The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Fluffy Friday Give Away

 OOOHHHH I soo hope I win! Click the title to go TCDW post page to enter! or copy and paste address below into your browser.

http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com/2010/09/fluff-friday-98.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheClothDiaperWhisperer+%28The+Cloth+Diaper+Whisperer%29

Cloth Diapers and More Practice Frogs

I love my cloth diapers because it makes me know for certain that I am doing at least one thing everyday that is really truly good for my son. I'm one of those people who who really hates to do laundry but every morning the first thing I think about and maybe the 10th thing I get around to doing is washing last nights and yesterdays diapers. I love dumping them into the wash all nasty smelling and gross and pulling them out again all shiny and white. I love putting them out on my porch on my clothes rack all "white trash style" as my mom (sort of) jokingly calls it. The amazing side effect of all this washing is that I get other laundry done too! Because my almost 3 year old is night time potty training and refuses to wear the MotherEase fitted I got her, morning laundry often smells like toddler pee so it's good I have Zen's diapers to encourage me.

Also, here is Practice Frog and Mrs. Practice Frog. Not the best pic, I know, but it was late and I was going to bed. Practice Frog's construction did not stand up to the almost 3 year old so hopefully Mrs. PF works out better. I'm working on PF 3 now and if he works out really well then it'll be onto Real Frog so I can finish this darn binky strap.

Hey Look! I Knitted This Frog!!!

Step one- knit the head...

Step 2- knit the eyes and attach to the head...

Step 3- knit the body and attach the head...

Step 4- knit the arms and legs and attach to the body...

Step 5- give that frog a face...

TA DAAA!!!

So that is my practice frog. I'm knitting a binky strap for Zenny and it involves a frog. This frog... well not this frog exactly, he didn't come out so hot and after a few hours in my knitting bag and some time playing with Kaya I came to the conclusion that I need to work on some things.
1- knitting "bobbles", what the hell is a bobble? that is what Miss Susan B. Anderson calls the eyes, hands and feet. Hers look all nice and knitted, mine look like wads of yarn I (poorly) tied to my frog.
2- attaching everything to everything else. The poor thing just started falling apart. So, that is what I will work on from now till about 11.

See Ya!!!
ps- if you're reading this, do you think you could click follow at the top of the page... it'll make me feel good about myself... ;)

Life Aspirations

First off, I want to start out by saying Facebook sucks today.

Now, I go and I buy these knitting books or vegan cook books really meaning to change my life and live a more slow food king of life style but I never really cook anything and my knitting always takes for ever. I want to teach my children to eat good food and not waste but my favorite snacks and dinners come out of boxes and I like new clothes. Don't get me wrong, I don't really shop for myself, I'm still wearing my only pair of prego pants. I really spend my money on yarn and cloth diapers and organic processed food. yum... but I should be cooking for my loves not feeding them out of a box. I try... ok, lie. I think about trying to feed them better, but then I get distracted and forget to start dinner by 6 and we end up having quesadillas or mac and cheese or cereal. Some day I will get it together enough to do these things but now, I have to hang the diapers in the sun and take a nap...

Funny Chat with K Bean and Camping Pictures

Awesome conversation with K Bean about her baby doll:
"Mommy, this is my baby."
"Oh, he's so cute. What's his name?"
"Baby Man Child."
"Really? I like that name. How old is he?"
"Six."
"Six weeks?"
"Yeah, six weeks."
"What does he eat?"
"My boobies."

Yes she really said that, it was so cute I almost cried. Add this to the time I saw her nursing one of her stuffed animals and how she put a 'cloth diaper' on one of her babies, I think she is on her way to being a great mom some day. Oh and to toot my own horn, my aunt Karen told my mom she thinks I'm a good mom and my mom agreed with her! YAY! And Uncle Dave told my brother how "easy to get along with" K Bean is... sigh, now I just hope I don't have to yell at her tomorrow.

On to the pics. These are from camping at Standish-Hickey right before we had the Man Child. Starring Aunt Colleen, Leanna, Brian and Duncan (my bros), J Wizzle, and K Bean. Oh and me and the belly, of course.

