I reserve the right...

To change my baby girl's name as many times as I want to before she's born!

Mariela just didn't feel right. I still love the name, but when I call the baby in my belly Mariela, it doesn't stick at all, and I feel like I'm forcing it.

For a day or two I was looking for a girl's name that started with a T, since McKaleigh is named after Michael, I was thinking this baby could be named after me:). Well I don't really like many T names, and none of them felt right either.

So I finally decided to give up on my crazy methods, and just chose a name that I really love, and make it have meaning.

The first name as of right now is Adelaide, Addy for short:). McKaleigh goes by Kaleigh for short, so I thought it would be nice for them to each have uncommon names, but with common nicknames. Adelaide means "of noble kind" and her daddy and I both love pretty much anything that has to do with nobility. There was a queen of England named Adelaide and when reading about her on Wikipedia, I found this quote: "Queen Victoria, who never forgot her aunt Adelaide's kindness to her, remembered her at the christening of her firstborn child, Victoria Adelaide Mary Louise." Well if you haven't read previous posts, my grandmother's name is Mary Louise! That to me was a major sign, and I really just can't imagine naming her anything other than Adelaide.

Middle names are still up in the air. Adelaide Mary Louise is in the running, but not my favorite. Another possibility is Adelaide Louisa Marie, just a different take on Mary Louise. The name that I'm pretty sure we'll be going with is Adelaide Elizabeth Jane. My mom's name is Jane Elizabeth, my middle name is Jane, my sister's middle name is Elizabeth, and McKaleigh's middle names are Elizabeth Anne. I like that they would share their first middle name, but have different second middle names... McKaleigh Elizabeth Anne & Adelaide Elizabeth Jane. It makes me smile just typing it out!

Most importantly, she "feels" like an Adelaide. It's easy for me to call her Adelaide and Addy. I truly think that it is already her name:).

Two little princesses for me:)

I had my ultrasound today and it's a girl!!!

I am ecstatic! I kept going back and forth between wanting a boy and wanting a girl, so I would've been happy either way... but for the most part, I really wanted another girl!

Now I can buy tons of girly diapers for McKaleigh and not feel guilty, because I'll be using them for two little girls! Especially since I am planning on mostly buying Nifty Nappy diapers, which are one size diapers that truly do fit newborns well.

It's really kind of a relief that I don't have to worry about buying a bunch of little boy stuff, or feel guilty about using tons of pink stuff with a little boy.

My chosen name is Mariela Stephanie Lynn. Mariela is after my grandma, Mary Louise:). Stephanie is my mom's BFF, and Lynn is after my husband's aunt. I sort of have a method to my naming, hehe. McKaleigh is named after my husband, Michael. Her middle names are Elizabeth, my mom's middle name, and Anne, mother in law's middle name is Ann.

So I'm keeping up with a pattern:).

I love baby names, and I'm so happy to be having another girl!!!!

Making changes in my kitchen!

Well, I did it. I bought new cookware and dishes.

I got a stainless steel set of cookware, which I already love, to replace my cheapo Wal-Mart brand non stick cookware. The teflon has been flaking off of it basically since we got it, but hey, what can you expect for $20?

I also bought a set of Corelle dishes to replace my made in China set. Not to mention these are so much lighter weight! I can easily lift a stack of the plates or bowls without struggling, haha. Our old set is still in pretty good shape but is SO heavy! And I didn't like that it was made in China, I'm trying to phase out the China-made products.

The downside? I used my Military Star Card, EEK! It was just driving me nuts that I "needed" to replace these and I didn't want to wait an extra month or two! I am going to be selling a bunch of stuff and then will make a payment toward the card to try and make up the difference. Still, I'm disappointed in myself because I've been trying hard not to use the credit card.

I feel like there's so much I want to do in making the transition from non-crunchy to crunchy, that it's totally slowing down the getting out of debt process. With buying things does also come selling the old, so it's not like it's going to totally make us broke. Plus the lifestyle we're turning to ultimately should save us money, seeing that it is important to me that we try to live simply. It's all the transition that is costing me, I know long run it will be worth it.

