Star Crossed

:(

2011-05-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

I just realized that I left this blog laying in the dust...

I recently shut down my business. Here is the note I posted on the SCS page:
"Well, I've been thinking long and hard on how to approach this... So I'll just get it all out at once.

I started SCS last year on a whim, a way to make a few extra bucks to help pay the bills. I had to quit my job to stay home with our new baby and our oldest daughter because daycare was going to cost us more than I made at work. Which is insane.
At any rate, I tried my hand at sewing, something I've never done before. I did okay at it. I'm by no means a master seamstress, but I was having fun trying new things. Nothing makes my day more than a customer telling me they love what I made for them. That seriously makes me tear up, because I AM my own worst critic. It brought me a lot of joy to know that something was leaving my hands, something I worked hard on, and making someone else happy.

I've gone through 2 sewing machines, and about a thousand dollars worth of fabric. I've yet to break even. This has become more of a hobby than a business and I just can't afford to keep going. I love making stuff for my friends! You guys have been wonderful and I love ya'll! I just don't think I'm cut out to be a full time WAHM. I'm struggling to manage my time between running my household, my two kids, making time for friends and family, making time for my daughter's sports and choir, and everything else I need to do AND run SCS. I'm starting to atcually hate sewing and crafting, because it's become such a time/money sink and I don't want that to happen...

So it's with a heavy heart that I'm closing up shop. I've gave it a year to see where it would go, and unfortunatley it just hasn't worked out. Maybe I'll try again one day, but for now I just can't do it.

So what does that mean for now? All orders have been caught up. I won't be taking anymore sewing orders right now. I am trying to decide if I should sell my fabric or use it all up and throw everything on etsy.

To my crafty friends, if you see something you like, then PM me and i'll sell it to you on the cheap.

I am going to keep crocheting blankets for people, however, because it brings me such happiness and it's something I can take WITH me to soccer pratice and choir and doctors appointments. I can crochet in the same room as my toddler without worrying about her getting ahold of my rotary cutter. I don't have to lock myself in the office and have my little one crying at the gate because she wants me in the same room as her.

I will most likely be crocheting baby blankets and throws all summer and then putting them up for sale for the winter season.
So check back with us then for sure.

There are a few people I need to thank.

Alicja B. For giving me my very first sewing machine. Without her, SCS wouldn't have even existed.
Megs C. For all the advice, the help, the materials, and being a good friend through this whole thing.
My husband for encouraging my crazy ideas and giving me a chance to try this out, and for letting me buy WAY to much fabric and for putting up with my frustrations and crying and fits lol.
My testers for being my guinea pigs and giving me your honest thoughts.
All my bbs mama's who were my best customers and my good friends who pushed me to keep going. You guys are amazing. I love you.

And to my customers. You guys are great. I loved making things for you and I gotta say, you made it all worth it.

Thank you guys...
Sarah Romeo"

I'll leave this blog up for the cloth diaper info and reviews, but I am 99.9% sure I'll not be updating it anymore unless by some miracle I have another baby.
I AM always available for question and comments.
I hope that this blog might have served a purpose at least, all this time :(

PIMP'in IS easy. :)

2011-01-19T17:58:00.001-08:00

(tmi alert, if talking about your menses grosses you out, turn back now... but since most of you have ovaries and have been elbow deep in baby poop... man up and read)

McKinney-Oates Ceral is doing a blog giveaway for my favorite cloth pad vendor, Party In My Pants. Head on over there to enter to win a 25$ gift certificate.

Now I need to review these bad boys officially on the blog one day, but for now here is my comment entry:

"I’ve always had murderous periods. We’re talking, bleed so hard you think you’re dying and you can’t move because the pain is so bad…

I cloth diaper my daughter, and I actually sew wet bags for both cloth diapers AND mama cloth, but hadn’t tried cloth pads until my last 3 cycles. I had several friends sing the praises of going chemical free and cloth, telling me “You CD your baby, so why not give yourself the same benefits?”

I had a ovarian cyst rupture, on top of a already horrendous cycle. It HURT to put a tampon in, and I had gone through my old postpartum pads… I was driving to the store for more, when the super ultra uber “if you bleed anymore you’d be dead” tampon… leaked… all over my LIGHT GREY car seat..

It was then that I had enough.

I tried the PIMP cloth curious sampler and was super impressed that it was not only comfy, but amazingly more absorbent than those chemical filled little tubes o’ delight i’d been shoving up my poor woohaa all this time.

After my first cycle with the cloth, I noticed not only did the bleeding go down, but the cramping wasn’t as bad. My guess is from the lack of dioxins and nasties that come in regular pads and tampons helped my body regulate itself. It wasn’t any big deal to wash them.. it really wasn’t… They even did amazing overnight!

I can’t wait to order more."

Where did all my free time go?

2011-01-09T08:05:00.001-08:00

Not that I ever had much of it, but the ability to run this blog, my business, chase my extremley spirited 20 month old, deal with my moody tween, and be a good "house wife" have left me no time for anything else.

I'm sorry it's been so slow here guys :( I had big dreams for getting the blog rolling to daily posts again, or even weekly... Sadly there isn't enough time in my day.

Business has been slow, and I'm considering closing the shop. I'm not making enough to even break even at this point. I've not paid off my supplies/equipment costs from last year, I'm lucky if I get one order a month... I think people just either don't have the money to spend, or they would rather snag something while they are CD shopping at the same time.

Either way, not pulling in any money coupled with feeling like I've failed at something has made me less and less ambitious as time rolls by. My machine has been collecting dust for a month now.

Maybe it's time to let go...

Quick Review Time! Grandma El's

2010-10-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

I recently attended the ABC Kid's Expo in Las Vegas and was pleasantly surprised to see so many green and natural products there! I got a ton of samples while I was there, and was excited to give some of them a try.

I had heard great things about Grandma El's diaper rash and prevention ointment but I had never tried it. I grabbed a few samples while at the expo and they could not have come at a better time. I had several different kinds of diaper cream samples, but the majority of them were not compatible for cloth diaper use. Things like beeswax or zinc can seriously damage your cloth diapers and cause repelling issues. This particular product does contain petrolatum and lanolin, which /may/ cause repelling over time... but so far I haven't had any issues. Some mom's have complained of staining, and while it does say on the package that it might stain clothing, I haven't seen any staining on our diapers just yet.

My daughter had been recovering from a ear infection and also teething. Shortly after we got home from the expo, she got a tummy bug that completely tore up her digestive track. Her poor little rump was beet red and she was in sooo much pain.
Now, we've never had much luck with other diaper creams. They were all either to clumpy, to thick or sometimes to thin, smelled bad, or just made her rash worse. We typically use pure, organic, coconut oil for her rashes, as it is cloth diaper safe (thought there is some rumors about it's reaction to PUL) and worked like a charm...
But I reached for my little packets of Grandma El's to give it a shot.

I did like that it wasn't that nasty white creamy paste that most diaper rash remedies have. Instead it's a amber colored vaseline looking concoction. It doesn't have a bad smell, it actually smells a little fruity. It spread on nicely, and my baby didn't start shrieking in pain like she does with other creams that contain zinc. I used it as directed, putting a little on with every diaper change and by the next day her rash was gone. I was pretty impressed.

Now, I haven't used it for 2 weeks straight yet, because I ran out. So I can't really give you a definitive answer on if it will stain/repell or not. However, it /does/ work and it works well. So I would suggest if you are wary of any complications, to simply use some sort of liner in your cloth diapers to prevent them. As for me, I'm going to get some more from my favorite retailer, Sweet Baby Bottoms when she restocks. You can also get it at Target, and Babies R' Us, however I prefer to support my fellow WAHM.

So overall, I would recommend this product to those looking to ditch the nasty white paste and want a quick, safe, natural alternative to other diaper rash creams out there. Just be sure that if you are really worried about any repelling issues, you use a liner.

Next week, before I go on vacation, I'll be doing a review of a pretty awesome chemical free baby soap I got from the expo. So sad they won't be in Vegas again next year, because I sure had a lot of fun and got to meet a lot of cool people.

Until this, hug your little ones close, and enjoy every moment as if it were your last.

/Peace

Wow!

2010-10-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on lately!

I had the pleasure of attending the ABC Kids Expo with my friend Rachel from Sweet Baby Bottoms last week. It was amazing! Two full floors of everything from cloth diapers and baby carriers, to furniture and feeding supplies. Baby gear that would blow your mind, and the coolest eco friendly baby items I've ever seen.

I was fortunate enough to grab a few samples, and put my name in to do some product reviews. I can't wait to breathe life back into this blog and start doing product demos for you guys again! Business has been slow for me, and I'm experiencing some difficulties with that... but this just gives me more time to devote to you guys.

I'll be leaving for Alaska on October 29th, to visit my family and friends for 2 whole weeks. When I get back I should have lots of samples waiting for me to review. I have a few baby skin care products, teethers, and cloth samples here right now that I'll hopefully get a couple tested and up for review this next 10 days.

As always, I hope everyone is well and surviving these hard times. We live in Las Vegas, one of the hardest places hit by this recession, so I feel your pain. My husband is fortunate to have a decent paying job, and he provides for us the best he can. Even so, money is pretty much always tight and I'm hoping I can get my business going again to take some of the weight off his shoulders.

Drop me a line and let me know what kind of products you'd be interested in seeing me review, what brand diapers you are into now, and anything else you have questions about...

Peace and Love to you all!

Sarah

Ahhh time time time

2010-08-18T21:48:00.001-07:00

Where have the days gone?

Here I sit, counting down the days till my little girl goes off to Fourth Grade, and my baby girl starts potty learning. I feel so old.

So much has happened in the past few months.

We lost our house for the second time and had to move. Twice now we have been renting and had our landlord lose the house to forclosure or trustee sale. We found a new place and were able to get Cash for Keys to move out of the old place. It's very nice, 2 stories, lots of room for the kids to run around. Perhaps the coolest thing is the loft upstairs. My husband has turned it into our oldest daughter's living room. She now has her own space, her own desk for her computer, her own tv and all my husband's old game systems. She has my glider rocker and 2 full book shelves full of books to read, though she claims to need many more.

I finally have a office! A place for all my yarn, my fabric, my sewing table and my new machine (the old one died). Our computer is in here as well. We also have a nice tall gate to keep the baby out. A must since our dear sweet Izzy is into EVERYTHING and the word "no" just is the essence of high comedy.

I've started making more projects. Snack bags, mama cloth bags, etc. I'm learning more patterns for crochet and trying to get faster and better at it.

We've had a torrent of dental issues as of late. My husband had to have a cracked inlay removed and replaced with a crown. So expensive. I had to be put out and have oral surgery for a lot of dental work. NOT fun. We are both in pain and cranky and trying to not take it out on each other. We don't always succeed but we love each other and at the end of the day that is all that matters.

We are settling in finally. One day at a time :)

I hope to be able to update more in the near future. Between my family and my business, sometimes it's hard. But I <3 you guys. So here I am :)

BG 4.0

2010-07-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well they came in the mail yesterday! I was all excited despite the delivery guy ringing my doorbell 8 times and banging on my door...

I opened the package and did my usual "YAY for FLUFF!" dance as I pulled out my new bumGenius 4.0 One size Diapers I bought the regular applix version, a staple in our house, and a snaps version that I had never tried.

That's were my excitement wore off.

The packaging looked different, but thats about it. They looked just like my old BG's. The only difference I could see was a slightly wider applix strip and a better laundry tab. The rise looked the same, and it was only a little big wider. I was really kinda disappointed that there weren't some huge and wonderful changes to accompany all the hype.

That being said, I have them in the washer right now being prepped. I expect the same great fit and absorbency, as BG's are pretty wonderful diapers. I expect them to work great just like always. I guess the only true test will be to see how the new applix holds up.

So I am sorry that I don't have a huge "Oh my gosh these diapers are amaaaaazing" post for you. I feel it would be redundant since we already know how awesome these diapers usually are.

I will post pictures later of how the applix holds up. I have high hopes for it because it /does/ look much thicker and a little wider.

The New BG 4.0 is here!

2010-06-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Well, for preorder anyway.

Cottonbabies.com announced a new BumGenius 4.0 diaper today. I went ahead ordered one with snaps and one without to demo for you guys. They don't appear to be much different then the BumGenius 3.0 except for a few technical details... But I wanted to make sure that I could some good up close shots of these changes while in use for my readers. It was a much hyped product release, for such little change. So I want to ensure that these changes are as big of a deal as they are being touted as. So far, according to their website, the changes are:

"Features:
NEW! Generous sizing accommodates larger babies.
NEW! Easily replaceable elastic keeps your diapers fresh."

My 14month old is long and lean and has been on the largest setting now for a long time now so I'm interested to see how much the rise and size has improved.

These diapers will ship July 14th, 2010. I will post a review ASAP :)

Peace & Love,

Sarah

Bustin' Booty

2010-06-26T22:03:00.001-07:00

That's what I've been doing.

I have a exciting announcement!

My little wahm business, Star Crossed Stitches has partnered up with Cow Patties Cloth Diapers! Starting at the end of July or so, you'll be able to purchase my small and large zippered wetbags from the lovely Meg's store! I'm so excited about this. Meg has been a inspiration and a true friend for quite some time and I am proud to be associated with her company. I'm also working on reuseable snack bags. I have testers trying them out right now and hopefully will start production on those soon.

Be sure to check us out on Facebook for up to date details and giveaways.

In the mean time, I'd like to hear from YOU. As the months pass, products change, diapering needs change, and so does a Cloth Diapering mama's stash. I've gone from velcro pockets, to fitteds, to prefolds, back to fitteds and all around again. Leave a comment and tell me how your stash has grown, or changed, since you started your cloth diapering journey! What is your #1 go to diaper!

Also, now that I have my lovely 9 year old, Caitlin, off for break... She has been helping me around the house and helped to tape the pinning video. What other videos would you guys like to see? I have my little slave--- i mean.. uh.. girl for another week before she goes back to school... So now is the time for those video requests.

As always, Peace & Love to you and yours!!!

Pinning Prefolds: Jelly Roll

2010-06-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

Not sure WHY it only shows one video on the side bar... but here it is:

*** I fixed it :P

Opinions?

2010-06-26T15:22:00.001-07:00

How you you guys like this template?

My daughter and I filmed a prefold pinning video but youtube is NOT letting me upload for some stupid reason. Once I get it up it should show up on the video links on the right hand side.

Busy Lady and a Review on the fly :)

2010-05-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

I forgot how insanely busy one becomes when a baby becomes a toddler. My days have been spent chasing the evil little demon around the house, trying to stay a step ahead and prevent one disaster after another. It's quite invigorating (can you smell the sarcasm?)

Between chasing angry drunken midget circus clowns, sewing and crocheting for my tiny, budding business, and getting healthy after my little health scare... I was a wee bit busy.

BUT I'm back :)

So what's new in the cloth diapering world of Rambles & Shambles? Not much. I've reached a tentative stash nirvana, as it were. I haven't been buying any new diapers to review. I did however fall into the hybrid craze and purchased some Gro Baby AI2's. I gotta say, I love them. I will post on those more later.

I would, however, like to demo a diaper for you guys. ;) I know! Shock and Amazement. It's been away. Lets dust this bad boy off and go for it shall we?

My family still lives back home in Alaska. My mom used to be a rural mail carrier, the old school mail lady who drives through the subdivision, putting mail in the old fashioned mail boxes with the flags. On her friends route lives a nice lady by the name of Somer, the owner of Bouche Bumz. I had heard about BB Diapers, but had never tried one. Long story short she gave one to my mom for me to try.

From Cloth diapering

Here it is, in all it's squishy glory. A Bouche Bumz AI2 This diaper is a one size, waterproof outer layer, with a soft squishy bamboo velour snap in soaker:

From Cloth diapering

The rise snaps up and down to accommodate your growing baby and rather than velcro/aplix, this diaper features a snap closure:

From Cloth diapering

I was really quite fond of this diaper. It was so incredibly soft and squishy, almost like a Good Mama but much more absorbent. You get the best of both words with the waterproof outer layer (in some mighty cute prints) but soft velour inside. It was pretty good at containing the super soaker I call my daughter and Poo' was no match for the excellent leg gussets:

From Cloth diapering

All in all this is one of my favorite WAHM diapers. The price is right, the quality is excellent and the fit is one of the best I've seen on my odd shaped little girl. The only negative thing I could say, and it's really just a personal preference, is that they are a wee bit bulkier than some of my other diapers... But I do love a fluffy butt.

