The Inner Workings of My Brain

Ohh, Baby, Baby!

2012-01-26T22:44:00.003-05:00

Ohh, Baby, Baby Giveaway Hop sponsored by The Shopping Duck is taking signups now. This blog hop event will take place from April 1, 2012 to April 15, 2012. Come join the fun!

For the Firstborn

2012-01-25T21:26:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's been a while. And yes, my first post back is unashamedly taken from someone who took it from someone else.

I walk along holding your 2-year-old hand, basking in the glow of our magical relationship. Suddenly I feel a kick from within, as if to remind me that our time alone is limited. And I wonder: how could I ever love another child as I love you?

Then he is born, and I watch you. I watch the pain you feel at having to share me as you’ve never shared me before. I hear you telling me in your own way, “Please love only me”. And I hear myself telling you in mine, “I can’t”, knowing, in fact, that I never can again.

You cry. I cry with you. I almost see our new baby as an intruder on the precious relationship we once shared. A relationship we can never quite have again. But then, barely noticing, I find myself attached to that new being, and feeling almost guilty. I’m afraid to let you see me enjoying him—as though I am betraying you.

But then I notice your resentment change, first to curiosity, then to protectiveness, finally to genuine affection.More days pass, and we are settling into a new routine. The memory of days with just the two of us is fading fast. But something else is replacing those wonderful times we shared, just we two. There are new times – only now, we are three. I watch the love between you grow, the way you look at each other, touch each other.

I watch how he adores you — as I have for so long. I see how excited you are by each of his new accomplishments. And I begin to realize that I haven’t taken something from you, I’ve given something to you.

Click to win

2012-01-22T16:18:00.001-05:00

Any baby carrier fans out there? Check out Michelle's blog for a chance to win a Beco Butterfly 2!

yeast, blow-outs, and blogging

2012-01-12T15:09:00.000-05:00

Gah! I've let so many days go by without blogging, but I've seen so many days of playing with my boys, so I still feel good about myself!

I've been dealing with a nasty case of thrush that Gavin has. I've been using the nystatin mouth stuff, and it got it almost away, but it's back in full force! He has a next appointment next Wednesday, so I guess I'll just keep with Nystatin until then, then I'm asking for other advise. I know of gentian violet, but I'm cringing at the staining, because knowing Gavin, those days will the the worse spit-up days in history!

I should give GSE a try, grapefruit seed extract, I think. It's just the matter of being able to go get it in the mornings, and right now, my mornings are swamped. I might have better luck running errands soon, Mark's boss told him he's not allowed to work any more over time (Boss-man didn't like paying 10+ hours of time and a half every week!!) so I think he's going to work four 10-hour days and take one day off a week and work on his side business. With that, I can at least coordinate errands with him watching the kids if I need to. Or, if he decides to only work 8 hours a day, and leave at 3:30, then I can run out during nap time.

Oh, potty training. I'm such a push-over. We did good for about an hour, Brendon peed on the potty, wore big boy underwear and didn't have an accident. Yeah, for an hour. Then, Gavin woke up and needed to be fed, so I put him in a pull-up and let him go. Am I dooming myself to have a 6 year old that isn't potty trained!? I know he's not "ready," really, but I want him to know the process. Well, as much as his 2 1/2 year old brain can. He ran around for about 30 minutes with a leaky wet diaper and soaking pants and didn't make a fuss! How is that normal?! Oh, and the same time he was like that, Gem had poop up in his armpits! Unfortunately, we were at a staff meeting for my work, so I was in a bind. I lasted as long as I could before leaving early. The ONE TIME I don't take an extra outfit, is the ONE TIME it's a huge mess! His blanket, his carseat (which reminds me, I need to go wash that stuff before tomorrow), his clothes. Thankfully, in the car I had an emergency stash. Brendon had a pull-up and extra pants, thank you!! and Gem had a onsie. Although I lost it in the great changing time, but there was a fleece suit (you know, footie, hoodie, mittens, zip-up) that I put him into for the ride home. I will never forget to make sure that emergency stash is stocked!

I hate "what if?"

2012-01-07T18:00:00.001-05:00

We have completely changed cars now. First, we traded the Chevy Silverado for a Subaru Outback. Then this past week we sold the Honda Odyssey and the weekend Mark just bought a Isuzu Rodeo. You know how "they" say that every so often your hair or akin has completely new and nothing you had a year ago is still here? Yup, that's what we did.
Have I mentioned that I don't like change?? I really don't. It bothers me. The week before Gavin was born I was a wreck! I mean, I wanted it, I planned it. But I think the fact that everything would change and never be the same is unnerving. That's the same with the vehicles. We've been talking about it for months, but I never thought we'd really do it. And now? We did it and I'm unsettled. What if!? Just what if?!

And I hate it. But I can't help it.

Making stuff

2012-01-07T09:11:00.001-05:00

I just realized I can make my own nursing pads! I've made several pairs, but I don't leak anymore. That's a good thing, but now I can't see how well they work! I do have a friend of a friend who I'm going to send some to, so my talent won't be wasted!
Backed with fleece, or soft flannel, micro terry in the middle, water proof PUL hidden, the a cute print or color on the outside :)

October 20, 2011

2012-01-05T17:26:00.001-05:00

I just realized I never wrote down Gem birth story! I'll never forget it, but I'd like to keep it "written" somewhere. If you don't want to read it, then go away.

At my 36 week visit, my do said that I had started to dilate. I was "1"! And at 37 weeks I was 2 cm. At my 38 week, I was 3 and super miserable. Gem decided he liked his head squeezed between my hips. I thing he was as low as he could be with out being born! So, the doc said that if my next check up looks good, and once I hit 39 weeks, they'll induce if I want it.

I was all gung-ho to say no way, but there's a breaking point for everyone. I had hit mine. I couldnt walk, I couldn't life my foot up higher than ankle height, I couldn't sit for more than a few minutes. I was miserable. I was overjoyed to be pregnant, but I was over it!
So my 39 week check up went well, I was still only 3 cm, though I was hoping for 4 cm and scheduled GEM's birthday.
We showed up at the hospital at o'dark 30, bags packed, iPod charged, and BAM at a friend's house. My pitocin and monitors got started at 6 am. From 6 to 8 I contracted and contracted. I brought music to distract me. I did lots of different things, mostly out of bed, which my nurse was great about it! Em kept moving while I moved and wouldn't stay on the monitor, but she was like "you do what you need to do and I'll worry about the baby!" I put my music on and submerged myself in it and let the contractions be a background to the music. I won't lie, they were crazy strong. And every 1/2 hour or so, the nurse would come in and ask me how I was doing. "Fine" or "hanging in" got my pitocin bumped up. At 10, the doc came in and I was about 5 cm dilated. He broke my water and I pour about 20,000 liters for fluid out. I have about 3 contractions while he was "helping" that fluid out. Meaning, I was on my back, gushing fluid, and contracting. Those post-water-breaking contractions are even worse than the pitocin contractions! Anyways, I was 5 cm before he broke my water and was 7 cm by the time it was done. The epidural took a whole, the anesthesiologist had some trouble getting it in. The place he finally got it was lower than he started, and I think that's where my problems came from. Anyways, it was in and I was in bed on my side trying to get through the contractions, about 11 am. They were very strong, so strong the nurse was like "you're still feeling them that strongly??" so I got a button to push when I had a contraction. Still didn't help.

From then to about 1130 I has no relief, except in my legs. My stomach and my back were in full labor mode! My legs were not effected, but my *ahem* nether regions were. About 1145 I got up on my hand and knees (again the nurse was surprised I could move that well with the amount of epidural I had received!) and tried that. I was doing my music thing and I had to moan through them. I remember feeling like I was about to explode.

At 1145 I was still a 7. At 12, I was coming unglued. The nurse thought to check me because I was making the "pushy noises" and I was completely dilated!! They got it all set up and the doc came in and we were all ready and they kept telling me "soon. " I finally got exasperated and said that with Bam they said "this next contraction is it so many times that I stopped believing it." The doc looked at me, and said "your baby is coming with the next few contractions. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think he was coming!"

A few contractions and Gavin Emerson was born at 12:34 pm on October 20, 2011. So, 6 hour labor, only two stitches, and double the children!

Maybe some other time I'll post about the afterwards of Gem's birth.

A flop

2012-01-04T22:46:00.001-05:00

I had something planned out for a nice post but I can't remember what it was. And I'm going to bed, I work tomorrow.

Excuses, excuses

2012-01-04T08:36:00.001-05:00

Yup, I didn't blog last night. But I have a valid excuse. I had a migraine. Excedrine helped enough to fall asleep, but at 0245 (I know the exact time because Gavin decided it was time to eat again) I took some ibuprofen and Fioricet. Boy oh boy, did that do it!

Yesterday at work, about 4pm, my young patient (younger than me) started going south and the next 2 1/2 hours consisted if lots of blood pressure taking, lots of IV fluids, lots of private pages to his doctor, and finally a jaunt up to ICU where I was kept waiting for 30 minutes to give someone report. The day shift RN didn't want to take it (understandable, I wouldn't have either), but the night shift RN wouldn't come out of shift huddle to take report so I could go back down stairs to my other two patients.

That one patient took almost half of report time. Thankfully the nurse that had my other patients had worked the night before and it was a quick update in those two. Good thing too, because the boys were downstairs waiting for me. We sold the silver bullet van, so they came to pick me up.

I think Gavin was mad at me for leaving him for so long. When we for home and I started to nurse him, he wild whimper as he nursed then he screamed for 20 minutes. It was a scream like he was in pain. He did burp a few times, but they were small burps. It seemed like an eternity before he calmed down. So I let him nurse for like an hour to make up for nothing all day long. Poor baby. So the screaming only intensified my headache :( but he slept from 9 until almost 3, then he ate again at 6 and woke up at 7, but he laid (I can't figure out the past tense for lie, so I'm using the wrong word, I know) in bed until 8, totally different from Bam.

Today is my no social media day, so I won't be around. I'll see you tomorrow!

Best Plans Don't Happen That Way

2012-01-02T21:46:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow was supposed to be my official return to work day. But things don't always, ok almost never work out the way I plan.

Take Gavin, for example. I planned on him settling into a nice 3 hour routine. But instead he wakes up from a good nap screaming to be fed. When I was pregnant, I promised myself that there was no way I would be induced. Yet, at 38 weeks, my baby's head was making itself very prominent and I found myself not being able to watch comfortable, unable to sleep, an begging to be induced if all looked good.

I think I'm one of the worst planners, no matter what I try. I can't help it. Some people stink at hand writing. Some people stink at telephone talking. Some people stink at directions. I happen to stink at all of those AND planning. Lucky me.

I liken all this planning that goes awry to God hearing my plans and saying "oh, you think so, do you??" I was thinking of giving away some of my maternity clothes, especially the ones like the scrubs because by the time we even start about having another (please, Lord, don't!) my hospital will be color coded or I wouldn't be working. But then I could imagine what would happen so I'm keeping them.

Bags are packed, milk and juice measured, clothes set out, alarms primed and we are ready for bed and it's not even 10pm! And I didn't even plan it!!

Hopefully, The First of Many

2012-01-01T22:00:00.001-05:00

This is the problem with trying to blog everyday. I can't find something to write about. And how boring is if to listen to someone prattle on about how there's nothing to talk about.

I got a bread machine for Christmas. The result was, still is, delicious. It said to use bread machine flour, but that sounds like a ploy to get more money. I used bread flour, and so far it turned out good. Any thoughts on the issue?

I ushered in the New Year with some bubble-bubble, some crickets (my alarm sounded like crickets and I was so mad I couldn't find that cricket), and a baby who slept until 3am.

So here's to twenty-twelve. May you get days where all the kids nap at the same time, where the kitchen stays clean for more than 3.5 seconds, and extra money in the bank at the end of the months.

Adios, muchachos.

2012 goals, aspirations and desires

2011-12-31T22:49:00.001-05:00

I never understood the whole hype behind the new year and "resolutions." I mean, why wait until the new year to do something? Sounds like procrastination at its finest! But I got to thinking about what goals I want to have for this new year and I came up with a few.
One, blog more, and in January, I'm going to try to get a blog post up for each day. Ha, stop laughing, all of you!
I also want to take one picture a day, probably with my phone, so I can do a week review of pictures. It'll help with the postings, I think.
And last, but not in any way least, I want to get away from the social media one day a week or so. I've cut way back since having two kids, but all too often, both boys nap together and I waste my precious time on FB or blog reading.
Other worthy aspirations include frequent library time (which we already do with story time sessions) and that's it. I'm not even going to kid myself into thinking I'll do better with cleaning to laundry or any silly thing like that.
2012 will see lots of changes. My baby will turn 3. Three! My new one will turn a year. I will have been at my current job 4 years, and current position 2 years. We will have been in a house, not apartment, for one year. This summer will be busy, two birthdays, two, maybe 3 weddings, a trip to the north, a trip to the south.
The biggest desire of 2012 is to kick this yeast that Gavin and I have been tossing back and forth for a month or so. Gah!

Quick, both boys are sleeping!

2011-12-12T15:42:00.001-05:00

Aaah, do you hear that? That is the sound of the swing that lulled my little little to sleep with NO TEARS! Forget the fact that he spent less than 5 minutes on his tummy that resulted in many tears, lots of snot and skooching a foot away from his blanket.

But I can't complain because today is going very well. Gavin has fallen asleep well and he is sticking to a very predictable schedule! The past few weeks have been a guess as to when he'll want to eat, usually with in two hours of his last feeding--what the--!? But I think he was going through a long growth spurt. This morning he at around 7, a little before actually, and stayed awake for about an hour and a half and went into his "bed" about 1140. But I know for a fact he didn't fall asleep until after 1230! He just was lying there snotting and generally in a good mood, so I left him alone. Then he slept until 2 (usually I wouldn't let him go that long between feedings, but I know from experience that if I try to wake him to eat, he eats poorly and is hungry again sooner). We had our said tummy time and I put him the swing about 20 minutes ago and about 15 minutes ago he fell asleep. Just closed his eyes and he was gone.

As for Brendon, he ate all his lunch and went down for a nap easily (though he did fall asleep on the floor...) with just a tiny hint of whining. It's a good thing too, because he was up before Mark left for work. Mark leaves about 640am or so. I was still sleeping. He played around with blocks and bats and sticks and was in a generally good mood today.

Me, I'm still in my PJ's (well, I put a long sleeve shirt over my PJ shirt) and just now changed into a pair of jeans. But get this--! They're my not-fat-jeans! Yay! But I didn't put my contacts in. I have baby spit up on my shirt. I missed my shower this morning, and I'm still wearing the same socks I wore last night.

But I made several business phone calls, I got a health insurance quote and application, called my doctor, called the Picture People in the mall (they shorted me a page of wallets when we went last week!). I've also gotten the craft for Cubbies portioned out into sandwhich baggies. I've done a load of laundry and a load of dishes. I've put half of the laundry away (the other half is in a pile on my bed) and I put half of the dishes away (I got a phone call in the middle of it and was distracted). I cleaned the carpet in our room aka the trampled clothes :/

Make that FOUR business phone calls. I called my work and they have my missing paycheck! FINALLY!

Wow, I've miss blogging. I need to go get presentable before Brendon wakes up because we have a few errands to run.

getting a nice self portrait**

2011-12-07T23:02:00.001-05:00

The other day Gem was refusing to fall asleep and was protesting loudly!! I didn't really want him to wake up his brother, who had just fallen asleep mid-protest. So I picked him up for an impromptu self-portrait session. It's not as easy as I thought it would be. I mean, the camera is a forward-facing camera. The baby is a backwards facing kid. I was doing some weird twists and turns in my wrist and now it kinda resembles a letter M. *ahem* Without further ado, my attempts:

(ok, I lied on accident. {crap, I just totally blanked--we're watching Psych})

dude, lady, you're supposed to look at the camera.

First, make sure that your back isn't to the camera. I mean if you want to get a picture of the two of you, both of you need to face the same way!

hi, can I have something to eat?

OK, so a little better on the turn, but now you need to make sure to get a good part of the face. Unless you're going for dramatic, then cut out an eye or something. I'm sure most people will still assume that you have both of them!

don't look at her, look at me! I'm cuter-and not sleepy!

So, you've got a good angle at looking at the camera, now you just need to work on the area angle.

psssh, sure just cut me out completely!

Nope, too far down. and just ignore the laundry basket full of clothes! At least they're clean AND not in the living room!

not...even...sleepy....

ok, so, got a different a orientation and it allowed for better area coverage, but the same thing applies for the rest of my head. But you guys still know that I have a forehead. RIGHT!? I promise I do!

what!? and you didn't even smile? I'm going to sleep then

And we have one I like. I do wish I had smiled, but I was tired of holding the camera just so, and Gem was almost asleep. I'm trying to make sure he falls asleep in his own bed (bouncy seat, swing, whatever). I like how the boarder of the mirror is blurred. I like that the color is just right. The camera is out of the way of both of us but not hidden in the corner. The picture is untouched. All I have is iPhoto to play with pictures, and it's kind of a boring editor.

