GREAT SCOTT!

SOMEBODY DIDN'T FEEL WELL TODAY

Cora spent most of the day either in my arms or in a carrier. When she doesn't feel well, she is super clingy like this, so whatever is going on with her must hurt. Whether it's her incoming molars or her cold that's bothering her, or a combination of the two, I don't know. She hardly ate anything (a few bites of cereal, half a Babybel cheese, a handful of yogurt-covered raisins, some juice and milk, and a lot of ice). Until dinner. She downed two slices of pizza in record time. Then she seemed to get into her groove...

This is seriously the BEST way to wear the kids out before bed. We've always encouraged running in circles in the evening, but tonight was just awesome. You can't pay for this kind of entertainment!

And P.S., who taught Cora how to do somersaults?

LISTENING WELL VS. INTERPRETATION

James has been doing SO MUCH BETTER since school started as far as listening to us (and his teachers) when we ask him to do something. And NOT do something. It's taken almost 3.5 years, but he's finally following directions on a somewhat consistent basis, and without needing to be told 517 times.

As a part of this awesome phenomenon, he has actually started helping to CLEAN UP HIS TOYS. I know, many of you have kids younger than James who do this regularly (or older, but who have been doing it for a long time), but this is brand new to us, and we LOVE it. See? I KNEW he could hear me...

Of course, since he is a child who can be bribed and threatened to produce results, the older he gets and the more into certain activities he gets, it's a lot easier to say "Go put all the books back on the shelf and THEN you can watch Ninjas" or "If you don't clean up your Legos before dinner, there will be no story tonight". Totally works!

Unfortunately, Cora has not reached this milestone yet. Sure, she'll help clean up (and has for about 6 months now - she likes to help Mama and Daddy do chores), but it has to be something she WANTS to do. And it has to be on her terms. No amount of bribery (or threat) can get her to move faster, stay focused, or do a more thorough job. Want evidence? After James got frustrated with Cora not helping him clean up the Legos tonight (and repeatedly taking them back OUT of that box he was putting them into), he fussed at her to clean up, and she promptly started cleaning up the Legos that were on the table (she tends to follow direction from her idolized big bro more than from her parents). From the table. (Climber, remember?) Oh well, at least she has good aim!

BIRDIE SKIRT

I had plans to make a Simple DRESS this afternoon, but as I thumbed through my fabric stash past this little Tossed Birdies piece, I couldn't resist making Cora another Simple Skirt. Since she only napped for about an hour, she hung out with me upstairs in our computer/sewing room while I finished it. I figured she'd like it, since she kept coming up to the sewing machine and grabbing a handful, saying "My skirt? It's my skirt!" and trying to take it away from me. Since I didn't measure anything other than her waist (I went with the usual width of 1 yard, and used what was left for the length, 10" I think), I was sure glad it fit! Just don't look too closely at the back... I haven't sewn anything since May, and I went ahead and sewed down the top hem BEFORE sewing up the side seam, meaning I couldn't make the usual neat and tidy (and well hidden) crossover of elastic. It's not bad, but far from perfect. Oh well, Cora thinks it's cute.

(She was pretending to pick a fake plum out of the tree)

After her photo shoot (with my phone - sorry for the poor quality of pictures), she added dark plum capri tights to the outfit. It was festive. The girl gets into her clothes drawers ALL THE TIME, so I'm pretty sure we'll have a Punky Brewster on our hands in the near future... I had tried to get her into an undershirt before the photos, but she was having none of it. She was OK with her "shrug" though (Grambot, can you believe it still fits almost a full year later?!), so we just went with a little bare belly peek-a-boo.

And yes, we tried something new this afternoon with high pigtails. Just trying to figure out another way to keep her bangs out of her eyes while they grow out, so she doesn't have to wear just the Pebbles-style ponytail. Although she prefers to wear a ponytail "like Mommy" over pigtails...

ICE OBSESSION

Cora is addicted to ice. The quickest way to make her happy at a restaurant (while waiting on food, anyway) is to feed her ice. She begs for cups of it at home. And she is way more likely to drink her water or juice if there are ice cubes in it. I thought maybe it was just a trait she got from her daddy (Jay eats ice like it's going out of style), but this evening I realized there is more to it than that (though I DO think that plays a part - monkey see, monkey do). The poor girl has had 2 molars (the 2-year molars) pop through sometime in the past couple of weeks (we haven't been checking regularly, obviously). The bottom left has been in for a while (months, actually), now comes the top left and bottom right. Then she'll just have ONE last tooth and we'll be all done with teething for a while. Betcha she'll be even happier than her parents!