From Cloth diapering

Besides, Izzy seems to approve:

From Cloth diapering

I would definitely recommend giving Bouche Bumz a try. Especially if you like AI2's.

Have a great day and Happy Stalking!

Sorry

2010-05-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry to keep popping in and out guys.
I'm dealing with some pretty serious medical issues right now so I have little time or energy to update the blog. I did break down and buy some new products to demo, I've just not had a chance to take picture or write anything.

Izzy has turned 1 year old, life is full of toddling disaster and chaos :)

I hope you all are well and healthy. Live each day to the fullest, love your family and friends, never go to bed angry, and always give that kiss goodbye.

Bitting off more than I can chew.

2010-03-23T15:59:00.001-07:00

Guess who just started a facebook fan page for her budding business?

Yes. I'm a slacker!

2010-03-10T12:43:00.000-08:00

I know what you're thinking...
"But Sarah! You promised you'd keep updating your blog. You LIE LIKE DOG!"

Yes... I know. I've been a bad, bad girl.

Life here in the Romeo house continues to be hectic. I've been learning how to crochet and sew and make all things crafty. I've even sold a few prototype wetbags! My children are a handful to say the least. We've been battling some heavy issues with our oldest daughter and our baby girl has been suffering from allergies and teething.

My friends Amanda and Amy sent me some wonderful products from LUSH Cosmetics that I would love to talk about here in the next few days. They have some amazing all natural, organic and even vegan products. I highly advise you to find one in your area and just make a day of wandering their store and smelling EVERYTHING. It's a good treat for yourself and a great way to take an extra little step into green living.

Speaking of green living... little things we've been doing around the house to save money and go green are paying off!

No jarred baby food:
I've been making my own for quite some time, but since Izzy has been doing Baby-led Weaning we have moved onto just cooking our meals and she eats what we eat. This has saved us money and while yes I do sometimes let her have those little bite size pasta pick ups when we are in a hurry... for the most part she eats healthier and heartier than most adults I know.

Less paper towels:
We have bought WAY less paper towels since we discovered the joys of SKOY Cloth. My husband is not so much into the "hippy crap" that I practice... so he still uses his paper towels for things. However by me and my oldest daughter not using them we only buy them maybe once a month or less now.

Light Bulbs:
EVERYONE should be replacing their old fashioned light bulbs with energy efficient CFL light bulbs. Not only are they good for reducing your carbon footprint and reducing your energy consumption, but they are inexpensive and last a long time. You'll see a nice little dip in your electric bill for sure ;)

Reuse Everything:
If we have boxes, plastic food tubs from butter/cottage cheese etc, plastic bags, we use everything twice or longer. Those little tubs can last you a long time if you wash it on the top rack of your dishwasher or by hand. I use them for snack for my kids or small servings of leftovers. Boxes that are to small to use for packing i will fold the top in and let my daughter decorate it and use it to store her toys. Plastic bags (i try not to get them and use canvas bags) i use for the cat litter or bathroom trash cans.

Canvas Shopping Bags:
SO easy to make on your own, or you can spend a few buck (walmart is 97 cents) at the grocery store for theirs. They are way more durable than plastic bags, and you can reuse them for all sorts of things. I have a ton I use for shopping and I'm actually learning how to make more not just for shopping but for tote bags.

Freecycle:
Recently my mommy group here in town had a little playdate/potluck/freecycle get together at one of our houses. We all brought over stuff we didn't want or need anymore... clothes, toys, games, books and basically had a little swap right there! It was nice to be able to bring over some stuff i would have normally thrown out, and see it find a home with my friends.

Ditch the plastic bottles:
We have a nice little reusable water pitcher that we use rather then buying bottled water. We replace the filter every 3 to 6 months for 15-20 bucks and trust me when I say, it adds up. It's very dry here and my oldest daughter drinks water like she breathes air. If I was buying little bottled waters I would be flat broke.

The list goes on but thats just a few of the things we have been doing around here.

So where does that leave us at the moment blog wise? I'm on a small hiatus while I get caught up. I've not bought any diapers to review in some time due to financial constraints. So all you WAHM's out there feel free to email me about doing a product demo/review for your cloth diaper related paraphernalia ;)
I also am still trying to get my husband to help me video some more diaper demo's like how to fold prefolds etc... but the man works on the strip and is insanely busy.

Eventually. I swear.
One day at a time.

/peace!

And the Winner IS:

2010-02-14T18:06:00.001-08:00

Congrats to Stephanie C.!!! Rachel will be contacting you shortly and getting your details to send you your prize!

Thanks for entering guys. This one ran a little slow, but there will be lots more in the future. In the mean time, don't forget to stop by Sweet Baby Bottoms check out Rachel's shop :)

Going green in baby steps!

2010-02-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

Seems like everyone is "Going Green" these days. Using metal water bottles, fabric shopping bags, replacing their light bulbs... all just a few simple ways for people to lend Mother Earth a hand. But what about everyday household items we often take for granted? Paper Towels, for example.

Here's some food for thought. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it takes 51,000 trees per day to replace the paper towels that are disposed of each day.

51,000!?!?! Are you kidding me?

Americans send about 3000 tons of paper towels to landfills every year. Paper towels can't be recycled once they are used. Once you throw it away, thats it. It's off to it's new home in the landfill.

So what can you do?

I've recently come across a pretty amazing product called SKOY Cloth.

From Rambles and Shambles

It's a 100% biodegradable and all natural earth friendly cloth. Just one SKOY can replace 15 rolls of paper towels! Thats right... 15 rolls of paper towels.

To put that into perspective, in a recent study by Arizona State University "If each household in the U.S. reduced its paper towel use by just 3 rolls per year, it would save 120,000 tons of waste and $4.1 million in landfill dumping fees."

Well, with just one pack of SKOY you get 4 cloths. That's about 60 rolls of paper towels you will be saving!

From Rambles and Shambles

They come in so many vibrant and pretty colors, too.

So what is it made of? Quoting their product card:
"SKOY is an environmental advance in cleaning cloths. This European made product is 100% biodegradable and is made from a unique blend of natural cotton and wood-pulp cellulose. SKOY cloth is non toxic, chlorine free, and made using water based colors and inks"

How do you use it? Simple! When you get your SKOY it will feel like a stiff, rough piece of cardboard. But when you apply water it transforms into a soft cloth! Simply squeeze out the water and it becomes the most absorbent paper towel ever. You can use it with house hold cleaning products, or just with water. To clean them, just toss them in the dishwasher or your washer and dryer,or to sterilize it just toss a wet SKOY in the microwave for a minute or two.

I've been using mine for about a 2 months and have already cut back significantly on my paper towel usage. I don't know where I would be without this product. It certainly is a great baby step in going green, especially if your not ready to start composting just yet ;) This is a great gift for any household and your kids will love cleaning with it or just wiping up messes!

I purchased mine from Sweet Baby Bottoms for $5.99 and they have more then paid for themselves.

So with that, in honor of Valentines Day, I'm teaming up with Rachel from Sweet Baby Bottoms to give away a 4 pack of SKOY cloths to show our love for Mother Earth!

Here's how to enter:
Simply leave a comment telling us what you do to try to be green.
You can also earn one extra entry for each of the following:

x1 for following this blog.
x1 for becoming a Facebook fan of SBB
x1 for following SBB on Twitter
x1 for ever 5$ spent at SBB's Store (just post your order # for confirmation)

That's a total of 5 entries possible. This is a one time entry deal, not daily.
Be sure that post a comment for each of these like this:

Bob - Following you on twitter
Bob - Fanned your FB page!

SO MAKE A NEW COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY :)

I will be posting the winner on Valentines Day @ 6pm Pacfic Time.

Revisiting Little Fancy Pants.

2010-02-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

Let's hop in the wayback machine for a moment and take a look at a review I did back in September 2009.

I have been asked to do a new review of Little Fancy Pants Diapers since Leah has redesigned her bamboo fitteds. Of course I couldn't say no at the chance to review some new fluff. Besides, I liked the older version, the way it fit and the cute style so I was excited to give it another go. I got action shots, but I forgot to take actual product shots.

From Cloth diapering

This is the exact diaper Izzy is wearing for our demo. You can see it's a serged bamboo fitted with a snap down rise and snap in soaker.

The new LFP Bamboo fitted has a cute outter print 100% cotton jersey knit, and hidden inside is a layer of 90% organic cotton, and the inside is 90% cotton, 10% polyester velour.
The new soaker is 2 layers that are sewn at the top and snap in with 2 hidden snaps. It's comprised of a layer of velour, a layer of organic bamboo fleece and a layer of organic cotton fleece, making the diaper MUCH more absorbent than it's predecessor.

The fit is still very trim and snuggly against baby's bottom:

From Cloth diapering

and as usual no gapping:

From Cloth diapering

Overall I have to say I was very impressed with the modifications Leah has made to her fitted diaper. She managed to keep the same cute and trim diaper but with much more absorbency than before. I love how soft it got after it was washed a few times, and the snaps are spaced pretty well for a good fit. As far as absorbency compared to my other fitteds, it's far better than Thirsties Fab Fitteds or bumGenius Bamboo Fitteds. Still not quite as absorbent as a BSRB but it's getting there. Izzy is a heavy soaker though, so she usually has hemp boosters in most of her diapers. Of course you will need a cover for this particular diaper.

Definitely check out Little Fancy Pants for some really affordable and cute fitted diapers. You won't find a trimmer fitted outside of a BSRB

From Cloth diapering

Next up is our review of Bouche Bumz!

Have a blessed day.

Breaking News :P

2010-02-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

okay so I'm a few hours late (i had to sleep damn it)
But here is some important news in the cloth diapering community!

For Release: February 1, 2010

Miracle Diapers Is Now The Cloth Diaper Foundation
empowering families, improving the environment

As Miracle Diapers has grown so has the number of families they assist. In 2009, they helped over 450 babies directly, more than 100 babies through sponsorship and local distribution, and assisted other charities with the same mission as well!

To better serve those families Miracle Diapers reaccessed it's structure and practices. They have:
• New leadership with Roxanna Jolly—CEO and Lisa Johnston—Operations Manager and Board Chair
• Relocated their headquarters to Katy, Texas
• Restructured how they process and accept applications
• Opened a retail store for fundraising
• Founded a new membership program
• Welcomed several new board members from the cloth diapering industry

In it's fifth year Miracle Diapers wants to continue moving forward and has decided to take on a new name that better describes the organization and it's mission.

Miracle Diapers is now The Cloth Diaper Foundation.

“We felt that a more appropriate name would help the community have a better understanding of who we are, as we have often been mistaken for a diaper manufacturer. Our desire to move forward and build a legacy of support for the cloth diapering community will be reflected in our new name: The Cloth Diaper Foundation.”
-Roxanna Jolly, CEO, The Cloth Diaper Foundation

Monetary donations fell last year do to the economy. Which means there are more families out there for The Cloth Diaper Foundation to help! While diaper donations are always appreciated, we must be able to financially support organizational growth. Let's make this happen together and spread the CD love. Visit http://clothdiaperfoundation.org today to find out how you can help!

***Addendum to Press Release:***
To assist in fund raising efforts, in the month of February, Tracy Whittemore and Lisa Adkins from The Cloth Diaper Company have so graciously offered to match, product for product, each Cloth Diaper Company product sold (Drybees, Wahmies, Rocky Mountain Diapers) in The Cloth Diaper Foundation Retail Store with an equal donation to our organization. (Example - Purchase a Rocky Mountain Diapers OS Pocket, CDC will donate our organization a RMD OS Pocket, Drybees for Drybees, etc.)

2010!

2010-01-23T10:06:00.000-08:00

Okay so I'm a little late. Family has taken the forefront of my attention at the moment but I'm still here working on a few things.

I've got 2 diaper reviews for my wonderful readers!
I've been asked by the WAHM behind Little Fancy Pants to do a updated review on her diapers. I had done a prior review on a fitted diaper of her's back in September. Well, she has redesigned her diaper to be more absorbent and so I'm going to give it another run and demo it here for you folks.

I'll also be doing a review on a diaper made in my home state of Alaska! You might have heard of Bouche Bumz. I've been testing out one of her AI2's and I can't wait to write up a review!

Last but not least, I will be doing a review on a non diaper item and a subsequent giveaway! Our last giveaway with Winky Dinks was such a great success and so much fun. I can't wait to do it again. Can you guess what the mystery item is? I'll give you a hint... It's all about going green and doing your part to reduce your carbon foot print. Take a look at how many products you have in your house that you only use once and throw away! Now multiply that by millions of households across the country, and imagine how much waste goes into our landfills...

I'll leave you with that for now :P

Izzy has been keeping us very busy with her non stop teething and crankyness. Updating the blog (or sleeping for that matter) has been a challenge... I can't wait to get back on track and give you guys some new posts to chew on.

Good Bye 2009! Hello 2010!

2009-12-31T19:19:00.001-08:00

2009 was a very trying, yet amazing year for my family.

I met some wonderful people in the cloth diapering and frugal community who have become some of my best friends. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Isabella, in April. Our family has struggled for sure, but I'm eager and hopeful for 2010, and hopefully a better year.

So what will 2010 bring for R&S? More product reviews, hopefully some video demos (still waiting on a certain Hubby of mine to help me), and eventually some of my own products! Thats right, I'm taking the plunge and trying my hand at cloth diapering accessories. Wet bags, cloth wipes, snack bags, and some regular every day items like mama cloth and cloth shopping bags!

I hope everyone has a fantastic and safe new years eve celebration and a wonderful and prosperous new year!

Bad things happening to good people.

2009-12-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

Good Morning!

I wanted to jot a quick blog entry about a wonderful organization called Miracle Diapers. They are a non-profit group that helps struggling families get a start on cloth diapering. They operate mainly through donation and have helped many families out...

Recently they ran into a problem with Fed Ex that has completely zapped their funds. You can read about this horrible screw up here.

They need your help desperately. I know this is the holidays, and times are very rough for many of us, myself included. However, I can't stand the idea of such a wonderful organization losing everything because of some inept and rude people.

Please, click on the above link and read their story, and if you can, donate. Every dollar counts. Or if you prefer, visit their online store and purchase a product. All the money from these purchases are going straight to helping them get back on their feet again.

Thank you... I know my readers are amazing, kind, and generous people and that if you can help, you will. If you can't donate or buy, please spread the word.

Much Love,

Sarah

update on Cow Patties Diapers

2009-12-07T22:53:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to let you guys knows that I did in fact use the Famous Pocket Fitted overnight with amazing results.

Izzy slept for almost 7 hours without a single leak. I was blown away when I took her soaker off and found the fitted bone dry!!! The liner was very damp, but not the shell itself which is amazing. When I pulled the liner out it weighed a ton and was obviously well soaked during the night, but something about the way her insert is designed managed to wick away all wetness from my baby's skin. I am in love.

As soon as I have a chance, I am replacing my entire stash with these diapers. Honestly, I love my BSRB's, I really do... but I can't beat 14$ for a diaper that has not failed me once, and fits so well, absorbs like a dream, and still is cute and soft!

Don't worry, I'll still be reviewing lots of new products as they come in to me, I just will be using these as my personal stash forever and ever :P

Thank you guys so much for reading this blog and for supporting the WAHM's and products we feature here. Especially now in such hard time, it means a lot to me to hear that just featuring a WAHM's diaper on this blog got them a little extra business.

Also, I'm open to video suggestions. I keep meaning to post a prefold demo video, but my husband has been working pretty much nonstop and isn't available to help me record a demo video. I think I might have to enlist the help of my 9 year old, Caitlin, to get it done.

I hope everyone has a very lovely holiday season and a prosperous new year.
Much Love,
Sarah

Spotlight WAHM: Meg from Cow Patties Diapers

2009-11-22T18:48:00.000-08:00

So I've decided to do a little something special on Rambles & Shambles. Every month I'm going to feature a WAHM and her products. I know a lot of wonderful and talented Moms out there who make some amazing products that are as good, if not better, then the mass produced diapers of today.

This month (I know, it's a short notice kinda post) I'm featuring a wonderful mama named Megan. Megan is the mastermind behind Cow Patties Cloth Diapers. She has 3 children and came up with the idea to make her own diapers 2.5 years ago while on the hunt for cloth diapers for her oldest. Seeing that there wasn't much of a selection of cute, absorbent cloth diapers for people on a tight budget. Megan makes all in ones, pockets, covers, and many more cute, stylish and affordable diapers. I'm going to review her Famous Pocket Fitted.