Really, right now when hubby is deployed is probably the best time to be making these changes. We have enough to be paying off debt and make this transition. By the time he comes home we shouldn't have to be spending money on going crunchy, so then we will be focusing 100% on getting rid of debt again. Even with switching to all things crunchy, we're still going to be paying off a ton of debt. Have to remind myself of that.

Not much longer... gotta keep telling myself that

It's been more than 3 months since my husband left for this deployment. Still have about 6 more months until he'll be coming home for R & R. I'm happy about that though, since it means he'll most likely get to meet the new baby then. Originally, they had him coming home in April or May, and let me tell you, I was not happy about that. I've come to terms with the fact that he may not be here for the birth, I would just really like it if he could at least meet the new baby before s/he's three months old.

I really can't complain too much, I get to talk to my husband pretty much daily. Very rarely do we go even one day without talking, and I don't know if we've ever gone more than one day, so far. It is a little annoying that I don't have him here to go run out and get things for me, lol, especially with these pregnancy cravings. It's hard having to rely completely on myself, but really, I've adjusted pretty well, and it's our normal for now.

Not too much longer and my mom will be here. She's coming back to the states this summer, with my brother who is starting college in the fall. He wants to go to a college nearby, so that will be nice. My mom will be living in our guest room, which will be great, since I will need help with my active toddler as my belly gets bigger, hehe. Then I'll have three months of a baby and a toddler and no husband, so she will be here to help me then, too.

Time is going by so quickly and so slowly, at the same time. It's funny how that can happen:).

Babywearing is not dangerous!

Babywearing has been done for centuries, safely. It, in and of itself, is not dangerous. People who do not educate themselves on how to babywear properly and companies that make unsafe carriers are what is dangerous. There are specific slings that are very dangerous. These slings are pretty much like bags, and bear no real resemblance to a proper sling. Here's an article about the sling I'm referring to. And here is an article of a recent recall!

There are also some carriers out there, that although not life threatening, are not good for your baby! Any carrier that allows your baby's legs to dangle straight down is not a good carrier. This is bad for both their hips and spine. And even though you think your baby enjoys being able to look out at his/her surroundings, your baby should never face out in your carrier. This is also very bad for baby's back and hips, and can cause over-stimulation. Here's a link with explanations of the actual physical harm it is causing.

These two types of carriers, bag-like slings and "crotch danglers," make up a very small percentage of the options available. They are simply two of the cheapest, most widely available options, which sadly means they are everywhere.

This blog has a ton of information about the pros and cons of each type of carrier. It also lists the brands to buy and the brands to avoid, for quality, safety, and comfort. It's a great reference for anyone interested in babywearing. I refer to it frequently.

I'm ashamed to say that we used a "crotch dangler" AND we faced McKaleigh outward. Thankfully, not frequently, we only used it a handful of times. A majority of our babywearing was done in a homemade stretchy wrap, and facing outward wasn't something I did often. But still, we did it, and it's because, unless you seek out the information, it's not readily available. Companies that make these poorly made carriers actually show babies being worn facing out, so how is any parent supposed to know the damage it can cause your child? Isn't it sad that companies that make and sell these baby items are so poorly educated on the items they are selling?

Also, unless you've done thorough research and actually know what you're talking about, don't try to tell someone that wearing their baby is dangerous. It is not! I don't know how many stories I've heard recently, of mamas safely wearing their babies being hassled because of all the fuss in the news. It is always by people who have no clue what they are even talking about and have likely never worn a baby.

So once again, babywearing IS NOT dangerous. Bad carriers are.

