Why I Make My Own Baby Wipes...

So the story begins with me trying to conceive...I had some issues and decided to change my diet and remove dangerous chemicals from my products. One of the culprit chemicals that attacks your reproductive system are from the Paraben family. Parabens are a class of chemicals widely used as preservatives by cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The family of Parabens include Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Heptylparaben, Methylparaben, and Propylparaben. Read more about the dangers of Parabens HERE. So what does this have to do with making baby wipes... Well most baby wipes contain them and I had no idea...

I received a case of Pamper's baby wipes for my baby shower. The case contains three bags of wipes inside that are unmarked and unlabeled. So when baby Oliver was born I asked my husband to get me some baby wipes and he brought me one of the bags. Since I was exhausted I did not think to investigate the ingredients in the wipes and since the bag had nothing on it I just ignored it. When I got myself together after the birth and started getting back into daily routine, I went to the room where all the baby stuff was. I picked up the case of baby wipes and the word Paraben jumped out and slapped me in the face. Here I am trying to protect my baby from these crappy chemicals and I have been washing his genitals with them for some time. I immediately threw them out....

I realized baby wipes are a new invention for convinced so I went online to see if anyone else made their own baby wipes. I found out a lot of people do. Some to save money, others to save the planet from waste, and some to save our babies from horrible chemicals. 

So I found some online recipes and was quite happy with the results. Since I cloth diapered washing the wipes wasn't a big deal I just washed them with the diapers.

Here are some good ones:
http://wellnessmama.com/1459/homemade-baby-wipes-recipe/

http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/mama-resources/expert-panel/diba-tillery-rn-bsn/making-homemade-baby-wipes

http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2012/05/10/cloth-wipes-diy-free-or-fancy/

http://simplehomemade.net/how-to-make-and-use-cloth-wipes/

Since then, Oliver and I started venturing out more and I found it easier to carry a small spray bottle of diluted solution and dry wipes. I just spray him , wipe and then throw the wipes in our wet bag with the soiled diapers. 

At home since Oliver started squirming around during diaper changes I found it much easier and much more hygienic to walk his tush and other parts in the tub after pooping...so I don't even use wipes at home. I just hold his tushy under the running water and soap him up. 

Ladies I would highly recommended that you carefully read all your products as well as your baby's products to make sure these bad ingredients aren't in there. They are in almost EVERYTHING! What is crazy to me is that face creams I use to spend tons of money on contained them too. So just because something is pricey doesn't mean it is good.  Don't be ignorant do research and protect yourselves from the poisons that these money making companies are trying to expose you to. I am not willing to be a guinea pig for no one especially when I am paying for the products. I hope I spread some awareness. Remember a good rule of thumb is if you would feel safe putting it in your mouth you shouldn't put it on your body. Your skin is a living organ, it absorbs everything you put on it...

Oliver's First Year of Life

My little 7 pound and 2 ounce boy is one year old today...my how time flies literally. I still remember my labor and delivery like yesterday. So here is my letter to my one year old son on our magical journey through our first year as a 3 person family...

Oliver, My Dearest Treasured Gift From God,

 The day you came into my life was a magical one, I had no idea what I was in for, however I loved you before I even met you my son. You were the most precious living creature I had ever laid eyes on even though you came out purple (that freaked out your dad a little). I was in awe of you from the moment I looked into your eyes. The first night was surreal...after being in labor all day and then coming home in the middle of the night we were all exhausted. I couldn't believe I was a mother and you were really here with us. We didn't plan on you sleeping in the bed with us...but it was the most natural thing for me to do and so I did what felt right, and you sir were in our bed snuggled up with mommy from day one. I also had a bumpy road trying to breastfeed you...you did not want to latch lazy boy. You came out of the womb so calm and chill. So mommy had to get lots of support in order to get you on your way to become a super sucker :) . I remember the first month all you did was nurse. I felt like such a useless couch potato at times...since all I was doing was sitting/laying with you and nursing you. I had to remind my self constantly that I am sustaining life with my body...and that in itself is a SUPER POWER. I remember that the first 3 months you wanted to be held always. I wore you in a wrap most of the time just like I do now at a year. I had a terrible fear that I would never be able to put you down...that I would have to hold you forever, but that changed after 3 months.  You slowly were gaining your independence.  I also started to go back to Crossfit and you came with us and loved it there. You slept through all the noise and loved all the attention from the coaches and athletes. You were the center of attention everywhere.We also started to exclusively cloth diaper you on your 3 month birthday as well, which was my goal from the beginning since your mamma is kind of a hippie go-green kind of gal. I just remember that I could stare at you for hours and your little extremities and features always took my breath away. I don't know how you managed but every day you seemed to be getting cuter and cuter. Your smiles melted my heart and every little sound you made turned me into mush...by the way most of the sounds you made sounded like dinosaur sounds lol, You had many experiences with us. I took you out wrapped up in a baby wrap from the start.

