14 Month Footage

   
Charlie will be 14 months tomorrow! Sorry, I know it's been awhile. Life has been busy! Charlie has been busy! Here are a couple of new fun facts about his life as a 14 month old (with video proof):

* Charlie now chooses to walk most of the time rather than crawl, but it's still slow and wobbly. For some strange reason he does the sign for "milk" (opening and closing his fist) while walking, and Daddy observed that he looks kind of like Frankenstein the way he waddles with his arms out and a blank stare on his face. Haha! Here is a video (though I couldn't quite capture what Daddy was talking about):

 
* Charlie now weighs between 24 and 25 pounds and is 28.5 inches tall! Most of his clothes are 18 months but are a little long on him while being tight on his chubby tummy, arms, and legs!

* His hair is...well, crazy. Not sure how else to put it. Even after a nice bath as it dries curly and somewhat neatly, he takes a nap and POOF! It sticks out about 6 inches from his head in perfect Albert Einstein style.

* He loves his teddy bear, his glow worm (its face lights up and plays lullabies), and his little monkey, and as he passes them he picks them up for a quick hug (as we're about to say, "Aw, how sweet...") before hurling them out of sight in typical boy fashion.

* He loves reading his books and mimics the tone of our voices while "reading them" out loud to himself.

* He's really a very happy boy, which I never would have guessed he would be from birth to 9 months! God can do miracles! I will say, he can go from extreme bliss to devastating upset in a matter of two seconds, but I'm gonna assume that's somewhat normal for a 14 month old.

* Praise the LORD, Charlie stayed in nursery the WHOLE time last Saturday night at church! This is the first time since he was 5 months old! Here's the trick: I went in with him, sat and played with him near the other babies, and within 10 minutes he didn't even know I was there. Once he crawled away from me, I figured it was safe to leave. I could hardly believe I listened to the whole sermon baby-free! And he was even happy when I picked him up, exclaiming, "CLOCK!" while pointing at his favorite object (other than "CAAAR!") on the nursery wall.

* Every day Charlie spends a good amount of time standing on the couch looking out the window waiting for the cars to drive by so he can scream, "CAAAAR!" at them. He probably says it one hundred times a day.

* Charlie says, "Hi" now with a big cheesy smile when he sees us and when he looks in the mirror. So fun to have conversations! (Charlie: "Hiyeee!" Mama: "Hi!" Ok, so that's pretty much the extent of it, but it totally counts.)

 
* Oh, and Charlie likes to play indoor frisbee golf with Daddy...

 

Charlie Says...

   
(*Note: this is an extremely boring post... one that is typed up solely for my memory.)


At 13 months, here are some words Charlie says:
Mama
Dada
All Done/Gone
Bye-bye
Cat ("Ca")
Car ("Cah")
Clock
Cheese
Tree
Bible ("Bie-buh")
Fan ("Fffffff")
Guitar ("Gita")
Owl

Some signs he knows and uses:
More
All Done
Milk
Sleepy

Words he understands/identifies:
Mama
Dada
Cat
Car
Clock
Tree
Star
Bible
Fan
Light
Window
Toys
Book
No
Button
Elephant
Lion
Giraffe
Bear
Fish
Bird
Dog
Frog
Walk
Hand
Nose
Ear
Hair
Eye
Lips
Fingers
Toes
Feet
Eat/Food
Tarzan (ha! and he pounds his chest)
Pacifier
Sleepy
All Done/Gone
More
Hook (random, I know)
Baby Charlie (points to his baby picture)
"The Lord is my Shepherd" (points to the wall art in his room with the verse and picture of a lamb)
Guitar
"Praise Jesus!" (puts his arms up in the air:))
Baby
Teddy Bear
Hat
Banana
Apple
Water
Bath
Piano
Outside
Puffs
Pray (and folds his hands)
Clap (and claps)
Duck
Flower
Ball
Owl (with sound effect: "whooo whoo")
Monkey
Balloon

Happy 1st Birthday, Charlie!

 
My baby little boy is one now! Can it be? One year ago today we were bringing him home from the hospital and learning to take care of a newborn. Scary and sweet times. I can't believe this baby...

   ...is the same as this one...

