Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming...

Sadly, life is just not giving me time for a break right now. I am being pulled in 15 directions with a million and one things going on in my brain. The hardest thing to believe right now is that there is only about 5 weeks left in this pregnancy with Skywalker, depending on when he decides to make his arrival. I feel like time is flying by and I barely have been able to enjoy this pregnancy and take time to focus on our soon to arrive new addition. Just everything else going on is more important and preparing for this baby has been tossed to the back burner. But time to start getting in high gear, as I am 35 weeks pregnant and our baby boy will be here with the blink of an eye.

We have quiet a bit to do to prepare for the new baby, mainly getting the house together before both our families come out for extended stays. Step one. Take down the Christmas tree in the loft area. Yes, I said Christmas tree. Yes, I know it is the end of March and I still have one of our trees to take down and pack up. Along with gathering the remaining holiday decorations and putting them away. For the record, I put up four Christmas trees this year and just have not had the energy or the moment to take down this last tree. But it will happen in the next couple days. Fingers crossed.

I was blessed this past weekend by dear friends of mine, my Phoenix family, who threw me a beautiful baby shower. A garden party, complete with fabulous sun hats. I left Saturday feeling very loved and cared for. Reminded me I do have a support system here in Phoenix, though it may be small, they are here and love me dearly. I was blessed by the handful of friends who came to shower me with love and spoil Skywalker. My mom, who sadly was not able to make it, surprised me by coordinating with the hosts to get me a cake. Well cakes, strawberry short cakes specifically. The bakery did an amazing job making them and they were absolutely divine. It was wonderful to know my mom was there in spirit, since she could not make the cross country trip to be there physically. Definitely a shower to remember and I am so thankful for the ladies who hosted and for the friends who came. It was nice to focus on something fun and completely for me for a few days leading up to the shower and the day of the shower, as I have been so overwhelmed with everything else going on in our lives.

  

In the last several weeks we have had ton going on for Marshmallow. I applied for the Empowerment Scholarship (ESA) for the 2015/2016 school year and he was approved for it. What this means is that we are to remove Marshmallow from public/charter school system and in turn we receive about 80-90% of the funding the state would have given the school for our son attending. Marshmallow qualified for this under the special needs category through the preschool severe delay diagnosis. We can use this money to pay for preschool curriculum, various therapies, tutors/aides or tuition at a special needs preschool (if one actually existed in our area). But the truth is I am not really sure what we will do with the money. Right now I am just trying to explore what options may be available to use the funds towards. We will add more speech therapy for Marshmallow and want to look into music, aquatic, art and possibly equestrian therapies for him. We are looking at trying to find a private preschool to take Marshmallow, but the difficulty is finding one that will take him if he is not 100% potty trained by the start of the school year. Most say they can handle his developmental delays, but obviously would not be equipped to give him any special treatment. So trying to see what makes most sense for our budget and where may be the best place for Marshmallow to attend. I would like to keep him in preschool for at least 2 days a week. As the routine and socialization side of preschool are currently the more important aspects to his preschool experience. So been spending a lot of time trying to navigate what we can do with the ESA and how to proceed for next school year. 

Which I brings up the question of why? Honestly, I just have not been impressed so far with the preschool Marshmallow is attending. While he seems to like it and is good for him. There have been so many red flags that make me feel that this is not the best place for him to be. His class is HUGE. There are 20 other students in his class. There is a teacher, who happens to be long term sub, and two aides. Making it a 7 to 1 ratio in the classroom. That is high for any preschool, yet alone a class of special needs students. Honestly, I am not even sure what credentials the substitute even has to be taking over his classroom. Both these things I plan to talk to the school district about. I also am not impressed with the communication from the school about Marshmallow's progress. I have yet to be told anything. Since he takes the bus both to and from school, I am not able to check in with his teacher and I have not been given and progress reports on how he is doing. I do pick him up on Tuesdays, but it is early and usually interrupting the class so not a time to be able to check in and chat. I also have yet to get any updates from the speech therapist on his progress during his speech sessions. All in all, I am not really sure how to go about getting better communication from the school. I do not want to be the pesky parent, but unhappy with the lack of communication of updates on how Marshmallow is doing. Obviously the other red flags were things I wrote about in previous posts, such as the initial testing for him to get into the program and the lack of organization.