Crazy Cousin Leanna and K Bean in the water. We had to drape my tank top and Leanna's
bandanna around her so she wouldn't get a sun burn. She looked so darn cute.

Happy Family. Wade-o and K's first time camping. My first time in years, we used to go
all the time with Mom and Dad and my brothers to this same place. I love Standish-Hickey.

Floating like this felt so great, I could feel Fetus Man calm down and sort of relax. All the
pressure that had been on my back lifted and we both got really comfortable.

ok, this is crazy Leanna. If you look really closely you can see some people sitting up on the rock
thinking about jumping in, then look a little further up the rock and there are some more people sitting, thinking about jumping. Well, they thunk soooo long, poor Leanna got bored, climbed higher up and then jumped. Yeah, then she swam over and said something like "These are nothing, you should see the ones we jump off at home."

Brian and Duncan, burning things. Sweet.

Leanna, teaching K to swim. K Bean had sooo much fun with her... 2nd cousin? First cousin twice removed?

My old lady self, watching from the beach. Side note, I got that umbrella the first time I went to Germany.

Brian playing the banjo. Duncan and Bean eating. She really likes to dance and sing when Uncle
 Pookie gets out his banjo.

Camping bed time.

ugh...

 I really want to update the blog, tons of cool things, but I'm sooo beat. Zen doesn't like sleeping in a different bed and Kaya is following her Great-Grandma around like a puppy. And gram's house isn't toddler-proof. She has tons of beautiful shells and odds and ends sitting out that are to much temptation for any one 2 year old girl. Tomorrow we go to Yosemite for the day and hopefully some one brings a camera.

5 Hour Car Trip with 2 Babies or Hi, Call Me Crazy

So, we made to my Grandma Jeanie's house. It was a long trip filled with stops and mini-melt-downs but we made it. Now we're off to the farmers market and the craft fair and the playground. Yay!

Yeah, That's Right.

HA!!!! Take that knitting! You tried to defeat me but beat you down in the end! Take that you baby alpaca! I shall hear no more of your bleating! You have bent to my will but alas, I shall miss our long nights watching BBC on Netflix when I know I should be asleep with my babies. I have learned much from you as one should from a worthy nemesis. Now I shall block you (whatever that means, so I'll head back to MYS for advice) and weave in your tails and pass you to your new home with fond memories of our legendary battle for knitting supremacy.

AAHHH, but I am very proud of myself.

PS- I love my fluff. I was thinking about taking a picture of it but I think that should wait until my stash is complete. All the blogs recommend 20-24 for a new born so (luckily for me, unluckily for James) I still have a ways to go! Happy diapering!

Fluffy Mail!!!

First off, the fun stuff, I got my fluffy mail today! The boring stuff- Thirsties Pre-Wash and Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper Laundry Detergent (Soft Rock- Bare Naked Babies). The exciting stuff- FuzziBunz Double sided Wipes and my very first Rumparooz G2 One Size Diaper w/ 6-r  Soaker (Aplix fastener) in Platinum. That's right, we now have a platinum colored diaper. Ballin! I already love it, but it hasn't been washed yet and that seems to make a difference in the softness. In the next few posts I think I'm going to start reviewing some of the fluff and fluff related products I get. I'll start with our first diaper purchase and go from there.

But that is another post, and right now I'm going to talk about my day...

J Wizzle left this morning, sad, and the house is a mess, sadder. I should be picking things and cleaning since I got both kids to bed at the same time (score 1 me!) but instead I am going to watch Robin Hood and work on Melinda's cowl. Tomorrow I will be going to the MYS with Jamie to get some advice on the project while Bean is in day care, I'm kinda nerdily excited about it! My mom told me I was an old lady but I just laughed. This is fun! I got more done on this project while Wade-O was home than I had been able to get done in a while and that felt really great!
Our day went pretty well, J Dub left at noon and the kids and I sort of hung out together for a while. We played "You can't caaaaatch meeee!" with Bean. I hold the Man Child in the carrier and sort of fast walk while K Bean runs through our house squealing and having a really great time. Then we played "You can't fiiiinnnd meeee!" Bean will hide under the blanket and then squeal and have a really good time when I pull the blanket off her and find her. Then, get this other moms of 2 babies, We All Took A Nap At The Same Time!!! Yes we did. It was glorious! Man Child slept and Bean slept and I got to sleep too!!! (Hence being up blogging at 11pm) It was even Bean's idea. I think she thought she was playing a game until she started snoring!
Any way, I'm off to my knitting.

