Well, the big long weekend of football and turkey and overeating is finished for another year, but do me a favor. Please don't stop being thankful for your blessings!
I was making my Hubby's lunch last night (I always make my Hubby's lunch. I love the idea of sending him off to work with something I prepared for him.) and I had this overwhelming wave of mush wash over me. I just felt so happy and thankful that I had him to make lunch for. I had to write him a note telling him what a wonderful husband and father he is, and that even though Thanksgiving weekend had come to an end, I was going to continue to be thankful for him every single day. I stuck the note in his lunchbox for him to discover today. I hope it made him smile when he read it.
I really am lucky to have him and my sons and this house and food and heat and clothes and TVs and a gym membership and so on. I am truly lacking NOTHING.
I intend to keep this in mind the whole year through and not just one day in November.
Do you do the same?
Monday, November 30, 2009
I'm a slacker!
Hi everyone!
Hope you all had a fantastic long weekend. It was so nice to have Hubby home for four days, I didn't even bother to blog!
We just hung out here at home on Thanksgiving. I went for a 3-mile jog at one point, and it wasn't easy for some reason. I had to stop and walk a few times. Maybe because I was in the process of getting sick. I made cornish game hens, candied sweet potatoes and reduced-fat crescent rolls and opened a can of cranberry sauce, and then for dessert, I made graham cracker crust and put it in mini pie tins and filled it with Jell-o pumpkin spice pudding. Aside from the texture, it tasted just like pumpkin pie. So, we didn't overeat, which was nice.
Here's Logan crushing graham crackers for me. He thought it was fun.
Oh, and Mother Nature finally gave me my girl gift, on Thanksgiving, something like 3 weeks late. Gee, thanks.
Hubby ventured out just before dinner to see if he could get one of the half-off Wii Fit systems at Meijer but they were gone. Bummer!
Then the boys watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving for the first of at least 12 times over the weekend! My sons both LOVE Charlie Brown. They watched the Great Pumpkin over and over, and now this one, so everyone's looking forward to Charlie Brown Christmas, which will be on tomorrow night. It's funny, even Jordan stops in his tracks when he hears that piano song they always play on the Charlie Brown shows.
We didn't go anywhere near the stores on Black Friday. I actually went to see New Moon all by myself (Thanks Hubby!). I was pleasantly surprised that I really liked the movie. I wasn't ALL that thrilled with Twilight after I loved the book so much, and I wasn't SUPER thrilled with the New Moon book so I didn't have HUGE expectations but I really liked it. Well, except the ending (ROLLING EYES).
In fact, I have found myself making an abrupt switch to Team Jacob (and no, Hubby, it's not about the muscles!) I get the whole Edward thing, and the love story is all about him and blah blah blah, and when I read the books I loved Edward, but I just really liked how Jacob's character developed in New Moon. He's supposed to be just this 15-year-old kid, but in ways he seems more grown-up than 109-year-old angsty, tortured Edward. I guess I kind of got sick of Edwards constant in-pain expressions, and liked how Jacob was kind of like the bad-boy without being bad at all. It's more like he just goes for what he wants with no apology while Edward tiptoes around everything, denying denying denying himself.
Oh, and I really really want a brown T-shirt with white trees on it like the one Jacob was wearing. I really liked it.
Whatevah. And before you think I'm some crazy cougar, I don't much care for either Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner! They are doing well in the roles, though. I am very much looking forward to the next two movies, and there had BETTER be a next two because I think it would be disgraceful if they just stopped short of Breaking Dawn, since that's the best of the lot!
Speaking of books, I read Emily Giffin's "Baby Proof" this weekend. I'm in the middle of Christopher Knight's "The World is Black and White," and I have Richard W. Carson's "Murder in the Thumb" and Bob Butz' "Going Out Green" (which I will be reviewing here) waiting on my nightstand. I also have another Emily Giffin book requested at the library so I will probably get that this week. It's funny, I can go months without having anything to read then I get a bunch of stuff all at once.
On Saturday I hit the gym pretty hard. I did 30 minutes of stairs (hard, due to getting sick) and then I had a great weights workout. I felt really strong, which is crazy because I spent the rest of the day feeling yuckier and yuckier. Hubby started putting up the Christmas lights and I put up our nativity, which is really nice. My grandma hand-painted a set back in 1988 for each of her 7 children, and when my parents moved up north, my dad left his with me because he had made the stable scene to fit our front bay window.
Saturday night I felt pretty darn bad through the night. I've got a really sore throat and when I breathe in, my lungs hurt, especially down my back. I'm kind of stuffed up too and have a nasty cough sometimes. Ick.
Yesterday (Sunday) we went to church, which was really pretty all decked out for Christmas. We got groceries and Hubby got most of the rest of the lights up. Our front yard is full of tall pine trees, and he wraps each trunk in different colors. He always does one red and white candy cane tree for me. I love it!
Aren't they pretty?
I just rode the bike at the gym and read for a half hour and called it good because I felt yucky. I also finally ended my six-day quest to rent Santa Buddies, which came out on Tuesday. Our local store only got 3 copies and I have been checking in daily trying to rent it becaue Logan wanted to see it SO BADLY! I finally rented it and... he decided he didn't want to see it after all! I was so mad! I kind of went off on him and he ended up halfheartedly watching it. Kids! I am SO GLAD I didn't just buy it like I had considered doing!
My ta-ta boo-boo is still there. On Friday Hubby asked me why I was continuing to nurse on that side if it was hurting me so much, why didn't I just pump? Well, duh! So I started pumping and it was much less painful and Jordan took half his daily milk from a bottle and it started healing up. I tried nursing again this morning and it re-cracked, so I guess I wasn't quite healed enough. I don't know if it's a crack or if one of his teeth is catching me just right when I nurse. Pumping's a pain, but hopefully only a couple more days and I won't have to do it anymore.
Playing with his bottle of Mama milk
I did give Jordan a taste of cow's milk over the weekend. The pediatrician said that when he's 10 months, he can have 1/3 of his daily milk as cow's milk, then 2/3 at 11 months and all cow at one year (this is because I told the doc I plan to nurse until he's one.) He seemed to like it but still can't get the concept of a sippy cup. He'll kind of hold it and suck on it and get upset because he's not getting anything. He can't seem to figure out how to tip it up even after I show him, so he gets mad at the cup.
"What is this stuff?"
"How do I get it out?"
"Hey, this stuff isn't that bad!"
I am almost done holiday shopping! Only a couple more things to get! Wooo! Now I just need to keep my butt out of the stores so I don't keep getting "just one more thing." We're planning to go cut our tree next weekend, so that will be nice too.
OH! Forgot to add... Hubby successfully changed several cloth diapers this weekend, including a poopy one, and HE DID THE TOILET DUNK AND GOT THE POOP OFF IT instead of just leaving the mess for me. I am wholly impressed. That was my final cloth diapering concern, and he passed with flying colors! :)
OK, then. Have a great week!
Hope you all had a fantastic long weekend. It was so nice to have Hubby home for four days, I didn't even bother to blog!