As much as I am not sure that this school is a good fit for Marshmallow, I do know that it has been a good transition for Marshmallow. He is certainly picking up social skills he did not have or understand before. He seems to be doing well with focusing on one activity at a time as well, as long as we set it up in such a manner to make that happen. So all in all, I just feel that while he may be doing well here, I do think a different school may fit him better. That he may gain more from being in a smaller class, with neuro-typical children to model for him. Hopefully we can find him a good fit somewhere.

Along with this I am trying to find something for him during the summer months. But sadly options are limited. Again most expect a 3 year old to be completely potty trained and he is not. We have found one option that may work out, but I am still looking around to see what other options may be there for to use. I am running out of time though in trying to figure this out as we have about 8 weeks before the end of the school year here in Arizona. Fingers crossed I can find something that is a good fit. I would also like to look into possibly swim lessons for him and sign him up for t-ball again. Both make me a little nervous remember how t-ball went last summer with him. As for swim lessons I am hoping we can find someone who has worked with a child with sensory issues. I have in the past, but really do not think I am the best person to teach my child. Hoping I can find someone, as swim skills and pool safety are so important here in Arizona. As every other person has a pool in their yard. I want to make sure Marshmallow is safe. So plenty to figure out in the coming weeks for Marshmallow.

The ABA process has been continuing to move along. Seems like at snails pace, but it is moving along. I met with a potential therapist a little over a week ago. She seemed nice and Marshmallow did not seem to have an issue with her. We are meeting again on Sunday with her and the lady that did the initial evaluations to see how the pairing is between the therapist and Marshmallow. Also to hopefully start setting up getting his therapy moving along. So basically we are in the final stages, if this turns out to be a good match. Fingers crossed we will be able to get the sessions started by beginning of April.

However, I got some frustrating news a couple days ago. The benefits for the ABA we were originally quoted was incorrect. And it is not covered at 100% like originally thought. We will have a co-pay for each session we do. While it is still a great benefit, his therapy is going to be costly for us each month. We will be looking at about $500 per month, if he does ABA 5 days a week. I had a moment of panic yesterday after learning this. Thankfully, we have some money set aside specifically for Marshmallow and whatever needs may arise for him. So at least for now we will not have to worry to much about where the money for this is coming from for all this for the short term. But we have to figure out alternative options for the long term. With living on one income, we just do not have a lot of wiggle room for a ton of added expenses. And the last thing we want is more debt, since we are working very hard to  get out of debt.

So, I spent most of the last couple days trying to figure out what that option may be. I had been told a few times to look at applying for DDD services, but had no clue what it is and why it is needed. Well this is exactly why. DDD is Department of Developmental Disabilities. So I sought out some help from those who have traveled this road before me and asked what I need to do. I am so grateful for their help and guidance, I know I would be completely lost without it. They told me to apply for DDD, but also to apply for ALTCS for Marshmallow. That without ALTCS, DDD is basically useless. ALTCS is Arizona Long Term Care System. Basically the way you get funding for DDD services. Once we get all this in place and hopefully accepted, then the state should help cover medical services that Marshmallow may require, such as the ABA therapy. I got the ALTCS process started yesterday and started with DDD a couple days ago. So this is just a couple more things to add to my list of what I am trying to muddle through.

