Schulz Family Adventures

Escalators

2012-02-10T12:59:00.001-08:00

Nathan discovered escalators yesterday. We went to massive sporting goods store so Gregory could look at shoes. Nathan and I spent the majority of the time going up and down the escalators while poor Gregory did all he could to solicit an opinion from me about shoes. But Nathan was sick and it was the only thing that kept him happy.

YouTube Video

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Hooray!

2012-02-08T11:55:00.001-08:00

I am finally the proud owner of a glue gun thanks to a Joann gift card mom gave me for Christmas. Thanks, mom!

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Sick baby

2012-02-03T20:33:00.001-08:00

Nathan was sick yesterday. I wrote this yesterday morning: Nathan is sick today and is having a hard time. This morning he woke up super sad and with a fever. He cried through everything I tried until I just rocked him. Normally he does not like to be rocked unless he has had a bad dream or is sick. After several minutes I decided to try moving to the bed. Nathan fell asleep on me...he is not a cosleeper. Thank goodness for my iPhone! He's been sleeping on me for half an hour. He did twitch and cry once but I got him to go back to sleep. Poor kid. I'm glad I can help him feel better.

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Up at night

2012-01-27T03:34:00.001-08:00

Well Nathan woke up at a weird point in my sleep cycle and I'm having a hard time getting back to sleep. So I decided to post some recent pictures!

Nathan loves cuddly things.

Look! I have a toddler. You can tell because he found a pen and drew on himself. Classic.

Gregory and I went on a real live date last weekend! We took a picture to prove it. This is about the eighth shot though because Gregory was trying to make a photogenic face and I was kind of laughing about it.

I made a tiny diaper for the baby! Here it is next to another xs diaper for comparison. Mine is the yellow one. The snaps in the middle make an umbilical cord scoop.

Nathan loves to read with Daddy.

We made Nathan a step stool so he can wash his hands by himself. Which is one of his favorite things.

And yes, it's made of a case of baby wipes and old textbooks.

Nathan was throwing a tantrum outside so I thought it would be funny to take a picture.

YouTube Video

One day after we got home I decided to let Nathan play in the front seat. He loved it.

I have been babysitting two days a week. Two very high energy kids. This is him wearing a coat mom bought for Nathan...but it's too big for Nathan! Looks like it will fit by next year though.

Nathan likes my phone. A lot. So I took a picture of him staring at it.

:)

2012-01-26T21:17:00.001-08:00

Nathan was super cuddly today. It was awesome.

15 week belly shot

2012-01-21T11:25:00.001-08:00

Blogging from bed

2012-01-16T17:39:00.001-08:00

Since I'm sick I may as well blog from bed. Here are some pictures! In reverse chronological order.

Nathan loves grandma Connie's raspberry jam.

Nathan's adorable new shoes.

YouTube Video

A video by a mostly naked baby.

My more-organized sewing space!

Jacob building with blocks when he came to play last week.

13 week belly shot. Will do another one soon.

Nathan loves daddy's teddy bear.

He looks about 7 years old in this picture.

Family!

9 week belly shot I think.

Adventsingen!!

Box ftw

I think this was 7 weeks and really bloated.

Helping mommy with diaper laundry.

Sick

2012-01-16T17:09:00.001-08:00

This is a glamorous photo of me while I sit here by the toilet wishing for it to just get over with. I seem to have caught a bug and despite the 3 zofran I have taken today I still feel very much on the verge of puking. In other news, Gregory assembled our new table and chairs today. I will try to get a picture up once I leave the bathroom. The smell of chicken tikka masala is not encouraging me to go in the kitchen, though.

Another scary milestone

2012-01-10T18:39:00.001-08:00

Today Nathan figured out that he can push the chair somewhere then climb on the chair to get something. However, I'm not as worried about him getting into things as I am about the fact that our kitchen chairs are falling apart and could collapse anytime.

Looks like we're making a trip to IKEA this weekend.

Annoying but cute

2011-12-28T04:38:00.000-08:00

So I want to get caught up on Christmas posts but before I do I just wanted to share a cute story really quick.

Nathan was having a hard time sleeping all night at my parents' house (we finally figured out he was too cold...sorry baby!!) and we weren't getting much sleep. In a fit of desperation one night I moved Nathan into our bed. He slept about three hours...then he woke up and decided it was time to talk to me.

It was so. cute. Now Nathan normally doesn't talk quietly but he did then...maybe he associates darkness with quiet...that's good. But he had a lot he wanted to say to me quietly in his own little language. And he gave me lots of kisses. Nathan has learned recently how to give kisses and it is sooo cute. So while I was annoyed that Nathan wasn't sleeping, and Gregory was cranky because Nathan was messing with his sleep, and I really didn't get much sleep to speak of that night, it was really sweet to have Nathan talk to me in the middle of the night and give me kisses. I love that boy.

Dear Internet Commenters

2011-12-10T12:19:00.001-08:00

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

RME Christmas Clogging Classic

2011-12-07T22:16:00.000-08:00

The RME Christmas Clogging Classic was tonight. Nobody came to see me (Gregory stayed home with a sick baby) but that's okay. I clog because I love it, not to be seen. And I felt I did really well. In the mind of most of my team members, including me, the Christmas show is a "practice" performance. It's our first time of the year clogging on a stage that isn't our studio, all done up in costumes and makeup. I felt that I did really well. The dances this year are already familiar to me, though our second (more technical) dance has some new tweaks, new steps, and a few steps that everyone is doing, rather than breaking it up into a ripple.

I am a better clogger this year than I was last year. I'm going to the gym outside of clogging so my endurance for clogging is better. I'm also technically better. There's also one step last year that was completely beyond my ability but this year, everyone is doing it and I feel so accomplished being able to pull it off.

There are certain steps that Greg (our teacher) will have everyone do individually in class so he can hear each dancer's proficiency in that step. It's so awesome to completely nail a step when we do that. It's so satisfying to do a complicated step and hear the sounds come out loud and clear and have it sound the way it is supposed to. Clogging is just so satisfying. I love having something that I know I am good at and that is so fun. I aim to clog straight through Nationals in May, even at 32 weeks pregnant. Others have done this before. I really hope I won't have to stop before then. Wish me luck! I love clogging!

Nathan "reading"

2011-12-05T12:07:00.001-08:00

So this morning Nathan decided to read to me from Ausgewählte Kinder- und Hausmärchen. (Brothers Grimm fairy tales.) So so so so cute.

YouTube Video

Ultrasound

2011-12-03T12:21:00.000-08:00

Look everyone! We're expecting a gummy bear!

