Time Flies!

Wow it's been a while!! I guess time just flies by as life happens. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, my birthday, Valentine's day - have all come and gone! Cael is now 2.5 years old, and he is turning into quite the young brute! He is 110% boy - everything is cars, trucks, monster trucks, planes, helicopters and trains. Being fearless, he jumps off our bed and couch. He is smart, sassy, funny and getting so big! He is rather defiant (can someone say Terrible Twos!?), the pickiest eater I have ever encountered, and is a ball of energy - going from 8 am to 10 pm without a nap! Don't judge us, we're having sleep issues. Lack of naps is only the beginning. He's currently sleeping in our bed every night, and has been for several months. Like I said, don't judge!

The last we checked, which was sometime last month, Cael weighed in (at home) at 31 pounds, and measured about 36 inches tall. Both of these are around the 60th percentile, which I'm happy about. Considering the boy doesn't eat anything good! And it's not without us trying. Basically, all he wants to eat nowadays is cereal, cookies, pancakes and pasta. More recently, we tried the Dannon drinkable yogurt, which he loves. So I'm happy he's getting some nutrition from that. We were giving him Pediasure for a while, but it made his poop green, and seemed to give him gas issues.

Speaking of poop, we started back cloth diapering a few months ago. Money has been tight, and we were out of disposable diapers, so we just started using the cloth diapers. However, we switched back to disposables about 2 weeks ago because Cael's bowels have been completely and utterly uncontrollable. Probably from his poor diet. So that made changing disposable diapers disgusting and difficult.

Matt is still a stay-at-home dad. Am amazing SAHD, might I add. He's applied to so many jobs over the past several months, and finally heard back from a local Post Office. We'll see how that goes. As for me, work is going great. I love my job and what I do with such passion, and I'm so happy I've been given the opportunity to get back into it. I'm finally feeling like I'm fitting in where I work. It's taken a while, but I guess that's to be expected when you move to a completely new place, and join a team that's been established for a while. Either way, I'm finally feeling like I'm part of the "team".

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!!

Oh my goodness, where to start!? I have been slacking on my blog entries lately - I've been so busy. Between chasing after a toddler, doing errands, and the recent happenings going on our lives, I haven't had a chance. But finally, I have time to write.

First and foremost, I'll discuss the changes with breastfeeding. I've successfully managed to wean Cael from all nursing sessions during the day. Lucky for me, he didn't put up a fight when I dropped the session during the day, right before his nap. He whined a little that first day he didn't nurse before his nap, but fell asleep relatively quickly. And each following day got easier and easier. No fight whatsoever. I was really concerned about the possibility of going through hell dropping that feeding, but he did really well. That was about a week ago. He still nurses in the morning when he first wakes up, usually around 6 am, and then right before he goes to bed at around 8 pm. If he's not feeling well, or teething and wakes in the middle of the night, then I'll nurse him then too, but that hasn't been happening too often :::knocks on wood:::. He'll usually sleep through the night from 8 to 5-6 am, so I'm happy about that.

I'm surprisingly ok with weaning all daytime nursing sessions. I think because it was gradual, it made it easier on me. It makes the day so much easier, because he doesn't have to nurse if I'm out, and I don't get engorged. I'm happy that my breasts and milk supply have adjusted so well to the change. And I know I still have milk, because when he nurses in the morning and at night, and I compress my breast, milk will come shooting out. So it makes me happy to know it's still there, but I didn't have to go through engorgement issues. I'm happy with the nursing schedule we have now, and I hope it continues until Cael is at least 18 months old. That was my long-term goal. Anything past that is a plus. I do get looks and questions when people find out that I still nurse. But I don't care. It's such an important and intimate bonding experience between my son and I, and I will continue to do so for as long as I see fit. And there is no research anywhere  that suggests nursing past the age of 1 is harmful. In fact, it's quite the opposite. If Cael and I are happy, and it's benefiting both him and I, then we'll continue to nurse. :-)

Secondly, I've been slacking in the cloth diapering department. To be honest, Cael hasn't had a cloth diaper on in about a week. :( I know, I know. I'm extremely disappointed in myself. I've caved into disposables. And I don't have a real reason as to why, either. I always just found it easier to put him in a disposable when we go out, and of course he wears a disposable at night because he leaks really bad through the cloth diaper. And then when my mother-in-law watches him, I have her use disposables because it's easier for her. So since we use them at night and with my mil, I have them around, and I'm more tempted to just reach for them. I'm going to make a much better effort to start using them again.

