We have *officially* begun our adventures into cloth diapering. And you know what? I'm starting to wonder why I was so intimidated by the idea in the first place. It is so easy, and our diaper pail is SO much less stinky than when we were doing disposables that I'm seriously considering putting baby number 2 (who is in the plans but not yet in the works) in cloth from birth. Right now we have 26 AIO diapers (all-in-one for those of you who don't speak diaper-ese) and I am able to go almost 3 full days without washing a load. And may I re-emphasize the non-stinkyness of our diaper pail! I had to get a bigger one since the cloth diapers are bulkier- hence my hubby deeming the LM a "Bubble Butt"- but it isn't even sealed as well as the other one was and I have yet to have stink slap me in the face when I drop one in. Proooobably has something to do with the lack of poo sitting around in the house. It's a dry pail, too. No soaking. No stink. No stains. (Advertising professionals got nothin' on me!) The only minor- and I do mean very minor- drawback is that LM does kind of look like he constantly needs his diaper changed. I'm sure if a stranger in public saw they would think I hadn't changed my child in a week. But with even Sam's club diapers being almost $45 for 228 and having them not even last a full month, I am just tickled that this whole thing worked out as well as it has. So for those of you out there considering taking the plunge- I say go for it! I even managed to get our cloth ones for about 8 bucks a pop so they weren't as expensive as most other ones are. (As a side note, if you are considering buying used to bring the cost down, don't bother. I went looking for weeks. Amazon, Ebay, Craig's list, you name it. Sadly, most people think they still deserve exactly what they paid for the diapers when they were new. Save yourself some time and get new ones. Plus you get to pick colors, so, yeah.)
Also, we've been doing good with our handy dandy food processor/steamer basket making homemade baby food. I think the bananas get to a consistency very similar to ice cream when cold, which may be why LM likes them so much. We have also made sweet potatoes (later to be rejected), pears, and now carrots are in the process of cooking. Another example of what I assumed would be a daunting task which turned out to be laughably easy. As an added bonus, smashing steamed veggies is a great way to release the day's frustrations in a healthy way (pun absolutely intended).
Well, I had hoped to write a bit more but it looks like LM has just woken up. Always on the clock! But I wouldn't trade my "job" for the world :)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Thursday, January 31, 2013
I'm sick, you're sick, we're all sick
Well the good news just keeps on coming. Turns out hubby also has a sinus infection. And, I have some kind of creeping crud- but who actually has the time to take medicine? If you've ever seen one of those cartoons where the mom has 5-10 unidentified stains on her shirt, hair sticking out everywhere and bags under her eyes, then you have a pretty good idea of what my yesterday night/this morning was like. It wasn't even the LM this time! The unreal wind and rain from yesterday re-appeared at about 10:30 pm and then again at around 3 am. I probably sat awake in bed for at least a half hour wondering if I should go check if there was a weather warning. I seriously thought I was going to have to take the baby and myself into the bathroom so I could get some peace of mind and sleep. But finally the winds died down. Then, after he woke up, I nearly had a panic attack when LM started coughing uncontrollably/vomiting occasionally for about 2 minutes straight. For a moment I was actually worried the doctor had misdiagnosed him and perhaps he had whooping cough! Thank the Lord it was not so. I think it was his antibiotic meds. I can't say I blame him. If anyone tried to give me something that looked like Pepto Bismol and tasted even worse, I would chuck it right back up on the person who gave it to me, too. So I walked around getting laundry started and our new cloth diapers stuffed and ready to be used with pink spit up stains all over my pjs. Then, in the spirit of learning on the go, LM pooed a very messy poo in the very first cloth diaper I put him in. Well, no one can ever say I live a dull life. At least hubby volunteered to pick us up some lunch while he was out getting his meds so I didn't have to bother fixing anything for myself.
Then this afternoon I stumbled across an article in my newest issue of Parenting magazine. It talks about all kinds of "tread lightly topics" and how we need to perhaps avoid altogether speaking of things like our views on things such as co-sleeping, crying it out, circumcision, organic vs. regular baby food, etc. etc. This just made me a little frustrated. Why is it that we feel we can't talk about certain subject with other moms? I don't think the issue is "Avoid talking about these things", but should instead be "Exercise common sense and courtesy when speaking and listening to others". What it really boils down to is that all of us at some point or another judge others kids by the way they raise their own children, either aloud or silently. But the thing is, if they are not your kids, they're not your kids. It is not my business to tell other mothers how to raise their children or to judge them for the way they do it. Now I'm not talking about child abuse or things that cause severe health issues, that is something altogether different. I'm talking about the fact that it doesn't matter whether Janie is bottle or breastfed, or whether Chase is wearing Pampers or Parent's Choice. Kids have been being successfully raised for many years before any of us were mothers and it will continue to happen long after we're gone. Is it really worth straining or ruining a friendship just because you don't agree with the fact that another mother uses disposables instead of cloth? As sharers of this strange and wonderful role we call motherhood, we should be each others' cheerleaders. A quote from the same article reads, "[As moms] we need to spend more time supporting each other's attempts at mothering. Everyone has a different belief system, and we should use these differences to learn from each other. What's right for one family isn't always right for another, but that doesn't make it wrong." And I'm not just talking about outright calling someone out on the way they are doing things. I'm talking about the pointed facebook posts or conversations where you assume someone else does things the way you do because it's the "right" way. I actually had to get rid of a facebook friend because I got so tired of her "informative" posts about rice cereal and epidurals and the like. I don't feel guilty that LM ate rice cereal- in fact he would probably still be eating it if it hadn't caused a little constipation and we had to switch to oatmeal. And I don't feel like the hospital told me I couldn't get through labor on my own. I thank God for that pain relief. It turned my birth experience to something memorable and peaceful instead of painful and hectic. On the flip side, I don't think there is anything wrong with a mother who feels rice cereal is bad and chooses not to feed it to her baby, and I think anyone who goes through labor without drugs ought to have a statue built in her honor. But in the end what it comes down to is that we are all just trying to do our best to raise these incredible blessings, and we should be encouraging each other to that end.
