Make Your Own Baby Wipes

When someone first mentioned this to me I thought "that's crazy! what can work like store bought baby wipes??" But, with going down to one income for C's first two years and Baby K coming along and having to go back to work we needed to save some money. So, one day I was out of wipes and I thought, "okay I'll give this a try and maybe I'll save some money. How hard could it be?"

Actually, not hard at all, and it does save you money. I've been doing this for almost a year now and I thought I would share it with you.

There are a ton of "recipes" for home made baby wipes around the internet but, this is the one I use that works for me.

1 jumbo roll Bounty paper towels (these are really thick and won't disintegrate)

1 1/2 cups hot water (if you use a regular size roll of paper towels you'll need less water)

1 Tbs baby wash (I have used Johnson & Johnson and also generic Target brand baby sensitive)

1 Tbs baby oil (whichever you prefer)

You will also need a container to keep them in. I use an old ice cream tub that has a handle on it.

Ingredients

1. Cut your paper towel roll in half and remove cardboard cylinder. You can save one half for your next batch.

2. Heat your water in the microwave for 2 minutes. Place your halved paper towels cut side down in your container.

3. Add baby wash and baby oil to water and stir gently to not create bubbles.

4. Pour mixture over paper towel roll. Put lid on container and flip upside down for 5 minutes to let mixture get all the way through.

5. Use wipes!

Easy! This usually lasts me a week or so depending on how messy the kids' diapers are, if you only have one child in diapers it would probably lasts 2-3 weeks. And you still have the other paper towel half for the next batch. This is also a great idea for babies with skin allergies because you can use whichever baby wash and oils your baby is able to tolerate. And if you're really creative you can decorate the container and give these as a shower gift with the recipe attached.

I'm Still Alive I Promise!

It has been one crazy month. After two weeks in the hospital on bed rest, my body decided that it could no longer be pregnant. Katherine Grace made her appearance on July 9th at 1:49 pm via emergency C-section, weighing in at 5 lbs 10 oz and 18.5 inches long. She was perfectly healthy and was able to stay with me in my room after the first harrowing night that I had. I was not perfectly healthy but, I am now.

Katherine has been doing great and made it over 6 lbs by her 2 week appointment! C has been having some adjustment issues but, we're working on it.

I've been working on recovering and taking care of 2 children under 2 so, that's why I have been MIA. I'm still here, I promise and soon we'll be back in the swing of things! And in the meantime, if you have any suggestions on how to make C feel more included and better about his role as big brother please let me know!

Proud to be a Theta Mom

Heather at Theta Mom is celebrating her one year "blogoversary." Woohoo! Part of her celebration has been to ask her readers to submit posts telling what makes them Theta Moms. If you haven't been over to Theta Mom you must go there immediately. Heather writes genuinely about what it is to be a mom, what other moms don't tell you before your children are born, and other fun topics. Check out her Mission describing what it is to be a Theta Mom and you'll see you fit right in!

I've been thinking about this post for a few days and during this time some things have changed dramatically in my life as a mom so, it should be interesting to see what I come up with...

My son C, now 18 months, wasn't exactly planned. I always knew I wanted to be a mom and have two kids but, the timing of his conception wasn't quite what we were expecting. I had a tough pregnancy working up until I went into the hospital at 29 weeks. But, I was happy to be welcoming him into the world. When at 29 weeks and 5 days I had to deliver via emergency C-section due to Pre-eclampsia, I wasn't worried about my own health, I was worried about this precious new life that was coming too soon.

I did worry a little about the fact that we didn't have any baby clothes, the nursery wasn't set up, we weren't baby proofed at home. But, more than anything I was worried about being the mom I would need to be to guide this fragile life into the world and get him through his extended stay in the NICU.

The thing about being a mom of a preemie is that no one really talks about it. Mothers don't want to scare new mothers about the ins and outs of what happens in there. I didn't want to tell some of my friends that were expecting because I didn't want them to freak out. But, during C's time and mine in the NICU I found my true calling as a mother. I found that you will do whatever it takes to make sure your child is happy and healthy, whether it is sitting round the clock holding his hand through the window of an isolette or pumping milk every three hours for 6 weeks because you want him to have the best nutrition available even though he can't breast feed.

