The Twelve Days of Christmas - Days 3-7

Dec. 26th: Sunday we decided to sleep in rather than attending church like normal because Caleb was feeling so poorly and had been up a lot during the night. After he rested some, we ventured out to my parents' so we could exchange presents and have supper together. Caleb wasn't in the best mood ever, but he was a trooper and tried his best to be personable. We had to take a break in the middle of opening presents to rest, but we finally opened all of those toys!

My dad planned to buy Caleb a red wagon months and months ago. I guess men know what little boys like because this gift was definitely a big hit.

Aunt Courtney bought him several presents but I think his favorite was a little wiener dog toy.


My mom bought him everything else in the toy stores I think. (Just kidding, Mom! :) I know it's hard to choose just a couple.) Some of the most special items she gave him were some classic toys like this little Fisher Price piano.

Shortly after we arrived home, Dave began having stomach problems (which we learned later was probably the same bug two of my cousins picked up Christmas day). That night was a rough one because I had two sick boys to tend to, but we made it through.

Dec. 27-29th: Each day Caleb's sickness seemed to be getting worse, so I took him to the doctor Monday. Our poor boy was diagnosed with a full blown ear infection in one ear and the beginnings of one in the other. We started him on an antibiotic and prayed he would get better so we could fly later in the week. It was nice to have so many new toys around though to distract him from how poorly he was feeling. One of his favorites was a Pooh train Granny gave him that makes a lot of noise. He also enjoyed the LeapFrog Cook and Play Potsy my mom purchased, especially the plastic broccoli and spoon that came with it. Thankfully, after a few days of prayer, medicine, and playing, Caleb began to feel better. We started packing our things and anticipating a visit with Dave's family.

Stay tuned for pictures and videos from Caleb's first plane ride and Christmas/New Year's in IL with the McKinstry clan.

The Twelve Days of Christmas - Days 1-2

This year, Christmas was spread over twelve days in the McKinstry household!

Dec. 24th: We began the festivities Christmas Eve with my dad's family. Every year for as long as I can remember, we get together at someone's house the night before Christmas for a huge meal, games, and presents for the kids from Granny. This year my parents hosted the celebration.

Caleb was more interested in Ginger's reindeer antlers than his own.

Caleb's cousin Ryan was very helpful and interested in playing with Caleb.

Everyone sat down to listen to Savannah, Tatumn, and Natie read "The Night Before Christmas."

Caleb decided to add his own narration to the story. Here is a video with his exciting commentary added:

Later that night, Caleb woke up with a cold which made Christmas and the days that followed a bit tiresome.

Dec 25th: The next morning, we woke up to a snowy picturesque scene; it wasn't a large amount of snow, but it was nice that Caleb's first Christmas was a white one. Although he wasn't feeling great , we still did a number of fun things and Caleb stayed in relatively happy spirits most of Christmas day. First, we opened presents and read the Christmas story at our house in the morning. Then, we went to Granny's for breakfast and more present opening. Caleb liked the paper and bows but was a little confused about why we kept taking the toys away from him after he opened each one. About midday, we stopped for Caleb's nap at my parents' house, and finally headed for Grandma and Granddaddy Hockman's for supper. Since Caleb wasn't feeling well and was exhausted from the day, we skipped opening presents at my parents' house and headed home for some much needed rest.

Our house:

Granny's:

Hockman Grandparents':

We surprised my grandparents with a picture frame full of
photos we took together on the farm.

We also bought them an album, deck of playing cards,
and calendar full of photos.

My generation of grandkids with my grandparents

More photos to come soon!

The Christmas Season

We've been doing a lot around here the past month or so to put ourselves in the Christmas spirit! We began the season by watching Claymation and Frosty movies, followed by some other classic cartoons, such as the Charlie Brown episodes.

Of course, we also began the Christmas shopping. While we didn't rush out super early on Black Friday or do a ton of searching, we did brave the crowd later that day to look for a few particular items, including a new Christmas tree. Unfortunately, Costco was already completely sold out of trees we were looking for! Despite our disappointment, we found a giant Rudolph toy that Caleb loved. It took a little convincing from Mommy, but Daddy decided to cave and buy our furry friend with the glowing nose. The reindeer provided plenty of entertainment for the rest of the month. Caleb touched and chewed its glowing nose, rode it, hugged it, and even wrestled a little.

