Friday, December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas to all...

Signing off till the New Year!

I just wanted to thank each and every one of  my readers for following me through the year. I have not only grown as a blogger but as a mother as well.

I look forward to the New Year and all that it has in store.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays...and Happy Hanukkah!!


Much love
xoxo

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Wordless Wednesday

I have to chuckle at the fact that last Wednesday he was wearing the same shirt. J picks out his t-shirts.. so this is all him. Hehe




Happy Wednesday!

Much love
xoxo

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

What's to come.

So as of Friday, I will be taking some time off from the blog. I will be back on January 1st to announce the winner from the Glow Bug giveaway. So don't you worry about that hehe.

I have come up with a few new reviews and also a giveaway. So be sure to keep reading and checking back for updates.

I will be reviewing Boogie wipes and yes, there will be a giveaway!! I will also be doing another diaper review. A friend of mine supplied me with the diaper as she has a bunch and wanted to pass along the fluffy love. So come the new year there will be a review on the Hippkiddo cloth diaper! Plus there are a few other diaper reviews I would like to get out before J starts his potty learning.

I'm hoping to come up with some more great reviews and giveaways as well. I thinking it's time to move from the diaper reviews and move on towards potty learning and whatnot. After J's 2nd birthday, we will start potty learning So maybe I can get some companies on board that sell trainers!!

I would also love to find some companies to work with that I could do some reviews for mum products. So if you know of any please feel free to contact me.

I hope you all have a great Christmas and holidays. Looking forward to starting a fresh new year. And and very excited to see what it has in store for me and my family.

Much love to you all.

 xoxox


Monday, December 19, 2011

A loss at any age....

Given the state of mind I am in, I just need to let this all out.

I've been thinking about this since Saturday.. or maybe even way before that but I have come to realize, that the loss of a child at any age is devastating and heartbreaking.

Three years ago my grandparents lost their eldest son at the age of 49. He died of a heart attack, alone..in his motel room. He was on location; working. That man was my dad. The hurt I felt was unlike anything I have ever felt in my entire life. But the hurt and devastation I saw in my grandparents eye's was... a pain I never want to feel... ever. The loss of my dad, threw us all a curve ball. It really came out of left field. No one was expecting to hear those words "He's dead"

It has taken us all a long time to heal from that horrifically sad day. But now three years later, we are able to cope with his passing, and know that wherever he is, he is no longer suffering and is at peace.

Everyone deals with pain differently. When my dad died, I went from this happy, extrovert; to a secluded, homebody. I was probably in a funk for about 6 months. I couldn't keep it together. On the outside, I looked like a strong woman dealing with the death, but inside I was a little girl, begging god to give her back her daddy. Feeling like that scared the shit out of me. I was so vulnerable, and felt like a huge part of me died with him.

On Thursday, when we got the news that our wee babe had passed, I didn't know how to feel. I kept it together while leaving the clinic, the walk to the car, and even while driving home.Then once we got home, I lost it.

Even though, I was only 10 weeks pregnant (or so I thought) and had never met my little one, I felt a glimpse of what my grandparents felt the day my dad died. This little fetus was a part of me and C. It was our child. Regardless of it's gestational age. When we found out we were pregnant, it was from that moment on that this was our child. Our love would be never ending.

We sat in the car, and I just cried. Cried tears for the loss of our child. A child we would never meet, never hold. But a child we would always love.

For me I think the hardest part was to walk through our front door and tell my parents and sister. My mom and sister were quick to jump in and hug me and said everything will be ok. My step dad on the other hand... stood at the back of the room with sheer terror in his eyes. At that point in time, I think he was thinking; what the hell do I say to her? He had no words, he just grabbed me and gave me a huge hug.  C and I both cried some more, but after that I just needed to put those feelings aside. J was concerned for me. Calling for me and he wanted to be near me. A child's intuition.

The remainder of the night consisted of not talking about the whole ordeal and just analyzing it. Again, my outside was showing a strong woman who was 'dealing' with this terrible news, but on the inside I was a grieving mother who was cursing god for taking away something that meant everything to her.

The next day I was in denial, but you would never guess that I was. Well.. maybe you would. But I put on a brave face and faced the day like any other.