This is how she begs for ice. And food. We had a lesson yesterday in asking mommy nicely "May I have some ice please?" The girl is ridiculously strong (check out those biceps!), and as you already know, climbs on EVERYTHING. She hangs from doorknobs, counter tops, the bathroom sink pedestal, the fridge, and her Learning Tower. She climbs up and over couches, up the outside of the stairs (this morning she made it to step 5, trying to follow daddy upstairs, before we caught her!), up counters using the drawer pulls as a ladder (she's already busted one... the one right under the spot where I stand to cook, since she's always trying to get up and eat before I even get dinner finished), across the kitchen chairs, and up onto the kiddie table and train table. She is fearless. And quite willful...

The prize = snack trap of ice

HURRICANE LINDSAY

I know, it's Hurricane Isaac that went through today, but 3 out of 4 of us Lindsays were in SUCH a mood today that it felt like we had our own personal indoor hurricane occurring simultaneously...

School was closed yesterday (even though it didn't start raining until 3:00pm, when school would have already been dismissed for the day). And today (though work wasn't). And will be closed tomorrow (Why? I have no idea). And while we paid for a babysitter yesterday (because I REALLY needed to get some work done), we can't afford to do that all week. So I went in early, and Jay dropped the kids off an hour later to spend the rest of the day with me (he's in training this week, so they can't hang in his office). The first 30 minutes of the day were fine, as the kids entertained themselves with all my biology books, their toys, my office supplies, and Spiderman episodes...

...but before it was even 8:30am, they were so stir crazy that I had to take them for a walk around the building. They were pretty interested in checking out Isaac:

Within the next 2 hours, I took them for another walk, and 2 of my coworkers came by to take them on walks (I assume they could hear me scolding the kids through my closed door, down the hall - awesome), and then I fed them and fed them and fed them. Crackers, suckers, Pirate Booty. Feeding them kept them occupied for about 17 minutes.

I was SO GLAD when Jay showed up early for lunch. We went down to the breakroom to eat (since we'd packed lunches, as we'd PLANNED to be there until 3:30pm), and of course the kids weren't hungry (because they'd just eaten their weight in snacks). They were grumpy, I was grumpy, they are sick, I am sick, they were bored, I was frustrated and stressed out, and I can't get around very well in The Boot (which just annoys me). This all made for a bailout at noon a necessity.

Once we got home, it took me an hour to get them to nap, at which point I took another dose of meds, curled up on the couch, and slept off some of my frustration. But after nap was more and MORE of the same grumpiness (from the kids AND from me), and I was honestly counting the minutes until bedtime. An EARLY bedtime. And yet nap started and ended late, so I knew that wasn't really going to work. I decided I needed to watch some Bowie in tights to make me feel better (Labyrinth is my all-time favorite movie), and figured we'd let James and Cora stay up and watch it (for the first time). I had no idea whether it was appropriate for a 2- and 3-year-old, but honestly, at that point I didn't care. And you know what? Neither kid was scared of anything. Cora watched over an hour of the show, sitting in her daddy's lap and paying very close attention, before she passed out. I'm pretty sure that's 60 minutes longer than she's ever cared about a movie before! Only bummer is that she learned the phrase "That's NOT FAIR!" from Jennifer Connelly... Hope I don't start hearing that too often! James watched the whole thing and had lots of questions. I think he liked Bowie and the dancing goblins best, but the Bog of Eternal Stench and the rolling boulders intrigued him as well. How much you wanna bet I have to watch it again tomorrow? At least twice. (James goes in phases with movies - once he finds something new he likes, that is ALL we watch for the next few days, weeks, or months.) 

Anyway, we fared well (physically) through the storm. We'd fueled the cars over the weekend, hit the grocery store for non-perishables, had only two short power outages (a few hours each - one overnight last night, and one while we were at work today), lots of branches in the yard but no trees down (thank goodness!), and we'd kept up with laundry and dishes (just in case we lost power or water for a long stretch). Not our first hurricane, and it won't be our last. Hopefully the emotional hurricane will have passed by tomorrow as well...

"AH! I'M STUCK! MOMMY, RESCUE ME!"

(He kicked the stool out from under himself in the women's locker room...)

OH MAN CO-WAH!

Cora is such a morning person. She ALWAYS wakes up happy and peppy and jumpy and sing-songy and dancing and raring to go! She kinda makes James crazy, because he is NOT a morning person, and she insists on being the one to wake him up. She'll generally run in his room, sometimes slam the lights on, then crawl up next to him in bed, patting his arm or back or head saying "Wake up Dames. Wake up. I awake! Come play with me!" It's totally adorable, but he is usually far from amused, telling her "Go away Co-wah!" or "Oh man Co-wah!" Now and then he gets in on the game though, and they have some cute sibling snuggles before really rising for the day.

