Jack should have been a baker

This is the butter that I made.

 

This is the dough that was rolled in thin layers
With the butter that I made.

 

These are the pastries baked from the dough
That was rolled in thin layers
With the butter that I made.

 

These are the layers found in the pastries (243 of them, baby!)
That were baked from the dough
That was rolled in thin layers
With the butter that I made.

 

These are the children devouring the layers (all 243 of them!)
That were found in the pastries
That were baked from the dough
That was rolled in thin layers
With the butter that I made.



By the way, I love this book.

Oh where, oh where has my little boy gone?

Yesterday was a momentous day in our family. We lost our cute little cherubic, surfer dude little boy. This is was he looked like:


Isn't he adorable? I loved his sunbleached, angelic curls, but they was starting to get long. Well, they would on an almost two year old who has never had his hair cut. So, we decided to take the plunge.

The night before, we got the clippers out and let Mathias play with the guards, hold the clippers, and feel what it is like when it is on. Fast forward to yesterday afternoon and we once again got the clippers out, this time to cut Hubby's hair. Then we asked Mathias if it was his turn. He said yes.


Oh, where is my cute little boy!? (Yes, I know he is still cute, but I so miss those curls.)

Why I love being a Mom

It's pictures like this that show why being a mom is so rewarding. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

 

By the way, even though I haven't posted much lately, I am trying to post more on my kids' blogs. So check them out if you can! (If you want in on this insiders club, just let me know. Their blogs are private, not exclusive.)

Cloth Diaper Anniversary

Six months ago this week I started washing my first batch of cloth diapers. Ah, what a great change that was! Other than a brief hiatus when the prefolds we had were far to small, we've hardly used any disposables at all. And I have loved just about every minute of it.

Even when Mathias started solid foods, it still wasn't so bad. Yes, I didn't like the toilet swishing, but we found a solution for that.

 

Thanks to the internet, and this site, we managed to find instructions on making our own diaper sprayer. All it took was a kitchen spray hose and some brass fittings, and we were ready to get spraying.

 

We did make a change to the original instructions. Hubby got a needle valve (per the Lowe's salesperson's recommendation) and installed it after the filter connector splicer. With that, we didn't have to get the compression connector. However, I would recommend getting a ball valve instead of a needle valve as you don't have to turn it as much to get maximum pressure.

Oh, and asking for help at the hardware store? Priceless. (Just make sure you and they know what you are talking about. Home Depot didn't, but then neither did I.)

Next in the cloth diaper scene? Visuals of some of the amazing diapers my sister-in-law made for us.

As if there were any question...

I'm sure there are people out there who doubt Mathias' paternity. In this day and age, who wouldn't? Well, the facts are in and Hubby has nothing to worry about: Mathias like avacado.

I don't like avacado. Period. And don't tell me I haven't given them a chance. Every year or so, I'll sample some avacado or guacamole and every year or so it is the same: My life is much more pleasant without it.

Go ahead and roll your eyes, muttering under your breath "What a genetic freak!" because that is exactly my point. I, being genetically disposed to dislike avacado, could never have a child who likes avacado unless the father likes avacado, which Hubby definitely does. Proof for all you doubters out there.

Anna, by the way, does not like avacado. I, being the forbearing, loving, generous woman that I am, tried to introduce it to her at about the same age and she gagged on her first mouthful and didn't let me give her any more. Even now, she only eats it for the salt Hubby sprinkles on it for her. In fact, most of the time, she licks the salt off and asks for more. And it just goes to prove that she is my daughter, no matter how much she would like to deny it.

Hubby should now be happy, not only because he can be absolutely sure that Mathias is his son, but because now there is more reason for us to buy avacados.