Now you may be thinking "Why would you not take the time to grieve for your child" - Well, I am an emotional person, but I prefer to grieve by myself. That's just who I am as a person. There are certain times where I will/can show emotion but when it's a personal matter, I prefer to be by myself. So please know that I am grieving. This will take sometime to deal with. But I won't show emotion...

On Saturday, everything passed. My body wasn't doing what it was supposed to do, so I took some meds to get the ball rolling. It took about 6 hours for everything to be over with. 6 hours that were terrible.

I would like to say that I NEVER want to go through this again, but this happens on a daily basis. Miscarriage is very common, and can happen at any time, and any time this happens, another mother loses her child. She will grieve in her own way and on her own time. Regardless of fetal gestation, or age, a loss is a loss. When a child dies, a part of you goes with them. It doesn't matter if that person was 6 weeks old, 28 weeks old, 5 months old or 49 years old. The hurt and pain are still there.

I am thankful for every morning I wake up and see J. I have a little boy whom I would die for. The love of my life and all the joy. I am a stronger person because of this, and a better mother. I am so very lucky to be able to have children, and to be a mother. It's something I will never take for granted.

I am a mother grieving for the loss of her second child. To my sweet babe whom I have not met, we love you, and will always miss you.

Much love
xoxo

 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Not what I was expecting..at all!

Ok, writing this is so hard, but I need to share it and get if off my chest.

On November 4th, we found out we were expecting our second babe. I was beyond thrilled!! That morning, I had some crazy dreams that I had taken a pregnancy test and it was positive... so after two consecutive dreams, I got up and sure enough...POSITIVE!!

We only told our close family and friends.. but it did get around our circle of friends, fast...
Anyways, I called my OB and set up an appointment for December 13. C and I were so excited about having another little baby. We started to let J know that he was going to be a big brother. He would give my tummy kisses and say.."Mama..baby!"

As my pregnancy progressed, I felt like there was something wrong. I couldn't tell you why.. but it was just a feeling I had.

I had minimal morning sickness. Well, in hindsight, now that I think of it I had very little pregnancy symptoms. I had some slight nausea, I was very moody/emotional and tired. But that was it. I just didn't feel pregnant for very long.

I went in for my first doctor's appointment on the 13th of December. It was just a routine, question and answer and I was to book again for 3 weeks for a physical and they got my in to do a dating ultrasound. Now I knew my dates. C and I had been trying for a few months, so I was charting, start and end dates.

So today (the 15th) I went and had my blood work done as well as my dating ultrasound.

The tech was soo quite, but the one who did J's first ultrasound was too, so I didn't think anything of it. That all changed when she asked me if I was correct on my dates. And I told her yes. I am 100% sure on my dates, now whether I ovulated late it would not made that much of a difference, maybe a week at most. So I asked what she saw, "Just a gestational sac"

I froze. I knew that was not good. I should be almost 10 weeks...there should be a heart beat, a baby SOMETHING!! My heart was breaking... C was in the waiting room, he had no idea what was going on.

She told me that she was going to to a transvag ultrasound so I said ok.. This time around she did find the fetus, but it was no where near as developed as it should be.

She finished up and told me to call my doctor, and that they would tell me what was going on.

I walked out of the clinic trembling.. and in tears. I didn't have to call my doctor to know what was going on. I knew we had lost our baby.

I called anyways, and I was told, that the baby was measuring 6 weeks, 6 days - and that there was no heartbeat. The doctor explained what will be happening (natual passing of the baby) as I have started the process now, but that I need to come in.

So to make a long story short, I am in the midst of a miscarriage and am heartbroken, but at the same time. ok with what has happened.

I go in tomorrow to see my doctor again... I am really really hoping to pass this baby naturally..and that we can go through a couple of cycles and then try again. I will not let this get me down. Things happen for a reason, and for some reason this just wasn't the time.

I will be taking a break from my blog till the New year or so. I will finish up my giveaways, but I do need time to grieve for my lost babe.

Much love

xoxox
 

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Monday, December 12, 2011

A GLOW bug review...and giveaway.