Finally, the biggest change and update of all! No, we are not pregnant. I'm returning back to work full-time! In another state!! Yes, Matt, Cael and I are moving to northern Virginia at the end of November. After many discussions between Matt and I, and a lack of jobs here, we decided that we would look elsewhere. Since our friends moved to VA last year that was always an option. So the search for jobs began there. And BAM! Tons of jobs are posted in the Fredericksburg, VA area. After months of thought and debating, and MONTHS and MONTHS of struggling financially, I finally decided to take the leap, and apply to a few ultrasound positions in VA. Within HOURS, I got a personalized e-mail from HR, expressing interest in my resume, and that they wanted to do a phone interview. I applied on Monday October 1st. Three and a half weeks ago. Yes. Weeks!

Enter a roller coaster of emotions! Honestly, I only gave into Matt and applied for the position because he wanted to really move down there, and there was nothing here. At that point, I just did it to shut Matt up. I didn't really want to move down there. I didn't want to go back to work. What had I done!? I didn't want to move, and leave my friends and family. I was disappointed, sad and terrified. But. But they responded to me within hours. Am I that desirable? Could this be a good opportunity? I guess we'll have to see how the phone interview goes.

I had my phone interview on Thursday the 4th, and it went well. She was impressed, and said that she would definitely pass my application along to hiring manager. The next step would be a technical assessment, and she said I will definitely be hearing from someone shortly. Wonderful I thought. I don't want this. I don't want to move. But deep down inside, I was starting to feel something. What is it...is that...excitement?? Shhh!! Don't tell Matt!

The next week on Wednesday I think, I had a surprise phone call from the chief sonographer at the imaging center for women. I was completely caught off guard, but our conversation went even better than the first phone interview. We were on the phone for over an hour, and I was so comfortable speaking to her. She did character questions, we talked about my breast ultrasound experience, equipment, etc. She told me that she is definitely impressed with me, and she would love to have me visit the hospital for an on-site meeting/interview. Say what!?!? I said that I would be more than willing to do that. I asked her when they were looking to fill the position. Her answer? As soon as you can come down here. Whenever you can start. WHAT?!?? Not, "As soon as we find the right candidate," or "As soon as we are finished interviewing candidates." It was as soon as YOU. Holy.Fuck.

The next day, I got a call from HR again, confirming that I wanted to come on-site. I agreed, and she said she would send me the hotel information via email, and that the hospital would cover the costs of our hotel stay. I got the hotel reservations on Friday the 12th. We were going to VA Tuesday night, and staying until Thursday. This is going way to fast. WAY too fast for me to deal with!

Virginia is beautiful, I have to admit that. The hospital is beautiful. This would be a nice place to work and live. Everyone was so nice, especially at the hotel. It was a 1 bedroom suite we stayed in, and the entire staff was so friendly. I told one person that I had a job interview, and before I knew it, everyone was saying "good luck on your interview!", or asking how my interview went. Wow. It's crazy, and almost sickening, how nice everyone is.

I went on my interview on Wednesday the 17th. I first toured the on-site daycare center, which was really nice. A bit pricey, but I love that it's curriculum and education based. Plus, they have an open door policy, so I can call or visit anytime I want. Perfect! Then the recruiting rep took me on a tour of the hospital, bought me lunch, and then we headed over to the woman's center. I met with the chief sonographer and she showed me around the center. We talked for a while, and then she had me scan.

I knew I'd be scanning someone, and I thought it would all come back to me like riding a bike. Well, let me tell you, I felt like a complete.failure. She was quizzing me on abdominal anatomy that I SHOULD have known. But because it's been a couple years since I've scanned general ultrasound, I was really sketchy and iffy on the answers. And even got some answers wrong. I told her to let me scan breast, because that is where I really shine. So I did, and she was impressed with my scanning. Since the center scans 85% breast, she was more concerned about how I scanned breast, and because I did well, she wasn't concerned about my incorrect answers, or discomfort with scanning general. I, on the other hand, was very upset. I hate being wrong, especially when it's about something I know I know well. I just need a refresher, and she said that is something I can work on.

After I scanned, she told me that she definitely wants me to join their team. I told her I would love that, and then she said she would inform HR, and I'd be hearing from them. Holy.Fuck. I'm going to be getting a job offer!