This past week, I also got the PECS (picture exchange communication system) binder I ordered for Marshmallow put together. I finally just decided to order a starter kit to get it done, instead of wasting more time trying to start one myself. This is basically a binder with pictures for us to use as a form of communication with Marshmallow. Over time we will add more to it, but for now I have a good start with the package I ordered. This will help to be able to set Marshmallow up with a visual schedule, as well. The idea is that we will take it everywhere with him, so he is able to communicate better with us, and us with him. It will take some time to adjust to using it in our daily routine. Marshmallow actually helped me put it together, which I believe helped him to understand it a little better. He has reached for it several times in the last few days to show me his wants and needs. So just need to keep reinforcing just that. Definitely excited about the PECS and excited to see how it helps Marshmallow.

I am glad to have finally get that together for him to use, especially because I feel that Marshmallow's speech is slightly regressing. I feel he is loosing some of the articulation he did have, which has lead to much frustration for Marshmallow and us. Since being able to understand his words has become more difficult again. So I am grateful to have a tool to use to help bridge our communication with each other. Hopefully, will prevent some meltdowns from happening.

Overall, I feel like the last several months have just been a blur. Lots of time spent trying to figure out what is next. I feel like I have jumped into the deep end of a pool and barely able to stay afloat. Each day is full of just trying to get to the end of this tunnel. I am still trying to soak in what the ASD diagnosis really means for our son and for our whole family, but yet I am attacking everything with full force. I know if I stop to breathe, all processes will slow down. Right now, time is important and getting everything going is so important.

I know that once Skywalker arrives, my time will be split. So I am trying very hard to get as much lined up and set up before hand as I possibly can. 5 weeks to try and figure out as much of this all as possible. It certainly feels like I am running a marathon most days, in trying to process and get all this figured out. I have been grateful for those that have come along side me in this journey to help guide me through most of it. For now, I will just keep pushing forward and hope all eventually falls in place. Just trying to keep my head above the water for now.

Adventures in Preserving : Stocking Up Begins

Been a busy mama lately, as I am getting our pantry stocked with all the amazing produce I have purchased the last month or so. Our freezers are also VERY stocked. Actually our chest freezer is nearly full of frozen veggies, sauce and bread. My pantry shelves are filling quickly as well, and I have had to buy more mason jars to keep up with all that we have. I am shocked at how many I have gone through in the past several weeks.

Crazy to think it was about a year ago I began my adventures in canning. I am finally starting to feel more comfortable, but still learning. I am enjoying restocking our pantry after taking a break over the fall and winter, which in that time pretty much emptied all the mason jars on the shelves.

So far this year, I have canned...

{Whole Roma Tomatoes - recipe can be found here}

{Marinated Roasted Mini Peppers - recipe can be found here}

{Green Beans - recipe can be found here}

{Hot Salsa - recipe posted below}

{Dill Pickles - used a packaged mix}

{Nectarines - recipe can be found here}

{Applesauce - recipe can be found here}

{Sweet Relish - used a packaged mix}

{Mild Salsa - recipe posted below}

Over all I have gone through about 70 jars this month. And have currently over a hundred filled on our shelf. One shelf is completely full, so time to start filling the next one!

Whatever I have not canned I have frozen. So our chest freezer is nearly full. Not sure how much more we will be able to fit in there. It may be about time to upgrade to something bigger!  It is stocked full with applesauce, green beans, zucchini, grey squash, corn on the cob, cauliflower, avocado, asparagus, carrots, grape tomatoes, green bell peppers, red & yellow peppers, sweet mini peppers, spaghetti squash, chinese cabbage, butternut squash, blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, eggplant, homemade pasta sauce, pizza dough & various loaves of bread.

Over all, we have quite the stock pile started. I still have lots I want to try and do. Eventually, I would love to be able to eliminate buying any canned or frozen goods from the store. Excited to keep going in this journey and continuing to try new things and learn more along the way!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Salsa Recipe : Makes about 10 pints

10 cups tomatoes - peeled and crushed

6 cups various peppers, chopped (Below you can see combinations I have used.)

4 cups onions, chopped

1 cup vinegar

3 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Pepper combinations. I mix it up based on what I have on hand. I do seed most of the peppers. Leaving seeds in will increase the hotness of the salsa.

