gDiaper Series Part 1 - Why I Chose to Cloth Diaper and why I Chose gDiapers

So now that I have 10+ months of cloth diapering under my belt, I feel like I know enough to write a blog post on the topic.  FYI if you are a baby poop virgin you will end up knowing WAY more about baby poop than you probably ever thought you would know after reading this post series – so get ready for lots of poop talk!

When I found out I was pregnant, the thought of using regular sit-in-a-landfill disposable diapers made me very uncomfortable.  I am pretty “green” (or at least I TRY my best to be!), I recycle every scrap and shred, eat clean, avoid putting chemicals and toxins into my body and home... you get the picture.  However, full on cloth diapering seemed SUPER scary and gross to me and totally overwhelming.  (WASHING poop?? YUCK!) So I turned to trusty (but also overwhelming) Google.  Initially, I started seeking out disposable biodegradable diaper options.  I came across The Honest Company, which claims that their diapers are biodegradable (or at least partially biodegradable?) but I still wasn’t sold on that idea. 

I then came across a new concept : cloth diapers with a (biodegradable/compostable) disposable insert option.  I will get into gDiaper “anatomy” later, but essentially with this brand the part of the diaper with the poop and pee on it goes in the trash/compost pile/flushed down the toilet and the rest of the diaper (the cloth part) goes into the washer with the rest of baby’s clothes.  Initially, this sounded like a good option for us… an eco-friendly non-traditional yet disposable option… that didn’t involve putting poopy diapers into the washing machine (or somehow transferring the poo into the toilet via toilet attachment sprayer) neither of which I thought I wanted to deal with.  However, I was still curious about the fully cloth version of gDiapers (and other brands) so, I did what any female, educated, 20-something mom-to-be does – I took to Facebook!  After asking for suggestions/advice on biodegradable diaper options and stating my genuine FEAR of cloth diapers I got some great responses!  So many of my girlfriends had experience with cloth diapers and made it sound totally do-able and not so scary.  It was then that I was SOLD on cloth diapers! 

Now what?

There 5 billion cloth diaper options/brands/types and blogs reviewing said options... how was I going to know what was going to work for us??  I looked into other brands, but just wasn’t feeling the all-in-one style or pocket-style.  (Click here to see a brief description of these two types!)  Essentially, with these two types of diapers you wash the entire thing every time.  When the baby goes, you take the diaper off and get a whole new one.  You probably need 15-20 diapers to last you for 2 days?  (Correct me if I’m wrong BumGenius mamas!) I started looking into gDiapers again, as the brand also offers washable cloth inserts in addition to their disposable insert option.  The more and more I started looking into the gDiaper fully cloth version, the more and more convinced I became that I WAS fully capable of cloth diapering and that the cloth insert version of gDiapers wasn’t as scary as I thought.  I was at least willing to try the cloth diaper insert option, and if it was just too much for me to handle we could always switch to the disposable insert option.  I’m ALL about options… and it seemed that even if we went with gDiapers we would still have options we could choose between within that brand and even just depending on the day and my mood.  Now that’s what I like!!  So forward we marched with gDiapers!

My tiny 3 week old in her super cute ruffly gDiaper!
(Which we somehow managed to never get poop stains on. Score!)

Continued here: gDiaper Series Part 2 – gDiaper Anatomy and My Routine/System!

Month 10 - Heidi

Month 10: Baby!

Age: 10 months

Weight: 20ish lbs.

Major calendar events: First Rice baseball game

Milestones: learned no (and gets upset when she hears it!); started "testing" us...after she knows she can't do something she will look at us and try to keep doing that thing; can repeat "mama", "dada" and "baba" (bye bye), trying to pull herself up (but not successful yet), 

Sleep: Sleeping good at night; She has started to take naps in our bed during the day, which is nice because I can fall asleep with her (or stay in bed with her until she falls asleep) and then sneak out and get something done!  (A few pillows around her as a barricade is enough to keep her from rolling off of the bed at this point.)  As much as I have loved our nap times together, I feel so FREE now that she can nap a little by herself.  Next step: crib!

