The Cloth

Good afternoon.

I think it's good. The weather is beautiful. Sun shining. Perfect temperatures. Pretty leaves. And so on. The boys and I even went out to rake leaves and play in them for about 45 minutes before nap. The only thing is I'm feeling nauseaous to the gills for the last couple of hours. So, if this post seems a little bizarre it's because my mind is elsewhere(in my stomach to be exact).

Last night I dreamed one of those weird pregnancy dreams. The last few weeks my night-time brain has been filled with spiders and billions of baby boys but last night it was all about cloth diapers. I had my precious baby to hold, although it never made an appearance, and disposable diapers just would not do! This was very strange as I have never used cloth diapers on my own children. In my dream the baby needed a diaper and I was seriously in a panic because we had no cloth ones. I absolutely refused to put a disposable on it.

Anyway, this got me to thinking about cloth diapers and I researched it somewhat when I got up this morning. I have to say, other than the long-run money issue, I don't understand why people use them. The idea of scraping or rinsing goopy-poopy off of a cloth 11tybillion times a week is just not appealing to me. I once threw away a pair of underwear that Adam pooed in simply because I refuse to wash them.(After the penny incident the underwear don't seem that awful) Plus, I've heard that you can't really bleach them and this bothers me almost more. I like my whites to be as white as possible and bodily fluid stains are yucky. The initial cost of them is much much more than disposables as well. Of course this is a one-time price for each size but it is still kinda spendy to start with.

The good things that I've heard are, like I said before, they are much cheaper in the long run, they are softer for baby to wear, and children seem to be easier to potty train when wearing cloth diapers.

I don't know, I am kicking around the idea of trying it this time. Rowan goes through about $40-$50 a month in diapers right now. I do plan on having him trained by June but he'll probably still need them at night. The real problem for me is that I don't think Jay will really be keen on the cloth diaper thing. He likes to wrap it all up and get rid of it! Also, I know that I won't be using them the first few weeks because of that delightful tar-like stuff and lack of energy to do extra washing. Nor will I be likely to use them while out and about.

I'm just thinking out loud and kicking around the idea of it.

A little funny:

Earlier today, Adam was looking at a photo album and telling Rowan who everybody was. Well, they stumbled across a picture of Jay's sister and Adam said, "That's Aunt Deanna, Ro." Rowan then began chanting, "An' Banana, An' Banana." I've tried correcting him a few times but she is just his An' Banana as far as he's concerned. =)

A Sweet Moment

Well, my last post sounded desperate and whiney so I though that I'd try to cheer things up a bit.

Though Adam can be troublesome, he has his sweet moments too. This was a month or so ago. He picked me a boquet of pretty flowers and then posed nicely for a good ten minutes while I messed with my camera. It was quite adorable.

Please Pray

I have been debating on whether or not to post this, but I feel that I am at a complete loss and need help, so here I go.

I am asking you all to please pray for me and for Adam. I don't know what is going on but I am having trouble with this guy a lot lately. He doesn't obey me and he is being very selfish and mean to other children. He is getting mouthy and sometimes will just stare at me and flat out tell me no when I tell him to do something. If his brother even thinks about touching one of his toys, he flips out and starts screaming at him. When he doesn't get his way he throws his head back and screams until his face is purple and nothing I do or say to him gets through.

Now, I don't want you all thinking that he is just some awful, undisciplined, bratty kid, because he is not. He is such a joy. I just feel as though I am failing him terribly. I don't know what to do. Jay helps as much as he can but Adam just doesn't act like that for him. He seems almost numb to my discipline. And I confess, I lose my temper a lot with him lately.

I don't even know what to say. I am just at a loss as to what to do. I feel like it is a lost cause. I do know that he needs more one on one time with me and I am doing my best to remedy that. Please pray for us. I want my son to grow up loving God and seeing Him in his mother, not resenting God and watching his mom lose it and freak out on him. It makes me just sick to think about the last few days. Please, if you have any advice, I'm willing to listen and try it. If you don't, please please pray for me and my precious boy.

