Fluffy Butts

I've been using cloth diapers for the past 4-5 days and things are going well.  I still put a disposable on Lillian at night because I haven't quite figured out which diapers I like best, so once I do I will start CDing full time.  It's really not that hard, and I see how it gets addicting.  There are so many cute diapers to choose from:

http://www.cutiepoops.com/

BumGenius

Bummis with prefolds

Thirsties with prefolds

Washing isn't bad right now since Lillian is exclusively breastfed, so I can just toss the soiled diapers into the wash because breastfed poop washes out just like yogurt.  Once she starts solids I will have a little bit more to do before I can put the diaper in the wash, but I'm not too worried about that.

I've ordered more diapers and can't wait to start CDing full time.  Is it weird to say it's fun?

Favorite on Friday

I LOVE Britax carseats!  Brandt has been using his Marathon since he was 6 months old and I plan to get another one for Lillian in the next few months.  I don't know what it is about them, aside from their stellar safety ratings, but if you have one you know what I'm talking about.

Our First Time

Day One of Adventures in Cloth Diapering:

I used a Chinese prefold & Bummis Super Whisper Wrap.  This is all new to me, and I've been doing a ton of research for a few months.  I also ordered a Thirsties diaper cover and a BumGenius to try.  I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Most people are probably wondering, "Why in the heck are you using cloth diapers?"  Here are my reasons:
1. It's cheaper
2. It's cuter
3. It's better for the environment
4. Less chemicals against Lillian's skin
5. If it goes well for me, I hear it's really addicting

And Lillian just pooped so here goes my first attempt ...

Favorite on Friday on Tuesday

Yeah, I missed the last two Fridays.  One, because I went to Phoenix to see my grandma who has since passed away.  Two, because I wasn't sleeping well and forgot.  So I'm making up for it today.

Starbucks Skinny Cinnamon Dolce Latte

One Word: Yummy.

Irresponsible

Meet the newest member of our family:

Joe and I bought a new TV yesterday and Joe has some serious buyers remorse.  I'm not as upset about the purchase because we got a really good deal and Best Buy has the 3 years no interest program going right now, so we have 3 years to pay it off without worrying about interest.  Our old TV worked alright but it was dated technology and some of the connectors in the back didn't work so well.  My parents got Brandt a Zippity for his birthday and when we plugged it into our old TV the picture would scramble.  And if we ever get a Wii we don't want to worry about crappy connectors.

Joe really likes Curling.

What's For Breakfast?

I tried this recipe this morning and it was really yummy.

Fluffy Pancakes, from allrecipes.com
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tbsp melted butter
cooking spray*

*I didn't use cooking spray because I have a nonstick griddle*

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

To Wii, or Not to Wii

B got a substantial gift card to Toys R Us for his birthday and I'm debating whether we should use it for a few toys or to pay for half the cost of a Wii.  I'd like a Wii but I don't know if Joe is on board with this idea yet.  But for real, do we need more plastic toys filling up our house?  A Wii sits nicely tucked away by the TV and there's no clean-up at the end of the day (Hello, HotWheels, GeoTrax, Thomas tracks, Legos ... I'm referring to you).  And I think B is getting to an age where he could start playing a few entry level games.

But let's be honest, I really want one, too.

One Year Ago

I found out I was pregnant on February 15, 2009.  All of those stupid "early" pregnancy tests kept coming out negative so I didn't think I was pregnant.  I don't know why I waste money on those things because even with Brandt they didn't work.  With both pregnancies I finally got a positive result on the day I was supposed to get my period.  Not 4 days early like those tests claim.  In this picture you'll see the faint + sign on the left.  And for those of you who aren't down with the TTC lingo (trying to conceive), 14 DPO means days past ovulation.

Anyway, I had gone to the gym that morning and I stopped at Walgreens on the way back to get another test.  I took it and waited a few minutes and then I saw a faint + sign, so I took it outside where Joe was playing with Brandt and I said, "it's positive."  I don't think it really sunk in for him, though.  Both of my pregnancies didn't seem "real" until the 8 week ultrasound when we saw the heartbeats.  We told my parents on my 29th birthday, March 19th, because I had my 8 week ultrasound on the 18th.  Needless to say they were really excited, my mom especially because she was hoping for a girl.

One year late we have our little girl, Lillian Sarah.