Likes: "brushing" her hair, making noises with her mouth/lips like a car "broom broom broom", playing peekaboo (she now likes to cover her own face with a burp cloth and yank it away), 

Dislikes:   Being told "no"!

Best moment:  Every time she gives me hugs and kisses!

Worst moment:  Heidi had a little bit of a runny nose and was feeling somewhat under the weather.  Ryan went to go pick her up and she projectile vomited everywhere!!  That was the only time she threw up, so we aren't sure if it was just the wrong time to pick her up or what!  But it was very sad, very gross and very heartbreaking!  

Eating: It's not all about the boobs anymore :(.  Although, we are still nursing 4 times per day, Heidi has now started eating solid food snacks and is much less interested in breastfeeding.  She hasn't refused to nurse or anything like that she is just seems to be less...excited about it I guess.  Even though I am excited to start weaning her in a few months, it DOES make me sad!  Her favorite things to eat are sweet potatoes, cuties and cheerios!

Things I want to remember: Rocking her to sleep and just thinking about how I wish she could stay little forever! I think ahead to the future, her first day of school, growing up, crazy teenage years, going to college, getting married, etc. and I just hold my baby that much tighter while I still can!  I know she won't be my tiny baby forever (even though she will always be my first baby).

Post bath smiles!

Playtime with mommy.

Sometimes it gets cold enough in Houston to bundle up for runs :).

Heidi's first Rice baseball game!

We occupy ourselves by taking 5 billion selfies.

Rice wins!

Passed out after a public bathroom breastfeeding sesh!  It was nice and cozy in
there and I didn't mind it to be honest...

When days are busy, naps in the boba wrap are pretty much a guarantee.

The cutest little puppy you ever did see.

Naps together in bed.

Ladies lunching!

We love Rudy's BBQ!  Heidi's first official participatory experience.  Ryan and I had Rudy's BBQ at our wedding so Rudy's holds a special place in our hearts - so excited to share it with our girl!

Such a cute sleeper. 

Babushka Heidi. 

Zonked.

Happy 10 months crazy girl!

Our Party

I was going through our wedding pictures recently and came across this shot.  I actually stopped and looked at it and realized how much I love this picture.  I love it for many reasons, but mostly because it sums up our entire day in one single photo.  My husband and me, surrounded by all those who we love.  The most important thing to me that day was to marry my best friend.  Our wedding will never be featured on anyone's blog.  The venue wasn't one of Houstons trendiest or most attractive.  Our bouquets didn't contain flowers that looked super modern or "in".  We didn't have one of the top wedding photographers in the city.  There weren't flowers on every table.  But to me... none of that really mattered.  We could have gotten married in a shack and wearing rags... as long as the shack could hold a few hundred people.  It's so easy to get lost in those details and lose sight of what the day is really about throughout the planning process.  But if I could do it over again... would I have picked a prettier venue?  Waited another year so I could have had a bigger budget?  Spent more on flowers?  Dedicated more time to decorations?  Absolutely not.  All I wanted to do was get married to the love of my life and then have a giant party with our friends and family.  Make a commitment to God and to each other.  Eat BBQ and cake.  Spend the whole day looking into each other's eyes, dancing and kissing and briefly forgetting that anyone else was around...and that awesome party afterwards surrounded by 225 of our closest friends and family who lifted us up physically, emotionally and spiritually.  And that is exactly what that day was about.  Ryan, Me and God.  Nothing else. Your wedding day is this strange (yet absolutely beautiful) combination of feeling so surrounded, enveloped and embraced by every single person in your life yet also, at the same exact time feeling like you and your husband are the only two people in the room...or on the entire planet for that matter. To me, this picture depicts that so perfectly, and reminds me about what was most important to me on that day and every day.

