What's up with the Air? Nap Saga: Part 2.

Allergies.
Last night my TEETH hurt because my head was so full of gunk.
Gross.

My allergies have been really awful this week and poor CBJ is struggling too (she's been on allegra since 5 months- boo.).

I started the Claritin and today we picked up some homeopathics at Whole Foods.

Stocked up

I also got Vitamin D drops and sunscreen for CBJ.
For me, Bee Pollen at the suggestion of the Whole Foods worker, she said the pollen helps with all types of allergies and people swear by it.
Alright.
I'll give it a whirl.
:)

Shopping Buddy

The allergies may or may not tie into the rest of this post...

I wrote about CBJ's naps in a post last week.

She's now decided naps aren't what she's feeling.
Hmmm.
Now what?

Here's the deal, CBJ is a very happy kid, she's not crying and screaming in her crib.
In fact, she's having a wonderful time, she talks to her passy.
She blows raspberries.
She touches her toes (very flexible).
But she's not sleeping.

And I do go in and rock her or nurse her, check her diaper...you know, the whole deal and nada.
No sleep.
Or very little sleep.

And on Monday I was doing my workout video (Bob Harper, from the Biggest Loser- kicks your ass.), CBJ slept for 30 minutes and then was up. Chatty. Kickin it.
Went in, tried to get her back to sleep...wasn't gonna happen.

It was at that point I decided my day couldn't revolve around the sleeping (and let's be honest, it still does!).

We're now doing "quiet time" at this house.
And "quiet time" can involve sleep...or not.
But it's time in the crib, with the environment of sleeping (hopefully).

Some days she's slept for most of the time.
Other days it's been time for her to roll around and babble to herself for over an hour.
But it's been consistent.
It's becoming a part of the daily routine.
And I find it very freeing to reclaim even an hour of my day.

Let me be clear...when I write "reclaim" I mean I still go in and help her, cause we don't cry it out but I feel less stressed and frustrated because I know that the time is set aside for her to be in the crib and sleep or play quietly.
And as long as she's happy, I'm good with that!
So for me, that is a way to "reclaim" my day.

It's a day-to-day process but I feel like I'm being consistent and allowing both of us to have some quiet time.

Does anyone else do quiet time?
Try and force the nap?
Or are the naps even that important (reading says so but CBJ sleeps all night except for one feeding so maybe that's enough...?)

Well, I just started reading Elizabeth Pantley's "the no-cry snap solution" and clearly naps are needed.
Time to see what tips she has for us.
"the no-cry sleep solution" worked wonders.
:)

Naps are something I thought would just...happen.
I didn't know so much of a day could be dictated by sleep (cause that's for nighttime, right?!).
The things you learn as a new mom.

A Happy Mother's Day to You

A Happy Mother's Day to you All!

And I write that whether you are the "traditional" definition of a mom or not.

As women I feel we are all mothers.
We birth dreams, thoughts, futures (ours and those around us).
We nurture.
We care.
We are ALL mothers.

I remember when I desperately wanted to have a baby and I could not.

I longed to celebrate Mother's Day with a child.

I have been given that gift, for which I am grateful and humbled that I was chosen.

As this Mother's Day approached I remembered the longing for that gift.
I know that feeling.
I know that prayer.
I know that ache.

My prayer was answered.
Not as quickly as I wanted.
Not without some struggle.

And maybe that is your prayer. To have a baby.
Or maybe it's not.
Or maybe you don't know what you're creating because it's so new or so different that what you thought it would be.

But I say this-

WE ARE ALL MOTHERS.

Maybe not in the way we pictured it.
Or in the way we thought it would happen.
But we are all creators of so much whether it be a little human or a dream profession, or a partnership, or a life that we love. 

Celebrate what your energy creates.
Celebrate what your body creates.
Celebrate the Universe YOU create.

Here's a bit of the life I've be blessed with.
A mother I chose.
A daughter who chose me.

Happy Mother's Day to you ALL.

Grammy, Mama, CBJ

Avery dog, Grammy, CBJ. Brown Dog toy. :)

And last but not least...me and both my babies.

Me, CBJ, Avery. 

Nap Saga. Attempts at Cloth (kinda) Diapering and a new Favorite.

CBJ now likes to have a snack halfway through her afternoon nap.
That's the saga...but I mean, really...
And you know I do it cause we need that nap.

Such service at this house.
;)

Morning nap, 45 minutes.
I do a workout DVD (post here) or yoga and then we're off to whatever activity (um...errands) I have planned.

Afternoon nap (with a snack break included), 2 hours.
Winning.
I blog, I facebook, I order bulk products off amazon (more on this soon, it's an obsession!), I should clean...whatever.


So that's the nap report for this week.

In other news...

We're trying cloth diapers.

And I put "kinda" cause I've opted for the hybrid-style where we have disposable inserts.
I'm not ready for full cloth.
I applaud you if you do.

We may or may not get there.
Maybe if we have more we'll do full cloth...we shall see..

Here's what I think so far.

Grovia hybrids are fabulous.

GroVia Hybrids- peacock print. GO CARDS!!! 

They're very simple- shell, insert, velcro shut and go. Not too much leakage and they hold explosion style mess very well.
One issue, when CBJ sleeeps on her tummy, they sometimes leak up the front but so did the disposables so it's whatever to me.

Cute prints. Trimmer fit.
And they wash well.

Another issue is that they are trim but still somewhat fluffy so you can't tell if they are wet by feel, you gotta get in there and undo them which causes disturbance if your kid is half-awake (and you REALLY need them to sleep!).

Overall- recommending these!