While Caleb was entertained with the movies and Rudolph, Mommy began wrapping presents. I wrapped most of my presents at the end of November, but we had a few still left over on Christmas Eve. We tried to let Caleb help wrap those.

Aside from enjoying the wrapping paper and bows, the Christmas trees and ornaments also provided a lot of excitement. We had three trees this year: our main one that we placed in the breakfast nook's bay window, a small country tree for our formal living room, and a fancier tree that went upstairs in the hall in front of a large window. You could see a Christmas tree in the windows in both the front and back of our house. Caleb helped by putting the star on one of the trees. He loved playing with the ornaments and lights as well as pulling them off the tree. At one point, he decided to lick one of the glittery ornaments, so Mommy had to immediately go scrub his tongue. He has also played with and even pulled apart some other decorations sitting about, which has been a nice distraction for a little boy who seems to become more mobile every day.

Outside of the house we made plenty of memories too, shopping and taking Christmas pictures. One day, Caleb even got to spend a little time on Santa's knee. He was pretty curious about this interesting character even though our particular St. Nick wasn't the jolliest.

The Tuesday before Christmas, we also went to enjoy the decorations and stores on Main Street with Max and Natalie. Caleb gave Max his gift and tried to help him open it.

We've enjoyed singing and listening to Christmas carols, receiving Christmas cards, and seeing family and friends. Dave and I were also able to watch Christmas plays at two different churches. It's been a great month of making memories!

Cloth Diapering 102

Probably the scariest part of cloth diapering to many is the thought of cleaning them. Let's face it, handling sopping wet inserts and poopy covers doesn't sounds fun to anyone. However, I think having a good system in place really makes everything pretty easy. Trust me! It's not nearly as much work as I expected the first time I heard about it.

I recommend setting up a good diaper station to help keep things easy. Rather than trying to fold the prefolds and stuff the pocket diapers when he needs to be changed, I try to prepare everything in advance. This is important when they are little so you don't get squirted and when they are bigger so they don't have time to roll or crawl away. I use a basket to keep everything organized or the diaper stacker on the side of Caleb's Pack-N-Play.

I also prepare my wipes by folding them, wetting them, and tucking them into the warmer.Here is a picture of the cloth wipes and the wipe warmer I use:

There are three different types of wipes pictured above. The ones on the left are flannel and are the cheapest. The ones in the middle are theThirsties fab wipes - cotton velour on one side and fleece on the other. On the right are Warmies; they came with the wipe warmer. Dave likes the flannel best and I prefer the Thirsties. The Warmies are terrible! They fell apart after being washed just a time or so, plus they are expensive and really small. Even if you decide not to cloth diaper, using cloth wipes may be an option. Even if you buy the most expensive cloth wipes you save money in the long run, plus it's just like washing a load of washcloths.

A lot of people assume diapers need to be soaked once they are removed. However, most websites I read and other cloth diapering moms I spoke with recommend using a dry pail. For one, it is a lot less mess. Secondly, allowing the diapers to set in water breaks down the fibers. I prefer to remove all the solid material into the toliet before placing it in the dry pail, but I know some people who are exclusively breastfeeding that don't scrape out the waste because it is supposedly water soluble and bacteria free. You can make your own choice. If you are using prefolds or AIO diapers, you can just throw the diapers in the pail. If you are using something with an insert, it is best to go ahead and separate it before throwing it the pail so it is ready to empty directly into the machine. Make sure to secure any of the Velcro tabs to prevent the diapers from clingy to each other and making snags in the fabric.

You can buy a "wet bag" to line the trashcan or pail like the brown one below. These come in many different sizes. I have one for my dry pail and one to take with me when I go out. The small one is great for wet or soiled clothes as well.

When you are ready to wash diapers, it is best to wash no more than about fifteen at a time so they are thoroughly cleaned and rinsed well. Most people I've talked to seem to wash diapers about every other day which is what we tend to do as well. You simply dump the wet bag into the machine and add your detergent like you would normally.

