Radio Silence

Sorry for the long stint with no real posts.  I have had a bunch going on but I really don't know how to talk about the most important thing that has been going on.

Just before Christmas my mom had a bit of a health scare, the result of the health scare was a full hysterectomy.  Standard procedure for this type of thing is to check for cancer.  During that check they did find cancer and not just any run of the mill cancer but a really weird, rare, aggressive form.  My mom is currently starting round two of her four rounds of chemo treatment.  More than anything I want to go home and be with her, take care of her, do her grocery shopping and clean her toilet.  But that's not what she wants.  So for now I am here, praying, hoping, wishing that everything will turn out all right. That she will come out of this even healthier than she went in.  That I will have my mom for years and years to come.

But for now I just have to wait.

What I can say is my mom is amazing, brave, strong, and optimistic.  If anyone is going to make it through it will be her.

I love you Mom!

10 Days

Jon and I are just finishing up 10 days apart.  

It all started with what was supposed to be a family trip, but turned into a Girls only trip back to Leipzig to visit some friends and see the Christmas Markets.  

Alessandra and Sophia Enjoying the "Classic Car Carousel" in the Leipzig Hauptbahnhof

Jon had to cancel due to some last minute business trip changes.  But the good news from Jon not being with us was that he was able to add a quick trip to Colorado where he was able to see his family and drop Ripley off with Stan and Mary Kay.  

If you have been keeping up with my blog at all, or have talked to me in the last two years you probably heard me mention that Ripley hasn't been doing well.  She wasn't able to settle into city life.  She was always stressed, at first her stress was coming across as barking, panting, and pacing but in the past six months that stress was starting to turn a bit more aggressive.  We needed to get her out of the city, so that all of us could be a little less stressed.  Well, it happened.  Jon stopped by Colorado for a quick visit with his family and to get Ripley to her new/old home back on the Ranch with Grandpa, Oma, and the horses.  I am happy to report that Ripley seems to be settling in quite nicely and Dotty has only had one setback in the form of an "accident" on Alessandra's pillows.  Dotty has been quite clingy but I have to say the stress level in the house has gone down considerably.  

Okay, back to our Leipzig trip.  

It started out and ended a bit bumpy but all in all it was so relaxing.  We had some plans fall through with one of our friends but it ended up working out perfectly because it gave us an entire day to sleep in, enjoy an awesome breakfast, get into town, wander around the city center which is essentially one big Christmas Market.  Then we went to check out the new mall, and then one more quick trip through the train station and then back home.  Saturday we spent the entire day with The GKS's.  And Sunday we traveled back home.  

The beginning of the week was slow enough, I purposely cancelled our usual routine so we could be home with Dot.  So that translated to all of us going over to My-tilda's house on Monday afternoon, and My-tilda and her mum Alice coming over to our house on Tuesday afternoon.  But then it all turned - and quite suddenly too.  Alessandra got really sick, and really quickly.  In the matter of a few hours she went from this...

 to this... 

it was horrible.  And it has only been in the last half of today that I would say she's back to normal.  And when I say that please read, asking for ice cream for every meal.  :o)  

Well, luckily for us, or maybe just me, Jon will be back home tomorrow.  And I will have another person to take care of.  No just kidding.  I will have another person to help take care of everything.

Charmian 

Updates

Why is it that when you have things to blog about those things actually keep you from blogging.  Oh time, you're such a precious thing, why do you slip away so quickly and quietly?

A few updates.

Jon and I finally got hair cuts about 3 weeks ago.  It was so crazy - we called this lady and she came to our house and cut our hair.  They aren't the best hair cuts we've ever gotten but for the price and convenience we may just do it again.  Maybe.  But I am happy to say that I finally have my short hair back.  I tried really hard to like it long again but I just couldn't do it.  I guess I'm a short hair girl, which is  weird because when I picture myself I don't have short hair.