From Cloth diapering

This diaper is made of two full body layers of bamboo fleece, then a cotton knit full body layer. The insert is a long bamboo fleece 2 layer insert that no matter how it's folded it makes 8 layers:

From Cloth diapering

I LOVE the way the insert is made because it allows me to fold it thicker in the front for my heavy wetting, tummy sleeping little girl.

The thing that sets these fitteds apart for the rest is the fact it's a pocket too! The insert goes in the front of the diaper rather then the back:

From Cloth diapering

I love how buttery soft the bamboo fleece washes up, and the fact that these are sized diapers gives me a optimal fit on my long, lanky Izzy:

From Cloth diapering

The leg openings are snug, but not super tight and I've had NO gaps whatsoever:

From Cloth diapering

Izzy certainly approves of her new, soft, trim pocket fitted:

From Cloth diapering

Now for the demo deets...
Hold onto your seats people...
I love this diaper more than my BSRBS. Yup. You heard me.
Not only are they more affordable ($14.00 a piece), they are softer, stretchier, and more absorbent. When I get a new product to demo, I prep it and then put it on Izzy and see how long we go without a leak (barring she has no rash and no poopy). Izzy went 3.5 hours with no leaks, no dampness, before I decided I'd better changer her and check this diaper out. The insert had wicked ALL the moisture away from Izzy and yet the diaper itself was bone dry. The insert was damp, but not soaked. I was shocked! I've never had a fitted diaper go this long without a cover and no leaks!I could have gone much much longer too. Even my BSRB's get damp after 2 or 3 hours. Not so with Cow Patties Famous Pocket Fitted Diapers.
With all this in mind, I am currently in the process of buying more Cow Patties Famous Pocket Fitted Diapers to replace pretty much every other fitted I own... They are THAT good.
I highly recommend these diapers and I suggest you check out her website and order your famous pocket fitted today!

From Cloth diapering

Teeth for Joey

2009-11-07T14:03:00.001-08:00

A good friend of mine in the cloth diaper community has a young brother named Joey who could use our help.

Here is a word from his big sister Bonnie:
"Joey just turned 13 in May. He was hit while crossing the street on his dirt bike. The young girl that hit him was doing 45 miles an hour in a 30 mph zone, ran a stop sign and was driving on the wrong side of the road. Since Florida is a no fault state, and Joey was not 16, and obviously didn't have a driver's license, the girl that hit him is getting off scott-free. She's not recieving so much as a ticket for any of the moving violations.

From being hit, Joey is lucky to be alive. The only thing that saved his life is his helmet. The injuries from the accident are brutal. He has a broken arm, both legs are broken, his hips are broken in 8 different places, and most of his top teeth are missing on the left side of his mouth. My mom doesn't have dental insurance to cover the cost of him getting new teeth. Medicaid is paying his medical bills from the accident, and for one cleaning on the teeth he has left.

He loves being outside and he's so upset that he can't just get up and go outside and play. He's always been a pretty active kid.

The donation to the church that is doing the fundraiser will be matching dollar for dollar what comes to them to help fix Joey's teeth, and they'll be doing the fundraiser until all his teeth are fixed."

This is a recent photo of Joey:

From Stuff

It sucks that this kid has to suffer so much. What 13 year old doesn't like to chow down? Joey's missing half his teeth, which aside from being embarrassing, makes it difficult to eat like he used to, not to mention all his OTHER horrific injuries.

If you would like to make a donation, you can send it to:

Melbourne Community Church

4940 Stack Blvd
Melbourne, FL 32901
321-984-3949

Lets help Joey get some new chompers!

Bid for the Berkys

2009-11-02T19:57:00.001-08:00

My friends on Babycenter.com made me aware of a charity auction to benefit the family of a fallen soldier.

Taken from the auction website:
"On September 12th, 2009, the world lost a hero.

Bryan Berky, a United States Air Force Staff Sergeant, was killed while serving his country in Afghanistan. He leaves behind his wife Erin and their son, Harrison, both of whom we want to help however we can. 100% of the proceeds from this fundraiser will go directly to Erin and Harrison to help them through this decidedly difficult time.

We appreciate everyone's support in this effort! "

Since Novemeber is National Military Family Appreciation Month, I'd like to feature this auction on my blog, if only by post. I encourage you all to visit Bid for the Berkys on November 11th, 2009 and make a bid or a monetary donation to help this family.

Even if you don't support the war, please support this family. Erin and Bryan have a very young son who will never know his father past infancy, and Erin has so much to deal with in the wake of her husband's passing... lets help bring a little compassion into her life and help this family out.

I'll be reviewing some WAHM products next week :) I am back from vacation finally :)

Ello Poppets!

2009-10-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you guys know I will be away for about 2 weeks.
My mother is coming into town from Alaska in the morning and it's been about 3 or 4 years since I've seen her last. She wasn't able to be here for my wedding or to see Izzy be born, so I'm going to spend as much time with her as possible.
Since my husband will not let us move back home, and money being what it is, this may be the last time I see my mom for a very, very, very long time.
So there will be no updates for 2 weeks. I'm very sorry. I plan on getting a few diapers though while she is here. USA baby carried BumGenius, Bambino Mio and Kushies, so I'm going to check them out. I won't use Kushies probably, since I've heard bad reviews... but I'm curious to see these Bambino Mio's and I do need a few more BG's. This is one of the ONLY shops in Vegas to sell cloth diapers of any kind so I'm going to lobby the hell out of them to sell some more types :p

Also, my friend Daniella is graciously lending me her sewing machine. So I'm going to try my hand at a few cloth diaper accessories, mama cloth, and soakers as well as plush baby toys. I'm pretty excited and when I actually get started I will post about it for sure. If it works out and I'm any good at it I will start selling them. I wanted to learn to knit so I could make some of those beautiful longies/woolies i see on hyenacart.com but uh... I have no time lol. Maybe one day.

Until then, take care of each other, and don't hesitate to leave me feedback via comments. If you have ideas, diapers you want to see me demo, or are a WAHM who would like her product demoed on this website you can leave a comment here or email me directly @ sjetter@gmail.com

Peace and Love to you all!
Sarah

BuBu BeBe One Size Diaper

2009-10-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

I recently aquired a Bubu Bebe one size diaper, or B4 for short, from my friend Jessica. I've been meaning to throw up a quick review/demo on it so here goes:

As always, our lovely Izzy will be modeling this dipe:

From Cloth diapering

This diaper is like a cross between a BSRB and a Good Mama. It's got a variety of outer shells, from a cotton knit, bamboo velour or minkee. Sandwiched inside is a hidden layer of hemp and/or bamboo fleece:

From Cloth diapering

The multi-size you can snap down for a newborn, much like a BumGenius:

From Cloth diapering

It also has a row across the top that you can fold down like you would on a Good Mama diaper
Now what makes the B4 unique is the system of "snap as you grow" soakers. Each soaker is made up of 2 layers of bamboo or hemp fleece and one layer of bamboo or cotton velour. They wash up really well and dry very quickly. There are three soakers. A newborn, a medium size and a large. You can customize the level of protection you want by snapping them all together. It's /very/ nice:

From Cloth diapering

For Izzy, I folded down the rise and snapped across. The material is sooo soft:

From Cloth diapering

And we got a GREAT fit around the legs, no gaps at all:

From Cloth diapering

I am VERY impressed with this diaper. I love the softness and the ability to be able to customize the absorbency almost like a pocket diaper. Speaking of absorbency, I would rank these as high as a BSRB if not higher. Yes... you all know I love my BSRB's but these are a very, very close second. They fit well, they aren't to bulky, and MAN do they hold up well overnight.

Every stash should include a Bubu Bebe Diaper

Thank you so much, Jessica, for sending me this awesome diaper.

From Cloth diapering

Wow, That was fun.

2009-10-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun, Jen and I, doing the fleece cover giveaway. I hope to do another one soon. You guys are all awesome and I wish I could have given one to everybody who participated.

I am sorry things have been slow here on R&S. We've moved into the joys of teething at our house. We have all just gotten over a virus, and now Izzy is gnashing, crying, drooling, and just a mess in general.

I need to update with a Bubu Bebe diaper review, a Good Mama Good Nights review, and start working on incorporating some other baby related goodness that comes along with frugal living. We've been making our own baby food since Izzy was a few months old, so I'd like to post some how to's and recipes. I'm also going to be reviewing some cloth diaper safe laundry detergents. I'm testing a few out right now. I also need to get a few more how to videos up.

If there is anything in particular that you guys would like to see, or if you want me to demo your product here, please shoot me a email to sjetter@gmail.com

Happy Fluff :)

Sarah

And the Winners ARE!

2009-09-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

#38 Melissa
#104 Danielle

Unfortunately I can't click on either of your profiles to contact you personally but here are the winning comments:
#38 (skipped 19 cause it was annon)
Melissa said...
I follow your blog.

September 16, 2009 6:22 AM

and # 104:
Danielle said...
And follow through bloglines. Does that count?

September 22, 2009 1:05 PM

You lovely ladies contact Jen at winkydinks to get started on your custom creations!

Thank you all for participating and hopefully we will have another giveaway soon!

One More!

2009-09-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

One more entry in our fleece giveaway and we'll be choosing a additional winner!
That's 2 winners folks, 2 custom fleece soakers to be won.
spread the word!

Wow!

2009-09-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

Keep those entries coming!
Jen and I are so excited to see all the new faces and can't wait to give away the prize!

R&S and winkydinks giveaway!

2009-09-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

From random junk

Hello my faithful readers!

How would you like to win a custom fleece soaker from Jen at winkydinks?

From Cloth diapering

Jen and I are doing our first ever Cloth Diaper giveaway!
Enter to win one custom soaker, any size, any color Jen has available (you can see those Here, and with a sewn in doubler if you want! Also the winner gets free shipping (of course) to anywhere in the US & Canada!

Here's the deets:

You get one entry per person by just leaving a comment telling me why you like using fleece soakers.
You can get additional entries (1 per person) by doing the following:
1) Following my Blog
2)Becoming a fan of winkydinks on Facebook
3) Marking winkydinks as a favorite shop on Etsy
Just simply leave a comment for each of those, and of course your comment on why you like fleece, and you'll have 4 entries!

We will announce our winner on September 30th, at 8pm Central.

Also, just to up the ante, if we get over 125 entries, Jen will do not one, but TWO custom fleece soakers! Which means 2 winners will be selected!

Get those entries in folks. Remember to post a comment for each qualifying entry, put only one per person :)and don't forget to post a comment if you follow my blog, a comment if you fanned winkydinks and a comment if you favorited her shop on etsy. Each person should have 4 entries/comment :)
REMEMBER:IF YOU AREN'T SIGNED IN AND SHOW AS ANONYMOUS I CANNOT ENTER YOU IN THE DRAWING

From Cloth diapering

The winner will be announced on the blog on September 30th, at 8pm Central. So make sure you check back :)

Little Fancy Pants review and blog update

2009-09-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a short and sweet review to tide you guys over for a few days. I'm sorry I've been slacking. Things have been crazy around my house.
Also, I went ahead and created a separate video channel for the blog to feature Cloth Diaper demonstrations. That way you guys can just watch specific videos rather than all my silly Izzy videos :P

I recently purchased a fitted diaper from Little Fancy Pants out of curiosity. I'm always looking for new kinds of fitted diapers and I had heard that these were worth a try. This particular diaper I purchased is a one size, bamboo/cotton fleece fitted diaper with a snap fit rise and a snap in soaker. It is almost like a combination of a Good Mama and a BSRB. They also make a one size without snaps that you can secure with a snappi or pins... but I wanted to try a snap version
There are some very cute prints and this is the one I chose:

From Cloth diapering

The outside is a 100% jersey cotton knit print, and the inside the diaper (the guts is you will) are bamboo and organic cotton fleece. The lining of the diaper is made from a cotton and polyester blend velour. As you can see, the snapping is very close to a Good Mama diaper, and the soaker snaps into the back of the diaper:

From Cloth diapering

To adjust the rise you simply fold it down and snap as you please. I should note, that you don't have to snap the same on both side. I'm very anal and like to snap exactly the same on both. If I snap 2 snaps in on the left, I'll do the same on the right. But you don't HAVE to, just snap wherever you get a good fit:

From Cloth diapering

Folding down the rise, the wings were still pretty high, which I liked:

From Cloth diapering

The material is soft, and so are the leg gussets. No red marks here, which I find I get sometime with a pocket diaper or all in ones that have the waterproof shell:

From Cloth diapering

There was quite a bit of extra fabric on the booty. Izzy had a very fluffy butt. Sorry for the blurry pic, but the kid was movin a LOT:

From Cloth diapering

However, Fluffy butts are cute, so I didn't mind:

From Cloth diapering

I really like the cut and style of this diaper. The fabrics used are very soft, and the diaper itself is pretty well constructed. I washed it a few times and no pilling or stray threads so far.

Now, as far as absorbency, I'm sad to say this diaper didn't hold up so well. After washing a few times to break it in, I still had leaks and soak through with her wool and fleece covers after just one pee. I found myself having to change it right away, and unlike my BSRB or Good Mama diapers, I could not leave her without a cover... The diaper itself is a little thin, and the soakers just aren't beefy enough to hold up to even a moderate soaker, let alone a super soaker. I love, love, love everything else about the diaper though. The colors, the softness, the design, the fact it doesn't leave marks on my baby... but for $2 more dollars I can get more absorbent fitted diaper.
I am, however, interested to try one of Little Fancy Pant's All Nighter's because it has a lot more absorbent material and I'm always on the look out for a good absorbent night time diaper.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We have a surprise coming this week, a review of Bubu Bebe fitted diaper that was generously gifted to me by a fellow cloth diaper mama, Jessica.

Touched

2009-09-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

Cloth diapering parents are some of the nicest people I know. Seriously.

I'm part of a group over on Babycenter.com and I vented my frustrations about the economy, not having enough money for rent and our bills, and how I would have to sell a big chunk of my diaper stash to be able to pay some bills and buy formula next week. Fully intended to just vent, get it off my chest, and move on.

I was totally moved by the outpouring of offers to send diapers, coupons, gas cards anything these ladies could do to help us out. I feel so blessed to have made such wonderful friends as these... These ladies are so sweet and kind, half of them in the same position financially as I am, and still wanting to lend a hand. I feel like they are my Angels.

It really is a amazing thing that a bunch of like minded women (and a few dudes :p )who share a hobby and a passion, are so willing to help each other out. Really awesome. Just goes to show you, with all the horrible things we see on the news, that people /are/ good at heart and capable of so much compassion and warmth.

Thank you, everybody who has offered to help us out through this difficult time. I appreciate the thought so much. We will be okay and we'll pull through this little dip in the road like we always do. If you still feel the need to help /somebody/ how about your local women's shelter or domestic violence shelter? They are always looking for simple things like toiletries, socks and undies, baby clothes and toys, even your unused coupons! There are a lot of people who are a lot worse off than you and I right now that could use a little love and understanding.

The Lord has truly blessed me with a wonderful, hard working husband, 2 beautiful little girls, and a sea of amazing friends (some of who I've yet to meet). I can't help but feel very, very lucky.

From More Bella

new look. for now

2009-09-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

Trying to figure out why my old template went wonky on me.
Until I fix it, I'll just be using one of the original Blogspot templates.
Sorry for the blah.

Also I added a link to my videos on youtube. I might end up making a separate channel just for CD's but until then you'll have to suffer through my baby's home movies and my baby voice (it's hideous, i know...)

Video by Request

2009-09-02T19:20:00.000-07:00

I've been getting a lot of requests to show how I get my BSRB's on so tight and how I keep them from linking. With the help of my lovely husband, we shot a quick video. Turn your sound up for the first part, he is a giant and was far far away.
Basically I pull the wings up and out then in as tight as I can, then do the same on the other side. I pull them REALLY tight, almost to tight, but the fabric relaxes when you pin it. Also, pulling the center of the diaper up tight helps a LOT.

If you want to see any more demonstration videos, leave me a comment of what type of diaper/prefold/cover/pin you wanna see and I'll do my best to get it up here.
It goes without saying, but all videos and photos on my blog should not be reused or taken without my permission, but I gotta say it cause some people just suck.

I <3 my new Fleece Soaker!!!

