Updates

We went out of town for a funeral last week and I got sick and now that I'm finally feeling better, I just wanted to give an update on a few things.

I had my home visit with my midwife and her assistants (great ladies!) the other day and I'm finally 36 weeks pregnant. I'm 2 cm down and 8 to go and I have a feeling that this birth will be another fast one. Hopefully I'll be blogging about our new baby boy (who still remains nameless) in the next few weeks.

Shalom Mama Soothing Herbal Bath Tea is now available on my website! I thought this up a few months ago, made up a test batch and loved it! I tweaked it a little and made a new batch and with the help of my parents at Juniper Butte Herb & Tea Co., it's all packed up and ready to go! It comes in 2 sizes - 1.6 oz and 3.1 oz. They're good for 3-4 baths and 6-7 baths, respectively. The bath tea contains calendula, chamomile, chickweed, lavender, oatmeal and plaintain. Calendula, chamomile, chickweed and plaintain are especially good for those of us with really sensitive skin because of their soothing and healing properties. Get yours today!

There are some great new products from Thirsties available now! Thirsties just announced that its brand-new Duo Diaper is in stock and ready to go! I am so excited about this - and it's not just an unhealthy obsession with cloth diapers! The Duo Diaper comes in 2 sizes, like their wonderful Duo Wrap, and has two pocket openings for stuffing so that you don't have to remove the insert when you wash - it agitates out in the washer. I love that! As soon as I saw the e-mail in my inbox this morning, I logged onto their site and ordered a size 2 orchid Duo Diaper to try on Ella. I can't wait 'til it gets here. When you check out the new Duo Diaper, you may notice that the pocket AIO is no longer available. Thirsties is discontinuing the AIO, but I think the Duo Diaper will more than make up for the loss.

Thirsties Pre-wash and Super wash are also available on my site now. They were both made in the USA by a chemist to work specifically with cloth diapers. Both are 100% biodegradable and were created to keep your diapers in top condition and to prevent diaper rash on your sweet baby. Both washes are 32. oz and they offer a great value pack that saves you $7 when you purchase them both together. Gotta love saving money.

That's it for now, but keep an eye out for some great Black Friday specials coming your way.

Shalom,

Nina

Ella's Birth Story

I became pregnant with Ella when Eva was only 3 months old. I went to see my same dr. and went back into the high-risk prenatal routine I was used to. At about 20 weeks I told him that I didn’t want to do the same tests that he had had me do with Eva. He told me that was too bad and that I had to do them because I was considered high risk. I had had no problems with Eva so I thought, “that’s what you think, man.” I had been doing research on becoming a midwife through apprenticeship and found one who lived right next to me, thanks to a friend’s referral.

Her approach was so much better. It was holistic care, focused on nutrition and letting my body do what it was designed to do. I elected for a water birth. At about 36 weeks I was dilated to three cm. And I just kept on dilating. I was dilated to 6 cm when my husband left for work at 8:30 on May 28th. I had felt nauseated that morning and was having the same old contractions I’d become accustomed to in the previous month. At 8:45 I had a really long one and it hurt! Then I had another one that felt really weird and I knew I was in labor. I called my midwife, Tiffany, who lives four houses down from me and let her know. Then I called my husband who had just gotten to work and asked him to come home. My brother came and got Isaac and my mom came and helped put Eva down for a nap. I was very blessed that my body had been getting ready for so long. I got into my birth tub after a while and the warm water helped so much. I tried to surrender completely to what was happening and went into a different consciousness where I would moan in a low tone during a contraction and relax as much as possible in between. I got to ten cm very quickly. I began pushing around 11:05. Ella was born at 11:10, right as Eva woke from her nap. It was the most amazing experience ever. I am so glad that I trusted my body and had her in the comfort of my own home, at my own pace. I now have three perfect children and am looking forward to having our 4th at home as well.