After nearly six years of being a vegetarian I am slowly adding meat back into my diet.  It is really hard to be a vegetarian here in Germany.  None meat protein is hard to find and when you do find it it's usually pretty pricey.  Which has led me to relying on eggs, nuts, and dairy for my main source of protein.  Now that Alessandra is definitely not a baby anymore I decided it was time to start losing my baby weight.  I've been trying to lose the weight by cutting back on the nuts and dairy I was consuming.  When I started cutting back I started craving meat for the first time since becoming a vegetarian.  So I have been very slowly adding meat back into my diet.  A few nights a week I'll have fish or shrimp.  My stomach still gets upset when I eat it but my cravings have gone away so I think I'm on the right track, for now.

Alessandra has started potty training herself.  You may think I'm being crazy but I'm not lying.  Well, to be honest I did start potty training her about a year ago I guess.  When she was really small whenever I noticed her going pooh (and I don't mean winnie) I would set her on the potty because - well let me be frank - it was way easier for me to pay attention to her and set her on the potty than to have to clean up a poopy diaper.  Lately I've been noticing that at some diaper changes she was dry or mostly dry so I'd plop her down on the potty and tell her to let all of her pee out and she'd go.  Before long she was running to the potty and telling me when she needed to go.  So for the past week while we've been home sick we've started naked time.  Alessandra is naked or bottomless the entire time we're home.  Obviously I put clothes on her before we leave the house but when we walk in the door the shoes and pants come off.  She has done really well.  In the past week she has had less than 10 accidents.  When she does have an accident I have her "help" me clean up and we talk about where we should put the pee and poop.  I also bought some Smarties for her when she does go in the potty.  So far so good.  But I still don't feel like I really know what I'm doing so...

When did you start potty training your kids?
How did you do it?
Did you use treats/awards?  If so what did you use?
How long did it take?
How did you know when they were ready to go out and about sans diaper?

Thanks for helping a mommy out.


Jon also found out today that he has been invited to join Beta Gamma Sigma because of his academic performance at HHL.  So, my life long dream of marrying a frat boy is finally coming true (okay, not really) .  :o)  I always knew he was a smarty pants in fact it was one of the many things that made me fall in love with him.  But now it's officially official.  Jon's super smart!


Well, I guess that's all the updates for me - for now.

I will however leave you with one more super cute clip.  It's Alessandra having a dance party with her reflection that is of course until she bonks her head.  Enjoy and have a happy long weekend to all of my American friends and family.

Charmian

Odds and Ends

Thanksgiving Day

A day of errands with my Mom, 

and the realization that I have so much to be thankful for...

We started the morning with Alessandra's one year checkup and her next round of immunizations.  

I left with the discovery that 

Alessandra is healthy, 

TINY,

and she will not perform on demand 

(when asked by the doctor to do several simple tasks - 

some she's had mastered since 6 months of age - 

she stared at him in horror like he just ripped off her dolls head).

I left feeling thankful that I have a healthy, active, vivacious, curious, joyful, opinionated, noisy, loving, brave little stink pot to call my own.

We started to make our way around the city, seeing all of the sights we had missed in our previous days outing.

I walked around feeling thankful for this amazing opportunity my family has been given to live in this absolutely beautiful part of the world.  

We stopped to take a squishy with the biggest leaf we could find.

My heart was overflowing with love.  

My Mom used her vacation to fly, by herself, 

half way around the world to celebrate my daughters birthday 

and spend Thanksgiving with me.

We met up with Katrin and Sophia for a quick playdate at the park.

I couldn't stop thinking about how grateful I am for my friends, 

both here in Leipzig and around the world.  

And although it was not a typical Thanksgiving - filled with turkey, pie, and football.

It was a pretty good one and that showed me just how much I have to be thankful for.

Charmian

Feelin' Good

I'm feeling good today.  I am in the midst of a laundry tornado and I've been in and out all day running errands. But that's not why I feel good.  I feel good because even though it was scary I went to the doctor all by myself.  And you're thinking - you're 32, what's the big deal.  Well, it probably wasn't a big deal and wouldn't have been to all of you, but for whatever reason going to the doctor was really scary for me.  Now that I've gone (three days in a row) I can officially say I've face that fear and it's not so scary anymore.  I'm also feeling good because (even though I'm not feeling better yet) I can see my wellness just around the bend, which makes me feel even better.  :o)

