Bossy-pants

***Feel free to "follow" my blog if you enjoy reading my posts (to the right -->)...then you will be notified whenever I post.  I'm getting kinda tired of posting blog links on fb all the time and I'd hate for you faithful readers to miss a post if you enjoy reading along! :)***

________________________________

I now know this about myself:

I do not like to be told what to do.

I don't even like to be asked to do something.

Whew.  I'm glad I got that off my chest.  It appears to be a fairly large chunk of who I am.  Haha.  And apparently I'm stubborn about it too.

This all came up last night as I was watching tv with Nathan and noticed kids hanging their hands down into the cattle chute walkway where the hockey players were entering the ice.  They were all so badly wanting a high-five from the players.  And I was annoyed.  I asked Nathan if he would be the type of player to give them a high-five as he went onto the ice and he shrugged, saying that he probably would (what a nice guy!).  He knew how much it would mean to them and it's such a small action on his part, so why not?

Ugh!  Why not?!  I may be admitting to being a horrible person here, but I would have to fight every instinct in me to raise my hand and give them any recognition at all.  It's not that I don't want to make a kid's day.  I really do think I'm nicer than that. I LOVE to make people happy by giving them what they dream of.  But if you really want something from me, please don't dangle your hand in my face begging for it. Drop hints, be subtle, and hope that I'll catch on before too long. ;)

Nathan and I have different love languages.  It's fairly clear to both of us that we speak different languages and we both know what the other's language is, though that certainly doesn't make it easy to speak all the time.  (ie. I know that the language Dora speaks is Spanish but that doesn't necessarily help me communicate effectively with her. Ok, there are alot of reasons why I don't communicate effectively with Dora, one being the LOCK feature on our tv, but I digress...)  Just because I know the name of the language Nathan is speaking, doesn't mean that I can speak that language effectively, or understand him when he is trying to speak that language to me.  And the same goes for him speaking/understanding my language.  So one way to try to make the other feel loved is to give suggestions...a vocab list of sorts.  "If you do _______, I will hear loud and clear that you love me, whether or not you speak with an accent or even know exactly what you're saying."  This is all fine and dandy in theory.  But I go back to the point of this post.  I hate to be told what to do.  And I hate being asked to do things that I haven't thought of first.  So when Nathan asks me to do something that will make him feel loved, even as simple as a back rub, I get annoyed.  I CHAFE, people!  I have to fight my gut reaction tooth and nail to pour any kind of sincere love into that action, simply because I've been asked to do it.  I'd so much rather be told that back rubs make him feel loved and then be left to initiate a back rub later, on my own terms.

Of course there are many areas in life where this comes into play.  Pastor's wives are going to make pizza for an event and you're a pastor's wife so show up at 3pm to start cooking...chafing.  Your brother would really like to go hang out with you and your friends tonight so you'll be taking him along...chafing.  You should really buy a gift for this person because it would mean alot to them...chafing.

All of those things are good, but wouldn't they mean more if they came from the heart?  Wouldn't it mean more if your favourite hockey player went out of his way to acknowledge you rather than swatting your hand out from in front of his face? (yeah, you're right, you probably won't get acknowledged by your favourite team player if you aren't annoying)  Wouldn't it mean more if, without being asked, your spouse did the dishes to make you feel loved, just because they knew it would mean alot to you?  Wouldn't it mean more if you received a gift from someone, knowing that nobody told them to give it to you?

This is a tricky one for me because I know that alot of those things are good things to do and I know that I don't always think of them myself. But agh...the fight inside when I am asked to do something that I wish I'd thought of myself!  *sigh* It gives me a headache just thinking about it.

Are you like me or more like Nathan?  Would you rather think of doing things yourself, on your own time?  Or do you not mind making someone's day by responding to their blatant request?  Thoughts?

last few weeks

I'm going to be honest today (not that I'm usually dishonest) and say that today was a hard day.  I'm finding that I have quite a bit less energy than usual and, when dealing with my energetic, cabin-feverish 2 year old, less patience.  Levi really is quite a joy and an easy-going kid as far as 2 year olds go.  But boy-oh-boy this mama is tired!  On days like today, just one more "mama, come PLAY?" makes me want to crawl into a hole (preferrably a hole under the covers on my bed) and nap the rest of this pregnancy away.  I love being pregnant.  I really do.  The first two trimesters went by swimmingly and I'm convinced they flew by so fast because half the time I felt so good that I forgot that I was even pregnant.  The third trimester has had pain and soreness to make up for the first 6 months, though, and has left me quite ready to be done.  And I love my boy.  But wowzers...how far can a mama push herself? :)