She's also very huggy and kissy and clingy and lovey. And while James LOVES to cuddle with his mama and daddy (and Cora's teacher, and Elizabeth from the Y daycare), he's still not super fond of toddler affection (though he will often hug and/or kiss his friends and their mama's goodbye at the end of playdates). I think Cora is a bit much for him most of the time. Sometimes he'll acquiese and give her a swift kiss and hug so she'll move on, other times he just grins and bears it, and sometimes he tells her "Not right now Co-wah!" or "I don't WANT kisses Co-wah!" Oh, how this girl loves her big brother!

SICKIES DESERVE ICE CREAM

Or Froyo. Especially if there's chocolate and/or gummy bears involved.

Jay took James to the doc on Saturday morning when he woke with a croupy cough. Yup, croup again. The seasons changed, didn't ya know? I think the Deep South dropped a whole 15 degrees or so last week from the upper 100's down to the lower 90's. Apparently that was enough to trigger James' tendency for croup. Or maybe it was one of his buddies at the gym daycare who had a nasty sounding cough last Monday. Either way, he's got it, he's on antibiotics, he got a shot, and his cough medicine makes him sleep harder than usual.

I woke up with a scratchy, sore throat this morning. Head pressure built throughout the day, even with ibuprofen. And then the coughing, sneezing, and runny nose started. So rather than go to the gym (gasp, it's now been a full week since I've worked out - a record for 2012, and not one I'm happy about), I called for a last minute appointment and dragged the kids with me (so I could get a free peek into Cora's E/N/T as well - she's fine, just extra snotty). Turns out I have a sinus infection, so I get antibiotics too. And Zyrtec. And my own sleep-inducing cough syrup. Speaking of which, I'm getting quite drowsy...

HELPING HANDS

They were both afraid to go down the slide without assistance, and rather than whine to mama (who was sitting with her leg elevated in The Boot on a couple of camp chairs), they took turns holding each other's hand on the way down "to not be scared". I about melted into a puddle of mush watching them be so sweet.

A BIG GOAL - POSTPONED

I've come a long way in my weight loss, exercise progress, and overall health over the past few months. I've lost 17 lbs and am now halfway to my first weight loss goal (which will get me down to the weight I was at when I got pregnant with James, right after Jay and I had completed P90X and I'd lost 12 lbs during the program). I've lost 8.5 inches around my bust, waist, hips, and thighs. My belt buckle sits SIX places tighter than it used to. And I've finally dropped down to the next pant size (although they are tight, therefore negating my need for my newly notched belt)! My cholesterol reading earlier this month (at my yearly wellness exam) was 196, and while that's not an awesome number, for the first time since probably high school I'm under 200 and in the normal range, so it's a big deal to me (especially with my genetic history). And no longer am I running 20-30 minutes for 3-4 days per week. Nope. I'm running (or cross training ) for 45 minutes or longer, 5 days per week, which exceeds the fitness goals I set for myself back when I started using MyFitnessPal in May. So what does that mean?

It means that I am was going to be doing something big this fall. To keep me motivated. To get the rest of my "baby weight" off. To challenge myself. I had been planning all summer to run my first half marathon (that's 13.1 miles) in mid-November. I was all set to register for the Women's Half Marathon in St. Petersburg, FL this weekend and make hotel reservations, but my legs decided they needed a break instead...

A couple weeks ago I noticed that my long standing case of shin splints (seriously, it's been going on since March!) was starting to feel different. The pain was different and more persistant. It hurt even when I ran (rather than letting up after the first mile or so, like usual). It hurt to touch my left shin. It hurt to walk down stairs. Shoot, by Monday afternoon it was even hurting just to STAND with my weight bearing only on my left leg. So I went to the doc, had an x-ray, worried I had a torn muscle based on that x-ray, went back for an MRI to get a clearer picture, and found out my muscles are ok (other than being inflamed due to the intense shin splints), BUT, I have what's called a "stress reaction", which is an early sign of an impending stress fracture. So I'm out for 6 weeks. No running. At all. And I have to wear a boot for 3 of those weeks (which I was lucky enough to be able to borrow from Ashley, so that I can instead put that $90 towards new running shoes in a few weeks). Not exactly how I'd planned to spend my fall training!

