Come Hike with Us. Shenandoah National Park: Big Meadows.

I'd like to say that "Come Hike with Us" will be a series. So here's the Shenandoah Big Meadows version.

With baby.

We did the Story of the Forest Trail on Saturday with my sisters and younger cousins. It was going well until a group of people warned they saw a bear and our group split up in opposite directions. I headed onward with one of my sisters, one of cousins, another family member, and the baby while my husband escorted two of my sisters and cousin (4 years old) back to the car.



Did we see the bear as we moved along? No. Was I worried about it? Slightly. No. Generally, black bears are not frazzled by people. They hear us coming, especially if we sing or are carrying a babbling, screeching, smiley baby, and move along to stay out of trouble. If the bear already crossed the trail without a care of the people on it, there's little reason this bear would shape up to trouble. I'll write a more detailed post on hiking and camping in bear country another time, but suffice it to say your chances of being attacked by a crazy bear are sort of the same as your chances of being attacked by a crazy person. Bears don't keep me out of the woods.

We started with Gabe in the stroller, but he was not happy headed down the rocks so we switched him over to the Moby Wrap. This was manageable for me, but I had to be extra careful with my footing. And we were not on a strenuous or even moderate trail, though we were in the mountains so some uphill/dowhill/rocks were in the path.

On Sunday morning, we did the Meadow Walk. It was at a perfect time of day... just after Gabe's oatmeal and fruit. He always gets very full, fussy, and sleepy, and if you handle the situation just right (which I do not always do), he goes down for a nap. And he did. Right in his stroller on the way into the meadow. He woke up in the middle of the talk, and he was happy to watch the grass roll by him. It gave me some time to shoot some nature photography, a hobby of mine that I love (I only use a point and shoot for now, though). Here are my faves from the Meadow Walk...

A carpet of bluets in the meadow.

Well, hi there, spider.

Without baby.

So sweet of my sister, she offered to babysit Gabe so that my husband and I could go hike alone for a few hours on Sunday. With our anniversary on the 31st, it was awesome to have some time alone and to get out on a trail much more our speed.

It was certainly a challenge for me to hike the Lewis Falls Trail's switchbacks because I have sort of fallen off my strict work out routine (I am down 57 pounds since I had Gabriel, though-- 50 of those were pregnancy pounds), but it felt so good to do it.

What's more romantic than a trail bathed in mountain laurel?

It was like returning to my old self again, and I think every woman needs to feel like they've returned to themselves at some point after having a baby. That hike was my little moment, and it certainly gave me the itch to get backpacking asap (this will not happen until Gabe is headed toward being weaned, which will probably really hit hard -at this rate and with G's hardcore love of food- in October of this year).

The view looking left on Blackrock.

My husband and I love hiking, and we are by no means limited by having Gabe around-- we are happy to tote him on adventures-- but we cannot do hikes like the Lewis Falls Trail with him. No strollers or wraps make that a safe trip. Anyway, our little Sunday hike was a 3.3. mile loop of awesome, complete with a moment at an amazing overlook just to ourselves. *Oh swoon.*

Camp Baby.

It's really funny how very different the reactions were from coworkers this morning when I told them my family went camping this past weekend. I add in the "with the baby" phrase and the results varied even more so. But no matter how strange, wonderful, exciting, or insane you think it is to head out to the mountains with a six-month-old, you can't really know what it's like until you do it.

And for us, it was actually a decent experience. My only regret (other than forgetting our pillows) is that we stayed one night. When you haul all your baby gear off to the woods and you bop baby back and forth between yourself and husband to get your tent set up like a little family palace, it is quite a shame to tear it all down within twenty-four hours. It was sort of interesting to pump in the car on a Sunday morning, too...

Baby-specific camping issues?

Buggin' Out.

