Nov
30
200912. Baby smiles
13. Baby open mouthed grins
14. Sly winky-eyed pirate smiles from the girls.
15. The joy my little ones bring to others.
16. Dairy-free pumpkin pie
17. Being mothered at the Thanksgiving meal because I had mastitis again.
18. Two naps without having to worry about baby care.
19. Singing Praise and Worship at the farm
20. A three legged orange and white kitten that found a home with someone who wanted her more than any other kitty
21. Hugs
22. Watching Nana kiss my babies and tease my husband
23. Never having been in want of anything
24. Snuggling with farm kittens
25.Derek-swaddled babies
26. The ability to capture a moment with a camera.
27. Lactation consultants
28. Music.
29. The Sense of Taste
Nov
27
2009We tried the breast milk that I had pumped that was full of cow’s milk products on the girls on Sunday. The results? Instant fussiness that only a warm bath soothed for Aeralind and projectile vomiting from Bronwyn. Based on further research I would say that the girls definitely don’t have a milk allergy but rather a milk sensitivity, so this thing should disappear before they are one. The plan for the moment is to go another month milk free and try some high fat milk product like cheddar cheese (drool) to see what happens. For me that means milk-free holidays.
Have you every thought about all the dairy products in a holiday meal? Butter and milk in your mashed potatoes. Butter in your stuffing. Cheese and milk in the broccoli casserole. Ice cream. Butter in pie crusts and milk in my personal favorite pumpkin pie. Sigh.
Having just come from thanksgiving at the farm with our beloved Nana, I’m here to say, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I had a delightful plate of turkey, sweet potato casserole, salad, a roll, and some jello salad. And to top it all off, Nana made me a dairy-free pumpkin pie. I love that woman! Nana is such a blessing to us!
In other news, the girls have started to smile socially! They loved being passed around all afternoon and making faces at each new person.
Nov
23
2009I mentioned recently that one of my biggest temptations is to sprint: to go through life quickly competing for some elusive piece of perfection. Being unable to obtain that perfection gives me a terrible tendency to complain about everything from my circumstances to the way God works.
Romans 1:21 says “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (emphasis mine). I get stuck at this verse every time I read it for it answers such a huge question: What does God expect of me? Similarly, it answers the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: What is the chief end of man? To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. How can I enjoy God without intentional thanksgiving? How can I quit complaining without intentional thanksgiving?
I recently stumbled upon Ann Voskamp’s reflective blog. Ann and other member of her Gratitude Community, keep lists of the little blessings found in each day, the little moments where Jesus whispers “I love you.” And I shall join them, knowing that doing so will give me greater joy in Him.
1. warm fall days fit for walking slowly in conversation with one another
2. the contented smile that plays on Derek’s lips when he sees us after he comes home
3. circle skirts on a girl who still loves a good twirl
4. oatmeal cookies from a friend who knew I’d be hungry when I stopped by (dairy-free too!)
5. answered prayers of soothing when I needed a rest from a crying baby
6. my first smiles from both of the girls and the pure joy they elicited
7. pumpkins, their cheery orangeness, their tasty baked goods
8. snuggling with my warm husband as the nights cool off
9. a messy house reminding me that I’ve been spending more time loving in the moment than be concerned about appearances
10. excess to give away even if the money seems tight
11. provision: even when I’m not certain where it’ll come from
12. healthy crying babies wanting to be held close
Nov
21
2009
I cloth diaper the my sweet girls. I know what you’re thinking… “She must be crazy!” Maybe I am, but you probably already knew that. Of course, I’m not that crazy; we did not cloth diaper for about the first 6 weeks. We used disposables that were given to us at baby shower in sizes preemie-size 1. I actually still have one pack of Size 1’s, but my girls legs are so thin that I imagine a foul blowout every time I put on this particular brand (Nature’s Babycare).
I use BumGenius One Size 3.0s. I made this choice based on research and the fact that I could register for them on Target.com. Between Target gift cards and Visa gift cards that I spent at Cotton Babies (which has the best prices I found at them time), my cloth diaper expenses where a whopping 99 cents.
I have 36 diapers and I wash everyday; the frequency of washing is due to my very small diaper pail, otherwise I could probably wash every other evening and hang to dry for the next morning.
Here’s a little Bum Genius One Size 3.0 Review for you:
Cons:
- Quite bulky in my diaper bag. Two diapers fit well, but if I want to be out for a long long time four would be pushing it while sharing space with multiple burp clothes and bibs (yay, reflux!) There will be more space when they outgrow reflux.
- They get a little smelly after a few washes, though it’s less smelly or not smelly at all if you’re able to sun dry them.
- They require a little more work in the middle of the night with rinsing and separating the parts to prepare to wash them.
- I’m never quite sure what to do with disposable wipes. At home I put the used ones in an old wipes container on the changing table and empty that when necessary. In public, it gets a little weird. I’ve made resuable wipes but I’m still using the gifted wipes.
- Some people I know are freaked out by washing away human refuse in the same machine that they clean their clothing.
- Diaper Rash ointment could stain them and make them less effective at absorbing.
- You have to remember to put the velcro tabs on the laundry tabs before washing otherwise the velcro will wear out faster and your diapers will be a huge mess when you pull them out of the washer.
- Re-stuffing the diapers is pretty time consuming, though I try to do it while feeding the girls to make up the time difference.
- More expensive up front. (use those gift cards to your advantage!)
- Your babies may outgrown clothing sizes at a quicker rate because of the added bulk.
- I had to wait until the girls reached 7lbs before I could use them so all those preemie/newborn diapers were a necessity!
Pros:
- Cheaper in the long term. The main reason I chose cloth was because it’s cheaper than the potential $1600+ a year to use disposables. The main reason I chose a One-Size diaper was because it’s even cheaper than buying multiple sizes as needed.
- They have a decent resale value either at Cotton Babies or through a MoM club or an online forum or even Craigslist. So if you paid nothing for them like me… you’ll actually get paid to get rid of them! Or you’ll make up about 1/2 of your initial investment.
- You can use them for multiple children (i.e. your second set of twins) or children wearing different sizes.
- BGs are so much like disposables that even church nursery workers who didn’t receive a tutorial (oops) figured then out easily. Dad doesn’t mind changing them either.
- The velcro makes changing quick!
- The fabric feels so soft against baby’s skin.
- Just like a disposable the baby doesn’t realize she’s wet as quickly. I was given a couple of cotton cloth diapers and plastic covers, and my little Aeralind screamed to be changed as soon as she peed in them, but not with the BGs.
- Your baby’s bottom actually looks cute (and will be cuter when they can run around in a t-shirt and diaper during the summer).
- Unlike disposables there are some great colors to chose from! I really like Zinnia, Clementine, and Moonbeam.
You might still think I’m crazy, but I think cloth diapers were a great investment for our family!