Mild : 1/2 cup jalapenos, 1 cup anaheim, 4 cups bell peppers, 1/2 cup serranos

Medium : 1/2 cup jalapenos, 1 cup anaheim. 3 cups bell peppers, 1 1/2 cups serranos

Hot : 1 cup jalapenos, 1 cup anaheim, 2 cups bell peppers, 2 cups serranos

Put all together in a deep pot. Bring to a boil. Puree to chunkiness desired (I use a immersion blender or food processor). Bring back to a boil and simmer for at least 10 minutes. 

Prepare your jars, as you normally would. Fill jars to 1/2 inch of top of jar. Water bath pints for 15 minutes. 

S'more Fluff : Cloth Diapering 101

I fell into the idea of cloth diapering while I was pregnant with Marshmallow. I had no idea what I was getting into when I first decided cloth diapering was something I wanted to do. The world of cloth diapers is much different than what my mom told me about cloth diapers from 20 plus years ago. I came across things like AIO, fitteds, PUL, snappis, pockets, hybrids, prefolds, soakers, wet bags, aplix, snaps and the list goes on. The world of cloth diapers certainly was no longer prefolds, diaper pins and plastic pants. But a new confusing world with a million options.

I found out that a local store, Zoolikins, carries cloth diapers. So I met a friend who cloth diapered, and had offered to meet me at the shop and started to explore the new world of cloth diapering. It helped me to get my hands on the various options and see in person how they worked and also test them out. The shop has a stuffed bear you can try various diapers out on, to see how they all work. Between my friend and the shop employee I learned a ton that afternoon and left encouraged. I knew we would be cloth diapering for sure after that day. I also had a small idea of what route of cloth diapering we would be taking after playing with what seemed like a million choices.

Below is a basic breakdown of the various types of covers and diapers available for cloth diapering. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Hope this is helpful.

DIAPER TYPES:

All-In-One Diapers :
These are usually just called AIOs. These are what I would consider to be the simplest and easiest form of cloth diapering. The diaper is all one piece and is put on a child the same way as a disposable diaper. It has the waterproof layer (known as PUL) and all the absorbent layers sewn together. We will be using a bunch of these during the newborn stage with Skywalker. Personally, I do not like these as a child gets older, as there is no way to change the absorbency of the diaper. It also takes forever to dry, since everything is sewn in place and all together. It is great for those that need user friendly diapers. Anyone can use these, no instructions are required.

Pocket Diapers : 

These are another very user friendly diapers. But do require a little assembly before using on your little. The main part of the diaper has a pocket. The diaper alone has no absorbent qualities. Something has to be placed in the pocket to make the diaper become absorbent. Most pocket diapers come with an insert or two. Inserts can be made from several materials, such as microfiber, bamboo, hemp or cotton. Pocket diapers when completely assembled are just as easy to use as AIO diapers. Personally, this is what we mainly used with Marshmallow as he got older. I liked that I could change the absorbency by choosing the number of inserts I put in the diaper. I also like that the diaper comes apart for the washing and drying. Since the absorbency layers come out it makes the drying process much quicker. And I can throw the inserts in the dryer, while hang drying the diaper. These are another great user friendly option, as long as they are assembled for the new user.

All-In-Two Diapers :

Commonly called AI2s. These are a combination, sorta, of an AIO and a pocket diaper. Instead of a pocket for the absorbent layers to go inside of in the diaper. The absorbent layer is usually attached to the inside of the diaper via snaps. Many of these diapers come with multiple layers to give the opportunity for various absorbency. Again this has a PUL layer on the outside and the absorbent layer attached to the inside. We uses a handful of this style with Marshmallow. I liked again that I could change the absorbency on the diaper, as needed. It again was great for drying, as they are separate parts. The inserts again are made from various materials, but more limited than the inserts used with pocket diapers. Things like microfiber should not touch baby's bum as it can dry it out. So most of these inserts are made from materials like bamboo or hemp. As long as these are pre-assembled, these are another great user friendly diaper style.