  

Here is a little about Charlie, the one year old:

  

• He is all of a sudden the happiest little boy ever! I am overjoyed at his contentedness & ability to entertain himself for hours playing with toys and reading books.
• He weighs in at over 22 pounds (a 4 pound weight gain in a little over a month!) and measures about 29 inches tall. I love his potbelly and short, stubby legs. 
• He is incredibly cuddly. He is always hugging his teddy bear, and now every time he sees pictures of cats or dogs he lays his head on the picture to "hug" it :) He does this to us, too. So sweet!
• He loves books... he even giggles when I reach for one to read before bedtime or naptime, and points to the ones he wants. His favorite one is about babies and every time I read the line that says, "Babies love to be hugged and cuddled and loved" he smiles, cocks his head and shrugs a shoulder. Adorable.
• He now crawls normally most of the time, unless he needs to get somewhere quick. Then he reverts back to the army crawl. 
• He also stands without assistance for a few seconds at a time, but only when he doesn't realize it. He gets so frightened when he does and sits right down! He is still cruising around quickly while holding on to furniture.
• He now says, "Bye bye" and "all gone/done" (with the sign language) and waves when people leave through our front door.
• He naps twice a day for a total of 3-4 hours and sleeps uninterrupted for 12 hours at night, praise the Lord! 
• He eats a lot of our "adult" food now and enjoys all the new flavors and tastes. He loves chili!
• He drinks goat's milk out of a sippy cup with a straw.
• He turns everything into a "walker"...his high chair, his music toy on 4 legs, & his new rocking chair all get pushed around by Charlie while walking :) 

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy. We love you and are so thankful to God for you!

 

Homemade Recipes

 

As a follow-up to my previous posts on frugal and natural living, I thought I'd post my homemade recipes for some of the items mentioned, since some of you have asked for them. I haven't broken down the costs yet, but I do know that they are all comparable to (if not much cheaper than) the typical store-bought items, not to mention all-natural and safe! By the way, I found this website, Skin Deep Database where you can type in a bath, body, or cosmetic product and it will tell you it's hazard rating based on it's ingredients. It also describes the ingredients/chemicals individually and rates them. Very helpful!

 

Toothpaste    

5 TB Calcium powder (helps re-mineralize teeth)

3 TB Xylitol (adds sweetness and fights cavities)

2 TB Baking Soda (optional- I opted to not use it, because I read that baking soda is harsh on your gums and causes recession over time, but a small amount is probably fine for whitening)

2 tsp Liquid Castile Soap (unscented is best- I use Dr. Bronner’s brand)
3-5 TB Coconut Oil (antibacterial properties)

1 TB Sea Salt dissolved in water or finely blended (optional- antiseptic properites & reduces swelling in your gums)
10-20 drops Peppermint Essential Oil (helps freshen breath and cover up slight soapy taste)

* I just made this tonight for the first time and my teeth feel so clean! Does have a little bit of a soapy taste, so I changed the recipe to 2 tsp from 1 TB and I'd up the essential oils and/or xylitol (you can use Stevia for sweetening instead, but it doesn't have the cavity fighting properites that xylitol does) to cover that up a bit more. Love it!

Deodorant    

1/4-1/2 cup Baking Soda

1/4-1/2 cup Arrowroot Powder (or Cornstarch)

6-10 TB Coconut Oil (antibacterial properties)

1/8-1/4 cup Shea Butter (optional- healing & soothing properties for sensitive skin)

5-10 drops Tea Tree Oil (optional- anti-bacterial & earthy scent)

5-10 drops Peppermint Oil (optional- scent)

*  Here is a link to the original blog post/instructional video from Passionate Homemaking, where I found this recipe (I added Shea Butter as she suggests for those who have sensitive skin).

Shampoo

1/2-1 cup Liquid Castile Soap (Dr. Bronner’s)

1-1.5 cups Water

1.5 tsp Peppermint Oil (optional)

1.5 tsp Tea Tree Oil (optional- anti-bacterial properties)

*I tried the baking soda- water "No-poo" approach, but hated how oily my hair felt afterward. Supposedly it's the transition period where your body is adjusting to not having to produce as much oil due to commercial shampoos stripping the natural oils away, but I couldn't wait the 2 weeks to a month to see if it got better... my hair looked and felt terrible. Kudos to you if you'd like to try it for longer than me! I liked this recipe much better as it is soap, so it feels a lot like commercial shampoos, but it's all natural so it doesn't have the dangers of those creepy chemicals.