After 3 months you didn't like driving in the car, so I couldn't take you many places unless someone drove with us. It was the only thing that you did that drove me a little crazy...You didn't like the stroller either. There were many times I had to carry you back on our walks. Your personality started to really shine at around 4 months...you became so much more interactive with us. You started to play with toys and recognize us so much more. At five months you loved sitting in the bouncy chair and started to sit very well by yourself. I started spending more time with you outdoors as well. You loved sitting outside in the fresh air looking at the trees, birds and our dog Zippo at the time. At six months you loved being in the jumping chair we hung from the door frame...you would bounce for quite a while there. We also started to introduce solids to you at this point and bought you your first high chair from Ikea. We started you out with egg yolks, avocado and bananas...and slowly tried different fruits and veggies with you. You even were chewing on kale. You had your first Halloween, we dressed you up as a baby dragon at the birth center and were seduced by a cute little bumble bee named Isabella. At the end of your sixth month your bottom two teeth emerged. Thanks to the amber necklace you have on 24/7 momma didn't know until I decided to rub your gums and I felt the first one. We also started to put you in the nursery during church services at Calvary Chapel Hollywood so that daddy and I could pay more attention and you could play with the other babies. You did well even though daddy and I were a nervous wreck leaving you. Month seven was lively, you were eating more and growing so quickly. You had your first Thanksgiving and were munching on a whole turkey leg followed by a bowl full of whipped cream thanks to babicka. We also found out that you LOVE LOVE LOVE oranges. I took you to vote for the 2012 presidential election, you stood in line with me and then one of the poll workers watched you while I filled out my ballot ( I did not vote for Obama, just saying in case you were curious). After voting we went to eat sushi and of course you couldn't eat sushi at 7 months...so I gave you some veggies to play with and a piece of orange on my plate as decoration ..and that was it...your addiction began. Still today you love your oranges.

