Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Love Letter

Dear Mom,

Something tells me that I forgot to tell you "Thank You" for the groceries and the gas and my birthday present and the help and doing laundry and making coffee and putting up with the dog and flying down here and making me breakfast and changing diapers and babysitting and offering money and doing dishes and wiping noses and cooking dinner and listening to Michaela with me and letting me win at Scrabble and keeping a Surprise and rocking the baby and giving a spelling lesson.....and.......and.....

.....and just BEING here.

Thanks Mom. I needed that.

Love Forever,
Me

Clichés

My Mom came to visit me for the last week. To see the baby. Spoil the kids. Celebrate my 30th.

And now she's on her way back home.


I know they say that there's no such thing as distance for people who love each other. And I know that time heals all wounds.

But right now, the distance just STINKS. And the past hour's been AWFUL.





i just want my mommy

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Hey, Baby, You Never Looked So Good....

Gabriel is one month old today.

He slept through the night for the first time.

This little guy has got me WRAPPED, I tell ya.....


And I'm not the only one!





(Did I mention that he's a pro at sleeping?)

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Just Pushing it Off a Little Bit

So, as you are probably well aware, today was my 30th birthday.

I have video and pictures to share, but my husband is galavanting in Walmart with my camera, and YouTube is being persnickity. So, y'all will just have to wait.

Why don't we all just pretend that I'm not really 30 today? Then, by the time I DECIDE I WANT to be 30, I should have all my multimedia working smoothly!

(But I'm not giving back my new Rascal Flatts CD.....no way man!)

Friday, January 26, 2007

Happy Happy Loo Loo!


Birth Day


4 Today

Baby Bottoms

One of the first things my husband ever did when he met Michaela for the first time, was check out her backside. I know that sounds weird, but he didn't get to hold her right away because the maternity nurses were doing all kinds of funky stuff to her. They had her layin' out on the isolette, checking her weight, length, putting goop in her eyes, etc. So his first interaction with his child was when she was laying on her stomach under the lights.

And there was her bottom.

We've all heard the phrase, "Soft as a baby's bottom," but here was his chance to prove it.....

And, sure enough, it was pretty stinkin' soft.

***

Baby skin is extremely incredible stuff when it comes to softness. Just silky smooth. Almost glorious. You just want to purr when you rub your face against warm baby skin. There's nothing like it.

And when it comes to putting clothing on a little human that is so fun to touch, the LAST thing you wanna do is scuff it up. Rub it raw. Irritate it. You wanna preserve as much innocence as possible. Even on the skin.

Adding a little bit of fragrance is just a bonus.

Such is life when pampering a newborn's butt. You just don't want to mess it up (they seem to do enough of that themselves). Some really rich guys out there understand this fact, and have introduced every stinkin', smoothin', buttering product known to man---just for our kids' backsides.

Yup, we humans sure pay a lot of attention to baby bottoms.

***

I, especially, like to pay attention to my kids' butts. For some reason, I got overly interested in what goes into taking care of their posterior a few years back. Someone I worked with at the time, brought their toddler into work and was showing off her son's diapers.

I was immediately interested.

Not that diapers are usually a thought provoking conversation piece, but the cool thing about these diapers was that they were handmade.

Yup. She had made her kid some diapers. Out of cloth.

And would you believe it? Those were the coolest things I ever saw (as far as diapers were concerned). I mean, they had a cute print on the outside, and were soft cotton on the inside, and they closed using velcro. So neat. I was instantly fascinated in this world called, "cloth diapering."

I mean, since when did cloth diapers get so "user friendly?"

The more I looked into it, the more it seemed completely do-able to use cloth diapers on my soon-to-be-born baby (my third, Caleb). I was already thinking about the financial pinch it would cause to have a THIRD child in diapers, so I did plenty of research. Come to find out, there were so many different types and styles and patterns to choose from. Not to mention cost. I could spend a little or a lot, or I could make my own. And as far as washing them, I learned that most Moms don't "dunk" their diapers in the toilet like our grandmothers did. New detergents were so effective, that you could simply throw a dirty diaper in a pail, then dump the pail in the washer, add soap, and start it up. Out came clean diapers. No mess, no hassle.

And I really liked the idea of that soft, fluffy cotton on my baby's butt.

(And come to find out, there's nothing like wrapping your child's posterior in a clean, warm, fragrant diaper fresh out of the dryer.......ahhhhhhhh.)