Trying to find a one size diaper (any type) that will fit J now and still have some room to grow is becoming difficult! Most one size diapers say they fit from birth (7+ lbs) to potty training (35+lbs)...Well J is pushing 34lbs and I am noticing some of his diapers are starting to fit..tight.

I came across a Canadian company called Glow Bug diapers. I have read some great reviews on them. In particular I like how most said they were a great fitting diaper and was surprised to see them on small babies and toddlers! I contacted them to see if they wanted to team up for a review and maybe a giveaway and they said YES to both!! Woo!!




A little bit about Glow Bug Cloth Diapers:

Glow Bug Cloth Diapers story begins with our babies.  Long before the company existed, there were two Moms who found friendship during pre-natal yoga class.  Neta and I became close friends through the course of our pregnancies.  We were thrilled when my daughter Amelia was born only weeks after Neta’s daughter Ela in 2007.  We both discovered and enjoyed using cloth diapers on our girls.
After the birth of Neta’s son Edder and my daughter Gloria in 2010, we were both looking for new cloth diapers.  Neta and I had the same concerns with the available brands.  All we wanted were good quality, affordable cloth diapers but we were really frustrated that the product we were looking for did not seem to exist.   What better solution to our dilemma than to start our own company that would sell amazing quality cloth diapers at a great price?

We knew that there must be lots of other parents out there who want to use cloth diapers but are intimidated by the cost of investing  in good quality diapers.  We are here to help you every step of the way in making the switch to cloth diapers and can’t wait to hear how much you love them!
Happy diapering!
Sarah Downey and Neta Talmor – Founders of Glow Bug Cloth Diaper

P.S. If you are wondering why we called the company Glow Bug Cloth Diapers, there are two reasons.  First of all, “Glow Bug” is my nickname for Gloria and second, because I always thought a baby in cloth diapers looks like a cute little bug with that sweet round bum.


I was so excited to try out this diaper.. then again I'm always excited!! C says I'm too excited! Anyways...on to the review

I received a one size Glow Bug Diaper in a super cute Apple print. Right off the bat I said I loved that they had a different selection of prints for their diapers. I haven't seen this print before! I like variety...and I'm getting tired of the same old same old prints!



The diaper came with two (2) Snap in Microfiber inserts, which is awesome for double stuffing for nap time or for overnight!

The outer is material is very soft to the touch, but seems durable. The snap placement is great! I really like the cross over snaps to fit a tiny tummy! Yes and the snaps are generous enough to fit J's big belly.
The inner material is again soft, and is made of the new Slim Dry material. This diaper has inner leg gussets which is fabulous. I LOVE gussets! J has made quite a few messes in this diaper (even while out) and it did contain everything. No blow out at all.




Another great feature to the Glow Bug diaper is the LARGE back pocket. This is one if the easiest diapers to stuff. Even C can stuff it with his big ol' hands! It also has a waterproof flap on the back to make sure there are no leaks!
Large front opening

Large back pocket opening with waterproof flap.

This diaper fits J great. While he is on the largest rise setting, we still have room to grow in the belly which is where we are having difficulties with our other diapers. Our Glow Bug diaper washes very well, and dries super quick! While we do have to use both inserts for nap time, if he is wearing it just around the house for an hour or two then we are fine!


All in all, if you are looking for an affordable way to cloth then I highly suggest Glow Bug cloth diapers. Pocket diaper are so simple and just think about all the money you will save!!

If you would like to purchase your very own Glow Bug set follow the link here. http://glowbugclothdiapers.com/buy-glow-bug-cloth-diapers/#ecwid:category=1443222&mode=category&offset=0&sort=normal

You can purchase a set of 12 diaper and 24 inserts (in your choice of Girl/Boy or gender Neutral) for $150.00! That is a fantastic price for what you are getting! Or if you are not ready to fully commit to cloth if are just wanting to add to your stash check out their new Booster Packs! $70.00 will get you 6 cute Glow bug diaper PLUS a free wetbag!

We really really love this diaper. I just can't get over how cute the print is, and the fact that J still has room to grow in it... makes me happy!!

Enter below for your chance to win your very own Glow Bug cloth diaper in your choice of girl, boy or gender neutral!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

What a weekend!

