Friday, August 28, 2009

A fashion statement...babywearing

Babywearing is something we do in the Riedl household. We have for over 4 years how and will continue to do so until we can no longer physically hold them in a sling! That being said, I wanted to tell you all why we like to do this.

I am not one to tell someone they are "doing it the wrong way", but if you don't wear your baby...you ARE doing it the wrong way!

There I said it...

I did some research on the topic looonnnggg looongggg ago and thought I would share it with you all or y'all as my friend Andrea would said...hi Andrea!

  • Did you know that when you wear your baby your body actually releases hormones which help mommy and baby bond?
  • Did you know babies that are carried or worn are less fussy?
  • Did you know it helps with breastfeeding?
  • Did you know the mothers heartbeat and movements help babies be more organized and soothed?
  • Did you know it helps babies learn social cues by watching their caregivers facial expressions?
  • Did you know it helps your baby not have "flat head syndrom"?
Other reasons to wear your baby...
  • two hands free to do as you wish
  • better on your back than carrying around that infant car seat
  • you are creating a fashion statment ...just thought I would add that because slings are too darn cute!!
There are many different ways to wear your baby. You can use a Wrap which is a long piece of fabric that you wrap around you and the baby. The baby can be held in many different positions. There are also slings which you can also wear you baby in many different positions. There are baby bjorns/ergos which let you wear the baby facing out and/or facing in and some on the back. I am sure there are lots more out there, but these are what we use right now!

If you are looking for a sling for your baby/toddler/child there are many places to find them. I bought my sling a looonnnggg time ago from here. I now make my own but I have a blogger friend who also makes them...check them out here!

Monday, August 24, 2009

vote for Addy

Addy was entered into a photo contest!! Vote for her!! She is #99 and it's the picture below (the black and white one). Make sure to leave a comment that she is YOUR favorite!! Thanks everyone!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Baby butt: a gDiaper review


We recently started using gDiapers with Addy. At first I wasn't sure how these worked? How could they be both a disposable and a cloth diaper? Why not make them just cloth diapers?

Well...they did! They can be used as cloth diapers now! And let me tell you...they are EFFICIENT!

You know how in most CD's the baby poop just leaks out the sides (sometimes). It is absolutely impossible with gDiapers. It holds everything in the little liner. Oh and speaking of the insides, the inserts they sell are super absorbent.

AND...you can use them as disposables if you choose without worrying about the damage you are doing to the environment. They just break down in the potty or compost bin.

The only thing I am not thrilled with is the Velcro tabs seem to curl up and catch on things. I have line dried them, pulling the tabs straight with clothes pins and this seems to help some.

Anyways, if you are new to CDing, these are the totally the diaper to start with. You will love CDing after trying these out!






Tuesday, August 18, 2009

a pleasant suprise

I will start by saying this post is a week and a half overdue but due to vacation, this is the first opportunity I have had to post this.

Last Friday I got an unexpected call from my Texas BFF, Andrea, saying she was in town! YEAH! So they came over for dinner. Oh how I miss our times together ;o( I will have to make a trip down to Texas over the next year for a girls weekend...anyone want to join? I was thinking maybe around Marchish???? We should have another new friend to visit then too???

Sunday, August 16, 2009

vacation part I




We had a fabulous time at the cottage this past week. The weather was perfect...the kids were..ummm..good...and we got some much needed adult time! Kylie and Cooper pretty much lived in the water while Addy just tagged along with whomever was in the shade at the moment. Zach even got in the water for a bit...it was HOT!

Playing on the "beach"

Driving the boat with Poppy
Kayaking with mommy

My three beautiful babies!
swimming, swimming, and more swimming
the cottage "bath"

More to come later....

Thursday, August 6, 2009

A surprise gift!


Thanks Sophie for our matching hats!! We love them!!

So worth it: Cloth diapering 101

As most of you know, I am a cloth diapering mama! I have proudly been CDing now for 4 years and am so glad I have stuck by it. My BFF Jocelyn introduced me to CD when Kylie was a wee one. At first I thought she was a crazy lady but once she explained it, I realized it wasn't all that bad. I have recently found a lot of other CDing mama's in my area and am so happy to have found others with similar philosophies. I have also been asked a lot of questions lately about how I do it. Having two in CD isn't all that fun at times, but it really isn't too painful. So for those of you who don't know what this CDing thing is all about, I thought I would give you a brief tutorial on how we do it.

1. You start with finding some CD's that work for you. We use Kushies when the kiddos are younger (they are cheap and easy) and fuzzibunz when the kids get a little bigger (they are less bulky, very absorbent, and they cannot pull them off) . Recently, we have started using some gdiapers with Addy. They are also really convenient and my hubby thinks they are the easiest (we do use cloth inserts in them...not the disposable).
2. Make some cloth wipes. These are easier than you think. Buy a yard or two of flannel, wash it, and cut it into the shape of wipes. Store them in an old wipes container with a little baby oil and water (we use burts bee's baby oil because it smells delicious). Just wash them with your CD's.
3. Store your dirty CD's in a garbage can in your nursery. There is no need to buy a wet bag for this, just use a garbage bag (and reuse it).
4. Speaking of dirty diapers: How do you deal with those poopies? Well...I there are two ways you can deal with them. 1) you can buy some flushable liners and use them when you think your baby may poop, or 2) you can swish the diaper with the nasty poopies in the toilet for a few minutes and store in your diaper pale. You don't have to scrape it dry, just get about 75% of it off. Most of the time, the poopies will just fall off in the potty...no biggy. For baby mustard seed poop, there is no need to do anything. Just wash them.
5. Wash your diapers AT LEAST once a week. I do a load of diapers at least 2 times a week being that I have two in CD's right now. To wash your diapers just throw them in the washer add a small amount of detergent (or soap nuts) and add an extra rinse cycle. Make sure you don't use fabric softeners or free and clear.
6. LINE DRY them. They smell so much better this way. Plus this is one of my most favorite sights to see. I know, I am weird, but I love the sight of CD's hanging on the line. If you live in the North like me, you can use a drying rack in the winter months. The other added plus to this is a lot of your stains will come out with some sun! Know it will not hurt your diapers to throw them in the dryer either.


7. Cloth diapering out and about: just put your dirty ones in a plastic bag or wet bag and throw in the washer when you get home. It is just as simple as disposables. Now, some day cares, church nursery's don't allow kids to wear CD's so check with your before sending them with the kiddos. I am not saying this is right at all and I think you should protest it, but check first!

Hope this helped some. Know that MOST of my information is from my BFF Jocelyn. She has mentored me in my CDing experience! I would love to answer more questions if you have them!

summer fun

Kylie has taken a liking to painting! She will paint everything and loves to think of new things to paint. The other day she said, "mom, I want to paint to sunset". So she did. It was a beautiful Tuesday with temps in the upper 80's so I banished the children to the back deck. Kylie and Cooper both enjoyed some painting time until the paint brushes became weapons. Addy just watched from her bouncy seat. It was great and I got a lot of housework done!!