Hybrids : 

Hybrids can be a cross over of both the disposable and cloth diapering worlds. These diapers consist of a shell that is PUL material. Then the insert is placed inside. How it is placed inside, depends on the brand. Many of the hybrid brands offer both a disposable insert or a reusable insert. Most of these that use disposable inserts are actually biodegradable inserts. Which appeals to many of those that choose to got this route. These are fairly easy to use. Again great if assembled ahead of time for new users.
[I do not have any Hybrids personally, but I will post a picture soon of one.]

Fitted Diapers :

Fitteds similar to AI2 in the way they are set up. The difference is that there is no PUL layering in fitted diapers. These are a breathable diaper. The whole diaper is made of absorbent material, plus the insert. If left long enough in the diaper, it will leak. As nothing is preventing the diaper from doing so. They are made in a way to help make it so they will last a couple hours before leaks or needing to have the diaper changed. I personally love fitted diapers and hope to build our diaper stash with this type of diaper for Skywalker. These are breathable which helps reduce a lot rash issues that come from sitting in a wet diaper, especially over night. I used these with Marshmallow overnight with a cover, a fleece cover to keep everything breathable. I love that absorbency can be changed. And again nice to have parts for drying to help speed that up. These do take a while to dry, as the diaper portion with the elastic is absorbent. But the inserts can still be dried in a dryer if so choose to do so. Another user friendly option, but let user know to either use with a cover or to watch for when changes are needed to keep from having leak issues.

Prefolds :
Prefolds are one of the cheapest options in cloth diapering. They can be a bit complicated to use and have a minor learning curve to use. Typically they are made from hemp, bamboo or cotton. The absorbency varies depending on material of prefold and the layers the prefold. Many prefolds have a 4-8-4 layer system. There are 4 layers on each side and the center is thicker. Prefolds must be folded and held in place by either diaper pins or something like a Snappi (which is pictured below). Prefolds need to be used in combination with a cover to make it waterproof.

Flats :
Flats are similar to prefolds in that they need to be folded, held in place and used with a cover for a waterproof option. These are a bit more complex than prefolds, as with flats you have to create the absorbent area in the diaper with folding the fabric various ways to create layers. This is a great cheap option. Many just use receiving blankets as a flat, but really can use any absorbent material as a flat diaper. You can also purchase flats that are typically made from cotton, bamboo or hemp. These do have a learning curve, but a great option once you learn how to use them.
[I do not have a photo of a flat at the moment, but will add one soon.]


DIAPER COVERS :

PUL Cover :
PUL, as previously stated, is the waterproof material used diapers. These are a shell to be used with fitteds, prefolds or flats. They can be reused between washes. Just wipe out between changes and let dry. I rotated between 2-3 covers a day on average. Only really pulled a new one to use when a cover got messy.

Fleece Cover : 

Fleece is a great breathable diaper cover option. Fleece is naturally water resistant, so will create a barrier from letting leaks out. You do need to wash fleece after each use, no special washing is required. Just throw in with regular baby wash. Fleece is typically inexpensive to purchase and also fairly easy to sew, if you have a sewing machine and basic sewing skills. You can actually use any 100% polyester fleece pant as a diaper cover in a pinch. However, ones that are sewn specifically for diaper covers have an extra layer sewn in the wet zone, for extra protection. Fleece covers can be used over any diaper to create an extra leak protection layer, but great for breathable options with fitteds, flats or prefolds.

Wool Cover :
This is another breathable diaper cover option. These are usually fairly pricey, but great to use. Wool itself does not offer any water resistant qualities, but these are prepped in a way to make them water resistant. They need to be put through a lanolin wash to coat the wool cover. These can be used several times between washes, but do have a special wash routine. The lanolin process is one that does not have be done often, but does need to be repeated over time. Again, this is a great breathable diaper option when paired with prefolds, flats or fitteds.
[I do not have any wool covers to photograph at the moment, but will add a photo soon.]