I've missed blogging fun-ly. I think I'm going to do it again.

**totally kidding that I know how to do it. That last picture was totally accident and just happened to be my last one.

Testers Wanted at Kebbie's Diaper Bag

2011-12-07T14:41:00.001-05:00

Kebbie is looking for some qualified testers for her diapers! Then, to review and perhaps do a giveaway! Qualified, you ask? What makes one qualify?

I'm glad you asked! You need to 1) have at least one child {CHECK} 2) that said child (or children, in my case) needs to be still in diapers {CHECK} (big one hasn't been receptive to the potty yet!) 3) need to be able to use cloth diaper {CHECK} (have you seen my laundry?) and 4) follow the instructions here

Easy peasy!

Red Barn Nifty Nappy Bitty Bums Winner!

2011-12-02T14:38:00.001-05:00

Congratulations, Sara! I am emailing you now!

Everyone else, I now know my limitations. I failed at this event miserably! I think I'll stick to my life events, and reviews/giveaways as I get them, rather than try to get an event scheduled.

Red Barn Nifty Nappy Bitty Bums: Review and Giveaway

2011-11-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

I wasn't too sure, at first, about fitted diapers. It's a good idea, but I wasn't sure how practical it would be for me. But I took the plunge and bout my first fitted diaper-a Nifty Nappy Bitty Bums Fitted diaper.

Nifty Nappy was started by work at home mom, Vilate. However, Vilate stopped producing diapers for retail. Jeni of Red Barn Cloth Diapers has signed on to make and sell NN and working on Nifty Nappy products!

I also purchased a fitted diaper from Jeni. It's adorable! Compared to the Nifty Nappy Bitty Bums, it's a higher rise, so while GEM has grown out of his NN BB, his Red Barn NN BB still fits!

My little baby is a super soaker, always has been! When he would overflow the disposable newborn diapers in two hours, my Red Barn NN would be soaked, but un-leaky. Is that even a word?? LOL

The outside is a super soft--velour in the Later Gator print, but the inside is her characteristic red fleece. Sandwiched between the two is layer of hemp fleece. Also, a lay-in insert made of hemp fleece on one side and bamboo velour on the other side. It's made to be folded in half, so you get an extra four layers. The snaps are enough to get a tight fit on the smallest of babies!

We used it before GEM's umbilical cord fell off, and the rise sits just below it. Because it is a fitted diaper, it needs to be paired with a cover. I used some covers I had, but Red Barn also makes and sells Red Barn Nifty Nappy Woolies. I'm sure that would make the perfect combination!

I do like this diaper, it worked very well for us, but I just couldn't find the fitted love. It's nothing against this diaper, at all!

Jen is letting me hold a giveaway for a Bitty Bums fitted diaper. Go check out her Facebook page to stay up to date, and also her website to see what she's been up to! Then, come back and fill out this easy form for a chance to win!

Winner of BabyLegs!

2011-11-17T17:51:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Angela Heffner! You won a grab bag of BabyLegs! I emailed you for details and will pass those to BbyLegs as soon as I can. I apologies for the absence. My newborn decided to not sleep these few nights and my toddler decided to act out. Thanks for the patience!

Boppy Pillow: Review

2011-11-14T13:48:00.001-05:00

I feel like I've bitten of more than I can chew, promising all these blog posts-what with two kids and a house all clamoring for my attention. But, I can at least let you know how I feel about these items like I said I would.

So, next up is the Bobby nursing pillow. I can't really compare it to something else, but I know that it is essential to your back and sanity to have some sort of nursing pillow.

The Boppy pillow has something called the Miracle Middle® stretch panel. Basically it can stretch to fit most waist sizes. There are many different slip covers to choose from, but no matter waht you pick, make sure to buy the protective slip cover too! It's a waterproof cover that would have saved my Boppy from so many spot cleanings last baby. This baby? It has done it's duty well!

Many places sell the Boppy, separate as the bare naked boppy, or with a slipcover. Slip covers are also sold separately so you can pick up a few!

We have used the Boppy for many things. It's even a comfy pillow for ME to sit on... :)

I {heart} these things

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

Going along with the newborn stuff, here's a list of things that I could not live without!

Bouncy seat: I think this is the one place that Gavin will fall asleep in by himself. I wrap him snuggly in a super soft blanket, turn the vibration on and he'll be gone in a few minutes. Providing the vibrations don't bring a gas bubble up. :(
Blankets big enough for swaddling: yes, that's blanketSSS. We have 5 and they all get used at least once a week. Gavin's favorite is a shag fleecie/minky one. It's soft and warm enough if he's not dressed.
Prefold cloth diapers: not the Gerber ones, but good quality 100% cotton, Chinese or Indian, bleached or unbleached prefolds. I had originally bought them to use as diapers, but I couldn't gather enough covers before GEM was born, and they were too bulky for me to figure out (I didn't take much time because I didn't want to get peed or pooed on!). But, they are great at catching spit-ups. Gavin is a spitter! These diapers are thirsty! The Gerber ones let the stuff roll down-usually onto me!
Moby wrap: although Brendon is good at holding my hand in parking lots, I would not be able to move fast enough to grab him if he ran away if I was carrying Gavin in his car seat. But secure in the Moby, I can run if need be. It's also great for making room in the shopping cart for groceries. We used it when we went trick-or-treating, when we went to the pumpkin patch and hay maze, on a walk, playing in the yard, at the hospital and at the grocery stores.

Of course, there's the usual clothes, diapers, wipes and such, but these are my favorite items. At least, they're the ones that I can think of right now. I'm going to take a nap--oh, no I'm not. I'm going to feed the baby. I love him, but he is sucking my brains and sanity out!

BabyLegs: Review and Giveaway!

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Sorry it's a day late, so I'll extend the giveaway one extra day.

I was sent these adorable newborn BabyLegs legwarmers and socks to review. I bought them with me to the hospital because they always kept Brendon in just a T shirt, so I figured I needed something for Gavin. Something that wouldn't get in the way of his umbilical cord stump, but also keep him warm.

This first set of Babylegs are the newborn Lil Rainbow Leg Warmers. They're super soft, even after being washed. I was skeptical about them fitting newborn chicken legs. You know how skinny those legs are! But I was pleasantly surprised when they fit perfectly, almost as if they took my kid's measurements!

Gavin's stump is all healed, but I need them! I mean, they are so cute! This other pair is the Lil Peter Rabbit leg warmers. These leg warmers are just long enough that I can pull down over his heels for a little more warmth. Don't worry, my kid doesn't spend his days naked in November weather, he's just a big spitter so his onsies get changed often. BabyLegs makes that so easy, I don't have to worry about taking off and putting back on his pants!

I was also sent two pair of socks, Rocker Baby socks, but they're still too big for him, they wouldn't even stay on! But if he grows like his brother, his feet and ankles will chub up quickly!

BabyLegs can be bought through their website, or even through many retailers, and they very often have sales or deals. You can keep yourself up to date through their Facebook page, and through Twitter

One person will win a grab bag of BabyLegs! I was given the items mentioned in exchange for an honest option.

FuzziBunz XS: Review

2011-11-08T15:32:00.001-05:00

So, I have three FuzziBunz XS's. Until recently, I never heard of "China made" vs "Turkey made" FuzziBunz. And until recently, I couldn't have told you the difference. But now I can. Although the FB XS fit Gavin pretty well NOW, the difference in the two is enough that one fit earlier. This butter FB XS is China made and fit before the others. FB XS are rated to fit 4lb to 10lb babies. Though as skinny as newborn legs are, I find that hard to fathom.

And, as you can see if you squint hard, it sits right below the belly button, so I was able to use them before his cord stump fell off. Gavin was at least 7lb 8oz when I used them on him. Now, he's 8lbs, 8oz, and still on the smallest snaps.

The only leaking problem I had was if I didn't position "him" pointing down, then he'd pee up and out of the diapers. This kid can pee!

The stuffing is kind hard to do because the diapers are so small, but another difference between China/Turkey FB is that Turkey FB have "sticky" PUL inside. It just kind of grabs everything it touches.

They've done well with holding in his runny poos. FB XS can be bought at many cloth diaper retailers, and cost just $13.97

Rockin' Green Winner!

2011-11-07T14:16:00.001-05:00

Congratulations Sarah Jane!

I'm emailing you!

Bamboobies Nursing Pads: Review!

2011-11-04T03:44:00.001-04:00

With my first son, I had a tremendous milk let-down reflex. He'd start to nurse and the other b00b would soak my clothes in seconds! So when this guy was on his way, I knew I needed some sort of good nursing pad, and those disposable ones are uncomfortable, bulky, crinkly, and just one more thing to have to throw away. So I started looking around and found Bamboobies.

Bamboo, organic cotton and hemp make these reusable breast pads the most absorbent and unbelievably soft nursing pads around. "Our bamboo fabrics are made with both bamboo fibers and pulp and are Certified Organic. Our bamboo fabric is certified free of harmful substances by Oeko-tex Standard 100. In addition, our fabrics meet International Restricted Substance Limits standards. We have been working closely with our suppliers to produce fabrics in an ecologically responsible manner with minimal environmental impact. At the factories where the fabric is made, the extraction and renewal treatments for waste-water and exhaust emissions are carefully controlled and worker-safety is held to a high standard.

Organic Cotton and Bamboo are blended to create the soft velour of the regular Bamboobies and the fleece on the outside of the overnights."

You know that you are getting quality nursing pads from Bamboobies. I have two sets of Bamboobies Regulars (although one might have gotten eaten by my washing machine). Let me tell you, not only are they very thin and discreet but the softness, wow! Pumping and nursing can make for very sore nipples, especially at the beginning, but slipping these in is like laying down on a comfy bed after a hard day's work. You can almost hear the sighs "Ahhh" :)

The outside fabric is a milk-proof barrier. The core is a thirsty hemp fabric that locks in the wetness and gets softer with each wash. The super soft lining is a certified bamboo and cotton velour.

At first, they don't seem like much, but these do their work! The only things I found I didn't care for is that they seem to not be stay dry. Not a deal breaker, but it'd be nice for chafing nipples. The other thing is that once they absorb milk from a leak, the fabric gets stiff. So it's like you can only use them once then it's time to wash them-which is the reason I'm sad that my second pair has gone missing.

Using disposable pads can cost you about $350 for a 9-month supply, if you use two pairs per day/night. Bamboobies cost $29.99 for a set of three regulars pairs and one overnights pair. And they come in fun colors, black, hot pink, or pale pink. Who doesn't want to go around with a pair of hot pink nursing pads in their bra? It's like wearing an adorable pair of underwear-it makes you feel good and gives you a confidence booster that no one else knows about :)

You can purchase them through the Bamboobies website or through many cloth diaper stores, like Kelly's Closet here. One of my friends gave me my Bamboobies as a gift, though she bought them. I received no compensation for my thoughts and words.

Swaddlebees Simplex AIO: Review!

2011-11-03T08:03:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, I was skeptical of this diaper, but it was one of the small/newborn diapers I chose for Gavin. The Swaddlebees Simplex AIO is a diaper of a different vein than the ones I have for Brendon. First, it's all cotton birdseye fabric in the inside-no potential stinky microfiber! The outside is waterproof and feels nice. You know how some PUL outsides feel icky? Well, this one feels nice. LOL. And the print, I bought the Lemon-Lime print. It's nice and bright, without being obnoxious.

Second, it's a pocket diaper, but the stuffing is attached at one end and agitates out in the wash. You can either stuff it inside or lay it on top and stuff the pocket (open on both ends for more cleaning) with extra stuff. Since Gavin still gets changed at least every 2 hours I'm not stuffing it with extra stuff.

Third, it's a side snapping diaper. I only had two other side snapping diapers for Brendon, and I didn't really like them. Brendon would always leak out the front-even though everyone raved about how great side snapping diapers are for tummy sleepers. But even though Gavin isn't sleeping on his tummy, I was still nervous. But I'm glad I bought it. I really love it!

Gavin Emerson, 1 week old

Of course, Gavin has already pooed in it several times and I haven't noticed any staining. But, the good thing about the diaper being cotton vs microfiber or something else is that if they make your stash (and I could be very so tempted!) is that you don't really have to worry about using only certain detergents. You could have a simpler wash routine!

I line dried this diaper overnight, and in the morning it was still a little damp, but it was inside rather than outside. If I had hung it outside-and it wasn't in the 50's here, I'm sure it would have dried in no time at all!

When Gavin still had his cord stump attached, it actually fit below it pretty well. Today, his cord fell off and the top of the diaper actually comes to right at belly button level. I bought the small size and it was one of the first cloth diapers he wore. When we came home from the hospital he was 7lbs, 8oz. The small is sized for 8-16lbs. So, it fit a little below 8lbs, and Gavin is still on the smallest snaps, so it'll fit for a while.

Swaddlebees Simplex AIO retails for $17.97 at Kelly's Closet. I purchased this diaper myself, and received no compensation for my thoughts and words.

Rockin' Green: Review and Giveaway!

2011-11-01T11:49:00.002-04:00

Gah! This two kids thing is getting to be exhausting! I'm thankful my mother-in-law is here to help out. I even got out of the house today ALONE! But on to the good stuff!

Rockin' Green Laundry Detergent is the first cloth diaper-specific laundry detergent I tried, so I don't have much to compare it too, all I have are what it's done for me! First of all, it's very powdery, almost like damp powdered sugar. And the scents! WOW! I was given Earth, Wind & Orchids to sample and review. The scent is very light, and a little flowery, but something good about this is that the scent washes out, so the diapers are left clean and scentless. Pee and scents don't mix so well!

Other scents they have:

Mighty Mighty Marshmallow - it's sweet and nutty, and very mighty!
Smashing Watermelons- this juicy watermelon blend is like a kick to your senses..Best Seller!
Earth, Wind & Orchids- this scent is flowered with inviting hints of tartness, floral, woods, honeysuckles and sugar.
Rage against the Raspberry- this raspberry and honey blend will have you running around the laundry room looking for the mosh pit!
Mötley Cleän - there's clean and then there's Mötley Cleän. This fresh blend has hints of ocean, fresh linen, and sunshine.
Lavender Mint Revival- this medley of lavender and mint is like nothing you have heard or smelled before!
Bare Naked Babies- because we love the smell of babies, we offer an unscented variety too!

I have a top loading washing machine, so I used 2 tablespoons for a load of diapers, and I felt like my diapers had better stink control than the other detergent I was using. Although, I did rock a soak before I started. To do that, you use hot water and 3 tablespoons of Rockin' Green. Then let it soak for 1/2 hour up to 1 hour. Mine actually sat for about 1 1/2 hours because I forgot and kids happened :) Then, you do your regular laundry routine with NO MORE DETERGENT. I was amazed. My diapers didn't smell stinky when they were dried.

I've heard alot of poeple complain that the Rockin' Green gave their kid an awful rash, but Rockin' Green recently revamped their formula to take care of that. The new formula is called "Remix." Rockin' Green comes in three different formulas. Soft Rock for softened water, Classic Rock for regular water, and Hard Rock for hard water. Here's a map to help you determine what kind of water you have. Or, when in doubt, you can call your water company, or you can even email Rockin' Green and they'll help you find the right formula for you!

Want to try it for yourself? You can buy it from Rockin' Green directly here or many cloth diaper shops carry it, Kelly's Closet is one of them.
Or, you can fill out this easy Rafflecoptor form for a chance to win a 45/90 (45 loads in a top loader, 90 loads in a front loader--I was confused by this number at first...oh, just me...ok) bag of Rockin' Green in your choice of scent and formula.

November Agenda

2011-10-30T16:30:00.002-04:00

So, here's the time line. Week one is November 1 through November 7. It will feature Rockin' Green Detergent (review and giveaway), Swaddlebees Simplex All-In-One (review) and Bamboobies (review). Week two is Nov 8-14 and will feature BabyLegs (review and giveaway!), FB X-Small (review), and Boppy (review). Week three is Nov 15-21. It will feature Red Barn Nifty Nappy Cloth Diapers (review and giveaway!), Bummis Prefolds (review), and Sugarbaby diaper fleecie giveaway. Week four will run from Nov 22 to Nov 30. It will feature a {vlog} swaddling demo, and giveaway for a fashionable hospital gown! The giveaways will be open from the first day of the associated week and run until the last day. Giveaways will be through Rafflecoptor, and with each giveaway, the opinions are 100% my own.

If you can't wait to see if you'll win these giveaways, you can always go buy them at Kelly's Closet.

I do wish I had found my camera, but it disappeared when we moved this past June. So, please excuse any blurry pictures, they're all from my phone.

Extra, extra!

2011-10-27T17:27:00.001-04:00

EXPIRED
~~The time has come for extra entries to fluffy Show-N-Tell~~! Here's how:

Grab my button and post it on your blog +3 entries
Blog about this event +3 entries

Leave a comment with the link to where the blog post/button is, that way I can verify it on the Rafflecoptor entries. This extra entry option is only open until October 31 at 11:59. Any comments added after that time will not be counted.