We just hung out here at home on Thanksgiving. I went for a 3-mile jog at one point, and it wasn't easy for some reason. I had to stop and walk a few times. Maybe because I was in the process of getting sick. I made cornish game hens, candied sweet potatoes and reduced-fat crescent rolls and opened a can of cranberry sauce, and then for dessert, I made graham cracker crust and put it in mini pie tins and filled it with Jell-o pumpkin spice pudding. Aside from the texture, it tasted just like pumpkin pie. So, we didn't overeat, which was nice.
Here's Logan crushing graham crackers for me. He thought it was fun.
Oh, and Mother Nature finally gave me my girl gift, on Thanksgiving, something like 3 weeks late. Gee, thanks.
Hubby ventured out just before dinner to see if he could get one of the half-off Wii Fit systems at Meijer but they were gone. Bummer!
Then the boys watched Charlie Brown Thanksgiving for the first of at least 12 times over the weekend! My sons both LOVE Charlie Brown. They watched the Great Pumpkin over and over, and now this one, so everyone's looking forward to Charlie Brown Christmas, which will be on tomorrow night. It's funny, even Jordan stops in his tracks when he hears that piano song they always play on the Charlie Brown shows.
We didn't go anywhere near the stores on Black Friday. I actually went to see New Moon all by myself (Thanks Hubby!). I was pleasantly surprised that I really liked the movie. I wasn't ALL that thrilled with Twilight after I loved the book so much, and I wasn't SUPER thrilled with the New Moon book so I didn't have HUGE expectations but I really liked it. Well, except the ending (ROLLING EYES).
In fact, I have found myself making an abrupt switch to Team Jacob (and no, Hubby, it's not about the muscles!) I get the whole Edward thing, and the love story is all about him and blah blah blah, and when I read the books I loved Edward, but I just really liked how Jacob's character developed in New Moon. He's supposed to be just this 15-year-old kid, but in ways he seems more grown-up than 109-year-old angsty, tortured Edward. I guess I kind of got sick of Edwards constant in-pain expressions, and liked how Jacob was kind of like the bad-boy without being bad at all. It's more like he just goes for what he wants with no apology while Edward tiptoes around everything, denying denying denying himself.
Oh, and I really really want a brown T-shirt with white trees on it like the one Jacob was wearing. I really liked it.
Whatevah. And before you think I'm some crazy cougar, I don't much care for either Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner! They are doing well in the roles, though. I am very much looking forward to the next two movies, and there had BETTER be a next two because I think it would be disgraceful if they just stopped short of Breaking Dawn, since that's the best of the lot!
Speaking of books, I read Emily Giffin's "Baby Proof" this weekend. I'm in the middle of Christopher Knight's "The World is Black and White," and I have Richard W. Carson's "Murder in the Thumb" and Bob Butz' "Going Out Green" (which I will be reviewing here) waiting on my nightstand. I also have another Emily Giffin book requested at the library so I will probably get that this week. It's funny, I can go months without having anything to read then I get a bunch of stuff all at once.
On Saturday I hit the gym pretty hard. I did 30 minutes of stairs (hard, due to getting sick) and then I had a great weights workout. I felt really strong, which is crazy because I spent the rest of the day feeling yuckier and yuckier. Hubby started putting up the Christmas lights and I put up our nativity, which is really nice. My grandma hand-painted a set back in 1988 for each of her 7 children, and when my parents moved up north, my dad left his with me because he had made the stable scene to fit our front bay window.
Saturday night I felt pretty darn bad through the night. I've got a really sore throat and when I breathe in, my lungs hurt, especially down my back. I'm kind of stuffed up too and have a nasty cough sometimes. Ick.
Yesterday (Sunday) we went to church, which was really pretty all decked out for Christmas. We got groceries and Hubby got most of the rest of the lights up. Our front yard is full of tall pine trees, and he wraps each trunk in different colors. He always does one red and white candy cane tree for me. I love it!
Aren't they pretty?
I just rode the bike at the gym and read for a half hour and called it good because I felt yucky. I also finally ended my six-day quest to rent Santa Buddies, which came out on Tuesday. Our local store only got 3 copies and I have been checking in daily trying to rent it becaue Logan wanted to see it SO BADLY! I finally rented it and... he decided he didn't want to see it after all! I was so mad! I kind of went off on him and he ended up halfheartedly watching it. Kids! I am SO GLAD I didn't just buy it like I had considered doing!
My ta-ta boo-boo is still there. On Friday Hubby asked me why I was continuing to nurse on that side if it was hurting me so much, why didn't I just pump? Well, duh! So I started pumping and it was much less painful and Jordan took half his daily milk from a bottle and it started healing up. I tried nursing again this morning and it re-cracked, so I guess I wasn't quite healed enough. I don't know if it's a crack or if one of his teeth is catching me just right when I nurse. Pumping's a pain, but hopefully only a couple more days and I won't have to do it anymore.
Playing with his bottle of Mama milk
I did give Jordan a taste of cow's milk over the weekend. The pediatrician said that when he's 10 months, he can have 1/3 of his daily milk as cow's milk, then 2/3 at 11 months and all cow at one year (this is because I told the doc I plan to nurse until he's one.) He seemed to like it but still can't get the concept of a sippy cup. He'll kind of hold it and suck on it and get upset because he's not getting anything. He can't seem to figure out how to tip it up even after I show him, so he gets mad at the cup.
"What is this stuff?"
"How do I get it out?"
"Hey, this stuff isn't that bad!"
I am almost done holiday shopping! Only a couple more things to get! Wooo! Now I just need to keep my butt out of the stores so I don't keep getting "just one more thing." We're planning to go cut our tree next weekend, so that will be nice too.
OH! Forgot to add... Hubby successfully changed several cloth diapers this weekend, including a poopy one, and HE DID THE TOILET DUNK AND GOT THE POOP OFF IT instead of just leaving the mess for me. I am wholly impressed. That was my final cloth diapering concern, and he passed with flying colors! :)
OK, then. Have a great week!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
The "thankful" post
I hope everyone has a great day being thankful for all the wonderful blessings in their lives.
I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. My family is the number one on my list (and that includes my husband, sons, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins). We're all pretty healthy, we have everything we need to live comfortably, we have luxuries. Really, it doesn't get much better than this!
Last week, Logan came up to me and said he wanted to make a book. I got him some paper and he sat down at the table with a pencil (Oh, I wish he would have used pen so it would show up better!) I don't know if he got the idea from school or what, but he carefully wrote and drew a book called "Thankful for Everything." I helped him with only one or two of the words and he did it all himself. He wouldn't let me see it til he was done and I wasn't even sure what he was making, but when he showed me, I got all teary-eyed and knew it was something I would keep forever. I took photos of the pages as best I could (the pencil is really light!) then I stapled it together into book form.
Thought I'd share what my baby made, so you can see what he's thankful for. I love this kid! And he's the only four-year-old I know that regularly uses ampersands (&)instead of writing "and." I don't even really know how to write an ampersand!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. My family is the number one on my list (and that includes my husband, sons, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins). We're all pretty healthy, we have everything we need to live comfortably, we have luxuries. Really, it doesn't get much better than this!