2009-09-02T17:15:00.000-07:00

From Cloth diapering

When most people think about diaper covers, they think about those nasty, stiff, plastic pants that look like rainproof undies. Not anymore. Today's cloth diapering mama has many options for covering their little ones precious bums. Wool, Fleece, PUL covers... I much prefer wool and fleece, simply for their versatility and water resistance. I adore wool soakers, but thats another post all together.

Today we're going to be talking about fleece soakers. I recently received a custom fleece soaker from Jen at winkydinks. She makes both 100% recycled wool soakers as well as fleece. The nice thing about fleece is that it needs no special care as far as lanolizing or hanging to dry. When it's soiled, you just toss it inside out in your regular laundry. You can even use a dryer sheet with fleece, which can boost the water repellent properties of your soaker. Just don't get use dryer sheets with your cloth diapers because it can ruin their absorbency. Fleece, however, does not carry the same anti-bacterial qualities as a wool soaker... So it will need to be washed more often. Fleece can also "compression wick". This doesn't mean that it leaks, it just may feel damp if you baby has been sitting on it with a wet diaper inside. Depending on the type of fleece you get and the absorbency of the diaper beneath it, fleece covers can last you quite a long time in between changes. With my winkydinks fleece soaker, I've had no leaks, not even during nap time!
Here is my beautiful custom fleece soaker:

From Cloth diapering

Jen sewed a extra doubler inside for a little extra protection:

From Cloth diapering

Here is our half awake monster baby, Isabella, in a regular pinned prefold:

From Cloth diapering

And here is the soaker on the baby. It fits her just right:

From Cloth diapering

Some people will need to size up with fleece covers, as they don't have as much of a stretch to them as, say, your average wool soaker. Izzy is sized more for a small, but the medium soaker fits her almost snugly over a fitted bamboo diaper, so I'm glad I sized up. You can also ask for a longer rise, which is nice for some babies depending on the shape of their bodies. Izzy is on the skinny side with very narrow hips and very little thigh chub, so the Medium fits her 13lb frame just right.

At around 7$ to 12$ a piece, these fleece soakers are a steal. I definitely would recommend these soakers to any Cloth Diapering Mama or Papa (can't forget the dad's) and especially for those who really want to get into fitteds/prefolds and covers, but don't want to pay to much for a wool soaker...(pssst,did I mention winkydinks also makes 100% recycled wool soakers and longies for around the same prices?)

Also coming this week we'll be looking at wool soakers from winkydinks and a fitted bamboo diaper with snaps from Little Fancy Pants and BubuBebe

Tomorrow is Thursday! Don't forget to put on your Stalking Hats and head over to Bagshot Row Bamboo's Hyena Cart at 6pm EST

Happy Hunting and God Bless!

:(

2009-09-01T11:32:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates this week. We have a sick Miss. Izzy and Miss. Caitlin and now Mommy is sick. So give us a few more days to get back on our feet and I'll post some more cd goodness.

Fuzzibunz for everyone

2009-08-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Time for a much overdue review on one of my very favorite pocket diapers.

Fuzzibunz was created out of need by a young mother of 3 named Tereson Dupuy. She, like so many cloth diaper makers out there, created a cloth pocket diaper to try and combat her son's diaper rash. The result has become a big favorite with many cloth diapering moms.

Fuzzibunz comes in a One Size fits all pocket diaper, or in a sized version that ranges from a extra small (fits 4-12lbs) to a extra large (fits 45lbs and up). All the diapers are snap secured, rather than velcro, so you won't have to worry about pilling or curling tabs.

The one size version is amazingly customizable and fits most babies from 7lbs to 35lbs. Instead of snapping down the rise, everything adjusts by way of elastic bands in the legs and waist. I don't have any pictures of them because I no longer have this particular diaper... but you can find a picture on Nicki's Diapers that shows the elastics. Basically it's like the elastic adjustable waist you find in small children's pants. You pull the elastic to it's desired length and secure it on a button. This allows you to get the very best fit instead of a predetermined fit by the manufacture. The one size version CAN be a little bulky in the booty. However, who doesn't love a nice fluffy bottom?
My friend, Bonnie, was kind enough to provide a few pictures of her handsome 2 year old son Noah to demonstrate how awesome the One Size version fits:

From Cloth diapering

Here's a close up and you can see the hip snaps as well as the row across the waist:

From Cloth diapering

Here you can see how the leg gussets hug Noah's thighs and help prevent leaks. And like I said before, who can resist a Fluffy Butt?

From Cloth diapering

Even sitting down with his legs at a angle, Noah has no gaps in his leg gussets. No leaks for Mama:

From Cloth diapering

My favorite so far has been the sized version. Here is Izzy in a size small. She's 13lbs and she can still wear it snapped all the way on the smallest setting, but I give her a little bit of wiggle room by leaving her snapped on a larger setting:

From Cloth diapering

One of the things that makes Fuzzi Bunz diapers a good fit, is the row of snaps along the hip line. So you can bring the hips in tighter to ensure a nice snug fit on the thighs:

From Cloth diapering

Fuzzi Bunz are lined with fleece, to help wick away moisture and prevent rashes. The inserts are super absorbent and so soft that I couldn't resist rubbing it against my cheek fresh out of the package. There is a nice wide slot to stuff the insert in so there is no need to pull it out before washing, it should come out on it's own:

From Cloth diapering

Don't be fooled by the wide mouth, when it's fastened on your baby the opening will be tucked under and hidden under the waist gusset.

I find these diapers pretty comparable to Bum Genius Diapers and at $18.95 for a One Size and $16.95-$17.95 for the Perfect Sized version, the are fairly affordable for a beginning cloth diaper Mama or those on a budget.While the elastics on the One Size version can take some trial and error to get the best fit for your little one, once you get it, the fit can't be beat.
The waterproof outer layer is soft, but durable. The snaps a steadfast and the company promises 3 years with no snap breakage, and should you elastics break, they can be replaced in under 10 minutes easily.

I really like my Fuzzi Bunz a lot and I'm hoping you will too! Most cloth diaper sites carry them and now you can even find them at Target.com.

Cloth Diapers are certainly becoming mainstream when you can find them at Target ;)

Next week I'll be doing a review on a few kinds of covers, including woolies and fleece.

Have a great weekend!

Woot Woot

2009-08-26T00:31:00.000-07:00

I got new fleece soakers to review this week as well as a Fuzzibunz review featuring our first little man model, Noah.

I'm also working on something big. I'll get into it more later but I want to try and keep it under wraps so nobody can take my idea and run with it. Cause it's pretty revolutionary and awesome and I don't think it's anything thats been done recently. So it's hush hush until I get the first half of it done, then I'll share with you guys.

I also want to assure my readers that I will keep this blog going. No matter what.
I started it for my fellow cloth diapering folk. The confused first timers, to the seasoned pros.... I do this for you guys. Not for money, or notoriety, or anything else. Just to be a resource and a helping hand.

I can't wait to share with you all what I'm working on. It's big and I'm very excited.

Stay tuned for some reviews this week and a special announcement mid September.

* let me add too, that the more cloth diapering websites out there, the better. Raising awareness about the cloth diapering world is really important to me. So I wish any other mom's out there with sites and blogs the best of luck! For the CD Bloggers out there, you should join Cloth Diapering Bloggers
They have a lot to offer and are a good source of information.

I'm on a roll tonight

2009-08-23T02:59:00.000-07:00

This not sleeping thing has benefits.

I wanted to post about detergents for cloth diapering. It's very important to avoid detergents that contain brighteners, whiteners, bleach, enzymes or any such "enchancements". These things can cause soap residue to build up, compound ammonia smell, and cause your diapers to repel wetness rather than absorb them...

So which detergents are safe?

Pinstripes and Polkadots has a really good list of good and bad detergents and at the very bottom explains why some cause issues with cloth diapers. What might be a major problem for a prefold, could be even worse for your pockets. Check out the link above!

(ps. I use Liquid Planet. I love it, it works great, and it's for both standard and HE machines!)

Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

2009-08-23T02:51:00.000-07:00

The Cloth Diaper Whisperer is having another giveaway!

This week's giveaway is for :
2-Baby Legs (given by manufacturer)
1-bumGenius One Size Diaper (given by DiaperShops.com)
1-bumGenius Baby Legs (given by DiaperShops.com)

Click on the link above and check it out!

Pinning a Prefold

2009-08-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Lots of people ask me if I prefer snappi's or pins when it comes to securing my diapers. I feel that Snappi's can be wonderful for prefolds, but I've had them pop off and cut my daughter before. It may be the way she moves, it could be user error.
Whatever the case my be, I kick it old school with my pins.

You can buy safe, locking head pins at your local Walmart, or most major online diaper stores. I bought mine from Walmart. In this pictorial step by step, I'm using a rather large prefold on Izzy. I ordered the wrong kind when I was pregnant. Since we live as frugal as we can, I'm going to continue to use these, until she grows out of them.

Now most people don't even bother with pinning. You can simply fold the prefold in thirds and lay it inside the diaper cover. But if you're using a pull up cover like a woolie or a fleece soaker, it's better to fold and pin.

For this demonstration I will be doing the Jelly Roll fold.

First I lay the prefold flat and place Izzy on top. For a normal prefold you'd want to line the back edge up with your child's belly button... But since these are freaking HUUUUGE, I'm going a bit higher:

From Cloth diapering

Told you they were long...
Now to do a Jelly Roll you simply roll the sides in like so:

From Cloth diapering

This fold is great for containing even the nastiest of blow outs.
Next, we pull the rolls up the middle of baby:

From Cloth diapering

Now because this is such a huge/long prefold, I simply fold the top under like this:

From Cloth diapering

Next, using one hand hold the middle section flat while you bring up the wing from the side. Pull it as tight as you can get it (don't worry it will relax later)and overlap it over the middle portion like so:

From Cloth diapering

Be sure to keep your fingers between the diaper and your babies skin, because this is the point we will insert your locking head diaper pin. Insert the pin at a diagonal, pointing towards the hip. If you have a squirmy baby, be mindful of his flailing hands:

From Cloth diapering

Lock your pin and move to the other side. Repeat the process by holding the middle portion flush to the hip and pulling the side wing up and over as tight as you can. Then pin. It should look something like this:

From Cloth diapering

Mind you, with a smaller prefold it will be more even and much less bulky. This is just... huge...
The Jelly Roll is pretty snug on the side of babies leg, giving you a nice rolled "gusset" to protect from any sneaky poo that might try to get onto your precious woolies ;)

From Cloth diapering

As you can see, you can never pull the prefold tight enough. The fabric WILL relax, so you will /not/ hurt your little one:

From Cloth diapering

Note the happy model ;)

From Cloth diapering

Now that you've got your prefold pinned, you can either place a wrap style diaper cover such as a Thirsties or a wool or fleece soaker such as this one we purchased from Bellies, Babies 'n More. It's one of my favorites.

From Cloth diapering

This soaker is also a weeeeee bit big on our little Izzy, as you can tell in the legs, but if you have a nice tight Jelly Roll, there will be no leaks. I haven't had any.

So that's the basic pinning of a prefold.
I love the Jelly roll best because, as I said, it really holds in the poop. There are also many other ways to fold a prefold. The Diaper Hyena has some good examples of other folds to try.

Happy Pinning!

It's abbreviation time!

2009-08-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

I get a lot of "Hey, what in the heck is a BSRB". I get that a lot actually...
So I figured while I'm up at 1:30am with a cranky post shot baby, I might as well post some definitions for some of the newbies out there. These are NOT in alphabeticaly order, cause frankly, it's to darn early for that...

First off, BSRB:

BSRB: short for Bagshot Row Bamboo which is a fitted, one sized, certified organic bamboo diaper that is VERY popular with the cloth diapering crowd right now. It's made by a wonderful WAHM (thats work at home mom) named Joyce. These diapers can be pinned or snappied and should be used with a cover if you are headed out in one. Most of us just let our babes run around uncovered if we're just chilling out at home. Joyce has recently come out with a All in One that does not require a cover. I've yet to get my hands on one.

GM: Short Good Mama which is another type of fitted diaper that is one sized and has a row of snaps across the front for adjusting the rise. They are made from both organic cotton velor or organic bamboo velor. These diaper don't require any pinning or snappi, but the regular ones do require a cover for extended use, much like a BSRB. The creator of this diaper has also come out with a All in one that eliminates the need for a cover.

FB: Short for Fuzzibunz, a pocket diaper available in a one size fits all or a sized option. Very soft, very leak resistant.

BG: Short for BumGenius. This is a great company who makes many kinds of diapers. From fitteds, to pockets, to All in Ones. They have fleece lined diapers, suede cloth lined diapers, organic bamboo.. Just about anything.

Pockets: Pockets refers to a style of diaper that has a "pocket" in the back in which you would "stuff" or insert a absorbent insert.

Fitted: Fitted refers to a style of diaper that fits to your baby, has elastics in the leg, and typically requires a cover. These are made of very absorbent materials and can be secured with snaps, a snappi, or pins.

AIO: Short for All In One, which simply means its a diaper AND a cover together. Some AIO's have pockets, some do not.

AI2: short for All In Two which is similar to a AIO in the fact it is a diaper WITH a built in cover, but the insert/soaker is attached in some form...

DSQ: stands for "Diaper Service Quality" and refers to prefold diapers that are of good, absorbent quality vs. flats you can find in the store.

Prefold: Prefolds are diapers that are many layers of cotton sewn together, the thickest being in the middle where you need it most. These can be used with pins, snappis, or you can simply fold them in thirds and lay them in a diaper cover.

Snappi: A Snappi is a stretchy, t-shapped rubbery fastner used to secure a fitted diaper or a prefold diaper. These awesome little guys have replaced the need for diaper pins in most households (though I still love to pin my prefolds)

Soaker: A soaker can be one of two things. When I think of a soaker, I'm thinking of a diaper cover made from a water resistant material such as wool, or fleece that you can put over a prefold or fitted to repel leaks. It can also refer to a extra absorbent insert used to boost leak protection in a diaper.

WAHM: Short for "Work at Home Mom" which is pretty self explanatory. A WAHM is a mom who chooses to work from the home so she can raise her children.

Woolies: Woolies refer to a type of diaper cover. These can be hand knit from wool yarn into adorable little soakers, shorts, or long pants. They can also be made from recycled wool sweaters. Wool is naturally antibacterial, super absorbent and yet breathable for your babe's booty.

Shorties/Longies: Refers to either a short style soaker or a long "pants" style.

I'll add more as they come to me :P

Exciting things to come!

2009-08-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

There may be a giveaway coming to Rambles and Shambles. My very first one :)
Stay tuned and one of my faithful readers may have a chance at a free soaker from Jen at winkydinks

Also coming this week will be a prefold/pinning pictorial.

From Cloth diapering

My first love, Bum Genius 3.0

2009-08-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

When my husband and I first decided to cloth diaper, I was around 5 months pregnant with Isabella. We tossed back and forth the idea of a diaper service, but ultimatley we decided to just wash at home. There is a lack of cloth diaper services and stores in Las Vegas so there really wasn't much of an option but to shop online.

The very first place I found was Cottonbabies.com. I sat there, jaw agape, and stared in wild eyed wonder at all the different types of diapers. I was in awe. What would I chose?

It was then I saw my beloved Bum Genius. I was so intrigued by the idea of a One Size diaper that would fit my newborn (they say around 7lbs) till she was potty training as a toddler. It blew my mind. And all the pretty colors caught my eye. There was a blaze orange for Daddy, thats his favorite! I was VERY excited to say the least.

I still am! I've got to say these are my favorite pockets outside of my sized Fuzzi Bunz.

The Bum Genius 3.0 One Size is a one size fits all pocket style diaper. It has snaps on the front that adjust verticly for size and applix hook and loop closure taps to ensure a snug fit:

From Cloth diapering

The inserts are made of microfiber and every diaper comes with one Newborn shorter style booster and their larger booster which snaps down for smaller babies. I use them both for Izzy right now, cause the girl pees like a race horse.

