A Look Back at 2013

2013 has been a huge year for us.  We've had a lot of huge changes and life events.  Its been so fun to look back at our year and reminisce about all the good times.

January: 

We found out we were pregnant!  I took this picture the day I got a positive test, at approximately 4 weeks.  

February:

We went on our honeymoon to Morocco!  We spent two weeks exploring the country from the high mountains to the desert.  It was an amazing adventure.

March:

We went to Mombasa for the second year in a row to play in FEAST and had a blast.  Missing this crew like crazy!!  Go Kisumu!

April:

We told everyone we were expecting a new addition to our family!  No it wasn't an April Fools Joke. :)

May:

We left our beloved Kenya and moved to North Carolina for Josh's next assignment.  We moved into our new home and started unpacking the endless amount of boxes.  Who knew we had that much stuff!

June:

We found out that Baby Bast was a GIRL!!  It totally changed our thinking as we were thinking boy from the beginning.  Bring on the hair bows and shoes!

July:

Photo by McConville Studio

I watched one of my best friends  marry the love of her life.  So happy to be a part of her day!

August:

We got out and explored North Carolina, visiting Wilmington and relaxing by the ocean.

September:

On the last day of this month we welcomed Mara into the world!  Our lives would never be the same.  

October: 

We went to the pumpkin patch and celebrated Mara's first official holiday, Halloween! She was Minnie Mouse.

November:

We had Mara's dedication at church and a wonderful Thanksgiving with Josh's parents.  Our first as a family of three and in the new house.

December:

Mara got to meet Santa and we celebrated Christmas together as a family of three in our own home.  We also traveled north so Mara could meet her extended family!

Cloth Diapering: Our Stash

So after deciding we were going cloth I jumped in with both feet.  I researched and researched.  I wanted a system that was as close to disposables as possible.  I didn't want this to feel like extra work.  I also wanted diapers that would last multiple children without having to have things replaced on them.

Let me tell you the diapering world is confusing.  There's so many options from simple prefolds and pins (this is what our mothers had) to all in ones where you literally throw it on like a disposable.  And that's just style.  Then you have to decide on how you are going to launder them, which cloth diaper safe rash cream to use, how to set up your diaper pail, how many diapers you really need, what brands you're going to buy, etc.  To say its a bit overwhelming is an understatement.  Thankfully there's a ton of resources online from companies to mommy bloggers who have seen and used it all.

So what did we decide?  We decided to go with one size pocket diapers with snaps.  These diapers have three different snap levels that will transition with your child from approximately 8 pounds till potty training! The snaps are a little more difficult than velcro but I'm hoping this will prolong the life of the diaper as velcro gives out easily. Being a pocket diaper just means that there is the actual diaper and then inserts that must be stuffed inside of it.  The inserts can be made of hemp, bamboo, microfiber, and charcoal.  We decided to go with the most cost efficient and have all microfiber.

We have approximately 40 diapers.  I didn't originally start out to acquire this much but found some great deals at consignment sales along the way.  I think most resources would say you need about 30 to be comfortable only doing laundry every other day.  Our few extra gives us a bit of a buffer but I still don't like the diapers to sit more than a day.

So what's in our diaper drawer?

Bum Genius
Well we started with 7 Bum Genius velcro that were given to us by a friend in Kenya.  I sent these diapers off to be converted to snaps and get the leg elastic fixed.  Falling in love with the Bum Genius we purchased 7 more pocket diapers with snaps.  We have a few solid colors but also bought all the current prints.  Sure some of these prints are girly but most are universal.  And really who cares what's on the baby's butt.  I mean Mara wears diapers with dinosaurs and that doesn't make her a boy.

We love how easy our bum genius are to snap (when Josh changes a diaper Mara almost always ends up in one of these. Don't know if that's a coincidence?) and to stuff.  The pocket is large and I'm easily able to get my hand in there to put in the inserts.  We have never had a leak with these except in the used ones and that's only because I was cheap and didn't get the leg elastic fixed in all of them.  Lesson learned.  Now that Mara's legs are a bit chubbier there really isn't a problem.  The only downside to these diapers is the cost.  At $17 each, they are a bit of an investment upfront.

Kawaii
These diapers are really affordable coming in at an average $10 a diaper.  I love the soft fleece lining in them and the minky on the outside.  We have about 10 of these in both solid colors and prints.

