Wordless Wednesday: The Terrible, No Good, Very Bad, Two Year Molars

Product Review: Bumby Wool

Shortly into our cloth diapering adventure, we discovered that Mr. R had a sensitivity to synthetic materials. He was in store bought fleece pants one day when we noticed his legs were all red and splotchy. The doctor soon told us that he had mild eczema that was brought on by food sensitivities (at the time it was barley and dairy) and that synthetic fibres would exacerbate the problem. He told us that breathable fibres such as cotton and wool would be the best thing for R. So, I considered that pretty much a prescription to go buy some woollies! I asked for a prescription to send to our extended health provider, but he didn’t think I would be able to convince them to cover the costs.

It was around one year ago today that I learned of a Work At Home Mom (WAHM) who lived in Alberta, our neighbouring province in Canada, who made wool interlock products. The company name was Bumby and she just happened to have openings on her Customs List. I quickly signed up for 3 items, 1 pair of pants (called longies) and 2 pairs of shorts (called shorties). It was love at first sight. The red was the PERFECT Canadian red and matched all things Canadian! The olive green was gorgeous and matched everything. The sewing was great, the cut was perfect on R and they were machine-washable!

For those who don’t know, wool is a great product to use when cloth diapering, because not only is it breathable, but when you wash it with lanolin (what naturally coats sheep’s wool), it becomes just about water proof. In other words, you can use lanolized wool as a cloth diaper cover. This allows you to use fitted cloth diaper products made of cotton, bamboo, hemp and so on and then place wool soakers, shorties, longies, capris and even skirties (skirts) over top, keeping your baby’s skin breathing, and preventing leaks the same way a synthetic cover would. It’s a win/win in our opinion. R has been sleeping in cloth and wool since he was 3 months old and we rarely have wet sheets! The bonus to it all, is that he looks absolutely adorable with a variety of colours, styles and cuts to choose from. Basically you are customizing not only your cloth diaper cover, but also your child’s clothes. R wears wool bottoms, instead of regular pants/shorts, about 90% of the time.

Bumby offers 2 types of wool: silky wool and fuzzy wool. The names lend themselves to give you the general idea of their description. Silky wool is thinner, and requires an added soaker to be considered water proof (not a problem for team Bumby), but is amazingly soft, machine washable and very stretchy. This type of wool is great for leggings (yup, that’s right, you can have styling leggings for your little one that will also serve as a cloth diaper cover), and la ighter weight option for summer weather and warmer climates. We love our silky shorties in the summertime! Fuzzy wool, is as it sounds, a thicker wool, that feels like your child’s favourite stuffed animal. It is also very stretchy, but is great for longies and shorties, particularly if you plan on sizing up and will need to cuff.

Probably one of my favourite things about Bumby, aside from the amazing customer service, is how customizable everything is! Even when offered through her retailers, add ons such as extra length, pockets, appliques, multi colours (named Bumby Bolds), cuffs, and more are available so that you can truly have a one of a kind product. Different cuts are also available for babies and toddlers with different body types and mamas with varying taste. Our favourite for nights is the cuffed legging with added soaker.

So, I guess if one was wondering, “Why would I buy Bumby?” My answer is, aside from all the things I mentioned above, in a time when cloth diapering is moving away from the “green” movement that pioneered its return in society, and is moving toward mass production and distribution, we can make a choice to support superior products made within our own country or on our shared continent.
Bumby also has an excellent Facebook page and fan Buy/Sell/Trade and Chat page and is available at the following retailers, as well as direct from the Bumby site:
Gnome’s Naturals
Kissed By The Moon
Poppy Fields Shop

Wordless Wednesday: My Dog Daisy.

This is Daisy at 6 weeks old, before we brought her home.

She is a Lab-Bernese cross. If you look at her eyes here, you’ll see the look... the look of trouble.

This is what happened the first time Daisy was left home alone.

So we got her a dog bed...

She preferred to eat it... and the wall...

She was always left with toys and bones... 

But she still preferred the wall...

Or her bed.

So we bought her a kennel and made it comfy...

But she ate that too.

