Blog Challenge Day 5 - Goals for the Month & Why I am obviously very late in posting! Since my last post we have spent a weekend in a children's hospital for my baby's jaundice, and spent 4 days pumping breastmilk instead of breastfeeding in order to determine that she had breastmilk jaundice. (So nothing serious!) We have been settling in with our little one and learning a whole new schedule! This brings me to my goal for this month - July. For most of the month of July, my only goal has been survival! When you look at the big picture, I have accomplished quite alot this month. :) Birthed a beautiful baby, established breastfeeding, started cloth diapering, made my own laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent and cloth diaper detergent, kept up with the laundry, the house hasn't fallen apart, (but I am surprised at that one. Must be because my husband has helped on some occasions!) and all this while recovering from a difficult birth, and not sleeping longer than 3 hours at a time. (Except for last night, she let me sleep 4! Most of the time I only get 2 hours at a time, and while pumping, I had to wake up every other hour, so that was total misery.) Next week changes some things for us. I work from home, but have had the past 3 weeks off. (I go in for 4 hours one day a week, but I can take my little one with me.) Next week I start back, so some new goals for me are to establish a new routine and work out a good schedule with my little one. In August I want that routine to be settled in really well so I can get back into helping my husband with the business we run out of our home. July has been a really slow month. We are actually grateful for that right now because things have been so hectic, not sure how we could have handled a big month with everything else in our lives! (birth, children's hospital, my recovery, sleepless nights, etc.) I also want to blog regularly. I nurse a bazillion times a day, and I am becoming quite talented at 1 handed typing, so I am hoping to use 1 or 2 of my nursing times to work on blogging. Wish me luck!

Day #4 Meaning Behind My Blog's Name

A Mommy Journey
  I actually had quite a bit of trouble coming up with a website address and a blog name. I called on my husband for help. Every web address I wanted was already taken! He finally suggested that I use something with 4every in it since our website for our business is www.4everylife.com. I thought he was brilliant! So this blog url is 4everymom since I wanted my blog to be about what I was learning as a new mom. I feel like I am on an adventurous journey...life with my crazy brilliant husband is always an adventure! Now adding our little baby into the mix makes it even crazier! But it is beautiful. :)
Life is full of journeys. This just happens to be mine right now!

Day #3 15 Interesting things about Me

Day 3


First of all, I have to start by saying that these things are not listed in the order of their importance, or in the order of their value of interest! They are listed simply as I thought of them.

1- I am a Martial Artist. My family all started taking Taekwondo when I was 12 years old. I loved it and became totally obsessed. I taught it for a few years, and quit when I got married. I miss it like crazy!

2- I am a first time mom. My little girl just arrived 11 days ago. Those midnight & 2 am feedings are the perfect times for me to blog! 

3- I love graphic design. I wouldn't go calling myself a graphic designer. I don't know enough for that! I am mostly self taught through photoshop books, video tutorials and such. I work for our church creating the bulletin, newsletter and other types of publications and graphics that they need. It is a great job. It allows me to express my creativity!

4- I am the oldest of 6 kids. That really doesn't seem like such a big number. The really fun part is that the youngest is only 10 months old! My parents were never divorced, they just took a break from kids, and started a second batch! They learned that children are a blessing from the Lord, and decided not to prevent His blessings any longer. 

5- I hate opening cans of biscuits or cinnamon rolls or anything in one of those cans that when you unwrap it, it pops. It's really weird, but if my husband is around, I make him open those sorts of things! In fact, I won't even buy them! The only time they are ever in our house is if he buys them! My excuse is that they aren't healthy for you, but we both know that it has more to do with that popping noise!

6- I am a Doula. The word Doula comes from the Greek word, doulas, which means 'woman's servant.' A Doula, in today's world is a childbirth coach. Most doulas spend alot of time educating the women they serve  (and their husbands) on everything they need to know about childbirth before hand, and are there to support the couple through the experience during. Some doulas also work postpartum to help the mom recover from childbirth. I have assisted in 21 births so far. It is beautiful! Every single one is different, even the ones with the same mother! I love being a part of this miraculous time!

