!!

PS...Tour de Fleece starts tomorrow and so you'll actually get some spinning content soon!

This moment - spending time with grandpa, aunties, and cousins.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual from Soule Mama.  A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.  A simple, special, extraordinary moment.  A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your “moment” in the comments for all to find and see.