Why three times in three days - no, it's not because I'm that sick, it's because they have funky hours of operation.  There aren't that many English speaking doctors that also have English speaking reception staff to choose from, and unfortunately my German is still so bad that I need both so my options are drastically limited.  When I got to the doctors office at 10:30 (which for me to get out of the house showered, dressed, and ready for the day, with my bouncing baby girl was pretty good.) they were closed.  They are only open from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and then again from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. except for Mondays and then only the morning hours.  The receptionist was a little perturbed but she gave me a card and told me to come back the next morning.  Tuesday morning rolls around and I leave Alessandra with Jon so I can get out more quickly.  I hit the tram at 9:09 a.m., I should have been there by 9:29 but the tram broke down and what should have taken me twenty minutes took just less than an hour.  UUGGHH!  10:05 I walk in the door and the girl isn't perturbed anymore she's pissed.  She told me to leave and that the hours are from 8 to 10 and that the doctor couldn't see me.  I explained my situation and pleaded with her to let me see the doctor.  She had me stand in the corner (which I did, very obediently - I felt like I was five again but I wasn't going to take any chances on making her any more mad) and about five minutes later I was filling out paperwork and heading to the waiting room.  I was back on the tram at 10:35 with an appointment to come back the next morning by 9:30, which I just barely made.  WHEH!

I'm also feeling pretty good because in T-Minus 17 hours I'll be on a tram, that will take me to the train, that will take me to the plane, that will take me to my Enfumes!  And, I'm actually looking pretty good to get out of the house pretty stress free tomorrow morning.  Barcelona here we come!  YAY!  So excited!

Charmian 

Feelin' Icky

We've had a bit of icky going around here.  Alessandra caught a cold which isn't a big deal but she's also teething which means even more snot and some pretty disgusting diapers.  Because of the yucky diapers we've also had a bit of diaper rash which just adds to the general ickiness that Alessandra has been dealing with.  Luckily, this time around, no one else caught the cold so that's a blessing.

I have however been fighting some other sickiness.  One of my main fears when moving here to Germany was not being able to get help when I needed it and then I did this which just solidified that fear.  So now I'm finally on the hunt for a doctor who is fluent in English and who doesn't just want to send me to the hospital or medicate me at every sniffle and sneeze.  I am hoping I can make a full recovery soon because all of this ickiness I've been feeling has been going on a little too long and I just want to feel good and normal again.

That's all for me.  Happy November!

Charmian

Cloth Diapers?!?

I don't know if...

1. I'm so thorough that I answered everyone's questions in the original posts

2. Nobody is reading my cloth diaper posts

or

3. Nobody cares about cloth diapers

...but I only ended up with one question about cloth diapering.

Which leads me to this post.

What 2.0

So, you want to know what exactly I'm using to diaper, well here you go.

Diapers

Alessandra wears the AI2 - OS Soft Bums Echo diaper cover with 

the Organic Bamboo inserts.

I absolutely love these diapers and have/would recommend them to everyone.  Once you get the diapers sized for your kiddo by adjusting the tiny little toggles that hide between the waterproof and soft lining of the cover, changing these diapers is a snap.  Literally - You snap in the inserts, put the diaper on like you would a disposable folding the extra bit of liner in between the legs for extra absorbency, close the velcro, and your done.

Wipes

We use the Thirsties Fab Wipes as our cloth wipes, but we don't just use these things at diaper changes.  They are AMAZING; very absorbent, with a textured side and a smooth side for whatever kind of mess comes your way, and they are so fun and colorful.  In a nutshell I love them.  We use them for; dirty hands, faces, and tooshies, as her wash cloths, dust rags, and they work great for cleaning the tub and windows.

At the Changing Table

Wipes Solution/Container

In an empty disposable wipes container fill with water and then add 1 TBS baby soap and 2 TBS baby oil, stir gently.  Instead of baby oil you can also use olive or coconut oil.  Take a handful of your cloth wipes and slowly submerge them in the solution until they have absorbed all the liquid.  They will be dripping wet when you take them out of the container so make sure to wring them out well before you use them at diaper changes or for sticky fingers and faces.

Diaper Cream

I am still using my first tube of diaper rash cream and that's because Alessandra hardly ever gets a rash.  I really think this is because of the cloth wipes.  When she has gotten a rash it's been when we've been using disposable wipes, maybe it's a coincidence but regardless when her heinie does get a little red this stuff knocks it out - and quick!