3rd and 4th Trimester Running...and Beyond! (Part 2)

Continued from 3rd and 4th Trimester Running...and Beyond! (Part 1)

4^th trimester running (aka the first 3 months after childbirth) – Fast forward 8 weeks or so…My first run after giving birth was on June 28^th.  I was 5 weeks and 5 days postpartum.  I REALLY didn't want to start working out too soon after giving birth, but I was feeling well enough by this point to attempt a slow jog.  It went really well and just felt SO good to be back out running.  I felt semi-human again!  On July 2^nd, 6 weeks and 1 day after having Heidi, I got the go-ahead from my doctor to resume normal workout activities. Between May 20^th (Heidi’s birth) and August, I only went on 7 runs total.  (Which, to be honest was a pretty normal number of runs for me to take during a Houston summer!)  And as much as I wanted to “get my body back” and get crazy with the working out… it was also very important to me to take it easy.  I had to make a conscious effort not to push myself too far too soon.  I wanted to respect my body and acknowledge everything that it had just gone through.  I think a lot of women get too nuts about this and trust me – I definitely struggle with impatience too!  I’m not claiming that it was easy.  But it’s important to cut.  your.  self.  some.  SLACK!  For crying out loud ladies, if you never give yourself a break ever – now is the one time you SHOULD.  You NEED to.  Pay your body some respect.  Give it some much needed (and well deserved) time off.  Give your body a chance to relax, recover, and HEAL before you start asking so much of it again.  Your body sometimes needs nature to take over for a bit :). This was my focus. 

I was also VERY concerned with messing with my milk supply.  It really does take a looong time for your supply to establish itself.  Those first 6 weeks are crucial – and if you start burning too many calories too soon you can easily dry up.  Breastfeeding is one of those things – once it’s gone - ITS GONE!  There’s no getting it back.  So as important as working out is to me and my lifestyle, providing nourishment to my baby was one thousand times more valuable than getting a six pack or back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  That stuff can wait.  That was the number one goal and top priority.  Taking it easy early on was crucial to me.  God has blessed women with an amazing gift – to grow, birth and nourish our babies with our own bodies – we must show our gratitude by respecting ourselves, acknowledging these abilities and making a conscious effort to not ask too much too soon of ourselves.  

BEYOND! – My first run with Heidi took place on September 8^th and she was approx. 3 and a half months old.  I was starting to train for my first half marathon which was to take place in November (10ish weeks later).  Obviously, running with a stroller takes some getting used to.   I also had some fears going into my first training program postpartum.  (Will I be able to fully train with a stroller? How will my milk supply/Heidi be affected? Will I be able to run for 2 hours without my boobs exploding, etc. etc….)  Now, running with a stroller is hard at first, but once I got used to it it wasn’t so bad.  However, once I got into those longer-ish runs (longer than 2-3 miles) I started noticing how MECHANICALLY different I felt - for the first time ever.  Running was harder than it had EVER been for me.  It was nearly impossible to push through.  I was SO thirsty I could hardly stand it.  I literally felt like I was trying to run through jello.  It was terrible.  (Not to mention SEPTEMBER in Houston – UGH!)  I obviously made a conscious effort to UP my caloric intake and stay as hydrated as possible… but with how much I was sweating… halfway through a run I was so parched it felt like my whole body was just about to shrivel up and die right there on the sidewalk.  I did my best but had to cut SO many runs short because I just.  couldn't.  I also was experiencing intense pain in both hips.  I could feel those ball-in-socket joints just GRINDING and I knew that my pelvis was definitely still way out of whack.  The pain would kick in around mile 3 or 4 and I would feel it for the rest of the day (and sometimes into the following day).  As I continued to try and train for this half, the more I trained the harder it got.  I went into town on the weekends for my longer runs.  I think it was my 10 miler… I had to stop and walk so much, it took me forever to finish.  I ran (or at least I was supposed to run) my 11 miler with a friend, and ended up forcing him to leave me behind because I just couldn't do it.  I literally had to stop at mile 6 and just walk to where Ryan was meeting us.  It was ROUGH to say the least.  So going into this half marathon, I was very nervous about finishing.  I didn't want to have to walk 6 miles to the finish line if/when I got too tired.  I prayed that I would be able to run and that I would be able to finish without too much pain.