Waxing & Bathing Suits

I got my lip waxed on Wednesday.  A few things about that:

1. It didn't really hurt
2. My husband suggested I get it done
3. My friend, Gina, said it's called, "turning 30"
4. Did I mention that my husband suggested I get it done?
5. I broke out like a 14 year old boy

So instead of a few little hairs, I now have a pimple mustache that is 75% healed but still quite ugly.  I didn't leave the house at all on Saturday.  And I didn't take a picture, thankfully, so instead you'll just have to look at this:

I got her this adorable swimsuit today, and I had to take a picture. I will be returning it, however, because it's size 9 months and already looks a bit too snug. So I will get the 12 month size instead.

Dear Mom:

I appreciate you giving me a bag of M&M's to help potty train Brandt, however he has lost interest in the candy and as a result I am eating all the of the M&M's ... and my plan of relying on breastfeeding to lose the baby weight doesn't really work when I eat M&M's, cupcakes, cake, and cookies.  So please stop sending bags of M&M's.

Thank You.

The Potty, Puke, & Jumping Castles

That was my weekend in a nutshell.

The Potty
Brandt has seemed to master potty training within the past week and over the weekend he started going by himself without us reminding him. And he hasn't had any accidents (knock on wood) even when we're out in public. He still wears a diaper for his naps and overnight, but I've recently noticed his nap diaper is dry when he gets up so I'm thinking we will be ready for no diapers soon. We bribed him in the beginning, giving him a hotwheels car every time he used the potty. Then I downgraded to M&M's and that seemed to work as incentive, too. But really, it wasn't all that hard. I feel like he was ready and I didn't force him and now he's totally comfortable with it.  So comfortable, in fact, that last night when I was giving Lily a bath he walked into the bathroom holding a bag of cookies, sat down on his potty chair, peed, and got up and walked out.  Never once letting go of the bag of cookies.  We'll have to work on bathroom etiquette ...

Puke
Lillian spits up a lot, so that's nothing new for me, and we've had 5 instances of projectile vomit. Like exorcist vomit, so it really freaked me out the first time she did it. And then there was the time she threw up all over a friend's couch ... that was fun, and by fun I mean horribly embarrassing. So I felt like the powers that be were making up for lost time because Brandt spit up maybe 4 times when he was a baby. And then on Saturday Joe came home from taking him to Movers & Shakers, the zoo & the park and Brandt didn't look so good. He was lying on the couch when all of a sudden we saw that he was about to throw up. Joe managed to get him to the bathroom in time but of course I was freaked out because, 1. He never throws up, and 2. His birthday party was the next day and I was worried he was getting sick and we'd have to cancel. Fortunately it was just motion sickness from swinging too much at the park, and he was fine after he threw up and took a 2 hour nap.

Jumping Castles
If you want to traumatize my son just inflate a large jumping castle where he can see it. We had Brandt's birthday party at Old Pueblo Gymnastics and the party package included a jumping castle. The last time he was around jumping castles he freaked out a little (ok, a lot) but it was 6 months prior so I thought I would try again. Definitely a no-go. We asked them to deflate it 10 minutes into the party because Brandt wouldn't even go into the room to play with other things while it was up and he kept asking to go home. Eventually he warmed up to his party and played & ran around and had a really good time. BUT, he kept mentioning the jumping castle the rest of the day. And he had a hard time falling asleep last night because he kept thinking about it. And he woke up in the middle of the night, too. And probably the 3rd thing he mentioned when he woke up this morning was the jumping castle. So I managed to scar my kid for life because of the jumping castle at his 3rd birthday party. Swell.

Favorite on Friday

In honor of my anniversary yesterday I thought I would post a favorite related to my wedding & honeymoon.  If you are ever in Grand Cayman, go to The Wharf and make sure you order the lobster bisque.  It's wonderful, and Joe and I had it probably 4 of the 6 days we were in Grand Cayman.

If, like Joe and me, you can't get to Grand Cayman anytime soon, I also recommend the Ritz Carlton.  Joe and I had our beautiful reception there and the food and service was amazing.  Which is to be expected since it's the Ritz Carlton.  My parents were so generous and supportive with helping plan our wedding and reception, and the Ritz Carlton was perfect.  I highly recommend the filet mignon ... and carrot cake.

Family Resemblance

My mom posted some baby pictures of her and me to compare with Lillian's baby pictures.  Kind of interesting.  I do think Lillian looks more like my mom, although I need to see some of Joe's baby pictures too.

A Comparison

The Potty

We're making progress with Brandt.  Only because we've been bribing him with new HotWheels for everytime he goes on the potty.  That's getting expensive so I switched to M&M's.  My sister-in-law said that's what she used with her boys so I'm going to try it.  Lately he's been in underwear all day except for his nap & bedtime.  I know it's kind of a TMI subject but I'm excited we're moving in the right direction.