Shirtless and Loving It

Baylor got some schmutz on his shirt the other night during dinner, so we had a shirtless evening at home!

First up, putting on Mama's flip flops.


Next up: trying to put on Amalia's sock whilst wearing the tummy time Boppy. A true art form.

Then I caught him in a moment of repose, listening to a little keyboard music.

Meanwhile, Mollie was thoroughly enjoying her shirtless time, thanks to excessive saliva production, on her play mat.

Having enjoyed a little music, the little man of the house decided to study the presidents a bit. I just love the way he says, "Jimmy Carter."

"Wait ... Baby Sister has a belly button, too?!"

Sometimes it gets a little cold with one's shirt off, so a blanket becomes necessary to retain a "nice and warm" level of comfort.

After taking in a good book and warming back up, Baylor got down to business, pretending Bob the Dog was going for a walk.

With the chicken quilt vacant, Mollie took her turn warming up.

Unfortunately, a blanket was not enough to keep Miss Mollie warm, so we got her dressed. Baylor, on the other hand, was sly enough to dodge getting his shorts back on after a diaper change and went pantsless for the rest of the night.

Not wanting his sister to miss out on any fun, he tried very hard to reattach the activity arch to her bouncy seat, but to no avail.

Oh well, another day.

Just One Thing ...

I have been wanting to write so much lately. I have had so many thoughts and feelings to share and get off my chest, but between one kid who has been hitting and another who gets up at least once a night and laundry and trying to keep the house in order and sheer exhaustion I have come up short. When I want to write I should be in bed, and when I have time to write I lack the words. I haven't even had as many chances to take pictures lately because of life being so hectic, which is partially why so few have been posted. And the ones I have taken are riddled with red eye and must be fixed before they are shared.

So ...

I'll leave you with my favorite moment of the day. I was bouncing Mollie around her room, cloaked in darkness, listening to the rain pitter patter on the roof. She wasn't really close to tired, but I thought I could will her to drowsiness if I just tried hard enough. All of a sudden, I could feel her little body tense up and she let out an adorable little baby sneeze. I said, "Bless you!"

And in the other room, I hear Baylor say, "Bless you!" too.

He should have been asleep, but he was listening. And he cared. So very sweet.

Go Green: Reusable Nursing Pads

Nursing pads are pretty uniformly awful, I have found. They are bulky, lumpy, and always show up under your clothes. And if you buy disposable ones, they are pricey and rather wasteful.

Enter the reusable nursing pad.

Now, I will say that it's not as convenient to have to wash and dry your nursing pads; I bought the Gerber Reusable Nursing Pads and, since they come in a six pack, I have to wash them every three days. But it saves us money, and I don't have to throw them away after one use. And really, they're quite easy to wash; just throw them in a bowl with some hot water and a drop or two of gentle detergent and you're good to go!

Many companies make reusable nursing pads, but they aren't prominently displayed in stores so finding them may take a little effort (or you may have to order them online). Some shops on Etsy also make them; I haven't tried any of those, but I might if my Gerber ones give out on me.

Will they work for everyone? Nope. Some women make too much milk to be contained by these pads. But I like them just as much as other nursing pads I've tried, so the savings to our wallet and the Earth are worth it.

Go green!

Cloth Diapering Saga: Part 3 (All About Poop)

You have been warned. This post is going to primarily be about poop. If you don't like it, don't read it.

As I have ventured into the world of cloth diapering, my days have been consumed trying to figure out the best way to contain poop. (Though I have to admit, it probably started back when I first became a mother and had to actually worry about poop getting anywhere and everywhere.) The other day I actually cheered aloud when I successfully contained two infant poops in a row. Yes, it has come to that.

Anyhow, I haven't been overly successful in keeping it away from the diaper cover, but I thought I'd share my efforts with you all in case you're trying the cloth diaper thing, too, or if you have any advice on what I may be doing wrong.

It all starts with the prefold. The first line of defense against poop leakage. At first I was only using a prefold, folded into thirds in a long rectangle, and slapped in a diaper cover. While this might be fine for solid poop, it does nothing to combat the squishy, slippery-ness that is infant poop. I did a little research and found that using a Snappi for infants works better, so I began a quest to figure this whole thing out. When it comes to folding a prefold, to be used in conjunction with a Snappi, you have to flare out the back and create a sort of pocket to catch the poop. Like this ...


Then you should set your baby in, since the whole thing is pointless without the baby, and bring the prefold around, flaring it out at the other end. I grab the back flare farthest from me, secure one side of the Snappi to it, and pull the Snappi across her waist. Like so ...

Then I pull the back flare closest to me up and secure the Snappi to that. Finally, I pull the center of the Snappi down and the bottom of the diaper up so it is closer to her skin (creating a better catcher, if you will) and fasten the last piece. Voila!