I spent every day for 47 days with C and no one will tell you how hard that is. No mother ever wants to see her child hurt or suffering whether they are 5 days, 5 years, or 35 years. But, I know that this experience is what shaped me for my role as a mother. At 18 months, C is thriving you wouldn't be able to tell that he was born so early. He looks just like his father and has a laugh that will make you grin.

I am currently pregnant with Baby Girl and this past week at 33 weeks started showing signs of Pre-eclampsia again. I have now been on bed rest for 5 days in the hospital and we are waiting to see how things go but, it's looking like Baby Girl will be coming early as well. This time around I'm not as nervous. I've been through this. I know I can do it and I know that I have what it takes to be the mom I need to be. This time my worries are on my husband and C. I think C has it under control to take care of his dad :-)

Being a Theta Mom, a proud mother, for me is knowing that I have what it takes even if it is a different road than all of the others, knowing that I will do anything for my children, including laying on my side for days on end. It's being willing to share with other mothers the hard parts of being a mom and not putting a sunny face and telling them it's so easy when in fact, it is the hardest job out there. And above everything, loving your role as a mother and embracing it with everything you have.

Happy Blogoversary Theta Mom and thanks to all you other Theta moms out there!!

Bed Rest Day 3... Things They Don't Tell You

Here it is, day 3 in the hospital. So far, I've been pretty optimistic. I can make it through the next 3 weeks on bed rest either in or out of the hospital...today I discovered it gets harder to be optimistic as the days drag on.

Thankfully, hubby brought the laptop yesterday which helps pass a few hours at a time. He also came by again today with C for a few hours and that helped a lot. The downside...they came to take my blood pressure while the family was here and it had sky rocketed. It has since gone down slightly which is good.

So, the things your doctor doesn't tell you about when you might have to go on bed rest...

1. Obviously, it sucks

2. Even though your bed goes up and down you are supposed to stay flat. You can only sit up to eat.

3. Because you aren't moving, your bowels won't move... yup, no poop

4. TV gets old after while, even if you don't usually have access to cable.

5. Doing nothing makes you tired but, it's hard to sleep.

6. Every day on bed rest keeps your baby out of the NICU three extra days... a nurse told me this today, I don't know if it's actually true.

As I think of more, I'll add them. So far, it's looking like I'm going to be enjoying and extended stay here at Presby Dallas. We should find out more on Monday. Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers!

The Never Ending To-Do List

Usually, I don't blog so much about my personal life just about fun ways to save money. Lately, though, I haven't been able to blog much because there is just so much going on. Currently I am 31 weeks pregnant with Baby Girl and chasing after 18 month old C who is a handful and a half. My husband is a high school band director and musician which means more hours than a regular teacher (especially since we are in Texas) and gigs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Now, for most families that would be enough. Not ours...

Recently, I blogged about ways to save money while traveling. We were traveling for a job interview in Illinois for my husband. This wasn't just any job interview it was for the Air Force. The Band of the Mid-West to be exact. Many people don't know that the military has jobs for musicians. There are military bands stationed all over the world and the enlisted men/women don't do anything but play in these bands and get PAID. For someone that would rather play their instrument than do anything else and be able to make a decent living, this job is a dream.

About 5 years ago, right around the time we got married, hubby went through this whole process and it fell through right at the end. This time, hubby has been offered a job, signed the papers, and now is going the process of physicals and tests to make sure he can join up. Then BASIC TRAINING. The Air Force people have been awesome about scheduling basic training around the birth of our daughter. Since she is due at the beginning of August, they are willing to let him delay until the beginning of September. Basic training lasts for 60 days and then we would move to Illinois.

What this all means is...I'm FREAKING OUT. We have so much to do, like sell our house and all the fun things that come with it, find new housing in a state that I've been in twice, find a place for me to stay for 60 days with a toddler and a newborn, pack, have a BABY... the list goes on and on.

The pros of this job though, are numerous. I fully support my husband in his decision to take it should everything go through like it is supposed to. I just have these momentary freak outs that kind of throw me for a loop. So, I will continue posting my ways to save money and maybe so often an update on the whole moving to another state, joining the military family, and having a baby all at the same time.

Today on the to-do list... dusting