Since we'd already registered for the Ready Set Glow 5K on Saturday night, which we scheduled to be a race DATE for us (and our first time ever using a paid babysitter, i.e. someone who is not a family member or highly trusted close friend), we showed up, boot and all. Don't worry, I just cheered Jay on from the rain-soaked sideline with my BIB # crossed out to read "I GOT THE BOOT".

But after a little cry, I was over it. I mean really, it could have been a lot worse. No fracture, no torn muscle, no need for surgery. For the next 6 5 weeks (I get to count last week, since I didn't do any running while waiting on a diagnosis) I'm going to swim and bike and "aqua jog" to keep my cardio up. I'll do more upper body weight training. I'll do some exercises to strengthen my quads (in the hopes that stronger quads will protect my lower legs from shin splints in the future). And when I get back to running (tentatively scheduled for October 1st), I'll take it really slow and easy (starting back with just a few miles a week and slowly working back to where I'm at now, and only running one race: the Run For Your Lives zombie chase in Florida in mid-November, which won't be to set a PR, obviously). And I'll transition into wearing only barefoot shoes (in the hopes that my form will further improve and I'll reduce impact and prevent future injury by running "light on my feet") and not worry about my speed. Then, if all goes well for that first month back, I'll register for the Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon New Orleans (end of February), and follow a less-intense training plan than I'd set myself for the Women's Half Marathon, starting at the beginning of December:

Since I've never raced for longer than a 10K (6.2 miles), I had to do some research to figure out what exactly I needed to do to prepare myself for a race more than twice that distance. I decided to do a cross between Hal Higdon's Novice 2 and Intermediate programs, based on my current mileage base (6 miles for my Saturday long runs), desire to start incorporating some speedwork, and recent addition of yoga and pilates to my weekly workouts. I expect I'll need to alter the program as I go through it (and I don't HAVE to train to 12 miles - lots of first-time half marathon runners only train to 10 miles), but this is my plan (and you guys will be welcome to follow my progress as I track my daily workouts here once I get back in the game - there is also a link on the sidebar of the blog).

I'm pretty bummed that I have to sit out my Saturday morning long runs for a while (I've really LOVED running with Sophie and Ashley this summer!), but I know it's for the best. I just hope Cari's encouragement about "muscle memory" is true for me, and that I won't have a hard time getting back into a groove once I'm healed. Sophie is running her half marathon the weekend after Thanksgiving (we had planned to run different races, so at least I'm not leaving her hanging with my injury), so I won't get to train with her, and she may be ready for a full marathon by the time New Orleans comes around, but hopefully we can still run some loops together in the park this winter, and still do some of our weekday runs and speedwork together. And I'm doing my best to talk Christina into training for New Orleans with me! Anyone else interested?... It's so much more fun to run (and train) with friends! In fact, if we can talk Gramma into coming out here for the race, Jay has already mentioned training alongside me to run the Rock-n-Roll half as well. How awesome would it be to do our first half together?!

So anyway, that's my new "plan" (as always, subject to alterations as needed). I think the biggest challenge for me (other than healing completely and keeping my shin splints at bay) is going to be fitting in the longer weekday runs (especially the speedwork) in the second half of the program. At least most of the holidays (highlighted pink) fall on rest days for me! And luckily by the time I start training for the New Orleans half, Jay will be finishing up his final semester and we won't have to contend with juggling busy school schedules.

Other ways I've made myself feel better about this injury and the resulting change of plans is that now I won't have to run my first ever half marathon the day after racing a 5K - major bonus! And we'll save money on last-minute registration fees and expensive hotels this fall. Which means we'll have some extra funds (and days) to take the kids to nearby LegoLand, and either SeaWorld or Animal Kingdom, while we're in central Florida for the 5K zombie race, so I'm pretty excited about that. I suppose sometimes "the best made plans" fall through, and it's just not so bad after all!

READY SET GLOW!

A few weeks ago I signed Jay and I up for a race night date night: the Ready Set Glow 5K, set on the UMC campus in Jackson. We planned ahead with a PAID babysitter (first time ever!) so we could leave early enough to get to registration, run the race, then go out for dinner afterward. It didn't exactly go as planned (I ended up in a boot as of this weekend due to a "stress reaction", AKA pre-stress fracture), but we still had a great time. We donned our glow gear (I even wore light-up balloons in my hair and stuck glow sticks in The Boot) and I got ready to cheer my man!

