Okay cloth mommas,
I think the most overwhelming thing to me (at least this week, ha) is what sort of diaper bag do I need? Stephen wants one that isn't so girly that he looks stupid carrying it (and I totally don't blame him. He's awesome about holding my purse when I go to the bathroom, so I think major props go to my man), and I don't like super-girly things anyway. I don't think we can use a backpack because, apparently as both being staff, we both frequently are already wearing backpacks. My backpack isn't enormously full most of the time, but I couldn't just give Stephen my backpack when he has the baby cause it still has my wallet and keys and glasses and half a dozen other things I need with me. I also don't want to carry around a suitcase on my shoulder. I don't want to fall into the trap of filling up a bigger space with more stuff that we may not need.
That being said, I know cloth diapers (we'll be using cloth wipes as well) and the wet/dry bags will take up some space. I think the longest he'll be away from the changing table (without it being a trip) would be homegroup nights and church on Sundays. Since we live in the middle of town, it's not hard to stop by the house in between errands (which I often do because I'm disorganized and have forgotten something I need anyway).
Another thing that has blown me away is many diaper bags are SO EXPENSIVE. Or it feels that way. I don't pay $40 or $50 for a purse, or jeans, or shoes, or almost anything. If I'm gonna pay that much, I want to flipping LOVE this bag. For that price, I could get a really cute coated canvas shopper from Fossil. But I have no idea if it'd be big enough.
Also also also, I don't want to give in to mommyfrump. Ya know? I work with 19 year old girls as a job and a calling! I'm already not a put-together-kinda-gal, so I at least want the thing I'll have on my arm probably almost constantly for years to not look frumpy, matronly, and old. Is it so bad to want to give the appearance of being a cool mom?
ALLLLLLLLL of that to say, any great finds on diaper bags? If it's more expensive, do you think it might last through, oh, say four kids?
13 November 2010
04 November 2010
Baby Prep
I mean, what else is going on in my life?
As our little bit gets more and more active and we get closer and closer to February (tho I think he's coming in March), I contemplate all of the information I'm receiving from various sources on parenting and what's best.
What a lot to wade through! Weaning, co-sleeping, introducing solids, scheduling, diapering, when to have subsequent children... all of what I'd planned on doing is still up in the air, as more and more information leads to more and more options.
And, as the time draws nigh (okay, we have several months, but they're several busy, busy months!), I wonder if I'll even have the courage to make decisions and follow through with them, even if there's pressure from family members to do it another way.
How do other moms navigate those things? I feel like it was a big step to decide we wanted a midwife and a homebirth, and we definitely met some resistance. All our parents and family members are very, very well-meaning, and I don't think we'd be undermined in our wishes by either families. But for some reason, I still feel pressure to do things the way they were done with us when we were children. Maybe that's not even being felt on their sides; it could very well just be my own insecurities. Does this get better? Or, heaven help me, worse? Eek!
But I have so enjoyed my little active boy. He was ricocheting from one side of my uterus to the other this morning. THUMPthump...THUMPthump... over and over on a tilted axis of my upper right to lower left. Hope it doesn't hurt him to hit his head like that. I'm not sure of this, but he seems really strong for only 23 weeks - he wakes me up with his exercises at night and in the morning, and I can see him kicking on the outside, not just feel it when I put my hand on my tum. I'm just thankful he can't yet reach my ribs! Although I'm nervous it means he'll be like me in temperament, instead of like my placid husband. I guess that's just one more thing I have to let go of - letting our baby be exactly who he is, and not hoping for a tiny copy of my husband.
As our little bit gets more and more active and we get closer and closer to February (tho I think he's coming in March), I contemplate all of the information I'm receiving from various sources on parenting and what's best.
What a lot to wade through! Weaning, co-sleeping, introducing solids, scheduling, diapering, when to have subsequent children... all of what I'd planned on doing is still up in the air, as more and more information leads to more and more options.
And, as the time draws nigh (okay, we have several months, but they're several busy, busy months!), I wonder if I'll even have the courage to make decisions and follow through with them, even if there's pressure from family members to do it another way.
