CJ's BUTTer...Not Just for the Butt

Our uses for CJ's BUTTer:

1) Daily lotion. This stuff is the best, hands down. Moisturized skin all day long.

2) Diaper rash cream. There is nothing better for a baby's soft bottom than CJ's. We have had three children now and this is by far the best. It's natural so I know I don't have to worry about carcinogenic ingredients which gives me peace of mind also.

3) Bath soak. One teaspoon of CJs in a warm bath for the boys and they come out moisturized all over without having to lotion them after they come out.

4) Cradle cap. Yup! Tea tree oil heals cradle cap so we use the CJs on it too!

5) Ouchies. Lavendar gives our kids the calming effect while the Tea Tree oil is a natural antiseptic and will prevent infection.

6) Sunburn. My cousin recently had a bad sunburn. I tossed the Lavender and Tea Tree CJ's BUTTer at her and told her to apply it to her burns. She did so just twice and it was gone. She didn't even peel! She's a red-head, by the way.

7) Lip gloss. I use the Mango CJ's for my lip gloss. I don't need anything else. It's nice and shiny, smooth and keeps the moisture in my lips. It also healed DS2's chapped and cracked lips.

8) Foot soak. Tea tree oil is a natural anti-fungal. 1/2 teaspoon of CJs in a hot or warm tub to soak one's feet and it will heal and/or prevent foot fungus.

9) Eczema. Michael uses it for the eczema on his legs on a daily-basis. Just once per day and he's not itching, but he's healing.

10) Deodorant. Yes, this actually works! It's clear, it's antiseptic and antifungal, it's natural and not carcinogenic unlike the store-bought deodorant and it moisturizes too! What's better than that?! I use it and I don't stink!

Find a CJ's retailer near you here. Feel free to tell her I sent you. I don't think she knows about me or how much I love her product.

A Rash of Crunchiness

What about the diaper rash? Let me tell you that, since we've used cloth, we experience seldom diaper rashes with DS3. However, I started researching what I can use for cloth diapers just in case. I'd heard one can't just use the over-the-counter stuff for cloth diapers. I found out about CJ's BUTTer and had intended on going to get some. You can use it for cloth without using those rice paper protector things (which I never bought because who wants paper in your crack?). On one trip to the local diaper/birthy store Michael had made for me had rendered a sample enclosed in the bag. SCORE! It was Lavendar and Tea Tree Oil (TTO) blend. It works so marvelously well for the diaper rash we went and purchased a 12 oz. tub of it for $19.00. I decided we'd refill the sample for the diaper rash cream and we'd use the rest for lotion since all the boys have eczema and so does Michael. Within 4-6 weeks, Michael's eczema was almost nonexistent. Diaper rashes can't even begin to compete with CJs. What's better? It's all natural! I went back and purchased myself a little sample of the Mango CJs just for my lips and DS2's lips (he was picking his lips causing deep cracks). My lips are moisturized all day long and DS2's lips healed within one week!

Changes

As we prepared for DS3's arrival we were making lots of changes in our lives. I'd had two cesarean sections by that point and was praying for a VBAC. After seeking help with local OBs and being shut down - okay, not shut down; just laughed at, told inflated risk statistics and flat out told, "NO!" - I'd resolved myself to an inevitable third cesarean. I was crushed. A long-time friend of mine, Jessica, is a natural birth instructor as well as a doula. After several weeks of panic attacks and crying my heart out, praying for peace, I spilled my heart out to her. I told her how afraid I was of going under the knife again. My first cesarean was horribly botched after, to my dismay, experimental staples were used on my outer incision and it popped open to the fundus layer (AKA...the uterus). My second rendered me cut to the core and alone after my husband passed out. I was alone for three hours: 1/2 hour in surgery and 2 1/2 in recovery because my body temperature would not go back up. I was not allowed to see my baby or my husband. Jessica told me of a friend of hers, Sarah, who has a similar story to mine. She was also seeking a VBAC; she'd had three cesareans. Sarah told me about a doctor who she'd been talking to regarding helping her with a VBAC. Michael and I met with this doctor. I was already considering a home birth. After meeting with the doctor, he referred us to a doctor whom he felt would be better suited to do such a task since I'd had two cesareans. He made it sound risky. And then we met Dr. F! With an amazing bedside manner and resume, he quoted statistics, cited his experience and listened (LISTENED!) to me! He was willing to allow me to have a trial of labor and go for a VBAC! We were also meeting with a midwife for a home birth.

While preparing for the [natural] arrival of DS3, I threw out the chemically engineered prenatal vitamins I was previously taking and we invested in whole food vitamins. What a difference! I also began taking chlorophyll because I tend to be a bit anemic. I began chiropractic care on a regular basis after my hip was out of place so badly I could barely walk anymore. Michael and I took Brio Natural Birth class in preparation and hired Jessica to be our doula. Together, we conducted a lot of online research regarding the routine hospital procedures for newborns (we were praying about where to birth and were undecided at this point) and whipped up a birth plan. We also decided to use cloth diapers for the first time.

If you would like to read the birth story for DS3 please visit our other blog In Our Shoes as I have no intentions of spoiling it if you already follow.

Backup That Truck

Growing up I liked to heal my ailments naturally, but after the birth of our first son, we were very mainstream with him. When he was three weeks old, DS1 was diagnosed with MSPI (milk and soy protein intolerant). After two and one-half weeks of constant screaming, stomach cramps, gas and diarrhea what did this mean? I had to change my diet if I wanted to continue to breastfeed him. I could no longer ingest cow dairy protein nor could I soy protein. I loved milk! I drank two gallons of milk per week during his pregnancy! How could I survive this? I was given a small list of ingredients to avoid. Easy, right? Wrong! Those few ingredients are in nearly everything one can buy in the store. There would be no quick meals and I could only eat from a few places in public. Even then, the menu is extremely limited. I found it difficult to cook and fell tired of eating the same things over and over. Eventually, my milk supply dropped a lot and we were forced to supplement with formula. Holy cow! It was expensive and he still had gas, stomach cramps, diarrhea and constipation (did you know your child can be constipated whilst your dealing with diarrhea with him?). It was miserable. Not long after that, we were barely nursing. Nursing had failed. I had failed my baby. He would be one year old before he'd show signs of relief.

At 15 months, DS1 was diagnosed with eczema and was prescribed a highly carcinogenic cream for it. Nothing else worked, but I worried for him in the long term. I prayed for some other solution; a natural solution.

When DS1 was 17 months, DS2 entered the world. I knew he was also MSPI within 24 hours of birth; I knew that cry. I went on the diet immediately.

At 18 months, DS1 was diagnosed with Molluscum contagiosum. They're like warts, but they're not warts and they're from dry skin. Eventually, he'd gotten enough Molluscum contagiosum spots on his body that we had to have them manually removed by a dermatologist at two years of age. That was awful.

By the time DS2 was 9 months, he'd gotten ill after a little girl at the local shopping mall stuck her finger in his mouth (joy). He fell so ill we had to begin breathing treatments for him. Just seven months later, DS1 was diagnosed with asthma. We became married, in essence, to the nebulizer.

When DS1 was 5 1/2 years old and DS2 was just two weeks away from turning 4 years old, DS3 was born. We decided things were going to be different with this one.