Winner of the Samsung Galaxy Tab from BubuBibi!

So, back in October, a few weeks after we finally got home, I have decided to reward my dearest customer with a surprise below:

********** FREE SAMSUNG 7" GALAXY 2 TABLET *************

Dearest Customers & Friends:

AGAIN and again…. I want to THANK YOU all for your prayers and patience as I have been going through such a difficult moment in my life. Laynson has been home for over 3 weeks now, we have challenges as we had to pretty much fight for medications as insurance wouldn’t pay but he needed it. Also, home nursing is a blessing yet a nightmare when we have nurses that sleeps or do weird stuff when we are asleep. Though, I am glad that we are at least home and he gets to see his brothers playing and is more alert now. I know that life will be challenging no matter what but I am glad to be able to go through it with my boys especially Laynson, the fighter.

Anyway… I really wanted to THANK ALL OF YOU regardless of customers who will never return due to my bad customer service during this bad times and also those who has been supporting me over the years, I would like to give away a “Samsung 7” Galaxy 2 Tablet”.

On the first week of December, we randomly picked a winner.  April Fitzsimon was the winner.

Here is her comment:  I love your minky soft pockets. The animal print is to cute and so soft. Plus the hold really well never any leaks!

Here is a cute picture of her baby in our BubuBibi Animal Print Cloth Diapers!

Congrats April!

Sorry to all customers that we have disappointed!

Well, I have been thinking for a while on whether or not to write this on my blog.  I have started a new blog, the one that I have been writing on very frequently to my dearest baby boy.  Some of you are aware and some don't that I recently just had my 3rd beautiful baby boy... who is currently 3.5 months old as of today but has yet to come home.

Anyway, I haven't been up to a lot of things every since he was born.  He was born on April 29th 2012.  Ever since he is born, my life has changed and will never be the same.  All of the sudden, without any warning, I am a special need kid's mom.  I have been into a deep depression whereby I just felt like hiding in the closet and not come out.  For 6 weeks in NICU, we have done test over test over test and everything has come back normal but the question is, WHY does he stop breathing or does shallow breathing?  It was that bad till he went into a seizure and had to be intubated multiple times.  For those of you who has babies in the NICU before, you probably know what intubation is, for those who has healthy kids, like my first 2 kids, you will never know and will never understand how it is to see your baby that you have carried in you and loved for 9 months suffer with a tube in his mouth just to help him breathe.  6 weeks later, I was told that my son has a rare genetic disorder called Congenital Central Hypoventilation Syndrome (CCHS), also known as "Ondine's Curse".  When I was told about Ondine's curse, it sounded really bad, it's like I have been cursed.... the truth is.... I am!  My son will stop breathing or does shallow breathing causing his CO2 to raise.  When he was 3 weeks old, he had a seizure due to a CO2 level of 199 (Normal range is 35 to 45).  Thank goodness, he did not go into a coma.

As of today, August 19th, I am still in the hospital, we just moved out of NICU last week to the regular ventilator floor.  Most of you make small decisions such as whether to put them in a day care or not, whether to use cloth diapers or not... for me, I had to make a decision where by I have never imagined I had to, which is to trach my son.  For as long as I have lived, I have never been asked to make such a difficult decision, to me, when I was asked that question, it's like you are asking me to turn off the life support of my son and to let him die.  Yes.... it is not the same but to me, it is because you are asking me to take a normal life away from him but then again, I was asked another question, do you want him to live?  YES!!!! But I know, some of you probably had to make the decision to turn off life support of your baby and actually had to do it, so... for me, it isn't that bad after all compared to some of you.  I cried and cried and when I saw him being pushed back from the OR with the trach and tubes connected to his ventilator, it just felt like I am seeing a knife cutting through my baby's throat.

I HATE walking into NICU daily, there are days where I really have to drag myself there.  I needed to see my baby badly but why... why do I have to go to NICU to see him?  I just didn't understand.  I had 2 healthy boys, I had a normal pregnancy, I had a perfect delivery but why 30 mins after he was born, he was sent to the NICU?  At first, I did ask... WHY me?  Why am I chosen?  Some console me, telling me that God will not give me something that I cannot handle, I ask, is this something that I can handle?  NO.... I cannot, yet, I have to pick myself up as I have a family to support, I have 2 other boys that needed a mama and needed food on the table.