S'more Fluff : Bottom Line of Cloth Diapering

As a cloth diapering mom, I am frequently asked about our experience with cloth diapering Marshmallow. And I am always willing to share.

I know that cloth diapering is not for everyone, but I think there is a lot of misconceptions about cloth diapering. I know I did not know what we were getting into when I first started to get the idea in my head to cloth diaper, and what I pictured is NOT what cloth diapering looked like for us.

I pictured using the system my mother used over 25 years ago on me, that consisted of cotton prefolds, diaper pins and plastic diaper covers. While that option still exists, gone are the days of that being the only option. And I would NOT recommend plastic covers to anyone to use, as there are much better options available today to use on your little.

Along the way I am asked lots of questions and told many comments. These are the ones that most frequently come up in conversations about our cloth diapering.

"Why do you cloth diaper?"
For me it came down to two very specific reasons, but the reasons for why people choose to cloth diaper varies. Skin sensitivity and cost savings. I was concerned Marshmallow was going to have sensitive skin like me, so this was a huge factor in me deciding to research cloth diapers. Also the cost savings was extremely appealing, especially if we cloth diapered multiple children. Yes, I feel we have saved money in making this choice. While Marshmallow, does not seem to have my skin sensitivity, I do still like him in cloth better than disposables. They worked better for his bum, especially when he did get rashes.

"Isn't it inconvenient?"
I am not really sure how it is thought that it is inconvenient. Since we started out from day one with cloth diapers, I never really knew any other way of diapering. Yes, I do 2-3 extra loads of wash a week to keep up with diaper wash, but it is just part of the routine. I am actually better about keeping up with our diaper laundry, than I am with our regular laundry. I just consider it laundry. No big deal. But on the flip side, I never have to worry about running out of disposable diapers and having to rush out to the store with a little (or now two littles) in tow to buy more diapers. I feel the convenience all evens out in the end.

"What about for child care?"
You have to ask your child care provider. Most locations are now cloth diaper friendly. They may require certain type of diaper to be used, something easy. But I have heard very few people say that their child care provider will not allow cloth diapers to be used. Know that if you do send diapers to a day care, that you tell them and label your diapers. I have heard stories of diapers being thrown out. So make sure each person that handles changes knows they are cloth diapers and they are not to be thrown out. Thankfully, in each of those cases I personally know about the family was reimbursed for the cost of the diapers lost. Keep a list of what you send, so you know if any do happen to go missing. But child care, should not be an issue in cloth diapering.

"Gross, I would never wash poop in my washer!"
HAHA. Good luck being a parent. Now, there are parents who do throw out anything that gets poop on it and just call it a day. I was never one of them, even before becoming a parent. I did not throw out shoes because I stepped in dog poop, as an example. But the reality is, that as a first time parent you may think you will never put that in your washer machine, until the day you do. One day your child will have a blow out all over EVERYTHING, and in the washer it all goes. The seat cover for a bouncer, sheets, blankets, clothing, your child's favorite item. Whatever it may be, in the washer it goes because most of us just do not have the money to replace things every time they get gross. The truth is that there is much worse things that have gone into my washer machine than poop. Guess that is my first responder mindset, but our washer has certainly seen worse. Plus that is what a washer machine is there for! To clean things that are dirty! All the gross leaves with the rinse cycle.
So yes, I throw dirty diapers in my washer machine. Until my son started solid foods, I actually just threw the diapers in the washer machine as is. Poop and all. At that point it is all water soluble and no need to do anything extra. Once your child starts on solids, then you have to remove the poop before putting in the washer. But do not worry, there are several options available to make this less gross as well.