You need to keep the bugs away as best you can because it just isn't fair to let your baby get bitten over and over and over. A great option? Eco-friendly herbal bug spray for kiddies (6 months+). We picked up Herbal Armour Kids (basically you turn your kid into a citronella candle). I used it, Gabe used it, and my husband used it. I think we made it out bite free despite the unusually large spring bug population at the campground. Other herbal options are available from Burt's Bees (I originally went out looking for this item last week, but couldn't find it on a shelf anywhere.)



Tent Life

You don't need a tall tent to camp with a baby, but it made it so much easier for us that we used a tent with a six-foot apex. Why? My husband could stand up and lift Gabriel out of the Pack and Play. And yeah, the Pack and Play fitting in the tent was a plus. Obviously this tent is not backpacking-friendly, but we figured having a family tent separate from our good backpacking gear made sense. It was almost like having our own little hotel room sans heat . . .

Not Hot Mama.

When Gabriel was born, the nurses told me the best way to gauge whether a baby is warm enough is to check the temp of his or her nose. Well, Gabe was in a onesie, sleeper, sleeper bag with arms, sleep sack, and swaddled, but his little cheeks, nose, and head were FROZEN cold after just about an hour asleep in his Pack and Play on Saturday night. But there is one thing that keeps baby warm, and that's me. So my husband gave up his REI thermal sleeping pad for Gabriel, we situated Gabe in the crook of my arm nursing, and we pulled a blanket over me and baby instead of me sleeping entirely in my super duper warm sleeping bag snug as a bug. So baby was warm. My husband was warm (though uncomfortable since he lost his pad and wound up on crunchy Rocksylvania ground). I.was.very.cold. We're planning on our next camping trip for an evening with an overnight low above 50 degrees Fahrenheit!


Trail Travel

There's something so relaxing and natural about exploring with your child. If you are hiking parents, I highly suggest purchasing an all terrain jogging stroller with three wheels. It makes hitting the trail that much easier. Our stroller is a Jeep, and its real tires and shock absorbers kick butt on uneven, rocky ground (though Gabe was not up for a long bumpy ride just yet).


Helpful tips for camping with baby?

Wear a headlamp.
At night, you can see and be hands free! It makes diaper-changing much easier in the dark. Just be careful not to shine the light in baby's eyes.

Use disposable wipes.
Everyone is a little dirtier while camping. Using some disposable wipes is worth it for your baby and your own cleanliness. Of course, keep with Leave No Trace rules and pack out everything you pack in-- no littering, no leaving behind the mess.

Enjoy breastfeeding.
Seriously, is there anything easier than not cleaning bottles? I love weekends because I am with my family, but I also love them because I (or my husband) don't have to clean bottles after work. While camping, it was doubly wonderful not to fuss over that.



All things considered, camping with Gabriel was a huge success, and we will definitely be doing it again. Yes, we used cloth diapers with ease while camping, too.


Oh, and Goober wasn't the only baby in the woods last weekend...



P.S. Here's a dirty secret. Against all likeliness, I am possibly Gossip Girl's biggest fan. Anyone else watch? The season three finale might have just ruined my life.

Organically Grown Group Goes Baby.

Did you know that "25% of the planet's insecticides come from the production of conventional, non-organic cotton?" I didn't.

Insert Organically Grown Group, an apparel company devoted to offering 100% organic, pesticide and GMO-free cotton clothing and bedding, as well as eco-education. This Spring, they are launching a new baby line.

The first thing that went through my mind when I touched a 6-month size clothing sample was, "Oh.So.Soft."

I'm not kidding. Cotton is a soft fabric, but 100% Organic Cotton is an entirely new level of light, soft, loveliness. Having a baby with extremely sensitive skin, I was very pleased to find a product so tender on little arms and legs.

The other thing I liked about the sample (clothing pictured is different from the sample I received)? It's simple.

Many of the clothes are designed with animals on them, but the animal prints are details. There's an overall pure look to these clothes that isn't disturbed with cartoons or neon colors. These clothes scream whisper, "Wear me when baby needs to be soothed."