Old Photos from KaBean's Baby Hood

good habits begin early!

Seto going all emo with my baby!

Stunnin!

When she started eating solids she wanted to do it herself right away.
Motor skills? Motor skills are for wusses!
We decided it would just be easier to feed her in the sink and then hose her off.
No high chair to wipe down, no mess on the floor, just glorious baby-ness!

  

KaBean likes to read in bed. Didn't sleep there often but it was a nice place to read.

K Bean and her baby boy friend Zayd, sure do miss those guys!

   

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things!!!

This is a picture of the frustrating cowl I'm working on for Melinda. And if you look closely you can see the Man Child's head poking out of my bathrobe. TeeHee. My robe works as a make-shift skin to skin carrier for him so I can do things... like knit!- when he's a little fussy. I just got a new knitting book called Domiknitrix, I haven't started any knew project from it yet, but I love the beginning section, I love the way she (Jennifer Stafford) talks about knitting. Some of her explanations of the stitches aren't very good but the patterns look fun and the lady at the Mendocino Yarn Shop said shes gotten good reviews. The pattern for the cowl is from Handmade Underground Knitwear by Laura Long and Melissa Halvorson. Now, although I like the patterns and the way my projects have turned out thus far, the way they are written and almost all the explanations of stitches suck. I am not a very good knitter so I really rely on the explanations in my books and these ones are so hard to figure out, I figured most things out but the way they showed the Kitchener stitch got me soooo confused a ruined one of my first hat! Luckily for me the lady at the MYS is amazing. She showed me very thoroughly how to do the stitch flawlessly.

Here is a picture of Man Child sleeping next to my knitting things. He has been so amazing. He sleeps, he eats, he poops. It is amazing how quickly you learn to see with your feet when you walk around your house starring into the eyes of your baby. 

J Dub is back and KaBean is in seventh heaven. "Daddy, juice. Daddy, I wanna watch a movie. Daddy, come rub my back!!!" And boy does he jump. I love that he is here, today was the first time in a while I've been able to sit and knit. I got 2 whole rows done! 

Day 10: Ugh... Now I Can't Remember...

I need to start writing these things down. Over the last few days I have come up with, what I think are, some great topics. But everytime I sit down and start writing, I sooooo forget what I was going for. I guess I'll just do another up-date.

Kaya's behavior has been pretty up and down. She goes from being really helpful to really stubborn in a whole 2 blinks of an eye. I've been working really hard at not shouting or using threats, trying to really hear what the problem is. Making the effort to really spend time with her has been rough but I think we're getting better at it.

Zen is amazing, he still has a cough and a snotty nose, I think I'm going to call the peds office to see if I need to bring him in. I really don't want to. I think he would sleep really well at night if he weren't always soooo stuffy. He can hold his head up really well and loves to look around towards the noises he hears. Cloth diapering is going really well, no rash yet, no build up in smell or stains. It even helps me keep on top of the rest of the laundry!

James is going to be home soon, but he'll be bringing his mother. I really can't wait for him to be home... but he's bringing his mom. oh well.
Time to get Kaya from school!

Baby Noises in the Dark

My boy dreams like a puppy and my girl snores like her dad. I don't think I could sleep without these two close to me. The soft little shuffles of Zen rooting for my breast so we can both stay asleep is so peaceful and amazing. I wish we had a bigger bed so Kaya could sleep on my other side. I close my eyes and find his soft little feet under the blankets... remember when Kaya was this small?

We've been without James for 1 week and things are getting better. We can do it.
Zen is a 4 weeks old but wont be a month old till Monday.
Our GrowVia hybrid diapers got her today. Zen is testing them before we put them to 'long car ride' use.

Day 6: A Much Better Day or Diapers in the Mail!