So first off, I'm asking that if/when you think of us and the coming addition to our family, please pray for energy and patience for me in these last few weeks.  And secondly, if anyone has any ideas for relieving cabin-fever and burning a boy's energy while saving mama's sanity, throw them my way.  I'm all ears! I want to enjoy as much time as I can with just Levi at home with me before there are TWO kids to split my attention between. (so excited!) There isn't too much longer before baby's arrival and not all days are as tiring as today, but it was day #4 of Levi not being out of the house (such a cold week and so much work to bundle us up with a basketball strapped to my tummy!) and I think it has been taking its toll...add hormones into the mix and that was my day.  haha.  Nice.

Forgetfulness

When I had Levi, I felt like I would never forget the details of life.  The details of having a newborn.  And here I am, two years later, and I've forgotten.  Or I'm realizing things that I never knew but am curious about.  So if you want to share your thoughts/experiences, please do!  I'm all ears!  Sorry, this post will be completely irrelevant for some, but I didn't want to put this on fb for whatever reason so here it is.

- Lack of sleep aside, does energy generally come back shortly after birth or will I be just exhausted for the next few months yet?  What was your experience? 

- What did you wear during your stay in the hospital.  Any suggestions, recommendations, or warnings?

- What did your baby wear in the hospital?  Did you use hospital-issued baby gowns and blankets (or towels as the case may be at my hospital)?  Or did you bring your own?  Pros/cons of each?

- What did you do with your hair while in the hospital before they let you shower?  Last time I felt like quite the greasy un-human when I wasn't allowed to shower from Thursday morning until Sunday morning...

- Any suggestions for having the older sibling come to visit in the hospital?

- Did you splurge for the private room, go with semi-private, or stay with 3-4 other women in a shared room?  Thoughts?

- Any other thoughts surrounding birth, the stay in the hospital, or the following few weeks?  I'd love to hear your experiences or what jumps to mind when you think of your birth experience(s)!

belly pic...8 months.

Only one month to go til due date!  So excited to meet this little rib-kicker.  We put up the crib in Levi's room yesterday.  Yes, we still have plenty of time but we wanted Levi to get used to seeing some baby stuff around the house before this little one just moves in and takes over all of his territory.  We talk about the baby alot with him and I think he understands about as much as a 2 year old can.  He could tell you that:
- there is a baby in mommy's tummy
- mommy's tummy is going to be owie after baby comes out
- baby is going to sleep in mommy and daddy's room and also in Levi's room
- mommy is going to feed baby (no hot dogs and noodles for the baby)
- Levi will get to sit on mommy's lap again when baby comes (when mommy's tummy isn't owie anymore)
- little brother or sister
 We've also done some shopping for things that we know we'll need like diapers (newborn size, for before cloth fit), wipes, infant Tylenol, etc.  It's made it all feel so much closer to see baby stuff re-entering the house.  Since Levi was potty trained back in summer, we really haven't had much evidence of a baby living here.  There is PLENTY of evidence of a toddler (toys, books, shoes, pots/pans all over the floor, potty seat in bathroom) but that is very different than a baby!  I'm starting to second-guess how much I actually remember about newborns.  I'm sure I know about as much as I knew when we had Levi and maybe even a little more this time around so we should be fine.

Since we're getting so close, anyone care to guess baby gender, birth date, and baby size?  Feel free to leave your comments!  I'm curious what people are expecting us to have! (I've also created a poll on the right hand side of the screen so you can easily log your guess, though it is anonymous so if you want credit for being right, leave your guess in comments too)

Parenting and Screens

Have you ever noticed how many snapshots of kids these days have a parent in the background who is present in body but completely immersed in the world of their smart phone or iPad?  As I've looked at pictures on fb and blogs, especially in the past week, it has struck me just how common this has become.  And it has me thinking: how is this affecting the children??

