Life with Thing 1 & Thing 2

Yea. My creative thinker is broken. Oh well!

So today I'm trying to get back into the swing of things with our schedule, namely cleaning up my house. I actually did dishes today, before Frank got home! Yay. Not like that's exciting, but it's progress, right?

Anyway, while I was putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, Cara walked off. Which was fine. I figured she was going about her merry way to play, litter my floor with food. . . you know. Just generally destroy. Or maybe she was going to wake up her brother. But I figured it would be ok, since it was almost nap time anyway. But here comes the cute part. She came back to the kitchen a couple minutes later. She toddles in and very proudly holds up two spoons for me! What a sweet, smart, helpful little girl! She knew I was putting dishes in to wash, she knew those spoons went in there, so she got them and brought them to me! It was so sweet! After I thanked her, I gave her a HUGE kiss. She gave me a HUGE grin, and went to sit on the couch and watch TV. She's so smart.

In other news, I see that my background isn't working right anymore. It's supposed to have a tree, but instead it's just red. Just a little annoyance.

But on a more serious note, I changed Nate's 2-month checkup date. It was for next Friday, June 19. But because his belly button has us very worried, I moved it to this Friday, June 12. When we were in a couple weeks ago with a cold, Dr. B said that it's just an umbilical hernia, it's normal, and it will go away on it's own before he's a year old. Well, it's getting bigger. It went from looking like (pardon the image) about the size of his little boy "manhood" to being the size of a gumball when at rest, to being almost the size of a golfball when he is mad, crying, or doing something that uses his stomach muscles. I don't want him to have to have surgery, but it really worries us. Not only Frank and me, but my whole family is concerned, so it's not just Crazy Abbie being paranoid. So, if you pray, please pray for us. If you don't pray, just keep us in your good thoughts. I'm scared for my little Mr. Man.

Also, I am still on the search for health insurance. State Farm would be $300+ a month IF I lose 30 lbs. If I don't, it will be over $500 a month. WTF!?!?! I might be fat, but I am not over $100 a month fat. Come ON! I don't have diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, goute, or the plague. Why so expensive!
And Farm Bureau isn't too expensive, but it's a $6 application fee, at least a month of underwriting, paperwork, quizzes, medical histories, rectal exams. . . ok. No rectal exam. But still. So, if you know of a cheaper method, let me know.

Sorry this blog's been a downer. Just thought I'd give an update!

Posted by The Cloth Diaper Kid. at 4:18 PM | 0 comments  

So, I'm a bad blogger. I'm a busy, lazy woman! What can I say?

So apparently I guess I haven't blogged since November-ish. Bad Me! *swats nose with rolled up newspaper* Well, in the time since I last blogged:

• We found out we were expecting monkey #2 (Actually I knew, but I was trying to 'craft' the best way to blog it. . .)
• Found out that he is a he.
• Had Christmas, New Years, etc.
• Cara turned 1.
  
• Had a killer snow storm and actually got to use that fireplace I was so excited about in my last blog. However, it was because our power went out for almost a week. Sleeping on a futon pad with a one year old in your freezing house is so not the way to enjoy your fireplace. So we left and sought shelter with relatives. Thank God. Abbie does NOT do the camping thing.
• Most importantly - we welcome our sweet little boy into the world! Nate is so sweet!

So Nathaniel Ian was born at 10:30pm on April 20. He was (also) 10lbs 7oz of man-baby. Seriously - he has hair on his shoulders and ears, big manly hands, and he has sideburns! His daddy is jealous. He didn't grow his til he was 20. Nate already has them. He is not a loud little boy. He is very sweet. He loves bathtime and music. He already likes when I sing to him. He does like to sit up like a big dude, so we do that a lot. He really loves watching his monkey and his tree frog on the mobile of his Rain forest swing. He watches them go around. . . so cute! He doesn't so much dig the swinging though. So we are mostly using it like a baby recliner right now. He is a GRRRrrrreat eater. Like, constant almost. He just chows all the time. No wonder he is over 13 lbs at 6 weeks old. He's my Mr. Man. :D

Cara is the greatest big sister. I felt so bad for taking away her only child time. But she does not mind a bit. She likes to "help." She brings him his pacifier whenever he's crying, or just anytime. She will bring it to me if I ask her to. She is becoming a pretty good listener. She just doesn't care about what you are saying half the time. "Bring mommy the remote," "Cara, can I have Nate's paci?" these she is ok with. "Get out of the dog's water dish!" "Don't turn off the computer," those she just ain't diggin!

