Don’t lie

You know if you have a little rascal or two or more your living room looks like this all the time once in a while:

And there usually are explanations for every out of place thing. Really.

1- Art stool on top of the couch- why? Because my 15 month old was using it as a stepping stool to climb the end tables that particular day

2- The coffee table in front of the (still unused) fireplace. A few reasons for this one- we haven’t yet figured out if we want to use the fireplace as woodburning or get a gas insert; we don’t have time/ money to fix it up enough to use it; there’s no room for a coffee table AND play area; and to keep the baby from crawling into the fireplace and eating creosote getting dirty.

3- Dumped out toy chest and 15 month old laying on top of toys. To occupy him long enough so his big sister and I can make some crafts once in a while.

4- Couch covered with laundry baskets, blankets, and tutus. I dunno.

5- Laundry to be folded. Oh wait, this explains #4.

6- Tissues restuffed into the box. You know your toddler rips ’em out of the box too!!!

You know it’s true. Admit it. Join the club. We’re waiting for you…

Kid Couture

Did you know that “haute couture” means “high sewing” or “high dressmaking”? A little tidbit I learned today…

I delved into making a dress for my Sweet Pea. Simplicity 2320- a fun Project Runway inspired pattern with many variations. I used some (what looks cute in person) multi colored courdory that I found in the remnant bin at Joann’s.

She’s not used to modeling yet, so please excuse the deer-in-the-headlights look!

In the midst of making this jumper, I was taking a class at Joann’s with a friend and learned more about facings, pleats, and ruffles. This jumper was a great learning experience and I plan on sewing a different variation with sleeves.

Next up… the February Lady Sweater! Yes! I finally finished it!!!

 

Cloth diaper plunge

I have taken the cloth diaper plunge. Sweet Pea, my two year old, has been in and out of cloth diapers since late October… which is partly why I haven’t posted in so long! Lots to get used to! Well, that and, YOU KNOW, getting ready to have another baby, coordinating a MOPS group, working out,  making homemade bread and yogurt and all those other crazy things I do.

The cloth diaper endeavor was challenging at first, as is anything new, but I had some great long-distance support from some friends and I stuck it out! Now, Sweet Pea is pretty much 24-7 in cloth, I just haven’t taken the leap to ask the nursery at church if they would be ok with her being in cloth. I hate to ask those volunteers… there are so many different people who serve and I don’t want to become “that mom” who insists upon cloth or makes things inconvenient for them. I am SO thankful that there are loving people who WANT to take care of my baby and teach her bible songs and help her make a little baby Jesus cradle while my husband and I are able to worship with the rest of the adults!

And it’s not necessarily a philisophical thing, like I feel that she’d die if she had on pampers- I mean she had pampers or whatever on for almost two years, but I’ve made a financial investment in the diapers so I would prefer to stop buying the occasional disposables.

And let me tell you, my least favorite mom-task was taking out the diaper champ. Ugh. Yuck. I didn’t like it! It stunk. Bad. Now I store the used diapers in a diaper pail liner IN the diaper champ (it won’t swivel but that’s ok) and when I go to get the bag on washing days I’m, like, excited. Weird, I know. I don’t have to dump it in the trash. I get to clean them and reuse them. Take something soiled and make it fresh and clean.

Kinda like what Jesus does for us – “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow”- Isaiah 1:18. Can I get an amen? 🙂

I’ll have more on cloth diapering some other time.

But for now, all is well, we’re prepping for baby #2, I’m still baking a ton of stuff, still working out, still hanging in there. I even started knitting the baby a sweater!

Just in case you’re interested, there are a several of giveaways to enter to win free diapers/ cloth diaper accesories:

Check out Clothdiaperblog.com for their super-sized-giveaway!

Sweet Deals for Moms has a diaper cream giveaway here.

Until next time… 🙂

Deceptive but not Delicious

I got Jessica Seinfeld’s book, Deceptively Delicious, out from the library this past week in a feeble attempt to get my child to eat more than yogurt, oatmeal, the occasional apple or banana, and crackers.