UGH! That sums up the weekend! Kinda...

On Friday I found out I won 3 new itti bitti diapers... woo! There's a big plus! Then C, J and I ventured out to get some Christmas shopping done.

We headed off to Home Depot (not my fave place but it's kinda fun!) J got to ride in his 'Car car' cart. The kid LOVES the car. We picked up C's dad's prezzie, which is a new leaf blower. My father in law is the hardest person to shop for. He has everything already but we got lucky as his leaf blower went KAPUT just the day before. Then we decided to check out London Drugs. I wanted to get my mom a new hair dryer. Odd gift I know, but she can use it. So we found a great one with a good price tag! Yay!

After that we decided to go out for dinner. We decided on White Spot, BUT I changed my mind and wanted IHOP. Bad choice! Never again!! Enough said!

Saturday rolled around and I had to work. First off J didn't wake up till 9:30! Sleep in!! Woo! We got up had a waffle breakfast and got ready to go to the mall. We wanted to get his Santa pictures done this year. So off we went.

We got to the mall and it was busy! The line for Santa was like an hour long, so C decided to get in line right away but as he was coming in the lady said that 'Santa' was going on lunch and would be back in an hour... so 1:00pm. (The time was 12:00pm) Poor C!

I went off to work and C decided to go and get some new tree lights (all of ours were burnt out from last year BOO) and he also wanted to get some wrapping paper. Now usually I use gift bags but, I like to wrap a few presents to put under the tree.

Finally 1:00 rolled around and C got J to see Santa. We made a bet that J would cry..but to my surprise he didn't flinch. He was so happy to see him and smiled BIG for the camera!

C got some more shopping done for his mom and part of my gift. So now, we just to get my dad, C and the remainder of my gifts and voila! Shopping done!

Today was a write off for me. I'm just so beat. J slept in again today (till 10!!) but I was soo tired. I was supposed to go to my work Christmas party but decided to cancel as I think I need some much needed sleep.

So there's a recap of my weekend. Busy.busy,busy....I love Christmas, but I can't wait to be able to kick back an relax once it's all over with. Then we can celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversay and celebrate J's 2 Birthday!!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Much love

xoxo

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Wordelss Wednesday

Seems like it's been forever since I did a Wordless Wednesday..Almost forgot today too! It's not going to be wordless though..well kind of...

J's first Hockey Game!! Vancouver Giants game... he had a blast. Met a couple of cute little girls that he flirted with the whole time. When he sat with Daddy he would yell "GO GO GO" to the players.. everyone around us thought he was such a good sport!!

Sitting in his own seat. He had a blast!



Tuesday, December 6, 2011

New...signs!

Ahhh!! Ok there was really no reason for the..yell..but I just thought I would be dramatic!

I just had to share this. My little man is picking up on his signs and I am such a proud mommy!! First off, his vocab is expanding.. slowly, but still; he is learning some new words. Yesterday, he saw the star on my sleep shirt. looked at it then turned and looked at me and said "Mama, staar" Then clapped his hands.

Then while we were watching Signing Time there was the part where they signed grass. I asked J "Can you sign grass?" BAM his little hand came up under his chin to sign grass. I was so surprised!! After his attention went from the TV to his play table, which plays annoying repetitive music, but he seems to love it. He pushed the button that goes through the colors "There's so many colors, here are just a few, RED, YELLOW, GREEN and BLUE..." Well, he looked at me and when the voice said RED he signed ...red!! Again I gave him lots of praise and clapped my hands, as did J.

Then we went through our ABC, bow he's trying so so so hard to sign his alphabet. He can point out the letters' B and D and kind of sign then. But when we go through the ABC's he moves his little hand like mommy does. SO cute.

Another, new thing he's doing is jumping. No on the couch or in bed but on the floor and he loves to do it. He looks like he's galloping. I think it's because he's such a hefty little boy. Haha!

His babbles, are like incoherent sentences. I know that some day soon, the babbles will be full blown, spoken sentences.

My little boy, is growing and learning so much each day!! We are planning on getting our little home decorated this week. I feel so far behind! Last year everything was done by the 16 of November!