How do other moms navigate those things? I feel like it was a big step to decide we wanted a midwife and a homebirth, and we definitely met some resistance. All our parents and family members are very, very well-meaning, and I don't think we'd be undermined in our wishes by either families. But for some reason, I still feel pressure to do things the way they were done with us when we were children. Maybe that's not even being felt on their sides; it could very well just be my own insecurities. Does this get better? Or, heaven help me, worse? Eek!
But I have so enjoyed my little active boy. He was ricocheting from one side of my uterus to the other this morning. THUMPthump...THUMPthump... over and over on a tilted axis of my upper right to lower left. Hope it doesn't hurt him to hit his head like that. I'm not sure of this, but he seems really strong for only 23 weeks - he wakes me up with his exercises at night and in the morning, and I can see him kicking on the outside, not just feel it when I put my hand on my tum. I'm just thankful he can't yet reach my ribs! Although I'm nervous it means he'll be like me in temperament, instead of like my placid husband. I guess that's just one more thing I have to let go of - letting our baby be exactly who he is, and not hoping for a tiny copy of my husband.
01 November 2010
A Cooking Aside
So for dinner tonight, I decided I'd use the sweet potato that'd been sitting on the counter begging to be eaten (as every worthy vegetable does) for about two weeks.
I was going to slice and fry it like I do regular potatoes (fried things are so great.), but my conscience (and my cheeks, which are slowly but surely becoming more and more chipmunk-y) smote me. So, like a good pregnant woman, I dipped them in egg and baked them. Best odds, anyone?
Result? Oh, right, I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes. Because they're quite sweet. but potato-y. Perhaps one could make it almost a dessert by adding of spices I could guess at but have no idea if they would work.
In any case, I do approve of the dipping in egg and baking, which I wasn't sure I would, since eggs are really gross. I'm wondering if even some Panko crusting would make it better, or if it would just waste my Panko. I will, at least, do it again with normal potatoes. Normal potatoes are wonderful.
No pictures, as I made steamed broccoli as well, and it must be served as quickly as it's cooked. Stephen won't eat it cold, and I hate eating it cold myself. [Django, on the other hand, will take cooked broccoli any way he can get it. Dogs are so weird.]
I was going to slice and fry it like I do regular potatoes (fried things are so great.), but my conscience (and my cheeks, which are slowly but surely becoming more and more chipmunk-y) smote me. So, like a good pregnant woman, I dipped them in egg and baked them. Best odds, anyone?
Result? Oh, right, I'm not a huge fan of sweet potatoes. Because they're quite sweet. but potato-y. Perhaps one could make it almost a dessert by adding of spices I could guess at but have no idea if they would work.
In any case, I do approve of the dipping in egg and baking, which I wasn't sure I would, since eggs are really gross. I'm wondering if even some Panko crusting would make it better, or if it would just waste my Panko. I will, at least, do it again with normal potatoes. Normal potatoes are wonderful.
No pictures, as I made steamed broccoli as well, and it must be served as quickly as it's cooked. Stephen won't eat it cold, and I hate eating it cold myself. [Django, on the other hand, will take cooked broccoli any way he can get it. Dogs are so weird.]
27 October 2010
For the Mommas Out There
* Seriously, if you're male or not excited about the ins and outs of maternity life, you are warned to not read below. :) *
Two questions:
1) Have you ever experienced a crampy type of pain right above your pubic bone when you don't get enough sleep? I'm talking about 5 hours of sleep. This has happened to me twice, and it's pretty scary, because it really hurts, but it goes away if I take a long nap. Is there anything to be done besides getting more sleep? What do you do when you have multiple children, and a 3 hour nap isn't going to happen? ...or is this just my problem?
2) How do you go about shopping for nursing bras? I've pretty much outgrown my normal ones, but I don't want to buy more regular bras if they're just gonna shrink back down. Does it make sense to buy nursing bras now? Or should I wait? I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just kind of embarrassed about my breasts always looking like they're going to spill out of my bras.