Nighttime, Unplugged

It happened accidentally. Mathias woke up during the night (a regular and frequent occurrence) and I turned the monitor volume off so as to let Hubby sleep (he was sick), fully intending to turn it back on again once I was back in bed so that I would not miss the next wake-up cry. But it didn't happen. That is, I forgot to turn the volume back on and what a blessed mistake! I'm not sure if Mathias woke up sometime between 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., but I know I didn't! To top it all off, nobody suffered significant trauma because I didn't wake up to feed him after the arbitrary 5 hour minimum between feedings (only at night, of course).

There is no point in using a baby monitor at night if the baby is sleeping right across the hallway, right? We didn't use it at night with Anna. Instead, we left her door cracked and ours open and let her wake us up when she really needed something.

I chose to use a monitor with Mathias because I wanted to keep him from waking Anna up during the night. A noble desire, I am sure, but it meant that Mathias was waking me up 3+ times a night, which can be difficult for someone as dependant on sleep to be a happy person as I am. Because of my "mistake", I was actually able to sleep for a decent length of time.

Practically giddy with success and sleep, I decided it was time to go completely unplugged. Last night, the baby monitor was consigned to the kitchen table and we just left our door open so that we could hear Mathias' cries when they became desperate. And you know what? He only woke up once last night. At least as far as I know. I was asleep.

Wonder of Wonders

Sometimes miracles do happen. Let me tell you about our most recent one.

Last week, the last impediment to moving Mathias from our bedroom was removed, literally, thanks to Craig's List. With the prospect of Oma and Opa coming up for the weekend and needing to sleep in our room (Opa just had back surgery), I knew we had to get Mathias out of our room and into Anna's so that we could at least have some time to get used to it.

Here's an image to describe how I felt that first evening: Imagine you are swinging on a rope towards a large solid object, like a rock. Time seems to slow down as you approach and you tighten into a ball as much as possible, a cringe on your face as you anticipate the crunch of your bones on the rock face. Yes, that is how I felt. I could just imagine the sleepless nights as Mathias woke Anna up when he got hungry and Anna woke Mathias up because she was awake and had nothing better to do.

However, the rock was not a rock but rather a nice soft cushy pillow (perhaps like this one, he he). That's right. The anticipated difficulties have yet to arrive. That first night, Mathias woke up 2-3 times and each time Anna peacefully slumbered on. And it has been the same each night since.

Yes, I know that there will be times when the night will not go so well, but for right now, the transition has gone miraculously smoothly. I just hope that having Mathias sleeping in another room will help him to sleep through the night.

Mathias and the New Trick

On Monday, Mathias had his 6 month check-up. He weighed in at 19 lbs even, 29 inches long, and is a very healthy little boy. But the best (worst?) part happened after we got home.

Here he is this morning, after having a little time to practice his new trick.



My goodness, these kids grow up too fast!

Oh, and Anna got her first haircut on Monday. Granted, it was only a little trim of the bangs so her hair wouldn't be in her eyes, but it is the first time her hair has been cut in her whole 2 and a half years of life. I'll post a picture when I get a good one.

Hungry Little Monster

Mathias has been eyeing our plates. Well, more than eyeing. He'll grab them, grab our arms as we try to ferry food to our mouths, and do what ever it takes to get some food for himself.

Once, he was successful (Thanks to Hubby). (He is eating some boiled potato.)



And then there is this. **WARNING** The following video contains gratuitous face sucking.



Ah, my little boy is so cute!

Mathias, Wonder Boy

As all newborns do, Mathias has been growing and developing with lightning speed. His smiles are adorable, he is almost starting to laugh, he is starting to sleep more at night, and he nurses well and has a noticable affinity to his thumb.

Mathias is a big boy. He started big and has kept up the pace ever since. At his first doctor visit at a week old, he had gained 12 ounces over his birth weight. And then came his two month visit. Let me state that Mathias is not chubby, despite what his weight may imply, but he weighed in at 15 pounds and 11 ounces. When his pediatrician took a look at him, she thought she was playing it safe by asking if he was four months old. She thought he might be six months! He is just a large little boy. (And no, I don't feed him straight cream.)