Thanks for listening.

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie

Well, apparently the pie was a hit yesterday at the church lunch. I had I think four people ask me for the recipe. Funny, I've never made it before. But alas, I cannot take credit because I found it in the Taste of Home magazine. All I did was follow instructions. But for those of you who asked and actually read the blog, here it is:

1 Sheet refrigerated pie pastry (I made my own)
3 eggs
1 can(15 oz.) pumpkin
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Streusel:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry. Transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate; flute edges.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, pumpkin, cream, sugars, cinnamon, salt, and spices. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 350 for 40 min.

In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in walnuts and sprinkle gently over filling.

Bake 15-25 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Gettin' There

My boys and I went grocery shopping this morning and I must say, other than the 11ty-billion people in town, it was the most pleasant grocery trip I think I've ever had with the two of them. They even got a new movie, I was so proud of them. It made me feel as though I actually stand a chance at managing three children 7.5 months from now.

There was one slight damper to my day, I am sorry to say. That was the fact that near the end and most of the way home, I was feeling a little woozy. I keep getting waves of nausea, nothing serious but enough to wonder if it's only the beginning of something far worse. I also suffer from terrible fatigue. I do not remember being this tired with the other two. Funny how you forget things between babies.

This weekend is cider weekend at our house. We are finally going to pick the apples and take them in to be pressed. Yum yum! We are going to have a whole freezer full of cider I imagine. I love this time of year.

Terah is coming over sometime this week to make pear butter with me as well. I have never done it before so if anyone has a good recipe let me know.

Well, the boys are sleeping and I am going to take this golden opportunity and see if I can get a little rest myself. See you all later.

Puffs

My kiddos love dandelion puffs and I must admit that I don't mind them so much myself when I watch their little lips pucker and they blow\spit them into the wind. There is just something about watcing them do this that seems almost magical to me. It brings back those fuzzy memories of my sister and I doing the same thing.







Unfortunately there aren't very many of Rowster because he runs away when he notices that I'm taking a picture so I only ever get one or two.

Baby, Baby

So my sister broke the news this weekend. You will have to see her post over at Our Happily Ever After. Very exciting indeed. I was thrilled to hear it.

However, I was much more thrilled to tell her that Jay and I are expecting! Yep! Baby number 3 on the way. We are very excited. I have not been to the doctor yet but believe my due date to be June 15th. I am nervous as I have never been before about this pregnancy. I do not know why but I am fearing a miscarriage. The only thing I can chalk it up to is that I really want this baby and they say 1 in 3 pregnancies end in miscarriage. Please pray for me to have faith. We are already praying for this little soul.

I think of my post not too long ago about whether or not to "control" the amount of children we have and it makes me smile. I don't know exactly how I feel about all of that as of yet, but I do know that I would not give this baby up. Nothing can replace the feeling that comes with knowing that in few short months our family will grow and our love expand. Strange to think that I once thought two was enough.

We can't wait to see who you are little one. We love you already.

Adam's Apple

This boy loves his apples almost as much as he loves posing for the camera. Most of these are not candids as he would say, "Mommy, take a picture of me like this." Then he would put the apple in his mouth and hold it just so. My little poser.














My book reading buddies will appreciate this last one.

Update

I talked to Carissa, or Crispy as I like to call her, and have the info on the little guy.

His name officially is Joseph Chase but they'll call him Joey. They decided at the last minute to name him Joseph.

But mommy and baby are both home and doing fine. Big brother Justin is happy about his brother and thinks he's "kinda cute."

Still no pics, sorry!

He's Here!

I got the call last night....



Carissa, Jay's little sister, called and said that she had her baby at 5-something in the evening. His name is Joey. He was 6 lbs. 12 oz. and 20 inches long. I forgot to ask his middle name because she was very tired and I didn't want to keep her too long. I don't have any pictures yet as they live in Wyoming, but I will post them as soon as I get them.

Welcome to the family baby Joey!

What's more important to a man than his truck?

His reflection, of course.