With the prefold securely in place, I put a diaper cover on. I have tried two different brands and have found Thirsties to work best for both kids; unlike the Bummis I tried, they don't leave a mark on my kiddos' legs. I just put the cover on like you would a regular diaper, make sure the prefold is tucked into it on all sides, and bada bing, bada boom ...

You have a diapered baby!

I have only had a couple leaks onto her clothes, but I have had numerous leaks onto the diaper cover itself. Thankfully, the Thirsties seem to be highly leak-resistant! Ah woo hoo!

They held yesterday when Baylor pooped in his cloth diaper, unbeknownst to me, and I took it off rather haphazardly. (Unprepared as I was, though, I got poop all over the place in the process of disposing of it. Definitely gonna have to work on that one!)

"Dood It"

Lately, Baylor has been all about who should do what. It all started with him saying, "Baylor dood it!" when he wanted to do something himself. Then it became, "Mama dood it", "Daddy dood it", etc. He quite often wants Mollie to do things that are well beyond her area of expertise, which I think is just adorable. I'm just happy he gives two hoots about her.

And while my little dude shouldn't be doing what he's doing in the picture above, he certainly has his mind made up about things these days!

Not a Laughing Matter

The hitting continued.

At one point, he even motioned for me to bend down towards him, like he was going to hug me, then he slapped me on the cheek.

(He also unraveled a roll of toilet paper, put an air freshener in the toilet, and tried to climb out of his crib.)

I wouldn't have minded the other stuff as much, but I cannot abide the hitting. As proud as I am of how smart Baylor is, I would rather have him be dumber than a stick than be a mean person. There are too many mean people in this world as it is, and I would consider it a failure on my part if he grew up to be a mean man. Or even a mean child. Kindness is highly underrated, and hitting should never be funny - which he thinks it is.

So I'm asking for any help or advice you can give me. How do I teach him that hitting is not okay? And before anyone suggests it, we do not spank at our house; that's just another way to hit someone in my book.

Give me what you've got. I've tried telling him how nice people don't hit and how sad it makes Mommy (which he should have gleaned from me starting to cry after he hit me - it didn't hurt but I was at my wit's end). How people who hit don't get the things they want. But I'm not sure it sank in.

Help! Please!!!!

All Before Naptime

Whew, it has been one heck of a day!

All I wanted to get done this morning was a trip to Gumballs and Overalls in Rockford (about 15 minutes from our house) and then lunch with my husband in Lowell (about 40 minutes from Rockford). That's it. Get a few diapers at said store and have lunch at Arby's. Not too tough, right?

Wrong. So very, very wrong.

I managed to get the kids out of the house by 10:47 a.m. and get on the road. I knew the route to the store, so that wasn't a problem. Nonetheless, getting there proved impossible. Apparently, Rockford was starting up a summer celebration of sorts and most of the streets were cordoned off. Stubbornly persistent as I am, I finally found a parking spot a few blocks away, strapped Mollie into the Ergo Baby, scooped Baylor out of his car seat, and started walking. Then Mollie spit up all over my chest ... great.

By this time I only had a half an hour to get to the store, purchase a few things, and get on the road again. This seemingly simple task might have been possible in the time allowed except for one small problem ...

The summer celebration included a parade. A parade I would have to cross before I got to the store.

Still hopeful, I walked the couple blocks, carrying both kids most of the way, as Baylor was too distracted by all the people and noises to walk with any speed. I finally reached Courtland Street and my hopes were dashed; there was no way to get across. The couple next to me had no idea how long the parade was going to last, but the woman suggested I scoot across the street anyhow and even offered to carry one of my kids! I was just about to decline her offer when a parade worker came by and urged people to get back on the sidewalk away from the street. No chance of me crossing. I did, however, score some Tootsie Roll Midgies from a Mason with slightly dirty fingernails; if I turn up dead tomorrow, you'll know why.

Disappointed, I scooped up my little man, checked on my little lady, and hurried as fast as I could back to the van. Ugh. A block away, I let Baylor down so he could walk a bit and stretch his legs. I hated hurrying him as he wanted to go into the Marathon station nearby and inspect some flowers, but we had to get going; I had stood too long watching the parade pass me by and now we were in a hurry. Still, he stopped to pull a petal off one of the flowers and on our way to the car he halted at a sewer grate to try to dispose of the petal. I hate, hate, hate hurrying him and stifling his natural curiosity, but such is life sometimes.

Finally, I got the kids in the car, headed to Arby's, had a nice lunch with the hubby until Mollie started to lose it.


Then the kids and I headed home. Mollie was much happier once I got her into a clean diaper and let her stretch out on her play mat. Baylor suggested that she have some tummy time (seriously - he did) and I concurred that that was a good idea.

Once she tired of that, we read a Sesame Street counting book a half-dozen times, and Baylor tried on the tummy time Boppy.

Then he joined his sister on the play mat. All he wanted to do was share the chicken blanket with her ...