The price isn't obscene-- i.e. 3 bodysuits for $20. Not too bad considering they are organic, but not too cheap if you are on a tight budget.

My 12-18 month clothing-sized Gabriel doesn't fit in the wee baby clothing any longer so this clothing isn't for him (and therefore I can't speak to how these clothes hold up in the wash). But these mild-colored rompers, gowns, and bodysuits would be an excellent light and protective clothing choice for little summer babies (sizes 0-9m).

Check Organically Grown out for yourself here.

A Mom Writing did not receive monetary compensation for this entry.

FINALLY!

I am so excited to write my first product review, and it is a darn good product to begin the review process.

After weeks months of struggle with this little thing called the bottle, my baby is finally able to consume his ounces from something other than me!

And it is due to a wonderful item I won on twitter from Coddlelife:

The Coddlelife Polypropylene Bottle.

I am not kidding when I say my baby was literally chewing on Medela, Avent, Playtex Nurser System, etc. nipples. He would chomp, scream, kick, flail, and pretty much expel his way through 45 minutes of bottle feeding with Daddy. Oh, and maybe he would get 2 oz. out of it before Daddy would look at me drained and say, “Please nurse him.”

So what’s so different about the Coddlelife PP that Gabe is able to nurse?

First of all, please understand this has not been a magic fix. Bottle feeding is still messy, and Gabe still sheds some tears while he figures things out in the first two minutes, but he was actually able to drink 5 oz. within 20 minutes. He didn’t spit up much afterward, and he wasn’t an angry ogre when it was over. He still needed some more from me, but he is just a hungry bugger lately. But this bottle is getting the job done well enough that I might actually be able to leave my sweet baby for longer than 2 hours at a time in the future, and here’s the science behind it:

The Coddlelife PP was developed with breastfeeding in mind. The nipple was designed to mimic not only the shape and feel of Momma (it even has little bumps on it), but it is designed to function like Momma—it actually stretches and flattens in baby’s mouth. It is pliable, allowing the baby to truly latch on and flange like he would if it were a real breast. And I think this is the key for Gabe.

The other wonderful thing about this bottle is that it was made for babies with colic and reflux. And if you read my blog at all, you know my little man has a nasty case of the ‘flux. This bottle has a special air venting system meant to keep the extra air in the bottle from getting into baby’s sucks. And that helps alleviate gas by preventing bottle-created gas bubbles. Good for the spit-up-tortured reflux baby.

It's BPA free, too, which is a must when it comes to bottles.

And I am such a skeptic and critic when it comes to bottles. I doubt every little claim of the anti-colic-blah-blah-blah because everything we have tried has NOT worked. Most nipples really do not remind my breastfed baby of my nipple, and he has a hard time getting any food at all. But this one has worked for little one a few times now, and it has given us some much-needed solace in the bottle battle department.

To be fair, I will offer one criticism of this bottle—I wish that when you turned it over, not a single lick of milk would drip out, because for it to be absolutely like a woman, it would have to function in that way. (Please realize the drip is so slow and so minimal, but I have to be critical about something, right?)

And as this bottle becomes more popular—and I am SURE it will—it would be fun for some colors to pick from other than pink. My boy is man enough to eat from a pink bottle, but I am obsessed with green baby items because they work for both lads and ladies.

So all in all, if you are having a hell of a time with bottle feeding, do yourself a favor and order yourself this bottle. It has gotten quite a bit of acclaim lately (featured in Parents magazine and on the Toy Man Product Guide 2009). Get this for your baby, because quite literally, it sucks.

Thank you, Coddlelife!!

Available online and at Sears

I'm gonna be an econobumgenius.

I am pleased to announce that all systems are go--
We are switching to cloth!