I asked my husband yesterday, do you think I can survive by just sleeping 2-3 hours at night and just 15-20 mins naps here and there daily?  He said no, and the truth is I tried really hard and I couldn't.  During the weekdays, I try to stay in the hospital with him and if my dad doesn't bring the boys to see me in the hospital, I have to drive back home.  There are occasions where I fell asleep awaiting for the traffic light and awaken by the honk.

I used to be a girl with goals, with dreams, I am so happy that I work really hard to achieve what I want.  I have a day job, I work from 8 - 8+pm in the office, I immediately go back to the hotel (as I travel for work) and work from 9+ to 1-2am daily without fail.  I started off with selling a few diapers a week to what I have now.  I think of ways to promote by business but after April 29th 2012, a tornado has swept through my life and left me in a total mess.  That's my life now.  I scramble each day, I cry when I am alone as I needed to show my family that I am still strong and going but the truth is, I feel defeated.

Yet... I have to see message that customers leave me, telling me that YOU SUCK... You have the worst customer service ever, you have the slowest shipping ever.  Yes... that's me now... I have nothing but I SUCK in every ways!  Thanks for telling me that!  It really does bother me and I don't blame my customers... customers are always right.  When you have a near perfect (never perfect because grass is always greener on the other side) life... then, a few days late on receiving a product would make someone really mad, I had to be threaten each time... threaten to be given a bad feedback, threaten to be told as the worst diaper company ever.... I am SORRY.... I didn't mean all that I've done.  I didn't mean to ship late, didn't mean to be sending the wrong colors, didn't mean to upset anyone at all.

I haven't been going to facebook much for the longest time, if I am on, I am constantly on the CCHS group page, finding reasons why my son is doing this and that and talking to parents, asking them what they went through with their kids, looking at family with older kids to assure myself that my son will live.  I don't go much to the regular facebook because I am sad... yes, I envy you guys with normal and healthy kids, pictures of your babies with you guys... I don't.  It hurts me so badly.  A dear friend told me to cry it out, to grieve... she told me, Laura.... you need to cry, you need to let your feelings out, you lost a child.... you lost a healthy & normal child that you were expecting.  You need a period to grieve, yes but I feel like I don't even have time for that.  I hardly go anywhere now as I feel really upset seeing people carrying their beautiful baby out, where else, I hardly can carry him much because it irritates him and whenever he is irritated, he holds on to his breathe and turns blue and pass out.  For normal human, when they pass out, the brain will automatically send a signal and the kid will breathe again, unfortunately, it doesn't happen for him, once he pass out, if we do not bag him, he may eventually die.

There are several occasions whereby I told my customers the reason why I am late, why I am making mistakes and I still remember a customer telling me... you shouldn't mix business with personal.  That's why I said, it took me a while to write this on my business blog since this is personal but the truth is.... I am a human, I have my personal life.  I wish I can forget about my personal life and just focus on business and treat as if nothing has happened but unfortunately... I am not able to :(  My life is my family, my day job and my business.  I cried on my way to the hospital today, I asked myself, will I ever smile again in my heart.  I try to smile outside but inside, I feel like I will never smile again.  I also remember a customer telling me to stop my business to focus on him, I wish I can.... if the doctors or God can tell me that he will be in this situation for 6 months or 2 years or a definite answer, yes, I will do that but unfortunately, no... this is a life long disease without cure... in the mutation numbers, he is the worst case and I cannot afford to stop my life to just focus on him, like i say, I need to put food on the table, a roof over my family's head.  It's not something that can be fixed with a surgery and poof... he's a healthy and normal child.

I just wanted to share my feelings with some of my customers who actually cares for me, thank you very much for keeping us in your prayers.  Everyday, I hope to get up and everything that happened these couple of months is just a dream and it's just a nightmare unfortunately... I know that it will not happen.  I know that God has chosen me for a reason and I have never blamed him.  I just hope that life would be easier on me.  Thanks for listening and I know for some of you who still hate me and thinks that I deserve this... I am sorry for making you guys upset and disappointed.