I think back to my own childhood and the only thing I remember my parents being distracted by (like, mind totally in another world and not able to get their attention easily when I needed/wanted it) were books and conversation.  But more often than not, they were mentally available when I needed them, whether or not they were "busy" with something else.  How would my childhood have been different if one or both of my parents had spend every free moment with their eyes (and minds) glued to the tv, cell phone, computer, or tablet?  I think I may have gotten the impression that parents/adults:
- are hard to get attention from
- are distracted
- don't really want to be with me
- would rather sit and look at a screen than do anything else
- aren't really there for you
- don't think kids are important enough to pay attention to unless the attention is begged for

I'm as guilty as anyone.  I spend time online while Levi is awake, both on my phone and on my computer.  And it strikes me almost daily how I could be doing much more valuable things with my time.  How would my days with Levi (and our attitudes/patience levels with each other) be different if I was truly present in everything I did when we're together? It breaks my heart when I think about what my time online is teaching him. (not that ALL time online or being "distracted" is all bad, but when it becomes a daily part of life, maybe it needs to be examined?)

Does Levi ever feel like I don't really care about him?  Does he ever feel like what I see on my screen is more important than him?  Does he feel like he has to whine for things because asking nicely just simply fails to get my attention?  How would things be different if I moved my computer downstairs permanently and left my phone on the counter during the day, only checking things when he is napping or in bed for the night?

I intend to find out.  I've certainly cut back on internet use in the past (multiple times throughout Levi's life, though it invariably creeps up time and again) because I've always been aware of this danger.  But having seen pictures of it so often this past week, it has been brought to my mind yet again and I am feeling the need to renew my effort in being present with my child (soon to be children). 

How about you?  What are your thoughts on this?  Agree?  Disagree?  Anything to add?  I'd love to hear from you!

Blue or Pink, that is the question...

It's almost ultrasound time.  As in, halfway through pregnancy and time to decide whether we want to find out the gender.  And Nathan and I really don't know what we want to do.  Do we find out early?  Do we wait until the delivery room? 

With Levi, we didn't find out.  I didn't want to know, Nathan didn't want to know.  So we didn't.  Well, we wanted to know, but we wanted the surprise at the end even more.  We also decided to wait until the end because we wanted the delivery room surprise at least once.  We knew that we might find out the genders of later children because we're not opposed to doing that, but we knew that waiting until the end would be so much harder if we'd already found out the gender at ultrasound time with #1. 

So here we are again.  Do we peek or not?  With Levi, I had a strong feeling early on that it was a boy...and it was!  This time I have a strong feeling again.  So naturally I want to find out if I'm right.  BUT, as of last night, there's another reason I want to know.  I have dreams.  They are usually quite vivid and detailed.  Before we had Levi (like, a couple years before?) I dreamed that we had a little dark-haired baby boy named Levi.  And then we did.  Last night, I dreamed that this baby was a boy.  (and that Nathan wanted to name him Belteshazzar, but I'm pretty sure that part isn't prophetic.)  So now that has me wondering too!  I honestly don't care which gender this baby is.  I wouldn't be disappointed either way.  But I'm really curious and those last few weeks before Levi was born were TORTURE as we waited to find out WHO was in there! 

I'm not a big surprise person.  I don't mind surprises if I don't know that they're coming (surprise party, anyone?).  But if I know that something is coming and I'm not allowed to know what, that drives me up the wall! (sidenote: I went to our church's youth group throughout high school and our youth group had a planning committee made up of our youth leaders and a few youth.  I wasn't on the planning committee but one or two of my closest friends were and they would often plan events and not give out any details about what was happening.  Yet they would hint about them and talk about them with other committee members, even when I was there.  It drove me crazy and I never enjoyed the events more because they were a "surprise."  Never.)  I kinda think this situation could fit into that category, right?  May as well find out and I can still be surprised at birth with how our little one looks and what his/her temperament is like and such.  On the other hand, I've always been taught to not peek at Christmas gifts as it will ruin Christmas morning.  So part of me is wondering if peeking at the gender during the ultrasound will ruin delivery day.  Alot of me thinks it's totally different and I'm fairly certain that I won't actually mind knowing ahead of time and not having that surprise at the end.  But what if I regret finding out?  What if? 

Nathan and I are totally on the same page about this.  He feels just like I do.  He's curious.  He feels like we've had the surprise once and that it would be fun to know this time.  So who knows what we'll do.  What I'm really wondering is WHAT DO YOU THINK?  Did you find out your kids' genders via ultrasound?  If you haven't had kids, would you find out if you were in this situation?  Did you regret your decision (either to find out or to leave it a mystery)?  Has anyone out there found out via ultrasound and had it be wrong?  Do share your thoughts and experiences!