She has learned a nice little colorful vocabulary. That one is my fault. I have taught her some dirty words, along with her daddy and her aunt Heather. lol But I'm not mad about it. To me, in my opinion, a word is only what you make of it. But society frowns on tiny 20lb toddlers who tell people to "Shuh Up!" and call them "Azz-Ho!" when she gets mad. . .

Posted by The Cloth Diaper Kid. at 3:47 AM | 0 comments  

I have a confession to make.
I am Abbie, and I am a terrible housekeeper.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times my daughter has heard a vacuum in her lifetime.  Hell, I could probably count on two fingers.  I know.  It's disgusting to think of.  I don't know how I can be so obsessive compulsive and yet, have a house that is this bad. 

So today my mother volunteered to watch Cara for us.  Since I've been off work, she hasn't kept her at all.  My dad is gone on the road, and my sister has her social life, so Cara kept her company from 3-9:30.  Frank and I completely overhauled the living room.  And man, it was horrible.

Oprah would have held my hand and cried with me.

We took out at least 5 of the great big garbage bags of crap and trash.  Just stuff we did not need.  Add to that boxes upon boxes, and this cube shaped trunk I got in about the 8th grade.  We started to go through it and through out an old Polaroid camera, one of those so-in-style-now trunk type purses I'd gotten for my birthday in the 6th grade.  And once he saw that the bottom half was all old magazines (Teen, Cosmo Girl anyone?) he just took the hole trunk outside.

Our house is not very big, around 1800 sq. ft. by his approximation.  But we seriously have about 3600 sq. ft. worth of flat out junk.  We have a pretty large L-shaped living room, but if was full of stuff.  Just stuff.  Our goal was to make the place presentable, and Christmas-able, if that makes sense.  I wanted something that I can maintain.  I wake up every morning since I've been staying at home, and look at this place and don't know where to begin.  So, with actual teamwork from my Frank, and not having to keep Cara out of things, we got SO much done. 
The only big thing that is gone is this rack type of thing that was in the corner next to the kitchen.  Apparently it's meant to sit outside and hold pots and stuff anyway, so says the man.  It might have been two feet wide, at that.  But by rotating thing to thing, we gained the whole front of our fireplace by getting rid of a little two foot wide rack.  Imagine that.

The computer desk is now directly across from the kitchen (if you've seen the house) and it gets so much more light (there'd no ceiling fixture near where it was).  And the biggest shocker came when Frank found a Gap gift card under something on the desk before we moved it.  I called to be sure before I threw it away, but I knew it was empty.  $68 and some change!  Seriously!  From this last Christmas!  Wooo hooo!  Too bad we've already bought $61 worth of Baby Gap just last week.  lol

We even moved the loveseat, so now we can use our fireplace this winter.  We will need to have it inspected first, as we don't know how long it's just sat. 6 years at the very least.  And we have 95% of everything done and ready to do the tree tomorrow.  I just have some more laundry on the loveseat to hang/fold before we do the tree.  After the living room is 100%, it's something I'll be able to keep up (it got this bad while I was still working).  Then we will move to the kitchen, which needs some big work. 

But the thing I am most proud of, my Oprah moment: having double the play space for Cara to play in.  For her to learn to walk in.  She has room for her little walk behind car, her toys, just room to be a kid.  All by throwing away un-needed things and rearranging some furniture.  Wow.  I feel like Ty Pennington just left my living room.

Now, if only 6 hours of laboring could pay the electric, cable, and Verizon bills :)

Posted by The Cloth Diaper Kid. at 12:28 AM | 0 comments  

I should introduce myself, perhaps explain myself.

I'm 23.
Married 3 years.
I have a 6 month old squirt - Cara Addison.
I used to be very average. Not so much anymore.