... and do "This Little Piggy" to her toes.

Baylor then wanted to look at his President place mat, and after going over them with him for a few minutes (as we have in the past), I asked him where Thomas Jefferson was. He pointed directly to him, then said, "James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison", pointing to each of them as he went along (and obviously not pronouncing them all perfectly). I was very proud, needless to say.

It wasn't all wonderful moments, though. Mollie seems to be having tummy troubles today; she has spit up quite a bit, including everything I gave her one feeding. I can hear her tummy gurgling, but I have no idea what could have caused this.

Also, Baylor saw my belly button at one point and was fascinated. He poked at it and smiled. Then he poked at my stomach and said, "Soft." Yup, kiddo. Soft. Thanks for reminding me.

*sigh*

Then it was nap time. We headed upstairs, he chose a book, and we read it. I then told him it was time for Gossie, his pre-sleep book, and turned him around so we could snuggle.

Then he slapped me. On the cheek. Not hard enough to physically hurt, but my heart sure ached. I told him sternly that we don't hit.

Then he giggled and hit me again. And he laughed.

So, I nixed Gossie, turned off his lamp, endured a couple more hits, and put him to bed. He balked a bit, but he actually went to sleep pretty quickly. I really hope that is the last of the hitting. We'll see.

Oh, and just because it was "nap time" doesn't mean Mollie slept; she seems to be a half-hour napper just like her brother was when he was a baby. Ughhhhh.

Sorry for the whining ... it's been a day.

Hair Cut Number Five: Summer Cut

Bryson and I decided that, since his hair is very thick, Baylor should probably have a summer hair cut to help keep him cool. So, the other day, Mollie and I took him to Snip Its to get a cut.

He seemed much more comfortable when we got there than in times past, even though that kid seated in the background had been sobbing and screaming at the top of his lungs when we initially got there.


It was quite busy, so we had a bit of a wait. During that time, he inspected everything.

I told him this sign had eight sides ... he told me it was an octagon. Atta boy!

Neither of us, however, could figure out what the red button did.

He liked pointing out what colors were in the pictures behind him.

Finally, it was time for his hair cut. He balked at first when I put him in the chair, but there was a buckle to fasten and that is his specialty.

Almost his entire hair cut required electric trimmers, so the stylist and I spent some time showing him that they weren't scary. Then she went to work. And my little boy disappeared.

Look how long that hair on the top is!

Mollie slept through every second of it ... and it was pretty loud in there with all the kids, blow dryers, and trimmers.

Shorn like a sheep.

Still handsome, but looking so much older!

I miss my little boy, but hopefully he'll stay cooler as the weather heats up!

Go Green!

Lately, something inside of me has changed. I have an itch, a sudden urge, to protect this Earth of ours. Maybe it's the whole BP thing, maybe it's having two kids and wanting this planet to last as long as possible for them and their progeny, or maybe it's watching our garbage bin fill to the top week after week and finally being sick of it. And I am sick of it.

So I'm working on it, trying to make "Go green!" something I shout in my everyday life, not just at sporting events.

I'll share my efforts with you guys here, in case you are wanting to join me. The cloth diapers were the start. I have a package on the way from an Etsy seller that should go a long ways. I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile, I have been reading Gift from the Sea to Mollie because she loves grown-up books (or just hearing my voice, I can't tell which) and this one passage struck me and seemed appropriate for today. So here it is, courtesy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh ...

"But it must not be sought for or-heaven forbid!-dug for. No, no dredging of the sea bottom here. That would defeat one's purpose. The sea does not reward those who are too anxious, too greedy, or too impatient. To dig for treasures not only shows impatience and greed, but lack of faith. Patience, patience, patience is what the sea teaches. Patience and faith. One should lie empty, open, choiceless as a beach-waiting for a gift from the sea."

And to anyone who hasn't read this marvelous book, I highly recommend picking it up.

Hungry Hump Day: Deep Dish Sausage Pizza

We made this two nights ago for the second time, and it was delicious! Not to mention quick ... my husband and I whipped it together (from soup to nuts) in about a half an hour. It might have gone even faster if we didn't have two kids to wrangle.

Anyhow, it comes from my favorite recipe book, 101 Things To Do With a Casserole by Stephanie Ashcraft and Janet Eyring, and I hope you enjoy it.

Deep Dish Sausage Pizza

1 tube (13.8 oz.) refrigerated pizza crust dough
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 pound sausage, browned and drained (we used Italian sausage the second time and it was better)
1 can (3.8 oz.) sliced olives, drained (I left this out because I don't like olives)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Press dough over bottom and halfway up the sides of a lightly greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake 9 minutes. Spread sauce over crust. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and cooked sausage over sauce. Layer olives, onion, and bell pepper over sausage and then sprinkle cheese over top. Bake 7 to 11 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Makes 6 to 8 servings (maybe).