The pocket is the coolest part of the diaper. After you stuff it, the Bum Genius has a patent pending fold down stopper that keeps the insert inside the pocket and your baby's clothing dry:

From Cloth diapering

This is a very husband/babysitter/grandparents friendly diaper. Simply lay the baby on the diaper and pull the tabs across and fasten as so:

From Cloth diapering

You can even overlap the tabs on a smaller baby.
Some people have complained that the applix gets pilly and falls apart for them. However I've had no problems. It may be because I line dry my diapers outside, and because I take time to pull any loose strings off my velcro and trim any fuzzies.
If you're a crafty Mommy, you can always revamp with a snap press.
OR you can pay a little extra for the BumGenius One Size Organic Diaper with snaps which requires no stuffing of inserts and of course, has snaps. I personally prefer the velcro for the snug fit I get.
This diaper is amazing, cleans up well, and so far has lasted us with no problems. At $17.95 brand new it's a good investment for a diaper that will carry you through to potty training. You can also find this diaper on lots of swap boards for $12-$14 dollars a pop.

I totally recommend this diaper to my cloth diapering mama's out there. Pockets are nice to have for night time diapering (you can stuff as many inserts as you need in there for a good nights sleep with no leaks) and for the cloth diaper inept (like the hubbies and the sitters). I have 6 I keep for my husband, since he's prefold challenged ;)

Izzy loves her BumGenius:

From Cloth diapering

Overdue GoodMama review

2009-08-14T17:35:00.000-07:00

I had purchased some used Good Mama's off Diaperswappers.com because of mixed reviews from my fellow Babycenter.com Mama's.

Here we have a Good Mama OBV (Organic Bamboo Velor):

From Cloth diapering

It is super soft and really heavy. I loved the feel of the fabric and I'm sure Izzy liked it too ;) The snap in soaker was made of the same bamboo velor and was VERY soft despite being second hand.

This is a One Sized Fitted Diaper, you will need a cover for this diaper if your using it for naps or for long periods of time (although they just came up with a new AIO diaper with a cover called The One.
When we open it, you see a row of snaps on the inside:

From Cloth diapering

Here we have this One Size diaper on my 13lb baby girl:

From Cloth diapering

Notice the 2 rows of snaps. In order to fit a smaller baby, you have to fold the rise down and snap the inside row:

From Cloth diapering

Then overlay the wings for smaller babies and snap where the fit is best for your baby:

From Cloth diapering

As you can see, it's a little bulky on a smaller baby, giving them quite a "bubble butt":

From Cloth diapering

But the overall fit isn't bad at all.

Now for the review part of this review:

I REALLLLLY wanted to like this diaper. I really did. However despite the pretty colors, the awesome fabric, and the benefit of a one size fitted, I had some design issues. The snaps on the inner row rubbed my poor daughter something fierce. They left awful red marks on her. When I contacted their customer service department, they suggested I had the diaper to tight (which I did not) and that I might try to buy their Good Front Soaker to cover the snaps.
However I feel that this would be such a simple fix for them.
I've also had many Mom's tell me they've had horrible problems with the snaps breaking, arriving broken, or missing entirely.

So I sold all my Good Mama diapers and continue the search for a fitted that has snaps that are covered. The concept behind this diaper is great, if they could just do something about the snaps I would probably buy quite a few of these. The fabric and the fit is really nice (though with the OBV's the soaker can bunch up a bit, which sucks for poops)

I prefer my BSRB's over the Good Mama.
For one, the fit is more customizable with my BSRB's. I can get a much more snug fit on my wiggly baby with a snappy and a bsrb.
Also, the fabric, while maybe not /as/ soft as velor, is way more absorbant.
I also found that BSRB's fit much better under a traditional cover than my Good Mama's did. Plus! The customer service for BSRB's (Joyce herself!) can't be beat.

So all in all, these diapers are a great steal if you can get them second hand on one of the many swap boards out there. But I wouldn't pay full price for one until they come up with a way to cover the snaps that doesn't involve me buying a additional soaker. In the meantime I would recommend a BSRB over this diaper anyday.

Have a great weekend folks!

Fear not!

2009-08-14T02:02:00.000-07:00

I am so sorry I've not been posting my usual reviews, dear hearts.
Life has been hectic these days.

As most of you know, I had to leave a promising career with my company to stay home with the girls. Daycare in Nevada was just to expensive (250 a week for a baby???) and to put our Isabella in daycare full time and pay for our Caity-bug to go to after school programs and summer daycare was going to cost MORE than I was making. So we made the decision for me to stay home, cut costs where we can and do our very best to make it on one not so great income.

My husband works very hard, and has a very high stress job on the Las Vegas strip for one of the top luxury resorts. However, when the economy took a nosedive, the company cut ALL the employee's pay, even their executives took a 20% cut! They could have just fired everybody, but they tried to keep everyone's jobs instead and cut back wages.

So with tourism at a all time low in Vegas, and our unemployment rates being the highest in the country, we are struggling.

What I usually do is buy one diaper to demo for you guys at a time. If I like it, I keep it. If I'm fond of it but it's not perfect for Izzy, I pass it on and/or trade it for something else to demo for you lovely readers. With money as tight as it is, I haven't been able to afford much to do my readers. I have sold a lot of my current favs to pay for some BSRB's and wool because the fitteds work so much better for DD. The pockets just don't fit her tiny little body very well... All the diapers I buy now, I pay for with PayPal from selling other diapers.

Except for tonight's stocking, Joyce you'll be the death of me...

Anywho. Once things pick back up I swear I'll get some more products up for you. If any manufacturers or WAHM would like to send me a diaper to demo for my faithful readers, feel free. I have a lot of followers on Babycenter.com and if your diaper is awesome, I can get the word out for you among the cloth diaper addicts :)

Now for my fellow cloth diapering mamas....

Leave me a comment of what items you would like me to demo for you. Diapers, covers, how to fold, pin, snappi. Whatever you're curious about and I will do my best to make it happen for you.

I have my Good Mama review in pictures ready to go, just need to type it. I also will be doing the BumGenius 3.0 soon as well as a few wool and fleece WAHM covers I'm waiting on.

Goodnight Ladies and Gents, and God Bless you and your families in these hard times.

Sarah

I might be a addict...

2009-07-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

I bought a new orange and grey BSRB and I totally sold all 3 of my GoodMama's to buy more on thursday.

Thank you Joyce for making such a wonderful diaper!

Bagshot Row Bamboo Review

2009-07-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

I have finally gotten my hands on the famous, the elusive, the coveted BSRB fitted diaper. I have seen fights over these diapers, women selling their whole diaper stashes just to get these diapers, all day "stalking" right up until the big moment. Needles to say, I just had to get one to see what all the fuss was about.

Bagshot Row Bamboo Diapers are the brainchild of a work at home mom, named Joyce. She and her husband have six children and got into the cloth diapering world the way most of us do, to save money and to save our children's bottoms from harsh chemicals and painful rashes. Joyce got interested in bamboo, according to her website, for its antimicrobial properties and high absorbency. It's also very very soft and very durable. She came up with these wonderful diapers.

These diapers are one size, and will last till potty training. They are made from 100% certified bamboo/organic cotton fleece. They come in a variety of prints, amazing prints, that people will literally fight over. They can be washed with your other diapers in the usual routine : Cold rinse, wash on hot with a natural detergent, do another cold rinse and either line dry until slightly damp(preferable) and tumble dry on low/medium heat with a dry towel. Or if you don't have access to a line to dry or the weather is bad you can just dry them in the dryer on low/medium.
The more you wash these, the more absorbent they will become.

Here is our somewhat happy model, Izzy:

From Cloth diapering

Annnnd here is the glorious BSRB Fitted Diaper in Cotton Candy Skulls:

From Cloth diapering

The diaper comes with a snap in full sized bamboo organic/cotton fleece doublers that can be folded in on each other to provide even more absorbency. She also includes a extra booster:

From Cloth diapering

For my 3 month old, I just layed her down on the diaper and folded the rise down like so:

From Cloth diapering

Because these wings are already tapered, I just tucked the rise in underneath and pulled the wings tight and slapped a snappi on that bad boy:

From Cloth diapering

Or a pin if you are so inclined:

From Cloth diapering

I prefer the pin if she doesn't have a cover on, because she can pull the snappi of and hurt herself. Technically, any fitted, you need a cover. However these are so absorbent, many moms will let their baby chill without a cover for up to 3 or 4 hours with no problems at all. The leg gussets fit GREAT around her little thighs:

From Cloth diapering

Izzy seems to like them, they are super soft and fit her little 11 pound frame very well:

From Cloth diapering

All in all, I love this diaper. It's everything promised by all the hype I've heard the last 6 months. They are trim, absorbent, soft and very cute. I would totally recommend this diaper to every cloth diapering momma:

From Cloth diapering

At 20$ a diaper they are totally worth the price. Most pockets cost around 18$ to 24$ anyway. I dare say I might be a convert.

For more information on this fabulous diaper, please visit Joyce's website at Bagshotrowbamboo.com
To get your hands on one, simply visit her website and click on Shop to be taken to her hyena cart. She stocks her shop every Thursday around 7pm eastern. You have to be quick though. Get there a few minutes before and decide which diaper you want. Once the clock rolls to 7pm they become available and you have to refresh and click "buy it now" as fast as you can because these diapers are sold out in less than 5 minutes. There are over a 100 shoppers waiting to get just one of these amazing diapers. Thus the "stalking" aspect of it ;)

Happy Hunting!

Holy Crow I got one!

2009-07-16T17:10:00.000-07:00

I finally got myself a BSRB!
I managed to get my hands on the cotton candy skulls print.
As soon as it gets here I will demo it for you guys.

I am so excited.

The elusive BSRB

2009-07-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

GOD I want one....

Not only to demo for the blog, but because I wasn't all that impressed with my Goodmama's that I got used.

BSRB stands for Bagshot Row Bamboo. They are amazing, from what I hear. They are organic bamboo fitted diapers that are one size fits all. Of course if you are reading this blog you know what they are most likely.

The woman who makes them, Joyce, has some amazing prints and they are beyond cute. The only downside is you have to stalk her hyena cart to get a diaper. She restocks her site Thursday nights at 7pm EST. I have no been able to get my hands on one, as they sell out in minutes... but you can go to her website and check out her diapers and prints. You can also try Spot's Corner for some used ones as well as other used diapers. Or try the Cloth Diaper Super Store for them and other good deals on diapers.

All in all, very cute. Mommy like....

One of these days I'll get my hands on one and demo it for you guys. Right now, money is tight with one income and we already are having to sacrifice our first wedding anniversary for lack of funds... So no new diapers for quite some time.

If you are a cloth diaper manufacturer or WAHM and would like me to demo your product here email me at sjetter@gmail.com

To find out more about these awesome diapers, you can also visit the BSRB FAQ located on Babycenter.com that was posted by one of the awesome cloth diapering Mama's on the Cloth Diapering Board

By the way

2009-07-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

Since this blog has turned into a place I mostly review products, and talk about pregnancy, children, frugal living and all that... I opened a new blog for my friends and family to visit for my personal rants, family updates and such:
Life, Love & Caffiene pretty much sums it up lol.

Keep checking back here for the usual cloth diapering blogs, reviews, parenting stuff and etc.
If you want to listen to me b*tch and whine, then go to the other one ;)

Review: Happy Heiny's One SIze Diaper

2009-07-10T12:11:00.001-07:00

ANNNND we might as well roll out one more review while the cranky baby is asleep.

Happy Heiny makes a One Size diaper I truly adore. It comes in snap or velcro, but since I prefer my velcro/aplix, thats what I bought to demo.

Here we have a black Happy Heiny OS, Velcro style:

From Cloth diapering

Much like the BumGenius diapers, you have a adjustable rise via a snapping system, here I have it snapped on it's smallest setting:

From Cloth diapering

This diaper also has a open pocket to allow for the insert to come out in the wash and make for easier stuffing:

From Cloth diapering

Now the difference between this and the Mommy's Touch that I previously reviewed is the waistband actually curls over the opening so the fleece lining and insert don't stick out:

From Cloth diapering

Here you can see the waist in the front and how the velcro attaches. The wings can also overlap eachother:

From Cloth diapering

The leg gussets are also very nice and fit snug, but not so tight it leaves red marks:

From Cloth diapering

I gotta say, this is my second favorite diaper next to my BumGenius diapers. It's also in heavy rotation. I'd say my main rotation is primarily made up of BumGenius, Happy Heiny, Mommy's Touch and then prefolds and wraps.

I purchased these from Nicki's Diapers where I seem to do a lot of purchasing these days.

Next week I will review some used Good Mamma OBV fitted diapers I just got on trade with another Cloth Diapering Mom in Canada.

Have a great weekend!

Review: Mommy's Touch OS

2009-07-10T11:47:00.001-07:00

I bought a few Mommy's Touch One Size Diapers to review/demo for this blog.
I bought both the Velcro and Snap version.
I'll be reviewing the Snap version on here because I looove the velcro and it's currently in the wash due to being in heavy rotation in my diaper stash.

So here were have our Mommy's Touch One Size (OS) Snap Diaper:

From Cloth diapering

It's got a nice fleece lining (which I love, poop comes off much easier on fleece) and a waterproof outside.
And here we have our NOT so willing model, Izzy:

From Cloth diapering

She's teething at 11 weeks and not very pleased to be in the company of anything that isn't rubbing her gums. So the camera can go to hell as far as she's concerned.

This diaper is adjustable by snapping down the waist and folding it under to fix the rise. The wings also snap in on themselves:

From Cloth diapering

The pocket in the back is left open, so the insert will come out in the wash on it's own:

From Cloth diapering

On the one hand this is nice, no touching the icky insert if it's especially pee soaked. On the other hand it is annoying because you have to tuck the fleece under the gathers at the back of the diaper or it sticks out and over the waist band and wicks onto your baby's clothing:

From Cloth diapering

Here it is snapped down to ALMOST the smallest setting. The wings can overlay if need be:

From Cloth diapering

The only problem I've really had is the inside wings sometimes droop down and leave gaps:

From Cloth diapering

Which I only noticed when she was sitting up in her car seat and the inside of her diaper was hanging out. Took me a second to figure out why.

All in all, Mommy's Touch Diapers are really nice. I prefer the adjustibility of the velcro version over the snaps. Every baby's body is different and sometimes the snaps aren't in the right position to give a excellent fit. I use the velcro version in heavy rotation with my BumGenius 3.0's. The fleece lining is a plus and they have so many cute colors and prints.

I buy my Mommy's Touch Diapers from Nicki's Diapers as well as my Happy Heiny's which I will review in my next blog. She's also got a great clearance sale page you should really check out.

Seriously Slacking.

2009-07-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking on my reviews, I know. It's been a long couple days.
Our darling little Izzy has 2 teeth erupting. Her 2 top canines are poking through. Keep in mind she is only 11 weeks old. Poor thing is miserable.
So I've been dealing with a uber drooly, uber angry baby.

I have 2 reviews to do still. Later on this week I will be reviewing the One Size Fuzzi Bunz with the hip snap, and the One Size Mommy's Touch with Snaps. I also have a used Good Mama fitted diaper or two coming in that I will give a general review on. I won't be to harsh because they are used, and no bought straight from a vendor.

I promise you I'll be back on my little cloth diapering soap box soon. I am just exhausted and running on fumes right now.

I am also going to be looking into trying some GAD diapers and possible a Apple Cheeks.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend....

Review: New Thirsties Duo Wrap!

2009-07-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

I'm really excited about this one.

Thirsties has come out with a new diaper cover/wrap called the Duo Wrap. It comes in 2 sizes, vs the normal Thirsties cover that you have to buy each size to use. I purchased size one, which fits babies 6-18lbs (up to roughly 9 months). That is what I'll be reviewing today. Size 2 fits 8-40lbs (from 8 months to 36+).

Here are they are:

From Cloth diapering

And here is our lovely model, Izzy (excuse the blur, she moves fast):

From Cloth diapering

We put a newborn sized Indian Prefold on her with a Snappi:

From Cloth diapering

Here is the Duo Wrap on it's smallest setting:

From Cloth diapering

The rise is just right and the gussets aren't choking her legs like the regular covers tend to do:

From Cloth diapering

A perfect fit on her belly:

From Cloth diapering

And no scrunching up on her back or red marks:

From Cloth diapering

All in all, it's a great cover. I am REALLY impressed and will be ordering more size ones and a couple size twos. The fit was great, the price is awesome at $12.75 each, and they come in 8 different colors. There is no funky fit in the leg, as with the previous covers, and the Duo Wrap covered her prefold perfectly on all sides.

I would definitely recommend this product for all you cloth diapering Mama's out there. I will be putting my old Thirsties covers up for sale/trade and use the new Duo Wrap for my stash from here on out.