Conditioner

1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar

1 cup Water

Lip Balm/Hair Styling Pomade

1/2 cup Coconut Oil (melt in saucepan)

1 cup Shea Butter

Essential Oils (optional- for scent- Shea Butter has a really strong earthy scent)

*Whip ingredients together with hand or stand mixer for several minutes & store in a shallow tin or jar. It's pretty sticky, but really moisturizing and healing on lips, and Dan loves using it in his hair. You only need a tiny bit for a lot of hold!

Simple Handsoap (Thanks, Tina!)

1 TB Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Castile Soap (any scent)

Water (enough to fill the rest of the dispenser)

* Fill foaming dispenser to make it last longer!

 

Cloth Diaper Detergent

1 cup Washing Soda

1 cup Borax

1/2 cup Oxiclean (Free, Baby, or Regular)

Or larger batch:

3 boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55 oz each)

2 boxes 20 Mule Team Borax (76 oz each)

1 large tub Oxiclean (96 oz)

* Use ½ TB per cycle directly in barrel for HE machine, 1 TB per cycle for a regular machine. This is incredibly cost-effective, and it works great! 

Regular Clothing Detergent

1 cup Washing Soda (Arm & Hammer)

1 cup Borax (20 Mule Team)

1/2 cup Oxiclean (Free, Baby, or Regular)

1 bar Fels  Naptha Soap (microwave for 90 sec & grate)

Or larger batch:

3 boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55 oz each)

2 boxes 20 Mule Team Borax (76 oz each)

1 large tub Oxiclean (96 oz)

24 bars of soap finely grated (Fels Naptha, Ivory, etc)

* I haven't made this yet because we still have a ton of some cheap kind Dan bought awhile ago, but as soon as it runs out, we're making this! Same recipe as the cloth diaper detergent but with added soap (that would cause buildup on the diapers). Use 1 TB per load for HE machine, 2 TB per load for a regular machine.

 

   

11.22 and Overdue

  

11.22.10- 40 weeks

One year ago today, I was really pregnant. Well, not as pregnant as I would be TEN days later, but still. It was my due date. I found it funny at the time how friends, family, and complete strangers were almost more anxious for me to go into labor than I was. Don't get me wrong. I couldn't wait to meet my son, but I guess my mindset (thankfully) was that he would be "late." That, in itself, is a funny way to put it. I always knew that due dates were only estimates, and even though we knew for certain the exact "due date," we also knew that babies aren't really ever "due" to come on a certain day. They come when they are good and ready (and when God plans them to, even if we don't feel they, or we, are good and ready). I knew many first time moms went "overdue," and one study said on average 41.5 weeks (if they were not induced first). Hmm....exactly Charlie's gestation! So, I guess I just planned on him arriving fashionable "late."

So, while everyone kept asking me, "Aren't you just ready to be done!?" or "You're still pregnant!?" on my due date, I thought, "Well, sure, pregnancy has been rough, and I'm getting uncomfortable, but I'll only be pregnant so long. He won't stay in there forever, and I'll never get to be pregnant with him again. So, I'm going to try to enjoy the last moments of my marriage without children. I'm going to enjoy each last kick in the womb by my very active boy. I'm going to attempt to actually sleep for the last few times through the entire night without having to get up to feed or comfort a screaming baby. I'm going to enjoy decorating for Christmas. He'll be here soon enough and then I will have other concerns and struggles, and yes, joys as well!"

I'm so thankful for that mindset, because without it (and without the Lord), I would probably have gone crazy by 10 days "overdue"! It also helped to learn how much babies actually develop in the last few weeks and days of pregnancy. Their brains at 35 weeks are only 2/3 the weight of their brains at 39-40 weeks! They usually put on around a pound a week the last month. Their lungs are much stronger the longer they "bake," and breastfeeding is more likely to come easier. There are many more advantages that research is continually finding to babies staying in the womb until they are ready to come out (Just found this interesting article.). It's quite amazing. And...yes, God knows when it's time...as He does with everything. Patience is a fruit of the spirit we pray for, and then we are tested and tried in order to produce it within us.

Anyway, I'm thankful this year to get to enjoy a regular sized (and non-nauseous) stomach to eat Thanksgiving dinner with! (Oh, and an adorable almost-one-year-old!) What a year!
 

11 Months

 

I can't believe I only have one more of these monthly updates before Charlie turns a year old! I have to say that Charlie just gets more fun, the older he gets. He makes us laugh so hard with his silly expressions, his growling boy-ish noises, and the funny way he crawls, cruises, and dances. Here is a snapshot look at 11 month old Charlie:

* Cruises around the house faster than ever, holding onto furniture and/or walls.