Then this afternoon I stumbled across an article in my newest issue of Parenting magazine. It talks about all kinds of "tread lightly topics" and how we need to perhaps avoid altogether speaking of things like our views on things such as co-sleeping, crying it out, circumcision, organic vs. regular baby food, etc. etc. This just made me a little frustrated. Why is it that we feel we can't talk about certain subject with other moms? I don't think the issue is "Avoid talking about these things", but should instead be "Exercise common sense and courtesy when speaking and listening to others". What it really boils down to is that all of us at some point or another judge others kids by the way they raise their own children, either aloud or silently. But the thing is, if they are not your kids, they're not your kids. It is not my business to tell other mothers how to raise their children or to judge them for the way they do it. Now I'm not talking about child abuse or things that cause severe health issues, that is something altogether different. I'm talking about the fact that it doesn't matter whether Janie is bottle or breastfed, or whether Chase is wearing Pampers or Parent's Choice. Kids have been being successfully raised for many years before any of us were mothers and it will continue to happen long after we're gone. Is it really worth straining or ruining a friendship just because you don't agree with the fact that another mother uses disposables instead of cloth? As sharers of this strange and wonderful role we call motherhood, we should be each others' cheerleaders. A quote from the same article reads, "[As moms] we need to spend more time supporting each other's attempts at mothering. Everyone has a different belief system, and we should use these differences to learn from each other. What's right for one family isn't always right for another, but that doesn't make it wrong." And I'm not just talking about outright calling someone out on the way they are doing things. I'm talking about the pointed facebook posts or conversations where you assume someone else does things the way you do because it's the "right" way. I actually had to get rid of a facebook friend because I got so tired of her "informative" posts about rice cereal and epidurals and the like. I don't feel guilty that LM ate rice cereal- in fact he would probably still be eating it if it hadn't caused a little constipation and we had to switch to oatmeal. And I don't feel like the hospital told me I couldn't get through labor on my own. I thank God for that pain relief. It turned my birth experience to something memorable and peaceful instead of painful and hectic. On the flip side, I don't think there is anything wrong with a mother who feels rice cereal is bad and chooses not to feed it to her baby, and I think anyone who goes through labor without drugs ought to have a statue built in her honor. But in the end what it comes down to is that we are all just trying to do our best to raise these incredible blessings, and we should be encouraging each other to that end.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
The first sickness
Goodie! Today we braved the crowds of elderly at our family doctor to get the Little Man (hereafter referred to as LM) checked out. He has been sick for a couple of days with a little congestion and for awhile a little bit less of an appetite. When my hubby came home yesterday and informed me that one of the girls who was in the church nursery with him Sunday night was in the hospital with pneumonia, we became a little more than worried about LM's illness. Especially since he had started to develop a rattle in his chest while breathing and a cough that just sounded, well, pathetic. Usually LM's sound sleep in his own room is most conducive to sleep for all of us, but last night was a tough night getting to sleep for mommy and daddy. Every time he coughed both of us sat up again, looking at each other and wondering, "Should we be going to the emergency room?" Now I will say that sometimes the internet is good for calming fears in doing a general search of symptoms. You can look at a reputable site and say, "Well, he's only got one of these 12 symptoms, so he should be fine waiting for a doctor's appointment tomorrow." But when you start to read all the comments (guilty) and see how even though Sally only had a cough she had a severe illness, or Johnny only missed 2 nursing sessions, but suddenly the next day he was extremely dehydrated and ended up in the hospital, you start to panic. (I do not use Web MD's symptom checker anymore for this very reason. To quote Guys with Kids, "The internet ALWAYS leads to Crohn's disease!") But finally we decided since he did not have a fever and wasn't vomiting or anything, we would wait until morning. Even with the decision made, hubby and I both probably laid awake until at least 2 am, wondering if we had made the right choice.