I was 22 and finally pregnant. I was gettin what I wanted for Christmas. Well. January 7th at least. Visions of strollers, Pampers, and cribs danced in my head. I joined an absolutely amazing group of women on a message board. We were all due in January 2008. Some had their babes in December, most in January, and one girl had her twins in November. When the topic of baby gear came up, I became interested in some unconventional items. My husband was immediately 100% supportive and involved. Long story short, Our little Caraboo is breastfed (the one thing I wanted from the beginning), cloth diapered, I 'wear' her in public whenever possible, and we co-sleep. I am the opposite of what I imagined! I love it.

The thought of co-sleeping terrified me. This is one decision that came after she was born. "You do what you have to do to get some sleep." And that's just what we needed. It took only a little convincing the hubby, and, 6 months later, our love is still in the middle. Sure, sometimes we get "frustrated," but she needs us and depends on us. We do find our time (Thank You Graco Lovin' Hug Swing :)), and we'll finagle a way to make 7 more little monkeys.

I thought baby-wearing was for yuppies. Now I feel like it is one more way for her to feel secure and close. She also gets to see everything going on. Unfortunately, she only seems to be ok with it if Frank is with me. She doesn't want any part of it if it's just me, her, and the shopping cart. We're workin on it.

Cloth diapering? I was grossed out by it. Poop? In my washing machine!?! Eeeew! Then I saw how cute they are, read up on them, researched them. I found out that there are awesome accessories to make it easy. I got tips from that same online friend who first introduced them to me, and others. Now any extra money I have goes to this crazy diaper buying fetish I have. Well, fetish isn't the word for it. Maybe compulsion. . . Anyway. Cara has not had 1 diaper rash. She has a cute little cloth diapered booty. They are fun. Yep. Pee and Poop catchers are fun. I am a yuppie! Yay!

I love talking about the dipes. There are so many varieties you can go with. There are so many different options with it. It is a great investment. You can start off with around $100 if you go the most cost effective route. You pay for your first 2-3 up front, true, but you don't have to buy a pack of diapers every week. You save so much money. I would LOVE to talk to anyone about diapers. I'd absolutely love to convert someone. Man, I wish I could meet some like minded-people around here.

My ultimate dream would be to open up a Baby and Mommy Boutique here in this po-dunk town and change the way people think about cloth diapers; prove to people that you don't have to be a tree hugger to use cloth. I just don't know how the business would fare. I'd love to find out that I changed someone's mind about it. That would be SO satisfying. Moreso than any profit calculable (is that a word?).

So I will give more "About Me" later. I just wanted to share that piece of self info. Baby wants some boob.

Posted by The Cloth Diaper Kid. at 12:00 AM | 0 comments  
Labels: baby, Baby wearing, CD, Cloth diaper, co-sleeping

So as the mother of a six month old (as of today), I have realized that babies really love simple things, things we didn't think of while strolling down the toy isle. I got Cara a Nanni clutching toy about a month ago with her last order of diapers. It was a little bit expensive for a stuffed animal on a wooden ring. BUT I have heard great things about Haba, so I got it. And whadaya know. No interest. She'd rather play with cell phones, daddy's earrings, Mommy's necklace, someone's nostrils, or the TV remote (among other fabulous things). I should have known that was coming.

But lately, I have found myself troubled with something completely irritating. And as painful as it is, it's kinda funny. But she does it constantly so the novelty has so worn off. The new pasttime? Grabbing my nipple. And by grabbing, I of course mean sinking her fingernails into it. And twisting. And pulling. It's like an old fashioned TV knob in her eyes. Well, if it's a TV knob, it's the volume control. Because it makes me squeal, scream, and shriek.

Perhaps it's a stove eye control. Last night I reached my boiling point. I was stressed, she was mad, and I swear she was taking it out on me. I think she knows it hurts. Damn smart kid!

If you ever read this kid: Cara. You're a mean little turd. But I love you.

Posted by The Cloth Diaper Kid. at 11:30 PM | 0 comments  
Labels: baby, boob, breastfeeding, infant toys, pain