The first recipe, Mac N Cheese with pureed butternut squash, was a monumental failure. I roasted, I pureed, I boiled, I drained, I mixed, all during Sweet Pea’s nap.

Here you see the picky eater eyeing it.

It doesn’t look like the stuff from the box, mom.

Doesn’t stick on the spoon the same way.

Nope, not even going to try more than a miniscule sampling. No thank you no thank you no thank you.

I should have just taken a nap too.

The Butter Lamb

This……

Is the butter lamb.

I live in an area with a large Italian population, as well as Polish, Irish, and German. My great-grandparents came here from Italy in the early 1900’s. There’s always good food around here.

The butter lamb is apparently an addition to the Easter meal for Polish Catholics, according to wikipedia 🙂 I guess I always knew it was a polish tradition, because of the name on the box.

Anyways, we had a family get-together at my aunt’s house, where Sweet Pea saw her first butter lamb.

“Doggie!” she said, pointing to the lamb molded out of butter, with peppercorns for eyes.

Minutes later she had a confused and slightly horrified look on her face as the lamb was passed around the table and cut up to butter bread.

Whoops. I never saw that one coming.

Keeping Warm

I took a short break this past weekend from my sweater to knit Sweet Pea a new hat. All of her old ones didn’t fit and I was feeling mildly guilty stuffing her cranium into size 6-12 month hats or throwing a blanket over her head when we went out in the tundra winter-wonderland. So I scrounged up some Lamb’s Pride and went to my trusty Last Minute Knitted Gifts to create yet another one of Kim’s Hats.

It’s taken me several days to capture my child wearing her new hat. Most of the pictures I took look like this:

I ran out of pink yarn, so I found some unidentified purple chunky yarn in my stash to complete the earflaps, ties, etc. I thought the flower was a fun and whimsical addition to tie in the purple. Lamb’s Pride is amazing yarn to work with and it is extremely functional in cold-weather wear. The thickness of the wool keeps moisture from snowflakes away and my baby’s head is always toasty warm.

One of the things I love about Kim’s Hat pattern is that there are several different types of patterns and you are encouraged to experiment with colors and styles to create something all your own. I hope Sweet Pea grows to love this hat as much as I do!

My baby’s one!!!

Yay for surviving and thriving year number ONE!!!

Adventures

Motherhood has most certainly been an adventure for me. Since Sweet Pea’s birth, I’ve had ups and downs, and been round and round, like most new moms!

I have been exhausted, sleep deprived, and unable to find the time to do my hair.

I have felt panic –oh my gosh she didn’t wake up at 3 am to eat… is she still alive?– then pure joy upon the realization that she had slept 5 hours IN.A.ROW.

I have melted at the sight of her first non-gastrointestinally-induced smile and emerging personality.

I have had struggles with introducing solid foods (ahem, still struggling).

I’ve felt exasperated by the unsolicited advice from well meaning folks (hi mom, love you).

I’ve been much, much too sensitive to criticism. What? I’m not perfect???

I’ve felt the strain on my soul and my marriage when I put ME first, instead of GOD first.

I’ve been overwhelmed by the never-ending job of babyproofing the house, the endless basket of laundry, the diapers that never seem to hold it all in. yuck.

I’ve been elated at my child’s accomplishements.

I’ve been overwhelmed with love for my baby.

I’ve grown closer to my husband as we ventured into these unchartered waters of parenthood together.

I’ve had a captive audience as I practice guitar, one who claps and sings even when I don’t remotely hit the chords right!

And I love that we are our own little family.

Through it all, motherhood has truly given me a glimpse of God, and just how wide, how long, how high and how deep the love of Christ really is. And no matter where you are at, at the top of the roller coaster or stuck on the tilt-a-whirl, He is there with His perfect unconditional love.

