Libros and Bedtime.

Since February is the month of love I thought I'd share something Liam loves. Books. Or as we call them, Libros. Here are his current favorites that we read at least once a day and  always before bed.

1. La Tortuga Azul (The Blue Turtle) - This book has been his favorite for a while now. It's about a turtle that arrives first for a picnic even though he's the slowest. I found this book at Goodwill when I was pregnant. I'm always on the look out for books in Spanish and have lucked out a few times at our local thrift stores. 
2. Tortillitas Para Mamá and Other Nursery Rhymes- This book is in English and Spanish and we found it at Barnes and Nobles. It contains lots of Hispanic nursery rhymes and songs. Tortillitas para Mamá is probably Liam's favorite thyme. He loves to tap his hand on his leg to the beat. 
3. Mi Amor Por ti/ My love for You- This book was a Christmas present from Liam's Abuelita. He absolutely loves to look at all the animals in the book. 
4. Los Pollitos Dicen/ The Baby Chicks are Singing - We sing this one more than read it. It's a cute little song and Liam insists on turning the pages.

 While on the subject of books and bedtime, I also want to share our families little routine.

When it's time for bed my husband takes Liam into his room and reads him his favorite books in our old vintage rocker. Then he says, "Ahora, cepillate los dientes, Liam." (Now, brush your teeth, Liam).  I'm usually sitting on the couch taking a much needed break at this point and I see Liam shoot out of his room and into his bathroom. After Daddy helps Liam brush his teeth it's my turn to take over. I sing Liam a lullaby in Spanish and then an Irish lullaby while we rock together. I've done this since he was first born and will continue to do it for as long as he lets me!

This is from this past November, but it was the most recent picture of the two of them in the rocking chair reading.

The Spanish lullaby is called "Duerme Niña". Of course, I change it to niño. I tried to find a YouTube video of it, but none of them were the right version, so here are the lyrics.
  
Duerme Mi Niña         
Duérmete mi niña,
duérmete mi amor,
duérmete pedazo,
de mi corazón.

Esta niña linda,
que nació de día,
quiere que la lleven,
a la dulcería.

Esta niña linda,
que nació de noche,
quiere que la lleven,
a pasear en coche.

The Irish lullaby is "Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra". I remember my mom singing it to me when I was little. Here is the link to a YouTube video of it. I love hearing this old Irishman sing it! 

An Irish Lullaby (Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ra)

Over in Killarney,
Many years ago,
Me mother sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low.
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good old Irish way,
And I'd give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day.

Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Hush, now don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral,
That's an Irish lullaby.

When Pablo isn't home (which happens quite often even without a deployment) Liam watches videos of Daddy reading his favorite books on the iPad.Then I read him a few more, brush his teeth and sing. We try to keep the same routine even when Daddy isn't home. <3

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We're Back!

I know it's been 2 weeks since I've been home from my roadtrip, but I have been so busy! So much has happened in these two weeks.

Liam was an angel on the roadtrip. He slept most of the time or played with jirafa (his giraffe toy)! Our first stop was in NC to visit Ginger, Shane and Levi! Levi just loves Liam and wants to help with him all the time. They're adorable together.

Levi holding Liam's hand in the car!

 After a night in NC it was on to SC! Liam got to meet so many new friends and family members! It was a whirlwind trip, but I am so glad we went. I think it's important for Liam to know his extended family and all those that love him! Here's a few pictures of the trip. These are all from my phone, because somewhere along the way I lost the charger/usb cord to my camera. And of course, it's one of those odd shaped ones, so no other cord in the house fits it!

Grandaddy and Liam

Auntie Eta and Liam at the Farmer's Market

Cousins Caleb and Celeste

Making funny faces with Grandmother

Kisses from cousin Chase

Rocking with Great Grandma

In the past two weeks since we've been back we've been going non-stop. During that time I've finished physical therapy, I helped paint the chapel at church, Liam has started rolling over, he's also laughing at everything and he started solids! My sister has also came and gone...that's how crazy the past two weeks have been.

Liam had his 4 month check-up and is a healthy baby boy! He weighs in at 13 lbs.15 oz and is 24.5 inches long! We got the go ahead from his doctor to start solids. She surprised me by telling me to just mash up whatever we're eating and feed it to him. Since he's been breastfed he's been exposed to everything I've eaten, so if he had any allergies they would have more than likely shown up already.  Liam loved to eat and now he loves it even more! Here is a great article on the new baby food revolution if you're interested in what's changed!

And this would probably sum up the last two weeks in pictures.

Passed out on St. Patrick's Day

Wrestling Mono at the Dr.'s

Spending time on his tummy

Carrots

I just have to add one more thing!  I bought tickets to see Wicked a while back and knew that my husband would go, but would not appreciate it as much as my music loving sister. So, my sister and I had a girl's day this past Saturday, while Liam spent the day with Daddy! He had his first trip out with Daddy!  I think Pablo appreciates what I go through on a day to day bases more now that he had Liam by himself for an entire day. He said he enjoyed it, but he realizes how much work it really is. It feels great to be appreciated. =)

My Aunt is Super Rad

Waiting to see Wicked

The Set!