I'll skip the other details and get right to it. I got a call on Friday from the recruiter in HR, and she offered me the position! Unfortunately, the hourly pay was a little less than I needed in order for us to move down there with just my salary. Matt and I had been crunching numbers and figuring out different scenarios, and we knew what I needed in order to move there. She also told me that they would cover my relocation expenses up to $8000!! I tried to negotiate salary with her, but she informed me that the salary is created using a formula, and there will probably be little leeway for negotiating. She said that she would talk to the manager, and if they couldn't increase the salary, maybe they could do something like a sign-on bonus for me. Perfect! I hung up, and waited for the phone call. A couple of hours later, she made me an "offer I couldn't refuse."

Salary would remain the same, $8000 towards relocation AND a $10,000 sign-on bonus. Excuse me, what? I told her I would call her right back, and I called Matt at work. I told him what they just offered me, and he nearly shit himself. My same reaction. He said that is something we can definitely work with, and even though the salary is less, we will be more than okay with that sign-on bonus (which I get in my first paycheck) until Matt can find a job. I called her back, and accepted the offer. How could I not?

I got my hire letter via e-mail today. My start date is December 3rd, in which I have to do 1.5 days of orientation. I have to so much to do! I have pre-employment paperwork to fill out, pre-employment physical to do, renew my CPR, oh and yea, FIND A PLACE TO LIVE all in 5 weeks! We want to be there the last week in November, which, unfortunately, is around Thanksgiving. But maybe we can have our first Thanksgiving there with our best friends. Not to mention I have to solicit estimates from 3 moving companies for my relocation costs.

What an amazing opportunity. At this point, I'm still really upset about moving, in addition to feeling sad and terrified. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little excited. What an incredible offer and opportunity for me. We can finally be out on our own, and we won't be struggling. We won't be living paycheck to paycheck, and we can give Cael everything we want; give him things we didn't have growing up. I'm not a big fan of change, but I think this change is worth the stress and anxiety.

6 Months Of Cloth Diapering

This month marks the 6th month that we've been using cloth diapers. I'm still in love with them, and enjoy using cloth diapers. We've only used disposable diapers at limited times, like when we went camping last month, and every Tuesday night now for the summer, when my mother-in-law watches Cael at night so we can go bowling. After several Wednesday mornings of waking up to Cael being soaked, I realized that she wasn't putting the cloth diaper on right. I guess she was afraid to put it on too tight, so it would be really loose, to the point of falling off, in the morning. So after dealing with soaked mornings, I decided to let her put a disposable on him Tuesday nights. It's easier for her, and I don't have to completely change Cael's clothes the next morning. I still have some left over from camping (a whole unopened sleeve, actually), so it works out. Plus, they were Babies R' Us brand, so they were relatively cheap. I will never, ever buy Walmart brand again. They leaked HORRIBLY for us.

After trying my homemade detergent a while back, and having it fail epic-ly, we switched to Tide Original Powder. I had to add a few extra rinses at the end of the cycle, but it's been working great. And I haven't needed to buy a new container yet since we switched, and we still have a little left. It's not that expensive to use, although I'm sad I couldn't use the detergent I made. I did buy the Ivory bar soap to transition it to detergent for clothes, but I haven't gotten around to grating 4 bars yet to add in. In time, I guess.

I finally moved Cael to the middle-rise snap position on the Flip diapers. He's still on the mid-rise snap position on the BumGenius' diapers, and have been for a while. Basically, now all his diapers are on the mid-rise. There are a few new ones that I got, similar to BabyLand, from a friend for $20 for 11 diapers, and I have them on the biggest snap setting. They fit funny, which is why I have it bigger. They also leak, sadly, so I can't keep them on him for longer than 2 hours TOPS. I have to strip all the diapers again anyway, so I'm hoping that after they're all stripped (even though they were new), it will stop the leaking. However, I think the problem lies in the fact that they're a cheaply made type of diaper, and there isn't any reinforcement material behind the PUL where the size-snaps are. So the moisture is wicking around the edges of the snaps. If that makes sense. We shall see.

So overall, I'm still happy with my decision to cloth diaper. I feel that I've saved a lot of money by not having to constantly buy disposable diapers. They're easy to wash, and, of course, they're adorable on Cael's butt! Definitely the choice for us!