(I had crossed out my Bib number with painters tape and the words "I GOT THE BOOT")

About 15 minutes before the 1-mile fun run was set to start, a huge storm came through. The race officials postponed the start a bit, not just due to the rain, but also because they were STILL taking registration. This was an "inaugural" event, so they had some kinks they needed to work out - they were even letting people switch from the 5K run to the 5K walk AT THE STARTING LINE, it was crazy! The fun run started about 15 minutes late, and went by quickly because there weren't many entrants. It was mostly kids, and I've just got to say, they were ADORABLE running their little hearts out in the rain all decked out in glow necklaces! One little guy, who looked to be around 4-years-old, came running into the finish line with his daddy, and as soon as we all started cheering for him he put both hands up and plugged his ears - it was so funny!

Since I wasn't racing, I was pleased that we had an umbrella in the car so I could keep dry while standing around in the rain cheering on the runners!

The course started with a loop that went right past the finish line, then did an out-and-back, so I was able to cheer the starting line, the 1-mile mark, and the finish. My voice was pretty sore by the end! Jay said the course was similar to the Watermelon Classic (which took place just a few miles away, across the freeway) as far as hills (a few low hills, just enough to slow him down a few paces) and that it was well lit (makes sense, since it's a college campus).

Oooooh, I'm so artsy...

When the finish clock hit 28:00, I decided to start watching for Jay. He's been running just twice a week this summer, but he tends to throw speedwork into each run to keep things interesting, so I had no idea what his pace would be and I didn't want to miss him. He came in at an official 31:24 (though I clocked him at 31:17 by watching the race clock - there were no timing chips) and I was super proud of him for getting out there and racing without me (he wasn't all that excited to be doing the race solo) and pulling a good time, especially for an evening event in the rain (and that had been delayed by 15 minutes, which caused a little extra anxiety). He placed 14th in his age group and 180/393 overall. He was soaked by the end, but definitely happy!

After the race, we went to Sal & Mookies for sandwiches, then rushed home to relieve the babysitter (a half hour later than we'd planned, since the race got started late). Elizabeth (one of the daycare workers at our gym, and James and Cora's favorite girl there) said the kids were good, that they didn't eat much dinner (they'd slept LATE at nap and thus snacked late), but read a lot of books, and that James went to bed easily around 8:30pm while Cora cried for us and fought bedtime until 9:30pm. I was surprisingly unconcerned leaving the kids with her, even though we were going out of town (something we've only done two other times ever - once when we went to the Warrior Dash and left the kids with the Hancocks all day, and once when we had an overnight date and left the kids with their grandparents while in Cali). They LOVE Elizabeth and were very excited for her to come to THEIR house and see THEIR toys. That didn't stop me from leaving her a long note though...

It was a successful evening all around, and I certainly plan to run this event next year (with even MORE dayglow attire!), though hopefully they will have learned a few lessons so that it all runs more smoothly. Thanks again for letting us get out for a unique date night Elizabeth, we appreciate it!

PLAYING AFTER THE STORM

We had plans for a park playdate this afternoon, and though a storm threatened to send us home, the drizzle passed and the kids were able to play at the playground (and in the dirt) with their buddies Gabriel, Will, and Grady (not pictured, because he's not quite old enough to understand the allure of packing trucks with dirt yet) for a couple of hours and burn off some energy before meeting Daddy for dinner at The Hat (something we actually haven't done in a while - YUM). The afternoon definitely got a thumbs-up from Mama!

BUSY AFTERNOON

We couldn't turn down a playdate invitation to PlayLand today...

(Clever girl pulled a chair over so that she didn't have to keep waiting on mama to boost her up)

(Waiting on Will to climb the ladder so they could slide down together)

"Hi Mama! Hi! Hi! Hi Mama! Watch this! Watch me! Mama, watch me!"

(Hydration break with Will and his buddy Hudson)

After 2 hours of running and sliding in circles, I forced the kids to go to Walmart with me to collect their required school supplies. Yes, school officially started up again 2 weeks ago and I'm just now getting around to picking up the items off their supply lists. Don't judge.

(They were way more interested in this thing BEFORE I put the 50 cents in...)

DIAPER ROUNDUP

Now that Cora is potty trained and we've sold the last of her diaper stash, I thought I'd write ONE LAST POST about cloth diapering. This is simply a summary of which diaper brands and styles we loved and which ones we disliked (and why). No two babies are created equally though, so some brands work better for chunky thighs, skinny legs, Buddha bellies, heavy wetters, etc. These are the ones that worked best for us. If you're planning to cloth diaper, you'll likely have to go through your own trial and error to see what works for you and your family, but hopefully this list can help get you started! And no, you don't need all-in-ones AND pockets AND hybrids AND fitteds AND prefolds AND covers. You can mix it up, or stick with all the same. Whatever makes you happy.