We have had great success with these diapers and I love that they have the third snap that really helps you adjust the leg opening.  I've found that a tight leg opening is the key to no leaks.  The fleece also rinses off best and these are the least stained of our diapers because of it. Like the Bum Genius they have a large pocket making stuffing a breeze!

Fluffy Bottoms
We have three fluffy bottoms diapers all of which I picked up at a consignment sale.  I had never heard about the brand and mainly just got them to increase our stash....and because they were so cute.

We have had some issues with these diapers but for the most part they are ok.  I'm not a fan of stuffing them as the pocket is narrow making the insert bunch up inside.  I don't think I'd run out and get more of these anytime soon but we do use them on a regular basis.

Sun Baby
We have three sun baby diapers.  I know a lot of moms who use these because of how cost efficient they are and because they love all the fun prints they come in.  I picked up two of ours at a consignment and the other at our local cloth diapering store when they were having a $5 diaper sale.

Overall I really like these diapers and wish we had more of them in our stock.  I love how trim they are on Mara which allows me to put her in smaller pants.  I also love the fleece lining in them that is similar to the Kawaii.   Again it makes for easier clean up and less stains.

I guess my only issue with these are again the small pocket size.  When you're stuffing thirty diapers late at night you want things to go fast.  I'm always having to readjust these.

Just Bottoms
Again we have three just bottom diapers.  I purchased these for $10 online at one of these mom websites.  These are by far my least favorite diapers.  They have a second row of elastic inside that I guess is supposed to help with leaks.  It only traps poop and makes staining easier.

I have also had leaks in all of these diapers.  The outer leg elastic isn't very tight and the snaps don't allow you to make it tighter.  I will put Mara in every diaper before turning to these.

Some of our stash.
 From back to front: 8 Bum Genius, 2 Sun Baby, 6 Kawaii, 1 Fluffy Bottom, & Planet Wise liner 

Overall I love our stash.  I know it will only continue to grow and evolve as time goes on.  I'm sure we'll get rid of the ones we dislike and replace them with some of our favorite brands.  One of the pluses of cloth is they pretty much retain their value.  Many moms get anywhere from 60-90% of their initial investment back in resale.

Mara Rolls

While we were in Wisconsin Mara decided to roll for the first time.  We were in the middle of tummy time and suddenly she decided she had had enough. I don't think she quite realized what she had done and why we were so excited about it.  Thankfully she kept doing it so I could capture this little video...

Christmas with Family-Illinois

This December we were so lucky to be able to travel up North to see my family and some of Josh's.  With Josh's busy work schedule, time off is rarely taken and I was so happy that we were able to fit in ten days of fun with family and friends.

My little girl

On the plane

We first flew to Illinois, where my parents are, to see them and my grandparents.  My dad and brother have never met Mara so it was fun to see their reactions to her.  My dad was in love as all grandparents are.  I'm sure Mara will have her grandpa wrapped around her finger soon (if she doesn't already!) My brother was another story.  I don't think he held her (voluntary) the entire trip.  I'm not too worried about it because I mean I get it.  He's a guy.  A young guy.  Babies aren't really that cool.  :)

Our favorite present

We also made a point to visit my grandparents while we were in town.  They're both getting older and I wanted to make sure they had met their newest great granddaughter.  Grandpa kept commenting that she was moving too fast for him to really see her.  That's our Mara, the wiggle worm!  I only wish we could have gotten up there another time.  We tried on my Grandpa's birthday (he turned 99!) but they had gone out to eat for the evening.

Mom wouldn't look at the camera for anything

While in Mendota my mom threw an open house for everyone to come and see Mara.  It really was ideal because we didn't have to go anywhere to see anyone.  They came to us!  Poor Mara got passed around and around.  She pretty good and once everyone left we tried to keep the evening more low key.

Three generations

My first Christmas ornament and Mara's on my parent's tree

I also got to visit with two amazing friends.  Mallory and Patrick came down from the suburbs to have lunch with us.  We love getting together with them and are always so thankful that they take the time to come down to us.  Melissa and her husband Dave were in from Australia as well.  Yes Australia.  Over the past four years our schedules have always been off a few days so we always miss each other.  This year they inlined for breakfast.  Hey I'll take it!!

Melissa & I

Illinois was also filled with family Christmas and the infamous Taco Tuesday.  Mara did great with both.  For Christmas she got a few gift cards and a new outfit.  As to be expected she wasn't too interested in the present thing quite yet but did study us and what we were doing.  At Taco Tuesday she was amazing as she was passed from arm to arm.  She even fell asleep on Donna.