Note: Many types of detergent - like Dreft - are not compatible with cloth diaper, but there are several types that do work well. Crystal recommended Country Save to me and found it at a cheap price, so that's what I use. Here are some charts that shows what types are best: http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoicesataglancepspd.htm and http://www.diaperjungle.com/he-detergent-chart.html. Do not use fabric softner because it will clog the diapers and may cause irritation. Make sure to read the directions that come with any of the diapers you buy because some provide specific laundrying directions.

I've seen people debate whether or not to use bleach on the diapers. I personally choose not to because it strips the diapers and can cause burns/irritation to be baby because of it's reaction with their urine/waste. At one point I was concerned about some staining that I couldn't get out by just washing the diapers and was wondering if bleach would be necessary. Crystal suggested hanging them outside instead. Believe it or not, the sun bleached them out the first time I tried it! If you line dry the covers or inserts though, may want to throw the diapers back in the dryer afterwards though to soften them a bit.

Now that you know our routine, I wanted to give you a few tips I've learned. Diapers can be clogged by several different things and require stripping. If you read my previous post about all of my beautiful diapers being clogged, you remember me warning other mom's that certain diaper creams and hard water can cause major problems. Desitin, A&D, and Butt Paste are definitely not compatible. Try this website to see if the type you have is safe and/or which types to buy: http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/diaperrashcreams.htm. Personally, I choose Grandma El's which can be purchased online from Target. Several cloth diapering websites suggest putting a liner in the cloth diaper if you have to use another cream, but I say JUST USE A DISPOSABLE! Trust me on this one. I tried everything to get those diapers unclogged. (By the way, the only method that worked to cut the grease came from my dad; he told me to use the orange goop mechanics use to get the grim off their hands. I don't know how he figured it out but I was at my wits in and about to throw everything away before he had this wonderful epiphany.)

If you have hard water, I don't recommend cloth diapering until you buy a water softner because unclogging diapers is a time-consuming mess. We haven't been cloth diapering at our new house much because we have had a lot of issues with hard water and iron. I'm waiting until this is fixed so I don't ruin my diapers.

Okay, so I am going to try to do a FAQ section here:
What do you do out in public?
Personally, I usually opt to use disposables because it is easier to throw away the diaper and I have to carry less stuff. However, many people just carry a wet bag to throw everything in and take it with them. This is probably easier when a baby is still breastfeeding exclusively and doesn't have smelly diapers. When I take Caleb to church or leave him with people, I also tend to use disposables, unless I know the caregiver is comfortable using cloth diapers. Even though they are pretty simple to change and throw in a bag, I want to do what makes the person watching him most at ease.

What do you do at night time?
Again, we use a disposable at night time because I don't like the wetness laying against Caleb's skin. However, a lot of people just put in an extra insert to help absorb the wetness. It depends on how long your baby sleeps and how heavy he/she wets at night.

What do I do if yeast builds up in my diapers?
It is common for a diaper rash to turn into a yeast infection and if you are cloth diapering, the yeast may get in your diapers. Here is a website with suggestions for how to deal with this problem: http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/YeastvsCloth.htm. (Make sure though that your child really has an infection and that the continued diaper rash is not simply a food allergy - We learned this the hard way.)

Where can I purchase diapers?
There are a ton of places to purchase cloth diapers. Two popular sites I've seen are http://bananapeelsdiapers.com/ and www.cottonbabies.com. Crystal recommended www.diaperjungle.com because it gives a comparison of the diapers. If you search online at Target, Walmart, and Babies R'Us you will find a few types of diapers, but I recommend doing a Google search and trying to find a store with the best price for the diapers you want. If you live near Baltimore, there is a store called Soft and Cozy Baby. Does anyone else have sites they prefer?

Can my baby wear these diapers in the pool?
There are certain cloth diapers made just for swimming. Some work well and others don't. Make sure to do your research before purchasing these.

Like I said, I'm a novice when it comes to cloth diapering so take this info with a grain of salt. Figure out what works best for you and your baby and go with it. I love the Pin Stripes and Polka-dots website as a resource but I also use google a lot to find out what other moms are doing. If you have any questions, please ask. I know there is a lot to digest at first, but once you start buying those cute little cloth diapers I bet you'll be hooked. :)