Race day came and although I was nervous I was also determined.  I knew I would be going SO slow, but I was going to finish.  I was able to run almost the entire thing (probably walked for 4-5 minutes or less altogether?) and finished in 3 hours.  3 HOURS.  The slowest half I have ever run.  And it HURT.  But I did it.  (I should also note that I wore an adult diaper for the race.  I am SOOO glad I did because I literally peed the entire time.  It wasn't as uncomfortable as you might think actually… and I will probably have to get used to that haha!)

Following the race, I was at yoga one day and my instructor was working with me during the class.  I told him about my experience with running postpartum and he said “You gotta make sure the tires are aligned before you take your car on cross-country road trip”.  This made me laugh but there is so much truth to it!  My body definitely was not ready for 13.1 miles yet.  I’m glad I did it, but next time I know not to sign up for something so soon after giving birth.  

I will also point out that my milk supply was NOT affected by my half marathon training, Heidi never indicated that she had a problem with the amount/taste being affected by my working out and I was able to run for 3 hours (and go longer without nursing her – probably closer to 5 or 6 hours?) without my boobs exploding or even getting that uncomfortable.  (I woke up that morning, nursed Heidi, pumped what was left and left Ryan with a full bottle of thawed milk. By the time we had gotten home, and I showered Heidi was ready to eat and I was not experiencing any discomfort.)

Since November, I have continued to run (my longest run being a few 6 milers).  I am no longer experiencing the pelvis/hip pains that I was before, but I also am not currently putting myself through the physical stress of training for a half marathon.  I definitely feel super gun-shy about signing up for another one and even though I want to do more I still let that fear creep into my mind..."What if it's like it was before?  What if I can't do it?"  I had initially wanted to attempt 2 half marathons this spring but now I don't see that happening.  (My goal was 3 in a year - May to May.)  I am definitely doubting myself but I also know that I'm not going to know until I try it!

So how did I do it?  How did I run throughout my entire pregnancy, the months postpartum and continue to do so now?  NO mysterious pills, NO magical drinks filled with sugar and caffeine to "boost" my energy, NO special supplements claiming to "help me get my body back".  Just a lot of prayer.  Hard work.  A LOT of sweat.  And a LOT of PATIENCE.  I also have to credit the Lord with 100% of my abilities and success.  HE knows the desires of our hearts.  I know I don't deserve anything that I have but He has allowed me to continue to live the active lifestyle that brings me joy and a sense of accomplishment.  I will praise HIS name forever!

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 

Just before going on my first run after childbirth.

First run together with Heidi on the outside!

She didn't even make it to the end of the driveway before passing out. 

Shiner beer half!  It was really rainy...

One of the prettiest races I've ever done!  So cool to look ahead and see the long
hilly country road dotted with people as far as I could see. 

Yes it is!!  (Also, the sun came out to see us briefly!)

More running through the hill country... the course turned left a ways up and
you could see little dots running off to the left.

The BEST part of the finish line :)

Heidi also wanted some beer from grandpa Eric.

We finished!  Unfortunately, we were too cold, wet and tired to hang out for very long and didn't even go on a tour of the brewery.   Everyone was soaked, it was raining off and on and Ryan, Heidi and stroller were also quite muddy.

Shiner. Beer. Run!  Check, check and check!

Sorry Heidi we left you out of the picture. 

The best part of the swag bag  and my new favorite koozie - because I EARNED it!

Anti-Vaccine Rant

Choosing not to vaccinate is not the same thing as choosing whether you are going to feed your child cake and cookies for dinner or McDonald's every day.  It is not a decision that affects only you and your family but ALL of those around you – more specifically those who are not able to defend themselves against these terrible (100% preventable) diseases.  I have chosen to protect my daughter through vaccinations. However, she is not old enough to defend herself yet.  She is too small.  I cannot IMAGINE what I would do if something happened to her because of someone else’s poor choice.  Making a decision that affects the weak and innocent is called being irresponsible – and choosing not to vaccinate is simply just irresponsible.   

