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Having Multiples Without Breaking the Bank

By on April 23, 2009 in bellies & babies, frugal & simple

I have enjoyed reading from Crystal at Money Saving Mom in the past about how to have a baby without breaking the bank. Now is it possible to have multiple children and still maintain a budget with the cost of clothing, diapers, and other supplies? Children are such a blessing from the Lord and should not cause us to fret over making ends meet. God will supply all our needs. But how can we be wise in preparing and caring for multiples? When a boy and a girl join the family we are bombarded with all the blue and pink colors for every item imaginable! Do I really need all this? Aren’t they just too cute? I can’t help but post pictures of them!

The key: Choose gender neutral items!

That pink bouncer is cute but will the hubby want his little guy sitting in it with the next one? That would certainly not fly with my hubby! By purchasing a pink and blue version of everything you double your expenses. Save hundreds of dollars by doing a little advanced preparation. By following this idea, we only purchased a double stroller (craigslist wins once again!) beyond clothing for our little man. Side note: the buggy board is another frugal alternative to a double stroller that you need to check out if your single stroller is compatible.

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Homemade Nursing Pads

By on April 16, 2009 in bellies & babies, frugal & simple

I had been at my wits end trying to find a good absorbent nursing pad that would not leak through the night. I hate waking up to a nice wet spot on my sheets. I admit…I have problems, but my son is sure happy with all that good milk! I tried three different styles to no avail. I was just about ready to go find another one when the thought crossed my mind to try to make my own! I wish I had started here in the first place. I made these wonderfully absorbent flannel and fleece nursing pads in just a short time with fabric I had on hand and did not have to spend another penny. Flannel is soft and comfortable and fleece is waterproof and will keep the moisture away from your clothes. Horrah!

Making your own nursing pads is simple, frugal and fun! Choosing cloth reusable pads is an excellent way to avoid the waste of disposables and another way to be a good steward of our environment. Cloth is so much more comfortable overall!

This was a fun and easy project and a great gift for an expectant mother as well. I made a few sets for a friend at the same time. Too fun!

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Product Review: Swaddling Blanket

By on April 14, 2009 in bellies & babies

Swaddling is a huge blessing! Titus sleeps so much better in this manner! I call my swaddled babies my little burritos. They look so cute I could just eat them up. We found the miracle blanket very helpful for this (thanks to a $10 craigslist find!). I tried experimenting with using various receiving blankets for this purpose and he would just squirm his arms right out of it and then disturb himself with his flinging arms. This blanket keeps him snuggly and warm, safe and secure without any fear of getting covered by blankets, but it is also thin enough that he doesn’t get too hot. We used this same blanket for Karis and had a very similar experience. I believe it assisted in helping them sleep longer and more peacefully as it mimics the womb. Unlike other swaddling blankets we have tried with velcro that wear out, this blanket has a pouch for the legs and feet, additional fabric inside to secure their arms by their sides, and simply wraps around them several times to keep them secure. It lasted for the first several months with my daughter. My only con: I wish I had more than one! He will burp up all over it and I have to get it washed quickly for the next sleeping time!

Have you tried swaddling your baby? What was your experience?

It works for me!

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Vaccines: What to do?

By on March 27, 2009 in bellies & babies, health & nutrition

I have received several emails inquiring as to what our family has decided in regards to vaccines. As we prayerfully evaluated which route would be the best for our family, we found the following resources to be extremely helpful. I do not desire to raise a debate, nor am I any sort of doctor, but rather my desire is to share some interesting resources. It is important for each of us to make an informed decision!

The Vaccine Book: Making the Right Decision for Your Child by Dr. Sears is a very informative and balanced approach on all the different types of vaccines. The Vaccine Book is divided into 19 chapters. The first 12 chapters are each devoted to a different vaccine. Within each vaccine chapter, Dr. Sears discusses:

  • What the disease is
  • When the vaccine is given
  • How the vaccine is made
  • What ingredients are in the vaccine
  • What are the side effects of the vaccine
  • Should you give your baby the vaccine (including both reasons for and against, as well as travel considerations)
  • The way Dr. Sears sees it

According to Dr. Sears, the main concern currently is the addition of aluminum to certain vaccines. Mercury was removed since 2002 with the exception of the flu shot and trace amounts in a few vaccines, but aluminum and other chemicals (including formaldehyde) remain…

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Adjusting to Life with Two

By on March 24, 2009 in bellies & babies, news & giveaways

A typical morning lately at our house resembles something like this…a little potty training, lots of cloth diaper changes, dealing with a difficult stage in child training a toddler, and all!