Regards,
Laura
Dedicated to my sweet baby boy, Laynson : http://www.laynson.com

New Website! Free Shipping for BubuBibi Bamboo Cloth Diapers, Trainers and others!

We have lots of exciting things happening this year. First of all, we would like to share our new site with all. There will be an “online” chat available on the right hand bottom corner. WE will be available for chat pretty much 7 days a week from 8am CST through 1am CST. IF you do not see us online and would like more information, you can always leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

The latest site includes many things that was not available before. Customers can now enjoy:

• Free shipping with NO MINIMUMS
• Payment with paypal
• Wish List
• Recommended Products
• Product Ratings
• Gift Cards
• Email to a friend

Besides that, what do we offer??? We want to reward our customers by offering them "FREE GIFTS" as a Thank you from purchasing directly from our BubuBibi Bamboo Cloth Diaper site! So, what are the free gifts? We are offering:

§ Over $30.00 - FREE Leggings

§ Over $50.00 - FREE Large Wetbag

§ Over $80.00 - FREE Biodegradable Bamboo Liners

§ Over $100.00 - FREE Original Solid Diaper

§ Over $125.00 - FREE Cloth Diaper Detergent (Rockin Green or Charlie's Soap)

OR

*Gifts maybe exchanged to same or lower value but not to apply as discount.

Thank you once again for your support!!!

Happy Lunar (Chinese) New Year to all of our customers!!! Welcome the year of the Dragon!

I am not sure if all of you are familiar with the Chinese New Year? If you go to a chinese restaurant, you will often see a paper on the table that states the 12 animal Zodiacs & it does tell you what zodiac you are base on the year you are born. This year, it is the year of the dragon. According to some, the year of the dragon is to welcome longevity, wealth and prosperity and to eliminate negative chi from the past.

We went to Tzu Chi, our son’s pre school to celebrate the Chinese New Year. They had a play and were explaining what is Chinese New Year and what do people do during those times.   The 3 year old performed the Lion Dance and the 4 year olds had a play, explaining to everyone what Chinese New Year is and what do people do. 

Basically, December 22^nd is where the Chinese celebrates the Winter Solstices.  After that till Chinese New Year, they begin spring cleaning. Then, the night before Chinese New Year, the family would gather around to have the family reunion dinner.  We had 2 this year to make up for last since my parents were not here last year.  We did a lunch in the restaurant and a dinner at home. 

Here is a picture of the 12 animal Zodiacs that people often see in the Chinese restaurant.

Also, here is a special dish we had called the “Yee Sang/ Loh Sang”.  Basically, the Yee Sang is a Fish Salad, but in Chinese, it means the “Prosperity Toss”.  It is only famous in Singapore and Malaysia where I grew up and of course, I wanted to make sure that I did the Prosperity Toss J

Did you know that people celebrates the Chinese New Year for 15 days?  But what are the tradition and things they typically do during these 2 weeks?

Well, here a little summary that I’ve gathered:

First Day:  Welcome the gods of Heavens and Earth, during the ancient times, many would stay away from meat and would just eat vegetarian food because it is believed that this will ensure happiness and longevity for the family.

Second Day: This is the day where the Chinese will pray to their ancestors as well as all the other gods.  Yes, we do have many different gods, the Kitchen god, the Earth God, etc.

Third and the Forth Day:  It is time to visit the in laws.

Fifth Day:  People usually stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. 

Sixth through the 10^th day:  People will visit one another and also going to the temple to pray for Good Fortune and Health.

Seventh Day:  It’s called “Yan Yat”, which means, it’s everyone’s birthday.  They usually eat noodles to promote longevity.

Eigth Day:  The Fujian people usually have reunion dinner and prepare for the big night.  As soon as it passes midnight, it is the ninth day and that’s when they pray to the God of Heaven (Tian Gong). 

Ninth Day:  That’s when people make offerings to the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the heaven.

Tenth through the 13^th day :  Again relatives would visit one another.

Fourteenth day:   That’s when people start preparing for the 15^th day, which is the last day of Chinese New Year. 

Fiftheenth Day:  This is the last day of Chinese New Year.  I believe some said that it is also the Chinese’s Valentine’s Day.  A lot of the single people would go to the river side to throw oranges to hope for a good partner in future. 

