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#28DBC Video Post
A video post as one of our 28-day blog challenges! We rarely do video posts (usually because I’m a greaseball or I’m trying to be supermom), BUT I got a shower this morning so we decided to make a video! Enjoy your day!
28-Day Blog Challenge
There’s a great challenge “floating” around blog world- the 28-day Blog Challenge hosted by Katy Widrick.
I’m challenging myself to make one change or update on the blog per day (some behind the scenes, some random posts, etc). I’ll do a recap at the end of the month, but check out the 28-day Blog Challenge if you feel an urge to update or refresh your corner of the internet 🙂
I’ll be keeping “track” of my changes, and I’ll do a recap post at the end of the month! By the way, did you miss our sweet little girl’s 4 MONTH post!?! Time is flying, friends!
P.S. Is there anything YOU want to see on the blog?
4 Months
Where has the time gone? Have we seriously had Adeline in our lives for a third of the year? It doesn’t seem possible!
The weeks are definitely starting to blur together. I always thought it was funny when moms with babies didn’t know how many weeks old the baby was, but now I totally understand. You go from counting weeks of pregnancy to counting the weeks of a newborns life- but the time just passes so quickly that it just becomes easier to refer to age in months. I don’t really think of Adeline as a newborn anymore. She is interacting with her world more and more, and she is less dependent on us.
Flexibility and the Importance of Sleep
This fourth month of life definitely taught us about flexibility and sleep. I flipped through Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child and the one message that I took away was:
Sleep is a NEED for a baby just like food is a NEED for a baby.
I try plan for Adeline’s feedings- I make sure I’m wearing something that I can nurse in, I try to anticipate when she’s going to eat and we find somewhere quiet to sit. HSHHC (how’s that for an acronym?) showed me the importance of preparing for Adeline’s sleep needs too. We start to lower the volume and lights (turning off the TV, getting out of crowded spaces, etc). We “set the mood” by humming and singing to her. We turn on the fan in her room. We rock and sway for a few minutes before laying her down. I try to anticipate when she will be tired (usually 1-2 hours after she wakes up), and I attempt to plan our activities around her naps.
I think this month has just really shown me that I need to RESPECT her nap times. If I do my best to allow her the sleep that she needs, we are usually rewarded with a rested, happy baby. It kind of seems silly that we cancel plans at the last minute sometimes just because she’s fast asleep, but we’re learning that the consequences of shortening a nap usually aren’t worth getting somewhere exactly on time. I first saw the book mentioned on Healthy Tipping Point, and here is one of her many posts about “sleep training” her son.
Five Minute Rule
I didn’t take much else from reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child. There were a few “methods” for letting baby cry, not letting baby cry etc. as he or she falls asleep. We kind of established our own routine, which would be labeled as “Controlled Comfort” in the book. If Adeline is fussy after we put her down to bed (for a nap or for bedtime), we give her 5 minutes to fuss, and then she’s usually ready to take a pacifier to pass out. Sometimes she’ll just kind of “cry” herself to sleep too. If a pacifier replacement doesn’t work, we’ll try picking her up after another 5 minutes, we try for a burp, and then lay her down again. There have been very few times where the “5 minutes” rule hasn’t worked- and those times have been when she’s WAY overtired because we missed her window for getting her to sleep. I’ve nursed her down a few times when she’s just been inconsolable, but putting her down has gotten easier.
New Things
Movement– The girl loves to move! Sometimes she get’s this very determined look on her face before she flails her arms and legs. We lay her down in her pack ‘n play long ways and a few times, she has rotated a full 90 degrees.
Tummy Time– she doesn’t hate it anymore! She tries to pull her legs up under herself. Sometimes it appears like she’s trying to roll over, she’ll do her same frantic kicking when she’s on her belly and she’s almost gotten to her side a few times. I’m not too sad that she’s not rolling yet, I like being able to leave her in one place 🙂
Sitting– Adeline LOVES to sit up. In her Bumpo, on your lap and she even tries to sit up when she’s in her car seat or in her bouncy chair. Girl has some strong abs! I think she knows what “sit up” means. You can ask her if she wants to sit up, and she gets excited and flails in the same way each time. She likes to try to lick her toes when she’s sitting.