Our FAVORITE cloth diapers by style:

All-in-Ones: bumGenius Elemental and bumGenius Freetime
(There's a reason bumGenius is becoming a household name - their diapers are truly excellent!)

Other all-in-ones we tried included the bumGenius One-Size (which we found to hold "stink" - these were discontinued a while back) and a few WAHM (work at home mom) diapers (which we thought were awesome at home, but too bulky to leave the house in with kids fully dressed).

Pockets: bumGenius 4.0 and Rumparooz G2

Rumparooz runs a little smaller than the bumGenius one-size, but the inner gussets are amazing at catching messes. The inside lining is softer than bumGenius too, BUT, they stained easier...

Doopsy was another good and INEXPENSIVE brand (just stay away from their SD version with the Super Doopsy insert because it was a pain to stuff, and stick with the R version - also note that this brand runs smaller than  bumGenius as well), Blueberry was pretty good too (super cute prints, but their back flap was wide and open, so the insert would slip around), Thirsties Duo Diaper stained REALLY easily and had annoying inserts that came out the front or back (making for a bulky/awkward fit), and FuzziBunz were just hit-or-miss (we only owned the sized diapers, not the one-size, and we had no problem with ours, but heard that the one-size diapers had issues with delaminating and leakage).

Hybrids: FLIP
(This is another branch off CottonBabies, the makers of bumGenius)

We used the Organic and Stay-Dry inserts and loved them both, and their disposable inserts were the cheapest (while still working well) on the market.

We also used gDiaper (covers and inserts were great, but FLIPs were cheaper, and gDiapers only came in velcro - we've always preferred snaps, except for newborns), GroVia (they were called GroBaby back when we tried them and we disliked the mesh lining and thought they were too bulky overall), and Best Bottoms (the inside was a very thick PUL fabric that felt sticky against the skin, and they didn't fit James well at all).

Fitteds: WAHM diapers hold the market here! 
(check ETSY and HyenaCart)

My favorites had inserts made with velour as the top layer. We liked them with snaps and without (using Snappi's to secure the wings). Most WAHM shops make all-in-ones as well as fitteds, and while we loved the WAHM all-in-ones at home, they were generally too bulky or risked compression leaking when worn out of the house. Besides, they were too cute to cover up with clothes anyway, so we usually just used our prettiest diapers at home.We loved Sassy Britches, Bebe Britches, Nifty Nappy, Primm-N-Proper Baby, Bagshot Row Bamboo, Doodle Dype, and Dolce Baby.

We actually never had issues with any WAHM diapers not working as expected (WAHMs tend to take a lot of pride in their work, so their products are generally really well made), so the only WAHM diapers I'd advise you to stay away from are those with poor customer reviews (usually due to shipping time or other admin-type issues, not with the diapers themselves) or ridiculously high prices - they aren't worth it. After all, even with super cute fabric, it's STILL just a diaper, and it's STILL going to get poop in it. In fact, there are (at least) two WAHM brands that have turned into companies: Goodmama (seriously, these are considered collectibles - and who the heck pays upwards of $100 for a USED diaper?! I've seen them sell on the swap for that much and more...) and Sustainable Babyish (great diapers, but we eventually no longer liked the inserts because they crinkled in the wash, which annoyed us for folding/stuffing, and sometimes left indentations on the kiddos legs). We also had issues with ZunyBaby (the Elmo diaper) because it was really oversized, but I suspect if we'd known that and ordered down, we'd have been fine.

Prefolds: Green Mountain Diapers

If you ask around on any diaper forum "Who makes the best prefolds?", you're going to hear about Green Mountain Diapers. We went with the organic and they were SO SOFT and super absorbent. I never even considered trying a different brand, although some of our FLIPs were purchased with organic inserts, which looked and folded like a prefold, and we liked them a lot too (they stained easier than the GMD prefolds though).

Soakers: again, WAHM is the way to go 
(also from ETSY and HyenaCart)

Soakers are a cheap-yet-adorable diaper cover made of double-layered polar fleece (or wool, which tends to be very expensive and addictive) to keep fitted diapers or prefolds/flats from leaking. They also come in "longies" (AKA pants) or "shorties" (shorts) or "skirties" (yup, you guessed it - skirts) or even capris. These are generally used overnight, or during the day if you're not leaving the house (because you can get compression leaks, and they can be really bulky all layered up with a diaper AND a thick cover). They can be SO CUTE!