AppleCheeks Giveaway :)

2009-06-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

So Fawned is doing a Apple Cheeks giveaway! I just entered and you should too! Apple Cheeks are a great diapering system. You can find out more Here

Enjoy!

Smartipants Review

2009-06-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this with the following:

Not every diaper is best for every baby. Some diapers are awesome and fit lots of babies, but not some babies. Smartipants are incredibly well made, good quality fabrics/materials. They just didn't work for US.

So here's my review.

I ordered a 3 pack of One Size Diapers from Smartipants.com because I had seen great reviews for them on Diaperpin.com .

I got them today, washed them per the instructions, and slapped a pair on Izzy:

From Cloth diapering

Here we have it on the smallest setting/as tight as I could get it on my 9.5 lb baby. The rise wasn't as adjustable as I would have hoped and there was some major gaping at her tummy and her thighs:

From Cloth diapering

Also the insert (while super super soft and absorbent) is a one size insert. Unfortunatley that means when it's on the smallest setting, it sticks out a bit at the ends:

From Cloth diapering

Which is okay in the back because the back gusset hides it, but the front sticks out over the waist band and I can imagine wicking issues with this.

I'm hoping that when my daughter is a bit older it will fit her snugger. I can't return them at this point, because as we speak Izzy is loading her brand new smartipants diaper... lol.

We'll see how it holds up to explosive baby poo in about 5 minutes.

All in all Smartipants is a well made diaper, but for now it's going to the bottom of my stash until Izzy is older, then we'll try them again.

The things I would change are the spacing of the snaps in order to provide a more adjustable rise, and maybe make a smaller insert for younger babies like BumGenius has. Otherwise it's a nice pocket diaper.

On a personal note: I'm kinda bummed. My husband said he'd let me get 3 more diapers prior to this, and then I can't buy anymore for 2 months, let alone bug him about getting more. So I chose these Smartipants for the good reviews and the great price... but I'm kinda wishing I would have just ordered some more BumGenius or Mommy's Touch or Happy Heiny's from Nicki's Diapers only because I know those diapers work amazingly well for my daughter. Those are my top 3 pocket diapers.

Oh well. If I've learned anything in this whole cloth diapering adventure, it's you have to try new things to find what really works best for you. I'm glad I gave them a try.

Smarti Pants?

2009-06-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

So I'm giving these lovely diapers a try:

Smartipants.com

It's a new pocket diaper thats a one size fits all. Meaning it grows with your baby from infant to toddler. It's kinda like the BumGenius 3.0's I have, but these have snaps and I heard a lot of good reviews about them on
Diaperpin.com
so I figured why not.

They should be here tomorrow or the following day, then I'll wash and use and review them on here. I'm a little daunted by snaps, I'll admit... I always used velcro/aplix cause it's just easier for me. However I'm learning from other cloth diapering mom's out there that snaps give you a better fit, more customizeable. So I figured I'd give it a shot. If I like it I'll get more Happy Heiny's and BumGenius diapers in snaps.

Mike is going to kill me if I don't stop ordering these... but at the same time it's saved us so much money. Disposeables cost so damn much per year (like 2k) where as you can reuse these, save them for the next kid, or even resell them at places like Diaperswappers.com for a really good price! I haven't used a disposable diaper in over 2 weeks. I had used one or two here and there when we were out in public. Now I just carry a ziploc freezer bag in my diaper bag to stuff a used cloth diaper in if we are out. It's no different than using a disposable cause you still have to touch a disposable to throw it away.

Plus I love Cottonbabies.com because I get my Bum Genius 3.0's there and they have some great sales/clearances every now and again on factory seconds, and thats when I stock up like crazy. All that means is they have a minor defect, like a smug of dirt from production, a crooked tag, or something you probably won't even notice. I love it! I was able to get some really awesome fleece lined Bum Genius 3.0's last time and they are much softer on Izzy's butt. Now I just need to get some in the snap version.

I recently got in touch with a old friend, Dani, whom I'd not spoken to in a very long time (due to petty bullshit fights we had a long time ago, we're both so over it) and she knits and makes the most beautiful yarn... She might make me some wool soakers for Izzy. I'd love that, seeing as they are very expensive online.
What I need to do is learn how to knit from her, then buy her yarn, knit some woolies and sell them for 30 bucks a pop and make me some money :D

Anywho. Izzy is finally taking a nap, and Caitlin is slowly falling asleep, talking to herself, but trying... I just had a glass of wine (thanks for leaving that behind Dad) and it's time to go kill some bad guys online!

Goodnight everybody!

2009-06-23T19:55:00.000-07:00

Grampa Romeo and the girls

annnnd some video of Izzy:

Laundry Day lol

2009-06-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a small glimpse into my cloth diaper laundry routine.

I wash my cloth diapers every other day. I have 17 Pocket Diapers and a bunch of prefolds and covers. So Izzy wears the pocket diapers all day and on laundry day she's in prefolds while I wash everything. I could even go longer, maybe every 2 days, but after I'm done with my chores and cleaning I have nothing better to do so I might as well wash some laundry ;)

Here's how I usually do it.
When I change her, I have 2 pails I put stuff in. One is for the pocket diapers and covers, the other is the inserts and prefolds. That was I don't have to worry about the velcro on the pockets getting messed up.

I'll throw Izzy in a prefold with a Thirstie's Cover and then do a load of pockets (mostly BumGenius 3.0's but there are a couple Mommy's Touch and Happy Heiny's in there). I wash them on cold with no detergent once, then hot with detergent, then throw in a extra cold rinse. After thats done, I hang dry them on a cheap little sweater drying rack I got at walmart, and put them outside in my back yard in the sun. They dry within like a hour usually due to the Vegas heat.

While those are drying I throw in my inserts and prefolds and do the exact same thing with them except I dry those in the dryer on low.

All in all it's easy and fast and doesn't interfere with my day. I get a ton of stuff done while I'm doing the diapers. Plus the washing machine helps lull the crabby baby to sleep so maybe I can take a nap too lol.

I plan on getting some more diapers. It's kind of like a addiction. Once you get into it and realize how damn easy it is, and discover products like One Size Pocket Diapers (adjusts to fit your baby from birth to like 35lbs which is amazingly economical vs. disposables), you start getting addicted to buying different kinds to try, different colors and fabrics. Do you want organic fabrics? Fleece? Microfiber terry cloth? Prints or solid colours? There are so many different kinds to choose from. There are Minky diapers which are like the Cadillac's of the cloth diaper world... They are made from a super soft fabric that feels like... well... a mink coat. They start at around 35 bucks each.
Then there are woolies, which cost a pretty penny to unless you know how to make them. They are wool covers that are amazingly absorbent. I want them so bad but my husband is threatening to break my fingers if I don't stop buying cloth diapers ;)

Speaking of.... The little one needs a changing!
Later!

Adventures in Cloth Diapering

2009-06-19T07:35:00.001-07:00

People who know me well, know I hate fuss and having to take extra steps for anything. I look for short cuts as much as possible. A lot of people were surprised I chose to cloth diaper. I won't go on a huge rant about it. I've already said how much you can save, how it's better for your baby's skin etc..

I just wanted to share something cool I bought ;)

So when your baby is exclusively breast fed, you can just toss poopy diapers in the washer because it is water soluble. However Izzy is on formula now and her poop needs to be dumped off the diaper. Well, in the old days, mom's would dunk the poopy diaper in the toilet to get the poop off before washing them. Now you don't have to. There are a few ways to do it now.

You can use these soft paper liners in your diaper that can be flushed. So it catches the poop and you just chuck it in the toilet.

Also some cloth diapers have a fleece lining that poops doesn't stick to well, and once your baby starts solids, it will just roll off into the toilet.

Now my baby is still young, 2 months to be exact. So her poop is like freakin peanut butter. So I can either use a liner OR I can use this lovely product:

From Cloth diapering

It took me 2 minutes to install... Basically it's a sprayer that you hook up to your toilet line and it can wall mount or tank mount. You can set it on high pressure to blast the poop off into the toilet OR you can set it on gentle and use it for feminine hygiene (or so the package says... lol)...

I had heard all the mom's on the baby boards I frequent talking about how I MUST have this thing. So I went on diapers.com and grabbed one. Since they are in the same state as me it was here the next day and I got to try it this morning when Izzy woke me up at 2:38AM (every night like clockwork) for a butt check. Sure enough she was poopy. So I changed her, put her back in the crib and went and tried the sprayer. It worked GREAAAAAT. I blasted all the nasty, sticky, evil baby poo into the toilet and tossed the diaper in the pail. I don't know how I did without this thing.

Anywho, I'm exhausted from no sleep, Izzy is cranky, and there is coffee to be drank. I'll post more later on the whole crack addict aspect of cloth diapering... like when my husband looks at me like I'm insane for wanting to order another cloth diaper with a cute print when we already have plenty.

It's a addiction. I swear.

Life

2009-06-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

Lets see...
My Dad came to visit on his way back to Alaska from Seattle. He was in Seattle finding out what they are going to do about a tumor that is growing off one of his kidneys. They are going to do some sort of radiologic procedure next month. So he came down to vegas to see Caitlin and meet his new grandbaby. It was so nice to see him again. I haven't seen him since I moved here from Alaska. My heart is breaking to see him leave again. I would give almost anything to be able to move back home and be a family again. It hurts, this searing, terrible pain... I just want to be with my family again. I want to raise my girls where I was raised. I want to be able to have dinner with my folks on the weekends again. I want to be able to have coffee with my best friend again and talk about our kids. I want to be able to drop my kids off with someone I trust so that my husband and I could have a date night.

I. Hate. Vegas.

*sigh* It doesn't matter cause I will never be able to go home.

Izzy turns 2 months today. She has her appointment this afternoon. It's a shot appointment... Something I am not looking forward to considering how very princess and the pea she is. The littlest things make her so uncomfortable. So shots are going to be great fun (ugh).

Summer is here and I'm home full time with my girls. I miss my job... but I know that this is better for the kids (and our bank account, omg daycare is expensive here) so I'm trying to remain positive and slide into this roll as a SAHM/House Wife.

I have to say I'm proud of myself for sticking to cloth diapers though. I have 17 BumGenius 3.0 one size diapers and I use them every day. They go on like a regular disposable. You just throw them in a diaper pail and wash them once in awhile. WAY to easy for so many people to still be using disposables and killing our planet. Not to mention all the chemicals in disposables up against your baby's junk! You can cloth diaper your baby with organic prefolds and some covers for super cheap, or get the one size pocket diapers like I have that grow with your baby and last you until they are potty trained... We're talking saving 2000.00 and up every year just by using cloth. It's not gross or a hassle like it was 50 years ago. If you can strap on a disposable then you can do cloth diapers. :)

/steps off her soapbox.

At least I can still do that. I had to stop pumping breast milk for Izzy due to medications I'm on for my back that could seriously harm her. I felt like such a failure because here I am, not able to breastfeed and now I can't even pump for her? I must have cried for days... BUT we found a good formula that she tolerates well and i figure I'm still doing cloth diapers and going to make my own baby food so I'm doing good stuff for her still and saving us money.

Speaking of babies.. Izzy is awake. I better try and feed her and get her back to sleep since it's 1am and she likes to keep my up all damn night.

much love,

Sarah

Cleared for Active Duty lol

2009-06-03T02:17:00.000-07:00

Well! My 6 week postpartum appointment has come and gone. I am now cleared to resume my normal activities. I can't wait.
I plan on throwing myself back into fitness, with a vengeance.

I have lost all the weight from my pregnancy, but I was a fat ass before I got pregnant so I still have quite a bit to loose now.

I walk every afternoon 1.6 miles to pick up my daughter from school. There is a amazing park just behind the school... I'm thinking of walking there twice a week or more since her last day of school in Friday. Other ideas include going back to belly dancing, and trying to do sit ups and stuff while the baby sleeps.

The hard part is the diet... We aren't very financially stable. I can't afford fruits and veggies very often. Our meals consist of cheap, boxed items. We do cut back on calories when we can. For example we use ground turkey instead of beef, light mayo, light sour cream etc. But honestly it's not enough. I need to find a way to supplement my diet with healthy foods that won't break our budget.

Plus, I'm on Depo now for birth control and that WILL make me gain weight. So I really really need to be extra careful.

I'll do my best. I really wanna make this work.

Anywho.. bed time for me. Bella is finally sleeping (colic has made life suck). I got my Moby Wrap in the mail and it's like instant sleeping baby... I put her in it and she's out like a light.

Better take advantage.

From More Bella

2009-06-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

6 weeks and full of smiles

Isabella Jayde Romeo is here :)

2009-04-24T22:12:00.000-07:00

Isabella was born 4/20/09 at 12:38pm.
She weighed 7lbs and 9oz and was 19 inches long.

From More Bella

37 Weeks!!!

2009-04-04T02:43:00.000-07:00

My C-Section has been scheduled for 4/20/09 at 7:30 am.
16 days to go and we'll have our little Izzy with us. I'm nervous, despite having a previous c-section, and a little on edge...

Isabella is head down now, finally, after weeks of transverse and breech movements. I'm almost sure that she'll flip back into breech though, considering the amount of movement i've been feeling the last 2 days.

I've been on bedrest for 2 months now. I was just finally starting to get my freedom back, and then my fluid dropped again. So they put me BACK on full bed rest till I deliver. I'm still being seen twice a week for ultrasounds and fetal testing to make sure everything is okay. So far so good. I'm just trying really hard to make it till 4/20 so Mike's mom and sister can be here for the birth. However, this baby is very stubborn and knowing her parents she could come any day now ;)

So thats the situation right now. Waiting for baby, enjoying time with my husband and my daughter before the baby comes, and trying to not go crazy sitting at home.

Caitlin has had some sort of cold/flu the last week and its totally kicking her ass. PLUS her body is trying to adjust to being on her ADHD medication so she's just a miserable bundle of snot and tears. I'm going to try and spend as much time with her as I can before Izzy gets here. Caity knows that babies need a lot of attention, and she knows I'll love her just as much as always and the baby isn't going to take her place... but she still needs some love and attention. ESPECIALLY since her biological father has once again bailed on her and hasn't paid a dime in child support so all our money is going to her medical bills and dentist that could be going to fun stuff for her.. but I digress....

I better go lay back down. Between my back hurting, the contractions randomly through out the day, and leaky boobs... I'm pretty miserable.

oh WTF!

2009-03-19T15:25:00.001-07:00

My darling belly bean is trying to make me crazy.
I swear I had dropped this week. my belly was low and shaped funny, I was in a ton of pain, I was kinda hoping things were well on their way to wrapping up.

No such luck.

Go in for the ultrasound today only to find out SURPRISE!!!! She is no longer head down. Now she is laying sideways like in a hammock. My hopes for her being fully engaged went out the window. She had been vertex (head down) for a couple weeks but apparently all the pain I've been feeling is her trying to move around and flip over when there is no more room left for her to do that.

I was in tears.

Maybe its just the hormones, maybe its the fatigue... but I don't think I can take another 4 weeks of this hell... My first daughter was no where near as painful as this one has been. Even the miscarriages were less painful than this pregnancy.
I just want to be done.
I'm so tired, exhausted really... I just want to curl up in a ball and sob.

Lucky for me I still have a ton of crap to get done around the house. Bed rest or no bed rest, I need to get things clean for when my husband's family comes down. I need to finish up cleaning the nursery and washing the cloth diapers. I need to get Caitlin's room cleaned up with her cause it's a war zone in there. I need to plan and shop for next weeks meals.

I'm going to just go lay down now and stop rambling. I'm not in a good place, mentally speaking, right now.

34 weeks. Crazy...

2009-03-16T11:22:00.001-07:00

Well, we're in the final home stretch it seems.

We had some complications a few weeks ago. My amniotic fluid dropped really low for some reason and they put me on bed rest and extra fluids. It seemed to help because as of last Thursday my fluid level is back to normal. They are still seeing me twice a week for ultrasounds and fetal monitoring. I have a appointment today @ 2pm.

As much as I hate going in to the doctor so much, I do really enjoy seeing her on the ultrasound twice a week. It gives me some peace to know she's doing okay.

On the home front, things are getting better little by little. Mike is still as stressed as ever, but he's managing it better. Out daughter is slowly starting to improve in school. We are having her evaluated for ADD/ADHD. She's pretty much the poster child for it, and it would explain all the horrible behavior and crazy mood swings. We're hoping things work out and between medication, more structure, and me staying home with her and her sister... things will be better for the next school year.