Stashes

2011-10-15T16:01:00.000-04:00

I've got my stashes going! I have my cloth diapers stash-I have 6 new FuzziBunz (nope, make that 8!!) that I need to prep. I won a diaper from HipKiddo, the other day, so that one is going in the washing machine soon, too. I'm super excited to cloth diaper a newborn. Although, I did get a lot of "sposies" from people here and there, so I'm not going to be too gung-ho about it. I mean, I'm still going to use my cloth, because the reason I use cloth is so I'm not making so much trash. And dirty diapers STINK in trash cans. But I'll have enough for two, if/when I choose to do cloth full time (or most of the time).

My next stash is freezer food! I found some fresh chicken on sale, bought some beef stew meat, got some tortilla stuff, crock pot items, and this and that. I have one thing of crock pot stuff in the freezer, three dozen muffins (one is peanut butter and chocolate chip, the other two are banana, nut and chocolate chip). Five pounds of cooked shredded chicken in the freezer and another five pounds in the fridge to make another crock pot meal or two. Oh, and I have some more beef stew meat. I bought a pound of carrots, but I greatly underestimated and they were all needed for one crock pot meal :/

I had another stash...but now I forget what it was/is. I don't remember, but I have a TON (probably not a literal ton, but it's got to be close to 30 pounds) of baby clothes. It'll be a good thing, because Brendon was a big spitter. With two kids, I might not be able to do laundry as often as I might need to. So, good news is this kid is going to NEVER run out of clothes no matter how infrequent I do laundry! :)

Our Days Are Numbered

2011-10-10T16:09:00.001-04:00

So I've got lots of pictures on my phone, but I can't find an iPhone cable. I'm so lazy, right? HEY! I'm 9 1/2 months pregnant! I'm allowed a little laziness now and then. I just got done doing 4 loads of laundry, 1 load of dishes, made a pumpkin pie (you're welcome, Mark!!) and something else I forgot already. Plus, this is my down time because Brendon is napping.

Yup, 38 weeks today. As ready as I am to meet this guy, I'm trying to stay patient and not evict him before he's ready to come out. I've been trying to have the mindset of a "due week" rather than a "due date" because the date can be off by two weeks! TWO WEEKS!

The doc and I had a nice discussion about when they choose to induce. Basically he said if I wanted to go as long as 42 weeks, I could. But then he also said that if the situations are favorable, then he'd be willing to induce any time after 39 weeks. It's totally easy to not ask to be induced, but it's harder to not complain about STILL. BEING. PREGNANT. I know that not everyone gets this opportunity, so I'm being thankful for it.

Our lives are going to change so much. First, I know I'll have two kids before I turn 25. {gulp} I'll be out-numbered when Mark is at work. {gulp} The laundry, the diapers, the food (eventually) {gulp}. I'll be starting again with a full diaper bag whenever I leave the house. Thankfully, Brendon only needs an extra diaper or two, a snack, a drink, and a book/toy. The baby will need a few diapers, wipes, extra clothes, a bag for messes/dirty diapers, burp clothS (more than one, I learned that lesson with Brendon!), a blanket, a pacifier or two. I'll need water and a snack for me, because if the two of them are eating, I'm most certainly going to be also! Plus, I'm planning on breastfeeding again, so I'll need to keep drinking water. Thankfully, I already bring my "sippy" around town with me. LOL It's a Camelback water bottle, that Mark has dubbed the adult sippy cup. Then, as GEM gets older, I'll probably stock a few toys for him, some finger snacks. And if BAM ever decides to let me know when he has to pee, extra clothes for him. Oh, probably a stash of extra clothes for me would be good too-but I'd leave those in the back of the vehicle. I don't out grow my clothes as fast as the kids do. LOL.

Speaking of out-growing clothes, Brendon's fall/winter clothes are 3T. 3T! He started the spring and summer just barely fitting into 2T. Does this mean that next spring/summer he'll be 4T when he turns three? Is it called 4T then? Oh, yeah, it is, because the two pull over fleecies I bought him are 4T. He's a big boy, but his mannerisms are still 2 year old. I like that. I mean, it'd be great if he could talk and tell me what he wants rather than grunting, but it makes him still my baby :) One of his friends is 2 1/2 weeks younger than he is and she could pass for a 3 year old-except in the way she walks. It's adorable. She's as clumsy as Brendon is--tripping over nothing all the time. And she talks all the time and it's super clear. I'm sure her mama is happy to be able to know what she wants, but like I said, it'd make BAM feel older than he is-and he's already growing up way too fast!

Our days of an odd-numbered family are . . . well . . . numbered. LOL

Once again....

2011-10-05T23:07:00.001-04:00

Don't get too spoiled or anything, I just want to make sure that I've got a good base started when GEM is born, so in case I go AWOL, it won't be like two months and I won't forget my password or how to blog or anything.

Not that I can claim "I know how to blog" anyways.

I have some cute pictures of Brendon building towers from his blocks (Thanks, again, Tita!) that he got for his first birthday!! He's really in to them now. He'll lay on his tummy and just stack and stack. If they fall over, he just starts again. You'd think he'd spend some time going, "OH NO! Not again!" but he doesn't. I even got a video. LOL then he built it up and tried to lift it. Of course, the dramatic kid he is, he grunts and groans trying to pick up the bottom block.

We've toyed with potty training, but it's not going much at all. He likes to sit on it to get an M&M, but then he begs for more. We've tried books and songs and singing, but he just doesn't get that he's peeing. So I'm not pushing it. I just want him used to the idea of sitting on the potty, so when the time comes, he's not all "you want me to do what?!?!"

Ok, now I'm going to bed, for really.

Initiate Countdown

2011-10-05T08:31:00.002-04:00

Countdown today: 19 days.I've been up since 4 playing with my Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm calling them BH's because 1) they're very irregular, 2) they don't "hurt" per se-but they are uncomfortable! 3) I've decided I'm not having this baby before my baby shower at work! LOL

I really need to find my camera :( It got lost in the move. But what I really need to do is upload my iPhone pics. I take a good amount of pictures with it-of Brendon, of stuff I make, of stuff in general, but it just all sits on my phone. Maybe 1 out of 8 get put on FB.

I've only got three more days at work. Well, three days spaced out over a week and a half. Friday, Tuesday and Saturday. This Thursday, like tomorrow, is another doctor's appointment and the baby shower at work. I work Friday. The weekend we'll spend bumming around town, maybe work on GEM's room. Monday we might go to the pumpkin patch. I work Tuesday, Wednesday is story time and probably another doctor's appointment. Thursday....I dunno...Friday-maybe the pumpkin patch if we didn't go Monday. Saturday is work. Sunday next week is church....and that brings us to a week before D-Day.

I love being Mama

2011-09-22T14:41:00.000-04:00

I've missed my sewing machine. I keep hoping that each day I'll get a call that it's ready for me to pick it up. Thankfully, I've got some awesome family that let me borrow one. I'll admit, it's more primitive than mine. It's about half the size. But don't let it's size fool you! It sews so smoothly, like...like...yeah, a hot wheels car rolling across my kitchen floor :D

I finished some fleece soakers for a trade for a wool soaker for the newest bambino :) I think I'm ready to have him in my arms. But I need to stay patient, because GEM still has some growing to do. He'll come out when he's ready, and I'm going to be more patient than when BAM was headed this way.

Brendon is really growing up, it makes my heart hurt to see him change so much from my baby boy to this kid. I'll look over at him as he's wielding his spoon so gracefully (as the pudding drops into his lap). It also makes me so proud to see how much he's learning. He loves his daddy. He tries to do everything Mark does. The other night at dinner, we were eating some burrito type thing, and he only wanted to eat the shell separately, then I showed him that daddy was eating it together. And that's all he needed to hear. He picked up a clump of rice and meat, and wrapped it up and chowed down. Granted, he squashed half of the innards out into his lap, but he loved it!

But there are days when I still see my baby boy. When he wakes up and has the sleepiness still all over his face, he looks at me and goes "Mama. Muk." I guess that's all he sees, someone who gets his sippy of milk. Speaking of which, he's awake, time for post-nap snuggles (:

Need a good cause?

2011-09-15T18:50:00.000-04:00

Blended family of 5 is hosting a giveaway, and attempting to raise money for a children's book to giveback to the people who had her back while her daughter was being treated for Progressive Infantile Scoliosis. Go check it out!

A Tree Huggin' Baby Event

2011-09-12T19:38:00.001-04:00

OOOOOO!! A baby event + a cloth diaper event = a cloth diaper/baby event! The sum is better than the parts! Go check out Tree Huggin' Mama for more information on this event!
I'm super excited, because I really want to win some fluff! It's been a while since I won something :)

href="http://thetreehugginmomma.blogspot.com/2011/05/tree-huggin-baby-giveaway-extravaganza.html"target="_blank">

getting prepared

2011-08-31T15:19:00.000-04:00

So I guess I need to get things moving on Show-n-Tell. I tried super hard to get somethings to giveaway, but I've only been able to get a hold of one company, to give something away. But I will keep trying. Anyways, here's how It's going to plan out. If I have a giveaway, I'll simply add that on at the end of the review. Right now I own 9 different newborn/small diaper types. That gives a review/giveaway every 2-3 days, plus some items that go with cloth diapers, but aren't diapers (cryptic, I know!) In case you wanted to get a head start and make sure that you like them on FB, just in case there is a giveaway ;)

Thirsties

FuzziBunz

Nifty Nappy (review only, since she's not selling any more :( )

Swaddlebees

Kissaluvs

Happy Heinys

Charlie Banana

Rockin Green

SugarBaby Diapers

Anyone want to give me a invitation to Rafflecoptor?? I love using it!

While I prop my eyelids open with my fingers-

2011-08-18T22:25:00.000-04:00

-it's time to let all these random things out. You ready for my musing and venting?

*you would speed past me, while I was doing 50 mph in a 45 mph zone, and get in front of me; only to slow down to 30 mph in a 35 mph zone?!?

*grocery shopping while 30 weeks pregnant cannot be rushed. I forgot something and tried to rush to grab it so I wouldn't be late for lunch, and ended up being, short-winded and nearly colliding with someone else's cart.

*I lost my temper with Brendon this afternoon during nap time and I still feel awful. He was playing with my nose/eyes/face and I was trying to sleep. I snapped at him and he cried :( Bad mommy. I apologized and rocked him to sleep.

*When 10 pm rolls around, I'm so tired. And it's after 10, so I'm going to take myself to bed.

Are you ready?

2011-08-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

I'm starting to get excited for this. I hope I don't get overwhelmed trying to juggle this, a newborn and a 2 year-old at the same time!

Where did the time go?

2011-07-31T16:08:00.000-04:00

I only have 12 weeks left in this pregnancy. TWELVE WEEKS! It hit me this morning, I was figuring out how far along in weeks I was. With Brendon, I knew down the the exact day how far along I was each day. This one? I had to stop and count to figure out what month I was in...kind of sad, right? So I have 12 weeks left. Gavin doesn't have a middle name. His room is in shambles with boxes all over it. His crib isn't even a crib and isn't in his room. The walls are a pinky-peach (though I know what I want to paint them) that needs to go. His newborn clothes are still in a musty box, though I have no clue if I need to buy long sleeve/long pants newborn clothes or not.

I'm just so worried that nothing will get done before he comes. I've been having a lot of Braxon-Hicks contractions each day. Today, I've had 5 or 6, but I learned from Brendon that the BHC's don't mean a thing.

I was all ready to help Brendon potty learn, but I'm not doing as well as I had hoped. He's not interested at all. I try not to push, but I've seen him poop and pee with out any discomfort from a dirty diaper. So, I'm letting it go. I've accepted that if I have to have two in diapers, I'll do it. Besides, it'll give me an excuse to have to buy more adorable cloth diapers! LOL

I love the prefolds I bought for Gavin. I've been using them in my pocket diapers for Brendon. I think they hold more than microfiber inserts, and the infant size fits perfectly. I've also grown to love hemp inserts, though I find only a hemp insert leads to more leaks because it doesn't absorb as fast as Brendon pees. So a hemp plus a microfiber is what I use at bedtime. I also have one AIO that I'm testing out for Bitty Bums. So far that's been going well, though I want to use it through the day more.

My next diaper purchase will be more covers and prefolds, I think. Because if Brendon is still in diapers, he can wear the OS ones and Gavin can do the prefolds and covers for a while. One of my registeries has FuzziBuns diapers on it, I'm not sure which one, but maybe someone will by some?! :D I think I need to trim it down, I mean, after all, it is my 2nd boy. Maybe I'll go do that now, but there's just too much materialism appealing to my wants right now. Things that I made do with-out, but would have been soo nice.

Mark and I are trying to come up with a way that I can stay home after Gavin is born, permanently. Unless I choose to work part time/PRN or something. Pray that Mark's side business picks up, too. I might pick one of these companies to sign with as a consultor/demonstrator/representative for. I've been thinking about Uppercase Living. I'm having a party and I'm going to talk to Bryana about it. Everyone is doing almost everything else and I don't know anyone else doing that (and she lives in Vermont or somewhere up north).

Made with Love

2011-07-18T14:41:00.000-04:00

The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a Second Time Mom, MommyFerg is hosting a handmade, WAHM review and giveaway- Made With Love. She has lots of prizes, and easy entries. Go check her blog out, and enter to win! Or not, because I'd like to win!

Show-n-Tell: A Newborn Cloth Diaper Review

2011-07-17T16:42:00.000-04:00

Thinking about babies and seeing all my tiny diapers waiting for a tiny bum to fill them has got me thinking I could do a newborn cloth diaper review. I already have a few, and I'm branching out to see if I can get more-maybe even do a giveaway for some of them. If I have to buy them all myself, I'll do that, but I thought I'd present it to different diaper places. Let me know if you can think of someone who might want in.

I currently have:

Kissaluvs fitted, size 0

FuzziBunz extra small

Happy Hiney's Mini

Nifty Nappy Bitty Bums fitted

Thirsties cover size small

Bummis infant prefolds

Swaddlebees Simplex AIO size small

I need to create a button, for extra entries. Anyone want to help me out with directions or such?

Be prepared for picture overload!

2011-07-12T20:00:00.003-04:00

I am a bad documentarist. I can never remember to take pictures as I go. I just get so caught up in my work that having to stop to take a picture is disruptive. But, I managed a few.

the pattern, ready to be cut

My little paper pattern is getting a lot of exercise! I've cut three gowns so far, and I'm going to try to do two more. Three are for friends, and one is for me. The first one (that I wrote about last time) is the oops. I'm not going to use bias tape, I'll just fold-over and hem the edges and try to wear that one when the "birth processes" might get on it.

I forgot a few pictures...I told you!

So, this picture is after I've sewn something. I think I did half of the shoulder snaps and part of the side seams. Anyhow, it was enough that I needed a break.

Break time!! yummy ice cream sandwhiches!

Snaps! Who knew?!

So, here's the snaps. I thought four would work, but because those four were on such a short piece of snap tape, I went with three groups of 2, spaced out so they get the whole shoulder seam. I had a hard time figuring out how to sew them to stay, but not so the stitching looked like I went gung-ho on them.

sewing the seams so there are no raw edges

I figured that strings and stuff would be irritating, especially on a laboring woman, or one who just wants to enjoy her newborn. I first sewed the wrong sides together, then turned it and sewed the right sides together. The raw edges end up being encased and out of the way! No unraveling :D

wrong sides first, then right sides

After I did the front shoulder snaps, I did the side seams, then the back shoulder snaps. I just felt like that was more of a better progression because I just did.

sewing the back shoulder snaps

It was difficult to sew right on the edge of the snap tape, because right at the snaps, it was just. barely. enough. room. to catch the edge of the tape and not have to get the snap under the presser foot. Just believe me.


Oh, the ribbon in the back. I forgot what his picture was about...

The pattern just called for two ribbons, but I added three. One at the top, one mid-upper back, and one just below waist level (or at waist level, depending on how tall/short the model is)

Bias tape- the best thing since....snap tape!

I've used bias tape lots of times before, but I just realized a great thing! Bias tape has one side folded shorter than the other. I just figured that it was laziness on the machine's part that did it, and that it was approximated enough to work. Until now, that is. So, if you put the side with the longest fold in the back, and sew from the front, you can sew right along the edge of the top and it will catch the back side every. single. time. Sure, laugh at me, but I never knew/realized that!

Finished neckline.

Sewing the shorter side on the top, so it works!

I ran out of tape, so I only managed to get the neckline and one of the back seams done. There's enough to do part of other back seam, but I'd rather not have to join bias tape, it's a pain! I talked to the girl who I'm giving it to, and already told her it was going to be late.

Back

It looks like a big muumuu, but at least it's a cute printed muumuu, and you don't have to worry about who did what it in it last, "birth process" or other "processes"

With a ribbon, it gives it more shape!

I added a ribbon around the waist, and it really helps give more shape.