Before our ultrasound, Nathan and I will decide which way we are going to go and probably won't give out any details either way :)  We're quite on the fence and could go either way.  It really depends on the hour with us.  But add your voice to the swirling thoughts in my head and give me your two cents!  Go!

bumGenius Organic AIO - Cloth Diapering Question

Ok, so normally I have absolutely NOTHING bad to say about my cloth diapers.  I seriously LOVE them...I would never choose disposable over cloth, ever.  When I started cloth diapering, I chose the bumGenius Organic AIO (one size).  There are fewer chemicals (obviously), fewer leaks (proven by the number of leaks I had while using disposables on and off the first few months and how they stopped as soon as I put a cloth diaper on my son), and fewer smells (depends whether you prefer to smell chemically altered wet/dirty diapers or the real thing).  I only have one problem with them:

Do you see those holes along the side of the diaper?  Those holes started appearing when I had only used my cloth diapers around 5-6 months.  I'm not sure exactly why they are there.  My guess would be that the drying time is so long because they're AIO that the heat of the dryer (even on a low heat setting) is just too much for the cotton and it breaks down rather quickly.  BUT...really?  Not everyone lives in a climate where they can just hang their diapers up to dry every time.  If I hang them outside, they freeze solid within 5 minutes for 7 months (or more) of the year.  If I hang them inside, even with a fan blowing on them, they take around 20-24 hours to dry completely - and I even have to turn them "inside out" if I don't want the inside to be damp forever.

So I guess I have three questions:
-  Is this normal?
-  Has this happened to anyone else?
-  Is there a way of "patching" the holes or somehow preventing them from getting bigger every single time I do laundry?

I was hoping that these diapers would last through multiple kids (they were quite expensive - bumGenius's most expensive syle of diaper, chosen for the ease of use) but now I'm just hoping that I won't have to buy more cloth diapers or *sharp intake of breath* use disposables for the last few months until my son is potty trained.

Are there any other cloth diapering mama's out there?  Which cloth diapers do you use?  What do you love/hate about your diapers?  If you've cloth-diapered through multiple children, did you have your diapers eventually wear out and how long would you say that a diaper generally lasts??  As much as I love my bumGenius Organic AIO's for their look, ease of use, and fit, I must say, I am fairly disappointed that they started wearing out so quickly...

*Sidenote: I did try to get warranty, Cotton Babies was very willing to look at my diapers and consider them for warranty even if the diapers arrived after the one year warranty mark, but I had ripped a seam in all my diapers (there was a seam across the back of the sewn-in insert and I removed it to allow more airflow during the drying process - it did help) and I wasn't sure if that would affect the warranty and didn't want to be without my diapers for the month or two that it would have taken to mail away my diaper stash without being sure that they would be replaced.  Not having my diapers replaced on warranty is completely on me, and is not a hit on Cotton Babies (the makers of bumGenius products).

Potty Training

How early is too early to start potty training?  I'm pretty sure that 10-11 months is too early for any formal training but why not dream think about it, right?  What has been your experience with potty training?  And do you mind including details like the age your child was, how you did it, their gender, and big potty or little?  Help a new mama out, yes?  Thanks!

Talk back...

Ok all, I have some questions for you!  Of course I've been thinking alot about our impending move and thus, the house we will be moving into.  There are a few areas that I'm just not sure what to do with.  Or I have too many ideas and need to get them narrowed down.  So this is where you come in!  If you have anything to say on any of the following areas of decoration/renovation/organization, I'm all ears!  If you can include links to pictures (pinterest perhaps?) that would be even better, though I'll gladly take suggestions without a visual if that's what you're offering.

First up: laundry area.  Our laundry area is located kinda as a short hallway between the main floor bathroom and the rest of the house.  It is fairly out of sight from the rest of the house, but everyone who uses our bathroom will pass by this area.  As is, it is about closet sized with top load washer/dryer on the bottom and a set of three darker wood, outdated cabinets on top.  I LOVE that I'll have cabinets to hide laundry soap and stuff in, but it's not very pretty.  What would you do?  Paint the cabinets?  Cover it all with a nice curtain?  Something else entirely? 