Giggles– we’ve gotten a FEW giggles from her by kissing her neck near her ear! Here’s a video of the second giggle that she ever did! I try to do ridiculously funny things each day to try to get a few giggles, but so far, I think she’s just embarrassed by me.
Food– Adeline has started to watch when we’re eating. I usually eat my breakfast when she is nursing in the morning, and she is definitely watching the spoon move from the bowl to my mouth. We’ve let her slobber on a few hunks of banana- she doesn’t quite know what to do with it, but it’s pretty fun to watch her try to do something with it. I’m not planning on intentionally introducing solids as an addition to breastmilk for a while, but we’re totally cool with letting her taste things. I’ve reserved a copy of Baby Led Weaning (one method of introducing solids to babies) to flip through. My friend Ashley used BLW with her daughter Lydia, and I know Brittany at A Healthy Slice introduced her daughter Haley to solids using BLW too! Whenever we do start solids, I’ll be sure to post our thoughts on all “introduction” methods- purees, BLW, “cereals”, etc!
Flying– Yes, our daughter can fly. But not without a little help from daddy 😉 This is a wonderful “evening activity” that helps to minimize any evening fussiness! I don’t know if she’s loving the flying so much that she forgets about being cranky, or if she’s absolutely terrified about hovering horizontally 5+ feet off of the ground! Mommy is not good at helping her fly, I’ll blame it on lack of upper body strength and having small hands.
Dislikes
She’s not a happy baby when she misses a naps. Adeline doesn’t always like putting clothes on. I’m still convinced she was born in the wrong season, she loves naked time! And socks- she HATES socks. She’ll wear them during the day, but as soon as it’s time for a nap or for bed- it’s just easier to take them off so she doesn’t spend 5 minutes trying to kick them off!
I’ll update her 4 month stats next week after her pediatrician appointment!
Is there anything else I’m missing?
Liberté Yogurt Review
There’s a new yogurt in town. Take a stroll down the yogurt aisle in your neighborhood Kroger store, and you should find the new Liberté Méditerranée and Liberté Greek style yogurts.
As a part of being a BzzAgent, I got to try the new, hand-crafted yogurts made with simple ingredients. I tried the blueberry flavored Liberté Greek and the lemon flavored Liberté Méditerranée yogurts.
First up was the blueberry Greek style yogurt. I tend to purchase Greek style yogurts at the store because they tend to be higher in protein and have little to no fat. I’m a big fan of eating yogurt as a morning snack because the protein keeps me feeling full until lunch. The Liberté Greek was delicious! The blueberries were nestled at the bottom of the cup and there was a thick, creamy layer of Greek yogurt on the top. I actually like when the fruit is at the bottom of the cup, that way, you can mix in as much or as little fruit as you want (sometimes I find that yogurts are too sweet if the fruit is already mixed in).
The nutritional stats are pretty good too (taken from the LiberteUSA website). I think in the future, I’ll purchase the plain Greek yogurt so that I can add whatever sweeteners I want to keep the amount of sugar lower (the plain has only 4g of sugar, found in the milk and a whopping 14g of protein!)
I like that they are only using corn starch in the fruit portion of the yogurt. Some “Greek” yogurts use corn starch to thicken the yogurt (instead of actually straining the yogurt in the traditional way to make Greek yogurts).
Flavor-wise, the yogurt wasn’t quite as tart as some of the other Greek style yogurts I’ve tried, but I think that might be a good thing for “beginners”. The texture is AWESOME, very smooth and creamy. There isn’t a hint of grit, and the blueberries didn’t have that dry, chewy texture like some other yogurts.
(source)
I even used a container of the plain Greek yogurt when I made these Skinny Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Next up is the Liberté Méditerranée yogurt, the “indulgent” style of yogurt. And indulgent is EXACTLY the right word for this super creamy, rich treat. The nutrition stats are more similar to ice cream, this is indeed a special treat.