Midwife appiontment

2011-12-01T13:08:00.000-08:00

My midwife appointment was this morning. The appointment was at 9:15...at 8:45 I had my inaugural puking session of this pregnancy (Nathan was mad I was puking and not paying attention to him) just in time to get out the door. When I made the appointment, they said it would be 30 minutes and I could bring the toddler. So I did. But the 9:00 patient was having some issues or something because we were in the exam room for at least 30 minutes waiting. Poor Nathan was mad about being confined and not allowed to play with the computer. I finally let him play with the stuff under the sink....just made sure he didn't drink anything!

There is a funny story to all this though...after the exam I sat up and apparently Nathan had gotten into some of the supplies at the table:

The midwife thought it was HILARIOUS and told me to take a picture. She then took Nathan around and showed him to all the office staff because it was so funny.

AND I'm going in for an ultrasound tomorrow. Since I didn't have a "regular" cycle before I got pregnant they need an ultrasound to confirm the dates. So someone from church has agreed to watch Nathan.

Up at 4 AM

2011-12-01T03:20:00.001-08:00

Up at 4 AM 'cuz I had to get up to go to the bathroom but when I went back to bed I discovered I can't breathe through my nose while lying down and too nauseous but also thirsty, but drinking water makes the nausea worse. So, I'm sitting here drinking a ginger ale hoping my nose decides to get in gear.

Trying new foods.

2011-11-27T11:30:00.001-08:00

Oops, no trying new foods in the first trimester. I tried a different flavor of Cup Noodles for lunch. It tasted disproportionately nasty.

Comforting thought

2011-11-27T11:24:00.000-08:00

I need to remember when I am frustrated about pants not fitting that I did start out wearing smaller pants than when I got pregnant with Nathan. :)

Under Construction of sorts

2011-11-26T12:00:00.000-08:00

So I know I haven't been posting much recently. I've gotten some complaints. However, there's good reason! I've been working on a little something taking lots of my energy so I haven't been blogging much...plus I didn't want to talk about it yet!

Want a hint??

Here you go!

So yeah, we're pregnant! I'm sick and exhausted and my pants don't fit ALREADY. I mean, I know you show sooner with the second, but give me a break!

Because kids in boxes are cute

2011-11-19T18:42:00.001-08:00

Nathan is definitely a Schulz

2011-11-12T13:25:00.001-08:00

I caught him checking out the Lands' End catalog.

Because my kid is cute

2011-11-11T23:43:00.001-08:00

We were on campus Thursday to participate in a research study. Parking was terrible and we ended up in the very back row of a huge parking lot. There was one bonus though: that row had a huge pile of leaves!

YouTube Video

Anniversary of the first date.

2011-11-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

One thing I have never understood is remembering/celebrating the anniversary of the first date. For some people, it is super romantic. A friend of mine just posted on Facebook that her husband surprised her with plans to celebrate the fourth anniversary of their first date.

To be honest, I don't remember exactly when our first date was. I was in February at some point. I think if when I was dating I tried to remember the first date to celebrate later...that would be too stressful. I mean, that's setting up all sorts of expectations. I digress. I guess I've just been thinking about how different things work for different couples. Me? I couldn't care less about the anniversary of our first date. I do care about my actual wedding anniversary. That's a good one. Mostly, I'm just happy when Gregory's home and spending time with us and when school isn't stressful.

Also, foot rubs are always a bonus.

Halloween sewing and a kids Lederhosen upcycled hoodie tutorial

2011-10-27T14:19:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, Emma gave me a brown hoodie for my birthday. It was awesome but not seeing much love anymore.

Just like this one but brown.

Enter this year and Halloween. Nathan needed some Lederhosen. We got some brown khakis to sacrifice as per this tutorial but after looking at them I decided they were too nice to sacrifice.

Enter the hoodie.

I traced a pair of pants to make the pattern and carefully cut up the hoodie being careful to save the zippers and such for future projects.

Then I cut out the pattern using the arm seams as the crotch seam and sewed it all up.

Matching the leg seams before sewing the crotch seam.

This shows how I had one leg turned right side out and stuffed inside the other one.

Now they look like pants! I hemmed them and added and elastic waistband casing.

Then I cut strips from the sleeves to make suspenders. I stitched them and turned them inside out.

Then I made a pattern for the front chest piece. It was about 6" across and maybe 5" high and I just tapered the ends to curve it. Sewed up the side seams then turned the right side over a bit. Then I turned the whole thing inside out and sewed a casing for the straps. I didn't the rest of the front piece closed. It's fine as it is.

I threaded the straps through the casing and stitched the straps to the front of the pants.

Then I took a small scrap to make a cross cross point or the straps to cross in back.

Like this!

So it turns out if you stitch all the straps on it makes getting the kid IN the Lederhosen kind of hard so I unlocked this part in the back and added buttons to the pants and buttonholes to the straps.

Here we are! Happy German family.

Matchy matchy!

One more because he's cute. And look, he got an apple trick or treating!

Texas

2011-10-23T08:24:00.001-07:00

This morning I got to eat a waffle shaped like the state of Texas. So awesome. Also delicious.

Making pants

2011-10-18T13:29:00.001-07:00

Well it's getting colder and I'm starting to realize I don't have lots of pants to keep little Nathan warm. Luckily, I've been brushing up on my sewing skills, especially since Bernette came to town!

Meet Bernette.

So I took a pair of pants that I did have, traced them to make a pattern, and made some pants for Nathan out of cheap stuff:

Youth Small t shirt from dollar tree

Fleece remnant from Joann

Youth Medium sweatshirt from Dollar Tree

Another fleece remnant from Joann. (I totally stole this picture from my mom's blog. Thanks mom!)

Take THAT, $10+ pants from the store!!

My baby is growing up

2011-10-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

Nathan seems to have gone through a growth spurt recently. Today while installing one of his one-size diapers I realized that it didn't fit properly. So I unsnapped the rise snaps all the way and it fit much better.

This is a milestone most parents don't experience unless they use cloth diapers. Next thing I know he'll be headed off to college.

Just because he's cute

2011-10-14T19:31:00.001-07:00

Nathan walking, belly first an tongue sticking out.

YouTube Video

Sick etc

2011-10-14T19:27:00.001-07:00

Sick today. Darn viruses.

In other news, our Internet has been fixed after being out for a few weeks. More posts coming!

Jabber baby

2011-10-09T21:18:00.001-07:00

Nathan has spent at least the last half hour jabbering to himself in his crib. Not sleeping, not crying, just jabbering happily to himself.

I love this baby.

Freak out time

2011-09-29T11:20:00.001-07:00

Someone is selling a serger for $50!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=17354319

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Haircut

2011-09-28T20:59:00.001-07:00

I gave Nathan a haircut on Sunday since he was looking pretty shabby. I think it turned out well!

Nathan plays with mommy's roses

2011-09-28T20:57:00.001-07:00

YouTube Video

This video needs no words of explanation.