On a pregnant model (shh, don't tell her I tried on her gown!)

Six month basketball

Oh, I also added a few inches, four, I think. The girl is about my height, I think, (I'm an awful estimator!!) and the first gown hit my knees. This one is right below it.

I used the pattern from Lazy Girl Designs, but took some suggestions from this blog, Sweet 'n' Sassy Girls. Here's what I changed from Lazy Girl:

I used snap tape instead of velcro and a button. Snaps are less risky for "accidental" openings.
I added a third ribbon for extra coverage, just in case. Lots of visitors for a new baby and his momma. I'd like to make sure that everyone only sees the baby! LOL
I added a few inches to the hem, and rather than a ruffle like Sweet 'n' Sassy did, I just put a few extra inches on it. I thought about the ruffle, but then there's the gathering and spreading and it was just easier to lengthen it.
I turned the seams and used bias tape rather than zigzagging them. Zigzagging is just so casual, not what I'd do for a present, that I'd like to look professional. I'll add bias tape to the sleeve hems and bottom hem once I get more.

And it's one size fits (almost) all, so just because I have it fitting my six-month belly, doesn't mean it won't fit a nine-month belly. Plus, the ribbon isn't attached so she can tie it as tight or as loose as she needs.

So I just need one more pack of bias tape to finish it, and that'll be it! This girl's baby is due the middle of August (the 14th, the same day as Noelle would have been due, so I always remember her due date!). Another girl is due in the middle of September and her shower is the beginning of August, so I've got some time there. The third girl is due in September too, not sure when, but she and her family moved (via the Army) to Turkey, so I'm going to try to get hers out next.

It's BAAACK!!

2011-07-08T22:47:00.000-04:00

My creativity flew away for a long time, but it's back! I've got my sewing machine dusted off and my kitchen table has been repurposed again. I have an extra room for my craftiness, but there's currently a crib, a futon, a bazillion boxes and NO table in there. You only though they were all unpacked, but they really just went into the "office."

So the kitchen table has been borrowed. I've got several baby due-dates coming up (besides mine!) and my plan is to make hospital gowns for the mommas. I don't think either of them read this blog, so I think I'm safe :) I had to make a prototype first, kinda like the first kid or the first batch of cookies. LOL

So, here's a few pictures of the prototype gown-disclaimers first: I can't find my camera, so my phone did a stand-in; it's not 100% done, I don't have bias tape for the raw edges; and my mirror was filthy!


still kinda shapeless, but at least i know no one pooped on it!

Not too keen on this print, but it was the cheap fabric for the rough draft. I might keep it for delivery, when all the "birth process" is most likely to get on it :P

i know now that contortionism is out in future careers

The back-note the three ties-less likely to get the draft and the unfortunate feeling that your bare bum is exposed!

ignore the belly in the corner, I tried to suck it in!

And I even did the shoulders with snaps to go around IV's, cords, lines, and whatever else is deemed medically necessary!

So, rough draft completed, on to the real one tomrrow. The fabric I have for her is totally adorable. If she wants to wear it during birth and get the "birth process" on it (see, I'm keeping this post gore-free!) that's fine, at least pictures will have her in a pretty gown. My hospital gown I wore when Brendon was being born kept gaping at the pocket and showing...too much. These--no pockets! Yay!

On the Richter scale, this day is HUGE!

2011-06-27T11:35:00.000-04:00

Wow. If days had a scale, like the Richter Scale for earthquakes. The higher the number, the worse the event. So, I think today would be a 7 or 7.5. But, I think it has the potential for lots of other things to raise that number. So, what's gone on to make it so bad? Ha, glad you asked, because I'm about to tell you!

First, I woke up every 2 hours. See, I'm on-call today, for work. I kept having nightmares like, they called of staff that was in overtime (on a Monday!?) and called me in, instead. Nevermind the fact that overtime and on-call pay is the same hourly wage! I knew they would call at 5:15, and I kept telling myself that, and I would just expect to be awoken and told to come in. I told myself that, and I was OK with it. But my body didn't listen. I kept wondering what time it was, if they had called, where's my pillow, what's that noise, why is the A/C blowing. Gah!

Second, I spilled about a gallon of water on the bathroom floor and forgot to rinse the conditioner from my hair. The water leaked around the shower curtain, so who knows how much it really was, but it soaked up two towels, my PJ's and the rug. In my hurried state, I quickly jumped out of the shower to clean it up and never got back in. So, I forgot to rinse the conditioner from my hair. I thought it felt kinda different, but I thought I just had stuff on my hands, as I was putting it up. Now, it's crunchy and stiff. I'd rinse it in the sink, but I haven't done the dishes yet.

Third, Brendon threw his iPod in the tub (filled with water) because he didn't want to watch Toy Story, so he got a time out and could only read books. I went back to cleaning the tub. Well, he didn't want to read books, and he let me know it. He was trying to climb on my back and legs and I was bent over the tub and toilet trying to clean. This is the last week we have to clean and return the keys to the apartment office, so I was so thankful to not have to work, but number four kind of makes me wish I had.

Fourth, Brendon threw my phone in the toilet I was trying to clean. I know, I should have learned my lesson, and now I have. But he would not leave me alone and he would not stop whining. Hello, terrible twos. So I gave him my phone to play his little games on. Something happened, maybe a text to interupt it, and he came to me. I guess I didn't fix it quick enough because he got mad and threw it in the TOILET! It was in there maybe 2-3 seconds, but that was enough to shut it off. Now, it's buried in rice, along with the iPod.

Fifth (isn't that enough? no?) I called work to tell them my predicament, that I'm with out phone access and I fully expected them to say, "Oh, I doubt we'll need you, but ok, we'll email you." Instead, I get "We'll most likely need you, but I don't know when."

Pray, pray really hard that I'm not needed because I have a lot I need to do, mainly laundry and grocery shopping. The laundry is all the dirty stuff collected from the apartment that we just carried over here, yes, in trash bags. Most of it has been dealt with. There's one basket and a small pile, plus the winter stuff. Like I said, that'll probably be around for a while.

Ok, time to get lunch ready and get Brendon up from his morning nap-he REALLY needed it! I'll post more about my cloth wipes challenge, that I'm flunking, so far!

Wipes Challenge: June 22-July 22

2011-06-21T21:05:00.000-04:00

I've taken the plunge. I'm joining up with April from Mama on a Green Mission. The reason-to save money and our trash! I felt a little disappointed that I couldn't participate in the last challenge, but it was just impractical. This I can do. The Challenge is to use only cloth wipes from June 22- July 22. Since BAM's sitter uses disposable diapers, I'm not going to make her use cloth wipes, and besides, it's not ME doing it...well, in a sense, it is, but I can't change that much. When Brendon is home (at least with me, I doubt MCM will be big on this...) I'll be using cloth wipes with his cloth diapers.

my wipes solutions

I've made a few different wipes solutions to go with them. The left one is made with apple cider vinegar, very dilute-so it won't burn the butt. The middle is baby lotion and baby shampoo-both lavender. The left one is vitamin E and baby shampoo, regular. I used the vitamin E one today, and at first I sprayed the wipe, but that was silly, so I sprayed BAM's butt. He giggled and said "more?" Ha!

recognize the fabric? it's left over quilt stuff!

I made several styles of wipes, mostly because I got lazy and bored with how I was doing it. I have a few that are turned and top-stitched, several that are zig-zagged edges in flannel. Then today I whipped up a batch that are zig-zagged with a cotton side and a chamois side. Say it with me OOOH-AAAAH! They're super-soft. Can you imagine how luxurious it would feel? *ahem* Anyways. Then I got lazy and did a single tiny stitch around the edges. In the wash, they did fray, but I'll trim the long pieces and they should be ok.

smooth, like butter!

Oh, I just thought of something. Do I need to store the extra solution in the fridge? I think I read something like that somewhere. Eh, I don't think so. So, who's with me? Take the Challenge!!

A new place to call home

2011-06-18T22:00:00.000-04:00

So, we finally got out of the apartments and the neighbors that park in our spot, stomp up and down the stairs, and whine (well, the little girl whines, and the mom whines back). We found a cute little house not too much further down the road, about 5 minutes. It's a older house, but it's been built onto recently. There's four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a front living room, a kitchen/dining room, and a den. A nice sized yard (yucky grass though), a garage and a back porch. All-in-all, it's a fairly nice house. We officially moved in this weekend...yesterday, to be specific.

Our first night in the house had some little bumps, like I can't find the cord to the griddle, so our pancakes were made on the stove-not too bad. Mark almost cut my finger off in the dishwasher, but it just bruised and became a little swollen, so not too-too bad. And Brendon wouldn't go to sleep, until about 9:30. That was pretty bad. He was so excited, plus the room was a little different, the bed was different, and the noise was gone. Seriously this house is soo quiet. It's like, we have no one else living here--Oh wait, there is no one else!

I've got pictures, but just on my phone, and I am way to lazy to post them from there. I'll put them on facebook, most of you that read this are my friend anyways, so just go check them out, once I put them up there.

Brendon's favorite part of the house is split between the carpet, standing on the couch to look out the window, the yard and the fact that he can run laps around the house! LOL He lays down on the carpet and rubs the back of his head back and forth and grins.

On the baby front: we're having a BOY! I'm about 5 1/2 months, 22 weeks, for those who know weeks. Morning sickness is a thing of the past-AMEN! My belly will not be hid anymore, and I have reached the point where I will wearing the same handful of clothes for the rest of the summer/fall.

Some times slacking has it's perks!

2011-05-14T20:13:00.000-04:00

Because I've been a blog slacker, I missed the entire Blogger dysfunction. This morning, Brendon and I went strawberry picking! We had a ton of fun, at least, I did. Brendon seemed to enjoy himself. He at about half a dozen strawberries and had the face to prove it! Then this afternoon/evening we cooked. I made a banana pudding, and added strawberries, and then a strawberry cobbler. I mean, if one can make pumpkin cobbler, then strawberry cobbler shouldn't be a problem. They both turned out beautifully! You'll have to see my FB page for pictures because I'm a failure and lazy. But we're definitely going to go again this season!

Wow, you look GREAT!

2011-05-08T16:56:00.000-04:00

Pregnancy is a difficult time for the pregnant person and her friends. I mean, whether the baby bump is big or little, you can't just say "you look so small" because theoretically if the pregnant person has been though a lot of morning sickness, other physical ailments, AND non of her pants fit, just saying something as innocent as "you barely look pregnant! wow!" can feel like a slap in the face. No, they may not have known all that I she has been through, the weeks of morning sickness, the migraines, the forgetfulness, the mornings of nothing-fits. And, I'm not about to come clean and say "let me tell you what I've been through" because it doesn't matter. But instead of saying "wow you look like you have nothing to show for all your work these past 16 weeks," how about "wow, you look GREAT!" And, it works the other way. When someone looks like they're about to deliver an elephant at 20 weeks along, you don't say "wow, you look so biig!" because believe me, she KNOWS how big she looks. You just say "you look GREAT" and leave it at that. Unless you are in the same boat-then you can compare abdomens. Just be careful to tread lightly as you would want her to tread.

I'm not bemoaning my "condition" or the word choices, just coming up with something to write about, something that has been mulling around in my head. Being at work and pregnant, I get that all the time. Once I was asked how I felt, and I said "fat" because I did. None of my pants fit (surprising because they're SCRUBS!), but it was true. I was laughed at. She said "You're not serious!" and I felt so embarrassed. Just because my pregnant belly isn't as big as some people's normal self, doesn't mean I don't have my fat-feeling days. If a bigger person can feel skinny in a size smaller as she's working out, then I can feel fatter as my unborn child pushes me out of my normal sizes.

Wow, you look GREAT!

Did i forget to tell you?

2011-04-10T16:25:00.000-04:00

i think i did. please excuse the all lower case; i'm going one handed because my toddler is sleeping in that arm. why? because he woke up early from his nap and would only sleep on mama.
but, the newest news of all: drum roll please...no, seriously, i can't say it without a proper drum roll. oh, come on, everyone can do it! just bang your hands on your lap, it's not that hard! thank you!

so, mark and i are adding to our family again! yup, we're getting a puppy! a cute little--oh, not a puppy? but brendon wants one so bad! fine. we'll have a baby then. you can't tell me they're not allowed here! i'm due mid-late october :)

i've een super sick. i don't rwmember being this sick with brendon. i do remember being sick, throwing up in the morning and at night, but i don't remember the mid-day stuff. everything i read about morning sickness with number 2 was, "i didn't notice it as much" and "running around with little [other child] made it seem not as bad". not here. i've had to put brendon down suddenly and run to the bathroom before. once the bathrooms despirately needed a cleaning, so i threw up in the living room in a trash bag...brendon watched and when i was done, proceeded to show me what i looked like, leaning over the bag. he even added sound effects. i had to laugh, it was just so cute.

so there you have it. i'll probably be back next month... :)

ISO: amber teething necklaces STAT!

2011-03-07T16:35:00.000-05:00

Does anyone make amber teething necklaces and want to help my poor teething, cranky toddler out? It's been awful! I know he can't help it, and it's part of life, but I think I'd rather have more than one tooth come through at once. We went though this a few weeks ago, and then all of the sudden *poof* there was one of his eye teeth. Now, I'm waiting and watching for another one.

The fever, the crying, the tears, the non-sleeping, the acetaminophen, the ibuprofen, the Orajel. Oh my word! I'm beginning to hate the smell of Orajel. And Brendon now fights the meds.

But we will get through this, and we will do it two more times! But I'm serious about the amber teething necklaces! I don't have any extra $$, but I'm willing to do a trade, for some sewing skills. Seriously, I can make a ton of things without patterns, and just about anything if there is a pattern.

He woke up from his nap, still cranky and snuggly. We sat on the couch and I rocked a little, and he fell back asleep! Was not expecting that, but he's been asleep for about another hour on the couch. Poor guy.

Butt Paste? Pass Boudreaux's! (review)

2011-03-02T10:02:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Boudreaux's Butt Paste. All opinions are 100% mine.

I only heard of Boudreaux's Butt Paste from a blog I was reading, this mom of 6 kids went shopping and her kid kept dropping random items in her cart. She did her best to deter this. One item was butt paste. She goes "Oh, {son} I didn't know you were out of butt paste!" HA!

Then, I got a tube as a baby shower present. Thankfully, Brendon never really had much problems with diaper rash. Once he was teething and had a bad rash when he pooped, Boudreaux's Butt Paste cleared it up! Seriously! It would be there, I'd change his diaper use the paste, and next diaper change, it was gone! And it protected his skin from any more rashes! {exclamation point!!} LOL

I'd only heard of other brands, white and pasty. Boudreaux's is more of a cream colored, and actually smells pretty nice. Boudreaux's Butt Paste® was specifically formulated by a pharmacist with direction from a respected pediatrician to provide effective diaper rash care. So you know that it's pediatrician recommended!

I like that Boudreaux's Butt Paste actually wipes off my fingers and on to Brendon's butt easily! and when it's time to change his diaper, it wipes off him with one wipe! You can get it lots of convenient sizes, 1oz, 2oz, 3oz and 4oz tubes, 16oz jar! Never be without! The tubes can be a small handy travel size, have a nice flip top cap.

The paste is made of 16% zinc oxide (so, no it's not safe for cloth diapers, but you can use a fleece liner!) and Peruvian Balsam, which helps it treat diaper rash and soothes irritated skin, and smell pleasent.

Not only do mom's love it, but TV loves it too. it's been featured on the Oprah Show, Tonight Show, Today Show, in People Magazine, ESPN, and Whil You Were Out (TLC)!

Did you know that you can visit their site for a free sample to test out for your self? They also have an "all natural" version.

How I make my covers

2011-03-01T15:28:00.000-05:00

When I make my covers, first, I cut out the fabric and PUL layers. Duh. Sometimes I do it together, sometimes separately. It just depends on the *mood* LOL Then I sew the soft touch tape to the tummy end, but only to the fabric, not the PUL layer too.

tummy touch tape sewed in place

Then, I place the two pieces together and trim if needed. If don't cut them together (or sometimes, even if I do!) I end up with extra wide curves or extra fabric, especially if I've cut out the pattern on a fold. I think the fold makes it wider, because it doesn't crease (you can see my pile over there <---).

yah, yah, yah, i know it's looks funky. But it works!

So I've matched up the layers and decide where the gather should go. I do have them marked on my pattern, but I just never remember to mark them when I'm cutting. Besides, they all end up in about the same areas. I know where I want them, so it all ends up good.

make sure you place the pins close to the edge, so you don't get extra holes

Next comes the FOE, or fold-over elastic. This stuff is amazing. It's totally forgiving, and stretches as much or as little as you want. I don't actually start sewing at the end of the FOE. I give it a little tale, and pin until the corner. I always say I'm going to round my tabs, but each time, I never do. I just plow through. It's tedious, but I get a certain satisfaction when I see it finished.

Hi Snoopy! I'm glad you look good in brown!

