How I wash my CDs

Everyone washes their CDs differently, there's people that let them soak overnight, double rinse at the end, double rinse in the beginning, use crazy expensive soap so I'm here to show you what works for me.

1) Fold in laundry tabs on Velcro Diapers

2) Rinse on Cold
3) Wash on HOT with 1/4 of recommended amount of soap

4) Rinse on Cold

5) Nice smelling Dipes......aaaaahhhhh

As for Drying I usually put everything in the Dryer on LOW HEAT for 15 minutes, then I take out all the shells, turn my AIOs inside out and leave the inserts for another 20 min. on LOW HEAT. It's best that you hang dry them but I don't have a clothesline (soon to change).

DIY: Cloth Baby Wipes

I found a recipe on cloth baby wipe solution and thought I'd try it. At the moment we're at 75% cloth wipes but hoping to be at 100% soon (starting today from now on). Here's the recipe:

1 cup of Distilled water (or boiled tap water)
1 tbsp baby oil
1 tbsp baby wash
1 tbsp baby lotion
2 drops of tea tree oil (this is for preventing mold)

Pour 1 cup of Water

Pour 1 Tbsp of Baby Oil

Pour 1 Tbsp of Baby Wash

Pour 1 Tbsp of Baby Lotion

Shake it good, actually don't shake it......swirl it :-) or you'll get a bunch of bubbles like me.

Get your Wipey Box and fold your Cloth Wipes in half in the box

Pour Solution on Wipes and take a BIG WHIF!

The Finished Result! I wish you could smell this!

Ten Months!

This Picture thing is getting harder and harder each month.

At 10 Months You:

- Are still Breastfed! 6 times a day right now.

-Eat 3 solids a day

-Love Kix, Cheerios and Biter Biscuits as your snack choices

-Have 3 top teeth (1 new one broke through the other day), 3 bottom with 1 more coming through. I don't know how many times I thought u had 7 teeth already! gggrrrr it's just white gums on that side but you have 6 NOT 7!  

-Don't know how much you weigh cause u don't have an appt. till 1 year but I'm guessing around 24ish

-Talk a lot! and say, "Mama, Dada, Num-Num (food), wah-wah (water), NaNa (banana), Hi, Bye, AH for Audrey and Bubba bubba for Bubbs.

-Size 4 Diaper

-Are 3/4 Cloth Diapered again :-)

-wear some 12 month clothes (t-shirts) but mostly in 18 months and some 24 Month things

-Nap twice a day about 2 hours each and you finally started sleeping through the night!

-still DON'T crawl

-you roll around to get to where u need to go

-Run around in your walker

-you can stand for a while

-took your first steps around the end of May but haven't done it since you fell.

-only pull up on me or if someone is around you, you won't pull yourself up on things yet.

-still don't sit up on your own, I was practicing this today with you, I know u can do it but you just haven't, that is why I haven't dropped your crib but it needs to be soon!

-Love Seasame Street when I put it on but usually you don't care for TV

-can drink out of a straw, BTW, I'm changing his sippy cups a lil at a time to all straws.

-LOVE your big sister and brother and get so excited when you see them.

Nate's Schedule

I wish I had a schedule from the start but since I refuse to live in the past all I can do is look forward and do my best as a mother. Here's a typical day for Nate.

7am: Wake up Time (Nurse him) and he usually comes to the Kitchen and sits in his high chair while I run around like a mad woman trying to get the kids ready for school.

8am: He gets his solids to eat, a fruit mixed with Oatmeal.

8:40am: We go for our walk and explore the world

9am: Nap #1 (Nurse 2)

11am: Wakes up from nap (Nurse 3)

12pm: He gets his lunch and it's usually a Veggie and Chicken Breast, after he does a lot of playing, he rotates from walker to floor, on my hip, or on my bed jumping!

2pm: Time for Nap #2 (Nurse 4)

4pm: Wake up (Nurse 5) Usually sits with me in my room and "helps" me fold clothes, plays with Audrey, or visit his Grandma and Grandpa, and play with his toys in the living room.

5:30pm: Sits at the table with us and eats whatever I made (healthy stuff only).