I’m a big fan of lemon flavored yogurts, and Daniel said that this yogurt reminded him of the filling of a lemon meringue pie mixed with cheesecake. YUM. The whole milk and cream based yogurt is definitely rich enough to satisfy a dessert craving, and you can feel good about indulging in an all natural yogurt made with wholesome ingredients.
I’m really glad that we got to try out some new yogurts. I’ll definitely keep the Liberté brand in mind when I browse the yogurts in future grocery trips!
Check out the LiberteUSA Facebook Page and find some delicious recipes and follow @LiberteUSA on Twitter!
- What kind of yogurts do you enjoy?
*Disclaimer: I am a BzzAgent and I was provided with a free sample of this product to review. I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review. #GotItFree*
We Have a WINNER!
We have a winner for the Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil giveaway!
Congratulations Elena Vo!
E-mail me your shipping information at hollyccoop (@) gmail (dot) com and Tropical Traditions will send you your 32oz jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil! I hope to do some more giveaways in the future, thanks to all who entered!
Personal Goals
Have you entered the giveaway for a QUART of coconut oil yet? There are only a few entrants, so your chances of winning are pretty great 🙂 The giveaway ends on Wednesday night!
I’m still loving Best Body Bootcamp. Not only are the workouts fantastic, but I’m also so glad that there are personal goals incorporated into the 8 week challenge. For example, we chose two goals for weeks 1 & 2. I chose to read to Adeline daily, and to drink at least eight cups of fluid per day.
We just began week 3 of Bootcamp, and It’s pretty fun to see how those “goals” have started to transform into habits.
For the next two weeks, I added the goal of reading my Bible daily. I love the #SheReadsTruth movement, and our church is challenging everyone to spend time in the word. I’m currently reading through Galations, and it feels good to be reading God’s word daily. I haven’t talked much about my faith on the blog in a while, probably because my prayer life and consistency in reading my Bible has been practically nonexistent.
I like to pretend that I’ve got everything together, but I’m just fooling myself. I feel more anxious, more scatterbrained and less sure of myself when I’m not spending time in the Bible. Our mission group at church has been challenging one another to be in the bible and to be in prayer. Two very simple concepts, yet it’s quite difficult to make the choice to read or pray when there are so many other distractions.
I’ve got a checklist on my fridge with my goals for the week, and having a visual reminder of what I want to accomplish helps me to make time for each activity.
It has also been such a blessing to be surrounded with Christian women- single women, married women and other mothers. It is so helpful to know that there are other women who struggle with the same things that I do. We all struggle, but we can also rejoice in the freedom that we have in Jesus.
Throughout the next 5 weeks of bootcamp, I’m excited to see my body get stronger. But I’m even more excited to deepen my relationship with God, because He is my true strength.
Coconut Oil Giveaway!
*This giveaway is now closed, I’ll post the winner in a new post*
Throw your hands up in the air for the first Cooper Family blog giveaway! What’s up for grabs? The BEST Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions. 
The awesome folks at Tropical Traditions contacted me and asked if I wanted to give a review after winning my own coconut oil in a giveaway, and now YOU get a review AND a chance to win some Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!
Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!
Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?
You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:
Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.
We have used our coconut oil for cooking and for Adeline. I scooped some into two separate containers- one for the kitchen and one for the nursery. I’ve been using the oil to moisturize Adeline’s legs, and I know it’s a great for treating and preventing diaper rash. The coconut oil has such a low melting point (it melts on contact with your skin), that it rinses out of cloth diapers SUPER easily so you don’t have to worry about buildup on your diapers! Another bonus? Adeline smells absolutely delicious! Cooking eggs in coconut oil is pretty tasty, and I can’t wait to try making some gluten free homemade coconut granola! Here is your chance to win:
Required for entry into the giveaway (leave a comment below telling me that you subscribed):
- Subscribe to the Tropical Traditions e-mail Newsletter
Optional for extra entries into the giveaway (please leave a separate comment for each additional entry):
- Follow Tropical Traditions on Twitter: @troptraditions and @ttspecialdeals
- “Like” Tropical Traditions on Facebook
- Follow Tropical Traditions on Pinterest
This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Giveaway ends on Thursday, January 24, 2013 at 11:59pm. Winner will be announced on Friday, January 25th.
*Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.*
Things we’re Loving: January
Here are some things we’ve been loving this month:
Best Body Bootcamp
It’s been SO awesome to have workouts already put together. And MAN, Tina knows how to whip your butt (in the kindest way possible). I’ve been getting a few evenings to go to the gym, and it’s been totally possible to do some of the workouts at home! And my dear friend Ashley is doing bootcamp too, she posted about it here!
Adeline is quite fond of watching me struggle through pushups. She benefits from my Bootcamp participation too- two of my goals for the first two weeks were:
- Drink 8, 8oz glasses of liquid per day (GOAL ACHIEVED!)
- Read to Adeline (GOAL ACHIEVED!)
She likes Brown Bear and one of her books about colors- I have a feeling that the touch-and-feel books are going to be popular VERY soon!
SodaStream
I’ve been eyeing the SodaStream ever since Emily over at Daily Garnish posted about hers. I’m terrible at drinking liquids (other than coffee- see goal 1 above), but I LOVE carbonated water.
My dad generously gifted us with a SodaStream for Christmas from Bed Bath & Beyond, and it’s fun to have a bottle of bubbly water waiting in the fridge!
Micro Fleece
As I mentioned in my Cloth Diapering post, I was planning on making fleece liners and fleece wipes. DONE! Now we don’t have to worry about fetching the regular wipe out of the cloth diapers when we start our laundry.
Micro Fleece fabric was 40% off at JoAnn Fabrics last week (and may still be discounted). I made a wipe solution of 1 cup of water plus a squirt of baby shampoo. Most wipe solution “recipes” say to add a squirt of baby oil, but I didn’t have any and her bum doesn’t seem to be irritated.
Coconut Oil
We won an entire GALLON of Virgin Coconut Oil from Ashley at My Food and Fitness Diaries. The Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil is GREAT!
I’ve been using a dab here and there as “chapstick” and I’ve even put a bit on Adeline’s skin after she takes a bath. I’m planning on roasting some sweet potatoes with it later this week!
And, because there is NO way we can ever use an entire gallon, we were able to give a bunch away to our friends!
Ergobaby Carrier
My mother in law got us an amazing Ergobaby carrier for Christmas. We got one from the Performance collection (good for smaller builds, has an easy access pocket and it’s supposed to be more breathable for the summer months).
Adeline likes hanging out in there, and its really comfortable. Adeline is still a bit too short to sit in there on her own, so we use Emily’s Blanket Trick to help boost up Adeline. I even did my first FULL grocery shopping trip with Adeline in the Ergo (it was successful until we stopped moving at the checkout line).
Oil Cleansing Method
So… I haven’t washed my face with soap this month (aside from when I’m taking a shower). I tried the oil cleansing method last winter after I first saw it on the Meals and Moves blog, but then I just kind of stopped. Basically, I’m using a mixture of 1 part Castor Oil to 2 parts Olive Oil to “wash” my face.
You can read about the process here. My skin doesn’t look drastically different than when I was using regular face wash for acne prone skin, but it feels so much better. I’m going to keep up with the oil cleansing method, it’s cheap, it makes my skin feel great, and I don’t smell like weird chemicals after I wash my face at night. I’m going to pick up some tea-tree oil this week to help with acne control and inflammation.
A Sleeping Baby
We struggled with sleep last week. So did some of my blogging-mommy friends: Nicole at Making Good Choices and Char at Char Eats Greens. I’m happy to say that Adeline slept much better this weekend, and Daniel and I are VERY thankful.
It’s pretty cool to have other mommy friends to tweet with in the middle of the night when the babes just need extra food or snuggles!
