Poopy news!!

Sienna decided to surprise mommy and go #2 in her potty on her last day as an EIGHT month old :)

How did I get her to do it?

well I go by a method called elimination communication (exact definition here)

basically, I follow her cues of when she needs to go and sit her on the potty. I try to keep  her on a daily schedule as far as naps & meals so her poopy times are usually around the same time as well.

I know some 2.5 year olds who are scared of the potty, I wanted to make sure she was not one of those kids and that is why I bought her one this early on...to get her familiar with it. I'm not hardcore training her yet but its nice that she sits on it without being scared, once she went poops on it - I rewarded her with a snack so hopefully she continues to use it and make mommy proud

I even caught her in the process on video but for obvious reasons I cant post it here, not that you'd want me to anyway :) 

Why I cloth diaper

Before I became a mom I never thought Id have a passion for diapers, but I have to tell you I am so glad I decided to give this a go...here is a little bit about why I chose cloth

Like any other mom I always strive to make informed decisions for my baby and after doing my research I quickly realized that disposable diapers were not going to be a part of our equation (nothing against those who do)

The main thing that intrigued my hubby and I about cloth diapers at first was of course the savings, but the more we got into it, cost was just one of the perks among many others.

Prior to this, I had no idea how many chemicals disposable diapers had. The gel
 in them that holds 100x its weight in water was also once in tampons, but was banned due to a link to toxic shock syndrome....eek!! A babys skin is so delicate, it absorbs all the chemicals its exposed that can cause rashes.

Sienna is 9 months old she has NEVER, EVER had a diaper rash

http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/dangers-of-disposable-diapers (this article puts it all in perspecitve)

want to know what 5,000 disposable diapers per child looks like?

source http://www.everythingcloth.com

 One fact that stunned me most is that it takes at least 500 years for one disposable diaper to decompose in the landfills, in other words...if Christopher Columbus wore Pampers his poop would still be intact in some landfill today.

We really try to be as Eco friendly as we can and we feel good about the fact that we are producing a ton less garbage with this one simple choice... and I have to tell you not adding diapers to our Target shopping list is really nice 

cloth diapering is so much cheaper, especially when you are able to use the same diapers on consecutive children, since we plan on having a couple few kids this benefits us. 

There are so many different kinds, you just have to figure out what works best for you, we are loyal to Sunbaby...best bang for the buck. I have 3 BumGenis that I use for overnight, and several Alva

I have about 20 diapers and a bunch of extra inserts

the amount you have can be based on how often you want to do laundry,

 I do mine every 3-4 days 

12 Sunbabys: $ 60 shipping & tax included http://www.sunbabydiapers.com

Bumgenious can be bought at BuyBuyBaby with coupons though they are pricier

You can also buy them on ebay (awesome deals) we got a bunch of great ones for $6 shipped! cant beat that.

awesome deals on EBAY here

Downfalls
1. extra laundry
2. leak if not cared for properly
3. can be inconvenient when going out

more pros & cons here http://www.momaroo.com

what you will need

a wetbag to store soiled diapers (holds in odor & wetness)
diaper detergent -there are so many different ones to choose from
here is what I use http://www.vitacost.com and soap nuts organic-soap-nuts-good-for-130-200-loads
diaper sprayer - we don't use one, but I know everyone swears by it

Sienna in her 1st one - 10 days old

Pocket diapers grow with baby, with adjustable buttons it fits from newborn up to 35lbs which is more than an average 3 year old and if your kid is in diapers way past 3 than you deserve the lazy parent award.

Now I know this isn't for everyone, totally understandable but we love cloth diapering & don't ever see going back it was most definitely the best choice for us

and look how CUTE they are!!!

:)

Santa's helper

Thanks pintrest for another great idea ;)

I'm a bit of a Grinch....

While everyone is soaking up the Christmas spirit,

 I find myself a little sad around this time of year

I know I sound like a total Grinch,

 and while I'm certain moving as far away as possible from NY was the best decision, its hard for me around the holidays. I miss the smells coming out of the kitchen while my mom cooked, the Polish Christmas Carols that my dad always blasted and just the feel of HOME during Christmas is what I miss most.

We debated weather or not to fly back...almost booked tickets actually, Danny put the ultimate decision on me...and while it sounded real nice to just get on the plane and go, the rational part of me realized that it wasn't as easy as that...here is why:

1. The drastic climate change can make us or baby sick...making it miserable for everyone

2. If we shell out $850 dollars in tickets now...we probably wont be able to go in the summer when Sienna is walking and can actually play outside and have fun

3. Id have to buy her a whole winter woredrobe - she doesnt own super warm clothes & coats 

4. Sienna is horrible on 10 minute car rides to the store, what the heck would she do on a 5 hour plane ride? shes not the best sleeper either

5. crows, lines, delays, possible snow storm airport strandings

6. I'm still exclusively pumping and traveling with a 20 lbs pump in my carry on is no fun on top of being tied down to pumping itself.

7. Charlie

I want Sienna to have a perfect first Christmas, I have to snap out of this for her sake and make the best of it as the three of us.

Anyone have any cute traditions to share that we could start with her? 

This past weekend, I finally started decorating. We got a tree & hubby gave me my Christmas present early :) 

I'm slowing "de-grinching" haha

8 months you

Tis the season...for silly faces

Sienna's 1st birthday plans

in THREE months I will have a ONE YEAR OLD. craziness I tell ya.

Birthday party planning has begun!

yes I know its early, but the extra time is necessary to make this come together as planned as we are hand making most of the decor, invites, ect.

Now lets talk about the theme, I almost went with owls & tutus but quickly came to realize how played out that was and I knew I'd end up not loving it...One day I was watching old videos of Sienna (something I often do) and I came across one of my Mother-in-law singing Sienna "you are my sunshine" and telling her how she used to sing it to her daddy all the time when he was a baby....I let out a big  "aww" in my head and right there it I knew that it was the perfect idea!

Since March will be the beginning of spring, I'm envisioning lots and lots of yellow flowers everywhere....lots of yellow & gray all over actually & a vintage twist on it.

I hope I can pull this together as well as I have in my head

I've already made a couple of purchases :)

How adorable is that dress?!

ah I cant wait.