2011-09-28T19:55:00.001-07:00

YouTube Video

Here goes

2011-09-26T08:50:00.001-07:00

Well Nathan is either working on some more teeth or he's got a bug. We'll see how this goes!

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Adventures in toddlerhood

2011-09-22T14:15:00.001-07:00

Toddler's nap time + toddler not actually sleeping + mom thought toddler was sleeping = call to poison control because instead if sleeping toddler was, in fact, eating butt paste.

Don't worry though, he's okay.

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Outside photos

2011-09-21T23:23:00.001-07:00

I got some really great photos of Nathan tonight while we were playing outside. Enjoy.

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New shower curtain.

2011-09-21T23:20:00.001-07:00

It's the little things you appreciate in life.

I went to Target this week and sprung $10 for a fabric shower curtain rather than getting one from the dollar store. I am really excited because:

-it doesn't smell like impending cancer for the first few days...hate those plastic fumes.
-if this one gets funky, I can really just wash it instead of buying a new one.

Hooray!

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I can post video from my phone now!

2011-09-20T23:02:00.001-07:00

Yesssss I just fixed the problem
preventing me from posting video. Here are some more! Yay!

YouTube Video

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Dancing baby

2011-09-20T22:53:00.001-07:00

Took this of Nathan dancing during the huge Dodgeball game last Friday night. Enjoy.

YouTube Video

Hindsight is 20/20??

2011-09-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

So, a great online store was advertising through Facebook that order #10,000 would get their order free and they were three orders away. So I took my chances and placed an order. Guess what? Order #10,000. My regret? I ordered something inexpensive (that I was planning on getting anyway) instead of this:

Wrap maternity/nursing top

However, if I HADN'T been the winning order and had to pay full price...Gregory would NOT have been happy with me.

Still...kinda sorta bummed. However, I will try to make one when I get the chance.

And he's off!

2011-09-19T19:25:00.001-07:00

My baby is now a toddler. Bittersweet.

Big day

2011-09-12T10:48:00.001-07:00

Guess what. I am now the proud owner of a cardigan.

Yes, that's right. I never owned a cardigan before now. Apparently it's a wardrobe staple, go figure.

My floors

2011-09-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

So, my kitchen floor has a great feature. It hides dirt. Cons: it hides dirt. So every time I go to wipe something off the floor, my rag has whatever object (i.e. something Nathan threw on the floor) plus a lot of dirt. But my floors don't look dirty so they just stay dirty. Eeew. I mean, I mop, sure, but the next time you go to wipe something off the floor with a damp rag it's super dirty. Connie says that's why they don't wear shoes in her house but a) I have a suspicion the floors were like that when we moved in and b) I hate going barefoot. Hate it.

So today I did something I haven't done in a looooong time. I cleaned the floor chick-fil-a style. I worked at chick-fil-a during high school, where I learned how to deal with stupid customers, take orders supder duper fast, wash dishes super duper fast, prepare their yummy food (yup, I worked there two years and still like the food. You can feel safe eating there), and last but not least, super-clean tile floors. Here's how I did it:

Put some soap in your bucket (OK I didn't have a bucket so I put dish soap in the kitchen sink) and add water.
After sweeping, pour soapy water allllll over the floor. It should look not unlike the dishwasher just leaked all over the kitchen floor.
The secret step: take a broom (we had an awesome scrubber broom but I only have a regular broom) and use it to push water all over the floor and scrub the floor at the same time. So you should have soapy water everywhere, and the brush helps to scrub what your mop misses. Also, I now have a very clean broom.
This part took the longest today. At chick-fil-a, I would bust out the mop, mop it up, and wring excess water into the bucket. I had neither a wringable mop (though I do love my Libman Freedom Mop) nor a sweet roller bucket, so I had to get down and mop it all up with a towel and my own two hands. But let me tell you, wringing that thing out in the sink, seeing all the dirty water coming out...nasty.
Let it dry.
Done!

So after all that, my floor better not give me any trouble right? Heck yes. Gregory told me he wiped something off the floor (already? Yes, of course. I have a 14 month old boy. In the past 9 or so hours we've gotten all sorts of stuff on the floor) and the wet cloth came up clean.

WIN!!

P.S. I didn't have my super duper slip resistant SFC clogs today so my crocs had to save my life instead. They came through splendidly. Of course.

God has a plan for us

2011-09-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Today while I was listening to the Book of Mormon, I was struck with a thought. God has a plan for my individual life and he cares about it. I mean, I've grown up knowing this my whole life and if I decided to comment that in church, it wouldn't come as a big surprise to anyone. But as I was thinking about the lives of the people in the Book of Mormon and how God was guiding their lives, and all the things I've been praying about right now in my life, I very clearly felt that God has a plan for my life and that He loves me and cares about that plan for me. He will help me when I am not sure what to do when it comes to big decisions, and he will help me when I'm scared for the next part of my life. And He always knows what timing is best.

It's so nice to know that I'm not alone when it comes to deciding what to do with my life. Of course, there are lots of things I can choose and it's not like it's completely out of my hands, but I have lots of help when I get stuck. I like entrusting my life to the Lord. He loves me and He wants me to be happy. So when I know that he has a plan for me, it's a very very comforting thought and I know I can pray to Him and ask Him what I should do next and when.

Book of Mormon Challenge

2011-09-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, our Bishop challenged our ward to read the entire Book of Mormon by the end of the year.

Let's just say I didn't do so great at the start. Gregory, of course, is completely on top of things. He helped make a calendar handout for the ward showing what page we should be on each day for the rest of the year.

At the beginning of this week, I was still back at the beginning of August. Maybe the first week or so. So there was a LOT of catchup to do. So I decided to do something new. Since I've been doing lots of sewing lately, I decided that I would find an audio copy of the Book of Mormon and listen while I sew. So far it's been working out great - since I'm doing something with my hands, I listen well and since I sew during naptime, I can listen to long chunks. I'm now caught up to the last week of August, all in a couple of days. And I really enjoy listening, actually. The reader (I swear it's Bruce Lindsay, a local news anchor but who knows) has a great voice and reads with lots of emphasis. Let's just say the Isaiah chapters sound super dramatic.

I look forward to finishing this challenge and getting 100% caught up - maybe I'll even finish early!

Sewing sewing sewing

2011-09-09T10:51:00.001-07:00

I seem to have caught the sewing and refashioning bug. Nathan was not feeling well yesterday which meant lots of naptime. So lots of time to sew for me! Here's what I made:

This was a skirt that was an awkward length and not very flattering. So I shortened it a few inches and put a new waistband on. I'm very happy how it turned out!

A new kitchen wetbag to hold my dirty towels before washing. I'm also very happy with how this one turned out. The photo angle is awkward though. It's really a rectangle, I promise.

Two more wetbags for diapers. One I will use and one I may try to trade or sell. :)

And I have lots more projects lined up!