DIY Cloth Diaper Laundry Detergent

First and foremost, I can't take credit for this. I found this on a fellow Sweet Pea's blog, and decided to give it a try. Here's the "recipe":

1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 cup Borax

1/2 cup Oxiclean (or generic brand)

Storage container for detergent

You can also add 2 cups of Calgon if you have hard water. I have hard water, but it's not that hard, so I didn't add it. You combine all the ingredients into the container, and shake it up well. Voila! I do have to admit that I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it will work just fine.

Now the best part. If this does end up being a successful detergent for Cael's diapers, here's the savings.

Storage container $2.97 (only need to buy once)

Arm & Hammer $3.24

Borax $3.38

Sun Oxygen $1.96

Total $11.55 + tax

When I need to make more, it will only cost me $8.58 + tax. I made roughly 120 ounces of laundry detergent for under $10.

The detergent I've been using, Rockin' Green Classic Rock, is a 45 ounce bag, and costs $15 +tax and shipping. So I got just under 3 times the amount of laundry detergent for about 2/3 the price of what I was using. Ah.Maze.Ing. I can't wait to try it out!

21 Weeks Old!

At 21 weeks old, Cael wants to "eat" and grab everything in his sight. He's very adventurous, and interested in everything. If I have him in my lap while I'm eating or drinking, he'll reach for my food or my glass. He also needs to keep moving, more than even before. He's definitely developing and growing more each day.

I think my supply is starting to get better. Slowly. I get about 2 ounces combined from both breasts now at one pumping session. Plus, Cael seems to be more satisfied after eating, and is taking more gulps at the breast. I've increased my water intake, which has helped, and I'm waiting for some supplements in the mail. A kind and generous mom from the September Sweet Pea group had some left over More Milk Plus and Fenugreek, so she mailed them to me. I should be getting them on Tuesday, and I'm looking forward to taking them. Hopefully it will boost my supply to what it used to be (4-5 ounces in one pumping session). I'm pumping about 4-5 times a day, so I'm also building up my freezer stash.

I should probably be building up my freezer stash, anyway, for in case I find work. The hospital up the road from us posted a per diem position for a general ultrasound position. I called on Friday and left a message for the director of the department, whom I spoke to in November when I first applied there. I'm hoping she'll call me back on Monday or Tuesday, but I'll probably just re-submit my application and apply for that position. While I hope that I get it, I would still love to continue staying home with Cael. However, if I lose my unemployment, and we have just Matt working, there's no way we'd be able to make it. We've already had to go 6 weeks with just Matt's pay, and we had negative money in the bank. It will all work out, one way or another.

Finally, I got Cael's fluffy mail. I'm so excited about it. We got a Blue Berry cover, Kawaii pocket diaper, 2 BumGenius 4.0 pocket diapers, and a GroVia cover. I can't wait to wash them all, and start using them. I've mentioned before that I won't have to do laundry as much. I'm also excited about that, too. I love the colors and prints that I got. Here's a picture of my fluffy mail. I'm just waiting for one more diaper in the mail, that I ordered for $5 off the Cloth Diaper Swap group on Facebook. It's a red Babyland pocket diaper in excellent used condition with no stains. For $5, you can't go wrong.

Cloth Diapering Thus Far

We have been cloth diapering for well over a month now. We started on December 9th, and it has been going great! We haven't needed to buy any disposable diapers or wipes (since I made my own, and make my own wipe solution) since then. I absolutely love cloth diapering, and it's easier than I ever thought it would be. And it's not any messier than using disposables - there's still poop. If anything, it's cleaner than disposables, because cloth diapers are less likely to leak and mess everywhere. And I can attest to that after several pooplosions!

It's been tight with having only 5 diapers/covers to use, especially since Cael has been pooping close to every day. So fortunately, I was able to order a few more, and I'm just waiting for them to arrive any day now. I got two more BumGenius 4.0 OS pocket diapers, a Kawaii OS pocket diaper, a Blueberry OS cover, and a GroVia OS cover. I'm super excited to be getting these, and they're in different, fun colors. Plus, it will definitely help. I won't have to do laundry every day now.

Making A Big Change

From disposable diapers to cloth diapers, that is. Yup, after weeks of secretly thinking about it, I made the leap. I'm pretty sure I have my fellow Sweet Peas to thank for that, for without them, the idea of cloth diapering wouldn't have even surfaced in my mind. I'm super excited about it, too. It is expensive to start, but overall, it's much cheaper in the long run. Especially if you buy one-size CDs (cloth diapers). They're diapers that you can adjust with snaps to fit baby, so that they can be used from newborn to toddlers.