The Cone of Shame: deemed to stop ALL dogs from chewing wounds, but did that stop Daisy from chewing open her rear dew claw removal wounds on Boxing day resulting in a trip to the emergency vet. She chewed through the bandages, coated in bitter spray, and opened up staples, WITH THE CONE ON!

And while I appreciate her way of letting me know I don’t have to vacuum up her hair any more...

NOT a big fan of this...

or this....

OR THIS!!!!!!!!!

But... then THIS happens...

And this...

And this...

And all is forgiven.

I Traded My Michael Kors For a Baby Wrap.

This is me nearly exactly 10 months before I found out I was pregnant. I had known hubby for 6 weeks when he flew to Hawaii on Christmas Eve to meet my mom and I for a 5 day vacation. For me, this moment, this picture, this outfit, THESE SHOES, symbolize an era: my 20s. I found this dress and these shoes at the Macys in Waikiki. I had dropped about 20 pounds and 2 sizes earlier that year when my ex and I split and I hadn’t felt this sexy since I was about 21 years old... and haven’t really again since. The shoes are Michael Kors suede with about a 4” heel. I was lucky I didn’t break my neck. This week, I sold these shoes, along with a few others, online in a local bidding swap. Why you ask? To fund new wraps. I traded my Michael Kors for a baby wrap.

So, let this post and these pictures serve as a before and after. There’s no doubt in my mind which brings me more happiness. Not a superficial happiness of looking in the mirror and liking the image that looks back; but a deep rooted happiness that comes from learning a new skill as a mother that allows me to bond closer with my child. My 20s are nearly gone and I had a lot of beautiful shoes, but I have no problem with my hallway shoe closet slowly becoming a closet full of items like carriers, wraps and other devices.

Introducing... Flashback Fridays!!

First of all, please accept my apologies for lack of posting this week. I am finding it difficult to post during the week since returning to work from holidays AND I got a new job this week!! Yah! I’m still teaching, but I now have 2 Learning Assistance jobs instead of 4 smaller jobs. Very exciting! My proposal to help keep posts coming during the workweek is to have Words-Not-Needed Wednesdays (not too original, I know) and then Flashback Fridays!! I have a lot of great stories to share from life before Mr. R came along!

This month marks 5 years since my grandmother passed. She was and always will be one of my favourite people in life and one of the most influential people in my life. We were tight... like BFFs tight. Grandma Pugh (pronounced “pew”) took care of me during the day from 6 months of age until I was able to drive myself to school and had a car at age 17 and grade 11. It was as we knew her health was failing that I had my first panic attack, and first really came to terms with losing someone very close to your heart.

When it came time to decide what to do with her remains, her will didn’t exactly specify. I suggested we leave half her ashes here in Canada, and took the other half back to South Wales to be with her family and near her favourite siblings. My mom wasn’t up for the trip, and I’m an only child (I have a half brother and a half sister from my dad’s previous marriage, but more on that later), so my best friend came with me.

After arriving in London, we sought out a train to take us to Swansea. I’m not sure why I selected Swansea, about an hour away from Cardiff, the capitol of Wales, but for some reason, the name stuck in my head and I knew it had a beach and that I had been there with my grandmother. The train was packed because the Six Nations Rugby Cup was happening in Cardiff that day and for the first time in decades, Wales won! We watched them win in a crowded pub while eating fish and chips (grandma’s favourite). The next morning, on Saturday, March 15th 2008, we set out to the beach with the urn and a camera. This is what my BFF captured:

Walking out to the water

The urn on the beach... so serene. 

Getting ready...

Uhh... nobody told me ashes came in a zap strapped bag... no scissors in sight.

This is the moment when my BFF put her camera down and reached deep in the urn to empty the contents in to the container so that I could continue to gracefully spread the ashes like they do in the movies, from the urn, not a zap strapped baggie...

And ready to proceed! Hallelujah!!

It was at this moment that my BFF learned there was an onshore breeze...

And I gracefully spread the ashes, not in a zap strapped bag, along the beach, while accounting for the breeze.

Until she was one with her surroundings.