“Yes but look at the side effects of these terrible things!”  Have you ever seen a car accident?  Been in one?  Or have you ever read an online article about a car accident that someone you have never met was in?  Does that keep you from getting in a car or riding public transportation?  Of course not.  Because that’s the risk that you take.  But you do everything as safely as possible.  You put on your seat belt and take the chance and 99% of the time you will return home without a scratch or ding.   Sometimes child car seats malfunction or don’t work properly when they need to most.  But does that mean that you just throw your kid in the backseat and make no effort to try to protect them at all?  No way. You still do everything you can to protect them despite that tiny chance that something could go wrong.  Yes, every now and then something bad happens.  Accidents.  Abnormal and non-usual results.  But you don’t let these outliers dictate your whole life.   

Do I think that this country is WAY over medicated and relies entirely TOO much on modern medicine?  Yes.  I do.  I have yet to give my 9 month old even just plain old Tylenol.  I haven’t taken a single pill in almost 2 years myself.  But if there is only one thing I choose to do… it’s vaccinate.  I personally don’t want to be responsible for giving someone else’s child a terrible disease, especially a child (or elderly person or just regular person) who for some reason is unable to defend themselves.  That would be extremely selfish of me and simply not fair. 

I realize that many people who choose not to vaccinate make the decision because they feel that it is what is right for them.  But the fact of the matter is this is not a decision that affects only those people.  Breast milk vs. formula, cloth diapers vs. disposables or being a working mom vs. a stay at home mom… THOSE are decisions that you make based on what is right for you and your family.  What if every time you ate something that you knew was bad for you every single member of your family had their health affected negatively in some way?   You would probably eat much healthier… unless you just didn't care about those around you, right?  Why should vaccinating be any different?  By choosing not to vaccinate YOU are saying you only care about what is right for you and you DON’T care that your decisions could/will affect other people.  The definition of selfish is “lacking consideration for others”.  This is exactly what choosing not to vaccinate is.  Selfish and irresponsible.  

I love my daughter so very much.  More than anything in the whole world.  She is so small and cute and perfect.  I will do everything in my power to ensure that she lives a long, healthy and wonderful life.  If you take that away from me because of your own selfish decision then God help you.  This anti-vaccine movement makes me afraid for her.  Afraid for our family.  Afraid to take her to church play group, on an airplane to go visit her grandma and heck even just the mall.  These diseases ARE still present in our country and our world and unless you choose to protect your child against them YOU could be responsible to giving it to my child.  I am not sure if I know anyone who has selfishly chosen not to vaccinate – but if so I ask that you not bring your unvaccinated family members around my daughter.  If you are afraid... talk to your doctor.  Discuss your options. Don't just read horror stories on the internet and feel like that is enough education for you to make the decision to not vaccinate.  At least take some responsibility and keep your kid in the house so that they won’t expose the innocent, like my precious baby girl.

Recipe - Spinach Lasagne Rolls

Received this recipe from a friend! Originally a vegetarian dish, I personally prefer to add a little meat to it ;). 

Spinach Lasagne Rolls

Minutes to prepare: 30 minutes

Minutes to cook: 40 minutes

Number of servings: 9 rolls (4ish servings)

I will typically add meat to this... I will brown 1 lb. of Italian seasoned ground turkey, then pour tomato sauce into the same pan. I also usually add a splash of apple cider vinegar, a bit of worcestershire sauce, a tablespoon of honey, and a few shakes of oregano and thyme (or whatever spices I have on hand really) to the sauce, let it cook for a few minutes and then proceed.

3rd and 4th Trimester Running...and Beyond! (Part 1)

Read about my first and second trimester running experience here!

Just to recap, throughout my pregnancy, I would try to get in at least 2 runs per week, between 3 – 5 miles per run.  I ran a half marathon at 13 weeks, a 10K at 14 weeks, another 10K at 29 weeks and my last 10K at 37 weeks.  I went on my last run (3 miles) on May 8^th at 38 weeks pregnant and delivered Heidi 12 days later.

So let’s pick up where we left off, shall we? 