Brunettes

2011-08-30T13:54:00.001-07:00

So last night I was at Zumba class, looking at all the "decided blondes" around me. Then I looked in the mirror and thought, "Dang, I make brunette look good."

Nathan's first trip to the dentist!

2011-08-30T13:36:00.001-07:00

Of course, not a lot actually happened, because he wouldn't sit still for x-rays or open his mouth to be cleaned, but I did get some questions answered!

Still not walking

2011-08-28T21:48:00.001-07:00

So apparently I'm the reason Nathan is still not walking. For some reason, he just doesn't like to walk with me. We had dinner with friends tonight, and Nathan let my friend walk him all over their apartment, only holding on with one hand! This does not happen with me. Granted, by the end of the evening, he had had enough and wouldn't have ANYONE walk him around, period. I guess this child is just going to walk on his own time, with nobody helping him. I bet when he starts he'll just take off running.

Gotta be more careful now.

2011-08-27T21:45:00.001-07:00

Looks like someone learned how to take off his Velcro diapers when mom puts him down for a nap without pants on. Time to be more vigilant! Luckily I didn't wake up to a mess!

If you look closely, you can see he's holding his diaper.

So proud of myself!

2011-08-27T21:42:00.001-07:00

I am going to brag here for a second. I took last year's clogging shirt which was shapeless and a size too big and I made it into a fitted, more feminine shirt! Go me!

Slowly learning to communicate

2011-08-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

Nathan is learning that when he communicates, it's much better for getting what he wants.

2011-08-21T18:00:00.001-07:00

Nathan said "cheese"! I got out some cheese to grate for dinner and he said something that very much sound like "cheese" AND he made the sign!!

Mischief Maker

2011-08-21T13:38:00.001-07:00

Only 4 more months until nursery...

My Review of Love L738 Black Pink

2011-08-19T08:49:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at CoastalContacts.com

Check out these stunning Love L738 Black Pink eyeglasses! Fast shipping^ easy online ordering and great customer service. Come shop with us today!

Super cute!

By Sarah S from Provo, UT on 8/19/2011

Sizing: Feels true to size

Pros: Lightweight, Comfortable

Cons: Fall down my nose a bit

Describe Yourself: Classic Dresser

These are my husband's new favorite frames on me. I was pleasantly surprsied when I received these in the mail; I originally purchased them as a backup pair but they are now my primary pair. The pink is a bit darker than the picture but these frames are adorable. I got the triple coating and it's held up great, except for the time my baby decided to chew on it and he scratched it with his teeth. But for normal scratches, it holds up great. Love these!

(legalese)

New Videos!

2011-08-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

Well, good news, everyone. Sarah finally got an iPhone. Yes, that's right. We sold Gregory's iPhone 3 sans contract and it sold for enough to get us 2 refurbished iPhone 4s. (Then Gregory's had a slight problem and he took it to the Apple store where he got a brand new phone. I should have done the same with mine instead of return it....anyway.) So, good news for you, blog readers! More videos because I can upload them right from my phone. Today's videos, though, are not in HD (although believe it or not my phone takes HD video. Crazy world) because that would take forever. Enjoy anyway!

Sarah's Health Care Week

2011-08-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

Also since Gregory has this week off, I am going to go to all the various doctor's appointments I have been neglecting. So far I have my yearly exam set up, haircut, and eye dr. appointment. I still have to find a dentist.

Day in Wyoming with Elisa!

2011-08-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Since Gregory has this week off, we went to visit Elisa in Wyoming yesterday. Good times were had by all! We took lots of photos and videos of Nathan and other interesting sites. Fortunately, Elisa has uploaded this all into a Picasa album! Hooray!

https://picasaweb.google.com/101657861021049413731/Nathan?authkey=Gv1sRgCLmg3rLKkOWW8AE&feat=email#

Video dump

2011-07-28T13:42:00.000-07:00

Only happens when Gregory lets me get everything off his phone.

Picture dump!

2011-07-28T13:22:00.001-07:00

I got some pictures off Gregory's phone. Enjoy!

Nathan sleeping with his Teddy bear.

Nathan cuddling one of his bears.

In a "ball pit" at IKEA.

Update video

2011-07-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

As many of you know by now, Nathan broke his wrist on Sunday. :( Not a bad break, a little buckle fracture. Babies' bones are so soft. He is currently in a splint and will be in it for about three weeks. So not too bad. He's in fairly good spirits despite the splint.

Helping mommy push the cart!

2011-07-07T12:31:00.001-07:00

Pushing the laundry basket

2011-07-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Dancing baby!

2011-07-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

Right handed?

2011-07-04T11:13:00.003-07:00

Swimming!

2011-07-04T11:13:00.001-07:00

Nathan's first otter pop!

2011-07-04T11:12:00.001-07:00

Newborn Fever

2011-07-03T22:07:00.001-07:00

Some days I get newborn fever. But the time is not yet. Not yet.

Canada!

2011-06-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

So early on Saturday morning (1 am) Gregory and I got home from a wonderful 2 week trip to Canada. Why? Gregory's sister Jocelyn got married! In the temple! It was a great day. It rained pretty much all day, but Gregory's Texas aunt reminded us of the old belief that rain on your wedding day bodes for a bountiful marriage. Hooray!

We got to spend lots of time with Gregory's extended family. After awhile, it was just us and Nathan. Everyone enjoyed having Nathan around. Who can blame them? Nathan had quite the productive time there as well. Here are some new developments!

Whenever Nathan hears beeping or a phone ringing, he puts his hand to his ear and sometimes he'll say "eddo??"
Nathan FINALLY finished teething! It went out with a bang, though: a sleepless night for mom dad and baby and a hot fever. But he now has 8 teeth and is sleeping through the night again!
Occasionally Nathan will let go of something he's holding onto and will stand for a few seconds.
Nathan started making the sign for "milk". But he uses it for everything so it's not quite as effective as we'd hoped.
Nathan's babbling sounds a bit more like real words.

Another perk of being in Canada was the soft water. Oh, I forget how wonderful soft water is. Nathan's diapers came out SO soft, my hair got super clean in the shower, and our clothes were extra soft too. One day, we will be out of law school, in a house, and we can buy a water softener! Just a couple more years, I guess.

In kind of random news, I am really happy with my hair. Big Lots had little travel sized bottles of Matrix mousse so I picked one up....my hair is pretty and curly ALL day rather than being all gross and stringy by the end of the day. I've thrown out my other mousse and I'm going to see if Big Lots has any more of those bottles so I can buy the rest!