I am so pleased, excited, and well, terrified. There were so many things to consider when signing on with cloth diapering. I am going to spill the beans here, letting you know what went through my mind and what we decided to do.
What type of diapers do we want to use? ...cloth with covers, and if cloth with covers, fitteds, flats, prefolds or contours? which covers? which fitteds? which prefolds? which contours? how do I close folded diapers? ...all-in-twos? which ones?...all-in-ones? which ones? ...how about a combo of everything? hmm, what is the RIGHT combination for our baby, for our laundry needs, and for my husband not to run away?
Where do we purchase these diapers? ...there are so many helpful online retailers...

How much do we want to spend and how do we maximize what we are spending? ...wouldn't we love to strictly be saving money here? ...and even though we will have used disposables for the first three months, shouldn't we still be able to save almost $2,000 by cloth diapering?

What accessories do we need? ...wet pail or dry pail? which pail or just a trash can? which pail liner? where do we buy this? ...which wet bags? do we need travel wet bags, as in, will we cloth diaper when out of the house? ...do we need disposable liners? actually, what are disposable liners? ...what is a doubler and do we need that?
What in the world does this mean for our laundry?
...how do I choose a detergent? ... and which of the detergents that are choose-able will not make the diapers stink?

Oh,
crap.

I didn't know there were so many CHOICES involved here. I have not blogged since Tuesday because every second my child slept in daylight hours and/or my husband was home, I was busy reading, reading, reading diaperpin.com, the eco-friendly family blog, and the cloth diaper report to get a better picture of what cloth diapering entails and just what each choice in cloth diapering will mean for our family. So I did a lot of listing, a lot of number crunching (moneywise), and a lot of review reading, and we decided to purchase the following (and a what's what of our buys):

12 Contours (15-35 lb.)
8 Chinese Prefolds (15-30 lb.) 3 1-size Prefolds (econobums) 2 bumgenius bamboo fitted (15-22 lb.) - 3 1-size econobum covers 3 1-size flip covers 1 bummis super whisper wrap (to 30 lb.)
1 thirsties duo wrap (to 18 lb.) 1 thirsties duo wrap (to 35 lb.) -
4 bumgenius 3.0 1-size pockets 2 fuzzibunz size small
2 fuzzibunz size medium - 3 bumgenius doublers 200 bioliners
4 snappis -
1 Wahmies Pail Liner 2 Kushies Wet bags Trashcan
Rockin Green Cloth Diaper & Laundry Detergent (unscented)
Rockin Green Pail Freshener
Wooden Detergent Scoop (Teaspoon)

Diapers and Covers

12 Kissaluvs Contour Diapers ($77.88)

These diapers are shaped just like a disposables so they fold right around your baby without doing anything fancy at all. You just have to close them with a snappi. We chose to buy 12 of these so that there would be a stash of easy-use cloth diapers-- no folding necessary. These do not scare my husband, and I figure they will be a good diaper/cove option when we are in a rush or out of the house. They are also almost the same as a fitted diaper-- the difference is simply in the closure (contours need a snappi or pin while fitteds snap or velcro shut), but they are much more afforable. And let's be quite clear here-- money matters.


8 Diaper Service Quality Chinese Prefold Diapers ($1.75 each)
are the diapers that do scare my husband, and they intimidate me, too. Are they going to be excessively bulky? Will I be able to effectively fold them? How do I fold these with a squirming baby? Won't these be messy? I am figuring there will be quite a learning curve here, but I am hoping to get the swing of this diaper. We only bought 8 of them, thinking that I only will use just a couple of these per day while we are at home. I am ready for the challenge. And why Chinese over Indian prefolds? According to what I have read, for just about 25 cents more per diaper, the Chinese wash up cleaner and last longer. And I want these to last. I chose to use some of them because it would save us big bucks.