All Mat Leaves Must Come to an End

I must start this post by acknowledging how grateful I am to have 12 months off paid at 55% of my wage and recognize that this is another thing we often take for granted in Canada, along with our healthcare. However, all good things must come to an end. Because R was born June 30th, the last day of the school year in 2011, I actually had 12 months off partially paid and then 2 additional months off unpaid. In September, I returned to work full time. For the first 2 months, a friend looked after R, but it quickly became clear that she was overwhelmed with complete home renovations and her own family. We also worried that R wasn’t getting to socialize much with children his own age. So the hunt for childcare began.

Hunting for childcare can be stressful for any parents, but for those who have worked in the field of child care and development, this task can be extra difficult. I started working for Children’s and Youth Services in a neighbouring community at age 15 until  received my Bachelor of Education in December 2006 and starting my teaching career. In June 2011, months before R was born, I received my Masters of Science in Educational Leadership and Administration and just this fall completed coursework to certify me in Level B Psychology testing and a Learning Support Teacher. So I guess I am what one would consider “an expert” in the field of children and their development. This can make me a very difficult parent to deal with: believe me, I know, I have dealt with parents like myself, throughout my career.

Hubby and I made a list of things we wanted out of childcare and then I began looking around. We hoped for the following:
-a low ratio of 4 children to 1 adult for the infant stage
-a cloth diaper friendly provider
-a flexible nap schedule that would cater to our “non sleeper”
-a provider that would encourage the use of good communication, including sign language
-a provider that would facilitate healthy social development
-all of this for $900/mo or under to fit our budget.

We quickly learned that most the local “in home” providers were ruled out by our ratio requirement as they usually had a 7:1 ratio. Many providers were also ruled out by our cloth diaper requirement AND our flexible nap schedule. Most providers require that the child arrive scheduled to when they put all the children down for naps at the same time. This is not our Mr. R. Then, in one week, I had two separate colleagues recommend Heritage Park Childcare Centre. I went to visit the centre one day after work, when a friend was watching R. I was quickly greeted by friendly, happy little toddlers when I went in to have a look. There were plenty of staff with my desired four to one ratio and it was clear that the children were being encouraged to interact and socialize appropriately. I was shocked to learn that not only were they ready to learn all about cloth diapers and use sign language, but they would also put Mr. R down whenever he needed and cuddle him in a rocking chair with his bottle of goat milk before putting him in the crib. WINNING!!

Heritage Park Childcare Centre opened in the 1980’s in a church basement before moving to its current building that opened alongside Heritage Park Secondary, and is owned by the School District (my employer). It boasts an open door policy, with drop in at any time, and welcomes subsidy and community supports. Personally, I LOVE that parents who are still attending the high school across the street, can afford the same care that I can, as a full time working adult. It is also operated as the last non-profit option for childcare in our community. This was really cool. We actually had to join the Mission Daycare Society, before R could attend. This really fits our parenting philosophy and my philosophy as a professional of it taking a “village” or a “community to raise a child.”

Needless to say, Mr R LOVES it there!! He rarely cries when mama leaves for work, and keep in mind that he is an attached lil guy, and jumps in to the open arms of the staff. I get communications daily about everything from his naps and eating habits, to his B.M.s and activities from the day. I encourage any parents who are shopping around for childcare to make a list of what you are looking for and then search for a provider that can cater to what YOU and YOUR CHILD NEEDS and not the other way ‘round. We certainly found that. You can also access Child Care Resource Centres in your communities.

**For anyone interested, there is still space at Heritage Park Child Care Centre if you want your little one to join Mr. R for some fun!! Call Lorraine at 604-826-3080**

*Tips for choosing a daycare*

Bustin’ Rhymes and Learning to (w)Rap

So I recently complained in an online group that my trusty Ergo has started hurting my back. My baby weighs over 26 lbs now and I find that no matter how I adjust it, I get upper back pain after about 20 minutes. We had some good times, but I decided that it was time to start exploring other baby wearing options. I don’t consider myself an attachment parent, per say, but seeing how R has been sick lately and wants to be held at all times, my buff lady pipes need a break.

One of my fav. pics of R in the Ergo in Hawaii

When I posed the question online in my favourite group of baby wearing/cloth diapering/crunchy mamas, the suggestions seemed to be split between trying another soft structured carrier made for toddlers, and trying a woven wrap. I was well aware of the large community of mamas who use woven wraps. I always admired their ability to attach their babies to their bodies like gymnasts and somehow not drop them. It was then that an internet friend offered to lend me two of her woven wraps.