7- I was home-educated from Kindergarten through Highschool and I loved it! When I was 4, my mom started teaching me how to read. When she took me to the local elementary school to enroll me in Kindergarten, she was disappointed that they wouldn't let me in a higher level of reading since I was already reading. She decided to keep me out for that year and teach me herself. Well, one year turned into two, then three. Next thing you know, she is homeschooling my younger siblings and it has become a lifestyle for us! I plan to homeschool my children as well. I have seen people do it well, and I have also seen people mess up their children's futures by keeping them home, but not really educating them. I believe that when it is done right, that children will be better prepared for the real world. It gives parents a better chance of helping their children to be well grounded in their faith. 

8- I cloth diaper. I love cloth diapers. I am now obsessed with cloth diapers. I cannot believe how much I am enjoying cloth diapering my newborn! My mom part time cloth diapered my little brothers and sister. I say part time, because for her she did it when convenient. Some weeks she would be super busy and not have time to wash laundry, so she would do disposables, and other weeks she would stick to cloth. So going into this, I knew I could do it, but I did not realize just how much I would enjoy it! I don't know what it is. I know it will eventually save my little family a ton of money. It is also better for my little girl's bottom! Oh yeah, and the environment, but that isn't as big of a motivator for me!

9- I want lots of children. You know, I am a little weird. Thankfully though, I look around at the other blogs in this challenge, and most of those writers are a little weird too! We all have some of these crazy things in common. I have seen a few blog writers who have family pictures up that make me smile! I love big families! My husband and I don't have a number. We really just feel that we are supposed to entirely leave that up to God. So there is no meddling from us! We were married 7 months before finding out that we were expecting our little girl. We feel that the timing was perfect, and it wasn't our doing! God works things out perfectly.

10-  I love my dog. We have the sweetest 5 month old German Shepherd. She is so loyal, protective and gentle. When our baby cries, she gets so concerned! My husband wanted me to have a dog here for while he is at work. He feels better knowing we have a little protection. (He forgets about my interesting fact #1, and doesn't think I could defend myself I guess!) 

11- I am allergic to sheep. I discovered this as a teenager when one of my mom's friends gave my family several little lambs to bottle feed. Every time I helped with the feeding I broke out in hives! I am not allergic to wool, or to lanolin, just sheep. Pretty easy to avoid those though! 

12- My husband and I were engaged for less than 3 weeks! It was quite an adventure. In fact, life with this man is quite an adventure! I am so blessed to be spending the rest of my life with him! 

13- I gave birth naturally only 11 days ago! I am a big fan of natural childbirth. The first 20 hours were no problem. It was those last 6 where it got really difficult! I think that story can come in a later blog post!

14- My husband and I run a business out of our apartment. You can check it out here: www.4everylife.com We live in a 2 bedroom apartment, and one bedroom has been transformed into our office. So this means our little baby has a section of our room for herself! Thankfully, it is a big enough room that we don't feel too crowded!

15- We don't have a tv. I am so glad that we don't have one of those time wasting couch potato makers! My husband and I do watch movies on our laptops, but at least those times are planned, instead of us just being distracted by the big box in the corner! :) There is so much garbage on tv. I am so glad that we don't do tv, so we can monitor what our little one (and future little ones) see. My parents had a tv, but it doesn't have a digital converter box, therefore, no channels! They also wanted to screen what we would watch as kids. I have great parents! 

So there you have it. 15 maybe interesting facts about me. They are pretty random! In fact, I had to look at some of the other blogs that are doing this blog challenge in order to get ideas! To see the list of the other blogs, click HERE.

Day #2 Summer Blog Challenge - SMILE

Day 2

Day 2 is easy, just post a picture of you smiling!