Newborns: prefolds and fitteds with covers

Our recommendation for those wanting to cloth diaper a newborn (for the first few months) is to keep it simple and cheap. Get yourself 18 prefolds (from GMD!) for daytime use, 4-6 fitteds for overnight (we liked the Thirties Fab Fitted XS and Kissaluvs size 0 best), and 4-6 covers (we liked the Thirsties Duo Wrap size 1 best, with velcro, to get the tightest fit on bitty babies).

We didn't have any luck with the newborn-sized All-in-Ones that we tried (the Rumparooz Lil' Joey's leaked BADLY), and you don't NEED them, but if you want a few for easier trips out of the house or for photo ops, then bumGenius now makes a newborn AIO that we hear is awesome.

Swim Diapers: ImseVimse and iPlay

Swim diapers are better if they DON'T have any layer of absorbent fabric inside, because who wants a lap full of pool water (and probably urine) when they pick up baby? Just stick with a swim diaper that has 2-3 layers of NON-ABSORBENT fabric with tight elastic leg casings to keep poop well contained (should an accident occur). And personally, we prefer the ones with snaps down one side (both ImseVimse and iPlay make versions with snaps) because if you DO have to deal with an accident, it's a lot easier to do if you can unsnap one side of the diaper.

POTTY LESSONS

Now that both our kids are potty trained, we've sold our cloth diaper stash and given away the few disposables we had laying around. And I must say, it feels GOOD to be done with diapers already - only a 3 year and 3 month stretch of diaper changing duty isn't too bad with two kids! Yes, I know we kinda lucked out with them being so close in age - just another perk!

So since we're experts now (I kid, I kid), here are the lessons we learned along the way, in the hopes that some of them may work for someone else down the road:

1) Go all-in. Don't confuse the kid by going back and forth between undies and diapers. Not even for naptime or car rides or overnight. Sure, it sucks to have to change the sheets a few timess a week, it can be stressful to drive anywhere further than 15 minutes away, it's a pain to have to pull the car over at a moment's notice, it can be frustrating to deal with fear of public restrooms, restaurant meals get interrupted frequently, etc. But in the end, trusting your kid and showing them that you mean what you say when you call them a "big kid" makes a huge difference. Remember, this is a really big milestone for them. They need to know that their parents have confidence in them so that they can have confidence in themselves.

(As for the overnight accidents, James was completely accident free by 3-years-old, so only 9 months of overnight accidents for him, and his happened about 3-4 nights/week. Cora, who started potty training 4 months younger than James, has been accident free overnight for the most part for about a month. Sure, the occasional accident still happens for both of them, but it's rare. Neither kid ever had much issue with naptime accidents - though they did occur. And car accidents have been equally as nonexistent for them both - we're just really careful to take them potty before loading up, then stopping as often as necessary, even if it means 2 stops between our house and daycare...)

2) Be patient. This is something we struggled with a LOT (and still do occasionally, since accidents do sometimes still occur, and when they do, Cora usually has a BAD day - it's like all or nothing with her), but it is worth it to constantly remind yourself to breathe and let the frustration go. Getting upset about an accident doesn't teach them anything - it only prolongs the training process because it knocks their confidence down. We had the most success when we simply reminded the kids that they needed to keep their undies dry, then asked them where the pee-pee is suppose to go. 9 times out of 10 they enthusiastically yelled "In the potty!", quickly forgetting that they had done wrong. Two- and three-year-olds are fully capable of holding a grudge, so don't give them reason to.

3) Make it fun. Every kid is SO different, but I guarantee you there is a way to make potty training fun for them. Whether it's rewards of treats or stickers, promises of playdates or adventures, getting to stay up late or eat dinner in front of the TV, even the kids who can't be bribed (ahem, Cora) will eventually understand that peeing in the potty benefits them too (not just mama and daddy).

And that's it. Three simple things to remember. Good luck trainers and trainees!

TODDLER GEAR MUST-HAVES

I just thought it would be fun to list a few of the things that we can't live without these days, or that were highly used by our kids in the recent past (during the toddler years, ages 1-3). 

A potty chair to keep in the car is a MUST (in our opinion - though I know one mama of FIVE that survived somehow without one). Little boys don't always learn to pee standing up right away, BMs can happen at any time, and little girls definitely need a place to sit (think parks without bathrooms, fear of public bathrooms, needing to pull over on the side of the road in an emergency). There are lots of potty chairs on the market, but I can vouch for BabyBjorn being awesome. While the styles with the removable inner can be frustrating (i.e. when potty trainees "help" to empty it, unsuccessfully), it's really a lot easier to clean this way (you can smuggle it into a bathroom to rinse in the sink if need be, or stuff it into an old grocery bag so that your car doesn't stink the whole way home (p.s. ALWAYS keep used grocery bags in your car - they are invaluable). Our version is the high-back style, but the one shown below is even better because it can fit under the stroller if you need to tote it along on an extended adventure.