As you can see, he has already reached the limits of his bassinet.


We just borrowed another bassinet from a friend so that we don't have to move him to a crib and into Anna's room. I'm just not ready for that!

On another note, Mathias has begun sucking his thumb with a vengence. He sucks his thumb when he is in bed.

He sucks his thumb at play.


I'm still not quite sure how I feel about thumb sucking. I remember vividly the struggle my parents had trying to get one of my brothers to stop and there is always the concern of dental issues. At the same time, what a great self soother. He can never lose a thumb like you can a pacifier!

We are so proud of our little boy.

Halloween, finally

Sorry it has taken me so long to post about Halloween. Honestly, it was the amount of information and pictures that stalled me. With so many activities, there are too many pictures that need to be shown and it can be daunting to try and show them all. So, here goes...

It all began with the costume. A week before Halloween we had our church Trunk or Treat activity and we did not have a costume for Anna. We tried looking at DI for something used, but I just couldn't justify the cost. Then I had the most brilliant idea. Anna has a set of "piggy" pjs and all I would have to do to complete the outfit would be to make a set of knitted "piggy" ears for her to wear on her head. Instant costume! And super cheap, since I already had pink yarn that I could use.


So, Anna woke up from her nap the day of the activity and was able to put on her set of "piggy" ears. (She now asks to wear them almost every time we leave the house. Sigh.)

At the Trunk or Treat, Anna refused to say anything. Not a "thank you" or "trick-or-treat" to be had, though she had proved herself an expert in the car. However, she very quickly understood that all she had to do was hold her bag up and she would receive a treat. Why go to all the effort of saying something?


We returned home and Anna had her very first taste of Halloween candy, which she enjoyed very much. Mathias did very well the whole evening in the sling, but no one was able to see his cute lederhosen. Here he poses with Anna while she eats her candy.


The next Tuesday, we went pumpkin hunting. We found some great pumpkins, if you ask me, including the one I was carrying.


The pumpkins were dutifully carved, though Anna did not like to touch the inside and spent most of the time eating her candy instead of helping Grandma cut out the face. But she did enjoy playing with the little battery operated tea lights Grandma brought!


If I say so myself, I picked a great pumpkin for myself (not shown) that made some pretty amazing pumpkin puree. We're going to have some great pies for Thanksgiving!

Finally Halloween night arrived and we celebrated by taking Anna trick-or-treating at the local businesses. Once again, she refused to talk to strangers (not a bad thing, I suppose) and simply held her bag out to be filled. Here, she got to pick out her own piece of candy.


Whew. There it is. Our Halloween was quite fun and full of candy. My mission for next year? Teach Anna to pick the kinds of candy I like to eat.

Before and After

Last week after giving Mathias a bath, we were given a reason to laugh.

So, here is me toweling him off. See the look on his face?

Now, this is what he was doing while my mom was taking the picture. No, none of the wetness is from me and no, most of the wetness is not a result of giving a child a bath.

It only looks like I peed my pants, but it was someone else doing the peeing.

Cloth Diapers and the Reason for Green

Though I threatened to start with Anna, I just couldn't bring myself to use cloth diapers, until now. Over a week ago, I overcame my fear of buying the "wrong" prefolds and covers and took the plunge. And I must say, I'm pretty happy with it! The prefolds are easy to put on (thanks to a Snappi) and the covers that I bought do a wonderful job of holding everything in. We haven't had a poop stain on Mathias' clothes yet! I also made, with the help of my mom, many cloth diaper wipes which work amazingly well. Most importantly, Mathias looks great in them.



Now comes the big question: Why? Why do I want to use cloth diapers? There are several questions that one could ask me that would fall in this catagory. Why do I use cloth bags at the grocery store? Why do I save my produce bags and reuse them? Why do I recycle my food waste? Because I'm crazy? Unfortunately, the only response to those questions that I can think of is "Why not?". I have spent time thinking about why I do the green things I do and it is not because I am passionate about saving our environment. I was just fine not doing those things before. I do those things because I can.