Last week, Logan came up to me and said he wanted to make a book. I got him some paper and he sat down at the table with a pencil (Oh, I wish he would have used pen so it would show up better!) I don't know if he got the idea from school or what, but he carefully wrote and drew a book called "Thankful for Everything." I helped him with only one or two of the words and he did it all himself. He wouldn't let me see it til he was done and I wasn't even sure what he was making, but when he showed me, I got all teary-eyed and knew it was something I would keep forever. I took photos of the pages as best I could (the pencil is really light!) then I stapled it together into book form.
Thought I'd share what my baby made, so you can see what he's thankful for. I love this kid! And he's the only four-year-old I know that regularly uses ampersands (&)instead of writing "and." I don't even really know how to write an ampersand!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I love Dolly's Imagination Library!
I was in the children's room at the local library with the boys this summer when the librarian approached me with a brochure for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
I had never heard of the program, but the librarian explained that our local United Way had teamed up with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to provide free books for children in our county. All I had to do was send the application in, and Jordan would start receving free books in the mail.
Well, it seemed too good to be true, but I'm thrilled to say it's not!
I went to the Imagination Library Web site, to see what it's all about.
Here are excerpts of the story of how it all came about:
"In 1996, Dolly Parton launched an exciting new effort to benefit the children of her home county in east Tennessee. Dolly wanted to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families. She wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she could insure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income.
So she decided to mail a brand new, age appropriate book each month to every child under 5 in Sevier County. With the arrival of every child’s first book, the classic The Little Engine That Could ™, every child could now experience the joy of finding their very own book in their mail box. These moments continue each month until the child turns 5—and in their very last month in the program they receive Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come.
...Many other communities clamored to provide the Imagination Library to their children... Consequently, in March of 2000 (Dolly) stood at the podium of The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and revealed the plan for other communities to provide the Imagination Library to their children...
Here’s how it works:
A community must make the program accessible to all preschool children in their area. The community pays for the books and mailing, promotes the program, registers the children, and enters the information into the database.
From there The Dollywood Foundation takes over and manages the system to deliver the books to the home... Hundreds of communities are providing books to hundreds of thousands of children."
I strongly urge all you moms to pop over to the Imagination Library Web site and see if your community participates in this program (or call your local library. They might know.)
I feel very fortunate that the librarian chose to approach us and tell us about this program. It took a few weeks to get our application processed, but we have received a book in August, September, October and November so far and they are all wonderful, high-quality books. The boys absolutely love them!
Since Logan was already four, we didn't sign him up for the program. We decided we didn't really need to get two copies of all the books. I kind of wish we would have signed him up so he would get the kindergarten book in time but oh well. He is enjoying the books that come in Jordan's name, though. I sit down with both of them when we get a new book and we read it together.
Here are the books we have received.
You have nothing at all to lose and lots of great books to gain, so do a little investigating and see if Dolly's Imagination Library is available for your children! You won't regret it.
By the way, I wasn't compensated in any way by Dolly's Imagination Library for this post. They don't even know I'm writing it. I just think it's an awesome program.
I had never heard of the program, but the librarian explained that our local United Way had teamed up with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to provide free books for children in our county. All I had to do was send the application in, and Jordan would start receving free books in the mail.
Well, it seemed too good to be true, but I'm thrilled to say it's not!
I went to the Imagination Library Web site, to see what it's all about.
Here are excerpts of the story of how it all came about:
"In 1996, Dolly Parton launched an exciting new effort to benefit the children of her home county in east Tennessee. Dolly wanted to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families. She wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she could insure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income.
So she decided to mail a brand new, age appropriate book each month to every child under 5 in Sevier County. With the arrival of every child’s first book, the classic The Little Engine That Could ™, every child could now experience the joy of finding their very own book in their mail box. These moments continue each month until the child turns 5—and in their very last month in the program they receive Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come.
...Many other communities clamored to provide the Imagination Library to their children... Consequently, in March of 2000 (Dolly) stood at the podium of The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and revealed the plan for other communities to provide the Imagination Library to their children...
Here’s how it works:
A community must make the program accessible to all preschool children in their area. The community pays for the books and mailing, promotes the program, registers the children, and enters the information into the database.
From there The Dollywood Foundation takes over and manages the system to deliver the books to the home... Hundreds of communities are providing books to hundreds of thousands of children."
I strongly urge all you moms to pop over to the Imagination Library Web site and see if your community participates in this program (or call your local library. They might know.)
I feel very fortunate that the librarian chose to approach us and tell us about this program. It took a few weeks to get our application processed, but we have received a book in August, September, October and November so far and they are all wonderful, high-quality books. The boys absolutely love them!
Since Logan was already four, we didn't sign him up for the program. We decided we didn't really need to get two copies of all the books. I kind of wish we would have signed him up so he would get the kindergarten book in time but oh well. He is enjoying the books that come in Jordan's name, though. I sit down with both of them when we get a new book and we read it together.
Here are the books we have received.
You have nothing at all to lose and lots of great books to gain, so do a little investigating and see if Dolly's Imagination Library is available for your children! You won't regret it.
By the way, I wasn't compensated in any way by Dolly's Imagination Library for this post. They don't even know I'm writing it. I just think it's an awesome program.
Wordless Wednesday: Dreaming of turkey
Logan drew this cute little guy dreaming about turkey. I thought it was hilarious. Even funnier? He's never had turkey for Thanksgiving, and won't be having it this year either!
Mostly Wordless Wednesday: Bathroom is done!
Well, this bathroom project has been going on since Logan and I tore out the old bathroom floor on October 14 or 15, and now it's finally done! I don't have any decorations for the walls yet but I'm in no rush to do that.
As a reminder, here are some views of my horribly ugly old stinky moldy bathroom
Here's the place completely gutted out
And here's my shiny new pretty not stinky bathroom! I love it so much!
As a reminder, here are some views of my horribly ugly old stinky moldy bathroom
Here's the place completely gutted out
And here's my shiny new pretty not stinky bathroom! I love it so much!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Logan's first dentist appointment
Logan had his first dentist's appointment today and he did SUCH a great job!
I have never been a big fan of going to the dentist, and I was braced for Logan to be difficult. After all, he used to have to be held down for haircuts! He surprised me, pleasantly.
He sat still for his X-rays, for his checkup, for his cleaning and even for the horrid fluoride treatment, which is what always made me scream like a banshee.
They said his teeth looked really good with no cavities. Yay!
Here are a few pics of the big event.
I have never been a big fan of going to the dentist, and I was braced for Logan to be difficult. After all, he used to have to be held down for haircuts! He surprised me, pleasantly.
He sat still for his X-rays, for his checkup, for his cleaning and even for the horrid fluoride treatment, which is what always made me scream like a banshee.
They said his teeth looked really good with no cavities. Yay!
Here are a few pics of the big event.
Yo.
Happy Tuesday.
I don't know what the deal is but I am just BLAH this morning! I got up at 5 and went for a 2.8-mile jog in the FOG and took a shower. Now I'm sitting here at the computer feeling kinda sick. There's even coffee upstairs and I don't feel like dragging my sorry butt up the stairs to get some.
My baby is a vampire, did you know that? OK, well, I'm not completely sure he's a vampire, but I am pretty certain he lanced me with one of his sharp new teeth (Number 6 made its appearance yesterday) while nursing, and it might be getting infected. I hope I'm not getting mastitis because I had it once with Logan and I was barfing and feverish for a few days. It was horrible!
