More Kidisms...

Brendan has called Bananas "nana's" since he first started talking. I think this is the common name for bananas when you are that young as Taigan also said that. As most of you might know, this is also the name for my mom. She is "Nana". Well, this morning Brendan asked for a nana and I asked him to say BA nana. He did, a couple of names. I praised him and gave him one.

He looked at me and said "BA Daddy". hahaha

Why, you might ask?

While I have been getting a lot of support from people about the cloth diapers, I also have heard a lot of negative comments about why on earth I would choose to do this. At first, it was for cost. The environmental factor has always bothered me, too. Well, in all the research that I have done there are now SO many reasons why I chose to do this. It is not a decision for everybody, and in no way am I saying that people who do use disposables are bad parents. It is the best thing for our family and disposables might be the best thing for those families.
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Having said that...here are all the reason why I chose to sloth diaper.

Health issues-

-In 1955 before modern disposable diapers were sold and consumed, it was estimated that 7% of babies and toddlers had diaper rash. In 1991, long after plastic disposables diapers dominated the market, the number jumped to 78%. Brendan has pretty much had a rash since birth. Since using the cloth, he has not had a rash!

-Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by product of the paper bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. In small quantities, dioxin causes birth defects, immune system suppression, skin an liver diseases, and genetic damage in lab animals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S.

-Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.

-Disposable diapers contain sodium Polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. This chemical can cause skin irritations and severe allergic reactions including vomiting, staph infections, and fever.

Environmental Concerns

Cloth diapers are kinder to the environment than disposables. Consider these facts.

-Disposable diapers generate sixty times more soiled waste than cloth. We were using at least one garbage bag a week when both boys were in disposables. Now we are having trouble using one!

-Disposable diapers use twenty times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.

-No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it's estimated to be about 250-500 years under optimal circumstances, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone.

-Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

-Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.

-Throwaway diapers use twice as much water as cotton diapers, mostly in the manufacturing process.

Cost

-Your baby will need anywhere from 6,000-9,000 during the first three years of life. How much will that cost if your using disposables?

-Disposables. If you purchase disposable diapers, you can easily spend over $65 an month. You will have spent more than $1,600 before your baby turns two. You will have nothing to show for this money except stinky diapers in a landfill!

-Diaper service. If doing diaper laundry is not in your bag, a service can be an option, usually costing between $13-$17 each week. Over the course of 2 years, you will spend $1,600, about the same as disposable diapers. However, the diapers get used over and over, and do not enter a landfill until they are nothing but rags.

-Cloth Diapers. If you use simple pre-fold diapers and covers, you will only need a few dozen diapers (in various sizes), which you can use over and over. The cost of cloth diapering can vary considerably from as low as $300 for a basic set up to $1000 or more for organic cotton fitted diapers and wool covers. You can spend even less by using found objects (old towels & t-shirts) or much more by buying designer diapers.

I just wish I would have started sooner!

New Pics

People have been requesting pictures. So here are some new ones...
Buttermilk Falls, Ithaca ~ Brendan wanted to be "worn".

He loves to smile!

In the exersaucer...2 other boys are really enjoying it too!

Brendan was trying on mommy's mascara!

Notice all the drool and the soaking wet shirt...

Taigan really wanted Evan to smile, and Brendan thinks I am crazy

"MOM! Don't take pictures of me when I am yelling and mad!"
Cheeessseeee

Happiest baby

Nana's boy

He loves his baby brothers

Taigan on his last day of school singing his favorite song, "God Bless America!"

Kidisms

Taigan (at the time was 3) moaned while getting up off the floor, looked at me, and said "Mom, I'm getting old!"

Today: "Mom, I don't like carrots. My mouth is still too young."

Every night at dinner. "Vegetables make me giggle." He means gag.

His new saying "Power to the People!" I have no idea...

I will be doing a Kidisms blog every time someone says something funny.

