I've been wanting to write a post like this for a long while, but I felt that it was pretty redundant, so I refrained. Today, I can not hold my lid on anymore. For those of you who are longtime "Simply Howland" readers, you know that we have cloth diapered from the day Ava bug was born (with the exception of using the biodegradable diapers during travel time, and her first 11 days of life). You know that I fully support natural parenting methods and attachment parenting methods. I hope all of my readers also know that by sharing my parenting tidbits and thoughts, that my intention is not to "shove" it down your throat, or make you feel bad for utilizing different methods that work for your family.

That being said, all is not right in mommy world. In fact, all is pretty nuts! I haven't engaged in anything in particular, but rather observed. I can't believe what I'm seeing. My heart actually hurts guys! Here we have a huge world of women that could be encouraging one another and supporting one another, but instead we decide to tear one another down. We decide to compare our children and treat parenthood like some sort of competition. Instead of utilizing one another for helpful information, we choose to put others down for their parenting choices. It really is awful, and I've had enough.

I've decided to come out and say something for all of those parents that choose to use disposables. I chose to focus in on this topic because cloth diapers are at the top of my frustration list. Here goes nothing! I hope by the time you are done reading this, you feel even more validated in your parenting decisions! As I mentioned before, We have used cloth diapers with Ava since the day she was born. I researched cloth (ALOT), I picked out each one after proper research, and I fully took on the extra dooty (haha, a little humor), that came with cloth diapers. The first six months were an absolute breeze. no rashes, the laundry upkeep was easy, and best of all? The waste was able to go right in the washer. Fast forward six-twelve months... The waste of a baby on solids is without a doubt the most gruesome sight I have ever seen. The colors.. the texture.. the colors! Oh my lanta. Cloth diapering got hard. I actually had to wash the waste off. And although my daughter is angelic and beautiful in every way, her waste is NOT.

We had to deal with blowouts, leaks, and sometimes damaged diapers. Not to mention that while you have five other loads of laundry to wash, you have to make sure that cloth is done every other day (our routine). Let's fast forward twelve-seveteen months. I have a toddler that drinks so much more, eats so much more, and a toddler that knows how to take dirty diapers out of the pail. We had to find the proper absorbency adjustment for Ava, I've had to find the proper stripping contents for the diapers, and I've learned to fix her diaper snaps. I've had to adjust to getting rid of toddler waste (even more disgusting than infant waste), and bac-out has become my best friend. All of these frustrations stem off of the fact that I wanted to cloth diaper.

With disposables, there is none of this. With disposables, you don' have to stay up late/wake up early to do the same load of laundry for over two hours. You don't have to worry about chunks of waste splashing on you as you scrap it into the toilet. You also don't have to worry about keeping your child's diapers in "good condition" because it's a one and done type of job. I myself have been dreaming about the day we no longer cloth diaper. Not because I don't love them, but because they have become a huge pain for me at times. So before you allow someone to make you feel bad about your choices OR if you are that person that likes to be a "cloth snob" remember that while others are up doing loads of smelly diaper laundry, some disposable using mama is in her warm bed.. asleep! There are pros and cons to each method, but I definitely see the ease and comfort of using a disposable diaper.

Happy Thursday all! 

♥- Leilani

Check Up Time !

Ava had her two week check up today. She weighs 6.5 lbs and she's a healthy sprout! The nurse called Ava's name to come back, and the first thing she did (after weighing) was take measurements of her. Her length, head measurements, etc. They were all relatively the same as birth. The second thing the nurse did was check her vitals for a full minute. Ava was so fussy because we had to undress her for all of this to occur. Daddy tried to console his little girl.

The PEDS doctor came in at this point. She asked Justin and I how we were doing. (that was a nice change from the usual care I've experienced at this Army hospital) She then had me fill out the Edinburgh test for postpartum depression. My score was a 4. Relatively low. The doctor checked Ava's hip joints, her jaundice records, and overall physical appearance. Everything looked great. She did notice that Ava has this strip of white on her tongue, she explained to us that It's called thrush. Apparently It's very common in babies. It's yeast. Their little immune systems aren't that strong, to fight off yeast in the air, home, etc. but it's easily treated and the PEDS doctor prescribed a medication for it. The doctor also prescribed vitamin D to be administered through a syringe for Ava. She told us breastfeed babies sometimes don't get the same amount of vitamin D as formula fed babies. After we were all finished with the physical part of the check up she tried to discuss Ava's metabolics with us...Unfortunately they haven't made their way back to the hospital yet. The newborn testing was suppose to arrive back to the PEDS department two weeks after birth, but the doctor said it's been taking closer to three weeks. That was frustrating for me! At the end of the appointment she explained that she wanted to check Ava's hemoglobin level to make sure she wasn't anemic and that everything else with Ava was perfect. We are due to have Ava's next appointment when she is two months old. Then vaccinations will come into play. An overdue conversation that Justin and I will have to have AGAIN.