Then, using a wide, short, three-step zig-zag, I sew around, stretching the FOE at the designated parts. I didn't take a picture of this, because I tend to focus to closely on it. Usually, I can get the FOE on with out stopping except to sew the FOE raw edges together, but I had to add a few inches, so I did have to stop and start a few times, but unless you look closely for it, it's not noticeable.

need the right stitch!

Then, the sticky touch tape. Someone reviewed a cover and said the tabs didn't stay closed that well, so I lengthened the sticky part, hopefully, they won't curl or come apart as easily. I really don't have a problem with it, but Brendon is always wearing pants. Our house is just too drafty/cold with out pants.

zigged around the touch tape to keep fraying enclosed

I added an extra tab of soft touch tape, mainly because this is a medium, but the opening looked a bit big. It probably won't need it, but it doesn't hurt the function of the cover. Overlap! I couldn't remember what it was called! Overlapping touch tape. *sigh* I need more sleep.

overlapping touch tape, in case the bebe is skinny!

And I'm done. It took about an hour, but that's only if I'm alone (AKA Brendon is napping) LOL. He just loves to help. He loves pushing the reverse button.

it's finished! I loove admiring my handiwork. And see the green PUL! *love*

Here's the one I did the other day, compared to the one today. See how Snoopy is upside down on the crotch part of the one on the right? I forgot to add a seam to swap the direction of Snoopy. But it's just a small part.


Medium with brown FOE, small with Green FOE

The medium cover has an owner, but the small is up for grabs. Anyone going to have a 15lb-er around March? Anyone?

(PUL is PolyUrithane Laminate, waterproof on one side, and polyester-fabric on the other. Touch tape is generic "Velcro." Can't call it Velcro because I heard they sued for their name. FOE is fold-over elastic. It has a seam that makes it fold easily, perfect for binding!)

My fluff

2011-02-26T07:19:00.000-05:00

Alright. I guess it's time I humbled myself and say what I never, ever dreamed I'd say (Yes, Amy Grace, I'm thinking of you!) I love my cloth diapers!! *deep breath* I love my cloth diapers!

Daddy bought a new gun. Mommy bought new diapers! Yay!!

Oh, hi! I...uh...scoffed at the idea of cloth diapers because of the laundry. I despise laundry. Right now, I have a mountain (although it's dwindling bit by bit) of dirty laundry up stairs, a basket full of clean laundry up stairs (maybe two..?), one down stairs, drier full of clothes, and washing machine full of diapers. I'm never caught up. I'm always finding clothes I had forgotten I loved because I hadn't washed it in a month. Huh, maybe that should be a sign I have too many clothes?

Covers I made myself! and yes, I do use the ones I keep

But really, adding two loads a week? Like a sprinkler during a rainstorm. Don't worry, I'm not trying to convert you, but I feel like I need to come clean. I feel good about not throwing so many diapers away. I felt like I needed to keep them on Brendon as long as possible to not use as many through out the day. And, honestly, some times I wanted to put a diaper BACK on after bath-time for the night if it wasn't really *that* wet. No, I never did, but I seriously thought about it.

Attempting to be organized, yeah right, it's usually empty!

I've only used disposables for the babysitter this week, Monday and Tuesday. I think Mark's going to use them this weekend when I work, but I've saved a couple dozen of diapers from the trash this week. Even though *crosses fingers* Brendon will be out of diapers soon *ish, soon-ish* they'll last for the next kid. I have two pocket diapers I made (used to have three until one broke in the wash), two covers (used to be three until one fell apart), one fleecie (pull on cover), and about a dozen or so prefolds I lay in the covers. I have three BumGeniuses, two Fuzzibuns, two Happy Hineys, two Babykicks 3.0, and two (used to be one, but I got a free one, in fact, they were both free with orders!). I have a pre-loved BumGenius 3.0, 6 KaWaii baby diapers (soon to be 5 because I'm sending one back-it's snap broke!).

new fluff!

I've started picking out the best diapers I like, and want to get more of them. One is the BumGenius, and one is BabyKicks. I hope to get some more pictures up, but Brendon has all of the sudden become camera ~~shy~~ angry. He throws a fit when I turn it on around him, I think it's because I'm using it and not him.

Mommy's creations...the kid and the diaper! LOL

Anyways, this is my change for our children's planet. I'm sorry, I like my hot showers waay to much to give them up. YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!

All about BAM

2011-02-24T22:14:00.000-05:00

Brendon's ~~vocabu~~ words just keep expanding.

mama
dada
baby
elmo
steve
up
please
thank you
banana
juice
milk
cookie
eat
more
hi
bye-bye
night-night
morning
book
shoes
two
minion (from Despicable Me)
teeth
water
bike
hat
boom (as in, did you fall down and go boom?)
stuck
pee-pee
poo-poo (typical boy, huh?

He can point to his head, hair, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, tongue, teeth, belly, belly button, fingers, toes, pants, shirt, shoes, socks, hat.

He says hi and morning spontaneously when I get him up from his bed. We were outside today and it was cold and raining, and he patted his head and said "hat?"

He signs please, and milk and more. He waves bye-bye, and blows kisses.

When he falls down or bumps something (just not hard), he says "boom" until I say "did you fall down and go boom?" If he really gets hurt, he brings the hurt part to me to kiss.

He loves taking baths, especially now that he gets to color his water! I think that's his favorite part of bath time, dropping in the thingies.

He is truly his father's son, he dislikes wearing socks/footie PJ's or having his feet tucked in the blankets.

He is his mother's son and shares a love of books and reading. Today, after I got out of the shower, I found him in his room (gated in of course!) on his bed, reading books. It truly melted my heart to see that. *gushes*

He is 19 months old, weighs about 30lbs, wearing 18-24month clothes (mostly 24 month, some 18 month cause that's what we have). He can go up and down the stairs like it's nobody's business. He doesn't like to go outside when it's cold. He tries to take his jacket off when we get home, and put it in the closet. He takes his shoes and socks off whenever we get in the van.

He won't sleep in his regular bed any more, even changed to a toddler bed. He sleeps on a futon, with his two blankets, MY body pillow, and several stuffed animals. We might just put the crib frame away for a bit and have a little extra room.

Oh! Something new, he points to me and mark and himself when asked "Where's Mama/Dada/Brendon?" It's so cute! AND! (I know!!) his top right canine tooth has poked through! All those sleepless nights and napless days have paid off!

I'll try to do better about blogging, but I get bored easily...I wonder if that's why I have so many projects going on...hmm...LOL

Hi, do I know you?

2011-02-01T22:54:00.000-05:00

I should have waited a few more weeks, then I could have made it a full month of being a slacker! Ugh, I just don't have enough time to do what I want to do, and I want to do it all. *sigh* I really should designate certain days for certain activities. But there's just now knowing what will come up for which days. Blogger only lets you have one scheduled post at a time, and I thought about just writing a bunch of posts, entertaining of course, and scheduling them all for several weeks, but I'm sure you can tell how that ended up.
My friend Amy G had her baby boy! Finally! LOL one of her last FB status's was something about that baby being evicted. I'm glad he decided to come out. Recently, one of our new friends announced they were pregnant. She's due the day before I was. I'm so happy for her, really, and I'm doing really well with not being jealous :) I was able to get in some quality bitty-baby time with EBV, a few-week old infant (not too sure about the age there :D). AH! So cute, fun, adorable, and lovable!
I've been perfecting my sewing skills, in between working on my SIL's quilt. It was first supposed to be for her birthday, but you all know that I am a slacker, so then it was Christmas, and well, maybe it'll be done by President's Day!
Ok, enough talking, work has been driving me into the mud these past few days, so I'm taking my heiney to bed while my wonderful sister is wrecking havoc in my kitchen, under the pretense of doing my dishes.

Cheese, Accomplishments and Christmas

2011-01-13T23:03:00.000-05:00

Brendon loves my camera. Whenever he sees it, he says "cheese" although it doesn't sound like "cheese." I guess it's his version of it :) He hates it when I try to take pictures of something else, like a diaper that's on him. He fusses until I point it at his face and say "say cheese!" Then, of course, he wants to see the picture, then use the camera himself. He picked it up this evening and pointed it at his face and walked around saying "cheese, cheese"!

While he was napping today, I managed to get quite a bit done.

I made some microfiber soakers for my diapers. The animal print is microfleece, which is a stay dry material. Two of them have a flannel backing. I thought it'd be nice to have to touch the microfiber (I hate the way it feels) but it was so much work, so I skipped it on the last two.

I made a fleecie for a girl who won one at a giveaway. I really like the way it turned out. I was able to center a sheep on the front, but the back is a bit off center, but still cute!

Here's two other fleecies recently made. The blue flower one for Lilac City Momma's cloth diaper even going on soon. I just hope I can get it mailed to her before it's over! I'm planning on mailing it tomorrow. I hope she likes it. I hope it works well for her and brings me lots of business!

I made a smaller fleecie, with the circle print, but I forgot to take a picture of it when I was done. I also worked on a bag for Tonya, as part of the Pay It Forward status on FB a few weeks ago. I really like the way it's turning out, I might need to make me one, too! LOL

Brendon and I went emergency grocery shopping this morning, and did lots of laundry too!

Oh! Yesterday, I took down the Christmas tree, and let Brendon hold each ornament and help me wrap it up before we put it away. I thought we had finished all of the, but Brendon kept signing "more" and pointing at the tree. I figured he just wanted some more, but come to find out (as I was taking the tree apart) he had seen several ornaments *coughfivecough* LOLI also forgot to include the tree stand, the stockings and the ornament hooks. So, they'll be kicking around downstairs until I remember to take them up stairs.

my "other" family, uh, blog

2011-01-09T14:15:00.000-05:00

I started a new blog where I'm going to do reviews...did I already tell you this? I don't remember. But, it's for reviews around my house and the blog about giveaways going around. it's here. I was there today, blogging, which I have another review in the makings, but I noticed that the google friend connect is lacking...uh...friends. I'm not sure how it works, I've tried many times to find my friends, the blogs I've friended on it, but I'm incompetent at that. But, please, go friend my blog. It really needs some loving! And if any of you have any advise about how to find which blogs I've liked/friended/followed, please share!!!

FB, Etsy and Giveaways

2011-01-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I didn't tell you about my FB fan page. and probably not about my etsy shop either. My etsy shop needs some work. it's here and missing some pictures of current prints and stuff I've already made. My FB fan page is here and it's got the current pics, plus some links to a giveaway going on at Fabulous Family Reviews. I've got a fleecie up for a giveaway, then one for sale and PUL cover for sale.

See the whirlwind of my life and DELURK!

2011-01-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

so much has happened since Christmas. I can't believe it's only been two weeks! As my last post mentioned, we had a family vacation. In Mississippi. With cloth diapers. With the flu. With a tornado watch. Wow. Lots of excitement there, then we had some excitement when we got home. First, I messed up my paid leave and only got 1/2 of a paycheck. Then I had to make multiple trips to the doctor/hospital/lab. Hopefully we've got it all sorted out.

Our Christmas tree is still up and lit. Our stockings are still hung up. Our suitcase of dirty clothes JUST got emptied onto the floor of the laundry room. Our suitcase of clean clothes (there was a washer there, so I did some laundry) is sitting at the top of the stairs as opposed to the bottom where it was this morning.

Since the beginning of December I've taken 6 days off work for sicknesses, 3 days off for our vacation, and 1 day off (this is unpaid because my paid leave ran out) for doctor/hospital visits.

I've procured some testers for my diapers in different sizes. I can only test one size on Brendon, and I feel kinda weird asking non-cloth diaper users to borrow their baby. I did once, and it was really awkward. I'm waiting for a shipment of velcro before I can start sewing.

I've got a fleecie made and waiting shipment to a reviewer/tester. Not my design, but I'm allowed to sell them. It turned out really cute!

I just did a load of dishes (first one since being back from vacation on Monday night) and I already have another load of dirty JUST from dishes collected from the living room. I think they multiply in this one corner over here. *looks towards Mark* :D

So, see, it's been a very full month. But....!

Please, delurk and leave me some love! I need it!

2010-12-30T22:35:00.000-05:00

Ah, internets!! We're on vacation in Mississippi visiting my husband's family and childhood friends. It's the deep south! I was worried that Brendon might start really talking and end up with a southern drawl, but I don't think that's very likely. But anyways, the town we're staying in doesn't have high speed internets, or 3G coverage to use my phone. I mamnage to skimp along for email and facebook and reading blogs, but that's it. We went to some other town for a get-together and this town gas 3G! I've got so much to say, so I'd better get started before the 3G goes away. I'll wrote tidbits now, so I remember what I want to say when we get back home.
First, I was brave and travelled with cloth diapers. I pondered over it for a long time: do I bring them all; do I bring my laundry soap or just stick to vinegar and baking soda; do I chicken out and use disposables; do I put BAM in cloth diapers to travel in; is there a washer and drier handy? That washer/drier was a deal buster. If there was not, then no go. But there is one here and the vinegar baking soda is working great (with arm & hammer detergent). We went half the way in cloth, but I didn't want to have to stop so often so my clothies don't leak. And I'm still using disposables at night, but that might change. I found affordable cloth diapers! Like less than $10 for an all in one!
So far it's going really well. I like the most recent cover I made. It's wider in the crotch, so the prefolds sit inside the PUL rather than on top. Does that make sense? I'd have made another one, but I'm out of Velcro :( I brought my fleecies, and even had a chance to use them on my niece. She had a poopy diaper and her mommy and daddy were gone. I looked for those diapers as much as I could without peeking through their suitcases. So I grabbed the newest one of Brendon's and a fleecie. At first she didn't care, but after a while, she stated checking to see what that thing was between her legs.
Man, I misses posting this while we still had 3G. Meh, might as well keep going, huh.

One more thing, I'm working on Tata's quilt during the kids naptime, and it's going well. The binding (hand stitched binding!!) is about 1/2 of the way done. Then I just need to machine quilt the squares. I might send it to mom to do that. She offered to help, just depends if she has her machine around.

That's it. Until 3G again!

Tom's of Maine: Natural Toothpaste and Mouthwash

2010-12-27T13:00:00.001-05:00

This post brought to you by Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

I once overheard someone saying that if you don't want to eat it, why would you put it on your body. She was referring to deodorant and lotion and such. That makes sense, because even though you're not ingesting it, whatever you apply to your body does get absorbed. Tom's Of Maine has dedicated themselves to producing natural personal care products.

They carry deodorant, mouthwash, toothpaste, soap and dental floss. I never thought about dental floss as something that needs to be natural, but they have it!

When I checked out their website, the first think i noticed was the pictures. They look very personal, but I kept going. I checked out their toothpaste. I'm super picky about my toothpaste. I've used toothpaste that seems to only make your mouth taste slightly minty, and I've used toothpaste that leaves you feeling like an atomic bomb went off in there. Tom's of Maine claims to fix that. Their Wicked Fresh!™ Long-lasting Fresh Breath Toothpaste gives you cavity protection and uses powerful natural flavor oils and a patent-pending botanical extract to provide long-lasting fresh breath. So, no worries for atomic burn or slightly minty. :D

Tom's of Maine also makes some great mouthwash, that helps stop bad breath without the burn. Tom's of Maine's great tasting Wicked Fresh!™ Mouthwash refreshing mint flavors leave your whole mouth feeling clean. Again, no atomic bomb going off in your mouth!

Perhaps you've heard of and tried Tom's of Maine? If so, you'll want to check this out. You can share your Wicked Fresh moments for a chance to win Wicked Fresh!™ Prizes at the That's Wicked Fresh contest page.

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to try it, I'm still waiting for Tom's of Maine to get back to me, but I'm really excited to be able to try it. I'll let you know if I do get some and if I like it as much as I think I will. :)

To keep yourself updated with what Tom's of Maine is doing, I advise you to follow Tom’s of Maine on Facebook and on Twitter @TomsofMaine.You never know what you might find!

Christmas tree, presents, diaper

2010-12-25T10:00:00.000-05:00

I thought I'd share a picture of Brendon's Christmas diaper. I've had this one waiting so it'd be clean for tonight for ever!

Side note: I still don't like blogger's picture loader thingy. Ugh.

Happier note: I love my baby's fluffy butt!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T22:28:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Christmas songs, sung by an a capella group called Glad:

In the First Light

In the first light of a new day no one knew he had arrived
Things continued as they had been while a newborn softly cried
But the heavens wrapped in wonder knew the meaning of his birth
In the weakness of a baby they knew God had come to earth

As his mother held him closely it was hard to understand
That her baby, not yet speaking, was the word of God to man
He would tell them of his kingdom but their hearts would not believe
They would hate him and in anger they would nail him to a tree

But the sadness would be broken as the song of life arose
And the firstborn of creation would ascend and take his throne
He had left it to redeem us but before his life began
He knew he'd come back, not as a baby, but as the Lord of every man

Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes again to earth
Hear the angels as they're singing on the morning of his birth
But how much greater will our song be when he comes to rule the earth!

It gets me every time I hear it. Oh, I need a tissue...
{happiness}

I'm a big kid now!