The drive back from Canada went pretty well! On the way there, it was raining and we had to make several stops but we didn't want to get a motel overnight so we drove straight through; we got to Calgary at 4:15. On the return trip we did the same, but we had fewer stops and better weather so we got to Provo at 1 am! We left an hour earlier too which helped. But overall the trip was 2 hours shorter which was great! And the nice thing is how much we saved in travel costs! Plane tickets would have been $700 a person; I think travel expenses both ways were about $300 not including food. So driving both ways cost less than half of one ticket! Yay. Not to mention, we didn't have to worry about Nathan crying on a plane.

Anyway, we're glad to be back. I miss soft water already, though!

New Car Seat

2011-06-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, Nathan has just about outgrown his car seat and we finally got a new one. Since it came (yay Amazon free shipping!) while Gregory had the car, I figured I'd acquaint Nathan with it before we put it in the car. He played with the buckles and straps, and sat in it for awhile. He looks like such a big boy sitting in it! It's crazy!

Flats Challenge: And we're done!

2011-05-31T20:58:00.000-07:00

Well, the flats challenge ended. I washed flats in my washer today and I loved folding the fluffy flats right out of the dryer! But let's go back to the reason this challenge started: low income families reusing disposables because they cannot afford to diaper a child. After hand washing diapers for a week, could I expect this from another mom? Quite frankly, no. I would give major, major kudos to anyone who did decide to hand wash diapers, flats or otherwise. But I would not expect a mom to hand wash diapers, especially if she's a low income single mom, working and taking care of children. I've read blogs of lots of other moms doing this challenge (ever wondered what the icons at the bottom of each flats challenge post is? Those are posts on the same topic. Feel free to click around!) and more than once someone has mentioned trying to handwash flats while a baby was crying, making trouble, etc. If handwashing flats prevented a mom from taking care of her children, I couldn't ask her to do that. Not to mention that it takes planning, time, and it's hard on the hands!

I certainly could switch to handwashing temporarily in an emergency situation. I did it for a week, so I could do it for a week in the future. But would I do it on a permanent basis? What if I didn't have my own washer? I would probably do part time flats, part time disposables. I would try to have enough flats so I'd only have to go to a laundromat once or twice a week. I have told Gregory many times that if we ever move somewhere without washer and dryer hookups, we need to at least get one of these or similar.

However, I don't want it to sound like I completely hated the challenge. I got a great sense of satisfaction from finding good tips to get my diapers clean and dry in the most efficient way possible. And I love flats. I am actually thinking of downsizing some of my fancy schmancy pocket diapers since I have plenty of flats. And maybe I could use some of the proceeds to get some printed flats!! I also learned that I can actually survive without my diaper sprayer. I thought that would be the hardest part.

Overall, I'm really glad I did this challenge. There was such a great camaraderie with all the other mamas doing the challenge and I enjoyed reading all their posts about their experiences. I think my favorite was Milk Bubbles, who already handwashes flats, so she took it up a notch by repurposing household items and made a stash for $0. Major respect for her! So I will keep using my lovely flats but I will still opt to use my beautiful washer. Thanks, though, to Kim for starting the challenge, Diaper Junction for a dozen flats, and all the other mamas who shared their experiences!

2 AFTERTHOUGHTS:
I already posted but here's two things I forgot.

Since I own a lot of flushable liners, living without my diaper sprayer wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Sure, I'll be glad to use it again (although I did use it to spray out the tub after every handwashing session, just not on my diapers) but I lived without it.
I was glad to find a cheap detergent to make that got my diapers really clean. I do love love love my pomegranate scented cloth diaper detergent but it's good to know I can make my own! I just heard a friend of mine is making her own detergent because her daughter has super sensitive skin. So it's good for that too!

Flats Challenge: Day 6 and Day 7

2011-05-29T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday we woke up and Nathan had a leak. I guess he had had more than usual to drink so what normally works great didn't quite hold up overnight. The day progressed otherwise uneventfully - I did end up washing diapers pretty late as Gregory and I attended a birthday party for some friends.

Nathan had a rough night last night but his regular diaper setup held up well. Hopefully we're almost done with these teeth though. I think we're just waiting on one more to cut through. I'll be glad when it's all over. He'll have lots of teeth for the wedding though!

So the logo/link at the top says May 23-30. However, Kim who started the challenge realized that this is really 8 days and not 7. That's why today was the last day of the challenge. Tomorrow morning I'll hand wash my last load and that will be it. I think I'll still use flats tomorrow so I can strip my other diapers (to remove any buildup which may make them less absorbent or make them smell) So it's nice that I now basically have a second stash of diapers.

I think there will be one last post tomorrow about my overall feelings about the challenge. I will say though that I am looking forward to using my washer and dryer for diapers again. The bucket has scratched our tub and I'm sure the landlord won't like that. Hand washing has gotten easier, though, over the course of the challenge which I appreciate. And I will definitely continue to use flats. They are really great diapers! Trim and absorbent and they will dry in 20 minutes in the dryer. I can't wait to have nice dry, fluffy flat diapers that I get to fold out of the dryer!

I just wanted to put in another big thanks to Diaper Junction for the dozen free flats. It's been good to have the larger size flats as they fit better in my Flip and Thirsties covers.

I thought I'd give a breakdown on what I spent on this stash. Keep in mind that I didn't buy it all for the challenge - I originally bought flats for an emergency preparedness stash.

1 dozen 33" unbleached Diaper Rite flats - free from Diaper Junction
2 dozen 27" bleached OsoCozy flats - $38 from Cottonbabies.com
1 Seconds quality Flip cover - $9 from Cottonbabies.com
1 Seconds quality GroVia cover - $8 from Naturalbabyco.com
1 Bummis Super Lite cover - $10 from Nickis Diapers
1 Thirsties Duo cover - $11.84 from Gummygiggles.com
1 gDiapers cover - got in a trade for a diaper we didn't like

So the grand total spend was $76.84. Most of the orders had free shipping. And you'll see I had 3 dozen flats. I only used 2 dozen for the challenge. I think it's pretty remarkable that you can theoretically diaper a child from birth to potty training for under $100. I especially enjoyed getting "second quality" covers - they work perfectly but have some cosmetic flaw that makes them slightly less than perfect but they cost much less than a first quality cover. The GroVia cover has the elastic tacked down at slightly different points and there's a crooked seam on the Flip cover. Otherwise, they are perfect. And a bargain! So it really is possible to cloth diaper a baby on a shoestring budget. Don't forget making your own detergent! I've been very pleased with how my detergent has turned out.

Flats Challenge: Day 5

2011-05-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't wash the diapers last night. But that's okay because I had an experiment I wanted to do. Every time I wash a cover, I need to use a little bit of detergent. Rockin' Green is kind of expensive, and I'm sure a mom wouldn't like to count the pennies every time she needed to wash a cover or wash some flats.