"How do you get poop off your diapers?"
Well,as stated above for the first 6 months or longer, you do not even need to think about this issue. All can just go in the washer, until your child begins solid foods. Solid foods includes rice or oat cereals that you may even use to thicken a bottle. After this point, you do have to deal with poop. But by this point, poop should not be as gross as you thought it once was, as you have thousands of poopy diaper changes under your belt. There are several ways to deal.
1 : Disposable/Flushable Liners : These are liners you can lay in the diaper. So you just dump the liner and flush at diaper changes. Many use these just to help keep the diapers from getting stains in them, which can help if you choose to resell you diapers. I found them to be a hassle and never really got in the habit of using them. Just was not worth it to me, personally.
2 : Diaper Sprayer : This handle tool attaches to your toilet. It is like a hand held shower head, that you use to spray the poop off the diaper into the toilet. I highly recommend using one of these.
3 : Dunk and Swish : The way my mom dealt with poopy diapers. Just dunked the diaper in the toilet and swished around to get the poop off.
Each work. Each get the job done. No big deal. And remember, your child will one day have an accident in underwear and you will find yourself doing this anyways, most likely.

"Have you ever stuck your child with a diaper pin?"
Nope. Never. I actually have never used a diaper pin. However, I do plan to use pins with some of our diapering options this time around. But honestly, there is NO need to use diaper pins with the cloth diapers that are available today. I did find this question interesting though and asked my mom if she ever accidentally stuck me with a diaper pin. Surprisingly, she told me no. But then again, it is like a tailor pinning to do alterations. You are careful not to stick your child, so the likely hood of actually sticking your child is minimal, even if pins were widely used still today. Which they are not!
There is this cool thing called a Snappi that you can use in place of diaper pins. But most diapering systems do not require anything at all.

"Isn't it messy?"

No more messy than using a disposable diaper. And actually, I have found that using cloth is less messy, since I actually have yet to have a blow out diaper using cloth diapers. While the diapers may be messy. My child never is. I have never had to deal with changing my child out of a completely pooped covered piece of clothing. Not once. The cloth diaper has always held it all in place. So no, would never consider cloth diapering any more messy than disposables. I consider it less.

"They seem to be rather bulky"

Yes, they are more bulky than disposable diapers. But I love a cute fluffy bottom of a child in a cloth diaper. My diaper bag was usually more stuffed than those who used disposables, but I just found a system that worked for us. I usually packed an extra bag of supplies in my car that I left there, so I could bring in only a diaper or two while doing many errands in the day and refill my diaper bag as needed. If out all day, I just stuffed it all in there. I found a bag that worked for us and fit it all. Not a huge deal. And there are some diapers available that are pretty trim. Others are more bulky. Depends on what you are looking for.

"What do you do while you are out and about with the dirty diapers?"

I put the dirty diapers in a wet bag. Similar to something you could use to put wet bathing suites in after swimming. Just something to hold them until I get home.

"What do you do with the dirty diapers at home?"
I have two places that dirty diapers go. I have trash can with a lid that I put a pail liner in downstairs. Upstairs I have a diaper champ that I have a pail liner in as well. I just put the diaper in one of those two places and they stay there until ready to do wash. I honestly do nothing special.

"Are there any special washing requirements?"
Yes. You do need to be careful about what detergent is used with your cloth diapers. Some detergents can harm your diapers and can also encourage residue build-up of soap. You can find a comprehensive list of detergents here : Detergent Chart. I personally have used Rockin Green, Ecos, Original Tide & Country Save. I prefer the Rockin Green or Country Save, of the ones I have used.
You also have to be careful about drying your diapers. I recommend line drying. Putting diapers in the dryer can ruin the waterproof layer in most cloth diapers (known as PUL). It can also destroy the elastic in the diapers too. I line dry everything that has PUL or elastic and will use the dryer for all else. This helps to preserve your diapers and make them last.