Here I am, 20 weeks pregnant with our little girl who just arrived. I have a lot to smile about!

Day #1 Why I am doing the Summer Blog Challenge

Day 1

 I am new to blogging. I just recently started reading other peoples blogs and found out that I love them! I have learned so much through other peoples blogs, and wanted to be able to share in a blog of my own. For me though, knowing what to write about can be hard. I need something to spark my creativity I suppose. When I saw this challenge, I  thought it would be the perfect thing to get me on the right track blogging!
Today is July 11. The challenge actually began June 1, so I am very late! I plan to just use the suggestions for each day to get myself going. I am doing day 1, which is supposed to be June 1st, today. Tomorrow I will do day 2, or maybe I will do some double blogging in order to catch up! The main thing is just that I take a little time each day to blog. I need to form a habit of blogging.
   My little one came into the world just 11 days ago. (In fact my water broke while I was on the computer, just moments after I completed my cloth diaper stash post!)  It's hard to believe that she is finally here! I feel like I need to work hard now to create new habits and routines with her in order to not go crazy! :) Right now I am spending alot of time sitting down nursing her. It's a perfect opportunity for blogging and taking care of computer work. Hopefully that means I will be able to get this blog going! I also have a goal to work on the blog for our website: www.4everylife.com - where we sell natural products, essential oils, diffusers, and childrens books! We will see how it goes!

My Cloth Diaper Stash

  When my husband and I found out that we were expecting, we talked about ways we were going to HAVE to save money. I would be quitting my office job and coming home. We would take a big cut in our income. I knew right away that I wanted to cloth diaper.
  My mom had cloth diapered some of my younger siblings part time. By part time I mean that if she was going to be home and knew that she would have time to wash the diapers, she would cloth diaper for those days. For her it saved money here and there. (One of my little brothers loves the cloth diapers though, and would much rather where those every day if she lets him!) For my husband and I though, I see it as more of a necessity. I plan to cloth diaper nearly full time. I do have three bags of disposable diapers at this time. They were all given to me as gifts at my baby shower. I have one size newborn, one size one, and one size two. I am going to do my best not to open and use them, but I know that there may come times where the convenience may outweigh the cost for a day! Crazy days do happen!
   I have read so many different blogs and websites trying to find the best diaper options! I am going to share what I have found here and give links so that you can also find these items.

Here is my Diaper Stash (so far!)

I have 3 snappi's and 2 diaper pins. (Diaper pins and one snappi were a gift from a friend, and I got the other two off of ebay) 

 I have 6 OsoCozy Birseye Unbleached Cotton Flats that were given to me, and after reading about how economical flats are, I ordered 12 more! Flats will fit from newborn through potty training.

 Flats are just square, thin, absorbent 27 x27 in cloths. There are so many different folds that you can do with them. I have watched many different Youtube videos, and can't wait to try out the different folds on my baby! Once I know better about which ones work, I will share them here. Above is one of the folds. (I am definitely not an expert yet, give me some time on a real baby!)

 This is the diaper above with the snappi holding it together.

 This is a Thirsties cover (also given to me by a good friend.) 

 Here is the flat diaper from above inside the cover.

 I also have another Thirstie's cover in the hoot print. (Which I think is adorable!) I will have to let you know whether I think the Hook and Loop or Snaps are better once I have experience with them on my baby! I also have the Hoot print cover in the next size up for when she outgrows this one. (Both were purchased off of ebay.)

 I have three Swaddlebees Capri covers in size 1. These are real high on the cuteness factor! 

I have 12 Green Mountain Diaper Clotheez Newborn Prefolds. The Newborn size has the orange edge.  (6-10 lbs)

 I also have 12 Green Mountain Diaper Clotheez Small size Prefolds. They have the yellow edge. (10-15 lbs)

 Here is a newborn prefold with the snappi. (It looks like it will be super easy to use these! I am sure I will get better at using the snappi once it is on a real baby too.) 

