Doula, cloth diapers, and nursery- Oh my!

My husband and I interviewed a doula in Panera Bread yesterday and loved her.  We both felt that she was very sweet, supportive, and informed.  I am so excited to have her be a part of this journey.  I was pretty nervous, because I just don't feel as though I know all the options available to me and did not want to get stuck having to rely on what the doctors tell me to do.

I have also found a birthing class recommended by our doula.  It starts in January and covers the birthing process, as well as relaxation and breathing, and breastfeeding.

The nursery, formerly known as the CATCH-ALL-OFFICE, is starting to get emptied out day by day.  John took out the big item with his dad yesterday, the desk.  I have been busy going through all four of my seasonal wardrobes and thinning the fat.  I am starting to realize, finally, that just because the hot fuchsia sweater is on sale, does not mean that I am going to use it more than once. We took 3 large bags to goodwill yesterday.  I have filled another this morning.  I have also kept some Juicy Couture and boutique stuff for my skinny friend at church. I have even been able to get rid of some dog clothes!

Every thing I have gotten rid of has been replaced by maternity or baby clothes, so this process is not really emptying many drawers. It is hard to empty one room and have to dispurse its' belongings. I'm ready to just have a large New Years Eve bon fire with everything that was in that room and call it a day! LOL

So, I am LOVING pinterest!  Best website ever.  After about one hour of being sucked into it, I have plans to make s'more muffins, paint flower pots with chalk paint and make containers out of them, decoupage light switches for the nursery, and make organic smoothies to eat every morning.

My new favorite cloth diapering mama is The Natural Mama Blog on You Tube.  Watch her, she rocks!

Naatural Mama Blog- Cloth diapers

Well, I don't have huge plans for New Years Eve, my back has been hurting really badly and in the evenings I have a hard time walking, so I have had to turn down invites.  However, this is still the most exciting NYE I have had in a while.  I compare it to my NYEs in NYC and they had nothing on this. I can't wait for what this new year will bring: my little baby girl.

Have a wonderful, safe, and blessed New Years, y'all~

Learning to be a bum-genius!

When I first started fertility treatments, I began looking into various parenting options and made some decisions of what I wanted to do when I finally did become pregnant.  One of the important decisions I made was to use mainly cloth diapers. In the pursuit of being environmentally friendly, financially friendly, and most importantly, "Au natural":  cloth seemed like the best fit for me.
As my due date draws closer, I decided to start really looking into buying/registering for some cloth diapers. Who knew that this wasn't so cut and dry as it seemed?  The doll babies I had when I was little had a little piece of cloth secured with pastel colored large safety pins to cover all the messy spots.  Oh no, that is not the case these days.  There is a whole cloth subculture:  types, brands, covers, blogs, accessories, stores..the list goes on and on...
It is overwhelming- thankfully I have I have 2 friends who are both on child number 2 using cloth.  They have hooked me up with advice and websites with valuable information. Still with these virtual cloth tour guides, there is so much to take in.
My tentative plan is to use primarily cloth unless I am going out for an extended period of time or leaving the baby at the church nursery.  I am considering using pre-folds when the baby is a new born and then switching to All In Ones when the baby is a bit bigger.  Prefolds are the basic cloth that you secure with a fastener.  The All in Ones (AIO) have a waterproof outer layer and do not require a diaper cover.  They close with snappies or velcro. I love the colors and designs that they come in and have heard a lot about the brand, Bum genius.

I am going to be making an appointment at a local cloth diaper store and they will walk me through my options and how to successfully use cloth.  I will keep you posted on how this journey goes. I am having fun so far!