The five days we had in Illinois went fast but I'm so glad we took the time to come up.  I loved introducing Mara to everyone up there especially my dad and grandparents.  It made my heart so happy to be among family again and to visit with friends.

Cloth Diapering: The Decision to Go Cloth

When we first found out we were pregnant, we decided that it would be best that I stay home with him or her.  Daycare is pretty expensive and we thought that it was just the right move for our family.  Well with one income and a baby on the way, I started thinking about how we could save money.  I mean little ones cost a lot.  There's just no way around that.

Enter cloth diapers.  A few years ago if you had asked me about cloth diapering I probably would have turned my nose up at the whole subject.  I mean who wants to touch poop and have to deal with all that extra laundry?! But times change and so do people.

The initial thing that drew me to cloth was the money savings.  I didn't realize that it can cost $2,500 for disposables PER CHILD.  That's literally money thrown away.  Cloth is an initial investment up front but then becomes cost effective the more children you have.  Average most families spend about $750 to cloth diaper their first child.  Then with each additional child that cost is reduced because you should be able to reuse your diapers (given you take care of them).  Josh and I plan to have more kids so this works for us :)

Thankfully getting Josh on board with this idea was a piece of cake; his mom had cloth diapered, his sisters had cloth diapered.  Really it was just a natural progression for him.  I think he was even a little amazed about how easy it was compared to the last cloth diaper he changed (think diaper pins and prefolds).

Convincing others was a little bit of a challenge.  I mean I understand.  I was once there too.  Disposables are just an assumed part of raising a child.  Everyone gets them at baby showers and comments about how many you're going to go through!  Luckily there does seem to be a shift towards cloth in society over the last few years.  More cloth diapering stores are popping up (one here in Fayetteville) and its just easier to get started.

Overall I think you got to do what's best for your family.  Cloth is an investment in both money and time but for us its worth it.  I look at it as just another way that I'm helping our family save for the future.  

Mara-3 Months

Mara all of a sudden you're a quarter of a year old.  I can't believe how much you've changed in the last few days.  You have really come into your personality and we love getting to spend everyday with you.

Weight: I just weighed you this morning and you are still around 15 pounds.  I think in the last few weeks you are getting longer.

On Christmas morning

Health: You are doing well in this area.  Mama was a little worried with all the germs while traveling but you did great.  I think I had a minor heart attack when your cousin threw up while we were visiting.  Thankfully for you and him it was a fluke thing.

Your eyes were a bit goopy again but its cleared up after a few days of breastmilk in there.  You have also been tugging at your left ear a bit.  We've been putting in drops and it seems to be helping.

The dry weather up north really did a toll on your skin.  Poor girl has scales in some spots.  I've been slathering on coconut oil with every diaper change.  I haven't noticed much change yet but it seems to at least moisturize your skin and relieve the itchiness.

You are definitely teething.  The drool is coming in full force and we can feel your two bottom teeth in your gum line.  Thankfully we haven't seen a significant increase in fussiness or any fevers.

Last night you may have made me eat my words. You were a bit fussy and congested. I'm hoping it clears up soon because I can't stand watching you struggle to breathe.

Naps with Daddy are the best

Social: You are so vocal these days!!  You coo and make the funniest noises.  The other day you even laughed at your Daddy! The smiles just keep coming and now you give them out throughout the day.

You did great with all the new people and places over our trip.  You met your Grandpa, Uncle Joe, Great Gram, Great Grandpa, Great Aunts, Auntie Carrie, Uncle Caleb, cousins, and lots of friends!  You let everyone hold you and did great tracking people with your eyes.  It was fun to see you look for Mommy and Daddy in the room.  You had eyes for us (especially Daddy) and seemed to just want to make sure we were close by.

You are still kicking your legs and flailing your arms like its your job.  Your Grandpa thought this was the funniest thing.  We said you just think you can crawl already.

Under the Christmas tree

Diet: Breast milk!! You seem interested in what were doing when we eat and we've recently let you try to sit up in your high chair during dinner. You do ok.

Clothes: You still wear some 0 to 3 month clothes but they are getting tight.  I tend to put you in 3 month clothes just so we have enough space for your diapers.  I have also noticed that a lot of your pants are getting short.  You must be growing!!

Since we were traveling we switched over to disposable diapers.  You didn't really fit into the size 1 so we had to go up to size two.