When we woke up this morning around 8, it wasn't actually to an alarm but to the sound of high winds and rain quite suddenly pelting the side of our apartment. It was actually so alarming that I had to check the weather to make sure we weren't in the midst of a tornado (we weren't. Mom worry strikes again). I promptly called our doctor and made an appointment for 11 am. We arrived at the doctors with only 2 minutes to spare until our scheduled appointment (once again, trouble getting out of the house on time) only to sit in the waiting room for an HOUR. Now I know doctor's get backed up and all, but that was just a little ridiculous. I would have gladly waited an hour for myself, but every time LM coughed a rattle-y cough it put a little break in my heart. I suppose it is part of my new mom-dom, but I couldn't help selfishly thinking, "Why can't the doctors just take us first?! My baby is sick! And he needs to nurse! And he's going to want to nap soon!" Of course, LM himself was in good spirits for being sick and in a strange environment. He just sat and played with his toys like nothing in the world was wrong. And once we actually got to see the doctor, it only took him about 2 minutes to say, "Oh yeah, he looks like he has a sinus infection." He's already taking after his Daddy. Hubby gets them 6 or 7 times a year from allergies. But on the positive side, he should be totally recovered within a week and a half. And, it wasn't pneumonia! So hurray for that. So now he is just sitting next to me and playing with some toys, trying to master the great art of sitting upright by oneself. And the dog is licking up his pools of drool from our couch (gross, I know), so that is my cue to go. 'Til next time!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
New beginnings
"Lauren," you say, "You have started another blog. ANOTHER one."
"Yes," say I, "Yes I have."
"Welp, what about the other one that you abandoned after 3 or 4 posts?"
Ah yes, so glad you remembered. For those of you who don't know, I did try to start my own blog awhile ago. It was a crafty blog. But as much as I love being crafty (you may take that both to mean 'making crafts' and 'plotting mischievous acts'), it is merely a hobby that I do on occasion. I found that documenting my endeavors was becoming a chore rather than another creative outlet. HOWEVER. Since I last dabbled in the blog world I have changed my status in a rather major way: I am now... a mom! New and improved, indeed!
Motherhood has definitely given me a new perspective on life. It's made me re-think every little thing I do- from my bad habits to my good ones, my schedule, my attitude and my attire (don't count on getting to wear that shrug twice!) among many others. And since motherhood is a way of life and not simply a hobby, I think it will be fun to blog about and not drudgery like my other blog was quickly becoming. As much as I like to knit, crochet, sew (etcetera, etcetera) I have found that I do NOT enjoy a list of my creative successes. Perhaps this is because it was making me start to realize how few turn out as a success. Hrrm.
Anywho, you're not here to read about all this nonsense. So what are you here for exactly? Well, that would be my thoughts, musings, ideas, notions and other such things on motherhood and my life as a mom. Not that I am an expert on the matter, in fact you might say just the opposite as I just gave birth to my firstborn (a son) last summer in July. Mostly I suppose it is for others to share in my small triumphs, frustrations, and on many occasions, a hearty laugh at my expense. (It's okay. I have a good laugh at my own expense regularly, I don't expect others not to. We all have to laugh at ourselves sometimes!) So feel free to comment and let me know that you are nodding along, or going "no no no!", or chuckling or whatever. Unless you're going to be mean and nasty. In which case please do us all a favor and go play in traffic*.
*Little man, if you are ever reading this, please remember that it is never a good idea to play in traffic. Love you!
"Yes," say I, "Yes I have."
"Welp, what about the other one that you abandoned after 3 or 4 posts?"
Ah yes, so glad you remembered. For those of you who don't know, I did try to start my own blog awhile ago. It was a crafty blog. But as much as I love being crafty (you may take that both to mean 'making crafts' and 'plotting mischievous acts'), it is merely a hobby that I do on occasion. I found that documenting my endeavors was becoming a chore rather than another creative outlet. HOWEVER. Since I last dabbled in the blog world I have changed my status in a rather major way: I am now... a mom! New and improved, indeed!
Motherhood has definitely given me a new perspective on life. It's made me re-think every little thing I do- from my bad habits to my good ones, my schedule, my attitude and my attire (don't count on getting to wear that shrug twice!) among many others. And since motherhood is a way of life and not simply a hobby, I think it will be fun to blog about and not drudgery like my other blog was quickly becoming. As much as I like to knit, crochet, sew (etcetera, etcetera) I have found that I do NOT enjoy a list of my creative successes. Perhaps this is because it was making me start to realize how few turn out as a success. Hrrm.
Anywho, you're not here to read about all this nonsense. So what are you here for exactly? Well, that would be my thoughts, musings, ideas, notions and other such things on motherhood and my life as a mom. Not that I am an expert on the matter, in fact you might say just the opposite as I just gave birth to my firstborn (a son) last summer in July. Mostly I suppose it is for others to share in my small triumphs, frustrations, and on many occasions, a hearty laugh at my expense. (It's okay. I have a good laugh at my own expense regularly, I don't expect others not to. We all have to laugh at ourselves sometimes!) So feel free to comment and let me know that you are nodding along, or going "no no no!", or chuckling or whatever. Unless you're going to be mean and nasty. In which case please do us all a favor and go play in traffic*.
*Little man, if you are ever reading this, please remember that it is never a good idea to play in traffic. Love you!
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