She shipped a size 7 wrap and a short size 5 wrap to my US address and I made a trip across the border to pick them up. The look on the border guard’s face when I told him the value of the wraps and that someone who I’ve never met in person (he stressed this fact), was willing to “lend” them to me, was priceless. Once home with the wraps, I immediately joined all the baby wearing Facebook groups I could fine and started searching for videos on youtube.

Day 2, Attempt #3

The first carry I decided to attempt was a Ruck. It was the simplest in my opinion, and I could do it with the shorter wrap... which seemed long enough to me! For my first attempt, I didn’t get the “top rail,” or top of the wrap tight enough and R decided to lean back at the wrong time. He ended up complete inverted, with his head hanging down by the back of my knees. From there, I gently dropped him on his head. No judgement here, I assure you it was more like setting him down on his head, and he didn’t seem to mind, so we laugh about it now. For attempt number two, I went to tie the final knot and realized that the ends were uneven and I did not have enough material on one side to tie off. At this point, R decided that he’d had enough. I decided to leave things for another day and continued to watch videos and gather information.

The next day, after I went for a run, R came running up to me and just wanted to be held. I knew then that the timing was perfect. I grabbed the short wrap and VOILA! My first successful Ruck. He was totally happy back there as I had hubby snap some pictures of my success, checked the effort out in the mirror and continued to make adjustments. I was so proud at this moment. Apparently, I was told by my new Facebook support groups for baby wearing, this was pretty good for my third attempt. I think R and I were just happy that he didn’t end up on his head!!

I decided that I had pretty much mastered this carry and CLEARLY I was ready to do this in the crowded grocery store the next day. Things started out okay and once again, R was pretty happy to be on my back. I took my online advice and tried to get him up higher and the rails tighter, but, after about 15 minutes, I felt the shoulders slipping, and slipping, and slipping. By the end, the shoulders were nearly completely off and the “seat” under R’s bottom had shifted to the point of being nearly non-existant. Clearly, I still need more practice!

R and I in the grocery store... shoulder slip and all!

The Adventures of Born-Again Co-sleepers

So R has been sick all week and he is miserable. It started as croup and then migrated to his chest and nose... again. Thankfully our borrowed woven wraps arrived yesterday so we’ve begun adventures in wrapping, but this kid just wants to be held and cuddled and does not want to sleep. R has never really been known for his great sleep habits, but since the time change, he has been waking between 3:30-4:30am. He has maybe slept past 4:30am twice since the beginning of November. Add being sick to this and he was not only waking early, but also up a couple of times in the night. So, a good friend made a suggestion, and I quote,

"I was going to suggest giving co-sleeping another whirl but I didn't want to seem pushy... If he naps well while sleeping with someone than it makes sense that he may sleep well at night. Lots changes from 4-18 months and maybe he won't wake so easily.”

So, two nights ago, we decided to give it a whirl...

By the time we got R to sleep, he was positioned something like this.

As we started getting ready for bed, not washing faces or brushing teeth for fear of waking him,
Neil joined him on the bed.

Then hubby got in to bed... in his tux of course.

That left me with about a space just big enough for my head on my pillow and then I had to wrap my body around R and my legs around the cat. I believe I was only able to do so because of years of yoga.

Sadly, after about 1-2 hours of this, I started coughing and was waking R and so I took my leave and slept in the guest room until R woke up at around 3:30am. I then got up and made him a bottle and brought it to him in our bed. That’s when the magic happened: R went back to sleep until 5:45am!! HE SLEPT PAST 4:30AM!!! GLORY, HALLELUJAH!!

For night number two, we decided to do things a bit differently. We decided to put R down in his crib and see how long he could last there. We figured that would allow us to brush our teeth and get ready for bed, and keep him being able to at least sleep somewhat in his own room. R was able to sleep until about 10:30am on his own before waking. Hubby then prepared a bottle while I quickly brushed my teeth and got ready for bed. He brought R to me in our bed and we curled up for co-sleeping round 2.

Sorry it’s a bit blurry, it’s a nighttime iPhone pic, but things started out promising...