2 Fitted bumgenius Bamboo Diapers in Size 15-22 lb. ($7.77 each)

These fitteds have wonderful reviews and they are being discontinued. I could not even find them in a bigger size than the 15-22 lb. So they are super soft, and I would like for our little one to have a little luxury-- I think about him having a diaper rash or maybe on a rough reflux night, and I like the idea of having something disgustingly comfortable for him-- and for something like $7.77 a piece, we can afford to have these little fitteds for him.

3 Econobum One-Size Diaper Covers with 3 One-Size Prefold Diapers ($9.95 each)

As I understand it, the econobums are fairly new to the market and are made by cotton babies (the makers of bumgenius). For $9.95, you get a 1 one-size prefold and a 1 one-size snap-closure diaper cover that should last us from now to the end of diapering. The reviews are decent, though not amazing, but because we are also purchasing a few other "more expensive" diaper covers, it seems worth it to have these in rotation.

3 Flip System Diaper Covers (13.95 each)

These are also newer on the market from the makers of bumgenius, and they are a snap closure, one-size fits all cover. I figure they will be durable (snaps rather than velcro that can destroy itself) and last until the end of diapering, hopefully even onto our next child. This cover has rave reviews in many places. In order to purchase the cover without the system with inserts, you have to order from cottonbabies.com.

1 Bummis Super Whisper Wrap in Size Medium (15-30 lb.) (Free) This came for free with the Kissaluvs, and I figure it should last us awhile, and the reviews on diaperpin are decent. I also like the idea of having both snap and aplix closings on the covers, which leads me to my purchase of...

1 Thirsties Duo Wrap in Size 1 and 1 Thirsties Duo Wrap in Size 2 ($12.75 each)

They have good reviews, cute colors (I chose meadow and honeydew), and aplix closures. Case closed.

All-in-Two Diapers

4 Bumgenius 3.0 One-Size Pocket Diapers (Paid with Gift Card...)

These diapers have wonderful reviews, other than a few warnings about the material stinking after long-term use (wait for my detergent choice). I have read they are great for overnights with doublers as well long car rides. They are all in one piece so they will be very handy when out of the house, too-- just take it off, shake it out, and put it in the wet bag and pull out the next as if it were a disposable.


2 Fuzzibunz (7-18 lb.) and 2 Fuzzibunz (15-30 lb.) (Paid with Gift Card...) I liked the idea of a sized pocket diaper for easy use, too. I figure this way we will have 2 go-to diapers for his size, so as not to kill the bumgenius diapers with overuse. We also had a gift card to Target, and it seemed worth it to make the investment now.





Accessories

3 Bumgenius Doublers ($4.95 for pack of 3) I learned quickly that these 'double' the absorbency of diapers, and I figure this will be great for overnight, long car rides, or when baby is sick and explosive. We may need to purchase more of these, and I actually am thinking now we definitely will, but for now, we will have 3.

4 Snappis ($4.99 for pack of 2, but we got them on sale for 2.99 for pack of 2) These are the modern gal's diaper pin. They are y-shaped 3-part hooks that hold a prefold or contour together underneath a cover. I ordered 4 regular size for now, and I know I will need more later, especially when he moves to toddler size. Oh, it was only 2 weeks ago when I did not even know what these were.

200 Bio-Soft liners ($6.29 per 100-liner roll)
They line diapers to help with the whole poop situation of things. They are flushable and compose IN 8-20 DAYS so now bio-hazard there. While I don't really need these until Gabe starts solids (exclusively breastfed babies' poop doesn't need to be dumped out before washing), it seemed a good idea to purchase them now.

1 Whammies Pail Liner
We needed a liner for the trash can that will house thee dirty diapers, and this one came in seaspray. Pretty and Poopy at the same time.

2 Kushies Wet Bags ($9.98 for 2, but used gift card)
I really wanted to order a cute one from etsy.com, but this was a great deal for 2 not-so-bad looking bags. Definitely worth it.