Since this challenge was started with women in mind who cannot afford diapers, I realized a good experiment would be to make my own cloth diaper laundry detergent. Apparently Borax is kind of controversial but generally in most homemade detergent recipes, even ones that people have used on cloth diapers, it's an ingredient. I also found this post, and I had been thinking the same thing - that everyone says borax breaks down diapers, but we haven't seen the data to support that. Basically, the recipe is equal parts borax, washing soda, and oxi clean. For regular laundry detergent, 1 bar of soap (fels naptha, ivory, zote, etc), 1 c borax and 1 c washing soda. I picked up some washing soda, borax, and fels naptha at Maceys today. Apparently fels naptha is actually really hard to find in stores so I was surprised when I saw it in the laundry aisle! I also found a bar of zote soap, which is even cheaper than fels naptha. Both these recipes make a powdered detergent, and requires about 1 Tbsp per load in a front loader, and I will use about the same amount in a bucket load. That's WAY cheaper than Rockin' Green! And more potent, I believe.

I decided I would keep the recipe with the grated soap for regular detergent since some people had problems with detergent buildup, so I will try that one later. But this morning during Nathan's nap (he's still napping as I type, yay!) I made some diaper detergent with 1/2 cup each of Oxi Clean, Borax, and Washing Soda. I used 1 1/2 Tbsp in my bucket of diapers and they came out smelling SUPER clean! They smelled like beautifully fresh nothingness. Nothing is what you want to smell in diapers! So I'm really happy with how that turned out. I currently have the flats drying now on a drying rack in my room with the space heater pointed at them. They got on there at about 10:30 so we will see when they are dry. But so far I've been happy with my homemade detergent!

Also, here are 2 pictures of my washing setup. The first is the bucket during the final rinse, and the second is what the inside of the "breathing mobile washer" looks like. You'll notice in the first picture that the lid is not attached...we actually couldn't get it to go on. We got the rubber mallet and everything but it just won't go on. But I still keep it on there so we get at least some splash protection.

See, doesn't that look like it makes great water movement and agitation??

Pictures!

2011-05-26T21:45:00.001-07:00

So this old computer died awhile back. However, Nathan likes that we finally let him play with a computer!

See, he can type!

Very serious work here.

Nathan isn't usually the type to put more than one thing in his mouth...

With the exception of animal crackers.

Several in his hands, too.

He did it again today. Look at that "who, me?" face.

Yeah, I'm stuffing 2 crackers in my mouth. I'm hungry, woman!

Will you still love me if my mouth is full of crackers?

So excited I couldn't get a good picture. lol.

Sorry we don't have his face in here...but today was a lovely day and we spent lots of time outside. Hooray!

Flats Challenge: Day 4

2011-05-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

Click on the link above for an intro to the challenge as well as the rules.

Well, day 4. Pretty much hump day. I feel like I mostly have things figured out. We haven't had any leaks (except on day 1 when Nathan had a ton of juice and soaked his diaper) and the wash routine seems to be going well. I do have a headache right now so I'm not going to wash tonight. I have the diapers in their first cold rinse so I may have them soak in hot overnight but that's all I'm going to do. Unless my headache goes away.

In other news, dirty diaper laundry linked to my blog! Yay for a spike in traffic. But she liked my tip of speed drying covers. So in honor of that, I'm going to post pictures of the steps...not like you couldn't figure it out anyway.

First, lay your wet cover on a towel.

Roll the towel up.

Then press. I'll kneel on mine as well. Gets lots of water out.

Final step: admire the wet spot on your towel from the cover and air dry.

Flats Challenge: Day 3

2011-05-25T21:58:00.000-07:00

It seems there's some confusion as to why I'm doing the challenge. If you click the picture at the top, it's a link that will take you to the rules as well as why the challenge was started in the first place. Also, click here for why I personally am doing it.
I have a pretty good wash routine now. Here's my steps:

Store wet/dirty diapers in my wash bucket instead of a pail liner. Then there's one less thing to wash and I don't have to transfer anything.
Hand wash covers separately as they get dirty or stinky. This way I'm not waiting for 3 covers to get dry at once. (Remember, as per the rules I only get 5 covers.)
Cold rinse with the mobile washer.
Hot wash with about 3/4 Tbsp of Rockin' Green Hard Rock.
2 cold rinses.
Wring out and set out to air dry in drying rack overnight.

I may have already put it on here, but I found a great tip for helping covers dry faster! After wringing them out, I roll them up in a towel and press with my knees. This transfers a lot of water onto the towel, especially my PUL covers. I have one gDiaper cover and since it's a knit cotton outer, that takes longer to dry, but drying times on all covers are vastly improved with the towel method.

So that's day 3! It's getting easier as we go along.

Flats Challenge: Day 2

2011-05-24T15:49:00.000-07:00

So good news is that Nathan woke up dry, no leaks. I put him in a large flat with a cheap Gerber flat as a doubler. (For the grandmas: a doubler is a smaller little boost of absorbency, when what you are using isn't enough but you don't need to quite double up.) We woke up dry! But Nathan isn't the super soaker he used to be so I appreciate that! I woke up to my flats dry, but my covers weren't! Oh no! Luckily I had only washed 3, so I had the one Nathan slept in overnight and one cover left. I used that one and by the next diaper change I FINALLY had a dry cover. I'm going to check the rules and see if I can swap one of my covers out for an Econobum which I know will dry super fast!

So I encountered an interesting problem with my air dried flats: super crunchy! Not soft at all. But I checked the #flatschallenge hastag on Twitter and I saw some tips! One was to beat the flats against a screen door. I don't have one, but I do have a super pilly couch which would be perfect! So I beat all my flats and now they're super soft! I'm so glad to have fixed that problem.

Also, I learned a new fold today! It's called the diaper bag fold and it's nice because the rise is super customizable and you can fold ahead of time, pack it in the diaper bag, and have it ready to go! Hence the name. I used the fold on Nathan today both during the day and with the Gerber doubler for overnight. Here are some pictures of the overnight one, but I just want to add a disclaimer that it's got TWO flats in there so he has some serious fluffy bum! It's normally much trimmer.

Mommy was entertaining Nathan while Daddy took the picture. Here he's clapping as I sang "Popcorn Popping."

Still happy that mom's singing! Now we have a Thirsties Duo cover on over it.

Side view as he stands up. Bulky, but that can be expected overnight!

And, another side view.

UPDATE from earlier: I've learned a couple things that made washing and drying go much easier today!

I stored the diapers in the same bucket I washed in. This way I didn't have to wash a pail liner. I think washing the pail liner made it harder for yesterday's diapers to get clean quickly - big waterproof bag doesn't help with water circulation.
Also to cut down on water blockage, I hand-washed a couple covers today in the sink as the day progressed. They weren't soiled, just wet. By the time I did the evening bucket wash, I had less to wash and they got clean quick!
I found a way to make the covers dry faster! I rolled them up in a towel and pressed hard on the towel to absorb extra moisture.
After the towel trick, I put the covers on the drying rack and hit them with my space heater set on low. So I finally got a way to make my covers dry fast! Yay!
See above for the flats softening trick.