And then this happened. He ended up sleeping across my throat. I had to wait until he was in a deep enough sleep to pick him up and place him, vertical, between the two of us.

By about midnight, I had R lined up in the middle of the bed, head at the top of the bed and feet pointing down. Neil Catrick Harris was sleeping directly below his feet and hubby and I nearly had our normal amounts of bed real estate left. R woke up a couple of times in the night coughing and had to be soothed, but for the most part, he was out from midnight until 5:30am. After the previous nights of walking up and down the halls, swaying in his room, sitting by his crib and soothing him in the chair in his room for up to 2 hours in the middle of the night, midnight to 5:30am felt like a great sleep!! Looks like we might just have things figured out until we’re ready to introduce... the toddler bed!!

Help! My Child is Barking.

All bundled up in the cold air fighting croup

croup

¹  [kroop] 

noun, Pathology .

any condition of the larynx or trachea characterized by a hoarsecough and difficult breathing.

Origin: 
1755–65;  noun use of croup  to cry hoarsely (now dial.), blend ofcroak and whoop

(as cited by http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/croup?s=t )

Following back to back ear and chest infections and two rounds of antibiotics, which caused a few weeks of upset tummies and diaper rash, we thought we finally had a healthy baby and were ready to stop buying disposable diapers and break out our cloth again. New Year’s Eve was quiet and boring with hubby and I barely making it to midnight awake after an evening of PJs and movies and a full turkey dinner with all the fixin’s, cooked by hubby... yah, he’s a keeper. New Year’s day started out with a bang when R woke up at 2:00am and then at his usual 4:15am for the day. We spent most of New Year’s Day trading off on naps, like we spend most of our weekends. 

That night, R was up at 12:00am, 2:00am and 4:25am and when he was crying, his inhale had a squeak and he had a cough, one with that telltale noise you’re told about as a new mother and come to fear: a bark, like a barking seal. It was brutal. R has had chest infections and wet coughs and I have had numerous respiratory infections myself, as well bronchitis, but this cough was scary. I sat there with him, trying to administer his inhaler, trying to give him honey and warm goat milk, trying to cuddle and coddle and calm, and seriously considering driving him to the hospital. Each time, I managed to calm him and eventually get him back in the crib.

The next morning, I took him down to the clinic, where it was confirmed as croup and then I really learned what croup is. Croup is a virus that causes the throat and larynx to swell. Croup usually appears with other cold-like symptoms, but has a distinct barking cough, especially if the child is crying. Croup outbreaks occur most often during winter, are worse at night, and only affect children under the age of 5 because their throats are still so small and prone to swelling (Canadian Lung Association, http://www.lung.ca/diseases-maladies/a-z/croup-croup/index_e.php ). The thing the doctor told me that I didn’t know, was that there is no medicine at my house that could help R if it happened again. Homeopathic cough medicine, his prescribed inhaler, warm milk, honey, his hot air vaporizer... nothing. What’s more is, if the child continues to cough, and the situation worsens, their airway can swell to the point of not being able to breathe. This terrified me. Luckily, prescription steroids that can be swallowed or injected can temporarily reduce the swelling until the infection improves. But that requires an emergency trip to the doctor or emergency room.

One of my biggest fears as a new parent has been discovering potential allergies and the possibility of anaphylaxis. I used to be a ski patroller with level 3 first aid and I remember learning that their was virtually nothing you could do for anaphylaxis, aside from trying your best to keep the airway open, if an epi-pen wasn’t available. To think that if I had allowed R to cry and cough more, his airway could have become that swollen really hit home. The doctor told me then that if it happened again the next night, to bundle R up and take him outside. Cold air is one thing that can help to relax and open up the airway and prevent further swelling. Then, if that didn’t work, to pack up the car and go to the hospital for treatment. 

The following night, R woke up again at midnight and then at 1:30am and we were able to control his coughing by bundling him up and taking him outside for fresh air. Thankfully, it looked like we were not going to need to take him to the hospital. Getting him back to sleep on the other hand, that was a challenge. He finally ended up in our bed and drifted off to sleep at 3:45am, over 2 hours after waking. Hubby ended up getting pushed to the bottom of the bed, and eventually ended up on the floor next to the dog and her bed, but at least R was on the mend!!