Month eighth was a biggy, you became mobile. You started to crawl on my birthday and boy were you happy to be on the move. You celebrated your first Christmas, and we bought you some WOD Toys. These were the only plastic toys I approved of...lol  I only wanted natural toys for you. Most of your toys were wood. The idea was for you to use your imagination and become a thinker with out all the excess stimuli from the electronic toys. Your daddy and I took you to take pictures with Santa at Bass Pro Shops...you were a good boy and started exploring Santa's beard. We also got a new member of our family, Toby a Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog puppy. At this point you were standing pretty well with the assistance of furniture and other large stable objects. You  also had your two top teeth come through at this point. Month nine you became quite the independent explorer...and mess maker. You began ripping and eating paper, chewing on books and cardboard, and your meals were now much messier. I started to give you many different food using baby led weaning. Good thing we had dogs to clean up your scraps from the floor. Unfortunately we lost one... We had to put Zippo down due to cancer even thought you loved him so much. Month ten was great. You started to do your morning poops and pees in the potty. You love sitting on the potty as long as I entertain you with all the wonders of the bathroom (hair rollers, brushes, bottles...). You also started climbing stairs like crazy at the park...totally on your own. The bottom right incisor came through too, then the two top ones followed. Month eleven was crazy. You started to get into everything...all the cabinets, draws...everything. Keeping me busy all day long. Took you to your first petting zoo, you go crazy for animals of all shorts. The last incisor on the bottom popped threw. You are standing strong and ready to walk soon. You walk with a walker and can stand by yourself. You have a great squat from a Crossfit perspective lol. You are eating everything in sight including dirt and anything else you can get your hands on.  I have been letting you get dirty and muddy a lot lately...keeping you naked more too so I don't have to do so much laundry. You are addicted to blueberries, egg yolks and oranges at this point in time, but you eat almost everything with a preference for meats. I can't get you to eat the egg whites...tried omelet style, scramble and plain... and you will not touch it. You are so funny and your personality is great. You have a little bit of a temper when things don't go your way. You point everywhere and say "deh" at everything. You are so smart and can identify a lot of things already. We never gave you a bottle which was my goal and I am so happy with the bond we have on our journey in breastfeeding. You are quite fond of my boobies and as embarrassing as this might be when you get older, you love playing with my nipples (as do most breastfed babies, so it is not a weird thing, it is actually instinctual). You say mama but I think you are referring to my boobs. If you even see them in sight you jump on them like a zombie on fresh flesh. You sleep well and still with us in the bed. You love the out doors, you want to be out all the time. You are completely covered in bug bites and that doesn't stop you. You make every morning worth waking up to. You are the joy of my life and even the hardest craziest day with you is worth it because you are in my life. You have many friends and life is good.

I pray for many years that I can spend with you and watch you grow. I love you so very much and want you to know that what ever I do as a mom I am doing to the best of my ability, knowledge and an abundance of love and sacrifice. No parent is perfect and by no means am I...but I want you to know that I am trying my very best to be the mother you deserve. I apologize for not understanding your every need. You are quite mischievous at times and require some discipline, just know it is for your own good so you don't hurt yourself or others.


Loving you Unconditionally Now and Forever, Your Maminka

We made it to 6 months... ALIVE!

So Oliver turned 6 months today and things couldn't be going any better! I just want to let new moms out there know how to relax and embrace this time. There is no competition on who is a better mom or what technique works best. I want to take this time to reflect on goals I had prior to Oliver being born to the reality 6 months later...

Goal # 1 - 100% NATURAL BIRTH (outside of hospital). Check! This was the biggest and most important goal for me. I did not want to end up giving birth in a hospital (I will post on this later...). Thanks to an amazing mid wife Janice Heller and doula Elena Penades we had an amazing team to coach us through at The Birth Center in Hallandale! It was a beautiful, though tough experience.

Goal #2 - NO BOTTLES only BREAST. Check! I did not want to use formula at all nor did I feel a reason to have to pump and give my child milk through a plastic bottle when he has access to the main natural source (the original bottles = breasts). I knew I could do it and I knew it was possible/feasible, however I got a lot of crazy looks from other moms when I expressed my desire not to use bottles. So much so I even got bottles as gifts at our baby shower. Well I didn't have to use them and I am not planning on using them ever.  To other mothers with this goal. Breastfeeding is not easy but it gets easier! We had some rough bumps in the beginning but with amazing support we made it through with flying colors. You can not do this alone seek support from day one if you want to succeed!

Goal # 3 - NOTHING BUT BREAST MILK until 6 MONTHS. Check! I don't have to give my opinion when the WHO (World Heath Organization) and AAP ( American Association of Pediatrics) recommend this to everyone. I refuse to give my baby junk food (formula or cereal). Formula and cereal are full or corn, soy and other garbage I wouldn't feed my dog yet alone my baby boy. I am not making this up check the ingredients and do some research on it yourself! Also there is a big myth out there that babies need water, this is 100% FALSE. Please do your research when you make BIG decisions regarding the health of your baby! DIET is one of the biggest decisions you can make. Start your child off right so they don't end up with future problems.