6:30pm: Has a snack, either a biter biscuit, rice cakes, cheerios or puffs

7pm: Start Bedtime Routine which is Bath, Massage w/lavender baby cream, dress, read a book and nurse 6.

7:30pm In Dream Land :-)

5:30am Wakes for a feeding and goes right back to sleep, in his CRIB (nurse 7)!

(Note: times vary all the time, this is a usual and perfect day for us)

Sleep Training 101

So I just HAD to start ST Nate b/c he just wasn't sleeping. I blogged about it before and never continued with it cause it wasn't working with our busy schedules but then I got smart and realized that my life is revolving around Nate's now. Sleep is VERY important, it helps them grow (physically and mentally) and makes them happy. I knew Nate's attitude had to do with his lack of sleep so I finally did something about it. A friend of mine (thank you Kim) lent me her book on ST and that's where it all started. After gathering my tools and strength I dove in head first.

Nate did really good right from the start and by the 4th night he was sleeping almost the whole night without waking for a feeding. At his age, he is very capable of not waking for a night feed and at that time he was just eating, to eat. Now, 2 weeks into it he's a superstar sleeper and hardly cries when I lay him in bed.

As for the approach that I took, it was on the stricter end of the CIO method. I figured out right away that Nate did NOT do well with checks so I slowly pushed them further and further away b/c when I'd check on him he'd start all over again and be a complete mess. I can't tell you which is better b/c every baby and parent is different but what I can tell you is, whatever approach you take, I wish you the best of luck and stay strong and positive!

Just Something to Read on ST

A walking, we will go!

Nate LOVES being outdoors so I had to incorporate that into his busy schedule, so the best time for that is before his 1st nap. It's the perfect time for the right amount of air and sun. He just watched everything around him and soaked it all in. He went down really easy for his nap and I know it had to do with being outside.

The End

Watch me Grow

I made a collage today on photobucket of Nate's first 9 months and thought I'd share. I'm making another one when he turns 1 for his birthday party.

Chicken Veggie Pasta Soup

Thought I'd share my recipe with you.

You can use any veggies that you have in your fridge, I used potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and zuchinni.

Boil Chicken with Oregano and Basil (no salt).
Once it's cooked add potatoes and carrots.
Once those are done add other veggies and pasta (I used shells).
Let it boil till veggies get all mushy so that it's easier to smash everything up for baby.

Let it cool off then store in containers for the freezer.

I just smashed down on it after this pic with a fork. Nate had NO problem eating this and LOVED it! success

ETA:
Maybe I should have posted the amounts.....hmmm (for you Tutsy!)

3 Chicken Breast (no-bone)
1 Zuke (diced)
3/4 cup baby carrots (sliced)
1 cup of cauliflower (heads diced)
1 large or 2 small potatoes (diced)
1 Cup of uncooked pasta
1 tsp. Oregano
1 tsp. basil          (and any other spices you'd like to add)

Nine Months!

Nate turns 9 months :-)

At 9 Months you:

-wear 18-24 month clothes

-wear a size 3 diaper that's starting to get snug

-started wearing cloth diapers again and LOVE them.

-are still Breastfed and still nursing about 7 times a day

-are sleeping through the night

-taking 2 naps and not needing to pacify on me anymore!

-are officially SLEEP TRAINED

-sleep in your crib

-run all over the place in your walker

-still hate being on your tummy

-can play by yourself for a lot longer time now

-love being outside

-love being around other small kids

-talk a lot!

- love drinking out of your sippy cup

-love drinking water

-sit in a big boy carseat now

-sit in the front of the shopping cart which makes it so easy for me to go shopping now

-are LOVED by everyone around you!

Happy 9 months baby, we love you so much!

PlayDate w/Felipe

Nate and I visited with Michelle and Felipe yesterday and had a great time. Nate had an especially great time because Felipe has a million and one toys. I felt so bad for Nate cause his he doesn't have too many toys (although Naty will say different) so that's on the list for him. I love finding deals so I'll be looking on craigslist and/or yard sales.
I love how Nate and Felipe interacted, they did so well together and just entertained each other for a while. We def. need to visit with them again.