A complete rundown of the products I use

Last month on payday, I made my list of things I needed, in order to make the things listed below. A trip to the commissary/grocery store, the local natural food store, and the dollar store got me everything. I will admit, the initial investment when you buy the Essential Oils and carrier oils seems pretty hefty, but these will last for quite some time. The EOs are in tiny bottles, but you use them usually in quantities of drops at a time. I bought my spray bottles at the dollar store, and they are of pretty nice quality! I made a day of it and mixed everything that afternoon. Gave away all of my old products and haven't really had to give any of it a second thought!

*signifies a hyperlinked phrase:)

Health & Beauty

Face Wash: I have this split between two small bottles. One stays in the shower, one stays on my counter. I also just bought regular unsalted almonds and put them through my food processor.
-3 oz honey (cleanses)
-4 oz finely ground almonds (gentle exfoliant)
-2 oz apple cider vinegar (toner)
-2 oz water
-6 drops Lavender Essential Oils (anti-aging and anti-acne)

Face Lotion: Apricot Kernel Oil after washing my face. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil any other time.

Makeup: Making the switch to *Everyday Minerals

Lip balm: Currently Burt's Bees Medicated Lip Balm. May try Everyday Minerals's lip balm. Also Goat Milk Stuff(link below) sells a balm I might also try.

Body Lotion: EV Coconut Oil. I've never really been a regular body lotion user, because I hate the feel of lotion, but I love how coconut oil makes my skin feel!

Deodorant: Instructions from *this blog. Super easy, though is quite the work out, haha. Works really well.

Toothpaste: Currently not crunchy! Thinking about using just plain baking soda once the tube I have runs out. I'm open to suggestions, lol. Prefer homemade and simple, over organic store bought products.

Body Wash: For now I use Nature's Gate Organics- Lavender & Aloe. Probably going to switch to *goat milk soap in the very near future, for McKaleigh, too, and probably as our hand soap.

Wash/Condition Hair: Refer to any of *my no 'poo blogs.

Hair spray: I use the water and sugar recipe from *this blog. And, yes, it really does work!

Household

All Purpose Cleaner: The bigger the spray bottle, the more EO you need to use.

-1 part water

-1 part white vinegar

-20-30 drops of EO (I used lemon)

Disinfectant: Smells great! Love using it.

-2 cups water

-1/4 cup white vinegar

-1/4 tsp Lavender EO

-1/4 tsp Tea Tree Oil

Carpet cleaner(spot cleaning): Spray the following combo, let sit for a few minutes. Follow up with a sponge or brush and soapy water. Works every time:). This spray can also be used when cleaning your veggies.

-1 part water

-1 part white vinegar

Toilet bowl cleaner: I sprinkle 1/4 cup of baking soda all over the inside of the toilet, and follow with 1 cup of vinegar. Let fizz for awhile and follow with just the toilet brush.

Dishwasher detergent: Love this one! Have it in a container and just scoop it in. Recipe says to use 1 tbsp per load, but I fill my detergent cup.

-1 cup Borax (find in laundry aisle)

-1 cup baking soda

-1/4 cup salt (I used sea salt)

-1/4 cup citric acid (2 unsweetened lemonade kool aid packets work)

I use a lot of tips from *this site. They have tips and methods for literally any household cleaning situation you can think of!

One month no 'poo-versary:)

It's been one month since I decided to go no 'poo!

So one revelation has come to me... I grew up in an area in Iowa where your water was hard, unless you had a water softener. Well, apparently in Georgia, the water ISN'T hard! I just assumed water was hard every where, unless it was softened, haha!

I'm now only using my old wash routine of baking soda and apple cider vinegar on Sundays. Two or three other times a week, I use an acidic rinse. So far I've used diluted apple cider vinegar, and cranberry juice (not together, lol.) I'm also going to give applesauce a try.

No 'poo can be a big process of trial and error. Figuring out what ratios of baking soda to water and apple cider vinegar to water work for you. Or if these don't do well for you, figuring out which of the plethora of options will work for you.

For troubleshooting, I'll again post the blog that I refer to. Info: Shampoo Free.