Wet Bags

All the wet, stinky stuff has to go somewhere and I prefer these zippered wet bags from Planet Wise as we don't really have room for a large trash can with a pail liner to hold all the stinky diaps.

Hanging Diaper Organizer

This awesome organizer is from Ikea.  It isn't only fun and whimsical but this Frog Prince keeps this OCD mom as organized as she likes.  :o)

On The Go

Diaper Bag

My Skip Hop Via Messenger Bag has so many pockets to help me find everything quickly.  There are stroller clips to keep the bag at hands reach right on the handlebar.  It's just the right size for me to carry a full days worth of necessities without being too big.  The following is a list of everything currently in my diaper bag;  cloth diapers, cloth wipes, medium size wet bag, the bottom half of the changing mat (below), a change of clothes, a couple small toys, a snack, a receiving blanket, my nursing cover, a burp cloth, travel size diaper cream and hand sanitizer, kleenex, a couple pacifiers, all my necessities (wallet, change purse, phone, keys, lip gloss, sunscreen, pen...) plus my large water bottle and Alessandra's little one.  

Whew - Now that was a list! 

   

Skip Hop Travel Changing Mat

Skip Hop Travel Wipes Container

Grab 5-7 wipes out of  the changing table

 wipes bucket and wring them out well.

  Put them in this over sized wipes case

 and your set for a day of messy fun.

Travel Inserts

There have been times when I knew I was going to be out longer than cloth would hold me but not long enough to buy a whole package of diapers so I have used these flushable, compostable (wet only), biodegradable diaper inserts.  They work perfectly in the Soft Bums covers to get me from diaper change to diaper change leak free.  Warning for you Penny Pinchers out there, they are a bit pricier than regular disposables would be - but they are so darn convenient.  

Care

Laundry Detergent

 

I can't say enough good things about this laundry detergent.  My diapers still look like new and on the rare occasion I do get a stubborn poop stain an afternoon in a sunny window bleaches them out without any extra work on my part.

There you go, that's everything I use to diaper my kiddo.

Hope this helps!

Charmian 

All of the  opinions in this post are mine and I was not paid or given any of these products to review.

Cloth Diapers?!?

How:

Warning:  This is going to be a long post so strap it in. 

Prep:  All cloth diapers (cds) need to be prepped (washed and dried) before they are put on your little one's tush.  Depending on the brand/style of your cd the prep will be different.  Make sure to read the care instructions for your specific brand/style.  Organic diapers need to be prepped more than their non-organic counter parts because the organic fibers have naturally occurring oils that need to be washed away.  The cds will not be at their peak absorbency until properly prepped so don't expect to get your cds and slap them on your kiddo the same day.  Once the prepping is complete your ready to move on to assembly and installation (I made cding sound like putting together Ikea furniture).  :o)  Most complaints about absorbency in the early days of cding are because the diapers have not been properly prepped, so don't skimp on this process.

Assembly:  I like to get my diapers all ready so when it comes time for a diaper change I'm not fumbling a fussy baby while assembling the diaper.  Of course, if you're using an AIO there is no assembly required - you lucky Ritzy Hippie Mammas!  If you're a  Penny Pinching Mamma and you're using a pre-fold and cover you will have to assemble during your install.  But if you're a  like me and you're a Penny Pinching Hippie Commando and using an AI2 system than I'm talking to you.  Depending on your AI2, different assembly may be required.  No matter if you have to snap, tuck, or stuff the insert into the cover, I'd suggest you have as much done beforehand as possible.

top basket - cloth wipes ready to be added to my wipes bucket
just below the colorful wipes you'll see the doublers - for  longer wears and nighttime
middle basket - assembled diapers ready to be applied
bottom basket - additional inserts

A side note on assembly.  I try and keep my diapers organized - I know, I know those of you who know me well are falling out of your chairs in shock (for those of you who don't know me well, you probably didn't catch my hyperbole).  With everything organized and easily at hand cding is a snap.

