Baby's cloth diaper stash

It's no secret that we've cloth diapered each one of our children. That's 6 years of diapering.Geesh! This baby would be no different. There is just something about a cloth covered bum that gets me every time. I just love it. Minus the poop, of course. 

I had a few newborn diapers left over from Avonlea that I never sold and those started out this stash. And then I built it from there, keeping in mind what I really liked with Avonlea. I wanted to keep it pretty simple this time, using mostly prefolds/fitteds and covers for home and AIO's for outings/diaper bag, etc. 

I'm still waiting on a few items that I've recently purchased, but this is the majority of her stash:

Nine newborn AIO made by Nana's bottoms. Loved these with Avonlea, a very nice fit right from birth. And super affordable!

One rainbow cover from Greenline diapers. This is a one size cover but adjusts down to a newborn size. I ordered the one on the right. I'm really loving the bright rainbow colors this go round. And they are pretty gender neutral. 

Two Imagine AIO. Size newborn. 

Three Grovia AIO size newborn. These have two rise settings for small newborn to larger newborn. 

Two newborn AIO bumgenius diapers. We used these with Avonlea once her cord fell off. The only thing I don't like with these diapers is they will fit in the waist before they fit tiny legs. So these are mostly daytime diapers for us. 

These are all the covers. A few are left over from Avonlea and the rest are new. From left to right, top to bottom:

-Nb Fluffy's cover, nb loveybums wool cover, xs thirsties cover

-xs bummis super brite, preemie prowrap, nb imagine cover (green), nb rumparooz cover

-both nb basic connection pull on covers (blue and pink)

Newborn grovia fitted and nb orange diaper co snapless fitted. I also have 6 newborn bamboo terry squares and two newborn terry loops fitteds coming from ODC as well. 

Prefolds: top left are red edge nb zabi prefolds, top right are preemie prefolds. Bottom left are cottonbabies unbleached Indian prefolds in infant size. Bottoms right are nb/xs imagine bamboo/cotton prefolds. She will start in preemie and xs prefolds and then move to infant once she outgrows those. The preemie, red edge nb, and infants are all left over from Avonlea. 

That pretty much rounds out her newborn stash. I also have two dozen flat diapers that the girls will share. Once she outgrows this stash, she and Avonlea will share the one size stash that we currently use of flats/covers and Bumgenius 4.0 pockets. 

I know it seems like a lot of diapers, but newborns pee and poop a lot and can go through about 12-18 diapers a day. This will allow me to wash every 2 days with diapers to use for wash day. 

We use either Tide pods or Country Save to wash our diapers. We've never had 

a problem using either. Then we dry on medium or line dry in the sun for any staining. 

There you have it. Cloth is simple and easy to use. Even with small, newborns. 

Sewing projects

A few months ago I purchased a bunch of jersey knit fabric from Girl Charlee's website. I had every intention of making some skirts/dresses for myself and the girls. And then life happened and here we are. 

But, my babysitter went on vacation this past week which forced me to take Thursday and Friday off. I told myself that I was going to get some projects done during nap time. And I did!

I started off by making a maxi dress for myself out of some chevron fabric. It's turned out great!

 

I had enough fabric left over that I decided to make Avonlea a dress as well. Although I made hers without attaching it to a tank or a tshirt. I figured that as she grew, she could wear it as a skirt and get more wear out of it. 

I then decided to make a baby gown out of the remaining fabric. It was super easy. I just attached it to a newborn long sleeved onesie that I cropped. Then added elastic to the bottom. 

I think these will be out coming home outfits. I just adore them! I even made a hat for the baby. I'm not sure that it will fit, but we will see. 

I used this tutorial for my dress:

http://diymaternity.com/pants-skirts/jersey-maxi-skirt/

I used the same concept for Avonlea's skirt and for the gown. However, I just pleated the top of the gown where it attaches to the onesie instead of using elastic. 

On Friday I decided to make a carseat canopy from some leftover fabric. It turned out pretty well and wasn't that difficult. I used this tutorial:

http://simplekids.net/four-simple-diy-baby-projects/

I still have some fabric waiting for dresses and skirts. I'd like to make at least one more for myself and a couple matching ones for the girls. 

25 week update

There she be, my 25 week belly. This little girl is growing, stretching, kicking, and rolling! I definitely feel pregnant this week. Its getting harder to bend over, lay Avonlea down in her crib, my back hurts by the end of the day, and I am hot all.the.time!

I've gained about 10 lbs so far and I doubt that I will stay within my 15lb goal, but it does seem like the weight gain has slowed down a bit. I've only gained about a pound since my last doctor's appt. Speaking of the doctor, I got back at 26 weeks and then start every 2 week appts from that point forward.