***

I ended up researching everything diaper, and found a cloth diapering style that suited me best. I needed durable (because I knew we were having more kids), easy, and inexpensive. I didn't end up with the fancy type diapers like my friend had made, but what I got, I liked.

And I can't tell you how much money it has saved me to use cloth diapers over the years.

Now, I will say, that I haven't used cloth exclusively on my last 4 children, but every child has had the opportunity to wear them. My diapers have lasted this long, and they still work great. You just aren't wasting your money having cloth diapers around. They're so versatile.

~We use them when a child (even our friends' kids!) has a painful yeast infection.

~We use them to catch drool on a pillow.

~We use some of the worn out ones for cleaning the car (or anything that needs a "soft touch")

~We use them to get on top of recurring diaper rashes.

~Michaela uses our largest diapers as bibs.

And the styles and options keep growing and getting better and even more user-friendly. It's really not a problem to wash, dry, and use cloth diapers. You can even get cloth wipes. I have some, but I found it easier to just use disposable wipes. Especially since I don't use wipes every time I change a diaper.

In general, I would say that disposable diapers are the easiest thing to use when it comes to keeping your child's rear in pristine condition. HOWEVER, most moms find out pretty quick that there's more to life than just convenience, and that includes what's pampering your little one's backside. I mean, how convenient is it to have to keep switching diaper brands because each one makes your baby break out? And how nice is it to hear your little 3-month-old screaming constantly from a horrible yeast infection they got from an antibiotic? Don't forget the price of those things: it's like rubbing your money in doggy doo-doo and throwing it in the trash. Not ideal by far.

So let me just put a bug in your ear: think about using cloth sometime. You've got the internet.....look some stuff up! And if you're not doing the "kid thing" these days, tell someone you love who is. Maybe it's something that would really work out for them.

Here's a website started by a Mom who wants to help people try out cloth. She lets you try different types of diapers for free, just so you can get a feel for what would work for you. Wish she had this up and running when I was looking into it!

And just to whet your appetite, here's some pics of baby Gabe in his favorite fanny fashions:

The diaper part, kept together by a cool "Snappi" gadget (no pins)


A white "snap on" diaper cover, my personal favorite

A very cute velcro print cover that's also very easy to use





Give your soft-bottomed baby the best in bottom attire---cloth diapers!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Resoluting

OK, so I'm tired of not blogging. I can't tell you how many times I've had wonderful posting ideas and simply didn't feel as though I had enough time to do it. But I've got to. I LIKE blogging. I like posting. I like COMMENTS! But when you don't post, you don't get comments. And when you don't post, you don't remember all the cool things your children have done. And when you don't post, you don't get some things off your chest. And when you don't post, you don't think to take candid pictures of your children, because, well, you don't need to put pictures on the blog you're not posting to!!

So, this is what I'm gonna try to do: I'm gonna TRY (notice the capital letters, hence the STRESS), to post a couple times a week, or even every day, even if it's just a little smidgen. A little tid bit. A little bit o' nothin'. And if it doesn't look all nice and pretty and fluent and sensical, well then, that's life. This blogging thing is something I just want to do, and if I have to go against my own stupid neurotic tendancies in order to get it done, then that's what I have to do.

It's a growing pain, but I can deal with it.

And speaking of growing, Gabe turned 4 weeks today. He doesn't look all that different to me, but I gawk at him every day. So I'm sure I wouldn't notice much change. He's definately getting heavier. THAT I can feel.Libby will be 4 tomorrow. We went out today to let her pick out some presents. I thought this would take some of the stress out of trying to figure out what to get her. Not exactly what happened. There was too much to choose from, so she picked the very first thing she saw, even though it really wasn't something she'd want. When it came down to it, I picked out the things I thought she would want. No different than if she were never there. Oh. At least I didn't have to wrap anything.....she wanted to use her new "stash" right away, and that didn't bother me in the least.

Speaking of "We," my Mom is in town for a week. I cannot TELL you how wonderful this is for me. Mom (and often Dad too) comes around these here parts roughly twice a year, and I get treated like a queen. They are such a help, and spoil me rotten, and we just ENJOY ourselves. We're talking Scrabble tournaments here, people! But basically, Mom and I are two peas in a pod, and I just love her to death, and my kids do too, and sometimes a girl just misses her Mommy.....

