Cotton Booty

As silly as that sounds, I'm sure that you'll love what I am going to be talking about!
I decided to switch my Julep box subscription.
Why? I really wanted something more for my kiddos and the nail polish thing just wasn't working for me in the fact that I don't have the time to paint my nails as much anymore.

So I switched to a cloth diaper subscription! How awesome is that?!
I haven't gotten in my first box yet but for this month rumor has it that there is going to be some teething jewelry. Which is great because I was planning on finding something like that for Meme anyway.

Once a month from Cotton Booty I will be getting a diaper(which usually is a well known brand) a fun item and a sample.

I was looking into last months and it looked pretty great!
A Bumkins diaper
A Bumkins Dr. Suess wet bag(I wish I had it!)
A sample for nursing moms to try.

Everything in the box retailed for over $30.

Either way I love surprises and if I don't particularly need what is in the box I know a lot of lady friends who wouldn't mind a little something. ;)

I am excited to see what is in this next box, I can't wait to review it for you ladies. :)

-Jess

A little update on our little family

It seems like I say this every time when i don't write a blog for a long time and I'm going to say it anyway just...well...just because. ;)

It's been so long and I am sorry that I have been MIA. 

There isn't really a good excuse as to why I have not been writing. Not a lot has been going on. We are mostly busy being a family. :)

Josiah is learning new words everyday still. We make conversations over mealtimes and before and after bedtimes. He is probably the best big brother in the world. He has made up a name for Eden all by himself. One day he just started saying it. If you point to his little sister and ask who she is he will say, "Meme!" He loves her so much and helps out with her by patting her tummy and back when she's crying. He plays with her and shows her his favorite toys telling her what they are and such. He always kisses her every chance he gets. I honestly thought the opposite with this kid. He has a kind gentle heart to everyone. Yes, he has his moments, but for the most part he is pretty easy going. 

A video of Josiah talking to "Meme"

Eden is rolling over now. Both ways! She smiles so much when she comes into contact with anybody. Laughing is probably the hardest thing to get out of her. Her tickle spots are hard to get. Breastfeeding has been an amazing experience with her. No major challenges yet! I haven't had any problems with supply. After the first 6 weeks it has been smooth sailing with her. She is very much attached to me I have noticed. If she is not with me its just a matter of minutes before she starts crying. There are very few people that she tolerates(you know who you are);). I guess the attachment come with the breastfeeding. Josiah was never like this(he was mostly formula/bottle fed)

She is 4 months now, we are going to be celebrating her 1/2 year birthday party next month when she is 5 months. 

Eden making faces

Now about me. :)

I have been getting fit and feeling good. I haven't really lost anymore weight, but instead my body is getting more toned. For a long time now I have been wanting to start running again. Since I have started running I feel stronger and more energized in my days. I have gone from fast walking a half a mile to now I can run a little over a mile with just a few days a week. I have to be careful when I run because not only can it affect my milk supply I can get really bad asthma attacks. I have been training my body to do what i t used to and I hope to be able to run a couple 5Ks next summer as well as a couples mud run with Ben. I am so happy that I am getting back into shape. Ben has picked up working out too. We want to be energized parents that get out and do stuff with out kids. We are outdoorsy type of people and are excited for this summer of zoo trips and camping with the kiddos.

That's about it for out little family update. Still adjusting to our adorable new addition and loving what our family is becoming. I can honestly say that right now I am happy with 2 kids. But I think that once I see all the babies that my lovely friends are having I'm going to start having that itch again. Darn babies. Why do they have to be so cute and their mothers so happy when they bring them into this world. ;)

We have decided that there will be no talk of having #3 till Eden is 2+ years. We love the idea of having 2 kids wait 4-5 years and have another 2(or 3). It all kinda depends on where we are at in life and what God's plans are. Both our babies were pretty much planned.

Thanks for reading guys. I hope that you all have an amazing summer.

Love, 

Jess

PSSST....I HAVE A SECRET!!!

A really great giveaway! If you can guess what the giveaway item is then you get an extra entry in the contest! I even give you a small clue. ;) Giveaway announcement is on Friday so get to guessing! 

Only 1 guess per person please! :)

Thanks for following as always! 

-Jess

Routine?

I had a routine with Josiah, he was the easy one to fall asleep on his own. When he was Edens age I would just leave him in his crib and he would fall asleep all by himself in his quiet dark room.

Eden is a whole other story. This girl will only fall asleep if she is a.)rocked or b.)nursed.
I really don't mind too much, but this might become a problem when she is a little older. I have a swing that is wonderful but she will outgrow it someday. I don't want her to rely on me to get her to sleep. I am not a fan of the cry it out method at this age because she is still quite new to the world.

Since birth I have only swaddled her at night to get her to sleep long stretches. She sleeps anywhere from 6 hours to 9 hours. This is so nice!
Daytime sleeping is a lot more challenging. She has the hardest time with it.
I just realized last night that maybe I should start a routine with her. Duh!
Breastfeeding is established, she nurses every 2 hours to sometimes 4 hours, and it would be nice to have a break from the both of them at the same time.
Why didn't I think of this before? Probably because I have ultra mommy brain and I thought that I knew it all. ;)Well I just proved my self wrong! haha!

Wanna know what else is awesome? She won't take a binky from me. Nope! I still take one in the diaper bag just in case for the sitters, but she only wants one thing from mom.

Today I have started the routine process. I have realized that I don't really know what the heck I am doing sometimes and about %99.99 of the time I am just winging it. Is that what all of you moms do? Just go with your gut and hope it works? So now I swaddle her for nap times for now. I want to get this thing going and I figure since she sleeps so well swaddled, I might as well use that to my advantage. Eventually I will wean her from swaddle in the daytime once she has her routine down. Nighttime swaddles usually stay till she can break out of it and/or roll over.