Anyway, I have this wound on my, uh, right nursing region and it's EXCRUCIATING when Jordan is eating. I mean, it LITERALLY feels like he's biting it completely off. I can stand it for only a few seconds at a time and then I have to take him off. It's killing me and frustrating him! It was throbbing all night long. I just coated it with lanolin after my shower so we'll see if it helps, but if it's not starting to get better by tomorrow I'm going to have to go see someone about it. I am going to try warm sea salt water on it today, since that helps boo-boos heal. I made the mistake of putting a band-aid over it before my run today to keep the friction down, and darn it, the band-aid STUCK to it. ouch!
Today we have Logan's first dentist's appointment. I hope it goes well. We also have karate later. I wanted to try to get more Christmas shopping done, too. The credit card bill came yesterday, putting that grim look on Hubby's face. With a good chunk of the Christmas gifts, all the cloth diapering costs, some things for the bathroom project, new running shoes for both of us, gas, groceries, and other odds and ends like karate and stamps and a six-pack after I raked the leaves, etc., it was pretty bad!
Hmmm... not much else to report. Went to the gym last night for a few weights. Hubby made a not-so-subtle comment this weekend that "we" should do Weight Watchers again. Yeah. We. Sure. The man doesn't have any weight to lose! He's perfect! That comment came after we spent the day with my family and I was stuffing my face with Grandma's special shrimp dip and Whitey's fish! "We" my foot! He's probably afraid I won't lose the rest of this baby weight with the holidays coming!
Holidays.
We're staying home for Thanksgiving. That will be nice. Then before we know it Christmas will be here and all the craziness it brings. Then it will be 2010 and shortly after that, my baby boy will be ONE! Ugh. It seems like this year has gone by SO SO QUICKLY. I feel like I blinked and Jordan's babyhood was gone! He's going to be walking soon and I feel like I need to put on the brakes somehow.
Well, anyway. Have a nice day, everyone!
Happy Tuesday.
I don't know what the deal is but I am just BLAH this morning! I got up at 5 and went for a 2.8-mile jog in the FOG and took a shower. Now I'm sitting here at the computer feeling kinda sick. There's even coffee upstairs and I don't feel like dragging my sorry butt up the stairs to get some.
My baby is a vampire, did you know that? OK, well, I'm not completely sure he's a vampire, but I am pretty certain he lanced me with one of his sharp new teeth (Number 6 made its appearance yesterday) while nursing, and it might be getting infected. I hope I'm not getting mastitis because I had it once with Logan and I was barfing and feverish for a few days. It was horrible!
Anyway, I have this wound on my, uh, right nursing region and it's EXCRUCIATING when Jordan is eating. I mean, it LITERALLY feels like he's biting it completely off. I can stand it for only a few seconds at a time and then I have to take him off. It's killing me and frustrating him! It was throbbing all night long. I just coated it with lanolin after my shower so we'll see if it helps, but if it's not starting to get better by tomorrow I'm going to have to go see someone about it. I am going to try warm sea salt water on it today, since that helps boo-boos heal. I made the mistake of putting a band-aid over it before my run today to keep the friction down, and darn it, the band-aid STUCK to it. ouch!
Today we have Logan's first dentist's appointment. I hope it goes well. We also have karate later. I wanted to try to get more Christmas shopping done, too. The credit card bill came yesterday, putting that grim look on Hubby's face. With a good chunk of the Christmas gifts, all the cloth diapering costs, some things for the bathroom project, new running shoes for both of us, gas, groceries, and other odds and ends like karate and stamps and a six-pack after I raked the leaves, etc., it was pretty bad!
Hmmm... not much else to report. Went to the gym last night for a few weights. Hubby made a not-so-subtle comment this weekend that "we" should do Weight Watchers again. Yeah. We. Sure. The man doesn't have any weight to lose! He's perfect! That comment came after we spent the day with my family and I was stuffing my face with Grandma's special shrimp dip and Whitey's fish! "We" my foot! He's probably afraid I won't lose the rest of this baby weight with the holidays coming!
Holidays.
We're staying home for Thanksgiving. That will be nice. Then before we know it Christmas will be here and all the craziness it brings. Then it will be 2010 and shortly after that, my baby boy will be ONE! Ugh. It seems like this year has gone by SO SO QUICKLY. I feel like I blinked and Jordan's babyhood was gone! He's going to be walking soon and I feel like I need to put on the brakes somehow.
Well, anyway. Have a nice day, everyone!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Freaky Friday
I should know better than to Google health-related things.
Really.
Take, for instance, any weird symptom I might be having (or my husband, or one of the kids). If I Google it, EVERY TIME I will be directed to pages that speak of some incurable, death-sentence disease that someone had with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS! Then I freak out.
Well, a couple months ago, when Jordan was 7 months old, Mother Nature gave me back my girl gift. Isn't she sweet? Yeah...
Anyway, I got it then and I got it a month later, but this month I've been waiting and waiting and waiting. I've got the bad skin I get every month. I've had the stupid chocolate cravings, I've been weepy, I've been crabby and everything in between. I've even had cramps.
But here I sit, more than 2 weeks after I should have started and nothing!
So, of course, the wheels start turning. After all, when I found out I was pregnant with Jordan, I was positive I was going to start any second. I had bad skin, cravings, weepies, crampies, etc. Then I got two pink lines.
So, I Googled it.
Specifically, I googled "pregnancy after vasectomy."
And then I got scared. My goodness! A Google search like that will point you to tons and tons of discussion pages of women getting pregnant after their hubbies were "fixed" and then their hubbies not believing it was their baby, etc. What a mess! All sorts of men tested "all clear" only to find out that they were not, in fact, all clear.
So, after I dropped Logan off at school, I ran to the dollar store to get an el cheapo pregnancy test. Of course they were out, so I went to Wal-Mart and got one for $4. Anywhere else I would have paid at least $10 to $12 and anywhere up to $25, which really makes me wonder, why are those things so darn expensive if they can sell ones that work just as well at the dollar store? (Because they know people will buy them no matter what the cost, that's why! How rude!)
I also bought an Amy's Kitchen cheese enchilada whole meal and a regular Coke and a dark chocolate Reese's PB cup for lunch because, come on, I was a little stressed and Amy's Kitchen cheese enchiladas and a regular Coke and a dark chocolate Reese's will go a long way toward making one feel better! :)
Then I came home and peed on the stupid plastic stick and proceeded to wait for the longest three minutes of my life.
OK, who am I kidding. I didn't wait the whole three minutes before looking at it. I was peering at that thing every 20 seconds for about 7 minutes straight, just to make sure an extra line didn't appear.
And it didn't.
So I sent off a quick e-mail to Hubby, who had no idea I was even late, and I ate my Amy's and Coke (the Reese's never made it home) and all was right with the world.
I should add, a third child would NOT be the worst thing ever to happen to me, it's just that Hubby and I decided it wasn't a good idea for me to have any more because I get preeclampsia (high blood pressure) when I'm pregnant and have to go on bed rest. That was annoying when I got pregnant with Logan because I had to stop working immediately and spend 6 weeks on the couch. Then, with Jordan it happened earlier, and I had to spend 14 1/2 weeks on the couch (October 29-Feb. 7!) and poor Logan was stuck in the living room with me all day every day. It wasn't a fun winter for either of us. I couldn't IMAGINE having to be on bed rest with TWO little boys running around!