Aleta with a cast member

Hanging out with Daddy!

I'd say that sums up the last two weeks. I should've titled this post PHOTO OVERLOAD! Ha!

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I must be crazy...

I'm attempting to take a road trip with Liam. It's going to be just me and him. Granted, this will be our second road trip, but it's our first BIG trip. I'm lucky enough that my friend over at You Are My Sunshine lives exactly halfway between me and my destination. She has been kind enough to let us stay the night with her, so that we can break up the trip! Thank goodness. I don't think I could do 6 1/2 hours with a baby. It would turn into a 12 hour trip from all the stops! Plus, I get to spend time with my friend and her beautiful son. Win-win!

So, I'm going to visit family for a week... 8 days to be exact.  One glance at all the stuff I have to bring and it looks more like we're moving in! It's ridiculous how much stuff a tiny baby needs (or how much we THINK he needs).  There's the Bumbo and the activity gym, plus some toys and books....

Then there are all the tiny clothes! How am I supposed to know if it's going to be a one outfit day or a three outfit day? You never can tell, so you have to prepare. I'm just going to plan for everyday being a three outfit day...that means lots of clothes! There are also the bibs. Liam has started drooling constantly, therefore, he needs his bib changed out a minimum of 100 times a day. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but it sure feels like 100 times a day.

Notice the drop of drool and the soaked shirt.

Of course, I also need all my cloth diapers! I'm going to be able to use my sister's washer and dryer, so Liam doesn't have to spend the whole trip in disposables. Yay!

Organizing all of this chaos is no easy task. Liam's crib has become a giant laundry basket. At least I'm getting some use out of it until he moves into it.

Who knows what I'm going to look like on this trip. I'm putting too much effort into making sure I have everything for Liam that I'm just throwing stuff into a suitcase for me. Ha! 

That all said, I'm going to be MIA from here for a week or so. I'll be sure to update about how the road trip went when I return! I'll also try and get around to Part 3 of the cloth diapers post!

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Diapers or as we say in the Rivas household, Pañales!

I promised a post on cloth diapers, so here we go. I do not claim to be an expert or a cloth diaper enthusiast. There are those that LOVE cloth diapers and there are those who hate them ( Ew! Why would you touch poop?!). I am in the camp of cloth diaper likers and I love the money they save me. Plus they are so darn cute on Liam's little toosh!

Liam's 1st time in a cloth diaper. It was way too big!

My first look into cloth diapers had me so overwhelmed that I almost said forget it!  I liked the idea of less waste filling up our landfills and the fact that cloth diapers don't contain chemicals like disposables.  I also liked that in the long run we would save a lot of money, but when you first enter the cloth diaper world you feel like a foreigner.  When I first stared researching cloth diapers, I felt like I needed a dictionary! AOI. Fitted. Pocket. Stuffing. Isn't that what we have at Thanksgiving? What happened to just a diaper?! I went to an expert to find out.

I was lucky enough to have a friend who clothed diapered her daughter and she graciously showed me the ropes of cloth diapering.  She also had a stash of cloth diapers that she was trying to sell, so I took those off her hands for her. ;)  She had enough that all I had to buy was a few extra covers and prefolds! I really got lucky on that one. I tried to cloth diaper Liam for the cheapest price possible. Buying second hand and using prefolds and covers was the best way to do that. I have a very ecclectic collection of cloth diapers since I bought them second hand, but they work for us! I'll try and take you through what I have starting with prefolds and covers! 

The easiest and cheapest option for cloth diapering are prefolds or flats and covers.  I use Cloth-eez cotton prefolds from Green Mountain Diapers.  Liam is currently in the Yellow-small size and I also have the Red-Medium size. I have 12 in each size. The rule of thumb is 1 cover to 3 prefolds, because the covers can be wiped out and reused after you change out the prefold.

 I cover these with 4 Diaperaps small covers that I bought on a daily deal site called Eco Baby Buys. ( I love that site! Daily deals on Eco-friendly kid stuff!)  I also bought  four Econobum one size covers that came with 3 unbleached prefolds each. Besides the cloth diaper "accessories" that's all I had to buy new! 

Left: Econobum One Size, Right: Diaperaps Small

Econobum cover with Unbleached prefold.

Now, how do we put all this together to make a diaper? With a fold of the prefold and the greatest invention ever! The Snappi Diaper Fastener! There are quite a few folds out there, but my go to is the Angel Wing fold. It's quick and easy. What's even quicker is just trifolding the prefold and laying it in the cover. The latter is not good for Breastfed poops or messy poops, because the prefold can wiggle around and get the cover messy. This in turn means you have to use a new cover, but it is fast! 

Snappis!

 The Angel Fold

Add baby or Curious George.

 Pull over one side and hook with Snappi, then pull the other and hook.

 Pull the Snappi taught in the middle and add a cover!

Or you can trifold the prefold and lay it in the cover. 