Tongue

Mama's Favorites: These past weeks I've loved your sleep sheep.  I think it really helped us traveling and trying to keep a semi-consistent sleep routine.  I also love your stroller and car seat.  I don't know how we would have gotten through the airports without it.

Crying: You have been a bit fussy the past few weeks when we've moved to a new environment.  It took you two days at my parents, two days in Wisconsin and two days here at home.  I'm hoping that you'll do better tonight.

Pretty girl loves her jumper

Sleep: Your sleep has been really on and off since traveling.  It seems the first two nights you need reassurance that mamma and daddy are nearby.  You keep waking up in the night and I've allowed you to sleep with us.  As soon as I do you settle down and fall asleep.  Unfortunately you flail your arms in your sleep so we tend to not get as much!  After those adjustment days you've done great!!  You have been sleeping consistently in the pack and plays which makes me so happy.  You have proven that you do not need the swing to sleep and can sleep on your back.  I think moving into your room is in your future!

You are still sleeping longer stretches.  Five is still normal but you have been throwing in some 7 hour nights which just makes this mama smile!

3 months

This Week: You were amazing on the plane ride!  You smiled at the people as they passed you and loved looking at all the commotion.  You had some slight issues with your ears but were fine as soon as you started to suck on something.  For the most part you slept through the flights.  We were so proud!

We also loved showing you off to family and friends.  You did really well with being passed around and for the most part didn't fuss too much.

Mama and Mara

Baby Likes: You love your  play gym and being on your back this week.  You like having some time on your own to kick and grab at toys.  You consistently reach for your ball rattle and have figured out how to shake it to make noise.  You love kicking and batting at the toys in the gym.

Buddy still amazes you.  You follow him with your eyes and are amazed at how he feels different than the rest of you.

All smiles

Milestones: You have officially rolled over!  You will roll from your belly to your back.  Mama was just so
proud of you when you figured it out.  You are already trying to go from your back to your belly and get so frustrated when you can't.  That right arm is still giving you issues but as soon as you learn to tuck it you will roll right over!

You are reaching for toys on your own and have discovered how to manipulate them with your hands.  The other morning I caught you  just staring at your hands while you slowly opened and closed your fist.  Your arm movements are also more coordinated and purposeful.

You laughed for the first time!!  Your daddy was being super silly and bouncing you.  You let out the cutest giggle.  We haven't heard it since but maybe we're just not funny enough for you.

You did great on your first plane ride which is great because mama and daddy love to travel.  You sat great on our laps and loved just checking everything out.  We really only had a few mishaps and that was solely the result disposable diapers and poop explosions (man did I miss my cloth!).

My favorite Christmas present

Best of Times: Seeing family and letting them meet Mara for the first time.  It was so nice to be with family over the holidays.

Worst of Times: I'd have to say its a tie between the two night transitions at each place and the poop explosions on the plane.  Both rattled mama a bit.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Deck the Halls

To say I'm a little obsessed with Christmas is a bit of an understatement.  I love decorating and creating memories around the holiday.  Now that we are celebrating the holidays with Mara, this obsession has reached an all time high.  Yes I know she will not remember this year.  No I do not care.  :)

The day after Thanksgiving, we pulled out all the decorations and got to work.  The first thing on the agenda were the two trees.  Josh has an amazing silver tree that was his grandma's.  This thing is an antique!  It even has the rotating color wheel that shines blue, red, orange and green on the tree as it spins.  My tree is more traditional and we decided to put it in the dining room.

I love having the two trees and being able to fill both with special ornaments.  We decided to start a tradition of getting a new ornament each year of something memorable that happened that year.  This year our ornament centered around our Mara girl and how blessed we feel to have her in our lives.  I even got a little crafty and made some salt dough ornaments with her hands and feet in them so we can have a physical reminder of how little she was.

Besides the trees, I wanted to Christmas-fy the mantle, tables and other random places around the house.  A friend and I went out one morning and scoured the shops.  I was pleasantly surprised with how affordable it was.  Most of the decorations I bought were half off and if you want to be a little crafty, its cheaper to make most of the things rather than buy them.

Here are some of my favorite touches from around the house:

Overall I am in love with the touches of Christmas around the house.  They remind me of what the focus of the holiday really is, the birth of our Savior.  In years to come I hope Mara loves decorating for the holidays as much as her mama and appreciates the traditions we have started as a little family of three.

Happy Holidays!!