That and kids are expensive.
My "gift" still hasn't appeared even though I practically cried at the gym last night due to a bad workout (which happens nearly every time I am about to start). I am assuming that I am just off-schedule because I am still nursing.
We shall see!
So, anyway, that's the tale of my Freaky Friday!
Really.
Take, for instance, any weird symptom I might be having (or my husband, or one of the kids). If I Google it, EVERY TIME I will be directed to pages that speak of some incurable, death-sentence disease that someone had with the EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS! Then I freak out.
Well, a couple months ago, when Jordan was 7 months old, Mother Nature gave me back my girl gift. Isn't she sweet? Yeah...
Anyway, I got it then and I got it a month later, but this month I've been waiting and waiting and waiting. I've got the bad skin I get every month. I've had the stupid chocolate cravings, I've been weepy, I've been crabby and everything in between. I've even had cramps.
But here I sit, more than 2 weeks after I should have started and nothing!
So, of course, the wheels start turning. After all, when I found out I was pregnant with Jordan, I was positive I was going to start any second. I had bad skin, cravings, weepies, crampies, etc. Then I got two pink lines.
So, I Googled it.
Specifically, I googled "pregnancy after vasectomy."
And then I got scared. My goodness! A Google search like that will point you to tons and tons of discussion pages of women getting pregnant after their hubbies were "fixed" and then their hubbies not believing it was their baby, etc. What a mess! All sorts of men tested "all clear" only to find out that they were not, in fact, all clear.
So, after I dropped Logan off at school, I ran to the dollar store to get an el cheapo pregnancy test. Of course they were out, so I went to Wal-Mart and got one for $4. Anywhere else I would have paid at least $10 to $12 and anywhere up to $25, which really makes me wonder, why are those things so darn expensive if they can sell ones that work just as well at the dollar store? (Because they know people will buy them no matter what the cost, that's why! How rude!)
I also bought an Amy's Kitchen cheese enchilada whole meal and a regular Coke and a dark chocolate Reese's PB cup for lunch because, come on, I was a little stressed and Amy's Kitchen cheese enchiladas and a regular Coke and a dark chocolate Reese's will go a long way toward making one feel better! :)
Then I came home and peed on the stupid plastic stick and proceeded to wait for the longest three minutes of my life.
OK, who am I kidding. I didn't wait the whole three minutes before looking at it. I was peering at that thing every 20 seconds for about 7 minutes straight, just to make sure an extra line didn't appear.
And it didn't.
So I sent off a quick e-mail to Hubby, who had no idea I was even late, and I ate my Amy's and Coke (the Reese's never made it home) and all was right with the world.
I should add, a third child would NOT be the worst thing ever to happen to me, it's just that Hubby and I decided it wasn't a good idea for me to have any more because I get preeclampsia (high blood pressure) when I'm pregnant and have to go on bed rest. That was annoying when I got pregnant with Logan because I had to stop working immediately and spend 6 weeks on the couch. Then, with Jordan it happened earlier, and I had to spend 14 1/2 weeks on the couch (October 29-Feb. 7!) and poor Logan was stuck in the living room with me all day every day. It wasn't a fun winter for either of us. I couldn't IMAGINE having to be on bed rest with TWO little boys running around!
That and kids are expensive.
My "gift" still hasn't appeared even though I practically cried at the gym last night due to a bad workout (which happens nearly every time I am about to start). I am assuming that I am just off-schedule because I am still nursing.
We shall see!
So, anyway, that's the tale of my Freaky Friday!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Let the holidays begin!
Happy Friday!
I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because I took the day off of exercising and slept a touch longer than usual. I don't like to park it at the computer and blog when the boys are up (in fact, I need to start turning the computer OFF when they get up or I'm tempted to run down and check my email or whatever every so often).
Anyway, there wasn't all that much to report anyway. I took the day off because my body was complaining loudly and telling me I needed a break. I did laundry and dishes and stuff, played some Cootie and UNO with Logan, etc. Jordan face-planted THREE times yesterday, poor kid. He pulls up constantly now, on anything he can, and he's starting to take his hands off whatever he pulled up on, so he'll be standing there inspecting a toy or something and he'll lose his balance and PLOP! He really fell ON HIS FACE though. I felt so bad. He cried so hard, my poor baby.
"Look Mom, no hands!" :)
Oh, yeah, Jordan's also trying to say "Uh-Oh!" It's so cute. He really only gets the Uh part. It's more like "Uh-gggg!" I know he's trying though because he was repeating after me yesterday. too funny.
I also brought the big MegaBlocks upstairs because I thought they would keep Jordan occupied while I got some things done. Logan kind of took over, though. But Jordan was happy to sit there and watch (for a while) and chew on some toys.
Got up this morning at 4:20 because Jordan started crying. Stayed up and once I finally got him back to bed, I went to the gym. I ran 1.2 miles as a warm-up then I had about 18 minutes left at the gym to get in whatever weights I could. I managed 3-4 sets each of four upper body exercises, so that's that.
Hubby had a bad time with the bathroom project last night. He had purchased and installed one of those corner shower shelving things that has a pole that goes to the ceiling. Well, I wanted the shelves switched around because I wanted the one with the razor holder up higher (so the boys couldn't get my razor) so Hubby pulled the thing out and it stuck to the ceiling and PEELED A BIG HUNK OF THE FRESH PAINT OFF! So now Hubs has to go through the whole patching, sanding, priming and painting process again to fix that spot, and he is SO SICK of patching and sanding and priming and painting. He was NOT a happy man.
He did hang the mirror, though, and it looks very nice. He'll probably hang the cabinet and towel hooks this weekend. We don't have any decorations for the walls yet. I'm not sure what I want to get.
Taking Logan to the pediatrician today. He got a cold back in September and the throat problem part of it nagged him for weeks. Then it went away for maybe a week, then he got another cold, and he has been doing this hacking thing with his throat ever since. He still coughs when he starts running around. Yesterday he was hacking almost constantly all day. his throat has to be sore from all that! Anyway, I don't think he's sick but he does have some sort of a tickle or a drainage problem and I want the doctor to take a look to make sure he doesn't have some sort of throat infection or something. I mean, it has been two months. The doc looked at it back at the end of Sept. and said there wasn't any sign of a problem but it's still going on. Poor kid. And it annoys me to no end, too, until I'm like "Logan, STOP making that noise!" As if he can help it!
The holiday season kicks off next week for most people with Thanksgiving. We don't ever do anything for Thanksgiving. We just eat dinner here at home, which is actually quite nice. I think I'm going to make Cornish game hens. I wanted to run a Turkey Trot as a family, but I didn't want to sign us up ahead of time because the past couple years it was below zero and windy and snowing on Thanksgiving and I didn't want to take the kids out if it was going to be like that. We'll see what happens.
We're actually celebrating Christmas tomorrow, though. Half of my family on my mom's side lives up in the Upper Peninsula and half of us live here in the Lower Peninsula (and my aunt, uncle and cousin live in Oregon, so we only see them every few years, which stinks. Maybe one of these years we could all go to Oregon! That would be so cool!) so we do our family Christmas every year the weekend before Thanksgiving. It just works easier for everyone because it gets so darn busy around Christmas.
