can you say.....crazy??!!  How do you feel after the Christmas holiday? I hope you had a blessed day.

I have been down with prego pains. Just received my last shot - yea!!!  Those things HURT. and,,,,,,my pills are done. So, now we just sit and wait on God's timing for miss Molly!

I feel like I have everything done. I still face people daily who think I am over prepared and think way too much into this stuff. I just say - poo on you! :) with a smile, of course.

My latest debacle was wipes solution. I have found many recipes and have settled on one I like. I have to juggle what I would LOVE to have access to and what I actually have access to. I try to buy locally as much as possible. Unfortunatly, this does not usually equal cool. haha! I am finding more and more awesomeness as I hunt, though.

So...the recipe I am using:
 for every bottle of water:
                         one tablespoon of baby wash
                         one tablespoon of an essential oil (access always varies)

I will keep in a spray bottle and spray wipes as I use them. Upon researching the MANY ways of doing this I found that by not storing the wipes in the solution, it will cut down on having to wash unused wipes. I don't want it to go bad. I also have a wipe warmer that I may keep some moist ones in just because they are nice when warm. :) I had to scour the state to find the washcloths I wanted to use. I could have made them myself, but when you can get 4 for a dollar, you can't beat that! Walmart does not have the simple thin washcloths but the local dollar stores and some on the other side of the state did!!  I think I have 70 something!!!

speaking of what Walmart does not have, they also do not carry reusuable breast pads and those awesome water proof thin pads I used with my older two. I sound like an old lady, but hey! they worked! I would cut them up to fit everything!

I also took of the task making a mobile. I am trying to upload the pics - I am not advance in that department.  We made it out of a lamp shade (with no shade), old jewelry from her great grandmas, and roses. and lots of sheer ribbon!! It is adorable. I will be finishing up rooms today and tomorrow and will get all the pics posted this week.

Hopefully we have a good week and I will be back in action on this blog. I actually miss it when I am not typing. Have a great day and please, share any ideas you have with me, too!!

technology struggling mom

ugh...I am trying to go digital. Like with calendar, menu plans, kids art work, pictures, scrapbooks, etc. This is not only hard for me, I DON'T LIKE IT!

For being so "green" in my life goals...I love books and paper. I just can't handle the piles of paper and the binders and the planners and the guilt of throwing away my childrens creations. I am hoping that the pursuit of happiness becomes evident quickly.


 I am using http://www.cozi.com/ to help with the family calendar and meny planning. It's menu feature is pretty dang cool. You can add recipes from ANY website to your recipe box. but, what about all those recipes I have compiled??? I am going to have to go through all of them and upload them/ type them in I guess.


I am trying to also use that calendar for everything family wise. I have decided to use the calendar on my phone for work only. I like to keep the two seperate if I can. I was trying to do all on one, but I hate typing it all in. Lazy - I know.

I am also researching all the ways I can use my kids art projects in a digital form. I am going to work on uploading them while I am home with the baby. I know, I will have plenty to do, but that is my crazy goal. Then, I can use them as wrapping paper or recycle them, or something else, fun. I thought about shrinking them all and making ornaments out of them. I also can put them into my scrapbooks.

Speaking of scrapbooks. I love to scrapbook, although I haven't in a while. I am hoping to start scrapbooking and sewing again after M gets here. I know, third kid and I think I have time??!!  Well, a girl can hope.

I am just not good at the typing into the smart phone thing. I am hoping to make time to do most on my new awesome laptop. I have gotten better at image management. But, if Facebook goes down, I have lost most of my memories.

Oh! technology, you make me crazy. So......I am hoping to learn and do better with every day.

wow!! 

After strep throat and a stomach virus rampage through our house, I AM BACK!
I am trying to rest today. Another day of contractions. boo! I am hoping that she holds off until after the Christmas Day Thunder game. :) I would love that!! 

T has started back to gymnastics. Although it is a huge pocket draining activity, he is rockin'! I love watching him compete. He is working very hard. I felt horrible, but knew I wouldn't make it to another meet until February. So, I am trying to make it every event I can until M gets here.

It has been hard to make the transition from having "my kids" to adding an "our kid". It will be an adjustment for us, but I feel confident that our family will be blessed by the little piece of "glue" I have in our belly. It is the one thing we all share. This sweet, probably crazy, little girl will hopefully bring H and T and t together. It is hard to have a mixed family (as many of you probably know). I just want everyone to feel loved and a part of our family.

On another note...
 I have been reading (on my new hip phone!) about cloth diapering. I am going to divide my stash of diapers and use only half at a time. I will switch out every 3 months. I am hoping that this will cut down on the washing of each diaper. I REALLY need to prewash all of my nifty button diapers. They recommend 7-8 times! I never would have guessed that. Her bedding is done. Curtains are almost done. I think I have everything I need. I think. :)

I really need to practice folding these things.  I have no idea what I am doing. Is it nerdy to have a cheat sheet hanging in the baby room??!!  ha!! I will figure it sooner or later. We will just see how messy it is! :) I am looking forward to this, which people find odd.  They act like it is the end of the world.

I have found that experiences like "green living" "breastfeeding" and "cloth diapers" are an all or nothing event for most people. That if, and when, you make a mistake or don't do something right, you have failed! Any steps toward better living (which include all of the above examples) is a success. If you let yourself make mistakes, laugh at yourself, and allow a learning curve then you will allow yourself to succeed with these types of endeavours. I have breastfed two babies and have had the worst experiences with Le Leche people. They are so over demanding and very all-or-nothing people. When you get to the end of your rope, when it seems like it's all too much; take a step back, breath, use a bottle for a feeding, rest and start again! Relax, it is a natural process and never allow someone else to degrade for trying to do something amazing for your baby. It will happen. promise. I pumped and gave it in a bottle for three months and then switched to the breast. It worked just fine. Why? Because I allowed myself to make mistakes and I allowed myself the time to make the adjustment on my own time.

I have such a soap box sometimes, eh? I will apply the same mentality to the addition of another family member. We will allow the God of our family and our creation to slowly blend our family. To hold us together and to help us when we want to quit.  In the middle of cloth diapers, cloth wipes, compost piles, breast pads and all the other crazy things I want to do - there is a peace that passes all other understanding.