Yes, the celebration is really big and fun back where I was born but not so much here in US.  Though, we are planning to bring my son to see the Lion Dance so that they will remember our culture.  Things that I missed are the sound of fire crackers and also the red packets called the “Ang Pow”. According to the ancient times, the sound of the fire crackers would scare away bad luck.  As for the red packets, it’s basically like Christmas gifts during Christmas times but for the Chinese, they would put cash in the red packet and distributure them to the kids or people that are single. 

Happy Chinese New Year to all of our customers and friends who celebrates the Chinese New Year, may this Dragon year be another great and prosperous year for all!!!

How to prolong/ lengthen the life of your Baby Cloth Diapers/ Nappies?

The purpose of us using cloth diapers is so that we can save money.  Of course, the ideal world is for the baby to use from newborn through potty training and then, if they have other sibblings for the sibblings to use as well. Actually, this is how my mama managed to prolong our prefolds for 3 of us.


Here are some of the ways where you can think of to try to prolong the life of the cloth diapers:

• Do not use bleach, I know that there are some brands of cloth diaper tells their customer to use just a little of bleach but we think that in order to prolong the life of your cloth diaper, it is best to not use bleach.  Baking soda and vinegar is definitely a good substitute to whithen your cloth diapers.
• Do not use fabric softener!  I guess all CD moms and manufacturer say that this is a big NO NO.  The reason is because the chemicals in the fabric softener will cause the diapers to lose its absorbency.  Also, if there is microfleece inside the diaper, it will repel moisture when rinsed in fabric softener.  Most diapers now are made out of PUL outside, and causes the PUL to break down faster causing wicking to occur.
• Line dry your diapers.  I guess for those CD moms who lives in tropical countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, etc, it is ok for them since it is hot and humid all year round.  Therefore, it is perfect for them but not for countries with 4 seasons, it's just hard.  I do have customers that tells me that I live in Maine, I cannot line dry my diapers but you can still hang dry them overnight or just partially dry them in the dryer and hang dry them?  For example, my own clothes, I never do put them in the dryer but I hang them in the laundry room.  The room is so hot when the dryer is turned on, it is perfect to hang your diapers there.
• Maybe try not to use Dreft?  A lot of people think that Dreft is a detergent for baby but a lot of CD mom advise us not to use Dreft for baby cloth diapers.  Some say that Dreft is not ideal as Dreft contains scents, enzymes and brighteners.  According to most of them, Dreft contains softener, which is not good for diapers.  I think the best thing is to try out to ensure that it works for you and your cloth diapers.

Of course, there are many more things we need to do to prolong the life of your cloth diapers.  Share with us so that we can share it with other cloth diaper parents!

The pregnant sisters!

Being 3 years younger and already done with 2 kids, I never imagined that I would be pregnant at the same time as my sisters. She is 3 years older than me and because her son is a little more clingy and whinny, it scare her but because my brother in law really wants more kids, they have decided to try again. 


Growing up, I've always wanted a family like my parents.  That's why I choose to get married on their anniversary and I wanted to have kids pretty much the same age my mom had us but too bad, it didn't happen till later for me.


Though.... my mom and my aunt were pregnant the same time.  That's why my cousin brother is 4 days younger than me.  Aunt told us that she was preparing to go visit my mama and I at home and that's when she herself ended up in the hospital having my cousin.


SherLi, my sister's baby girl will be 10 weeks older than Leyron (DS3).  Just wanted to share this special sister thing will all the mom who happen to share the same thing.  I am sure SherLi and Leyron will be good buddies.

Cloth Diapers (30 years ago Vs. now) - That's why I cloth diaper my kids :)

I knew that I grew up with cloth diapers.  30+ years ago, all mama used was the prefolds and diaper pins on me.  This was me 30 + years ago.  Didn't realize that I had that much hair, wish it stayed.  All of my sibblings grew up with cloth diapers.  We were using prefolds with diaper covers.  Back then, mama would wash and since we grew up in a tropical country, we have always lined dry the diapers.  No dryers and therefore, the prefolds lasted for a very long time.  Managed to find some pics of me in cloth diapers and shoes crochet by my beloved mama :)

Fast forward 30+ years.... here is my little baby wearing cloth diapers.  I wonder 30+ more years, what would my grand children wear?