2010-12-23T07:21:00.003-05:00

So, Brendon's crib is no longer a crib, but a toddler bed. He actually did really good with bedtime. He went down with no fuss at all, and I crossed my fingers that he would fall asleep quickly. I was down stairs when I heard the pitter-patter of feet and the creak of the door. *sigh* at least there's a baby gate in front of his doorway, so he won't get loose, and I ~~baby~~ ~~toddler~~ Brendon-proofed his room this afternoon. I kept waiting for him to cry to throw his pacifier over the gate, but he never did. I started up the steps then I heard *little feet running*. I peeked in on him and told him he needed to stay in bed and go to sleep. Back down stairs I went.
We repeated this once or twice more. I thought it was so cute that he didn't even whimper, he just stood there. I have no clue what he was trying to do, but every time I went upstairs he'd run back into bed. So I stayed upstairs on the bed.
He got up once more, this time I let him stand there. He stood there silently for about 10 minutes, then for about 5 minutes, he whimpered a little. Not crying/whining, but more of a grunting with his pacifier in his mouth. It started to get worse, so I knew he was getting tired. I would be too! I led him back to bed with a little persuasion. He stayed in bed for a while longer and was so quiet, I thought he had finally fallen asleep, so I went downstairs. I guess the creaky stairs reminded him that he was still awake, and he creeped back out. *creak* went the door. I went up stairs and had a "discussion" with him, and he ended up crying big sobbing tears, so I knew he was so tired. It'd been an hour at this point.
So I took him back to bed and dried his tears and climbed in to bed with him. I facebooked and messaged a friend about this and that while he lied next to me falling asleep. Oh, I was texting Mark too, about where I might be when he came home. FINALLY he was drowsy enough for me to slip away without him caring. There's a mattress next to his bed, toys in the off position, babygate at his doorway, and a towel to keep the door from latching just awaiting his arousal in the morning. I fear he might wake early and be too excited to put himself back to sleep.
But we have embarked on a journey that is not to be undone. Wish us luck! Next mountain, pacifier free! Coming early 2011!

No, there's no physical problems why we are moving our baby-turned-big-boy from all these baby associated items. We just feel that somethings are ready to move on. Brendon was climbing up and down the couches, doing steps up and down, so we felt as if he would safely sleep in a toddler bed. That's all.

Christmas Blessings

2010-12-22T14:00:00.001-05:00

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and encouragement during these past few days. I did miscarry the baby and our angel is back in the arms of Jesus. I had written this post and planned to publish it with an entirely different mood, but God's thoughts are better than mine and has better plans. At the doctor's office, my doctor said something that is kinda hit me a little, but it's true. She goes, "Once you start talking about miscarriages, you find out that more people have had them then you know. No one talks about them, because it sucks." And it does, but I know I have a great web of friends and family around me, just waiting if we need anything. Thank you, all, again. {love}

On December 5th, I wrote:

our Christmas blessing

I'm writing this at the beginning of December, but I'm not actually going to post it until after January. Why? Because I don't want to spoil it, and because announcing one's pregnancy via blog to family is probably not going to get on their good side.
Yup, Brendon is going to be a big brother by the middle of August. I'm picking out "the shirt" for him to wear around Mark's parents, and I think I'll buy a present for my parents to open while we video chat with them.
I just hope it all works out and turns out cool rather than dorky.

Question of the Week

2010-12-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

From the Cloth Diaper Whisperer:
Do you ever coordinate cloth diapers with clothing?

Head over to the Cloth Diaper Whisperer and leave your answer before Thursday, Dec.23rd at 7pm EST for a chance to win a FuzziBunz!

I'll love you forever

2010-12-16T07:08:00.003-05:00

"I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."

Wednesday night was the Christmas story at church. Not "the Christmas story" story, but a story pertaining to Christmas. Pastor sits in the front in a story-time type chair, and his wife sits next to him, kinda like Grandma/Grandpa. This year it was a story about how the Christmas tree came to be.
All the kids, from college age to newborn goes up front and sits around their feet, around the Christmas tree and listens. Brendon and I walked up there, and he found his friends, Paul and Jesse (maybe 10 and 14, I'm horrible at guesstimating ages or even remembering!) and sat with them.
He left me alone, sitting on the pew. I felt like he's so grown up. I was thinking how last year I held him in my arms as he just flopped around and this night he left me. About 3/4 of the way through the story, he looked back at me and saw me and I saw my baby boy.

He's 1 1/2 years old. We've already had the discussion where he promises to always be my baby, no matter how old he gets and how many other kids we have after him. I think it's time for I'll love you forever.

"The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, "this kid is driving me CRAZY!"

But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
my baby you'll be."

~Robert Munsch

Paper or Plas--nope and no paper, either

2010-12-15T22:40:00.000-05:00

I was wrapping our presents the other day. Well, "their" presents, because I don't wrap my present--never mind, I remember I did. ha! Anyways, I was wrapping presents, Brendon was "helping," as always. He saw the thing I was wrapping, a pillow pet, for BEE (a bee for BEE!! ha!) and Brendon thought it was interesting for about 2.3 seconds, so I figured he was done with it, and I started to wrap it up.
BIG MISTAKE! Brendon started to cry, not just whine-whimper-I-want-it-back-sniff, but BLOODY-WHAT-ARE-YOU-DOING-TO-ME!-SCREAM.
I was seriously shocked. I pulled off the paper, hadn't taped it yet, and he laughed and pointed to hit. So, I did the whole "say good bye," thing, and started again. He actually pushed the paper off of it. Eventually I got it wrapped, and it wasn't easy. Not just because of Brendon, though. Go ball up a soft fluffy blanket in a loose pile, and attempt to wrap it with just enough paper. Go ahead, I'll wait, I've got time.

Yeah, wasn't that hard? Thought so.

I thought that he just didn't like things he liked disappearing. After that, I wrapped a front end loader that has buttons and makes noises and stuff. Brendon fussed over that too. And that one was for him. [[What? it's not like he's going to remember -- "oh yeah, I already saw that one, I don't need to push that button again." Come on, he's a toddler and a boy, he lives for button pushing!]] So, the next one I wrapped a boring bottle of puzzle glue, you know, for when the puzzle is finished and you want to make sure you can show it off. All that work, all those hours, the squinting, and loss of hair were not in vain! So, he didn't even bat an eyelash when he picked it up. I started to wrap it. He went ballistic again! I showed it too him, and he pointed to it, but made it very clear that he didn't like this items being suffocated in their paper wrappings.
Eh, he'll get over it. Either that, or one day, all our presents will be presented to us on a platter. Maybe some greenery for distraction and garnish...

Christmas pictures!!

2010-12-10T22:35:00.003-05:00

I might not have Christmas pictures taken, but I've got the photo cards planned out!

I thought Shutterfly was just about getting photos printed and maybe a mug or a mouse pad as a gift. Let me tell you, my eyes have been opened! Ha.
I went over to their site, since we're getting Christmas/family pictures taken this weekend by our friend. You know, I needed to have something to send out to show off how big/adorable/whatever Brendon is getting :) I think I found the design I wanted. We're planning on wearing color-coordinating fleeces/shirts and light-wash blue jeans. I don't care for the traditional type of Christmas cards, or anything, I like stuff different. Shutterfly has what I want. So, my top pick, THIS one.

Believe me, it was tough. There were about 600 CHRISTMAS card styles! A big thing for us, is to have the card say "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays" or something generic.

Another thing I really want to order for a family member (can't say who because they might read this, and plus I might be too lazy to get it before Christmas) are these Snap books. I mean, we aren't the kind of family to have the picture book sitting on the coffee table, but I know grandparents especially like things like this. Our walls are covered in pictures of Brendon, and he's our only one. I can't imagine having several to have to display! Heh. I'd need a shrine. And don't forget, there's all sorts of other gift ideas.

Shutterfly doesn't stop there. Oh no. They have birthday invitations (and baby everything), and that's my favorite. EEK! They have business/calling cards, I feel the urge to order some for my diapers, but I'll wait until I have more orders. I don't want to get a head of the game.

I know it's a lot of choices in one little website. I could spend an entire movie time on the site and end up with a shopping cart well over $100. But, my wallet isn't THAT big, so I'll settle for some Christmas cards, for now. I mean, we have to get them somewhere, right? and Shutterfly is always having some yummy deal going on. So, win-win!

NOTE: I'm participating in a promotion (http://bit.ly/sfly2010). I entered to blog for them, and in return, if they like it, I'll get 50 free Christmas cards. These opinions are all my own, and my wishes, too. If there's still time, the promotion goes until the end of today, Friday, December 10th.

2010-12-07T20:16:00.000-05:00

I think this SnotFest 2010 needs to end right now. I only have approximately 5% of breathing capacity through my nose. My head feels like lead and I think my ears are pretending I'm flying at an insane altitude. Oh, and Brendon's bottom molars are coming through.
Speaking of Brendon, he has had some nasty gas today. I'll be right back, he's going up the stairs to go to bed without me. I guess I should go put him in his crib! Heh.
I'm back.
I'm not doing much these days. Sewing when I can, blogging when I remember.
We looked at a house Monday. From the price, I was expecting something on the nice side. It was a joke. The inside of the house looked like it had been a puzzle in a previous life. One room used to have an indoor hot tub, and it was so musty. The room had no open-able windows, so it just kinda...stewed. The master bedroom was added on the back, and the original outside brick was the inside wall. It was cold and drafty, true the heat was not on, but it was colder than the rest of the house. The "master bathroom" was the size of a closet, standing room only between the toilet and the shower stall, not even a tub!
So, it was a no go.
I am taking my phlegm filled body and climbing into bed, swallowing a few benadryl before I do.

Oh, hi, I knew I was forgetting something

2010-12-01T22:45:00.000-05:00

So, it's the same old "I got too busy, had some great blurbs in my head, didn't feel like writing them down" stuff that I write every once in a while. Really, I do have great ideas and little witty things pop into my head quite often. It's usually while I'm in the shower or driving or some such activity that renders me incapable of jotting it down. So I then forget about it. And I leave you hanging for 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS! I wish some other 2 weeks go faster that it does when I'm not blogging. Heh.

Thanksgiving: it was a mad-house. It was packed, like 17 people in a 3 bedroom (converted into 4) house. Five kids aged 3 and under. Three teenagers, one 20 year old (who could be grouped with the teens, but would get her panties in a wad!), and four couples. Ok, 16. Marine-boy couldn't make it. Sadness.

But guess what I did not do the entire weekend...yup, I did not take a single picture. Oh, I brought my camera with a charged battery and empty memory card and left it in the diaper bag all Thanksgiving long.

I did go out shopping for Black Friday. Not much, and not super early. We went about 6, and it really wasn't swarming with people. Yes, it was more busy than usual, and we did skip the high traffic stores, but I think we did rather well.

It's beginning to look a lot like MerryFluffy Christmas!

2010-11-30T22:12:00.000-05:00

A Merry Fluffy Christmas starts tomorrow!! You can check it out here or here, that I know of. Good luck!

KiddoTags: Review

2010-11-17T16:31:00.000-05:00

So, as you know I make cloth diapers. I'm having a blast doing it, but just recently, I realized I needed some sort of tag. Right now, to label BAM's diapers (not that someone is going to steal them, but because everything else gets labeled, too!) and in the future to label any I sell. Yeah, I realized that I just sold three of them, and no, they didn't have a label or tag, but I'm crossing my fingers that she'll like them, want more and tell her friends. Then I can buy a pack of pencil thins to do the job.

However, I was offered, kinda volunteered too, to test them on some new cloth diapers. I got them in the mail last night. I chose the polka dots, orange with a worm and our last name. They turned out cute, I think.

First, you need to cut them apart, like you see next to the two diapers on the left. I didn't put them on the two middle diapers, because I found newer diapers to put them on. The outer diapers, green/yellow, and big dots, are two of my newest. They've been washed, but only worn once or twice. So, they qualify as new, right? The other two I used are new-new. I just made one today, and the other one hasn't been made yet, just cut.

Close up of fleece

Then you iron the diaper first, just the diaper. Not sure why, but I'm sure there is a reason. Maybe to make sure there is no wrinkles and the materials iron...

Then you have to peel the BACK off. Now, I got stumped on this part. The back is kinda cloudy (like you see in the picture) and the front is clear. The front comes of so, so, so easily and I had no clue how to get the back off. The first two I picked off, and though it disturbed the label, when I ironed it, you can't tell. Then, I realized that if you get it started, and fold back the back part, the label will stay mostly stuck to the front.

So, place the white side down, and keep the top clear part still on it. Then, iron it again for about 13-18 seconds. I did one about 20 seconds, and it's ok. I even did one with the iron moving and the iron in place, and it didn't matter. I did cover the sticker with a piece of the t-shirt I was using to cover my coffee table (classy, I know, but I broke our ironing board!)

imagine this picture followed by me ironing it

After that, remove the clear plastic while it's still warm. It'll actually come right off. You'll be able to tell that the label has been melted a little. They stick really well, and actually have a little give, which is important on the green/yellow fleece cover because it needs a little stretch.

So, this is what I ended up putting the labels on. The top two are fleece, and the bottom two are cotton flannel. Due to the fuzziness of the fleece, the label seems to just sit on top, but it's stuck on there really well. I even tried to pick it off, and it's not coming off! When Brendon wakes up from his nap, I'll get a picture of him in one, look for it on my facebook page!

So, I love them! And I found a chance for you to win them. Go enter this giveaway at iheartgiveaways for a chance to win a $25 credit. Or not, because it'll lessen my chances to win! LOL Just kidding, go enter!

Wordless Wednesday: 1 1/2 going on 16

2010-11-17T09:32:00.000-05:00

Brendon is fascinated with the iPod. He begs to carry it around, and even puts the earbuds up to his ears. My toddler teenager.

Randomness

2010-11-14T22:35:00.000-05:00

I have a hangnail that has caused my finger to swell. It's bright red (think Lightening McQueen red) and throbbing and tender and hot. All the rest of my fingers are cold except that one.

If Brendon is fussy and whiny in the car, I'll take his shoes off, and he's instantly happier. No, his shoes are not too small. It's the same way for his socks. Me, I get happier as soon as I put my socks on!

I had about 2 hours of sleep Saturday night. Excedrin Migraine is a great discovery, but the bad side is that the caffeine lasts longer in my system. Good thing I didn't have to work the next day.

My favorite long sleeve shirt (for work, that is) has holes in the left elbow and right arm pit. It's threadbare, has been around for 3 years and I'm not getting rid of it! Ok, maybe I will.

Our neighbors have the weirdest conversations when I'm peeing. Maybe they always have weird conversations, and I just happen to hear them when I pee. See, our bathrooms have a shared wall, and I'm guessing since it's only a bathroom, they didn't bother to insulate it as well as another wall. Something like that. When Mark was using ours, their kid peed in the potty. He cheered.

I don't wash my hair every day, and I like it. I can't go more than two days, else I feel like a oily mop.

I decided I love Lemongrass Spa Products, but that is planned for Things I love Thursdays.

My feet are cold and I'm going to wrap them up in my blankets.

Can I rant for a minute (or 20)?

2010-11-14T07:35:00.000-05:00

Seriously, are people honestly dumb and oblivious, or do I just attract that kind of population? Come on, guys! At work, to get into the CCU (critical care unit) you have to be buzzed in. There is a phone that rings at two nurses stations. One is for rooms 1-8 and the other 9-16. Once approved, the door clicks-your signal that it's unlocked. You do need to pull on it to go through it. It's not automatic and will NOT open for you. Once you go through the door, there is a sign right in front of you telling you that rooms 1-8 are to the left and 9-16 to the right. Granted, it says "<-- 3c1-3c8, 3c9-3c16 --->" so I can see how that would be confusing, since all the rooms are not listed. I mean, who's to say where 3c3 would be. I guess you could just pick one, or try to think (gasp!) logically that room 3c2 would be close to 3c1...or maybe not. But let's say that you go right, looking for room 3c4. Ok, look at the first room you come to. See the room number right at eye level next to the door, 3c9?? No? What about the one right above the doorway? Great. Now, go to the next one. If it goes down, you're getting closer. If it goes up, turn around and go the other way. Oh, look room 3c8, and now room 3c7. Think that if you keep going, you might run into 3c4? Hmm, somehow, I don't think you were any good at those questions "Look at the pattern 'A B C A B _' and fill in the blank. But, if you must ask for directions, try to explain which room you're looking for. I mean, I don't know who you are. I have no clue what relation you are to which ill person. If you tell me, "I'm looking for my sister-in-law's mama's boyfriend's son" I will look at you blankly and wish I could tell you he jumped out the window. So you give me the person's name, just make sure you give him the last name. I don't really know them by Jimmy or Amanda. I barely remember their last name (I really don't want to get personal with them, beacsue some don't have good outcomes). Or, you could just tell me which room. And, to make it even more fun, mix the letters up. Or, add in a few extra ones. 8-3c and 3-8c and 3bc6 and 7cc3 make me want to cry. But I can't put the blame solely on the ignorant masses. We have information desks who's job is to--get this!-- tell people which room they're looking for. So, theoretically, when Ms Distant-friend wants to be nosy and see how Ms ChestPain is doing, the information desk's job is to hand them a sticker and say "Ms ChestPain is in room 3c4" (3cc4 would have been acceptable, too). If the visitors forget this, which is totally understandable on the journey up the elevator shaft, they could look on the sticker. It says which room AND which floor, AND they're color coded!! So, if you get off on the 3rd floor and try to get into room 4cc5, I will NOT let you in, no matter what floor you think this is. Yes, I will make you walk the long trek back to the elevator to go up one more floor. Yes, you will have to pick up the phone up there too.
One more thing. This is super important! We have restrictions on visitors AND visiting hours. They are posted on the sign that says "Please read before entering CCU." I'm just going to hit the most important ones.