Laundry Detergent

First of all, choosing a laundry detergent to order was insanely hard to do. I read lots of reviews, including this informative guide to detergents. I was about to order Planet, but then I read it leaves a nasty smell after awhile. Then, I was all about Charlie's Soap, but I read it can cause out-of-this-world diaper rash. And then, I read all about Rockin Green, and my fears were allayed.

Rockin Green Cloth Diaper and Laundry Detergent (softrock- Unscented)
($21.95 for the bundle of soap, freshener, and wooden scoop)
No dyes, enzymes, scents, phosphates, or fillers. It claims and is reviewed to kick butt on microfiber stink (alla bumgenius). Great for sensitive skin, and $.13/load. Worth a shot!! Maybe this will turn into household detergent?

A NOTE ON OUR CHOICES

Total Spent: $233.93 (and that's diapers plus accessories!)
(Remember, we had some gift cards, and I found some coupon codes.)
Purchases made from...
cottonbabies.com, thanksmama.com, amazon.com, target.com, rockingreensoap.com
In approximately 11 weeks, we are strictly saving, and next week, our household waste production PLUMMETS. Nope, we will not be sending over one ton of non-decomposing waste into the world after all.

These purchases reflect our needs for now until Gabe is done with diapering. We did not purchase diapers with the thought of using cloth on a newborn because a)Gabe is not a newborn-- he is almost 14 lb. and b)I do not think I will use cloth on any newborns in the future-- I just do not see myself making that kind of effort while I am healing the way I was with Gabe. I also know we may need more diapers (contours, fitteds, and/or pockets) as Gabe gets bigger, and we are ready to make those purchases should we need to do so. For now, I hope we are all set.

What we chose to purchase was based on our current suspected needs, our budget, my willingness to try certain things and MAKE THEM WORK, and my husband's comfort level. This is by no means a map for anyone to follow, unless it somehow matches perfectly for you, and maybe it will.


taking the
PLUNGE.

Product Alert: Collegiate Carseats

Would my husband and I love this if they made a Temple University version? YES.

Britax makes college carseats, according to newmommyreviews.

And a one, a two, a one, two... two.

Two months old and a Two months check-up that is.

It went, er, well? How well can a check-up go when you have to watch your precious baby's thighs be injected with 3 shots/5 vaccines. I was THAT mom who teared up and sniffled while the whole thing went down, and my husband, who luckily is off this week, was there to squeeze my arm back to reality to soothe Gabriel.

The babe is sure gaining well, though-- he is 13 lb. 9 oz. now, up from 10 lb. 15 oz. at one month. This is assuring especially because of his reflux issue.

And the reflux issue is a whole other barrel of monkeys. The doctor we saw for his well check-up was not happy with the doctor who met with us last week and offered Gabe the Baby Zantac as a solution for his 'reflux.' This doctor, who I much prefer, wants Gabe to have a chest x-ray of his upper GI tract to confirm his reflux and to eliminate all other possible stomachish problems. I really am happy this whole investigation is thorough, but I have to give my baby barium in a bottle.

Barium in a bottle. Now, if you have been following this blog at all, you know my baby HATES bottles. Tell me how I am supposed to get my baby to drink liquid chalk out of his most-hated thing in the world.

Well, we'll get through it, right? Of course, right.

Other good things? Gabe is meeting his milestones like a champ. Lots of cooing and smiling and attempting to move forward/roll over. (Yeah, he rolled over at 6 weeks-2 days, but we are yet to see this happen again!)
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In other news....
Gabe LOVES his rainforest playmat (part 1 of the Evenflo triple fun jungle), and he talks to the koala, butterfly, and whatever else he can attempt to whack with his little arms like a crazy fool. He squirms and wriggles his little butt as he kicks his legs and squeaks out lots of random syllable combos and sounds. It is truly awesome watching him learn and blossom and all that. It's just plain fab.
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Stay tuned for my first entry of "Erin's Edibles." It'll be a fun one, too... an interesting and strange little sweet treat I made to kick it off.