So day 2 was a success! Washing and drying went much better than yesterday! Thanks again to Diaper Junction for a big chunk of my flats stash! I have found that my large size flats work really well in a Flip cover or my Thirsties Duo size 2. I prefer the smaller flats for my GroVia, Bummis Super Lite, and gDiaper covers. :D

Flats Challenge Day 1

2011-05-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

So, day 1 of the flats challenge. Using flats in covers isn't hard. I have been using flats for awhile now and will continue to do so because they are trim and easy to use! However, I already miss my diaper sprayer. According to the rules for this challenge, no diaper sprayer allowed. Why? Because for really really low income families, $40 for a sprayer is out of the price range. I miss it already. But we survived with no sprayer.

I hand washed the diapers for the first time today. I used my bucket and "breathing mobile washer". Honestly, it was harder than I thought it would be. I think the trickiest part is effectively dumping all the water out after each rinse or wash. I did a cold rinse, then a hot wash with detergent, then two warm rinses. They did come out clean, no worries there. I did a sniff test to make sure they smelled like nothing. But the first two cycles I dumped the water in the toilet, but that wasn't very effective. I ended up just dumping it in the tub for the final two and then I rinsed the tub when I was all done and sprayed it all down with a bleach solution. I look forward to reading how other moms fared and see if I can get any good tips!

So my diapers have all been hand wrung and are now air drying throughout the apartment. I forgot to sneak the drying rack out of Nathan's room before he went to sleep so I'm using the baby fence for most of them!

Second update

2011-05-23T17:49:00.001-07:00

Nathan wasn't getting 4 teeth. It was 6. I found out he's got 2 more on the bottom...one has barely cut through and one is still pushing through.

Hopefully after this is all over we won't get any more teeth for awhile.

Update on Nathan's teeth

2011-05-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

So, remember how I said Nathan is getting his top 4 teeth? They are coming in in the weirdest order. BTW, they are also taking forever to come in. Nathan's front left tooth cut through about a week ago. I checked this morning, and 2 more have cut through, but not his right front tooth! So the tooth next to his left front tooth and the one next to his right front tooth have both just barely cut through, but not the right front tooth! WEIRD! It's like he has gums of steel over it. And Nathan won't really teethe on anything so that's not helping.

However, I am happy to report that Nathan only woke up once last night rather than 3 or 4 times. This makes me happy!

4 teeth

2011-05-18T22:52:00.001-07:00

Nathan is working on 4 teeth right now. One's actually in but there's still 3 to go.

Please baby, please sleep tonight.

Flats Challenge - what are you doing to prepare?

2011-05-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

So today's topic for Flats Challenge posts is "what are you doing to prepare?"

The challenge starts on Monday the 23rd so the time to prepare is just about up for now. I think my biggest worry is that the rules state I can't use my diaper sprayer. So I am trying to get used to using flushable liners at every change. It seems that every time I forget to use a liner, we get a poopy diaper!

Also, awhile ago I prepared my bucket washer. I have the "Mobile Breathing Washer" which is great and I have a 5 gallon bucket with a hole in the lid for the handle of the washer. I will try to get some pictures up of my washer!

Finally, I'm making sure I have enough Velcro covers. I had some with snaps but right now Nathan is so squirmy, something that closes with Velcro is really necessary. I am limited to 5 covers so I don't need a ton and at this point I think I am good. :D

So the countdown is on! 6 days! We'll see how it goes and wish me luck!

Recent videos!

2011-04-29T10:02:00.001-07:00

The Great Cloth Diaper Change! And my famous baby's bum.

2011-04-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Earth Day, the worldwide cloth diaper community started a world record for cloth diapers changed simultaneously. Moms, dads and babies around the world all participated in a diaper change into a clean cloth diaper - in Utah, it was at 10:30 a.m. In Australia, 2:30 a.m. So glad I'm on this side of the world! We went to Salt Lake to participate and it was cloth diaper heaven. So many different kinds of cloth diapers to look at and I even bought some more cloth diaper friendly detergent...and got some free dishwasher detergent while we were at it!

But the funnest part? Nathan's bum made the news.

Here's a link to the article!!

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51681320-78/cloth-diapers-diaper-com.html.csp

Flats challenge update - free flats!

2011-04-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

So Kim of Dirty Diaper Laundry (who started the challenge) worked with Diaper Junction to get a dozen free flats out to the first 30 bloggers who responded. I guess I was quick on the button because now I have some more flats to do the challenge! The ones I do have are a smaller size so I think the bigger size will be great if I want to actually Snappi/Pin some on Nathan since my other ones are a bit small for it right now. Although, quite honestly, right now I'm leaning toward just doing a pad fold (folding it into a rectangle) and putting it in a cover since Nathan is SO squirmy right now and does not want to sit still for a diaper change. I mean, really, I'm very much favoring my Velcro diapers over snaps right now just because he's so impatient.

So soon I need to prep my flats - prewash them so the natural oils wash out and they will become fully absorbent. This is a very important step! Since the whole point of this challenge is to handwash, I'm going to do as much prepping as I can by hand. I will put them in the dryer, though, so they will shrink up and prep a bit quicker. However, I have heard that boiling flats or prefolds is a quick way to eliminate some washes so I will do that soon! So here's a big shout out to Diaper Junction and a big thank you for the free flats to participate in the Flats Handwashing Challenge!

Nathan starts a game of Peekaboo!

2011-04-14T12:24:00.001-07:00

Last night at Dinner Nathan had a dish towel and held it up to his face...he started a game of Peekaboo! Enjoy this cute video.

Flats handwashing CHALLENGE!

2011-04-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

So I don't usually sign up for challenges just for the heck of it. I don't usually do hard stuff just because it's cool. BUT...this challenge has a purpose!

Sometimes I have to wonder what I would do in an emergency situation (fire, flood, camping, whatever) and I couldn't use my washer or get access to disposables. How would I diaper Nathan? The answer is flat diapers.

Flat diapers are the granddaddy of cloth diapering. Before the rectangular prefolds in the '80s that our parents used, we had flat diapers. Basically a large square of birdseye or other cotton that you fold and attach to baby. Because they are just one layer, they are easy to hand wash and they dry quickly.

Also, there has been a lot of discussion in the cloth diapering community of what to do when you are absolutely completely flat broke and have no money for disposables or a laundromat or anything. The nice thing is flats are pretty cheap and you can hand wash them to save money.