NO visitors allowed until 8am and between 6pm and 8pm, and after 9/10pm (that's pretty vague, but I tell people 9pm, so the sick ones can sleep.) I do make an exception if momma is jumping out of bed and you can keep her in bed, or if daddy is *this close* to dying. I'm not heartless!
NO food or drink. Yeah, you really want to pick up some of these bugs we keep here. MRSA in your mouth, anyone?
NO kids under 12. Kids are germy. We have many compromised bodies back here. They don't need extra germy.
Only two visitors at a time. We do have reasons. First, when all 6 of you are here, there is no room for me, and I can promise you that what I'm doing is more important that what you are. Second, if auntie were to spiral down, you 6 would be taking up too much room that our code cart could not fit and she might die. Third, these room are small and close. Yes, granddaddy might not be critical, but the one next door is, and all your rambutioning is distressing him. Fourth, it's easier for me to deal with you two at a time. That's my honest reasoning. I don't want to, nor have to, explain myself to your whole family. My job is for the body in the bed and wife/husband/SO.

I am not afraid to enter a room and enforce said rules. I have done this on many occasions. I don't care who you are or who your family is. On that sign that you were supposed to read, it says that nursing staff have the right and ability to change the rules if needed. If there are two people in the room, and I deem it best (for my sanity and grammie's) that you leave now, you'd better leave.

I've had visitors bang on our entry door when they couldn't figure out how to open it. Not just knock, like full fisted banging. When he passed by, I asked him (very politely!) "Sir, please do not bang on the door. I don't want it broken or you hurt." I thought it was appropriate, I guess I was wrong, because he glared at me and said "I AIN'T GONNA BREAK YOUR DOOR!!" Well, excuse me, but if YOU do, YOU don't end up paying for it. I DO, in lost bonus and budget cuts. And if I tell you that we are closed for visitors due to daily rounds (docs, pharmacy, nutrition, RN have a powwow), don't threaten me. I KNOW FOR A FACT that your daddy is not leaving in 5 minutes to go down for his test. His nurse is in rounds and will be for 5 more mins, plus, transportation isn't that timely! (Side note, he didn't go down for 3 more hours!) Yup, all the same disrespectful visitor. Sad though, his dad came back a few days later, ended up going to OR had a major complication and died. But, that still doesn't excuse his son's/grandson's behavior (not sure which he was).

I deserve as much respect as you do. Just because I'm getting paid to wipe that butt doesn't mean that you can treat us like scum. You want us to respect you, respect us. Thanks.

Just to clarify, not every visitor is like this, but the bad ones over-shadow the good ones. The good ones bring us fudge and cookies and home-baked goodies :D

Haven't we met before?

2010-11-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

Every single time I wanted to blog, something bigger and better came around. I hope it doesn't feel neglected.

Thanksgiving, my side of our family is getting together at my parent's house. We're not only eating Thanksgiving dinner, but we're doing Christmas a little early. I started buying the presents for the little ones. I've got three nieces and one nephew to buy for. I got one done, two planned, and one no clue. But on top of that, I have three single sisters, one single brother, one brother/sister-in-law combo (though I might just have to buy Tata something, because I found the cutest thing for her!), one brother and one SIL, and my parents. Man, that's a lot of people!

But I can do it. Why? Because I am determined and because we have one of our student loans paid off! Yay for a few extra $$ each month! Not that we're going wild, but it'll be nice to a little more wiggle room. Maybe a few less bills that have to go a few days late. Some days, I hate money. Why can't we go back to bartering? I've got some mad sewing skills!

I dropped Brendon off at a friend's house so I could go to breakfast with some female friends (which I was totally late for and missed) then do some shopping at outlets! I found the perfect present for Blondie!! It fits her personality and I really think she'll like it. I got some clothes for BAM (what else is new, huh?) and some little things for MCM's stocking (I'm super excited about those!) and some ideas for stocking stuffers for MCM's sisters/mom's stockings. and I got...oh, some BBW foaming soaps for said friend and for MCM's boss's wife.

MCM's sister has a preggo eggo! It's their third kid, and I'm cheering for a boy. I said they could use BAM's clothes, because she's due end of May, close enough to use the sizes we have for the right seasons. That fact, just guarantees that it will be a girl. But, then they're set on those because the first two kids are girls as well. Adorable things, but so very talkative! I think they need a man child running around. But then, he'd grow up with three mothers. Not a guess, a proven fact!

Isn't he just growing up way too fast? Already acting like a teenager, what with his iPod and earbuds and leaving his dishes every where. Oh, and he has one molar 1/2 way through with 1 more starting and the other 2 bulging. Poor guy, he is so cranky these days. I keep the Tylenol and Ibuprofen and Ora-gel close by during the night.

the ones i like the best

2010-11-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

Here's some of the diapers I've made that I like the best.

This is just a cover, which is why it's shiney :) it's ended up being really big, so I had to add some more soft velcro on the outside of the wings.

I haven't used this one, so I don't know how well it works, but in theory it works great! it's just a fitted, non-waterproof. and will need an insert, but it's adorable!

This is an all-in-one, with no binding because I ran out, but didn't want to stop sewing! HA! It's super soft on the outside, a little pilly on the inside, but the 'wetzone' or whatever that area is is lined with the outside fleece, so it's soft on his...you know...stuff.

On a different note, my very first commercial diaper arrived today! I saved up my swagbucks for amazon gift cards a Kushies ultra lite toddler diaper, and it came today! I washed it right away intending to use it, but I was lazy and didn't get it finished (meaning dried, too) before it was Brendon's bedtime. So, I'll have to wait until Friday at least. Sadness!

Reason # 17 why I don't like winter

2010-11-08T20:01:00.000-05:00

There is never enough hot water for me to wash and shampoo my hair, loofah my body , wash and exfoliate my face, and shave and moisturize BOTH my legs--all of my legs. It never works well for me to wash my face at the sink. About 7 gallons of water end up on the floor when I do that. And shaving my legs at the sink? Forget about it! And if Mark showers in the morning instead of the night before, I barely have enough ~~hot~~ warm water to finish rinsing my hair. If I leave out one of those things, I'm all out of whack, believe me, I've tried it.

photo hunt: alive

2010-11-06T14:56:00.000-04:00

The flowers that dad helped me plant are thriving, now that the desert heat is gone. They've pretty much taken over my flower bed just like I wanted!

Wordless Wednesday (a few days late)

2010-11-05T06:54:00.000-04:00

Wow, it's been a while since a did a wordless Wednesday. So without further ado:

Mommy Jewelry

2010-11-04T20:50:00.000-04:00

I never win things. Like, never-ever. But one time, I did. I won a Lisa Leonard gift card! Lisa makes silver jewelry, and it's adorable.

It's really small, but I don't really like big bling. The chain is pretty short, so it doesn't really get obscured by my clothess

It came with the pearls (adorable!) and two tiny disks. I paid extra for the third one, but we have three people in the family, so I needed three.

It'll be easy to add another charm when we have another baby, and really, they're super affordable. Last Thanksgiving, on Black Friday, I scored one of those birthstone babies at Kohl's. With Black Friday prices, it still cost about $20. And that's only for the charm. Granted, it's a little more involved, with a jewel, and it's gold, but this LLD necklace? $49 includes two charms and each charm is $9 more. So, that's $58 for three charms, a pearl, and the chain. I had to use my own necklace for the birthstone baby. Don't get me wrong, I love that one, too.

But I can have a more recent love, right?

Plus, if you go sign up for the newsletter, you'll get a 15% off code in your first newsletter.

I was not paid, persuaded, or reimbursed for this post, it's just a newly acquired possession and I love it!

Monday Madness

2010-11-01T14:50:00.000-04:00

Just consider me as Epic Fail. That's what I'll answer to now. Thanks.

Ha!

We have been busy. Well, we're always busy. We rearranged our living room, cleaned out monster loads of junk, reorganized the black hole a.k.a. the downstairs closet. I cut up and cooked a pumpkin, and I used my crock pot twice (and currently cooking with it now). We had a Harvest Party, and we went trick-or-treating at Bass Pro Shop. I carved a pumpkin, but it flopped.

I wanted to get Brendon's picture taken at the Picture People, but I had no time to make an appointment and keep it, and I had no $$ to pay their awful prices for their really good picture. So, I took some of my own. Not professional, but the wall of our house is a nice brick with just the slightest bit of green moss to make it look kinda oldy. I'll get those printed...eventually.

Oh, I tackled Mt. Laundry. I climbed to the top and planted my flag. I carved stepping stones to aid in my journey. I put it way and emptied the baskets. It's now a much more reasonable pile, I promise. Mostly towels and sheets, and Mark's work clothes.

I fell down the stairs.

It was totally stupid. I picked Brendon up as he got to the top, because he followed me. I was wearing socks, and got to about 1/2 down, slipped and bump-bump-bumped 8 or 9 steps down. It mostly was my right side, but my hip got the brunt of it. Ouch. I landed on the bottom and was bawling. Like, it didn't really hurt, but I had Brendon in my arms and I was worried that he smacked his head. He was really scared and shook up, but I think my crying bothered him. He buried himself in my arms and just sat there. I regained control of my weeping and kinda laughed. He smiled and laughed too, so I knew he was OK. I was so scared for him. I kept Brendon busy, and I really don't think he got hurt at all.

And, we're making a wreath with handprint leaves. I think we'll take it to my parents for thanksgiving, because they have a glass door in front of their front door, so it won't get wet. More pics on that later.


Sir Shrek

beautiful pumpkin with mossy wall (before Sir Shrek)

what a mean game, "eat the donut but don't touch it." Yeah, right!

it's the great pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Good news! I have my first diaper customer. It was an alchemy request from Etsy, and I'm super excited about it. Also, I'm going to make some medium and small fleecies and offer them to my facebook friends. Medium is about 25lbs (that's what Brendon wears), so I'll say small would be about 15lbs. They're stretchy, too, so they can go higher or lower than that.

pumpkins! water! leaves!

2010-10-19T17:31:00.000-04:00

We made it to the pumpkin patch! It was a long morning, Brendon is still sleeping almost about 2 1/2 hours after we got home. He slept about 45 minutes in the car, too. Poor guy, he was wiped out, but he took it like a champ. He even ate well afterward!

He really liked touching the pumpkins. The other kids were off playing, and he just wanted to roll them, and bite them, and kick them, and sit on them. Basically, anything pumpkin. I think it might be from not being allowed to play with our neighbor's pumpkin. Ha!

Oh yeah, he found one he could carry, and I thought I'd get a picture of it. But he discovered a new game. It's called "pick up and throw the pumpkin." He managed to do it several times before being distracted. Thankfully, none of them broke! Ha!

So, the maze, sorry it's sideways, but you can see it better on my facebook page. Plus, it's black & white!

At one point, I think he thought the ridges were steps, so he attempted to "go down" them like he does the steps. What? He just learned that skill, and eager to try it out!

I claim this pumpkin! This is my pumpkin! Nobody touch this pumpkin!

So, I took the fact that he loves picking up leaves to get him to hold one of each color. It made for a good picture, no? :D

Oh, this is cute. He kept squatting and looking under the van, just like his daddy does. He'd get up, and take a few steps closer and squat again. Adorable!

Once again, he realized that splashing in the water was fun! and exciting! and wet! Just forget that the water's temp was cold enough to make my feet tingle, I can only imagine what his feet felt like!

So, there you have it. We enjoyed fall, and looking forward to winter! We're planning on going to Mississippi after Christmas, to see Mark's side of the family. I'll let you know how that goes . . . I'm a little apprehensive.

photo hunt: Miniature

2010-10-17T20:54:00.000-04:00

Brendon is a typical boy. He loves sticks and balls. Not sure where he got this mini beach ball, but he still loves it.

How I waste my time

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

0706: Mark texted me to make sure I was going to the hospital for a class. I replied yes and tried to go back to sleep for 7 more minutes.
0708: started my daily facebook, email, reader routine to see if the world is still out there.
0715: my alarm goes off and I turn it off
0725: realize I will be late if I don't get up now. Grab some clothes, brush my hair, pack Brendon breakfast, clothes, and diapers in his bag.
0730: wake Brendon up, take him, his blanket and his bear downstairs.
0732: put my shoes on and realize that the keys are locked in the van

So I waited about 10 minutes for Mark to return my call and come unlock the van for me

0750: I loaded us up in the van, then realized I left my phone on the couch, so I spent 2 more minutes unlocking the door, grabbing it, relocking the door and getting back in the van

I dropped Brendon off (in the opposite direction from my destination) about the time I should have been at the hospital, 15 minutes late.

Parked in the employee parking area, like I should have, but had to walk through the new orthopaedic (yes, that's how they spell it) hospital to get to clock in, the width (short side) of the hospital to find the conference room I thought it was on. Then I walked upstairs (ok, took the elevator) to the third floor to see if anyone up there knew. They did, and said it was on second floor (in the orthopaedic hospital). So I arrived there about 20 minutes late to a 30 minute training. Sad, right? I stayed til about 0850 to catch up.

Then I went down stairs and walked the length (long side) of the hospital to Occupational Health to see about this stupid accident at work only to find out that they were closed and doing flu shots. Where were they doing flu shots?! Where I first looked for the class-on the other side of the hospital AGAIN! So I walked back past the people waiting and sitting and coughing. I decided, as I was walking, that I'll get my flu shot because I was there anyways. You know what they told me? That Occ Health WAS open for emergencies and would be open for me. So I got my arm shot and punched and the bone bruised (short needle, my foot!) before my long trek BACK across the hospital. BACK past the people coughing and sitting and waiting. BACK to Occ Health.

0910: I knocked on the door and the lady told me they're closed. "But I had an accident at work that I need to talk to you about. It happened Sunday, and I called Monday, but I never heard back from you." She definitely gave me the stink eye, but let me in. Then she proceeded to tell me "I was here all day yesterday and no one called. I tried to call you but you didn't answer." After one go-round of "I did call, I called around 1245 [I have the call on my phone!!] but I never got a call from you" and "Well I was here and no on called, and you didn't answer." I just gave up and decided to be the better man and apologize for not returning her call...

Besides, I knew the patient's tests were negative anyways, so I didn't need to do anything else.

Then she tried to make sure my tetanus shot was up to-date, and make sure I had my Hepatitis B series. Hep B was a no-brainer, but wasn't sure about the tetanus, so I needed that one. It took her about 10 minutes to not-find my tetanus history (she alphabetized my immunization records like 5 times!). And then she boasted that her shot-ting technique had no rivals.

What am I left with?! TWO sore arms, TWO hours of time spent at the hospital (when it was only supposed to be 1). But now I know that the blue forms go to Occ Health NO MATTER WHAT.

And it's super-hard on the delts to get a intramuscular shot in both of them and have a clingy toddler to carry around because his naps are all wonky and aren't evened out.

If he would just sleep until 8 or later, I think he could make it until 1230. But he won't. Stick an extra hour in there and it sounds like we're having a bloodfest in the house until he gets a nap.

It's Alive! (well, not alive alive, but good alive...)

2010-10-12T20:32:00.000-04:00

So, I basically promised a long post yesterday, but I expected Brendon to nap longer. Silly me, why would I expect it. Just because he only took a 60 minute nap at 9, and was up by 10am. Just because he woke up at 730am instead of 8am. I don't know why I would think that.

I've just about perfected my own diaper pattern. Ha, I say perfected like it's amazing. I've tried lots of styles, but I like the small-ness of the front. It's not gathered, so it doesn't really pooch out. I haven't gotten the sewing the velcro down yet. You can see that the one on the end is lacking in the aesthetic department...

The inside is made from a fleece, but it feels more like flannel, so maybe it's micro fleece? Maybe I'm just wrong. Also, the inside inside part is just some scraps, not too terribly absorbent, but it does the job (with an extra insert on top).

And the legs. They might be a little snug, because they leave red marks, but they're getting there. I'm just in a bind because I'm out of the fold-over elastic (red binding) and the PUL (middle water proof layer). Both the rainbow and airplanes were 'extra' fabric from my online order.

OK, so maybe the pattern isn't perfected, but I like the way this one is unfolds/refolds. I think it could potentially be a one-size fits most diaper, but I've made several different pattern sizes. I just have one kid, though, so I can only say that this size has everything in the right spot.