My routine process for today has started like this with just my kids:

• Wake up at 8 feed Eden
• 8:30 get Josiah's breakfast going and wake him up
• 9-9:30 swaddle Eden to sleep
• 10 get Josiah a snack
• 11:30-12 wake Eden and nurse
• 12-12:30 Josiah lunch
• After lunch Josiah nap 
• 1:00 swaddle Eden to sleep
• 3-4 nurse Eden
• 3-4 wake Josiah from nap-then a snack
• 5-5:30-swaddle Eden-start dinner after
• 7-7:30 bathtime for both kids
• 8:00 Josiah bedtime(Ben puts Josiah to bed)
• 8-9 nurse Eden then swaddle

Well that's what my day looks like with the kiddos.

When we are out and about we don't really change the plans for the kids. Eden sleeps really well in her car seat and/or being worn and Josiah can do without a nap if needed. 

I always take a shower at night. I used to take one in the morning before the kids got up. That changed once I got spit up on too many times during the day resulting in another shower. So night time showering it is. :)

Besides, that gives me the chance to shower with my hubby ;) ;)--if ya know what I mean. haha!

When did you mommas start a routine with your little one? If you have more than one kid, was one harder than the other?

-Jess

So cute!....But.... :(

Guess what?!?!?!

I made this super cute dress from scratch!!!

Isn't so cute?!!

*********BUT********

I am so mad! 

Why?

Well I'll tell you why!

It was meant for Eden and it's WAY too big for her. Seriously this could fit a 3 year old! I wanted to make somthing that would go from a dress to a t-shirt late on. So depending on your little girl it would be a 2-3 year old dress to a 6-7 year old long shirt and probably could fit longer than that. Especially if you have some sewing skills and/or have tall skinny kiddos.

I really don't want to keep it for 2 years or longer if it don't fit her by 2. I don't grow tall children by any means whatsoever...I mean look at my husband and I! We are on the shorty-average side. I would rather it go to someone who would actually use it this summer. :)

So who wants to buy it from me?! :)

$5! Only because it's my first and there are a few flaws that you can't really see unless you are up close. 

So bummed that it won't fit Eden. :( Oh well. Back to the drawing board.

P.S. buyer needs to be local this time.
If I get enough feedback then maybe I'll make more in the future and I would be willing to sell throughout the US.

Thanks for reading guys!

-Jess

My New "Diet".

Most everyone can tell that I have lost a good amount of weight. Although I am still 10-15 lbs from my final goal weight I am healthier than I have ever been.

Breastfeeding has helped tremendously! I eat as much as I did when I was pregnant and the "diet" from pregnancy has not changed.
My soda habits are still kinda bad(3-4xs a week) but it is a lot better than before! If I do drink soda then I try and drink more water that day then any other.
I eat more fresh fruits and veggies. I always try and include a fruit and/or veggie in every meal and in at least one of my snack times. I have 2 snacks a day in between meals. I have to have something to eat in between otherwise I would eat 2xs more at a meal. Which to me is not the greatest thing to do and it makes me feel pretty crummy afterwards if I do eat a lot at a time.
I am active with my son, we go out of the house at least 2xs a week. Once to the library for toddler story time and once to the park. When Ben is home we try and take him out to the park more than that. Get that active toddler energy out! Makes for a sound sleeper too!

I meal plan now. My husbands schedule is always kind of wonky every week, so once I get his weekly schedule I go off to write out a meal plan.
The days that Ben works late at night and cannot eat dinner for us I prepare a salad for myself and a Josiah friendly dinner for little man. That usually consists of leftovers or a fun night of corn dogs or homemade mac'n'cheese. To save some money I sometimes go over to my parents house if Ben is working. I get a nice break when I do that and Josiah loves to play at Nana's house! ;)

All the other nights I try and make completely different meals throughout the week.
One night it'll be a beef or hamburger dish.
Another night I'll do a chicken dish.
Then a dish that I include fish in.

This makes leftovers extra yummy and a lot to choose from for my lunches.
Also, most meals that I make that freeze nicely I make extras of and throw it in the freezer for a few weeks. I love doing this! I get more time with my family when I do it this way. I prepare the extra dishes when both my kids are cooperative for nap times.

Wow. I just realized that this blog post went from my "diet" to meal planning! haha! maybe I should get off of here before I get myself into trouble. ;)

Meal planning helps me to look for yummy healthy recipes-coupon great deals and if you do it right, makes the food budget go just a little bit longer. :)

Pre-Prechool?

Both the moms and I have talked and discussed for a long time about doing this and it is really going to happen!
Starting this fall Josiah will be starting "school". Technically it's a daycare for his age, but he is going to learn so much!
I am going to already be cooped up in the house with 2 kids this winter and I really want Josiah to be able to have some fun after the summer is over. I already go out with the kids 2x or more in a week so that he can get his energy out. He sleeps so well at night when we do.

This school that he is going to has a waiting list. My MIL and I went way back in November to get him signed up for this. It is seriously one of the best early child ed programs in town I think.

Eden will be about 7 months old when we drive him to school, he'll be 2 years and 7months. He needs this, big brother needs a playtime with kids his own age.

Remember how I talked about his development in a blog post a couple weeks ago? Well him going to school is going to help with tremendously! He is starting at the earliest that they are allowed to start.

My little man is growing up. This summer we will be keeping our eyes peeled for:

mud/rain boots
a backpack
a lunch pail
school clothes

You all know how I like to get the best possible deal on things that we need want. ;)

-Jess

PS I'll be talking more about this school when I get more info. I am so excited for him, I can't wait till he starts!