 I have two Thirsties Hemp inserts for adding to the diaper for if the baby needs something extra absorbent! (given to me by a friend)

 I have a BUNCH of these. These are cheap pocket diapers from China. These are the primary diapers my mom uses, so they were the first ones I started buying. The best place to buy these is on ebay. Some sellers have them pretty expensive, but if you watch, you can find them for under $2 with free shipping. They have multiple sizes, but unfortunately are a little too bulky for a newborn. The covers I have above will work till 16 lbs. After that, I plan to use these pocket diapers.

 Here is one all unsnapped so you can see that it does get alot bigger. These are definitely economical, but they are not completely waterproof. You do get what you pay for. With my younger siblings, my mom would put a waterproof cover over their diaper, or she would just change frequently.

 Like I said, I have a bunch, and they do come in pretty colors!

 Here is the inside of one. They are very soft inside.

 Some of them come with a microfiber insert. I have since read that microfiber, although highly absorbent, is actually not good to have up against babies skin. It will actually pull moisture out of their skin and dry it out! That is why you put it in the pocket of the diaper.

 Here is the insert partially inside the pocket. I only have 10 microfiber inserts, and I have heard alot of people say that they did not care for them, so I have not purchased more yet. I plan to experiment, and see what works before getting to many more of anything!

The prefold diapers that I showed up above also are supposed to make great inserts for these! I can fold them and use them just like I will for when she is a newborn, or I can just set it inside the diaper like the picture above.

Last of all- here are two receiving blankets picked up for next to nothing at a yard sale. I plan to cut these up to make my cloth wipes. I will cut them and sew the edges to prevent fraying. 

Below is the complete list of what I have. Some of them are linked so that you can go straight to the site they came from.

12 Newborn size Green Mountain Diaper Prefolds 

18 Osocozy Flat Diapers from ItsyBitsyBums

12 Small size Green Mountain Diaper Prefolds

1 Thirsties hook & loop closure  Cover – purple size 1 (My friend bought this for me from ItsyBitsyBums, but you can use google shopping to find the best price on the different covers. You may be able to do better on prices.) 

1 Thirsties snap closure Cover – blackbird size 1

3 Swaddlebees Capri Covers – swirls, tweet & baby blooms size 1  (I purchased these straight from Swaddlebees because they had a discount code for your first purchase if you liked their facebook page. It gave me $10 off. I couldn't beat that anywhere else!) 

2 Thirsties Hemp Inserts (My friend bought these on ItsyBitsyBums)

Pocket Diapers off of ebay

 Microfiber inserts

1 Thirsties snap closure Cover – blackbird size 2

I know that I will gradually be adding to my stash as I find what works, and what doesn't! Since this is our first baby, and we plan to continue to cloth diaper our other children, I know that what I purchase is not just a one time purchase, but a major investment. 

It's all part of the cloth diaper journey. :)

A New Journey

  Today, I am embarking on a new journey. The past year and a half has been full of new journeys. Fourteen months ago, I married my wonderful husband - beginning a new journey as a wife. Eight months ago, we found out we were expecting our first child. Its a girl, and we are looking forward to welcoming her into our lives within the next few weeks. I have begun a mommy journey. I have learned so many things over the past few months especially. I have learned healthy ways to deal with problems in pregnancy. I have learned alot about healthier eating, and living on a really tight budget! I have gone from working, to staying at home. During this past year, my husband and I started our own online business. I am learning how to help him with it and be the encouraging, supportive wife that he needs. Owning your own business is a journey in itself! Staying at home has brought on all sorts of changes. I am learning ways to better take care of my little family. Ways to save money and be healthier! I have learned so much of this from the blogs of other women. I decided that maybe I should share. My experience won't match any of them. I learn little bits from all the women in my life, but what you see here is what I am trying, learning, experiencing and finding to work for me.
  So here I am... on my newest journey as a blogger!