Also, I just want to say, I really don't like doctors who listen to you talk about what's going on in your body for 20 seconds and then confidently say what is going on. Even if you're right, doc, I want to feel listened to. You may deal with pregnancy all the days of your life, but my body is doing crazy and new things to me every day. So I want to know that I've been heard and fully understood. And people who think they know everything are obnoxious. Even those who get paid a lot. Aaaand I'm done.
Also also, has anyone found a free pattern for a side-snap infant shirt? I haven't yet been successful, but people say the side snaps are so much nicer for babies and mommas. Thoughts?
Two questions:
1) Have you ever experienced a crampy type of pain right above your pubic bone when you don't get enough sleep? I'm talking about 5 hours of sleep. This has happened to me twice, and it's pretty scary, because it really hurts, but it goes away if I take a long nap. Is there anything to be done besides getting more sleep? What do you do when you have multiple children, and a 3 hour nap isn't going to happen? ...or is this just my problem?
2) How do you go about shopping for nursing bras? I've pretty much outgrown my normal ones, but I don't want to buy more regular bras if they're just gonna shrink back down. Does it make sense to buy nursing bras now? Or should I wait? I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just kind of embarrassed about my breasts always looking like they're going to spill out of my bras.
Also, I just want to say, I really don't like doctors who listen to you talk about what's going on in your body for 20 seconds and then confidently say what is going on. Even if you're right, doc, I want to feel listened to. You may deal with pregnancy all the days of your life, but my body is doing crazy and new things to me every day. So I want to know that I've been heard and fully understood. And people who think they know everything are obnoxious. Even those who get paid a lot. Aaaand I'm done.
Also also, has anyone found a free pattern for a side-snap infant shirt? I haven't yet been successful, but people say the side snaps are so much nicer for babies and mommas. Thoughts?
14 October 2010
The D Word
MAN, in just perusing Yahoo this morning, there are a lot of famous people getting divorced. It just makes me so glad to have my husband. To have both my parents' and my parents in law's marriages intact. How rare is that nowadays? Crazy.
I know extreme cases happen. My husband is not me, and he really does have free will. I cannot control him if he decided he wanted to leave me and the goodness of the Lord's plans. But I do still feel so secure in our marriage. I feel secure in his love, and I know it's mainly because of his steadfastness in the Lord.
Of course there will be storms. In the world, we will have trouble. But I do have the peace that where I am, there He will be also. And with Stephen, that makes a cord of three strands, not easily broken (look, let me use it how I want to).
A friend pointed out that, in this season of my life, Stephen has been one of the greatest outlets of God's firehose of love toward me. He will find a way to love me, even when I don't want to heard directly from Him. I carry misgivings about God's love in my heart and shut Him out of certain areas; instead of shutting me right back out of His love, He sneaks behind my walls with His love in other forms. Like my incredible husband. Like amazing meetings with potential ministry supporters. Like blooming friendships and a growing homegroup. With a developing baby boy. But mostly, in my little spotted heart, with my darling, steadfast, kind, favorite-person-of-my-whole-life husband.
What a good God.
I know extreme cases happen. My husband is not me, and he really does have free will. I cannot control him if he decided he wanted to leave me and the goodness of the Lord's plans. But I do still feel so secure in our marriage. I feel secure in his love, and I know it's mainly because of his steadfastness in the Lord.
Of course there will be storms. In the world, we will have trouble. But I do have the peace that where I am, there He will be also. And with Stephen, that makes a cord of three strands, not easily broken (look, let me use it how I want to).
A friend pointed out that, in this season of my life, Stephen has been one of the greatest outlets of God's firehose of love toward me. He will find a way to love me, even when I don't want to heard directly from Him. I carry misgivings about God's love in my heart and shut Him out of certain areas; instead of shutting me right back out of His love, He sneaks behind my walls with His love in other forms. Like my incredible husband. Like amazing meetings with potential ministry supporters. Like blooming friendships and a growing homegroup. With a developing baby boy. But mostly, in my little spotted heart, with my darling, steadfast, kind, favorite-person-of-my-whole-life husband.
What a good God.
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