I have 2 baby showers this weekend. My coworkers are throwing me a shower at my friend Joyce's house, and my friend Clarice is throwing a small one for family and a few friends at a Italian restaurant. We are pretty much set for Isabella's arrival now. I'm waiting on a few more cloth diapers to get here, but other than that all we need now is the baby :D

That's pretty much all I can think of as far as a update right now.
I will try and post more when I'm not brain dead.

Namaste and love.

Something Lovely

2009-02-25T09:05:00.001-08:00

The One Flaw In Women

By the time the Lord made woman,
He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said,
'Why are you spending so much time on this one?'
And the Lord answered, 'Have you seen my spec sheet on her?
She has to be completely washable, but not plastic,
have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable
and able to run on diet coke and leftovers,
have a lap that can hold four children at one time,
have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart
-and she will do everything
with only two hands.'

The angel was astounded at the requirements.
'Only two hands!? No way!
And that's just on the standard model?
That's too much work for one day.
Wait until tomorrow to finish.'
'But I won't, ' the Lord protested.
'I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart.
She already heals herself when she is sick
AND can work 18 hour days.'

The angel moved closer and touched the woman.
'But you have made her so soft, Lord.'

'She is soft,' the Lord agreed,
'but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish.'

'Will she be able to think?', asked the angel.

The Lord replied,
'Not only will she be able to think,
she will be able to reason and negotiate.'

The angel then noticed something,
and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek.
'Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model.
I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one.'

'That's not a leak,'
the Lord corrected,
'that's a tear!'
'What's the tear for?' the angel asked.

The Lord said, 'The tear is her way of expressing her joy,
her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love,
her loneliness, her grief and her pride.'
The angel was impressed.
'You are a genius, Lord.
You thought of everything!
Woman is truly amazing.'

And she is!
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness,
love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take 'no' for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a f riend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.

They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideals.
They give moral support to their family and friends.
Women have vital things to say and everything to give

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE TINY FLAW IN WOMEN,

IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Tired, so very tired...

2009-02-16T16:29:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I have never been so tired in my entire life. I've had a migraine for a week now, and I find myself nodding off every hour or so. I nodded off at least 5 times today at work. Only reason I'm cognant right now is because my friend Jessica brought her baby by and he was crying which meant instant wet shirt for me :(

I woke up this morning and my night shirt was completley soaked through. Yet I can't sleep in a bra with nursing pads cause it hurts.. Maybe this is a good sign I'll have plenty of milk.

I want this pregnancy to be over now. I love my baby, I love feeling her move and I love my long shiney hair and big bouncy boobies... But I am tired, sore, cranky, weepy, and on a constant rollercoaster of emotions and physical pain. I'm ready to be done. I want to FFWD the next 8 weeks and just get her here. I'm almost completley ready for her. I have everything but the carseat/stroller.

UGH. I just want to take a nap.

I'm looking forward to being a stay at home mom. I think it's going to be great for the girls and for Mike and I. I'll be able to monitor our finances more effectively, plan and manage our shopping budget and meals, and spend more quality time with both the girls and with Mike.

I'm hoping I will be happy as a stay at home mom. I've always worked, so I'm not sure what it will be like. However I'm confident I can make it work.

30 Minutes to go until I can go home. Thank the Lord cause I'm about to nod off again.

I really should be sleeping

2009-02-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

I'm just to tired to sleep.
That sounds ridiculous but it's true lol.

The baby is doing well. She's growing and moving and groovin in there as we speak. I feel like a fat cow, however. She's so darn low that I feel like I've been riding a horse every day. My back and my hips hurt and my belly is so huge and sore. I have to be really careful when I move in bed or get up because it feels like my belly is ripping inside when I move to fast.

Life is okay right now. Steve Wynn cut everybody's pay by 10-15% at Wynn and Encore. That puts Mike and I in a tough spot. I'm going to have to quit my job and stay home with the girls. To have them both in daycare means my entire salary. So we're going to try having me stay home with them, maybe picking up a night job, to save money.

I've been researching money saving tips, bugging my mom for recipies, cutting back on luxeries we don't need. I've also decided to use cloth diapers and breastfeed Isabella when she's born. Cloth diapers are not that much different than disposable, just have to wash them... and I breastfed Caitlin her first 3 or 4 months. I want to try to do it longer with Isabella if she'll latch on.

I'm also going to kick my own ass into losing weight after she's born and the dr. clears me back to normal physical activity. The breastfeeding will help, and so will the frugal living. I'm going to be cooking dinner everyday for Mike and I and the kids so I'll be able to really watch what we eat. We won't be going out to dinner anymore and I'll be walking Caitlin to and from school every day. So I should be able to lose all the baby weight and start trimming down the fat I had before.

I'm hoping that I'll be able to pull off this stay at home mom thing. I'm hoping I'll be able to have dinner on the table for my husband and kids every night and have the house clean. Not that I want to be some 50's housewife or anything... but since Mike has to work all day I should be able to take care of the home front right?

Anyhow, off to bed with me. I'm soooo tired and I need to get up early enough to take my meds and make breakfast for me and bug. No more getting coffee out at the shop. Trying to make coffee at home and eat at home as much as possible to save money.

Just in case anybody wants it...

2009-01-27T13:56:00.000-08:00

We are registered @ Target and Babies R Us under Sarah and Michael Romeo in Las Vegas.

Isabella Jayde Romeo will be here soon. Less than 80 days to go. She might even come sooner. My belly dropped a few days ago and she's head down. Keep your fingers crossed though. She's got a few more weeks left to cook in there.

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

I do this every year, but this year is more important than ever.
Things I want to accomplish this year:

1) Cut waaaaaay back on the cursing. I curse way to much, especially at work.

2) Continue to NOT SMOKE. I had to quit cause I got pregnant. Hopefully I can stay quit and not use stress as a excuse to start again.

3) Lose weight. I was starting to make a dent until I got pregnant with Isabella. As soon as the doctor releases me to go back to work and work out after she's born, I'm going to dive right into it. My family has a history of obesity and several health problems that stack onto being a lard ass. Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, etc. I will not have a heart attack @ 40 years old because my fat ass is to lazy to get out and go for a walk or put down the McDonalds.

4) Do my best to keep a cleaner house. I really need to try and keep an eye on this mess. I don't want to let the carpets get bad or the dust bunnies to pile up. Every Saturday I will take the time to dust, sweep, mop or whatever I can do to pick up a bit. Caitlin will help me since she's plenty old enough to do chores around the house.

5) Start cooking real meals. We eat out to much. I need to start trying to cook wholesome, healthy meals for my family. Especially considering my husband works 12 to 16 hour days and he doesn't always get all the good foods he needs....

6) Spend more time with my kids. Caitlin doesn't get hugged enough, not enough kisses and love. Mike and I aren't huggy feely people and I think she suffers a bit for that. She's a very loving child and man is she talkative. With a little patience I can spend a lot more time with her and be more affectionate with her than I have been. Especially with this baby coming, I don't want her to feel replaced or second fiddle... Especially since I know Mike will be more attached to the baby being as it's his first biologial child. She'll need a lot of reasurrance that we don't love the baby more than her...

7) SERIOUSLY consider school and insurance education classes. If I'm going to stick with this company, I need to give myself a edge... Plus I want to get a degree so that one day I can be the bread winner and mike can stay home with the kids.

8) Be more organized. Which ties in to keeping a cleaner house, but hells bells every person in this house has a bad habit of leaving stuff laying a bout. I need to develop a system to keeping the house in order and reduce all the clutter.

9) Make time for Mike and I as a couple. Between work, the kids, the house and the stress latley, we barely get to spend any real time together, let alone have any kind of a sex life. I want to make sure we get out for a date night AT least once or twice a month for us to have dinner alone, maybe a movie or a concert. I'll keep money in our savings account just for this reason. I'll do my best to communicate better with him, show him how much I love and appreciate him, and stregthen our marriage and our relationship that started out as two 17 year old kids all those years ago...

Honestly thats about it.... The core things that are the most important to me.
The last year has been extremley trying, with drama, hard luck and tears. This year will be better, it is what we make it. I will do my best to make it the best year I've had in a long time...

Man I'm not so good at this updating thing...

2008-12-30T11:11:00.000-08:00

So 2 days before xmas our house was broken into.
Long story short, they took everything of Mike's of value, and completley trashed our house looking for money (that we obviously didn't have). They completley kicked the door in as well.

My co workers at State Farm found out and unknown to me, pooled together to raise money for my family and bought Caitlin presents from Santa. It was amazing and overwhelming. I could not believe people loved us so much. Not to mention my church helped us so much too...

Besides the fear and the security issues that came with the break in, it gave us a amazing gift. It showed us that there are good people out there, and it really restored our faith in humanity. I've never felt so blessed in my life.

I'll try and post more about it when I have a chance.

Stuff.

2008-12-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

It's been quite the crazy week.
My grandmother passed away (my dad's mom) which wasn't so much a shock as it was frustrating. After waiting for so long to even HEAR from family down south as to her well being, after all this time, only to have her pass away. She was suffereing though, and she hasn't been my grandmother for some time, due to the strokes and medical problems. I'm just happy she's not in pain anymore.

Had my check up with the OB. She's doing great, her heart beat is strong. I'm not putting on to much weight and I'm doing fine too. My blood pressure has been a little up and down but that has a lot to do with the holidays, work, and hormones on top of raising Caitlin.

We picked a name for the baby. Isabella Jayde Romeo.
Now we're weighing the pro's and con's of me taking a year off work to raise the baby. Only reason we're thinking about it is because to put her in daycare it's 1k a month. PLUS the daycare for Caity... thats my entire paycheck. We can't really afford it and we'd rather I be the one raising our daughter from 6 weeks on rather than a stranger. It would only be until she's a year old. Once she's a year it will cost much less to put her in daycare. PLUS I work for a great company and as long as I leave on good terms, I can come back if they have a position for me. So... It's looking like it would be better for me to do that, then pay so much for daycare and never see our kids.

So we have a lot of talking and thinking to do.

The baby is really starting to kick the crap out of me... but she's kicking STRAIGHT down into my cervix rather then out towords my belly. She hurts me :( lol

I'm really excited for her birth. I know it will make Caitlin very happy to have a baby sister. Mike seems pretty happy about it, and I know his folks will be thrilled. I just wish we could be back home so they could spend time with their granddaughters and us.

I better get back to work.

i'm slacking.

2008-12-11T16:18:00.001-08:00

Woot!!!

2008-12-04T15:37:00.000-08:00

My blood sugar is under control for now!
We'll have to test again in week 24, 4 weeks from now, but at the moment I'm okay.
Little one has been moving like crazy so I'm confident everything is fine.

Today is my little girl's 8th birthday. It's crazy that my Caitlin is 8 already. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was pregnant with her. They grow so damn fast. I'm so proud of her.

I love my family, my friends, my job.
Life is good right now.
Despite the rigors of this pregnancy and being tired and achey and hormonal all the time, I have a lot to be grateful for.

Now all I want is for him/her to kick hard enough for Mike to be able to feel it, and for the ultrasound in 4 days to show us a healthy baby.

19 weeks!

2008-12-02T13:18:00.002-08:00

Well, 19 weeks and 3 days as of today.

I spent the morning in the doctor's office yesterday. They think I have gestational diabetes again because my blood sugar is high. So yesterday I had to do the 3 hours glucose test. I was there 4 hours. I have the BEST phlebotomist ever. Her name is Jody and she gets the vein every stick. She had to hit the same vein 3 times and it was pretty painless. She did awesome.

I find out today whats going on with my blood sugar, if I have to go on insulin or if I can just watch my diet like I did last pregnancy.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Dec. 8th we find out (finally) what we're having, boy or girl. We're getting anxious, Mike more so than me. Once we find out for sure, let the baby shopping begin! It's hard to buy unisex stuff these days. Besides, Girls can wear blue too ya know... In general it will just make things much easier to put a name to the belly monster and start getting ready for his/her arrival.

Other than that, things are good. Quiet mostly. Which is good because I have little to no patience or energy these days.

Anyway, thats the general family update for everybody. I'm going to sit here and drink my caffiene free beverage and wish it was a quad shot snickers mocha :(

19 weeks

2008-12-02T13:18:00.001-08:00

Yay!

2008-11-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

So my employee review was today, and apparently I passed with flying colors.
I got a promotion from a P1 to a P2 and will get my raise sometime around January after they have their budget allocation.

How awesome! I'm so glad. I'm proud of myself for keeping up with my work and doing my best and showing my boss I was a valuable member of my team.

WOOT!

all political opinions aside

2008-11-24T09:58:00.001-08:00

I have a lot of republican friends who read this blog, my dad included, and a lot of democrats too..

Before I post this, let me say I'm not agreeing or disagreeing about Obama being president. I just think that it's pretty impressive what this young lady wrote.
She's 16 years old and she goes to my old high school, Palmer High, in Alaska.
She wrote this essay and it made it into the paper and blogs world wide.

I want to commend her for it, recognize how well it was written, and congradulate her for speaking out for what she believes. We need more kids to speak up about their beliefs and if half of them write as well as this one, we got a lot of smart, capable kids on our hands.

Like I said, I'm not jumping up and down screaming "YAY FOR OBAMA" I'm just proud of my hometown girl for what she wrote.

By Waverli Rainey
Spectrum
Published on Thursday, November 13, 2008 8:37 PM AKST

Being a Caucasian high school girl sometimes makes me forget a few things.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in social life, school projects, homework, and studies.

Sometimes I can forget what America looks like. Sometimes it takes a hateful word, a racial slur, or an act of disrespect to bring me to realization and clear my eyes and see. Sometimes it takes acts and images of hate to penetrate my daily thoughts and clear my mind of its clutter.

In 1955, a Baptist preacher by the name of Martin Luther King Jr. boycotted buses because a brave black woman refused to get up and move for a white man. In 1963, people came together to march to Washington in protest of segregation; and in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial that man uttered the words “I have a dream.” Then, on April 4, 1968, the same man was shot to death. Now on Nov. 4, 2008, Sen. Barack Obama was elected the first African-American president of the United States of America.

Nov. 4 was a momentous moment for me. I went to the Wasilla Sports Complex for what was called a community event. We were told it was non-partisan because it’s a city building. However, once inside, it seemed as if it was a Republican-only event. Despite this, we stayed. Although I am too young to vote, I sat at the Sports Complex to see who would be the new president. I felt joy as I saw Sen. Barack Obama’s electoral points grow and grow. I clapped for and was impressed by Senator McCain’s graceful speech and his call for unity and support for the new president-elect.

I anxiously awaited what Present-elect Obama would say. Between speeches, a live band played music. However, when President-elect Obama began to speak, those running the event had to be asked to have the band stop so we could hear him speak. Eventually, they stopped playing, but we missed the beginning of the speech. Then half way through this historic speech, former Mayor Keller turned down the audio of President-elect Obama and put on a call from Governor Palin. I certainly understand the desire of Valley residents to hear from the governor, but if this was a non-partisan event, I feel that interrupting the next president was disrespectful. I also feel it did not represent the coming together of America that Senator McCain had only moments before asked his supporters to do.

The event was supposed to be for all parties, for all people, but it didn’t feel like it. I was shocked and offended. The event was supposed to be for supporters of Senators Obama and McCain and no one paid respect to President-elect Obama’s historic moment. Finally, another step toward complete equality and it seemed no one cared.

So the next day I borrowed my mother’s Obama shirt and walked into school wearing my pride on my chest. Finally the campaign was over and I was actively supporting our new president, even though I knew I would be vastly out numbered at school. I expected complaints and qualms about the new president, but I was not prepared for the flat-out racist remarks said openly in the halls and classrooms. I was appalled. While I sat at my desk trying to do my work I could hear my fellow classmates:

“I think we should kill Obama,” one said.

“I hope someone comes up and shoots him in the head,” another would say.

“I hate Obama … he’s black.”

On went the racist words for the full 80 minutes of that class. Angered, I began to think of the injustice of it all and the ignorance of the students I was surrounded by. I wondered where they learned to be so hateful, and I wondered why the teacher never stepped in - why no adult, no student, including myself, had the guts to cut in and say it was not OK. Because it’s never OK for intolerance. It is never OK to cut someone down and dehumanize them because they do not look like you, or think like you, or talk like you, or worship the way you do.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

All men are created equal. All men. That does not mean only if you’re the same color as me, think like me, talk like me, or worship who or how I do. It means regardless of age, gender, race, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or religion - we all have the right to life, liberty and happiness. Guilt does not follow race. All Arab-Americans are not Muslim extremists; being Arab-American simply means their family came from a certain part of the world. All Asian-Americans are not all like Kim Il-sung; Asian-Americans come from countries like China, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and Singapore and they are not all the same. All African-Americans are not guilty of the genocide seen in places like Rwanda and Kenya.