* Stands for a few seconds at a time without holding onto anything.

* Crawls on his hands and knees occasionally before reverting back to his old army crawling habits.

* Dances when he hears music...and by dancing, I mean really intense swaying back and forth that sometimes causes him to fall down when he's standing.

* Loves his solid food. Will pretty much eat anything we give him to eat, which is a blessing!

* Has started to wean/supplement nursing with goat's milk (plus added baby vitamins and soon to be added cod liver oil...yum, right?) as he has been biting a lot more recently and possibly not getting enough from nursing.

* Has started gaining weight much quicker since supplementing... now up to 20 lbs (almost 2 pound gain in a month!)

* Got his 6th tooth in (4 on top, 2 on bottom) finally!

* Does great at childcare for the weekly Bible study I'm in, but still hating the church nursery so far...baby steps.

* Hates napping and it's a huge struggle each day. Not sure what the deal is.

* Sleeps about 11 hours at night, wakes to nurse, and back to sleep for another 2 or 3 hours.

* Is really cuddly...I love this. Even if he can be clingy (and he is getting better at playing by himself!), there is no greater feeling than to have your little boy crawl to you and lay his head on your chest or simply "head butt" you and push his face up against yours (his version of a hug). So sweet!

* Loves cars! Real ones and toys! Rolls a ball back and forth with us and throws a frisbee (with the windup and everything!:)

* His hair is growing longer and even wilder. Oh fuzzy-headed, Charlie.

* Drinks from a straw sippy cup...perfect! So much better (less messy)and easier for him than the plain sippy cup route. 

* May have been heard to say, "Mama" while crying in his crib...not sure. But I'll take it.

* Loves to point at everything/everyone. Points to the foods he wants to eat, objects he wants to hold, things he wants me to tell him about :)

* Somehow has his "all done" sign mixed up with his "more" sign...this can get frustrating for both of us!

* Hates wearing socks and pulls them off as soon as we put them on. Winter is coming, little boy...

Well, I could go on, but this is probably good for now. Love our little baby turning little boy! What a crazy, great 11 months!

Haha...gave him a mini frisbee and he bit it.

   

Frugal, Natural, and Healthy Changes Pt. 3

 
Part 3: The Nursery (Baby) Changes

As I mentioned at the beginning of these posts, the reason we decided to move toward more natural living began with our pregnancy. We wanted our son to have a healthy start to life. So, as we learned more, here are some ways we began saving money while promoting his health at the same time.