Next: Master bedroom closet.  Picture this: typical double sliding door-size closet, without the doors.  I'm seeing huge potential.  Built-ins anyone?  Yup.  That's my goal/dream.  All I'm wondering is, do I go with lots of space to hang stuff and just a few shelves?  Or do I go with more shelves?  Do I make specific shelves for things like shoes?  What kinds of things do you store in your master closet and what would your dream closet be?

Moving on: Cloth diapers.  How do you store them?  Right now mine are sitting in a pile, spread eagle, on top of my diaper pail.  They're easy to grab and use, I'll give my system that much, but they sure don't look pretty.  And one of the best things about cloth diapering is how pretty all the fresh, clean diapers are!  So do share, where are your balls of fluff between being laundered and being used?

Entrance: being a bi-level, our entrance leaves much to be desired.  We are fortunate enough to have a closet at the end, but foot-room is lacking.  SO, if you have a small entrance, how do you keep the crazies out?  How do you keep things organized and looking beautiful?

Basement: wide open spaces!  One half of our basement is bedrooms and bathroom.  The other half is open!  I'm hoping to make myself a little craft area (need a table...) but the part I'm thinking most about is the tv area.  See, we sold what little basement furniture we had when we moved from Altona.  We have but one 2' square cushion for the floor and that is IT.  We have no tv stand.  We have no couch.  And I'm kinda hoping we have no chairs either (Nathan has a dorm chair from his days at Bethany that I'm kinda hoping doesn't survive the move...).  Anyone have any decently inexpensive ideas for making the basement a comfy family area without tons of furniture?

Kitchen: this one will probably be the lowest on the priority list, but remember those dark, outdated cabinets that I mentioned were in the laundry area?  Well, I'm pretty sure they were taken from the kitchen at one point cause that's exactly what's in there.  New counter tops (YAY!) but old wooden cabinets.  Has anyone tried painting cabinets?  What were the results?  Would you recommend trying to beautify what I have (paint, new hardware) or should I just leave it completely alone until we can redo the kitchen with new cabinets (probably 15 years down the road!).

Let me know!

Thanks...and another thing

Thanks for telling me what you all use for cloth diaper pails!  There are some great options there and it's got me thinking.  If you haven't let me know and are just seeing the previous post now, feel free to still comment!  I'm always curious about what other people use and how they cloth diaper in general.

I've got another question for you blog readers out there.  It's a little disagreement that Nathan and I had over supper tonight.  Levi has the following onesie:

Nathan has always said what an awesome onesie it is and I didn't really think much of it.  Tonight over supper, it came out why he likes it so much.  Apparently we'd been reading it very differently.  I happen to like my meaning much more than his.  We couldn't agree, so right away I took a picture of the onesie in question and told Nathan that I was going to go to my blog readers to clear this up.  So, when you see this onesie, what do YOU think it is saying?  We came up with three potential readings...

And, just cause he's the most adorable little man in the world, here is a video we took today.  Enjoy!

(Remember to turn off any web protection you may have if you have trouble viewing this video)

Cloth Diaper Question

We've been using a garbage can with a fairly tight seal for our diaper pail.  The problem is, it's not ours so after we move (still no details on when that will be) we'll be looking for something new.  I'm fairly happy with what we have so I'm tempted to go out and buy the exact same thing, but if there's something better out there, I'm all ears!  What kind of system do you have for storing your dirty diapers until laundry day?  Also, any suggestions for keeping odours to a minimum during hot summer days?

Sleeping through the night

Ok, so I mentioned in my 7 month post that I'm trying to get Levi to sleep through the night.  I'm asking for advice:
-  How did you get your kid to sleep through the night?  (I realize all kids are different, but I need ideas)
-  How old was your baby when they started sleeping through the night and how many hours do you consider sleeping through the night to be? (again, I realize all babies are different)
-  For moms of completely breastfed babies (no formula, no bottles, hardly any solids to make a difference)...did your baby ever sleep through the night without any supplemental feeding?

If you used the CIO method:
-  Did you just suddenly stop feeding them at night or did you gradually space the feeds out further and further apart until they were sleeping through? 
-  Did you change anything about daytime feeds to accommodate for no night-time feeds?
-  When they're crying, what exactly did you do when you went in after 5 min, 10 min, etc? 
-  Is it normal for a baby to scream on the top of their lungs like never before for 40 minutes straight?
-  Do you let your baby CIO every single time they wake up at night?
-  How many nights did it take?
-  Do I just need patience and a hard heart?  haha.  Seriously though, is it possible I'm doing it wrong?  Or do I just need to persevere through the blood-curdling screams?