If we were all guilty of the sins of our race, then what am I — a Caucasian high school sophomore from Palmer, Alaska — guilty of? Am I guilty of stealing land from their Native owners? Am I guilty of enslaving Africans? Am I guilty of the slaughter of entire races of people? Am I guilty of imprisoning Chinese and Japanese in American interment camps?

As a Causation high school girl, it’s easy to forget things like in America you wear a color — often called black, or white, or yellow, or red, or brown. We do not pick our name or race — we’re not chameleons who can change color at will, it’s how we’re born and raised. Being African-American, or Latino, or Asian-American, or Native American, or Alaska Native, or Arab-American is not a crime. Being Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, or agnostic is not a crime. Wearing a burqa on your head, or glasses on your face, or studying all views of the world and seeing the flaws of all governments is not a crime.

Sometimes I think of a place where all of our languages are mashed together, singing of our own multi-heritage pride; the pride of a truly unified America. A place where we can be proud of our accents because this is how American English sounds, too. A place where there is no more White Power! or Black Power! Where it’s American Power! Or better yet, where it’s Human Power! A place that proudly conjures images of colonists throwing tea into a harbor, Martin Luther King Jr. standing on the steps of Lincoln Memorial, and immigrants working hard to achieve their American dream all at the same time. We are the story of our culture and colors and I’d like us all to take pride in it.

I long for the day when the word American doesn’t bring the world to think only of a white high school football star, but also brings images of each of us as we are. This America would look like both a short blond girl with glasses, and like the son of a Kenyan father and a Kansas mother who was raised by his grandparents — a day when an American looks like ourselves — looks like us as individuals and at the same time as a community of all races and all people.

Waverli Rainey is a 16-year-old born and raised in the Mat-Su Valley.

You can read it here:
http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2008/11/19/opinion/columnists/doc491d0c71aa9b4424387056.txt

Now... That being said. There is a lot of feedback and comments.. Some good, some bad, some downright ignorant and mean. People can say what they want, I would die for you right to free speech. All I'm saying is, be proud that one of our children had the courage and the insight to write something like this, even knowing people weren't going to agree with her. Most kids her age are more concerned with Myspace and The Hills and crap like that. Even if she had written an article on McCain and Palin I would be so proud of her for voicing her opinion in a eloquent and well thought out manner.

Good Job Waverli!

TGIF Bitches!

2008-11-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Thank goodness. I was starting to twitch. We were down to a mere 70$ in our bank account but Mike got paid today and we're all good now.
Time to pay bills and go shopping.
Not fun shopping.
Food shopping. Our pantry is full of half useless ingredients. I have canned veggies, rice, beans, but no meat, eggs or cheese.
To quote the great Ice Cube "YOU GOT KOOL AID BUT NO SUGAR, PEANUT BUTTER NO JELLY, HAM NO BURGER"
I got half ass meals all over the place.

So tomorrow or Sunday, we're going to go get our Costco membership and start buying complete meal stuffs. I need to start cooking most nights. Mike works so hard and he's on his feet all day and he gets home and he's starving so I want to be able to have a hot meal waiting for him.

Work is slow today, obviously or I wouldn't be blogging. I finished all my paperwork and now I'm just sitting here, feeling the baby pummel the hell out of my insides and trying to stay awake. I'm so tired. I can't get comfortable at night anymore. Between my belly, my boobs, the baby and mike snoring, I'm lucky to get maybe 3 hours.

I tell you what, first thing i'm doing when I get home is taking a nap. I'm just getting to old for this crap.
I wish I could fast fwd to april so I can have this baby already.
I only hope he's going to be as good of a baby as Caitlin was. No crying, sleeping through the night... she was a great baby. Then she grew up... ugh.

Well I better go pretend I'm working for the morning. I'm hoping the queues will fill back up after lunch and I'll have something to do. I hate not being busy. Makes your day drag on.

That's all for this random string of conciousness.

Peace!

ow.

2008-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

That is the word of the month. OW!
My belly cramps a lot, and all this stretching and growing has made OW my new favorite word. This baby is going to be huge... I have a feeling.

Funny thing last night:
I was kicked back in the recliner working on the baby's blanket and our tuxedo cat, Pixel, climbed up into my lap. He stretched out over my lower belly and started to purr. Almost immediatley the baby started kicking up a storm. I think he likes the sound of Pixel's purring. I could feel him squirming around and thumping away the louder Pixel got. It cracked me up.

Today is Veterans day. I just want to say, having come from a strong military family, THANK YOU to all our military personel. Thank you for your service, thank you for sticking it out even when you might not have agreed with why you were deployed... Thank you to the folks who stayed state side and took care of the returning wounded (like my dad) and did their jobs with pride, as well as to all our boys and girls serving over seas.
I love you all, and I'm grateful for your service.

I'm off to finish up my work before I go home. The baby is moving around a lot and my belly hurts, but I still have a couple more piles of paperwork to sort through before I head back home.

Oooh I'm slackin

2008-10-29T21:51:00.001-07:00

Sorry sorry,

Things are going fine here in the Romeo household. Baby is growing and I've started feeling him squirming around in there. Caitlin's math grades are coming up finally. Mike is settling into his new job.

All in all, things are pretty okay. I'm coming up on my one year anniversary with State Farm. Which means a slight raise and this spring I might be up for a promotion to P2 which would be awesome. My current boss and I don't see eye to eye but I'm hoping he'll evaluate how hard i work vs. our personal opinions when it comes to promoting me.

The Lord has blessed me, he really has. My family is happy and healthy, our jobs are steady and we can pay most of our bills. We still struggle from time to time, but we are doing so much better than we were. I am truly blessed...

We're trying to save up money to pay back our uncles, we really feel awful we haven't been able to get them paid back. Seems like every time we have the money, something bad happens and we have to use all our savings. We /will/ pay the back somehow.

We're thinking of saving up money and maybe in 3 or 5 years moving back home. We really want our kids to be around their grandparents, and we miss our family. Plus I have a job with state farm back home so we'd just need to save up money to find a house and get Mike a job and we could do it.

Anywho, it's time for me to lay down. The baby is flip flopping and my belly hurts and I'm ready to get some rest before my husband starts snoring ;)

randomness

2008-10-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

Had my OB check up this week. I had told her I was worried about the baby because I had the flu and a stomach virus all at once and since I had a temperature i was worried the baby might have been affected. My doc decided to do a ultrasound right away to make sure the baby was ok.

I looked at the screen and saw my baby, laying on it's side and not moving, no heart beat, no sound but my own body static. I started to panic, my heart sank, all I could think was "Here we go, I'm going to lose another baby...." I was just about to ask my daughter to go sit on the other side of the room so she wouldn't see me cry when all of a sudden the baby started flipping it's shit. It started to flail around, flip and bounce and kick and wave it's little arms. It was playing possum and scaring the shit out of Mommy. My doctor commented on how much it was moving, how active it was. So active in fact she couldn't lock onto it's heart to take a measurement. She assured me that it wouldn't be so damn active if it was in any distress at all.

So other then the minor heart attack I had just had... Everything is awesome. Baby is doing fine, active as hell. I'm in my 13th week... Second Trimester ahoy! I can feel little twitters and popcorn popping in my uterus. I know it's not gas, this isn't my first baby. I can feel it. I'm so happy it's healthy.

5 more weeks and we go in again for another appointment and sometime around there we will have an ultrasound. Soon we'll find out if it's a boy or a girl. I'm hoping for a Boy. In fact I've started referring to it as a boy just out of habit.

I'll be leaving Monday afternoon for Tempe Arizona for a corporate type meeting for State Farm. It's kind of a crash course in company history and benefits etc. I'm scared to death of flying but it's only a 45 minute flight so I'll be fine. I stay overnight and come back home the next afternoon.

Other then that it's been sleep, eat, work, sleep, eat, work, sleep.
Getting harder to get comfortable at night due to the enormous breasts and the steadily growing belly. But I'll make it work.

Just a random picture post

2008-10-07T10:25:00.000-07:00

My little girl started from here:

From Caitlin Ann

From xmas 2007

From Caitlin 2/23/2008

to now:

Her hair is much a little longer now and has red in it, i'll have to upload a better pic.

I love my little girl, no matter how crazy she drives me.

More of the same

2008-10-06T14:54:00.000-07:00

Not to much going on these days.
Been working, sleeping, eating... Finally stopped being sick. No more morning sickness, no more flu.
I'm eager to get to the next ob appointment. I'm nervous and hoping all is well.

Mike starts his new job at the Wynn soon. He'll be opening Encore as a assitant director of banquets. I'm proud of him. I know he'll do well. Besides the pay increase, it'll be nice for him to finally be recognized for his talents and hard work... Something Bellagio never did.

I'm happy. Things have been going well. Joyce and Ralph are living with us:

From Wedding

Thats been going well. We're all very low key and keep to ourselves. We barely see them as they spend most of their time in their room or out of the house, but when they are feeling social it's nice. Mike is really fond of them both.

So yeah, happily married, everything is going great. Baby is growing and life is good.

From Wedding

stream of thought

2008-09-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

I should be sleeping. I'm so tired. However, my brain won't stfu.

The ultrasound went well. Baby is growing and his little heart was fluttering nice and strong. Mike's jaw dropped, he was so amazed. I think it cemented the reality that we're having a baby for him... He's very into the whole pregnancy and can't wait for the next ultrasound.

I'm due around the end of April. I swear my stomach has already stretched a bit. It's not my first pregnancy, but hopefully the second full term one. Maybe my body is just falling into the familiar role and my tummy is just expanding. I'm overweight, I know, but my tummy feels hard in certain spots and I can feel where my uterus is hard just above my pelvic bone. My breasts are huge and sore, I've been exhausted and the nausea omg the nausea!!!! It's just now ebbing off and I'm praying I don't have a full 9 months of this pukey feeling.

Right now my main focus is having a healthy pregnancy and carrying this one to term. Caitlin deserves a brother or sister. I'm hoping for a boy.

My other hope is Mike gets this new job. He's waiting on the drug test to come back good to go and he's in. It's quite a pay jump, about 24k. He'll be working for the Wynn instead of the Bellagio. He'll be around his uncle, and a otherwise new environment... but it'll be good for him to finally be recognized for all the hard work he does, rather then kept on the back burner.

I do love that man so much, and I'm proud of him. He's come a long way in the last 4 or 5 years. I married a good man. He raises Caitlin as his own, and though she tries his patience, he does his very best. Now we'll finally have a child from both of us, something I've always wanted since we were young. I always wished Caitlin had been his, but life took us different directions. Doesn't matter now, we're a family. A real family.

I feel like I need to show Caitlin more love. I find my father's temper coming out of me every time she does something I don't like. Sometimes I have to hold my breath to restrain myself. It's not her fault, she's being a normal kid. It's just the logic that fucks with my head. The whole "why did you do that? I told you not to do that! Don't you remember what I told you would happen if you did that?" conversation we have daily. The fact she knows she'll get a spanking or a toy taken away and she'll go ahead and do it anyway. I mean, wtf??? Maybe my adult brain just can't wrap around little kid logic. It bothers me because I used to be so good with kids. I had infinite patience, I was the goddamn KID WHISPERER. I was babysitting at age 8.
Maybe it changes when you have your own. It doesn't help she has a high IQ and talks like she's 30 and can read MY books and is soooo freaking smart I don't know where she got it from.

I love my daughter so much. I really do. I wish I could show her the affection and the attention that she needs rather then be so arms length with her. I wish I had more patience and more energy to tackle a healthy, rambunctious 7 year old. I wish I could be one of those soccer mom's who all the other kids love cause she's so cool and does all the fun stuff with her kids. I just can't. Maybe some of that has to do with how fucked up her life and mine was from the time she was 1 till we moved to nevada. Constant ups and downs and betrayals by people we loved. Maybe cause it was always just her and me and small enclosed spaces? Maybe the lack of stability affected us both? I don't know.

All I know is that I want to be a better mom. I don't want to be grouchy and quick to anger anymore. I want to be suzy sunshine again and love my little girl whole heartedly and not have to hold back.

I can't wait to tell her about the baby... she's going to be so happy. I seriously think she'll flip her lid.

I am going to stop. I could prattle on all night, but I need to take my meds and lay down. I have 0 energy these days, thanks to the little peanut.

it's crazy time.

2008-09-05T18:15:00.001-07:00

A lot has happened...

First off, we lost our house. The landlord was foreclosed on so we had to move since we couldn't buy it. We're in the process of moving out right now in fact. We barely have any money to eat, let alone pay bills and we had to pick up and move with our 7 year old... Luckily my best friend, Joyce, is giving us a hand. She and her man will be staying with us a few months too. Which is awesome since we work together anyway and know each other pretty well now.

The other big news is we brought a extra souvenir home from our wedding...
I'm pregnant.
Yah... so much for waiting 6 months or so.
no... I'm 6 weeks pregnant. I know the math seems off.. but they count it from the first day of your last period. Mine was 7/22/08 and our wedding night was 8/02/08 which was like my peak fertile day (yes, im a idiot)... So I'm 6 weeks pregnant.
We haven't told family yet, or our daughter. We're waiting for the first ultrasound on the 11th to make sure everything is okay before we tell people considering my history of miscarriages. I'm already experiencing symptoms i didn't have with Caitlin or any of my other pregnancies. Like... horrible morning sickness... MORNING DAY AND NIGHT sickness. Plus my already huge boobies are even bigger.
It's incredibly frustrating to want sex, but not be able to have it cause your afraid your gunna puke and the slightest brush on your breasts make you want to commit mass murder.

So keep your fingers crossed, ye small number of people who read this. Having a miscarriage right now would probably kill me.

Other then all that and Caitlin being a absolute pain in my ass, things have been good. Mike and I are consistently working our asses off and trying to make ends meet. Dealing with creditors and sharks and the likes has taken a real emotional toll... but we're okay.

I'm off the yell at my daughter for yet another bad behavior note from her teacher.

Peace!

so far so good

2008-08-09T21:08:00.000-07:00

One week into this thang and we haven't killed eachother yet :)

Looking at my wedding pictures has made me really resolve to lose some fucking weight.
My god I'm a fatty.
My tits were huge, my arms were fat and jiggly, and I looked like the stay puff marshmellow man in drag.

Time to buckle down and lose this baggage. My doctor is helping me out, she's running blood work
and checking my blood sugar and lipids and all that noise. Then we will sit down and figure out why I'm so fucking fat even tho I dont eat, and I belly dance as much as I can. Thyroid disorder aside since that's under control.

Tired of being a fat ass.
Besides I need to drop some weight so I can have a healthy pregnancy when its time.
I started back on my prenatal vitimins, working on quitting smoking, all that's left is losing some weight.

I start back at work Monday. Woot?
I'm bored out of my skull so it will be nice to be back, working my ass off.

<3

Wedding

2008-08-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

So we're finally married.
August 2nd 2008, at 4pm I became Mrs. Michael Romeo.
The wedding was small but wonderful. We had only our closest friends and a few family members there. Mike looked so handsome in his suit and my makeup and hair was incredible thanks to my maid of honor, Joyce.

After the wedding we spent a few days at Red Rock Casino, just chilling out and spending time together.
We watched movies in the theatre down stairs and went bowling and just had a nice relaxing weekend.
Plus our room was incredible...
It wasn't they honeymoon we planned, (Seattle), but it was really nice.
We will save up and go to seattle for our one year anniversary.

We still have the rest of the week to relax and enjoy being married before we go back to our busy lives.

We have a lot of other stuff to deal with as far as our house and everything but I'll save that for another post.

lets get this started

2008-07-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Mind you, this won't be anything special right now.
This is for my sanity.
I have a lot of stuff jumbling around in my brain that I need to spew out from time to time or I'll go on a homicidal rampage.
....
.....
......

Maybe just get mad and huff and puff... but that doesn't sound nearly as bad ass as a homicidal rampage...

At any rate. I'll post here from time to time. Have to get away from that whole Myspace/livejournal/emotastic BS era.