So that you don't have to dump and scrub while in the comfort of your home, I recommend getting a simple seat cover. This one (again from BabyBjorn) is awesome because it locks onto the toilet lid (so it doesn't slide around and freak out the newly potty trained) and has the same little lip to help keep errant streams where they belong.

While we're on the subject of potty's, it's a VERY good idea to get some toilet locks. Babies have large heads and can tip easily. They are too curious. And they are naughty (throwing things into toilets that should never be allowed there). I promise you, best $20 you'll spend. These ones work so well that even grandmas have a hard time figuring them out!

 These baby gates are the BEST on the market (in our opinion). They swing-closed, lock tightly, are really adjustable (you can get extra wide and extra tall, if needed), and stay in place well. If you have stairs or a dangerous room of your house that needs to be blocked off, the investment in a good baby gate is a must.

Contigo Kids mugs are an excellent transition piece for toddlers moving from a sippy cup into a regular cup. This way, they stop needing to use suction to get their drink, yet the cups DO NOT LEAK. As an added bonus, as long as the kids' hands are big enough (Cora was fine by age 2), the cups are great for strengthening the hands and improving motor skills (since they have to use their fingers as opposed to their thumbs to operate the push-button release valve).

An iPod player for playing bedtime music on loop throughout the night is something we can't live without. White noise is our friend. We love white noise.

Since it's nice to get rid of the highchair ASAP and move the kid(s) right up to the table with their parents, invest in a good, comfy booster seat (complete with safety straps, of course). We've really loved this one by Prince Lionheart because it's soft, doesn't slip around, and is really easy to clean. And it comes in lots of cute colors.

Forget those bulky shopping cart covers (they are so annoying to store and tote around). Instead, get a simple, padded strap to keep your little one safely belted into the cart while avoiding the dirty, crusty, often broken buckles generally attached to shopping carts.

Or, if you want something that can also be used with restaurant highchairs (which also tend to have dirty, crusty, nasty, broken buckles), get a set of these. They work with highchairs, shopping carts, and probably other places you'd like to strap your child to as well...

Keens are THE BEST kid shoe around for hot summer months. 'Nuf said.

The only bummer is that they get stinky. Quick and often. We've found that this style, while not as cute as far as color options, remains far less stinky due to the EVA material they're constructed from.

If you have hardwood and/or tile floors and not much carpet in your home, you might want to get something soft for those new walkers to tumble down on. Or for crawlers to scoot around on. Or big kids to jump around on. These foam playmats by Step2 are thicker than most others out there, and I can attest to them lasting a long time around rough and messy kids! Ours have even survived the sunroom (re: hot and humid half of the year) without breaking down or molding. They're pretty much perfect.

A baby carrier is useful for so many reasons, but since I've already expounded on that subject multiple times, I'll just note here my most favorite carrier - the Beco Gemini.

Forget the baby monitor. Now you can get a closed-circuit night-vision wireless camera for less money, and you can visit the secure web address anytime (even while away from home - babysitter cam! - though we haven't figured out how to do that yet...) We have a 2-pack, of course.

When traveling with toddlers (who no longer tolerate cribs, let alone pack-n-plays), go for this air mattress. Waterproof, raised edges to keep kids from falling out, fast to set up, and durable (even jumping monkeys).

Now onto the car stuff (you knew this was coming!)...

Of course you need an awesome convertible car seat. There are MANY on the market, and certain brands/styles tend to fit better in certain vehicles, so it's best to visit a website to help you choose the best seat for you. We've loved Britax, and plan to stay with this line even when James moves up to high-backed booster next year. For now, he's loving his Boulevard. Just be sure that whichever model you pick, it can stay rear-facing until 40 lbs and 49" minimum, so you can ensure your toddler will fit until they are at least 2-years-old (though most 4-year-olds will still be under those weight and height limits, making the seat last you a LONG time), as per the AAP recommendation (to remain rear-facing as long as your child meets the requirements of their car seat to do so).

When your kids are rear-facing, it's nice to have a GOOD mirror so that you can see them and they can see you. These ones are infinitely adjustable, making them awesome.

It's also a nice bonus to have a good car seat protector, so those rear-faced feet don't destroy your seats with their dirty shoes!

I'm sure there's more, but those are definitely our most used, most important items for once you get past the infant stage. Hopefully this list helps a few people out!