Eva's Birth Story

I was induced a week early with Eva. I believe my dr. had mentioned something about my blood pressure, but it had been fine so I figured he just wanted me to have her when he would be in the office. I got to the hospital early, belly full of breakfast. I remembered how hungry and tired I had been the last time and thought that it was stupid to go hungry to an event that required marathon-runner stamina. The IV was the worst part. Two nurses tried twice with no luck. My savior came in the form of Snook, a nurse from the ER who popped that thing in my arm with ease. I offered to buy her a drink. Once I was hooked up, the nurses started me on Cytotec (even though the manufacturer warns that this drug should not be used for this purpose) to soften my cervix. After a little while of that, they hooked me up to pitocin. I had been 3 cm dilated already so it started working pretty quickly. At 2 o’clock, my dr. came in and offered to break my water to move things along. My initial reaction was, “no way, I remember what happened after he broke my water last time.” But I caved in. I wanted her out. Ian asked if he should let my mom know to come over and they told him no rush, it would probably be a while.

So he broke my water. And I asked for IV drugs again. And when the nurse left to get them I told my husband I needed the epidural. Again. This time, I sat extra still during the procedure. I thought I was going to die, it hurt so badly, but I knew I would have sweet relief soon. When the anesthesiologist said, “uh-oh,” I knew it was bad. Sure enough, the tube had not gone into the correct space and he needed to start over. I started crying and held still some more. By the time he was putting in the second tube I had felt the need to push and was quietly pushing while sitting upright in bed. He had no sooner finished and started to put some drugs in that I let out a loud scream and told them that they baby was coming. I yelled at Ian to get ready to catch her, grabbed my legs and started pushing. I pushed as hard as I could for fifteen minutes and watched my husband catch my daughter. I had dilated from 4 to 10 centimeters and had her within an hour of them breaking my water. She, too, was perfect.

Isaac's Birth Story

As a self-proclaimed birth nut, I figured it was time to actually talk about it. With the birth of my 4th child fast-approaching, I've been thinking about the births of my other three children and thought I'd share their stories with you.

I was induced four weeks early with Isaac because of problems with my blood pressure. I arrived at the hospital early and waited for them to get me hooked up to everything. I had had a little to eat, at the instruction of my dr. and wasn’t sure how that tiny breakfast was supposed to last all day long and what energy I would be using to push the baby out. The Pitocin worked pretty slowly. At three my dr. recommended breaking my water to speed things along. I was dilated to 4 cm and I was feeling pretty good. If this is what labor felt like, I could totally handle it without drugs.

Within fifteen minutes of them breaking my water I was asking for some IV drugs. The nurse had barely left the room when I told my husband I needed the epidural. It hurt like hell. I held as still as I could for the epidural, a feat that I was sure would be impossible as the contractions took over my body. Once the anesthesiologist started the medicine I felt a lot better. Some friends visited and I was able to talk a little. At about six I started feeling pushy and the nurse checked me. Sure enough I was completely dilated. I started pushing. And pushing. And pushing. I got tired very quickly since I had no food to fuel me and the dr. offered to help with the vacuum. I gladly said yes, even though it was one of the interventions I had said that I absolutely did not want. So I pushed while the dr. pulled. I was yelling and yelling about how much it hurt (they had stopped the medicine) and finally, out came Isaac. They whisked him over to the newborn table to get him going. I had caught a glimpse of him beforehand, though. He was perfect.

Time For a Change

I've been reading a lot about business lately: using social media to gain business, the importance of customer service, how to build communities, finding your target audience and so much more. After learning so much, I've come to the conclusion that I should just be myself and do what I'm passionate about, otherwise it's just not enjoyable. I know, it's common sense, but some things take quite a while to absorb into my brain ;).

I started this blog to give people information about a "crunchier" lifestyle - based on the products I offer. The problem is, I'm not terribly happy with some of my posts. Sure they're informative, but you can find that information anywhere. There are a lot of cloth diapering sites that will tell you all about caring for your diapers, what to choose and why they're so great to use. Why try to reinvent the wheel?

