Diapers

Diapers! Everyday I change 6 - 10 diapers which can add up to a lot in the landfill. Wes and I have chosen to use cloth diapers and spend a few minutes every 2 days or so to wash them. It really only takes a few minutes to get them into the wash or if need be to scrub some poop out. It's so easy! I heard that diapers are #2 in the landfill after plastic bags. Who knows for sure, but they do pile up fast when using disposables.

We decided to go with Bamboo diapers by Mother Ease. They are Canadian made which is a plus (love supporting Canadian products when possible) and they are sold locally at Mountain Baby.

We started with 6 infant sized diapers that we were glad we bought. It would have been nice to have more, but they seriously don't fit for long. Rowan has pretty much outgrown them now at 12 lbs. We have just lent them to a friend who just had a little girl (congrats Aaron and Karttika!) and plans to use cloth diapers. At least the diapers get some more use out of them.

We also bought and were given 13 one size fits all diapers. (I don't have a picture of Rowan in those yet.) They are a simple cloth diaper with snaps, and then you add a cover to keep the moisture in. They were too big for Rowan to begin with but have served well since she was about 9 and a half lbs. Just recently this week we've started adding a liner at night. We try not to change her at night because it wakes her up and us. For about the past month we have been doing this no diaper changing at night. It has really helped Rowan figure out the nighttime sleeping thing. Anyways, the liner really helps make the diaper last all night. We have stay dry liners and bamboo liners, both made by Mother Ease. Pictured above is the infant size bamboo diaper by MotherEase.

We have some other diapers too, Kushies and some no name brands that are second hand. The Kushies are alright. They are all-in-one diapers which leaves out one less step when changing diapers. With the second hand no name ones, we use a liner and then they work well enough. I guess diapers loose absorbency after many uses. I just ordered some Bamboozles diapers and a BumGenius. We'll see how those work. So far, our favorite our the Mother Ease diapers. In the pictures above are the Kushies diaper and a no name second hand diaper.

After every diaper change, we put the wet diapers into a bucket with just water, and if they are soiled I try to wash them by hand right away (when possible.) Then I soak the soiled ones as well. When the buckets are full I throw them into the washing machine with Seventh Generation baby detergent. It is best to hang them out on a line in the sunshine. But for now, I hang them by the wood stove or put them in the dryer. They take quite a awhile to dry since they are so absorbent so I try to just hang them on a drying rack by the stove whenever I can. (We use buckets from the ice cream shop in town, thanks to Nana and Dada!)

When we go away from home for more than a day, we use disposables. It is so weird to use them after using only cloth. They are scented too much and feel funny. They aren't as bulky and make Rowan look so petite.

massage

I went to an infant massage course this morning with Rowan. We learned so much, it was great! Now I have added confidence to the massage I was already doing. We learned some new strokes, ways to massage the legs, feet, stomach, chest, arms, back and face. My favorite new massage technique is one that stimulates the lymphatic system. This is done by massaging inside the armpit, from the top of the arm pit and down towards baby's ribs. Rowan still prefers her legs and feet massaged, but hopefully she will learn to enjoy all parts of massage since it is so good for her.

We also learned body movement, which relaxes and stretches different parts of baby's body. Even though this was near the end of the 2 hour class, Rowan still showed enjoyment and relaxation from it.

Rowan is very relaxed this afternoon! And so am I!

Really? 3 months old already?

Wanna know a secret?

Here it is, the best recipe for sleep! Having a bath before bedtime! Wow! Sure seems to help deepen the sleep. Last night after a bath, Rowan slept almost 5 hours. A few nights ago after a bath 6 hours. And after the hot springs - 5 hours.

So, guess what we did tonight...

Rowan is almost 3 months old!

In one day, Rowan will be 3 months old! Wow, where did the time go? She has done so much growing and changing.

In the past month Rowan is much more wide eyed and alert. She smiles more and more each day. She has even started to laugh, just started! She can hold her head up so well. I've been putting her in her bumbo seat for the past week now and she loves it. Rowan loves practicing standing on her feet and she is showing great balance. She loves going outside for walks in her stroller, wrap or sling. She usually falls asleep within 5 minutes of being outside. It's great because it gets me outside too. Rowan continues to love her baths and massages. She has been swimming in a swimming pool twice and been to the hot springs twice as well. She slept once for a 6 hour stretch! That was heaven, however we're still waiting for it to be the norm. Usually, she is now sleeping for a 4 hour period, waking up for a feed, then sleeping 2 hours, waking for another feed and sleeping for 2 more. We aren't complaining as she is mostly just waking to eat and then going back to sleep.

Rowan has new hair starting to come in. It feels like the softest bristles ever. I think it is growing in blondish white, but it's still hard to say for sure. Her cheeks are getting chubby, as well as her legs. It's so cute! She's growing taller as well. She's wears 3-6 months clothes and they usually are a good fit. I wonder when she will go into the next size?

Well, here's a few pics of Miss Rowan Adia taken in the last week.

Cutie Patootie!

Playtime!

Astronaut Rowan

Pretty Miss Blue Eyes

I think Rowan has blue eyes!!! (At 12 weeks old)

Roots of Empathy

Rowan is already a teacher! She teaches kids about empathy! How cool is that?


We go to school about once a month to meet a primary class. The students observe Rowan's actions and her ways of communication. They learn what makes her cry, what makes happy, etc... They are learning about her development and watching for milestones. The programs website says: (http://www.rootsofempathy.org/)

Roots of Empathy is an evidence-based classroom program that has shown dramatic effect in reducing levels of aggression among school children by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy.

It's fun for Rowan. She loves seeing all the children. The class is in Edgewood, so I get to see all my old students at the same time.