**If you are a praying sort of person, please keep a little boy named Amir and his family in your thoughts. Amir is a little boy who got hit by a car on Saturday. In the last update that I received, he was in critical condition. My sister-in-law knows Amir’s aunt and her family. Please keep them in your prayers, I can’t imagine all of the emotions the family is facing. We are praying for healing for Amir and we are also praying that God surrounds them with love so that they do not feel alone in this difficult time.**
Cloth Diapering
I don’t define myself as a super “crunchy, granola or green” type of gal, but I do really like cloth diapering! I’m all for helping the environment, but I mainly wanted to try it to save a little moolah!
Note: we don’t currently pay for our water- for whatever reason, our landlord covers it. Whenever we move out of our current rental house, I’m sure the cost of washing our diapers will certainly have an impact, but I’m pretty sure we’ll still continue using this cloth because we like it! And sorry for all of the links- cloth diapering terms are CONFUSING, and I wanted to provide links to different terms and various products. I’m not getting paid for any link clicking, they are just provided for convenience!
When we Started
I think we started using gDiapers when Adeline was 5 or 6 weeks old. She was just a squirt, weighing just 6lbs 11oz when she was born. Newborn babies have SO MANY wet/dirty diapers in those first few weeks. Like, 12 diapers a day. So we happily used our gifted newborn size diapers (from showers and FROM THE HOSPITAL- TAKE THEM HOME WITH YOU!) until we felt comfortable with diving into the world of cloth.
Adeline at 1 month, still in disposables
gDiapers
We started with gDiapers because our good friends Ashley and David used them with their daughter Lydia. Here is Ashley’s post about cloth diapering! I really liked the gDiaper system because you really only have to wash the cloth insert unless there is an absolute blowout. The gDiapers are considered a hybrid cloth diaper (because you have the option of using a disposable insert- regular diaper meets cloth diaper. But it can also be used solely as a cloth diaper). Plus, the gDiapers have a nice, trim fit. They fit our little peanut well, and her cloth-diaper bum still fit into her 0-3 month clothing!
(source: gDiaper website)
If you look in the picture above, there is the colorful cloth shell (the cover), a snap-in plastic liner, and in this photo- the woman is putting in a biodegradable disposable insert. Before Adeline was born, I bought 2 gDiapers brand new and I bought 3 gently used gDiapers off of eBay (when I say gDiapers- I mean the whole thing- cover, liner and cloth). We did use some disposable inserts, but we also had 5 gCloth inserts. With just 5 cloths, we weren’t able to go 100% to cloth diapering with just the gDiaper system. We could do about a day of cloth, but then the next day would be a disposable day (when the cloths were being washed). The only downside to using the gCloths was the drying time. I usually dried them in the dryer on a SUPER low setting, but we still had to let them air dry for several hours before using them.
Purchasing more Diapers
I really liked using the gDiapers, and I wanted to commit to using cloth, so I needed to get a few more diapers and inserts. I thought about getting more gDiapers, but they are pretty expensive. They always seemed to fit her funny, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to stick with the “g” system long-term.
I also knew that I probably wanted to invest in some diapers that would grow with Adeline (the gDiapers come in 3 sizes).
ALVA baby Diapers
I actually purchased a 6 pack of ALVA baby diapers before Adeline was born. They are EXTREMELY cheap pocket diapers from China. The ALVAbaby.com website is a pain to navigate, so I actually purchased my ALVA’s off of eBay! I’m pretty sure we got this bundle of 7 diapers and 7 microfiber inserts for under $40. Compared to the price of gDiapers ($25-$30 for TWO diapers), this was a STEAL! The ALVA baby diapers are super adjustable- you can adjust at the waist and the rise (length) of the diaper. These SHOULD last us until Adeline is potty trained!
HOWEVER- these diapers are my “last resort” diapers. They work well, but I really don’t like tossing the entire cover and the insert into the wash. You stuff a microfiber insert INTO the fleecy pocket of the diaper.