Install:  Once again you Ritzy Hippie Mammas are lucky because your install is just like disposable diapers.  Take off the old one, open up the new one, slap it on, close it up, and go.  For you Penny Pinching Mammas I would suggest you check out this site, try some of the folds and find the one or two that work best for you and your little munchkin.  Take off the old one, lay out the new one, fold and snappi (little plastic clips to hold on the diap instead of using sharp pins) it in place, put on your cover, and go.  For you Penny Pinching Hippie Commandos the install will be pretty easy because you've already taken care of most of the work during the assembly.  

You'll take off the old one,

 open up the new one and put it on,

close it up and then check to make sure all of the absorbent insert is inside the cover.

Because the insert isn't completely attached to the cover and your not fastening it to the baby itself,

it can slip outside of the cover while you're putting it on which may cause leaks.

If it is, you should be good to go for a leak free diaper until your next change.

Happy Baby!!

Lucky Daddy!

Care:  Well, they have to get clean and honestly this part is a cinch, but just like I said before make sure to follow your cd's instructions as they're all a little bit different.  If you follow the instructions you shouldn't have any problems with detergent build up.  Detergent build up is caused when the detergent isn't rinsed completely out of the diapers causing a coating to form around the fibers keeping the fibers from absorbing the moisture and pulling it away from the skin.  If this isn't prevented or caught early on it can actually cause diaper rash, leaks, and/or stinky diapers.  I haven't had any problems but then again I can be a bit obsessive sometimes and I can honestly say I've been very particular about how I care for these diapers.

  Here we go Penny Pinching Hippie Commandos, we just changed Alessandra, she has a clean diaper on her bum and is currently playing on the changing table.  I take the dirty one (just pee) and reattach the velcro closures to the laundry tabs (this keeps the velcro from damaging the outside of the diapers when they are waiting to be used and in the wash).

Then I unsnap the insert from the cover.  

I unzip my wet bag (a waterproof bag that holds wetness and odors in) that is attached to the changing table and stuff the wet insert in the bag, while holding the outside of the cover (just because everyone is always curious at this point my hands have not gotten in any pee or poop).  and set the cover aside to air out for use later on.  

For pee and newborn/pre-solid poopy diapers that's it until wash time.  Before babies start solids there poop is totally water soluble and trust me on this, it WILL get totally clean in the wash without you having to do anything but follow the previous care instructions.  Once your little one starts solids their poo will get more solid and will need to be flushed.  So here's how poopy diapers go.  I take it off, clean Alessandra up and get on a new diapy.  Alessandra goes on the floor to play while I take the entire diaper - cover, insert, everything - to the bathroom.  While holding the back of the diaper where the diaper snaps in to the cover I spray the poop into the toilet.  I unsnap the cover and set it aside (this next step is the only time my hands come into contact with the dirty diapers) and take the insert and wring most of the water out - you don't have to do this but I don't like carrying a soaking wet dirty diaper through my house.  I put the insert inside the cover and wash my hands, then I take the insert and cover and drop them in the wet bag.  Once I'm all done I wash my hands again.

Wash:  It's been a few days and your wet bag is getting full.  It's time to do a wash.  I take the entire wet bag to the washer, I unzip the zipper and unload the bag into the washing machine.  I then partially zip the wet bag and put it in the machine as well.  I pour in 1/4 of the amount of detergent that is recommended for a heavy load and run a heavy load cycle with cold water.  Once that is done I pull out the wet bags and covers and hang them up to dry.  Then it's time for the second short wash with no detergent and VERY HOT WATER (as hot as your washer can do - here in Germany that's 90C - I think in the States you only get 60C).

Dry:  My washer is a low water usage, HE machine that is a washer and dryer in one.  Once the wash cycle is finished I send it on a 60 minute dry cycle.  The dryer is pretty useless but even with my machine I am still able to get my diapers clean and mostly dry.  When the diapers come out they are still a bit damp so I reshape them (like you would a sweater) and I hang them up until they are completely dry.  If you had a real dryer you could dry them completely and skip that last step.

That's it!

Done and Done!!  

Easy Peasy!

So now that I've taken you through the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How's do you have any more questions for me?

If so send me an email, a message on Facebook, or leave me a comment and I'll get them answered.

Charmian