The clock chimes seven o-clock and the baby awakes (if we are lucky). Titus is fed while we have our morning devotions. Karis awakens and needs a diaper change and dressed for the day (and do that hair so we can see her little face!). Mommy needs to get dressed. Karis is extremely hungry and makes it known. Mommy prepares breakfast while trying to figure out what should be pulled out for dinner. Titus begins to scream with tiredness and ready for a morning nap. Mommy prepares to get Titus ready for a nap while delivering breakfast to Karis and Daddy, only to discover that Titus has burped up everywhere and needs a new outfit (yes, he is a burper!). Change Titus and lay him down for a nap.

Mommy finally sits down for her breakfast only to last for a minute or two before Karis has completed her breakfast and wants to get down and read stories with Mommy. Mommy engulfs her breakfast while reading stories and trying to clean up the kitchen (or at least throwing it all in the sink!). She looks into the mirror and decides it would be nice to do her hair but only after Karis sits down on the potty chair and Titus has been nursed and changed once again. It is 11:30 am and time for lunchtime. Wow! Life is busy and I only have two!

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Guest Post: Cloth Diapering 101 – Part 2

By on March 20, 2009 in bellies & babies, natural & green

Welcome back for part 2 from Lauren discussing all the different options available for cloth diapering! To read part 1, visit here. Lauren blogs over at Cloth Diaper Diaries.

Now that we’ve covered some of the main reasons for using cloth, I’d like to break down the methods of cloth diapering.  I know that when I first began my research I was incredibly intimidated by the whole idea of everything about it: from making the initial purchase, to actually using and washing cloth diapers.  In fact, I was so intimidated and overwhelmed that I researched…and researched…and researched!  My husband finally said, “If you’re going to do this, please just do it and stop spending so much time on the internet reading about it!”  I really hope that by the end of this post I’ve helped to simplify some of what’s mystifying, and supplied you with the information and encouragement you need to make the switch yourself!

What is meant by “cloth diapering”?

To me, there are four ways to diaper a child in cloth: prefolds and covers, fitteds and covers, pockets, and all-in-ones.  I’m going to try to give a complete explanation of each style, but it won’t be as thorough as the information you can find on my cloth blog or many other places online.  If you find you still have more questions after this post, please visit my blog and look in the “Quick-Click Table of Contents” on the right-hand side of the page.  If you don’t see a tab for your question, just leave a comment or send me an email and ask – I’m always happy to help when I can!

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Guest Post: Cloth Diapering 101 – Part 1

By on March 19, 2009 in bellies & babies, natural & green

Guest post by Lauren, mother of two, who has tried practically every form of cloth diapering method on the market and offers her advice, reviews and recommendations through her blog, Cloth Diaper Diaries. Lauren has already been a huge resource for me in figuring out some diapering issues with our little people! Thanks for sharing Lauren!

When I was about three months pregnant with my daughter and my son was 16 months old, I suddenly began to think about the overwhelming cost of keeping two children in disposable diapers.  “How will we ever be able to afford that on our budget??” I frantically wondered.   So I turned back to something I had briefly mused on while pregnant with our son: cloth diapering.  I was amazed to learn how many more reasons to cloth diaper there are than just concerns for your budget!   Then, of course, I was a little stunned by all the different diapering styles and brands – it’s just so much information to absorb!  (Whoops, no pun intended!)  Today I hope to share some information with you on the why and how of cloth diapering.

There are three main reasons that people choose to cloth diaper: environmental concerns about the abundant waste caused by disposable diapers, the potential for adverse effects on a child’s health (including excessive or perpetual diaper rash) from using disposable diapers, and the tremendous expense of disposable diapers.

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Titus’ Homebirth Story

By on March 8, 2009 in bellies & babies, news & giveaways

Titus Christopher Edmonds
Born at home: March 4, 2009
(now we have three birthdays on the 4th – Karis is May 4th and mine is September 4th!)
5:10 pm after a good days work!
Weighing in at 7 pounds 4 oz, 21 inches long
Birth team: Mary Bernabe (midwife), Peta (Mary’s daughter and assistant midwife), Amber Langeliers (bradley instructor & doula), Aaron (wonderful supportive husband and daddy)

Written addressed in part to my firstborn son on the occasion of his birth.