DO NOT leave any of the microfiber cloth hanging out- it will wick the moisture up from the diaper and all over baby’s clothing! Also, you CANNOT place the microfiber insert on TOP of the fleece- it will leak everywhere (speaking from experience!)
I have re-used the cover before, the fleece liner helps to pull the moisture onto the microfiber cloth insert, so the fleece feels pretty dry even after a wet diaper . But again, I really don’t like tossing a whole cover+insert into the laundry. They are pretty cute though, and I do like how adjustable the leg openings are! I have a feeling that feature will be necessary for when she starts to move more.
Flip Diapering System
I saved the best for last 
These are our current favorite diapers! The Flip diapers are the perfect mesh between the adjustability of the ALVA diapers and the ease of use of the gDiapers. I purchased 2 new Flip covers and a 6 pack of BumGenius microfiber inserts off of Cottonbabies.com. (!!! Cottonbabies.com still has a sale going on for 2 Flip diaper covers for $20 !!!) The Flip diaper is an “All-in-Two” diaper, and it’s also considered a hybrid diaper since you can use it with disposable inserts.
I loved our Flip diapers so much that I purchased 2 more Flip covers from the “seconds” section of Cottonbabies.com (basically on clearance because of some blemish, and they don’t sell them for full price).
We can use our ALVAbaby inserts AND the BumGenius inserts in the Flip diapers. Flip also makes their own inserts, but we purchased the BumGenius because they were cheaper (same material- standard microfiber). As you can see above, the Flip diapers also have an adjustable rise and an adjustable waist, so the diapers should grow with us! They DO NOT have the adjustable leg openings, but the elastic fits well around Adeline’s legs (she’s got a bit of chunk, so it may not work as well for skinny-legged babes).
The only important step in using the Flip diapers is to make sure your cloth insert is tucked under the flaps of the cover, otherwise the moisture will wick out of the diaper and on to baby!
I like that the Flip diapers could be used with a number of inserts. The BumGenius inserts have a snap for adjusting the length (which makes them pretty bulky, but they still work fine), and they should be able to grow with us. But, if you wanted to use another type of insert it wouldn’t be difficult to just lay them in the Flip cover.
Microfiber Inserts
There are *some* websites that say to NEVER place the microfiber insert up against the baby’s skin, but Adeline has never had an issue with diaper rash or excessive stinky-ness of the diaper. HOWEVER- the microfiber inserts do feel wet at each diaper change. I’m cutting up some fleece that I purchased at Michael’s to make some fleece liners to lay on top of the microfiber inserts. That way, her bum will feel dry!
Recap
Whew! That was a TON of information, so here is where we are at now (after we moved on from the gDiapers):
- We have 13 microfiber inserts (7 ALVA and 6 BumGenius)- that means that I do a FULL load of cloths every other day (the microfiber inserts dry quickly).
- We have 4 Flip covers and 7 ALVA pocket diapers (but we rarely use the ALVA’s).
- We still use disposable diapers at night, mainly because we still have them from baby showers. I think I’ll start using the ALVA diapers at night. I’ll be sure to post if we make that transition
- I’m happy with our “stash”, although I am cutting up fleece to make liners so that Adeline’s bum stays dry. I wouldn’t mind a few more microfiber inserts (or other materials) so that we could do diaper laundry less frequently.
Washing
As far as washing goes, after a diaper change, I put the dirty cloths into a grocery bag hanging in Adeline’s room. (Poopy cloths/covers get put in their own grocery bag and get tied up so they don’t stink up the house). Regular garbage (wipes, disposables from the night) go into one bag, cloth stuff goes into the other). I use a grocery bag for dirty cloths when we’re out of the house too.
I throw all “cloth diaper” laundry into the wash and do the following:
- Cold Rinse so stains don’t set
- Warm or Hot Wash with a tiny bit of unscented detergent
- Cold Rinse to remove extra detergent
- Tumble dry on low heat for the cloth inserts, air dry for the covers.
There are a ton of different washing instructions, but this method works well for us!
Any questions about anything?!
Happy Diapering!
The Cooper Family 