Goal # 4 - CLOTH DIAPERING. Semi-Check! I started out with the idea of wanting to exclusively cloth diaper and told almost everyone that this was my plan. Again with great support from all the moms out there (Yes this is sarcasm at its best!) I received tons of disposable diapers at my baby shower. I ended up using disposables for the first 3 months and hated every minute of it... so I made the switch to cloth at that point and we haven't looked back since. So as of now our goal is completed and will remain that way until we are potty trained. (You can read my blog post about cloth diapering for the details on our journey!)

Goal # 5 - GETTING SLEEP (all of US!) - Check + +! Since we decided on co-sleeping/bed sharing we have had full nights of sleep since month 2. Remember being a mom is not black and white, right or wrong it is a journey between you and your child and what works for you two! (You can read more about our sleeping arrangement on my bed sharing blog post!)

Goal # 6 - NO BATTERY OPERATED TOYS/TV/ELECTRONICS - Check! You do not have to entertain your child with all these electronic annoying beeping talking toys... Oliver is so happy for hours sitting on the grass and watching the trees. I am NOT LUCKY because he does this. I did not over stimulate him with all these things to the point where he constantly needs this over stimulation like most children out there! He plays with very basic toys mostly made out of natural cloths and wood. We do how ever have a few plastic toys as well, but not many. When the Olympics where on we did have the TV on all the time and he did glare at it a few times but other than that the TV (we only have one) has been OFF.

Goal # 7 - NO KIDDY SHOWS or MUSIC. Check! Well since there is no TV there are no shows... As far as music, Oliver enjoys all kinds of music from Classical, Rock, Disco, to anything and everything under the sun/moon except those annoying kid songs. He doesn't seem to complain when we dance together to ABBA. So if I am considered a bad momma for not playing Barney or any other kid songs then so be it... I do not see how those songs make children smarter or more creative than listening to "adult" music. He does get a Disney song in there every once in a while ;) .

Goal # 8 - ENJOY EVERY MOMENT! Check! Being a mother and attached to Oliver 24/7 is not a burden for me it is a privilege  I have waited so long (6 years) for him and having him always with me is pure joy! Being a mom is very difficult and you somewhat feel like you lose your identity in the process but it is so rewarding to have him in our lives. I have not been away from him for more than an hour and I wouldn't have it any other way. He is mine and he is my responsibility and I am honored to be his mom. I do not "need" to be away from him longer than that so I don't. I do not feel tied down or trapped... on the contrary I long for him when I am not with him. As I am typing this while watching him on the monitor sleeping... I would rather be snuggled against him. I do not neglect my husband either! We are on this path as parents together and find time for each other. The fact that we have been together nearly a decade before Oliver came has been a blessing because we know each other well and support one another through this new chapter of our lives.

Goal # 9 - ELIMINATION COMMUNICATION. NO Check (YET)! If you are unfamiliar with what EC is, check it out! It is a method used to potty train your baby from practically birth by reading your baby's signals. I don't know if we failed to read the signals or Oliver didn't have clear signals (or a little of both) but it has been quite difficult for us to routinely use EC. We haven't given up I am hoping as he starts to be a little more mobile and more on a schedule we might try again soon. I did manage to get a few pee pees in the potty but it is not easy to read this little guy. He is not very consistent with his elimination nor his signals.

      Finally I want to close with some advice to moms out there. PLEASE do not scoff at someone when they have a parenting goal different from yours. Also don't be negative towards something that quite didn't workout for yourself. If you did not meet your goals of parenting don't think others should be doomed along side with you. Remember we are all on the path of motherhood however each path is completely different and unique! We all don't have the same background, personalities, opinions and children. So do not be surprised if you are not on the same identical path as other moms when it comes down to the details. Raising a child is not a competition between mothers, there will be difference of opinions! Also new moms don't think the older generation has all the correct answers and the best advice, DO YOUR OWN research in any situation and then make your own decisions based on what you discover. Also trust your gut! Even professionals will never know your child like you know your child! And DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT put 100% trust in anyone even doctors if you do not feel comfortable with a decision pertaining to your child!!!

Handmade Toys <3

Momma and Baby at the Beach!

With Grandma!

Here comes the SUN!

Tongue Action!

First Solids... :)

Loves that Sand!

My Beautiful Boy! <3