"Are you happy with your decision to cloth diaper? Are you planning to do it again?"
Yes, I am very happy with our decision to cloth diaper and minimize the use of disposables in our home. Yes, we have used disposable from time to time as well. I would not change our decision to cloth diaper at all and we are planning to use cloth diapers with Skywalker, as well. I have learned a lot in the last 3 years of cloth diapering our son, so because of our experience the first time around we will be approaching cloth diapering slightly different this second time around.

There is a lot more to share about cloth diapering. I will share more about cloth diapers along the way. In the mean time, I will gladly answer any questions or share about what has worked for us with anyone who would like to know more. 

We Have A Preschooler!

Marshmallow is officially a PRESCHOOLER!

Monday was his first day of school. He was not thrilled with the early wake up. When I tried to wake him up, he would roll over and said "no". I eventually had to pick him up and carry him downstairs. Where he proceeded to hide under his blankets and make pretend sleeping sounds.

He was not thrilled about having to leave the house so early either. He perked up a little when we went to leave and it was raining and we had to put on his jacket. He got really excited about wearing a jacket. Oh the small things that excite him! But got him to smile and get out the door for his first day. Sadly, did not get that for the camera though.

I dropped him to his new classroom and talked with the teacher for a few. During which time Marshmallow ran off and grabbed a toy to play with. He actually sat at a table with other kids and played with the toy he had grabbed. I left while he was distracted. So no big goodbyes and no tears. When I picked him up, the teacher said he had done very well for his first day. There were a few times of tears of frustration because he could not do what he wanted. But they were able to redirect him and calm him down. He really liked the alphabet video they were playing when I picked him up, he ran back over to it while I was chatting with the teacher to keep on watching. I think he liked it over all. Marshmallow was very worn out from his morning at preschool and ended up falling asleep on the floor for a couple hours while we were watching a movie. I take that as a win for the day!

Day two of school, started out a little better. C was also home to help Marshmallow get ready. His wake up went a little better and got out of bed on his own. We are having to get up about 30 minutes to an hour earlier than normally for preschool. But he got up and complied with getting dressed. It was another cold morning here, so he was excited to wear a jacket once again. Instead of taking Marshmallow to school, this was the first day of taking the bus. So we had to wait outside for the bus to come. We were not sure of exact time so we were outside for about 20 minutes. But now we have a good idea of when to expect the bus. He got on the bus no problem. At first he wouldn't let go of my hand, but I encouraged him to go with the bus aide. He did good. No tears. And I waved him off on his first bus ride to school.

On Tuesday's I have to pick him up a bit early since he has his speech therapy appointment to get to. He had another good day, according to the teacher. The speech therapist at the school had worked with him for the first time as well. She said he did great with her, she will do a couple more easier sessions with him to help build a relationship before pushing harder. Which I totally understand. A good pairing has to be made for him to really cooperate. So he will get speech at school for about 20 minutes twice a week, in addition to the hour of speech therapy we already are doing outside of school. Over all, day two was great. Marshmallow almost did not want to leave. Almost.

Marshmallow is doing very well for his first couple days, it will take some time for him to completely adjust to the new routine at school. Thankfully, he has never been extremely attached to being with us and has never had huge issues with us leaving him. He will usually be upset for a few minutes at most. He does worse leaving daddy than he does leaving me though, so I will be the one getting him on the bus each morning. Even ones that daddy is home for, just to help make it a smoother transition. His teacher seems great. She is actually a long term substitute teacher. Plus he has two aides in his classroom full time. Then there are others that float in and out of the class. The class size is bigger than I expected it to be, as there are 18 students. The teacher even commented that this is the most they have ever had in one class. I was somewhat expecting a bit smaller of a class with a smaller teacher to student ratio. But this is not horrible and I am sure Marshmallow will do great. The teachers seem able to handle all the kids well. I will keep checking in on him each Tuesday, when I do his early pick-up and hopefully he will continue to do well. The rest of the week he will take the bus both to and from school, as long as no issues arise. Hopefully, his next two days of school, go as well as his first two days of school did.