Kaya had daycare today and she was sooo good getting ready to go. Dropping her off was great, she was really good. Zen and I had a fine, calm day until he had projectile vomit all over our bed! It got in his eyes, his ears, his nose, his armpits... I even found some in his diaper! He got a bath and even though he has never liked baths in the first place, he was so good and relaxed. He let me clean him all over until I got to his hair, he didn't like that at all! We went to pick Kaya up and it was a disaster! She was so upset about something... I don't know what, but she had an accident during nap time and then a melt down. We had to get the other teacher from the baby room to hold Zen while I comforted Kaya.
I think she really just needs me. She needs my undivided attention, not me while I listen out for Zen or watch a movie with her while I nurse. I want to do something really special for her but what? My mom will take Zen for an hour or so and Kaya and I can go to the beach or maybe the toy store and get some paint and do a project. I want to give her everything I gave her before we had Zen. She needs lots of love and affection and attention and want, need to be the one to give it to her.
But by the time I got them both home she had cheered up a bit and we got on with our day. The best part of the day? Our new FuzziBunz came in the mail!!! These cloth diapers are so cute and soft and surprisingly easy to use! I love cloth diapers!!!!! I am pleased to report the rest of our day has gone smoothly, no major incidents to report!

Now on to Ice Cream, Knitting, and Torchwood.

Day 5: Disaster Strikes or Good Start, Race Lost or Melinda is a Goddess!

Woke up this morning to 3 stuffy noses, 3 sore throats and 3 coughs. We were supposed to meet friends at the play ground and then meet Melinda for tea. I almost cancelled everything but instead I texted Melinda and told her we were unwell and, since she is an amazing wonderful person, asked her if she could bring us some "feel better." I packed Kaya and I a good lunch, dressed Zenny and got the kids into the car for our play date at the park. We played and had lunch and Kaya was so good the whole time we were there, but a little sluggish and sleepy acting. Zen slept on my chest in our Beco carrier the whole time. (PS- I love those baby wearing and I LOVE our Beco!) We went to Mendo, then started home for a nap. As we were leaving she started acting so out of it. not bad, just a little cranky 2 year old. then she just stopped listening, she usually has to be asked 2 or 3 times but she usually does it. Today she didn't want to listen or help or be patient or anything. She was kicking and yelling and jumping and she was happy and having fun the whole time. Even when I finally had to yell at her for putting her dirty feet all over  the baby's head and face. I asked her 3 hundred times to stop. "Stop putting your feet on Zenny's head please, Kaya." But she didn't and I wanted to smack her. I don't want to be that kind of mother. Any way, our day just fell to pieces, every moment things just got worse. I was feeding off her energy and she was feeding off me. I fell asleep during the movie, while asleep she got into the bum spray for the cloth wipes and emptied to out onto the floor in her play room. That was the last straw, I tossed her in her bed for a time out and she yelled and hit me and I yelled back and Zen started crying so I started to change him when Kaya started yelling and kicking the bed so hard i thought she was going to break something. So Kaya was kicking, Zen pooped on himself and they were both crying. I called Melinda and she came to my rescue. She came and took Kaya for dinner and an adventure. Zen and I lay down and snuggled, we ate, and I got to knit. Kaya came home and Melinda helped me put her to bed. Now it's my bed time. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Day 4 etc. etc. etc.

So today was decent. Natalie was here over night and helped with bed time and getting Kaya ready for daycare this morning. But she was still kinda grumpy when she got home. Her teacher said she didn't nap at all, so I know she was just tired. I have to learn to be more patient with her when she takes forever to do as I ask. She is frustrated that Daddy is gone again and I think, even though she is always kissing him and loving him and telling us how much she loves him, I think she is a little jealous of Zen. She was doing sooo well but recently she started having accidents again. She started the day she went to daycare after Zen was born and it hasn't really gotten better. On the up side, she did wake herself up in the night to go pee.

Poor little Zenjamin has the snuffles. No fever, just a really stuffy nose. I don't really know what to do besides wait it out. Kaya was stuffy for a 2 days and got right over it, so maybe tomorrow or the next day?

I got really mad at the cowl I'm knitting for Melinda. It wasn't really it's fault, you know, I was doing the knitting. So I decided to take a break from it and go back to working on Jamie's hat. What I really want to do is start a new hat for Kaya but I need to finish something before I start something new.

Now I am off to bed!