I've also been very careful in my wording and overly general so that I can reach as many people as possible - without offending anyone. But you know what, I don't really want to reach everyone and I don't just want to talk about cloth diapers and I'm sure some of the things I believe in offend some people. I know that lots of people think I'm crazy for having babies at home and breastfeeding them until their toddlers and using cloth diapers and chemical-free products - they tell me all the time :). I'm just so passionate about pregnancy and birth and breastfeeding; about good nutrition and herbal remedies. I'm passionate about baby wearing and creating close bonds. I believe that babies (and everyone else) deserve to use products that are not filled with harmful chemicals. And yes, all of these opinions are coming at you from a conservative Christian woman.

So what does all the "me, me, me" have to do with you? I know there are women out there like me and I want to connect with them. I know that I run an online store, but I think there should be more to it than just exchanging money for goods - you can do that anywhere. Relationships are important. Supporting each other in our "alternative" viewpoints is important.

I've been trying to go about this business the same way as everyone else and it hasn't been working for me. And I realized it's because I'm different! I'm not the same as everyone else - I'm weird. I don't have a huge inventory because I refuse to use credit cards. I like giving discounts. I really want to help you save money and I want you to use this stuff more than I want a profit. (Maybe I shouldn't be in business, after all ;)

What does all this rambling mean? It means things will be different. I'll be changing the store a bit and hopefully will be able to start offering some personal services soon. And I'll blog about things I'm passionate about - without the "super-careful, want to be all things to all people" language. If that's not ok, I apologize. If that's cool with you, great - leave comments, tell me about yourself - I want to get to know you.

Shalom,

Nina

Advent Conspiracy

What does this post have to do with cloth diapers and baby carriers? Not much, really, but it fits into my mission to worship fully, put the needs of others before myself and to live simply. Now that it's November, it's a perfect time to be thinking about Christmas and maybe making the commitment to do things differently this year.

Worship Fully. Spend Less. Give More. Love All. Sigh.
I love Advent Conspiracy (check it out here). Last year I started thinking about Christmases past and realized that there was just something missing. There had to be more to Christmas than spending money we didn't have to buy gifts that probably wouldn't get used. And so, it has become a new goal of mine to follow the principles of Advent Conspiracy - to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all so that I can do Christmas in a manner that is trully Christ-honoring. Here are some ideas that I've come up with to help people start thinking about doing Christmas differently:

Creating New Traditions
Everyone take turn giving presents. Instead of sitting around the tree with your pile of gifts around you, consider grabbing all the ones that you purchased instead and enjoy watching your loved ones open them. Make a point of giving gifts rather than receiving. This is great for little kids, too. Instead of asking them what they want for Christmas, ask them what they think Mom, Dad, Grandparents or siblings might like for Christmas. Help them make or buy something for everyone. This takes the focus off of what they want and teaches them to be mindful of what other people enjoy.

Set limits for presents. In the past, we've been guilty of just buying useless presents that our kids don't end up using just for the sake of them having more to open on Christmas morning. This year we're aiming at 3 gifts per child (since the three wise men each brought Jesus a present), though we may end up at 5. We're also trying to make the majority of those gifts home made. The best thing is that we know that what we've decided to give the kids will be used and appreciated.

Stay home the day after Thanksgiving (or go to work if you have to). Many people wishing to cut consumerism and keep Christ at the center of Christmas make a point of avoiding stores on Black Friday and the ensuing craziness.

Giving shouldn’t be reserved for one time of year. Choosing a family project or two to do throughout the year helps keep you focused on others, which is also a good practice to teach to children.
-Serving at community kitchens
-Collecting clothing or food to distribute to the homeless.
-Collecting maternity clothing and baby items to give to pregnancy resource centers.
-Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

Buy local or handmade only
-Support local business owners whenever possible to support your community.
-Buying handmade or items locally made cuts support to companies that use child labor in foreign countries and those that only pay their workers pennies a day.

Good gifts don’t have to be new.
-Craigslist, thrift stores and yard sales are great places to find gifts for people that usually just need a little bit of TLC.