Any advice you have is welcome.  Obviously I've thought about this lots and talked to a few people...read books and such.  So I know a bit about putting a baby to bed and helping them sleep through the night.  BUT, assume I know nothing and tell me every little detail of what you know.  I'm all ears!  Is it possible that he's just not ready?

about the tears...

Ok, I have a question for ALL you moms out there (it doesn't matter how long ago your kids were babies)... 

A little background first: The latest "trend" (is it a trend?  I don't know...) in parenting is to teach your baby to "self-soothe" which means putting them to bed awake and letting them put themselves to sleep.  The idea is that you'll have a good sleeper who doesn't rely on you to be able to fall asleep.  Sounds good, in theory. 

Here's the problem: I am sick of Levi crying each and every time I put him down for a nap (3-4 times a day).  Occasionally he'll go down without tears, but most of the time it takes alot of coaxing (and patting, rocking, nursing and bouncing) to get him to sleep.  He has no problem putting himself back to sleep in the middle of the night (unless he's hungry), but the initial "let's fall asleep now" is torture for both of us almost every time.

So here's my question: What did you do?  Did you rock/nurse your baby to sleep?  And if so, was your baby a good sleeper, or did they rely on you to fall asleep every time?  Did you teach your baby to self-soothe?  If so, how long did it take, what age did you start, and did your child ever show signs of resisting it like Levi seems to?  I've been trying to teach Levi to self-soothe since before Christmas and, aside from a couple good days here and there, it has mostly just been alot of tears and frustration.  I'm beginning to think that rocking him to sleep every time would be better than this.  Thoughts?  In the end, I'll do what's best for us, but I'm interested in hearing what other moms have done and how it worked for them in the long run....

Thanks.

Cloth Diapers

I LOVE CLOTH DIAPERING.  Seriously, best decision ever.  However, wherever I read that 18 diapers is a sufficient diaper stash is quite wrong about that.  I knew that my 18 bumGenius Organic AIO's would be on the low side, but after 3 months of laundry nearly every day, I'm beginning to think that a few more diapers in my stash would be nice.  I don't so much mind doing the laundry, but, with not being able to line-dry them, I'm worried about the daily dryer cycles taking their tole on my diapers! 

So that brings me to my order of business for the day.  The search for additional diapers.  I know I've asked this before, but I ask again...what are your favourite cloth diapers?  When you comment, please let me know if they're velcro/snaps, prefold/fitted/pockets/AIO's, one size/multiple sizes and why you love them.  ALSO, if you are looking at downsizing your stash or know of anyone getting rid of cloth diapers, I would love to hear from you!  Oh yeah, and how many diapers do you have in your stash and how often does that leave you doing laundry?  I've heard that you should wash diapers every 2 days anyway, which I am completely fine with, but right now we're just on the short side...

Another question...has anyone tried the Flip diapers or Econobum?  Those are two of the options that I'm looking at but without knowing anyone who uses them, I'm not sure I want to make the investment (small though it may be).  What is the difference between the two?  Is one better than the other?  Should I avoid both of them?  What do you think?  Are there any other brands I should look into?

I'm a'back!

I have had so little motivation to blog lately.  It's been two or three weeks since my last "real" post and I don't even miss it.  I just don't know what to blog about anymore.  It used to be my pet peeve when people's blogs would become all about their children once their first baby was born, but that's exactly what my blog has become.  Truthfully, when you're feeding every two hours (or more) and doing little else but childcare in between, there's not much to tell.  But hey, I had a wonderful Christmas season so why not start with that?!

Auntie Alicia giving Levi entertainment during tummy time and helping him keep his new "binkie" in his mouth.

I love that my days are filled with this!

Grandma enjoying snuggles.  I think Levi is enjoying the snuggle too, or he would be if he were awake!

The boys decorating the tree...throwing tinsel at it is both efficient and effective!

This is where Levi's hands spend most of their time.

Christmas blanket from Auntie Marsha.  I love those baby rolls on his arms!  Doesn't he just look perfect??

Sly smile.  I have a feeling this boy is up to something...

Cat nap in the sun on Grandma and Grandpa's couch.