I have been feeling pretty darn good  so far. And by that I mean my uterus! :) I am having very minimal contractions, usually 1-2 a day and they are typically at night when I lay down. That makes me very happy! I would be ecstatic to make it full term this time around. (what pregnant woman says that?!) But, I am exactly 10 weeks from the day I delivered Avonlea at 35 weeks. I really, really want to make it to 36-37  weeks. I cannot express enough how much I just want to deliver a baby that can stay with me and go home with me. I just want to experience that 'normal' birth experience that most women get. I want a healthy, full term baby girl!

As for names, I *think* we have it narrowed down to two. Which is great progress from the 27+ list we had just a few weeks ago. Her diaper stash is pretty much  complete and I'll do a post on that later. Really all I have left to do before she gets here is to locate and wash the newborn clothes, wash the carseat and swing covers, and put together the rock n play. That's a pretty short list. I guess when you're baby #4, there isn't a whole lot to prepare. Which is fine and dandy with me. I am kind of relieved to not have to put together a room this go round.

Overall, this pregnancy is going pretty darn good and I am extremely happy about that! I can't wait to meet this little girl, but I'd be happy to wait until October. :)

Bloglovin'

As you know, Google Reader is going away this summer. Bloglovin' is a great place to keep up to date on all of your favorite blogs.

I am happy to announce that I am now on Bloglovin' and you can easily follow me on there to keep up to date with Two Boys and a Little Lady!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Hope to see you all there!!

GF recipes

In the past month or so, we haven switched the kids to a gluten free diet. We originally made the switch for Bennett to see if it would help his sensory and his behavior. Once school let out for summer, it just seemed easier to do it for all the kids. I pack their lunches for the babysitter and family meals at home are all gluten free. It really hasn't been that hard of a switch, mostly because we eat a wide variety of things anyways. I only had to adjust our bread and pasta mostly, and be more aware of ingredients in processed foods. For example, who knew that regular soy sauce contains wheat?! It  sure does, so now I just buy the GF soy sauce. Doesn't taste a bit different. We also switched to corn tortillas for tacos instead of flour. We have always been aware of artificial flavors and sweetners, but I am extra vigilant about them now. We don't do red dye and we try to stay way from the other dyes as well. We have always sweetened with honey, maple syrup, etc.

Anyways, here are some of the recipes we have been making lately:

Soft GF sandwich bread:


GF bread from the store is down right disgusting. Trust me. We've tried every single brand out there. For a while we just did without bread or rolled things in corn tortillas. But my golly, sometimes a kid just wants a pb&j! So, mama went on a search for good, soft bread. My sister told me about this recipe that  she tried and thought it was really good. So we tried it, and the texture was soft and fluffy....amazing! We had pb&j that night for dinner and the kids were in heaven!! I've made it twice now and we are hooked. It also works great for eggs in a basket and french toast.

PB Oat breakfast cookies:

Really good!! No added sugar or flour! We made them GF by using GF oats.

Crunchy Apple and Grape salad:

Really Good!! The kids really enjoyed this.

Hawaiian BBQ Pork Burgers

 

We used GF buns and I always make our own BBQ sauce. These were super good!! Peytonn ate two burgers by himself! Bennett ate his without a bun, as always.

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Made these the other night for dinner. Super simply to make and really tasty. I used canned and rinsed black beans, mashed them slightly, added some fresh salsa, onion, and seasoning. Used cheddar cheese and sour cream on the side for dipping. Used coconut oil for frying. We ate these up! A great week night meal that's meat free. You could also easily add leftover shredded chicken or taco meat.

Homemade Spaghetti O's

Amazing! Seriously! Make this if you make nothing else! Uber easy and really really good! Peytonn likes the sauce as tomato soup without any pasta. I make GF pasta and the sauce separate. Then add them together in the individual bowls. We also use Whole Foods 365 brand of crushed tomatoes with basil as our tomato base.

There you have it! Going GF doesn't have to be difficult. Just making a few changes to your 'usuals' can transform your diet. Most foods are naturally GF: all meat (without breading), veggies, fruit, and most dairy. I am amazed at a lot of the yummy recipes I am finding to replace some of our usual gluten filled foods.

Here, there and everywhere!

How has it been since May 8th that I've updated the blog?! I swear time flies and I have no concept of it. So here is a rather lengthy quick update of what's been going on around the homestead.

Home: We  finished painting the kitchen cabinets white a while ago. And now we've purchased the paint to paint the entire downstairs with. (I think my husband hates me!) But it will be all one color and some of the kitchen walls haven't been painted since we moved in, oh almost 6 years ago! Yikes! Trust me, it all needs a little face lift! And I'm excited to have it all be one color. We went with 'Comfort Gray' from Sherwin Williams.

 I figured it would go nicely with the white cabinets and trim, and the dark brown couch and furniture that we have. I thought with such a neutral color on the walls, we could add some color with new curtains. I really like the chevron pattern,but Lord are they expensive!!