We usually meet halfway, somewhere in the middle of the state and get hotel rooms and celebrate, but this year everyone up north (my parents and my grandparents) is coming all the way downstate. We're meeting at my aunt and uncle's house tomorrow and then later we'll all go to dinner at the AWESOME fish restaurant that has been our family's get-together spot for many years. I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone and eating WHITEY'S FISH!!!!!
Well, I hope everyone has a fantastic day and weekend!
I didn't get a chance to post yesterday because I took the day off of exercising and slept a touch longer than usual. I don't like to park it at the computer and blog when the boys are up (in fact, I need to start turning the computer OFF when they get up or I'm tempted to run down and check my email or whatever every so often).
Anyway, there wasn't all that much to report anyway. I took the day off because my body was complaining loudly and telling me I needed a break. I did laundry and dishes and stuff, played some Cootie and UNO with Logan, etc. Jordan face-planted THREE times yesterday, poor kid. He pulls up constantly now, on anything he can, and he's starting to take his hands off whatever he pulled up on, so he'll be standing there inspecting a toy or something and he'll lose his balance and PLOP! He really fell ON HIS FACE though. I felt so bad. He cried so hard, my poor baby.
"Look Mom, no hands!" :)
Oh, yeah, Jordan's also trying to say "Uh-Oh!" It's so cute. He really only gets the Uh part. It's more like "Uh-gggg!" I know he's trying though because he was repeating after me yesterday. too funny.
I also brought the big MegaBlocks upstairs because I thought they would keep Jordan occupied while I got some things done. Logan kind of took over, though. But Jordan was happy to sit there and watch (for a while) and chew on some toys.
Got up this morning at 4:20 because Jordan started crying. Stayed up and once I finally got him back to bed, I went to the gym. I ran 1.2 miles as a warm-up then I had about 18 minutes left at the gym to get in whatever weights I could. I managed 3-4 sets each of four upper body exercises, so that's that.
Hubby had a bad time with the bathroom project last night. He had purchased and installed one of those corner shower shelving things that has a pole that goes to the ceiling. Well, I wanted the shelves switched around because I wanted the one with the razor holder up higher (so the boys couldn't get my razor) so Hubby pulled the thing out and it stuck to the ceiling and PEELED A BIG HUNK OF THE FRESH PAINT OFF! So now Hubs has to go through the whole patching, sanding, priming and painting process again to fix that spot, and he is SO SICK of patching and sanding and priming and painting. He was NOT a happy man.
He did hang the mirror, though, and it looks very nice. He'll probably hang the cabinet and towel hooks this weekend. We don't have any decorations for the walls yet. I'm not sure what I want to get.
Taking Logan to the pediatrician today. He got a cold back in September and the throat problem part of it nagged him for weeks. Then it went away for maybe a week, then he got another cold, and he has been doing this hacking thing with his throat ever since. He still coughs when he starts running around. Yesterday he was hacking almost constantly all day. his throat has to be sore from all that! Anyway, I don't think he's sick but he does have some sort of a tickle or a drainage problem and I want the doctor to take a look to make sure he doesn't have some sort of throat infection or something. I mean, it has been two months. The doc looked at it back at the end of Sept. and said there wasn't any sign of a problem but it's still going on. Poor kid. And it annoys me to no end, too, until I'm like "Logan, STOP making that noise!" As if he can help it!
The holiday season kicks off next week for most people with Thanksgiving. We don't ever do anything for Thanksgiving. We just eat dinner here at home, which is actually quite nice. I think I'm going to make Cornish game hens. I wanted to run a Turkey Trot as a family, but I didn't want to sign us up ahead of time because the past couple years it was below zero and windy and snowing on Thanksgiving and I didn't want to take the kids out if it was going to be like that. We'll see what happens.
We're actually celebrating Christmas tomorrow, though. Half of my family on my mom's side lives up in the Upper Peninsula and half of us live here in the Lower Peninsula (and my aunt, uncle and cousin live in Oregon, so we only see them every few years, which stinks. Maybe one of these years we could all go to Oregon! That would be so cool!) so we do our family Christmas every year the weekend before Thanksgiving. It just works easier for everyone because it gets so darn busy around Christmas.
We usually meet halfway, somewhere in the middle of the state and get hotel rooms and celebrate, but this year everyone up north (my parents and my grandparents) is coming all the way downstate. We're meeting at my aunt and uncle's house tomorrow and then later we'll all go to dinner at the AWESOME fish restaurant that has been our family's get-together spot for many years. I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone and eating WHITEY'S FISH!!!!!
Well, I hope everyone has a fantastic day and weekend!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wordless Wednesday, but with words
I can never seem to do a true Wordless Wednesday. Always have to give my $.02, I guess.
The bathroom project is nearing the end! We have a functioning shower and potty and the vanity is in. Hubby has had some issues with the drain in the sink not sealing correctly, and is having a spot of trouble hanging the mirror due to a stud being right in the way. SO, all that's left, really, is getting the sink working and hanging the mirror, cabinet and any decorations we happen to find.
For now, though, we're REALLY enjoying having a bath/shower here at home! I also just love to look at how pretty everything is. Our bathroom was SO ugly for SO long.
After all the wall stuff has been installed, I'll do a before and after photo, but for now here's what we have:
And here are my two little ones playing around in the tub. Don't ask why Jordan has a paci in the tub. He was a grump that day.
The bathroom project is nearing the end! We have a functioning shower and potty and the vanity is in. Hubby has had some issues with the drain in the sink not sealing correctly, and is having a spot of trouble hanging the mirror due to a stud being right in the way. SO, all that's left, really, is getting the sink working and hanging the mirror, cabinet and any decorations we happen to find.
For now, though, we're REALLY enjoying having a bath/shower here at home! I also just love to look at how pretty everything is. Our bathroom was SO ugly for SO long.
After all the wall stuff has been installed, I'll do a before and after photo, but for now here's what we have:
And here are my two little ones playing around in the tub. Don't ask why Jordan has a paci in the tub. He was a grump that day.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Body After Baby--last week!
Here we are in the final week of the Body After Baby Challenge at Mama Notes.
Week 7 ended much as week 6 ended. No loss. My weight has been all over the place the past few days and my monthly visitor is due to arrive any second. I'm not regular yet, as I'm still nursing and just started having periods again two months ago, so I know when it's been at least a month, I have horrible skin and cramps, it's time to look out! Lucky me, that also comes with a few pounds of bloat, so I'm not exactly sure where I stand as far as weight goes. I am pretty certain, however, that I did not lose.
So, I will not be meeting my 8 pounds in 8 weeks goal for this challenge, which is a bummer. Photos show no difference based on the 3 1/2 to 4 pounds I did lose.
Things I have learned during this challenge:
1) Exercise is not my problem. I really have no problem getting in my workouts.
2) If I want to lose weight, I have to strictly track every single morsel I am putting in my mouth. If I don't track, I don't lose. This is a pattern I have seen for years. If I want to lose weight, I MUST track, whether it's Weight Watchers points or calories. It stinks because I suck at tracking. That's where I fall off the wagon. I get lazy.