Love it.

First time in the Jolly Jumper.  He spun slowly in circles, looking at his feet.

It's ok, Buddy, you'll get the hang of it yet (no pun intended).

The "M" clan...all four generations of them.  I love that the girls (twins) in the front are much more interested in each other than anything else!

I'll have to get the pictures from my sister's and brother's camera and put some up.  There are more good ones from things like Christmas tree hunting and sledding while at my parents'.  It was a wonderful Christmas.  How was yours?

________________________

Question:

Cradle cap...how did you get rid of it?

Gripe water...

We've started using gripe water with Levi because we suspect that his fussiness has much to do with gas.  It seems to work, but it also seems that whenever it wears off, he's fussier than before.  Or at least less consolable.  So here are my questions...

-  is being more fussy afterward normal?
-  did gripe water work for your kids?
-  is it supposed to bring on burps and foofs?  Cause it doesn't necessarily do that...just makes Levi more calm for a while...
-  Is drowsiness a side-effect?  Yesterday Levi slept for 3.5 hours, with one feed in the middle, during the afternoon/evening then went to bed at 9:30, no problem, and slept for 6 hours straight.  (He usually naps for 30-45 minutes during the day and sleeps for 3-4 hours at night)
-  how often can you give your kid gripe water.  I know what the bottle says for his age (5mls, four times a day) but can this happen every day?  Can I keep my boy constantly hopped up on gripe water?

update: I should probably also mention that we have the alcohol free gripe water and that Levi really isn't very fussy as far as fussy babies go.  He does have his moments, but only once has he been truly inconsolable.

Bath time.

Less than one week old...4 weeks ago now, wow.

Levi hates bath time.  As a result, I hate bath time.  He doesn't mind sponge baths too much but the tub is his enemy.  Today he screamed the whole time (which wasn't long, I hurried as much as I could!).  Does anyone have any suggestions for helping Levi like baths?  What helped your kids enjoy bath time?

Sneak Peek...and questions

One of the pictures from the photo shoot yesterday...anyone want to guess why Levi looks so happy?

________________________________

I have a few questions for anyone who knows anything about babies.

1.  Levi has a red, pimply rash on his face and neck that has just been getting progressively worse since Monday.  We haven't changed any soaps or anything and the doctor said it is nothing to worry about but it looks terrible.  Any ideas on ways to get rid of it?

2.  Drying cloth diapers.  What is the best way to do this?  I have the bumGenius Organic AIO's and I'd heard that they take a long time to dry but I didn't realize that "a long time" meant 4-5 dryer cycles.  They are pretty much impossible.  Does anyone have any suggestions for speeding up the drying time?  Air dry with a fan?

3.  Levi has developed a habit of not staying latched when he's feeding.  He'll swallow once and then pop off.  He'll latch again, suck a couple times, then pop off again.  Even when he has a good latch, he won't just stay and eat.  He was a pro nurser until this started just this week.  It sometimes takes half the feed to just get him to stay put.  Besides being frustrating, I think this is causing him to get alot of air and he burps/spits up alot after feedings.  How can I break this habit??  Has anyone else experienced this?

About me...

I recently was tagged by Chantelle of Thousand Square Feet.  I answer her questions and then tag four more people and they answer my questions (if they so desire!).  Here goes...

1. What is your favorite memory of your childhood years?

  One of my favourite memories of my childhood years is not one single event, but the things we did as a family.  Camping (and being snowed on), playing sardines as a family (like hide-and-seek but WAY better), riding home-made go-carts, riding through a mud puddle on the tandem bike with my brother, building forts, doing gymnastics on the basement furniture.  Most of my favourite memories from childhood include my parents and/or siblings.

2. What did you want to be when you grew up?

     I never had one dream of what I wanted to be.  As far as I recall, I've always been confused about that, probably because I always thought that I needed to choose some sort of profession.  I do think I've always wanted to be a mom (though as a child I didn't think that counted as an answer to this question).  At one point I remember wanting to be a mom but with no husband.  That must have been during the "cootie" years!


3. If you had an evening to yourself with no expectations placed on you, what would you do?

     I would probably journal or sew or clean.  Despite not being expected to clean, sometimes I just find cleaning to be most relaxing.  Cleaning/organizing at least.  I'm not talking "scrub the toilet" type cleaning on my night off.

