more of elle...

Wanna know our diaper routine with Baby Elle?

1. Change her diaper, literally EVERY single time we think she's gone potty.
2. Rinse all wipes several times in water before we gently blot her bum clean.
3. If time is short, blow a fan on her bum to dry it COMPLETELY before.....covering it liberally with Bag Balm. When I say liberally, I mean it. Every single place her diaper touches, from her lower back all the way up to her belly button.
   
4. If time is not an issue, we lay her on the ottoman, pictured below, for as long as she'll let us, to let her bum have as much air exposure as possible.
5. Put an Earth's Best, expensive, environmentalist-type, chlorine-free diaper on her.

If we miss ONE of these steps, we all have hell to pay. She's had this never-ending diaper rash for 6 weeks now. She's seen the doctor, who says, "Definitely not yeast, just a really bad diaper rash. Keep on it." I have tried everything from the normal Desitin, to Butt Paste, , Aquifor, hydrocortisone cream, some health-food store rash cream for babies with special healing oils in it and another concoction a pediatrician told me to mix up, including different creams and liquids. I even bought this really expensive honey made in the rain forests of New Zealand that has special antibiotics in it.

We've never really experienced the whole diaper-rash scene. Tanner and Kate had maybe one bad diaper rash each. If we kept on it, it would heal in a couple of days. And then Shad, was a Nazi about putting a ton of Desitin on them every diaper change (he won't touch it, he squirts it from the tube directly onto their bums....so we went through a tube every couple of weeks). But this new little girl we have, is another story. Her bum had open woulds that were bleeding. It was so sad. It's much better now, but definitely not "as soft as a babies bum". The original bleeding wounds, look like they've scarred. Anyhow, at least we've figured out the above routine. I feel like we've got it down now.







The kids are still obsessed with Baby Elle. They lover her to pieces and continually fight over who gets to be the closest to her. They wake her up all the time, sneak in her crib while she's sleeping and unswaddle her so they can see her little arms and hands. I had Shad install a lock on her bedroom door.




See this amazingly cute diaper bag?? My older sister, Rebecca, who claims to "not be crafty, can't sew", etc, etc, made it for me. She made it from Amy Butler fabric and one of her original patterns. I love it. She did such a good job picking out what's totally me and did an incredible job sewing it. She's awesome. Thank you so much Rebecca. I love it.

Shad has today off. I have no idea why the stock market is closed on Good Friday, but every year, I'm so grateful it is. One extra holiday. Love it. Happy Easter weekend!