Sports and boys

Is it something in their nature that makes them like sports? Taigan was obsessed with hockey during hockey season, and now is obsessed with baseball. Everything more than a couple of inches long is a bat, and he hits anything he can. When he hits it, he says "cores!" haha, he can't say score quite right yet! Does he like them because other people like them? Daddy loves hockey and Nana loves baseball. Is it because they watch that he likes to watch? What if they watched ice skating or cheerleading, would he like them, too? Grandma watches QVC all the time, but I don't think he likes to shop...yet. Seriously, is it almost set that most boys will like sports. Nature vs. Nurture, I guess. Probably a little a both.

On Father's Day we went to an Elmira Pioneers game. Everybody went. Nana and Pop-pop, G-ma, Eric, all 3 kids, and myself. It was a lot of fun. I think he really had fun. I know my dad did! We went again last night. Nana and Pop-pop, Eric, Taigan, Evan, and I. Brendan stayed at home. Sitting for 5 minutes is hard when you are 23 months old. haha. First thing this morning he asked me if we could go again next week.

Saturday

I remember as a kid that every Saturday morning my dad would make waffles. It was always really special because back then, Dad never cooked. This was the extent of it. Well, this morning, I made the boys pancakes...from scratch. They were a success and the boys love them, well...that was the second batch! I have to admit that the first batch is now being digested by Calyx (the dog!). I burned them. It was a combination of me not knowing how long to let them cook on the first side, and the heat being too high. He enjoyed them. I asked the boys if they wanted pancakes for breakfast and Brendan's eyes lit up..."Cake!" haha

Update on cloth dipes: I can't believe it took me this long to start doing it. I feel sorry for Taigan's butt, that it never got to experience the softness of cloth diapers. It is becoming an addiction that I can't feed. I want more, and can't afford them right now. We are about 20 diapers and 3 covers away from being able to do it 100% of the time. We chose to put Brendan in them all the time right now because we didn't have any disposables left for him. We have a couple of packages that people gave us for Evan after he was born. Brendan was breaking into bad diaper rashes a lot and his little heiny has been, well..."as smooth as a baby's bottom" since we started him with cloth. And it is not nearly as gross as I had anticipated. I am so happy I have made this decision! Next step...clothes line. I really want to start hanging the diapers out to dry. The sun will help me with any bacteria and stains.

Evan has starting laughing. Anyone who knows Brendan, knows that we have always said that he has the best laugh. I think Evan may eventually compete with that. The fact that at this early age he is laughing from the belly when he is tickled is amazing to me. It is so cute. Big, gummy smiles! He also has reached the point when he doesn't want to sit. I am continuously holding him in a standing position. You sit him down, he stands up. He does not like to lay down either. When he is on his belly, he is trying to move. Both the other boys crawled at 6 months. We will see with Evan.

I thank the Lord every day for giving me 3 strong, healthy, active, smart, beautiful boys. They are so special and different in their own ways and I am so glad that I get to know them.

He did it!!!

Tuesday morning, I put Evan on the floor (on his back) in the dining room (under the fan, he loves it!) and went into the kitchen to make lunch. When I came back into the dining room, he was on his belly! So at 3 1/2 months old, my baby is no longer a newborn :(. Taigan gets so excited when he starts to roll. He yells, "Ebi is rolling!". It is so cute how much he loves his little baby brothers.

Taigan had his 4 year old checkup at the end of April. Kathy, the nurse practitioner we see, heard a heart murmur and referred us to a pediatric cardiologist in Elmira. He had his appointment yesterday. They did an EKG and an ultrasound of his heart. He was so good. He just laid there and took it all in. The doctor and nurses were so impressed with how well behaved he was, most of their 4 year old patients are not that well behaved. The diagnosis is GREAT! He has a Venous hum, http://www.wilkes.med.ucla.edu/Venoushummain.htm, which is considered an innocent murmur and will probably go away at the age of 7 or so. He also noted that his heart looked beautiful on all the testings and he is very healthy. What a relief! And you can imagine how proud I was at my well behaved boy. The last comment the Dr. made was that if all 4 year olds behaved as well as he does, there would be more pediatricians in this world! haha