As for the kids: Bennett just finished up his second year of preschool. He will be going 5 days a week next year with the same teacher. 

Peytonn finishes up all day kindergarten next Monday. Can't believe he is going to be in 1st grade next year!! He's been busy with both soccer and baseball this Spring. I think he has really enjoyed the sports more this year since a lot of the kids on his team are from his school. He wants to do Fall soccer and we plan for swim lessons this summer for both boys and VBS. 

Avonlea is almost 2!?!?! Sad! But she is saying more words everyday and its getting easier to understand what she wants and needs. The pacifier is long gone and she is sleeping so much better now! Thank heavens! She's still a peanut at barely 25lbs and will be in 18 month shorts this summer, but 24 month shirts. She is now into a size 5 shoe! She wants to be just as active as the boys and loves to play outside, go for bike rides/walks, and is attempting to ride a tricycle. 

As for me and the baby, well we are doing great! I am 21 weeks now and I feel like my belly is so small still! Some times I even forget I am pregnant, but then she kicks and squirms a million times to remind me. I can feel her kicks and squirms from the outside of my belly now and she is still super low. Maybe that is why I still feel so small. Weight gain is still around 8lbs, give or take. My next appointment is June 3rd at 22 weeks. Still on weekly progesterone shots, made it through my first month of them. I'm really, really hoping to make it to September which will put me at 35 weeks. I really want 36/37 this time and to bring a  baby home with me!!! 

We don't really need much with this  baby since I kept almost everything from Avonlea. I did give her infant seat away to my cousin, but a friend has  been generous enough to give us her Graco one that goes up to 30 lbs. I plan to keep Avonlea in her crib as long as possible, for my own sanity. We switched the boys at age 2 to a regular sized bed, but I don't think that will  be the case for Avonlea. Plus, eventually the  girls will share a room. If we don't move first. I purchased a Rock n Play at Target this weekend for the new baby. I figured this would be easy to transfer between upstairs (our room) and the living room downstairs. Plus take places if need be. This will  also be what the baby sleeps in with us until moving into the crib. I just got the basic one because I liked the colors better than the monkey deluxe one they had. The aqua is much more vibrant in person and I love the mesh sides to allow for air flow and in case the baby gets their face next to it, they are able to breath better.

We just got the BOB Duallie double stroller in the mail this week. I took it with me to my sister's this past weekend and it worked great for the girls. Even Bennett took a stroll in it. Peytonn pushed it the entire time and it turns/pushes like a dream!!!

I also found on a discount website the infant seat adapter for this stroller and the baby monitor that works with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. We desperately need a new monitor, considering ours is 6 years old and barely works!! I'm on a roll for baby purchases but that should about cover us for items that we needed.

Overall, naming this baby should be the hardest thing!

18 week update

How am I really already 18 weeks along with this pregnancy?! I swear this one is just flying by. And if the past is any indication on when this baby will come, I hopefully have at least 12 weeks left. That is just crazy!!!

We had our 18 week ultrasound on Monday and I am extremely happy to announce that we will be having another precious baby girl!!! I had a really strong feeling that it was a girl. It will be nice to have two boys and two girls. The boys are very happy to have another "sissy"!

Everything looked great on the ultrasound. She is currently head down and measuring about 8oz. The measurements were accurate for an Oct 4th due date. My last menstrual period date gives me a due date of Oct 6th and one of my 1st trimester ultrasounds gave me a due date of Oct 2nd. My doc and I both agreed to leave it as Oct 6th. I told her really due dates don't matter much for my pregnancies. I'm 0 for 3 in even making it to my due date month.

I also had a doc appt on Monday. Everything looks good. Heartrate was in the 150 range, I've gained 8lbs, and my blood pressure looks great. I've been doing Zumba twice a week and walks about 3 times per week.  I have a feeling I will gain more than 15 lbs this time and well.....it is what it is.
I thought it would  be fun to compare pics at 18 weeks with the kiddos.

Peytonn 18 weeks

 Bennett 18 weeks

Avonlea 18 weeks

18 weeks with baby #4

Can you tell how differently I carry between the boys and the girls? I am so round with the boys, and more square with the girls. If you can be square and pregnant?! :) I also feel like my belly is so small this time around. Maybe its because I had lost those 17lbs before becoming pregnant. I was a lot closer to my starting weight with Peytonn this time around than with Bennett and Avonlea. Its just so strange to me how your body can be so different but do the same job.

Overall, I still feel great. My sleeping has been hit or miss. Some nights I toss and turn, and others I sleep for 10 hours. We broke Avonlea of the pacifier about 10 days ago and she is sleeping so much better. The last two nights she has not woken up once. Major improvement! 

The baby will probably room with us for a while and then share a room with Avonlea. We will need a bigger house though in the next year or so.  The room the girls will share is smaller than the boys' room and it will be a tight squeeze with two beds.  We shall see!