That's how easy it is to use a cover and prefold!  I mentioned that I have an eclectic collection. I also have one random Grovia cover and a BumGenius Medium fitted diaper that I use together. A fitted diaper is basically a prefold that is sized and can be fastened with velcro or snaps. It doesn't need to be folded. They are nice to have, but they are a lot more expensive than prefolds. 

 Fitted BumGenius and my only Grovia cover.

Whew! I feel like that was a lot! I haven't even got started on All In Ones and Pocket diapers or the different diaper materials. Oh and the fun chore of washing all those little diapers! Those will have to wait for another day. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here! Again, I am no expert, but I am glad to share what I do know! 

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Thank Goodness We Get An Extra Day!

Doctor appointments have gotten in the way of posting Part 2 of the Cloth Diaper series. I've been working on it, but I realize there is a LOT I want to say and share. It may turn into a 3 parter.

Yesterday, Liam had a last minute doctor appointment. He broke out in a rash on his neck and chest the day before. It's nothing serious.  He's just breaking out from all the drool that has erupted over the last few weeks. He actually enjoyed playing at the Dr.'s office.

I was surprised that he's an even 13 lbs. He's nearly doubled his birth  weight in 3 months!

From 6 lbs 6oz at birth 

to 13 lbs at 3 months! 

On our way home we stopped by one of my favorite places, Target, to pick up a few things. Baby boy got a new ball! I have been meaning to get him an Oball since he started grabbing and grasping things. We had Oballs of all sizes at the child development center that I use to work at. They are great for little hands and developing hand-eye coordination. As soon as Liam saw it he fell in love! He even fell asleep with it on our way home! He has been playing with it ever since. He gets so frustrated, because it won't fit in his mouth. 

He wore himself out playing with his ball in the car.  Notice he even wiggled his hat to the side! 

Yum!   

Now to do the laundry! I swear the laundry never ends, even before we started cloth diapering full time.  At least we get an extra day to to catch up on it! 

What are you doing with your extra day? 

 

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Change of Plans...

I was going to continue my cloth diaper post today, but it was such a beautiful day here that Liam and I decided to take a walk around our little town instead. I knew it was a nice day out, but I thought it was a little breezy, so this is how I dressed the little one. Hat, socks and a blanket.

Forgive the blurry picture. The kid likes to move. 

We stepped outside and we were hit by a wave of heat! I checked the temperature on my phone...79 degrees! Needless to say off came the hat and later the socks. The blanket was stowed away and we were off.  On a side note: This is Liam's second time in the "big seat" of his stroller. Before we just used his carseat with the stroller frame, but he LOVES being able to see everything.

On our way to the Waterfront we passed Starboards Coffee Kiosk. It was busy on this hot day.

 

 That's it on the right with the blue roof. 

We made it to the Waterfront despite the wind and enjoyed watching the ships pass by! Liam loved looking at the seagulls. 

After spending some time at the Waterfront we needed a snack. So, we stopped at The Coffee Shoppe!

 Liam relaxing at The Coffee Shoppe. He enjoys the music.

 After a bottle (for Liam, of course!), an iced latte and a small piece of chocolate, pecan pie we knew exactly where we were going to stop next! Olde Towne Art!!!! We love visiting our friends at Olde Towne Art. Mrs. Kas is like a surrogate grandmother to Liam. She can always seem to get him to fall asleep. Today was no different. He passed out on her shoulder while we chatted about local businesses and how much black granite countertops suck! I think as soon as Liam can hold a paintbrush, Kas will have him in the studio learning to paint.  He is so enthralled with all the bright artwork.
After Liam's much needed nap we headed home. We had to beat the rain. This beautiful day turned nasty in a hurry.  Thunderstorm and tornado watches can be heard on the news now.  I'm just glad we got to get out and enjoyed the day! This Sunday it's supposed to be 46 degrees! How we can go from 79 to 46 is beyond me....

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So, who is this Liam kid?

*** Update:  This was my first post at which time the blog was titled Laundry, Languages, Laughter and Liam. I just thought I'd clear that up since it's referenced in this post. =)



If you've stumbled across my blog, you may be asking yourself "Who's Liam?".  I am more than happy to answer that question! Liam is my adorable, smart and charming baby boy! See below.

 Liam Perez

You may also be wondering what HE has to do with laundry and languages. (I figure the laughter part is obvious.) Of course, babies create lots of laundry! Those tiny clothes seem to never stay clean. But my husband and I have added even more laundry...we've decided to try our hand at cloth diapering! So far, so good, but more on that later! 

The second part of my blog name is languages. My adventure with languages started well before Liam was ever a thought. I come from a Southern family and we speak only English, but I fell in love with the Spanish language in High School. I continued studying it in College and eventually changed my major to Spanish.

 

 La Universidad de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain

I was lucky enough to meet and marry my bilingual husband, so the Spanish has continued.

 

Now, we've decided that we want Liam to be bilingual, therefore, the Spanish Language is spoken quite frequently at home! I wouldn't go as far as to say that we ONLY speak Spanish at home, but we're working on it! 

We also read and sing in Spanish!

So, there you have it! This is my adventure of motherhood, bilingualism and cloth diapering with a little humor thrown in. <3

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