SO....Dirty Diaper Laundry is starting the Flats Handwashing Challenge! The challenge is to use only flats (except for overnight) and to handwash them for ONE WEEK, May 23-30. It's only a week which isn't bad. I figure this will be great emergency preparedness practice! Plus it will be fun to get tips and tricks from other moms.

Here are the rules: (Made by Dirty Diaper Laundry)

You MUST use Flats.
You MUST handwash them. How is up to you. (bathtub, sink, large wash tub, portable non electronic washing machine, or camp style washer (bucket and plunger- think churning butter)
You MUST air dry them. (indoors or outdoors, makes no difference)
You MUST limit your number of covers in rotation to 5 or less.
You can use any detergent you want. (Keep in mind that you still want cloth safe detergents)
You can still use your nighttime diapers but I ask that you try to make flats work. Maybe try a prefold wrapped in a flat.
You can use disposable liners.
You CAN’T use a diaper sprayer. I thought long and hard about this one, but at an average cost of 40.00 this is one diaper accessory that is out of range for many families. Dunk, swish, flush, or scrape!
You MUST start the morning of May 23 and end the evening of May 30.
You MUST fill out a completion survey about your experience. Results will be published here and can be republished on your own blog.
You don’t have to be a blogger! Your conclusions about the experiment will be entered into the survey at the end of the challenge. You can share on your Facebook, Twitter, various messageboards. But if you are a blogger please share your experience on your own blog. Grab the button and let people know you are planning on joining the challenge. Recruit others! Challenge your own readers to join and fill out the completion survey. You can blog everyday updating your experience, beforehand to let people know you are getting ready for it and explain what you will be doing, and of course, after the fact to let people know how it went. If you hated it, say so. If you think it was awesome and want to continue in some aspect, say that too! Who knows, flats might be your favorite diaper!

I will get some pictures up of flats for you at some point if anyone is interested! They are super trim since it's just a big flat square of cotton so that's a bonus. In a strange way, I'm excited! I saw a home handwashing machine at Maceys (it's caselot and food storage sale month there) which I will pick up to add to the emergency preparedness stash. Wish me luck!

9 months!

2011-04-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Nathan turned 9 months old! He also had his 9 month checkup and got his 6 month shots which were delayed since we helped to test out the new flu vaccine. Here are the stats:

Height: 29 1/8" (75 percentile)
Weight: 18 pounds 15 ounces (10-25 percentile)
Head: 46.4 cm (75-90)

So....apparently Nathan only put a couple ounces on between January and here. The doctor said he wasn't worried, though, because babies start getting so active at this age. He has gotten taller though and his head has gotten bigger, so his brain is growing! Mom commented that he must get the skinny part from Gregory's side of the family though since none of her babies were ever that skinny. I promise I feed him!

Nathan discovers the dryer!

2011-04-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Nathan discovered that the dryer is pretty fun yesterday. Here are 2 videos! You can also see how he's pulling up to standing.

More on cloth diapering on a shoestring budget

2011-04-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

I have a follow-up on my post the other day! In this post from Cotton Babies which lists ways to cloth diaper for free or nearly free, the woman who was working to sew diapers for charity put up a great comment! (Terminology note: An AIO is an All-In-One, meaning no stuffing or folding out of the laundry. The closest to a disposable, but you wash it!)

kelly the nut said...: This very problem is why I've started sewing AIOs for our local branch of the Morning Star Pregnancy centers. I was utterly broke with my first munchkin, too. I bought Gerber prefolds, pins and plastic pants, and washed them in the bathroom sink when I couldn't get to my mom's house to use the washer. It stunk. My dream was to have an AIO stash so I'd never have to deal with pins, pull-on pants or wimpy gauze diapers again. Even velcro or snap covers would have been great!My project is called "A Diaper a Day to Give Away", and it's small but growing rapidly. (Just like a baby!) I have a facebook page for it now, and I need to get more help cutting and applying snaps. There's another group in North Carolina (We're in Pennsylvania) that also sews and donates CD's for families through WIC - They're called Sweet Cheeks Diaper Kits.God bless!

Guess what guess what guess what!

2011-04-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

Happy happy news from this week!

I fit in my pre-pregnancy, pre-chubby jeans!

So I had my pre-pregnancy jeans but that was after I had already put on weight in California. :( Those were rather too big and so I thought I'd try my old jeans which were waaaaaay too small the last time I had tried them on. THEY FIT!

So I got excited. I tried on the shorts from 2 years ago. They fit too! Woooo!

So now my only problem is that I only have one pair of jeans that fit, and a baby who gets everything messy. Time to buy new pants, I guess. :D

2011-03-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

So after reading this post:

http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/ny1_living/health/136289/high-cost-of-diapers-forces-some-parents-into-risky-practices?r=8793973370

This mom is thinking about starting a cloth diaper service on a sliding scale based on income. I think this is a BRILLIANT idea. So many cloth diapering moms say "just do cloth!" when they hear about moms who are destitute. But they don't realize: many of these moms don't have time or laundry access to wash cloth diapers. Laundromats are expensive and if moms really can't afford diapers, they probably don't have a washer and dryer in their home/apartment and washing diapers in a laundromat is just as expensive as buying disposables. And unfortunately, a small number of moms just want the handout of free diapers. But I think a diaper service, partially subsidized, would be a great option if it could work for some of these moms. I'd love to start something like this one day!

Proper crawling!

2011-03-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Nathan is getting better at crawling properly. This video is about a week old so he's crawling better but enjoy!

Um, this is awesome.

2011-03-30T20:14:00.001-07:00

So, I love Disney. I also like funny people and singing. So this is hilarious. It gets funnier each time I watch it. Yay!

Happy Happy Happy

2011-03-24T22:43:00.001-07:00

Two days in a row with no formula.

I am so happy.

Nathan plays with kitchen implements

2011-03-23T22:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun video for you all! We gave Nathan a spatula and a potato masher to play with during dinner and he was thoroughly entertained the whole time. :D

In other news, Nathan has had NO FORMULA today! I am very very happy about this. This has only happened three times: the first day of his life, the day after he turned 8 months old, and today. I am very happy.

Inspiration!

2011-03-19T17:00:00.001-07:00

So, one day (not soon! This is not an announcement!) we will have a second child. Since Nathan was a newborn, I have been thinking about where on earth we will put a second one. However, I found some inspiration on living in an apartment with children here: http://smallnotebook.org/2010/07/28/what-to-expect-when-youre-expecting-and-you-still-live-in-an-apartment/.

Also, I kind of want to take up bathing Nathan in the kitchen sink like that now.

Also, I need to declutter. Lots.

Psych!

2011-03-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

So we found a doorway jumper for Nathan. At first, we thought he would like it. But as you can tell at the end of the video, not a fan. No success since. Boo.

A cute video from a few weeks ago.

2011-03-17T21:14:00.001-07:00

I heard Nathan in his crib first thing one morning and this is what I found!