What a precious gift of life we are celebrating as we welcome our firstborn son! You would not imagine our utter delight at this privilege that God has given us to raise a boy. With tears of joy you were proudly announced. Daddy and Mommy were crying up a storm in our excitement. We loved the surprise and wouldn’t change anything for the world to the pleasure of waiting to find out your gender.

Labor began slow and steady on Tuesday afternoon with some mild but consistent contractions happening every thirty minutes. I was teaching piano at the time. I continued managing my home, making dinner, while taking brief breathing breaks. Oh the joys of laboring at home! It was incredibly restful. Ignoring the contractions with other activities is the best method.

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Preparatory Resources for a Natural Pregnancy & Birth

By on February 26, 2009 in bellies & babies

What books and resources do you recommend on the topic of natural pregnancy and childbirth?

I am currently reading The Christian Childbirth Handbook by Jennifer Vanderlaan and what a huge blessing it has been to me! I cannot more highly recommend this resource for any couple preparing for birth (yes, a good read for husband and wife!). It is solidly based upon Scripture and covers every topic in relation to making wise birthing decisions, the process of birth, preparing your heart with Scripture, etc. It has an excellent section on dealing with the fears that most ladies experience with the thought of giving birth and counteracts a lot of the lies that our culture presents. God has beautifully designed women to give birth, and so establishing a biblical understanding of the process and preparing for it is wise. This resource is excellent to accomplish both goals!

Bradley Classes - I recommend anyone desiring to prepare wisely for giving birth to take a bradley class! This class was such a huge help to both my husband and me. It gave both of us the tools to understand and manage the different aspects of birth. I love how it encourages and promotes the husband to be the main coach in childbirth. My husband is my number #1 assistant and this course supplied us with the knowledge necessary to know how to do that. This second time around we took the last two classes as a refresher. Relaxation and abdominal breathing practice is so important! If you live in my area, I recommend Amber Langeliers as a bradley instructor. She also served as my doula and it made a great impact upon me to have her knowledge right beside me during my birth. Visit here to find a class near you!

If you cannot take the course, I would encourage you to borrow or buy the books based upon the course: Husband Coached Childbirth and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. These are excellent reads whether you take the class or not. You can also purchase the Bradley Method Student Notebook.

Naturally Healthy Pregnancy by Shonda Parker is another excellent resource written from a Christian perspective that has been recommended to me on multiple occasions. It answers all questions in regards to nutritional and herbal medicine for optimal health during pregnancy. Beginning with God’s design for health and nutrition, the following is covered in detail: how to eat for a healthy baby, which herbs are safe and which are dangerous during pregnancy, and the best ways to minimize those times of nausea and discomfort.

The Wise Woman Herbal to the Childbearing Years by Susan Weed has been a very helpful resource for understanding what natural herbs and supplements are useful during this season of life. It also has numerous recipes for homemade tonics, teas, and various baby problems. I recommend removing pages 11 & 12 for some strange New Agey materials.

Lastly, I would recommend you check out Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth. Although I have not read it myself, it has been recommended to me by both my midwife and other friends as a solid read on natural childbirth.

Next week I will be sharing some rich quotes and verses to have on hand for preparing for birth and to use in labor…

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The Skirt that works for it all!

By on February 20, 2009 in bellies & babies, frugal & simple

I love this skirt! Do you know why? It is one of those pieces that can work with everything. Brown is a wonderful color! But not only that, it is the most comfortable skirt I own and it works beautifully for when I am pregnant and also when I am not. The best investment of my money on clothing has been to find items that work for both regular and maternity use. This skirt has a fold over waist that can  pulled up over your belly, giving such wonderful support especially during pregnancy. It is fun and cute for everyday wear! Plus…this skirt is available through the clothing business, Christa-Taylor, that my sister and family started two years ago. Just a little plug!

So when you think you need maternity clothes…consider all the wonderful options out there that can work for both seasons of life.

Empire waist tops are another excellent choice. I have one non-maternity empire waist top in particular that is long and cute and still fits me at 37 weeks! Tunics are a fun multi-purpose addition as well. You can use belts with your tunics prior to pregnancy and then either remove the belt or let it rest above your expanding belly. See how my sisters use belts here. I also don’t bother with maternity pajamas…a large shirt and some sweat pants will do! It may not work for everyone, but I have definitely been able to save a few dollars by thinking in advance before every clothing purchase. Could this be multi-purpose?

That’s my frugal tip for the day!

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