Wish me luck!

Much love

xoxo

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Omaiki Fitted Diaper and Cover Review

We have been having issues with our nighttime diapering. J is such a heavy wetter they he seems to leak through EVERYTHING.... and I mean EVERYTHING! So as I was browsing the Internet one night, I started looking up fitted diaper companies.. or any company who offered a fitted nighttime diaper.

Omaiki, came up... I was intrigued by the name and wanted to know more. Well, I hit the jackpot! First off, they are Canadian and secondly, they have an AWESOME looking fitted diaper. I thought, why not contact them to see if they are interested. Well, guess what.. they were!!

A little bit about Omaiki Diapers:

Omaïki was created after the meeting of 2 mothers. When their children, Loïk and Mika, were born in 2007, both young mothers were already avid supporters of washable diapers, because they wanted to protect the environment in which their new children would grow up...
Many people have asked where the word Omaïki comes from. Well you need search no further: it is not a foreign word or an expression. It is simply an abbreviation composed of the initials of their childrens’ names...
The innovative Omaïki product line is designed, developed and produced in Canada. The products offer a wide range of advantages which will meet the expectations of the most demanding young fathers and mothers: Omaïki products are environmentally friendly in terms of the manufacturing process and in the way they are used; they are economical, sustainable and comfortable because they are made from a soft material that has both aesthetic and contemporary appeal. It won’t be long before both family and friends fall in love with Omaïki products!

I let them know that I was looking for a nighttime solution for my heavy wetter, they suggested their fitted diaper and a cover. I agreed.

My package arrived about 3 day later, and right off the bat, I knew we were going to have success.

I was sent their Ö Sleep fitted diaper and a one-size diaper cover in white. They also supplied a sample of their diaper wash solution. I was very impressed with the fast shipping.

The review:

The Ö Sleep fitted is SUPER soft. It's a fitted aplix diaper made of  multi-ply bamboo viscose with a velvet outer shell and an interior suede cloth lining in order to keep baby dry all night. The aplix is very sturdy and seems very durable. The laundry tabs hold up in my top loader washer, and is comes clean every time. No stains, nada! Omaiki says this diaper could fit from 8 lbs + but I think 10 - 12 lbs is a better guess. Even snapped down it looks HUGE for a newborn.



I also really like the embroidery detail on the back. It's a nice touch.

I washed the diaper right away and let J wear it for his nap. He woke up dry as a bone. So I washed it again. We used it the next night with no extra boosters or inserts. He woke up soaked! I didn't let that deter me as I knew that this diaper needed a few more washings before it would be a full absorption capacity. So back into the wash it went. That night we decided to put in an extra hemp insert. I was very hopeful that night.



The next morning, he was...DRY! Dry, dry, dry!! YAY! the diaper and insert were soaked but the cover held up and there were no leaks.

The Omaiki cover is similar to another big name brand company but I feel the material that is used is more durable. Not as flimsy as some of my other PUL covers. the aplix again, is strong and sturdy and as never come undone in the wash. It has leg gussets that have kept in some nasty messes. It washes very well and it's my go to cover now. Plus their color selection is INCREDIBLE!!



My over review of this diaper is, I NEED MORE! paired with one of our hemp inserts it's bullet proof. I have used a fleece cover over top and J has still woke up from his 12+ sleep dry. It's a great diaper.



Omaiki has a great selection of diapers. They have AIO, pockets, fitted, Mini-O (for infants!!) and even training pants. Plus they have a accessories too! Wet bags, feminine products and washing solution!

They are a Canadian company and as of right now they will only sell to Canada as they are not ** compliant yet.

So I urge my Canadian readers to check them out. There is a list of their retailers on the website. It's definitely worth taking a look.

NOW!, on to the goods. Omaiki has offered one of my readers their very own fitted diaper AND cover!!

*Please note this is open to Canadian mailing address only. Sorry!*

Fill out the rafflecopter form for your chance to win!!

Thank you Omaiki diapers for allowing me to review your diaper and covers. And a BIG thank you for the giveaway as well!

For more information about Omaiki follow the link: http://www.omaiki.com/en.htm