1. Cloth Diapering.- I realize this is not for everyone. But perhaps it's for more of you than you think. At first, the thought of cloth diapering scared me, as I was already overwhelmed at the prospect of being a mom for the first time. There was so much I needed to learn before our baby arrived that this almost seemed too big a feat to attempt. Our parents were probably more likely to cloth diaper than our generation...with real cloth diapers. Many people still picture prefolds and safety pins. And while some people still use this method, if that overwhelms you, you should know how far cloth diapers have come and what other options you have. There are probably hundreds of brands of cloth diapers (inserts and covers combined) out there. We chose to mostly use Bumgenius diapers, one of the highest rated cloth diaper brands out there. We put them on our baby registry and then made an investment in purchasing the rest ourselves. We figured that it would save us at least $2,000 by the time Charlie would be out of his diapers...and that's only for one child. You can re-use these diapers for more children saving even more money. We liked the fact that he wouldn't have the chemicals from disposable diapers up next to his skin constantly as well as the fact that cloth diapers are just so cute nowadays! We started cloth diapering with Charlie when I was completely recovered from labor/delivery (it took awhile for me)...around 2 months postpartum. We've been using cloth diapers now for 9 months and have never regretted it. In fact, I actually enjoy it! They don't seem inconvenient in the least to us (except for maybe having to visit the creepy spider-infested side of the basement with the washer/dryer more often). We have a wet bag for when we are out and have to change diapers, and they are as quick to change as a disposable. Oh, and we had such problems with disposables for the first two months of Charlie's life! We had to change his outfit almost every single diaper change due to the leaks. And we tried different kinds, changed him more often, and tried different sizes. They just didn't work well for us. With the cloth diapers we hardly ever had leaks! If you've ever thought about it for a moment, maybe you should consider it again! 
2. Cloth Wipes. - Have I gone mad, you might ask? Nope. Not yet, anyway. A couple of our friends were using cloth wipes that they had bought or made and loved them. Even though disposable wipes aren't too expensive, we thought it wouldn't be too much more difficult to wash wipes since we'd already be washing diapers. And again, we weren't thrilled with the chemicals in the wipes that can be harsh on baby's skin. So our friend made some for us (they are very easy to make!) out of terrycloth on one side and flannel on the other. We've only ever needed to use one at a time, and they never irritate Charlie's skin. 
3. Natural Wipe Solution.- A friend gave us Honey Chunks to dissolve in water to make our own wipe solution. We love this! They are all natural honey and oils that aren't harsh on baby's skin but actually moisturize while cleaning. It smells so good, too! You can certainly make your own natural wipe solution, as well, but we found that this is pretty cheap.
4. Homemade Cloth Diaper Detergent.- When you cloth diaper, you need to use a special detergent to keep the diapers from being worn down by harsh ingredients in regular detergent. There are many options out there, and we found this chart really helpful in comparing costs and effectiveness. But after trying a few kinds that worked fine (but were expensive due to shipping), we found this recipe to make our own cloth diaper detergent that was extremely cheap and effective! I made one big batch costing us around $30, have given much of it away, have used it for 9 months now, and I still have at least half of it left. Amazing. And it really cleans our diapers. We've never had stink issues. Highly recommend!
5. Coconut oil for diaper rash ointment. - Can you tell we love our coconut oil? Because we are cloth diapering, we can't use ointments like Desitin for diaper rash. It isn't good for the diapers and doesn't wash out of them well. But again, we'd rather use a more natural ointment on our baby, anyway. So I found that coconut oil can also be used for a diaper rash and is safe to use with cloth diapers. Since it has anti-bacterial properties, it's doubly beneficial! Charlie has only had one or two good rashes in his 11 months of life and those each lasted less than 24 hours after applying coconut oil. We also use it for scrapes/scratches on Charlie's face, and we used it for cradle cap when he was a newborn. We used it for soap and lotion for him sometimes, too, and it worked great!
6. Natural and/or NO Baby wash/shampoo. - We started out with all the popular baby washes and shampoos until we learned more about the harmful chemicals that are actually in most of them. Check out this article for just a little info on that. We tried California Baby products which we were happy with, but they are more expensive. Then, when we bought our Norwex products (see Part #2), we also bought the baby cloths which allow you to use only water to wash your baby (and his/her hair!). We love that for traveling we only have to bring a small washcloth in place of bottles of baby wash and baby shampoo.
7. Homemade Baby Food. - So far, we've just made Charlie's baby food, which has saved us a ton of money. He eats about as much as I do in one sitting, so those little baby food jars would really add up! There are many websites that have recipes or ideas for making healthy baby food at home cheaply. Again, we try to follow the lists of which fruits and vegetables are most important to buy organically and then the rest we don't worry about. We make sure he has lots of good fats in his diet for his developing brain, so he eats a lot of coconut oil mixed in his food, avocados, and egg yolks. Yum (well, at least he thinks so)! 
8. Natural/Homeopathic Teething Remedies.- We've had a lot of experience with teething, unfortunately. Charlie started getting teeth at 3 months old, and he definitely notices every little pain connected to teething, so we needed to get creative. We didn't like the idea of Charlie taking Tylenol and Ibuprofin all the time (because with him, it would be all the time), so we found out about homeopathic teething tablets. These have literally been a life saver for us. They haven't always worked perfectly, but they always help a good deal with his pain. They are all natural ingredients without any side effects. We also tried the ever popular Amber teething necklace. Many of our friends raved about it, so we looked into it. Amber has been shown (yes, scientifically) to release small amounts of succinic acid into the skin (when someone is wearing it in the form of a necklace, bracelet, anklet, etc) which acts as a natural pain reliever and anti-inflammatory. We haven't found the necklace to work for Charlie, though others have sworn by them, so it's definitely worth a try if you want to go the more natural route. On many days we end up having to break out the Tylenol or Ibuprofin for our poor teething baby, but it's nice to know we have other options to start with that are safe and worth trying!

So there you have it. These are just some of the ways we have chosen to save money and promote a healthier life for our child...and probably just some of the ways you think we're crazy. But that's ok :)