Here in Seattle, there is a significant portion of the population that actively seeks to have a "green" lifestyle. I was quite astonished when we moved here by what people do and talk about. And here I thought that my neighborhood in California was pretty progressive because we had recycling. I didn't even know that I had a "carbon footprint" until I had lived her for a year or two. In any case, the city of Seattle makes it easy to be green. I can take the bus just about anywhere. I can put my food scraps in our yard waste container to be made into compost (which is then used by the city to fertilize all their landscaping and is also sold fairly cheaply at the store). I can buy cheap cloth bags at the grocery store and then get a bag refund each time I use them. So, why not? It's easy enough.

To end a long musing, I like being green. And though it may be easy right now, I don't plan on stopping if/when it gets harder (ie we move). It makes me feel good that I am doing things to help our environment even though I don't go overboard doing so (at least in comparison to some that I know). So, here's to green and cloth diapers!

Got Milk?

The other day, my sister-in-law asked me what the perks of having two children were. Not only was this a great reminder to look for the positive in this experience, but among the perks I thought of, I was reminded of how much I love nursing. Sure, nursing a baby can be frustrating, exhausting, painful, and time consuming, but I still love it.

Granted, I have been blessed to have an easy time breastfeeding. Anna didn't give me all that many problems nursing and Mathias has been that much easier. Mathias does frustrate me by falling asleep and not eating as much as I think that he should, but he certainly doesn't look like he is not getting enough, now does he?

It is hard to pin down exactly why I enjoy nursing so much, but I think it comes down to two things. First, I love the closeness I feel with my child as I nurse. To sit there looking down on my child's face as he contently nurses brings me such joy. That may be from the hormones, but I'll take it any way it comes. Second, nursing is something only I can do for my children. Hubby can't do it, no matter how many times I ask him to take care of a night time feeding. Grandma can't do it, no matter how much advice she gives. Anna can't do it, though she does like helping me pump when he doesn't eat "enough". It is a job for me alone to do and being able to do it brings a lot of satisfaction, especially as they gain weight and I know it is all from me.

Now, I know that not everyone can nurse or that people choose not to nurse for very long or at all, and I respect that. But for me, nursing brings me so much fulfillment as a woman that I will continue to nurse for as long as my children want to, within reason.

What I have learned...

I have now been the mother of two for a week and I just have to share what I have learned from this experience. Please be advised that there will be talk of "bodily" functions, but nothing that will turn your stomach.

1. The first child will learn/regress to an action that makes life more difficult, like learning to open one's bedroom door and not wanting to go to bed peacefully.

2. It is possible to have one's milk come in and not have problems with engorgement.

3. It is possible for a baby to lose weight at the hospital and still weigh 12 oz more than his birth weight after one week. See #2.

4. Being woken up in the middle of the night is no longer a novelty.

5. A bedtime of 8:30 sounds so appealing.

6. All babies are potentially dangerous during diaper changes.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive, but it sure sums up this first week. Thank goodness for grandmas!

Welcome to Mathias Daniel!

The time finally came and our first son made his appearance on September 30th at 2:20 am. He was 9 lbs 8 oz and 23 inches tall. Everyone is doing well and we are all happy to be home!

Anna seems to be doing well adjusting to her baby brother, but we'll see how long that lasts. She does, however, often ask to hold him.

Here he is!

This morning was the big appointment, the moment of truth, when we would be able to see our little baby and potentially find out the gender. And while our little guy didn't cooperate all that well, he did allow us to find out his gender. And since I am almost 21 weeks along, there is no mistake. Besides, it is really hard to confuse a boy with a girl, though mistakes have been made in the other direction.

That said, our little boy should be making his grand appearance in October!