Especially when she only has one more day to relish her 20's, and 30 sounds awful scary. I can't be a kid anymore. How do you change your personality to fit into the mold of an adult? 30-year-olds are ADULTS. I am not. I don't really want to be. I don't THINK that way. How can I justify hanging out with my teenage friends when I'm in my 30's? I'm serious. I enjoy the young people. I don't want to get too old to be considered "fun." I don't want to get too old to BE fun. (And don't get the wrong idea here: I have as many friends in their 40s-80s as I do 13-30)

Man, I just don't want to get OLD. Is that too much to ask? My brain didn't grow up with my body. And herein lies the rub. I'm a kid at heart. A kid who doesn't want to have to start THINKING about their heart. Catch my drift?



Any condolences from the peanut gallery would be mighty appreciated.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Now THAT'S Pretty Unique!


HowManyOfMe.com
LogoThere are:
0
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

My friend Vanessa had this thing on her blog, and since I'm such a sucker for all things "name", I decided I HAD to check it out.

And, go figure, this is what it came up with when I entered Libbigail's name!

And, believe it or not, I got the same results for Asher's name too!

That's pretty stinkin' unique. Very cool. I've always liked their names, and how "different" they are (yet, relatively tame on the weirdness scale--doncha think?). I never would've thought that there were NO OTHER people out there with their first and last name, though. How interesting....

Here's how the rest of us stacked up:
Chris--1,946
Me--649
Michaela--15
Noah--41
Caleb--43
Gabriel--142

And when I entered my maiden name, it came back as 7. 7 people who answer to MY name. 7 people who know how annoying it was to write it out (sorry Dad, but it IS). There are actually people out there with the same exact name I was born with. I mean, that's kinda weirdish.



Now I really want to meet those other 6 people.....

You Got it Denna!

My friend Denna was wondering why I haven't posted any pictures lately (try forever?).

I had been having trouble with my camera for some time before the holidays, and I just didn't want to fool with it. I mean, I was having a hard enough time POSTING, nevermind dealing with a a persnickity camera. It just seemed like the new-ish battery we bought wouldn't hold a charge.

Hence, the reason for the severe decline in photo shoots.

BUT! My dear hubby was so gracious to buy me a new digital camera for Christmas! And the battery works swimmingly! (Not to mention the 1 GB memory card-woohoo!)



(And the old camera? The battery charger wasn't plugged in.......for months.......whoops! Oh well, it WAS 4-years-old and somewhat antiquated :)

Monday, January 08, 2007

"Sleep Deprivation Du Jour With a Side of Dust Bunnies, Please?"

So, I've been working on my little tale of Gabe's birth, but I've only gotten through--perhaps--half of it.

What can I say? I'm sleep deprived!

I feel as though I have so much STUFF to take care of, but I can't get to any of it. I'm just trying to keep my head above water, and the dishes out of the sink.

You know, that sounds bad. It sounds like I'm bedraggled or something. And I'm really not. I'm actually quite astonished at how much I'm functioning with so little sleep. But as far as tackling any "extracurricular" activities (ie: dealing with "The Wheelchair Fraud", doing bills, making phone calls regarding having a new baby, etc etc), I'm not getting very far.

The kids are fed, bathed, and have clean clothes. The house is in relatively good shape (thanks to the children's help!).

But I haven't gone grocery shopping in weeks.

And my "junk basket" is overflowing.

Things could use dusting.

And the floors would like to be swept more than once a week.

But we're hanging in there. And the baby's a peach! Oh! Fuzz and everything! I'm serious! It's like some of his hair fell out before he was born, and there's this soft, silky peach fuzz left on the very top of his head. I dare say I will rub it off completely soon. It doesn't help that he just kinda melts when I nuzzle the top of his head.......

He is a very good baby (see, I KNEW this was your next question). No, he doesn't sleep through the night, but I really don't want him to do that. I know, I know, I sound like I'm out of my mind ("Kell, you ARE sleep deprived!"). But, you see, I'm nursing him, and it's really not the most pleasant experience for a breastfed baby to sleep through the night. Catch my drift? He can do that when he's older.

He is very much into Mama. Not every baby is, contrary to popular belief. He likes to snuggle, and he could be half starved, but he WILL calm down if I hold him or talk to him. I don't know if any of my other babies were quite like that. And it may not last very long. But I'm just soaking it up to the fullest.

He IS my last baby and all.

So, hang in there with me. I'm getting things done a little at a time. I hope to tackle the junk basket today (I've been saying that for days). Maybe that birth post will get out next week.