This year our theme for MOPS is “Adventures in Mothering” and I have been so blessed to have such an awesome group of mothers to come along for the ride.

scattered

My mind/blog/life has been a bit scattered lately, as evidenced by my nightstand:

Keith joked that he didn’t know our house was the new town library. There are more books on the floor.

From the top, and why:

1- The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman- our anniversary was the week I took this photo and we thought we’d read up on one another’s love language again 🙂

2- What to Expect the First Year– what first time mom doesn’t have this one in reach?

3- The Purpose Driven Life, by Rick Warren- Keith and I led a small group study on this book many moons ago and my brother, who works for Obama *, needed a synopsis of the book before the big Saddleback event that took place in August. Why yes, little bro, I will write some cliffnotes for you to write a memo for a presidential candidate.

4- Busy Woman’s Guide to Prayer, by Cheri Fuller- somebody lent this to me but I think I’m giving it back. I haven’t even looked at it other than the bright pink cover.

5- The Nursing Mother’s Companion, by Kathleen Huggins- great book if you are new to the whole nursing deal and don’t have a close friend or relative to ask those “stupid” questions. I loved it but then again, there were some sections and opinions that you just have to take with a grain of salt (like every parenting/ child book). I think I pulled this out again after I got, um, bit. Teething is not fun!

6- Building Your Mate’s Self Esteem, by Barbara & Dennis Rainey- another anniversary type mindset thing on growing and building up your spouse…

7- Your Baby and Child- a hand-me-down gift that I have barely skimmed.

8- Getting Stronger, by Bill Pearl- weight training manual because I. AM. A. MACHINE. AT. THE. GYM. yeah! Actually, Keith bought this a loooooong time ago and I busted it out this year when I got serious at the gym 🙂

9- The Purpose Driven Life Journal– see #3. I never wrote in it, so if you want it, let me know. Its just collecting dust.

10- Streams in the Desert Journal– love love love love love this devotional.

11- My calendar/agenda- I used this calendar to keep track of when Sweet Pea nursed, slept, etc in those early months.I got it out again to show a friend that she was not alone in the chaos of taking care of a newborn. One line in particular I shared was “Oh my word, she has nursed for the better part of an hour and is hungry AGAIN? I JUST WANT A SHOWER!!!!”

12- Some random photo box

13- Morning and Evening, by Spurgeon- love love love love this devo too. This is the kind of writing that you have to chew on for a while 🙂

14- Mount Vernon Love Story, by Mary Higgins Clark- a fictionalized account of George & Martha Washington’s love story. Keith and I take turns reading aloud before bed. I know. We’re cheesy.

15-My old journal & random MOPS stuff

So yeah. Not a knitting book in sight. I’m hopeful that I’ll be back in the groove soon. It’s all good.

* Yes, my bro works for the guy but I’m not endorsing either way. I just wanted to help my brother do his job well!

Laserbeams

A friend of mine, who’s daughter is almost a year old, went back to work part-time this week. She’s in the medical field and the part-time gig really works for her- you only see patients on the days you work- as opposed to the part-time office situation where one “works” p/t with full time project expectations from the boss.

Anyway, she was sharing about her daycare search and told me about a certain center that was over $10 more per day than all the other places she visited. Apparently this place has laserbeams that clean all the toys after the children go home at night as well as this air-filtrating ultra-violet light thing that kills all germs in the air.*

Laserbeams?

Really?

I felt like Seth & Amy on SNL.

Laserbeams?

Really? You need laserbeams to clean my kid’s toys?

What’s that, soap isn’t good enough for you?

You need Laserbeams?

From your lasercats? Really?

We both had a good laugh.

She decided to take her daughter to the on-site day-care at her work, which is not equipped with lasers.

*I can fully understand one’s concern over their child sharing toys with potentially sick children. I wash stuff at home too, but probably not as much or as often as my mom wished I did… and I bet that if aforementioned laserbeam was on the market, my mom would buy it for us.