3) All those celebrities who say they lost 60 pounds in 4 months merely by breastfeeding can kiss my oversized butt. That NEVER happens for me. In fact, I am pretty sure I'm one of those women that holds on to a few of the pounds until my child is weaned.
4) When I am tracking my food and I don't take in enough calories, my milk supply suffers, and I'm not willing to do that to my baby.
Also during this challenge period I set some goals for the future. I didn't meet my challenge goal, but I AM NOT DONE.
I want to:
1) Reach my pre-baby weight (around 13 pounds to go) by the time we go down south in early March for a friend's wedding.
2) Regain my (strength) ability to do five unassisted pull-ups by my birthday in mid-June. I could do about 4 and 3/4 pull-ups by myself before I got pregnant with Jordan.
3) Train for and complete the Brooksie Way Half Marathon in October to celebrate my 9th wedding anniversary. My previous longest race was 10 miles (the Crim) in 2006 and I haven't run anywhere near that length since, because my feet are all messed up.
As far as points earned in the challenge, I THINK I have it figured out...
Signing up for ning site = 5 of 5 possible points
Week 1 (water drinking) = 56 of 56 points
Week 2 (walking) = 11 of 28 points
Week 3 (healthy meals) = 17 of 21 points
Week 4 (crunches) = 350 of 350 points
Week 5 no challenge
Week 6 (sleep 8 hours) = 1 of 8 points
Week 7 (exercise/water) = 63 of 63 points
Week 8 no challenge
So, if my math is correct, I got 503 of the possible 531 points in this challenge.
Anyway, this Body After Baby thing ends on Saturday, I think, so that's that. I'm just going to try to do my best through the holidays, track if I can make myself and keep plugging away toward my goals!
Week 7 ended much as week 6 ended. No loss. My weight has been all over the place the past few days and my monthly visitor is due to arrive any second. I'm not regular yet, as I'm still nursing and just started having periods again two months ago, so I know when it's been at least a month, I have horrible skin and cramps, it's time to look out! Lucky me, that also comes with a few pounds of bloat, so I'm not exactly sure where I stand as far as weight goes. I am pretty certain, however, that I did not lose.
So, I will not be meeting my 8 pounds in 8 weeks goal for this challenge, which is a bummer. Photos show no difference based on the 3 1/2 to 4 pounds I did lose.
Things I have learned during this challenge:
1) Exercise is not my problem. I really have no problem getting in my workouts.
2) If I want to lose weight, I have to strictly track every single morsel I am putting in my mouth. If I don't track, I don't lose. This is a pattern I have seen for years. If I want to lose weight, I MUST track, whether it's Weight Watchers points or calories. It stinks because I suck at tracking. That's where I fall off the wagon. I get lazy.
3) All those celebrities who say they lost 60 pounds in 4 months merely by breastfeeding can kiss my oversized butt. That NEVER happens for me. In fact, I am pretty sure I'm one of those women that holds on to a few of the pounds until my child is weaned.
4) When I am tracking my food and I don't take in enough calories, my milk supply suffers, and I'm not willing to do that to my baby.
Also during this challenge period I set some goals for the future. I didn't meet my challenge goal, but I AM NOT DONE.
I want to:
1) Reach my pre-baby weight (around 13 pounds to go) by the time we go down south in early March for a friend's wedding.
2) Regain my (strength) ability to do five unassisted pull-ups by my birthday in mid-June. I could do about 4 and 3/4 pull-ups by myself before I got pregnant with Jordan.
3) Train for and complete the Brooksie Way Half Marathon in October to celebrate my 9th wedding anniversary. My previous longest race was 10 miles (the Crim) in 2006 and I haven't run anywhere near that length since, because my feet are all messed up.
As far as points earned in the challenge, I THINK I have it figured out...
Signing up for ning site = 5 of 5 possible points
Week 1 (water drinking) = 56 of 56 points
Week 2 (walking) = 11 of 28 points
Week 3 (healthy meals) = 17 of 21 points
Week 4 (crunches) = 350 of 350 points
Week 5 no challenge
Week 6 (sleep 8 hours) = 1 of 8 points
Week 7 (exercise/water) = 63 of 63 points
Week 8 no challenge
So, if my math is correct, I got 503 of the possible 531 points in this challenge.
Anyway, this Body After Baby thing ends on Saturday, I think, so that's that. I'm just going to try to do my best through the holidays, track if I can make myself and keep plugging away toward my goals!
Monday, November 16, 2009
just a photo
I came across this photo while looking through my files this morning. I love baby feet! I think this picture just screams "baby boy."
GIVEAWAY WINNER CHOSEN!
Well, MooCowMomma and I decided to just end the giveaway early, so here's the winner:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
6
Timestamp: 2009-11-16 15:43:25 UTC
JaMean said...
I follow your fun blog. And hey: THANKS for the Christmas idea! :)
Congrats JaMean! I will be contacting you. You have 48 hours to get me your mailing address. Please email it to me at krys13@msn.com
Thanks for entering everyone!
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
6
Timestamp: 2009-11-16 15:43:25 UTC
JaMean said...
I follow your fun blog. And hey: THANKS for the Christmas idea! :)
Congrats JaMean! I will be contacting you. You have 48 hours to get me your mailing address. Please email it to me at krys13@msn.com
Thanks for entering everyone!
CRAP! thanks, FaceBook!
Well, it turns out my current giveaway for MooCowMomma's wipes is ILLEGAL thanks to FaceBook's new rules for promotions.
I am contacting MooCowMomma to see if she wants to change the terms of entry or just end the contest early and choose a winner fromw ho we have now.
Stay tuned...
I am contacting MooCowMomma to see if she wants to change the terms of entry or just end the contest early and choose a winner fromw ho we have now.
Stay tuned...
Cloth diapering review 3: soakers & longies
OK, this is my last cloth diaper review (at least for now!)
I am the proud owner of three different styles of handmade soakers.
The first one I got was a pair of custom-made blue wool longies from the Snuggle Pants etsy shop.
I was a little hesitant about trying wool, because all I could think about was this horrid pair of itchy socks I have, but I'd heard such good things about wool as a diaper cover. When I contacted Snuggle Pants, she agreed to make me a pair and send them to me for the cost of shipping only, which I thought was extremely generous.
Stephanie at the Sweet Violet's Mama etsy shop also was very generous and offered me the same shipping-only option to try out one of her wool soakers. She made Jordan an olive green one.
After trying these two soakers, I am a fan of wool. This isn't the itchy stuff my socks were made from! Plus, it is AMAZING at keeping leaks contained! I love the longies style, because they are adorable and can be worn as nice, warm pants during this Michigan winter. I would definitely recommend wool as a cover to other cloth diapering moms.
Please check out both the Snuggle Pants and Sweet Violet's Mama etsy shops for your wool cover needs. They both upcycle old sweaters (I LOVE THIS!) to make their covers and oh my goodness, they both offer some incredibly adorable items. They're affordable, too.