4. What would you like to learn to do sometime in this life?

     Um...I would like to learn to be a pro at making cinnamon buns.  I've made countless batches of them, but I can never seem to get them just right.  So if I could be guaranteed an amazing batch of cinnamon buns every time I wanted to make them, that would be lovely.

5. Last book you read? Favorite book?

     The last book I read was the first half of the third book of a Madeleine L'Engle series.  The first two books were really good, but I just never got into the third one.  So I quit.  Normally I can't quit in the middle of a book, but I figured that soon I wouldn't have time to just sit and read so I chose not to spend my last few days before birth reading a book I wasn't enjoying : )

6. Would people describe you as a "girly-girl" or more of a "tom-boy"?

     Probably more of a tom-boy.  Though I think I'm about as close to the middle as can be.  I like certain girly things, but can also swing a hammer and wash a car.

7. Favorite beverage?

     Water.  But Pepsi, Orange Crush, Iced Tea, chocolate milk and hot chocolate come in close behind.

8. Childhood nickname? Current nickname?

     Childhood nickname: Niki
     Current nickname: Niki

My questions are:
1.  Who do people say you look more like, your mom or your dad?
2.  If you were given an exorbitant amount of money and were told you had to spend it all in one place immediately, what would you do with it?
3.  What was your favourite Christmas gift?
4.  If you could spend 6 months traveling any one country in the world, which one would it be?
5.  What is your least favourite household chore?  Most favourite?
6.  What is your strongest pet peeve?
7.  Would you rather spend this coming weekend with your family, your friends, or alone?
8.  If you had to choose one food to eat exclusively on a deserted island for the next year, what would it be and why?

And I tag:

Two Cents of Thiessen

Johnson Adventures

The Old Porch Swing

The Life & Times of a Mennonite Seminarian

not yet...

Things I'm wondering today...
-  have anyone's feet ever exploded from being so swollen?
-  is it possible to never regain feeling in your fingertips after being pregnant? permanent nerve damage?
-  are we 100% sure that no woman in history has ever had pregnancy last forever?
-  is it possible to go from nothing to baby in 60 seconds flat?  How about 4 hours or less?
-  should I pretend I have unbounded energy and clean the entire house in hopes of tricking my body into thinking it's nesting?  possible new form of labour induction?
-  how do mothers make it when their babies are over-due 1, 2 or even 3 weeks???
-  how do you continue to distract yourself when you're too huge and uncomfortable to actually do anything?

Thankfully I have only had a few days in the last month when I've really felt desperate for this baby to be born due to discomfort.  Most days I am feeling great and, while I really really want to meet McBaby, I feel like, "what's one more day of waiting?"  Then days like today hit.  I wake up in the morning and am so disappointed that I'm still in my bed and not in the hospital.  I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and ease my weight onto my feet, hoping they don't pop from the pressure as I make my way slowly to the bathroom.  I shower and wonder at the level of numbness my feet and legs reach by the time I'm done.  I crawl back into bed and, vain as I am, crawl out a couple minutes later to do my hair before it dries, just in case we head into the hospital later that day.  Eventually I pick out some clothes for the day...not too tough considering my options are "what I wore yesterday" and "what I wore the day before."  I spend the rest of the morning sitting with my feet up, hoping the swelling goes down so that I can get my shoes on and walk to get the mail (a thinly veiled attempt at inducing labour).  Eventually I decide to venture out of the house and, thanks to the beautiful weather, it is very worth it.  Lunch when I get back home and pretty shortly after that I am ready for a nap.  After the afternoon nap, Lennox is anxious for a walk so, in another desperate indifferent attempt at helping labour along, I join Nathan and Lennox on a mile-long walk around town.  Supper comes next, then an evening of sitting with my feet up, trying to stay comfortable until it's time for bed.  Of course, days like this are littered with prayers for labour and amazement at how much Baby is still able to move in the ever-cramped quarters that used to be my six-pack (yeah right).  Other days I find that I have much more energy and fill my days with extra walks, laundry, cleaning, and baking/cooking.  But today...today is truly a "waiting" day in which I accomplish nothing more than crossing another day off the calendar and thus end up another day closer to meeting our child.  I keep trying to convince God that we've been waiting 4 years now for this baby and surely He could grant us a few less days to wait.  But at this point it seems that we've proven ourselves patient and may have a while to wait yet...