I'm on the prowl for more kid's butts to borrow and dress. So, how about it, can I borrow your kid? I might even let you keep the diaper if you're interested.

10.11.10

2010-10-11T09:21:00.001-04:00

Since 10.10.10 was filled with all sorts of icky work things, you'll have to settle for a 10.11.10 post. It would have been cooler if it was 10.11.01, but that's way past. I was still in high school, in Trinidad, probably tormenting my siblings or cramming my nose in a book.
Sunday was Old Fashioned Day at church. I missed it, but I wouldn't have dressed-up anyways. BAM did, kind of. Mark put him in a pair of overalls and a white shirt, kind of farm boyish without looking too hick-ville.
We've made some changes at the abode of McMillen. One that you don't need to know about, one cutting back BAM's naps to 1 a day (still working on that though), and less TV, more family time. I don't like silence, because then my imagination goes haywire with sounds I hear outside, but I've realized that it doesn't have to be on when BAM's awake.

Come later, and I'll have a bigger, longer post!

short and...short

2010-10-08T22:36:00.000-04:00

I really wish I could come up with a good blog post for today, but I can't. My head is killing me, and it's making me nauseated (it's been doing that lately, since BAM weaned BOO!). So today will be short.

Brendon's napping (or lack of napping) has me re-thinking this whole big family idea. He goes down beautifully for his morning nap, and will sleep 2 hours. Even if he gets up as late as 830 (but usually it's more like 730), he'll still be ready for a nap about 10, or earlier if I let him. He has not taken an afternon nap for me since Sunday. That's almost 7 days! Can you imagine it, I used to have 4 hours a day all to myself on my off days, but no more! Only letting him sleep for 1 hour isn't helping, either. Wednesday I finally got him to take a nap about 5, because we had church at 7, he had time to be awake before bedtime. I think we might have to cut out the morning nap and go to afternoon nap at 1230 or something. Plus, a later bedtime and earlier wake up time. I can do 9pm and 7am. Or just 8pm and 7am. I cannot do 7pm (or sometimes 6pm) AND 6am. Not good for mommy's happy moods. So, remember us in your thoughts. Whether you have kids who still take long naps or kids who don't need naps at all.
We're transitioning, and it's going to be hard, I'm afraid. But, maybe it won't be. Maybe it'll be like that recipe you got from your Great-Aunt Myrtle that had like 50 steps, but you realized you could just buy the topping, buy the crust, and buy the filling, skip to step 45 AND have it taste the same!

Good night all, and maybe Ms Migraine will take her boyfriend Mr Nausea on a long holiday. Perhaps Never-never land? And they would never want to leave, but they'd think about it, but then realize that it's better where they are because they never-never have to grow up :)

who says gender roles are learned?

2010-10-05T21:56:00.000-04:00

As soon as we went out side this morning, Brendon found "his" stick. It's probably about 1 1/2 times his size. He's standing the middle of the grass holding on to it like it's his beloved pacifier and it's nap time. I had to adjust the stick size so he could carry it to the mail box and back. If he dropped it, he tugged on my hand and would not keep going until he picked it back up. He stuck it in the dirt, he dragged it along the chain link fence and laughed at the noise. He held on to that stick, and pitched a fit when it was time to go inside and the stick had to stay outside. He'll get it again tomorrow and pick up like they're long lost friends.

I did not introduce him to sticks. I didn't even show him sticks. If I had my way, he would sit in the middle of the side walk and not touch the dirt or the grass or the sticks or the acorns or the bugs. But he has a mind of his own, and the stick was found. The dirt was poked, and the fingers became dirtied. Why? I have no answer beside this one "he's a boy. boys are attracted to dirt, sticks, water, and bugs." Haven't had to deal with bugs, but he loves animals. He saw a squirrel run across out path and was mesmerized. he followed it around a tree, and even squatted to look under the bushes when it ran away.

He doesn't care about colors, pink or purple or green or blue, if there's milk or juice in it, he will drink it. We're working on water...slowly. Clothes don't bother him, but he likes his feet bare. He's just as likely to grab my pink shirt to throw in his trash can as he is Mark's blue shirt. Most of our toys are gender neutral, minus a few legos and other blocks. He has a tool set and tool bench that plays music, but his favorite are his bear and cat that he sleeps with.

I've caught him walking around with one of my bras and a Wii remote. But outside, it's a different story. Sticks and dirt and leaves draw him. He does pick flowers, but he sniffs them and tries to put them back. He had dirt all over his fingers and attempted to grab my arm. Being the girl I am, I squealed and he tried harder.

It's true: boys will be boys.

Friday Fails aka what's new on the home front

2010-10-01T22:52:00.000-04:00

I totally fail at keeping up with this blog. I'll just skip the silly "memes" and focus on life.
Brendon is growing like a weed. He's walking all over the place. Every once in a while he just totally looses his balance and falls over. He's not even doing anything complicated. He'll lift up his foot to take another step, and instead, he falls over. I laugh to myself, because it'd be wrong to laugh at him, right?

He babbles constantly, but an occasional intelligible word slips through, like "mamama," mainly "mamama." He recognizes the signs for cracker and cookie, and shoes. If you ask him what the snake says, he goes "sssss" and grins. He points all the time, and grunts that he wants it. We're learning words, or at least to acknowledge them.

He really likes using his spoon. Doesn't quite get the intended results, but he tries. He folds his hands when we say it's time to pray, actually interlocks his fingers together.

We're peaking at different apartments and houses for rent or buying, and I really want to move into a house, but I don't think we'll be able to do it for a while. We're close to getting a few loans paid off, mainly the school loans held by the school with insane interest, like 17% or something.

Everyone keeps asking us if we're ready for another kid, but honestly, who is ever "ready" for another 9 months of alien growing, at least 6-maybe more than 24 hours of labor, possibly lots of stitches, weeks of sleepless nights, the drool, the spit-up, the crying, the poo. I mean, who's really ready!? I thought of those contractions again, and was afraid. I wish I wasn't. But I will do what I can. The point- any one who says they're "ready" to go through newborn stage again is lying. They just want another baby to snuggle.

Yeah, that's about it. Have a great weekend!

Random Dozen

2010-09-29T07:13:00.000-04:00

1. Do you believe, somewhere deep inside, that blondes do indeed have more fun? That they are "dumber" than brunettes or redheads? Be honest!
No, I just think they end up more cleuless and laugh. Actually, it's more of a state of mind, to me. I guess the "dumb blonde" mindset comes from the fumes from bleaching. But I've seen "blonde"people with naturally brown, red, black hair.

2. Which animal would you most like to observe in its wild habitat?
I'd rather they stay in their wild habitat and I'll stay in mine. We'll both be better off that way.

3. This week the U.N. announced that Dr. Mazlan Othman has been appointed the official "Alien Ambassador," should any extraterrestrials contact us. Have you, or has anyone you know, ever seen a UFO?
Yeah, once, I was sitting on the couch and all of the sudden a UFO flew by my head. Upon closer inspection, the unidentified flying object was instantly identified as (something that I forget what it was)

4. Name your favorite Hitchcock film.
Well, the most memorable was "Birds," but I also liked Notorius and Gaslight. (if those are indeed Hitchcock films, I'm usually wrong)

5. Would you rather spend time at the library, the mall, a craft store or home?
Oh, wow. All my favorite places. The least favorite place though is the mall, because I'm usually broke. The next least favorite is the craft store, because of the same reason, but I have more fun dreaming of the things I can make. There is a tie between library and home. Library has tons and tons of books just waiting for me to discover, but home has my computer and TV (yeah, I think I'm about to out myself as a TV junkie)

6. Which Disney princess is your favorite? (Or Disney character, if you are a guy)
I haven't thought about the Princess in at least a week. LOL Having a boy kinda does that, but then every time I see a princess thing, I daydream about having a girl who loves all things princesses. I like Belle the best. She's the one with ordinary hair and eyes (brown and brown), doesn't have fishy tails, exquisite eyes or wear skimpy clothes.

7. What kind of art is your favorite?
I haven't thought about that. But I do like Van Gogh's work. Something about the surreal and interpreting the sights as you see it, not necessarily as they are.

8. How do you feel about viral videos, that is, videos made by amateurs that end up on Youtube receiving thousands of hits?
Why couldn't that have been mine!?

9. Where do you buy your jeans?
When was the last time I bought a pair of jeans....oh yeah, aeropostale. Those are the only ones I've found that fit me the best. Old Navy gaps, AE are too expensive (and sag), Wal*Mart rise up. I like aeropostale

10. Tell me about your first automobile accident.
um...I forget...honestly. I think though, it was when I ran into a decorative wrought iron fence.

11. Have you ever been honest when you knew you would benefit more if you would be dishonest?
yeah, like on the quiz if one of the questions is "did you read all of the text on pages XX-ZZ, including the pictures captions?" I said no, once, and the other times, I made sure to read it ALL. He never asked that question again.

12. If you were appointed "Ambassador to Aliens," what would you show and tell first about life on Earth? What would be the most difficult thing to explain?
I would show the different cultures and way of life, so that the aliens can pick one they like to fit in. The most difficult? Why I made up this position in the first place, and what I was doing out of the nut house.

Monday Ramblings

2010-09-27T17:20:00.000-04:00

We closed our bedroom door the other night, so we could watch a movie and not disturb Brendon, because he wasn't sleeping so soundly. The next morning was Sunday, and I had to work. I dragged my hiney out of bed at 00:dark30, and promptly ran in to the door. Not just "oh, here's the door; I brushed my fingers on it" but *thwack* "crap, that was the door hitting my face."

It woke me up right away. Thankfully, that was not a foreteller of the rest of the day! Work went ok, not bad. But I found out that a cute little lady I cared for the past weekend and Tuesday and Wednesday had died that afternoon. Very sad, but I had this feeling that she wasn't going to make it out. She had major surgery and a very common complication, pneumonia.

But that was in ICU. On our end, it was very uneventful. Except with lots of poop. I think the kitchen must have put some of that chocolate laxative in everyone's pudding.

I made a new diaper cover today. Jean. Yes, I couldn't spend money on those Huggies Jean, so I repurposed a skirt that didn't fit well. I think it turned out nicely. We'll see how well it works. One of my first diaper covers, on that worked very well, started leaking. Majorly. I'm bummed, but I think I've come a long ways. I decided to perfect one pattern rather than trying several. So I've got an airplane diaper with terry cloth inside, two "ooga" with fleece inside (one is a "pocket" diaper and one is a full diaper), and now, the jean one. I have two fleece pull-on-covers, one striped and one purple, but they both need some "assistance" getting them on. Like the dance when you're trying on a pair of favorite jeans that you haven't fit in to for 5 years. Brendon thinks it's funny. I also have a fleece cover with velcro. That one and one of the "ooga's" is a bit big on Brendon. Right now, he's got the fleece velcro cover on over a disposable diaper. One, for pictures. Two, I was tired of seeing his sagginess. Plus, he's wearing a pair of Babyleg's and a T-shirt.

Check out my facebook page for pics of the carnage, just give me a few hours to feed the child :)

Saturday PhotoHunt

2010-09-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

There's this "thing" going around, called PhotoHunt. It's simple. Each Saturday has a word and you have to hunt through your photos to find a picture to correlate with it. Easy. Probably easier said then done.

Today's hunt is for natural. Excuse me while I go diving into my hard drive to find one.

Wow this is harder than I thought it would be. I've got about 5 pictures so far...maybe I need to stop...

So, natural. Feeding my baby naturally. The way we were made to.

Let me just say though, that because breastfeeding is natural and we females have the accessories for it, bottlefeeding and formula feeding is good if that is what works or is necessary for you. Or, if you just don't want to breastfeed. I'm not raising your kid, and you're not raising mine, so there is no reason for one person to jump on another for doing/not doing something.

Yes, I used formula, too. About 9 months or so I couldn't pump enough at work to feed this Goliath. I had a good freezer stash, but that wasn't even enough. So at his sitter's he had formula, and when we were together, I nursed him.

And, I blurred out me because just because it's "natural" doesn't mean I want people seeing it. No, I don't think it's dirty or gross for someone to feed in public, or for a bit of boobage to show while doing it. Personally, I'm a bit more bashful, so I tried to show the least (less? fewer?) amount of skin when we were out. At home?! psh, it was just me and the kid.

Huggies for free!

2010-09-24T21:22:00.000-04:00

I did it. I went out and I hit up Rite Aid so hard, they begged me to take their diapers.

They were on sale for $8.99.

I used a $5 off $25
I used a $1 off video coupon
I used 3 $3 off Huggies printables

I got back $2 in UP rewards, or whatever they're called.
I'll get a $10 single-check rebate from Rite Aid

So, I paid $13.07 out of pocket (well, 16 really, because she forgot a coupon, but then gave me the $3 back)

Got $6 now, and will get $10 later. Wahoo! I'll use that to stock up on wipes!

Totally UN-fail!

Friday Fails

2010-09-24T10:23:00.000-04:00

Is it Friday already? wow. I mean, I've been waiting for Friday since Monday, but I just been wo overwhelmed that all of the sudden it was here, and things I wanted to do this week are left behind. Instead of doing fails today, I'm going to come up with stuff that I did get done this week. Make me feel better before I close my MacBook Pro and realize I have a lot of things to do today.

I cooked a meal this week. Like, a full brown-the-meat, cook-the-food meal. Except Mark browned the meat. And it didn't turn out as good as it usually does.

I did two loads of dishes. That's a big thing. They usually wait until the weekend, but since last weekend I worked, there was extra. and I managed to get two in this week!

I vacuumed. I think this deserves a standing ovation. Our vacuum is a hand-me-down dinosaur. It's heavy and loud and doesn't like to forward. Plus, if it hits something while "off" it unloads all of it's dirt. As me how I know.

I introduced BAM to his new babysitter. She's a stay-at-mom of two boys, 2 and 4. I think he's four. He goes to school 5 days a week, so maybe he's 5. Anyways, we were both praying for someone like each other. She was looking for a small extra income that let her stay home with G. I was looking for a in-home setting with another kid. Perfect! And it's on the way to Mark's work (mostly).

So there you have it. Oh, I also worked Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That's a big accomplishment, right?

Trying to make a difference

2010-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am a nurse.

I gave medicine to help a person die. I gave medicine to help a person live.

I bathed a person, knowing she didn't care. I bathed a person, knowing she was ashamed and bashful.

I reprimanded an alcoholic for cussing at me. I looked into the eyes of a stroke victim and seen the words that could not be said.

I fed a patient while the "loving" family watched and muttered under their breath. I fed a patient while no one bother to call or visit, not even when the joyful news of discharge came.

I sent a person for a minor surgery, and never had them return. I sent a person for major surgery, and watched them walk to their car.

I comforted a family member while their family died. I comforted a family member while their family lived.

I sought to set some nasties straight, I ended up doing them a favor and acting like it was no big deal.

I stood my ground when berated for our policies.

I watched a patient get well and move out; worsen and come back; recover and move out; and return sick again; we sent him out once again. I hope I never get to see him again.

I saw death kept away until all the family was seen. I saw death come while family rushed in. I saw death come after family left him alone.

I am a person. I am trying to make a difference, and I don't think I could ever do anything else.

Not Me!

2010-09-19T20:52:00.000-04:00

I would never purposely neglect the growing piles of laundry in my house, one clean, one dirty. I would never neglect them for multiple days on end. Not me!

I would not give Brendon a bath, just so the warm water could loosen the dirt in the tub to make it easier to clean. Not me!

I would never get so involved in a silly game *cough-angry birds-cough* that I stayed up way to late *cough1145* on a work night.

Nope, not me. I have this wife/mom/job thing totally under control. Absolutely!

Friday Fails

2010-09-17T11:51:00.000-04:00

I think I did OK this week, but I have two MAJOR fails:

I almost dropped Brendon off at the wrong person's house Tuesday morning. Thankfully, I realized it BEFORE ringing the bell and waking them up.

Forgot to send diapers and wipes with Brendon, thankfully, Jennifer was willing to run out and buy him some (thanks, Jennifer!)

FAIL!

BUT, to counter-act those fails, when I went grocery shopping this morning, I didn't use a single plastic bag! I had 5 reusables, and all my groceries fit into those!

WIN!

Things I love Thursday

2010-09-16T08:20:00.002-04:00

So, we'll see how long this posting meme's go on. Monday is "Not Me." Tuesday is "Tackle It" (if I can manage to get a post ready before I work). Wednesday is "Random Dozen," Thursday will be "Things I Love," and Friday is, as always, "Friday Fails."

So, I love my sewing skills. Just look:

I love making things that I can use. Granted, the first time Brendon pees in it, I have to change it, but it's cute for what- 7 minutes?!

see? adorable!

and this? it's an old picture, but the quilt is almost-ish finished! And looks so much nicer finally pieced!

I love my sewing machine. Thanks, Mark, my darling husband for buying it for me for a birthday present.