Third trimester running - I think the first question people would ask me when they found out I was still running was “HOW??”  Well, to be honest I was able to keep running for two reasons.  First of all, He-who-is-in-control (aka God) blessed me with a very easy and complication-free pregnancy.  There was no medical reason why I couldn't continue to run and my doctor continued to give me the green light.  Secondly, (and this is almost as big as the first) I just never stopped.  Had I taken an extended period of time off from running, I’m not sure I could have picked it back up again.  My body was growing and changing so fast, I was scared to stop running.  I was afraid that if I stopped and then tried to get back out there I wouldn't be able to do it.  The longest that I went without a run while pregnant was 11 or 12 days…once over Christmas (because duh) and another time because I was SUPER sick (like, flu sick).  I also continued to focus ONLY on completing the runs without walking and NOT on how fast I was going.  Speed and pace was definitely NOT a concern whatsoever.  Because of my slower pace, as well an extra 30-40 lbs. I was carrying around with me, my legs continued to get very fatigued during runs and oh MAN was I sore by the afternoon! My whole body ached.  However, it was never a “bad” sore… always a “good” sore.  I like that good sore feeling (always have) because it means you’re DOING something! 

I never experienced any Braxton hicks, contractions/cramps, false labor, etc. but I do recall one run in particular where I had to stop.  I guess I was just having an off day and just couldn't do it.  It hurt, I was uncomfortable, sore, fatigued… I didn't make it very far and had to stop.  Perhaps I was just too tired, hadn't eaten or hydrated enough or the baby was in a strange position.   I knew there wasn't anything seriously wrong, but it was still upsetting to me that I wasn't able to complete my run and also because this was just a few days before I was supposed to run a 10K (I was 29 weeks at the time).  I was so frustrated with myself, that I rested a little during the day and ended up going back out that evening and running 4 miles.  I went into the race that Saturday knowing that I may or may not be able to finish, but not long after I started I knew I was going to be able to do it.  I felt great! 

My last race was at 37 weeks.  I went into it knowing that if I wasn’t feeling well I could stop after 5K (this particular race happened to be one big loop – one lap was a 5K and two laps was a 10K.  Usually, I find this extremely annoying but it actually was comforting knowing if I needed to stop after 5K I would already be at the finish line.)  When I had completed the first lap, I was feeling good (although, going EXTREMELY slow) and turned around to do the second half of the race.  I felt like I was one of the last people to finish but… I did it!!  I went on one more run after that race (at 38 weeks pregnant) and by then the weather was getting hot, I was distracted with other things and felt like I was ready to just focus on waiting for baby.   I don’t actually recall making a conscious decision or having the thought “Okay this is the last run!” I think it just happened that way.  Like I said, there were plenty of other things/distractions at that point, not to mention - I was frickin huge!!

In case there are any questions...

Before the Bayou City Classic (29 weeks preggy)

After!

No beer for me :( 

Before the Lone Star Stampede (37 weeks preggy)

After... DID IT!

Continued here: 3rd and 4th Trimester Running...and Beyond! (Part 2)

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Recipe - King Ranch Chicken Casserole

This is actually a recipe I got from a friend's mom and even though it takes a little bit more prep work, it's totally worth it in the end (and freezes really well)!!

(Please excuse the change in format!)

King Ranch Chicken

Minutes to prepare: 1 hour 30 minutes

Minutes to cook: 55 minutes

Number of servings: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 2-4 split chicken breasts, with rib meat (bone-in)
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 3 pieces each
• 2 carrots cut into 3 pieces each
• 3 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 3 cups grated sharp cheddar
• 12 (6 inch) corn tortillas cut into ½ inch strips

DIRECTIONS 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
2. Remove skin and any large pieces of fat. Place the chicken, celery, carrots, and salt in a large Dutch oven with water to cover.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove chicken from broth and let cool.  Reserve ¾ cup of broth. 
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion and sauté 6 to 7 minutes until tender.  Add green pepper and garlic and sauté 3 to 4 more minutes.  Stir in ¾ cup of chicken broth, soups, tomatoes and spices.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes. 
4. Skin and bone cooled chicken.  Shred into bite sized pieces. 
5. Layer half of the chicken in the dish.  Top with half the soup mixture, 1 cup of cheese, and half of the corn tortillas strips.  Repeat the layers and then add the remaining 1 cup of cheese on top of the tortilla layer. 
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes to one hour until bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.