I ordered a fleece lizard print soaker from the Wild Child for Babies etsy shop and it is so stinkin' cute, but then I tried it on Jordan and I had ordered the wrong size. It was too small, and I was bummed. On a whim, I contacted the shop owner and she agreed to make me a pair of fleece longies and send them to me for shipping only, even though the wrong-size order was my own fault. Wasn't that super sweet of her? She just requested I pass the too-small soaker on to someone who needs it.
I chose a traffic-print fleece and she made and sent my longies right away. They arrived and I have been using them constantly ever since. They are a little long for Jordan's stumpy little legs, but I just roll them up a bit. It gives him room to grow! They are super soft and comfortable for him and they do an excellent job of containing any wetness that might seep out of the diaper. I love love love them.
Aren't they cute?
I would highly recommend Wild Child for Babies' shop if you're interested in a fleece soaker (long or short). Check out her shop!
So, in all, I am extremely pleased with all three of my wool and fleece soakers and the wonderful women who produced them!
I am the proud owner of three different styles of handmade soakers.
The first one I got was a pair of custom-made blue wool longies from the Snuggle Pants etsy shop.
I was a little hesitant about trying wool, because all I could think about was this horrid pair of itchy socks I have, but I'd heard such good things about wool as a diaper cover. When I contacted Snuggle Pants, she agreed to make me a pair and send them to me for the cost of shipping only, which I thought was extremely generous.
Stephanie at the Sweet Violet's Mama etsy shop also was very generous and offered me the same shipping-only option to try out one of her wool soakers. She made Jordan an olive green one.
After trying these two soakers, I am a fan of wool. This isn't the itchy stuff my socks were made from! Plus, it is AMAZING at keeping leaks contained! I love the longies style, because they are adorable and can be worn as nice, warm pants during this Michigan winter. I would definitely recommend wool as a cover to other cloth diapering moms.
Please check out both the Snuggle Pants and Sweet Violet's Mama etsy shops for your wool cover needs. They both upcycle old sweaters (I LOVE THIS!) to make their covers and oh my goodness, they both offer some incredibly adorable items. They're affordable, too.
I ordered a fleece lizard print soaker from the Wild Child for Babies etsy shop and it is so stinkin' cute, but then I tried it on Jordan and I had ordered the wrong size. It was too small, and I was bummed. On a whim, I contacted the shop owner and she agreed to make me a pair of fleece longies and send them to me for shipping only, even though the wrong-size order was my own fault. Wasn't that super sweet of her? She just requested I pass the too-small soaker on to someone who needs it.
I chose a traffic-print fleece and she made and sent my longies right away. They arrived and I have been using them constantly ever since. They are a little long for Jordan's stumpy little legs, but I just roll them up a bit. It gives him room to grow! They are super soft and comfortable for him and they do an excellent job of containing any wetness that might seep out of the diaper. I love love love them.
Aren't they cute?
I would highly recommend Wild Child for Babies' shop if you're interested in a fleece soaker (long or short). Check out her shop!
So, in all, I am extremely pleased with all three of my wool and fleece soakers and the wonderful women who produced them!
Cloth diaper review Part 2: separates
Welcome to part 2 of my cloth diaper review.
This one won't be nearly as long as the all-in-one review. This review will focus on the separate diapers and covers I have.
First, I purchased a pack of Gerber pre-folds at my local Wal-Mart (No, Wal-Mart didn't pay me to say that.) They were $12 for 12.
If it was the old days and I was stuck with these diapers, pins and rubber pants, I probably wouldn't be cloth diapering. But, these are the days that we have nice PUL covers to go with them, and that is SO much better! (I know this, because I actually tried the pins-and-rubber-pants route before I had any other cloth diapering supplies. It was awful!)
The quality of these prefolds isn't great. I have had them only about a month and a couple of them are already fraying a bit at the edges. However, I just fold them into thirds and use them as liners or doublers inside PUL covers or all-in-ones and I can't complain too much. They are bulkier than all the new-fangled microfiber and bamboo, etc. soakers out there but they do the job.
Next, I was on etsy and spotted this cute three-pack of PUL covers at the Baby Bustle shop.
I decided to purchase them, and inquired about diapers. The seller told me she used to make diapers and had taken them off her shop because they didn't sell well. She agreed to throw in three contoured diapers she had on hand so I could try them out. She sent a two-ply bamboo fleece, a two-ply hemp terry and a four-ply hemp terry, and they velcro inside the PUL covers.
These covers and diapers work pretty well. They don't have laundry tabs, though, so they create a horrible diaper chain in the laundry and the velcro is starting to show signs of wear because of it. I love the camouflage cover best. It's so cute!
Finally, I was in a baby shop in Rochester and found this Tiny Tush diaper, so I decided to buy one and try it out.
It's pretty fluffy and seems really comfy, but it requires a separate cover and that can get sort of bulky. It works well under Jordan's wool and fleece longies, though, because they'll catch any leakage we have and he can wear them around as pants.
The shop also had Imse Vimse PUL covers on sale for half off, so I bought this cute striped one.
It's pretty standard as far as covers go, I guess. It seems a bit fluffy, so it's not the best choice to go over something like the Tiny Tush if you want baby's pants to fit!
So that's that as far as the separate diapers and covers go. Next, I will be reviewing the three different wool or fleece soakers I got.
This one won't be nearly as long as the all-in-one review. This review will focus on the separate diapers and covers I have.
First, I purchased a pack of Gerber pre-folds at my local Wal-Mart (No, Wal-Mart didn't pay me to say that.) They were $12 for 12.
If it was the old days and I was stuck with these diapers, pins and rubber pants, I probably wouldn't be cloth diapering. But, these are the days that we have nice PUL covers to go with them, and that is SO much better! (I know this, because I actually tried the pins-and-rubber-pants route before I had any other cloth diapering supplies. It was awful!)
The quality of these prefolds isn't great. I have had them only about a month and a couple of them are already fraying a bit at the edges. However, I just fold them into thirds and use them as liners or doublers inside PUL covers or all-in-ones and I can't complain too much. They are bulkier than all the new-fangled microfiber and bamboo, etc. soakers out there but they do the job.
Next, I was on etsy and spotted this cute three-pack of PUL covers at the Baby Bustle shop.
I decided to purchase them, and inquired about diapers. The seller told me she used to make diapers and had taken them off her shop because they didn't sell well. She agreed to throw in three contoured diapers she had on hand so I could try them out. She sent a two-ply bamboo fleece, a two-ply hemp terry and a four-ply hemp terry, and they velcro inside the PUL covers.
These covers and diapers work pretty well. They don't have laundry tabs, though, so they create a horrible diaper chain in the laundry and the velcro is starting to show signs of wear because of it. I love the camouflage cover best. It's so cute!
Finally, I was in a baby shop in Rochester and found this Tiny Tush diaper, so I decided to buy one and try it out.
It's pretty fluffy and seems really comfy, but it requires a separate cover and that can get sort of bulky. It works well under Jordan's wool and fleece longies, though, because they'll catch any leakage we have and he can wear them around as pants.
The shop also had Imse Vimse PUL covers on sale for half off, so I bought this cute striped one.
It's pretty standard as far as covers go, I guess. It seems a bit fluffy, so it's not the best choice to go over something like the Tiny Tush if you want baby's pants to fit!
So that's that as far as the separate diapers and covers go. Next, I will be reviewing the three different wool or fleece soakers I got.