Gift Ideas

Make your own presents
-Anything goes. If you’re at a loss for things to make, books are available at the library full of homemade gift ideas or you can do an Internet search.

If you would want a few ideas, here's what I've done recently for my family:

- I-spy bags

- Big hooded towels

- Crayon rolls

- Crocheted hats and slippers

- Babysitting vouchers for siblings with kids

- Calender with pics of our family for the grandparents

- Creating story books

- Meals - Little cards with a selection of appetizers, entrees and desserts

Give to charity instead of buying presents
-Give to a person’s favorite charity, or if they don’t have one, find one that supports a cause dear to them. www.charitynavigator.org helps you find charities and also lets you know how much of your donation goes to administration costs and how much goes to the intended party. We love Gospel for Asia, Compassion International and Bethany Children's Services.

Buy things that people need and will use often. It doesn’t have to be a surprise. Finding out what someone needs reduces the chance that your gift will just end up in a yard sale.
-School supplies
-Gift cards to the college bookstore (or other store a person frequently shops at)
-Family games
-Supplies for a favorite hobby
-Have a list of items that you are looking for available to help others shopping for you - we have a family website with a Gift Ideas section.

Give your time/service
-Yard work
-Projects around the house
-Prepare a meal for a loved one and eat with them

Teach someone a skill that they want to learn that you’re good at
-Sewing
-Canning
-Knitting/ Crocheting
-Wood working
-Home repair

-How to change oil and a tire

Some families are cutting back on gifts this year because of the economy and explaining to their kids that Christmas won't be as big this year. What if you cut back on how much you spend, but make Christmas bigger than ever. Strengthen relationships this Advent season. Make lasting, meaningful memories. Give your presence.

Shalom,

Nina

A Nasty Truth

Whenever someone wants to sell something, they usually give all of the pros and none of the cons - or very sugary versions of the cons. Well, I believe in honesty and integrity and so I will let you in on my true feelings toward cloth diapers - what I don't like about them and why I still love to use them.

My problem with cloth diapers is cleaning the poopies. It's just gross. It's gross with a disposable diaper (which, did you know that you are supposed to dump the poop in the toilet before you throw those away?) but it's nastier with cloth because you've got to get your hands in there and get the poop off before you throw it in the wash. When we first started cloth diapering, I dunked the diaper in the toilet to get the poo off. That's what I read that your supposed to do. Yuck. Then we upgraded to our toilet sprayer. It has its advantages over the dunking for sure, but it doesn't change the fact that it's still poop! Sometimes I have flashbacks to when I worked in an assisted living center changing super-sized "briefs." Shudder.

Well, then, why do I use them even though I'm sometimes tempted to use our long-distance-travel disposable diaper stash? Ok, I confess, sometimes I do use them when I know there will be poo coming soon, but for the most part, it's all cloth at my house. Even though I sometimes get so disgusted about cleaning the poop that I contemplate just hiding it somewhere until my husband gets home, I can usually just put myself into diaper-cleanup-mode and be done with the task without even thinking about it.

And then there are the real perks:

- My daughters' reproductive organs aren't constantly being exposed to nasty chemicals

- They hold diarrhea like you would not believe. Honestly, the girls both had a nasty bug and we put disposables on them thinking that they would be better, but they leaked everywhere (ew) while the cloth diapers held everything in.

- I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that when I run out of diapers, I just have to go into the laundry room and put away that load of laundry that I've been putting off and, just like that, I have more diapers. Hurray for saving money!

- They're cute. I love showing them off.

- Cloth diapers are also wonderful for tall, skinny babies. My kids all have tiny waists and the pants that fit their waists are usually way too short. But since cloth diapers are thicker they keep pants on well and my girls' ankles stay covered.

The truth is there are days when I get into the mindset that disposables are more convenient, but then I remember that it's just what I was conditioned to believe. (Thank you advertising!) Because in the end, a poopy diaper is still a poopy diaper, no matter what kind of diaper it is.