** ON A CLOTH DIAPERING NOTE**

We used Ava's bumgenius AIO and her FuzziBunz XS pocket diaper! she fits into both of these now and they work great ! Love the absorbency, the soft materials, and the ease it presents for diapering needs.

26 weeks 3 days

I have had one busy week. My attitude this week has been phenomenal. I am always thankful for my blessings, but even more so this week I have been praising Jesus for all that he has done for me and continues to do for me and my family.  On another note, for the first time in 5 months I actually went to a movie theater ! Once Ava arrives I know those nights will be scarce <3 It was nice to get out, have a nice lunch with friends, and be able to see a comedy. Identity thief was definitely hilarious. And I laughed throughout the entire film ! Definitely a good ADULT watch ! ( a lot of cursing) I took a picture today of me, and a cute maternity dress I bought on Friday. 

I love seeing how much bigger my womb grows <3

ALSO, on a cloth diapering note, my sunbaby pocket diapers arrived on Thursday. I must say I am in love ! The prints are so adorable, the diapers are super soft, and the inserts are tough and I feel like the absorbency will hold up. 

Here are 1/3 of the diapers from my shipment. 

ALSO if you are looking to cloth diaper your baby, or you just want some credible information on cloth diapering, I would highly recommend following the naturally thrifty mom on facebook, youtube, or blogger. She will message you back if you have any questions, and she is definitely a credible source ( in my opinion) on any type of information pertaining to cloth diapers and methods of cloth diapering. She actually inspired me to invest in coconut oil for diaper rash cream. It was an organic brand that you can buy locally from your grocery store. Coconut oil can be used for several different things other than just your baby's bottom.

I bought this 14 fl oz jar from Wal-Mart for $5.97. I cannot wait until Ava arrives so I can give you guys updates on my cloth diapering experience and the coconut oil diaper rash cream that is completely 100% percent cloth diaper safe.

 

New Mom's To Be

Pregnancy throws you for a whole new realm in your life that is so overwhelming sometimes it can be hard to SLOW DOWN and just catch your breath. My pregnancy itself has been pretty mellow with the exceptional discomforts and such. I think the most stressful process of pregnancy is deciding parenting styles, and purchasing baby gear. For example, My husband and I have opted to cloth diaper. There are a ton of modern cloth diapering advances that are just as simple as putting on a disposable diaper. We are using the pocket diaper method of diapering. And the diagram below is from the line sunbaby. Very inexpensive brand to start your diaper stash with, in my opinion.

With more rewarding benefits. What you may ask ?

* extremely cost efficient
* we WON'T produce one ton of waste that would go into landfills

* using cloth diapers will help facilitate quicker potty training

Those are just a few of the many reasons why this method is best for my family.

I have also decided to breast feed. I don't know what my breastfeeding experience will be like, due to the fact that Ava isn't here yet. BUT i don't want to invest a bunch of money into an electric pump right off the bat. I don't know what i'm going to like or dislike, and I am a firm believer that investing your money into anything needs to be worthwhile, and cost efficient. Electric pumps run for over 200.00, easily, when buying a credible brand. The manual pump is $30.00. It makes more sense, to buy a less expensive product until I figure out where I stand with breast feeding Ava.

The last little tidbit i will share is with the baby gear experience I've had. It's typical for new parents to overbuy, overpriced baby items that are gender oriented. It doesn't make sense to spend 200.00 of ANYTHING on something you will not be able to use again. Or that you won't use again. (if you plan on having more children) The next child may not share the same gender. I did purchase some inexpensive items that are designated for baby girls. Things we plan on using with our next baby, we are sticking to gender neutral based items.

ALSO Consignment shops have become my best friend ! A lot of credible brands are sold at these types of stores for even less than 1/4 of the price ! So don't be afraid to shop at anything that isn't Carter's Osh Kosh, or Gymboree. Your wallet will thank you later.  First rule as a mom to be, saving is ALWAYS SMART. Even more so when you have a baby on the way.