Now let me just say, researching CDs is OVERWHELMING! There are SO many types and brands out there, it's unbelievable. And each one is slightly different. There are pocket diapers (in which you "stuff" an insert into the back of the diaper to absorb the mess), hybrid diapers (which uses a reusable cover, and disposable liners), one sized diapers, sized diapers, pre-folds (which I actually use as burp rags, and you put a cover over the pre-fold), all-in-two diapers (in which inserts snap in and out of the cover) and all-in-one diapers (which, I believe, are the ones I got, which are also one-size). I'm sure there are more, but my brain is mush from all the researching I've been doing the last few days.

These diapers can run anywhere from $13-$25 a piece, which sounds expensive, but in the long run isn't. How many diapers you need depends on the type of diaper you use. I bought the diapers with inserts and a reusable cover, this way I don't need a new cover for each diaper change. I would only need a new insert (unless, of course, the cover gets soiled). I'm doing a trial run of two different brands before investing in a stash. There are only a few differences between the two, but I want to make sure they fit Cael well, and make sure there aren't any leaks.

The first one I'm trying is a Best Bottom diaper shell, with snap-in inserts. This makes it an all-in-two diaper because of the two pieces. It's a one-size diaper, so it has a 3x3 snap system to adjust size. I got it in the "Blue Moon" color, and ordered 3 Stay-Dry microfiber inserts to start. It will only get me 3 diaper changes, but that's ok. If I end up liking them, I'll have to order more anyway.

The second one I'm trying is a Flip diaper shell, with Stay-Dry inserts that tuck into edges at either end of the diaper. They just lay in the diaper, instead of snap in. They are also one size inserts, as opposed to the Best Bottom, which you have to order different sizes. Like the Best Bottom, it is a one size diaper and also has a 3x3 snap system to adjust size. I ordered it in Ribbit Green, and got 3 inserts as well. This diaper comes with one insert, so I'll have a total of 4 inserts to try.

I should be getting them any day now, and I'm super excited. Of course, because they're cloth diapers, I'll be doing more loads of laundry. But it won't be a problem since I'm home all day anyway. There is a very strict washing routine you should follow, though. As to not ruin the integrity of the absorption of the liners, you have to use special detergent that is made for cloth diapers. There are no dyes, enzymes, bleaches, brighteners, etc in them. This way there's no residue left behind in the diaper (which impedes absorption). You should do a rinse/spin cycle with cold water, then wash in hot water with the detergent, and then do an extra rinse cycle with cold water. It's kind of tedious, but I'm sure I'll get used to the routine soon enough. I believe it's also recommended to wash them 5 times before using them, this way you get the maximum absorbency out of the liners.

And yes, you throw the poopy diapers right into the washing machine. Well, at least until they start solids. Breast milk and formula milk poop is water soluble, so there's nothing left after they go through the wash. When the baby starts eating solids, their poop will in-turn become solid, so I believe you drop the solid part into the toilet, and then wash the diaper/insert. No biggie. However, I think Matt is bothered by the fact that you don't wash the poop out first. But hey, that's what the wash it for, right!?

In addition to saving tons of money in the long run, pros to cloth diapering also include less environmental waste, healthier for baby's bottom (although, luckily Cael hasn't had diaper rash yet), and they can be re-used on future children, in turn saving more money (which I don't think will be happening with us). Not to mention they come in a variety of colors to choose from, making them super cute, and possibly addicting to buy.

In the end, I'm super excited about starting to cloth diaper. I really hope it's something I'll enjoy as much as I think I will.

We also got Cael's BabyLegs in the mail today, and I was super excited. I got an amazing deal on Black Friday - a set of 3 pairs of BLs for $12! They are usually $12 a pair (which is why I haven't bought them yet), so I got 9 pairs for $36 with free shipping. I'm so happy, and they look so cute on him.

Finally, I'm going to share a picture I took for the photography group I mentioned the other day. Today's theme was "Love", and you can express it anyway you want. Since Cael was super fussy today, and would only be happy when I sat him on the couch looking outside, I figured I would set up my tripod and get a picture of the two of us looking outside - something Cael loves (and I love him). After some editing using PhotoBucket, this is the final result. I wasn't too happy with it at first, but then some of the ladies brought out the good parts of it, and considering what I was working with, it didn't turn out too bad. :)