Small measures November 20, 2010

Our week in bullet points:

– I have fallen off of the NaBloPoMo wagon. But the point is to build a habit of writing more, right? I don’t think it’s too late to get back on that wagon.

– Cloth diapering is much improved. So far, those old-fashioned rubber pants have proven to be the most leak-proof for tiny thighs.

– My dad came for a short overnight visit on Thursday. The few hours he was here were some of the most enjoyable of our week!

– We seem to be finding more balance and less whining on a daily basis. Also, I think the residual effects of the time change have finally disappeared.

– But we still need more sleep.

– Daniel took Alex to COSI this morning, and I got to be home with just Elliott. It was like a mini-vacation. One that involved cleaning.

– Thanksgiving is less than a week away! I have yet to have my “inoggural” eggnog latte of the season. I think I’ll feel like the holidays are here after that happens.

– We’ll be spending Thanksgiving with Daniel’s dad, and then his mom. My parents get Christmas this year.

– I’m super-excited to see my brother and his wife at Christmas. They live in Texas, and we haven’t seen each other since their wedding over a year ago!

What are your holiday plans?

Advertisement

Breathing deeply. November 13, 2010

This is the new train installation (in progress) at the neighborhood conservatory. We were looking forward to to spending the morning there with some friends today, but that was unfortunately thwarted by us needing to leave after half an hour due to a toddler meltdown that I’m pretty sure is a direct result of said toddler waking at 6 or 6:30am the past couple of mornings instead of the usual 8 or 8:30. I officially blame it on the time change. (It also may have something to do with a new baby in the house, and a mom who steps on the creaky floor board in the hallway at early hours on a quest for coffee to start the day.) On the bright side, at least it was only a five minute drive home (the end of which resulted in carrying a sleeping toddler from the car into the house, at which point she woke up, of course, and did not nap for another 2 1/2 hours), and we have a conservatory membership, so we didn’t waste any money! (My husband called me a “relentless optimist” the other day.) I have to say, though, that the day only got better after the hard-fought-for nap and Happy Dragon delivered to our door by sweet Stephanie, who had signed up to bring us a postpartum meal.
(***I interrupt your regularly scheduled blog post to state that people who bring meals to families with new babies are wonderful. Also, those meals are so helpful even when the baby is a month old, because that is apparently when you hit rock-bottom for exhaustion.***)
Curiously, everyone’s mood improved incredibly when we just moved the party upstairs, where I made some headway on filing paperwork while the kids lounged on the beds and Alex played with little things she found in the guest room/office. By the time bedtime rolled around, I was reminded that most of our days are good and fun, and the exhausted, more challenging days like today really are the exception.

That said, here is another dose of cuteness (I think of them as my “other” children – the low-maintenance ones!):

This Moment November 12, 2010

(**borrowed from Soule Mama)

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

Linky Friday

Well, I’ve missed two days of writing this month, so I have a couple of make-up posts to work on. Since this is one of those super-tired days, I have a few links for your browsing pleasure. It’s a random collection, but where I’ve been spending some of my discretionary time lately…(you’re probably already reading them)

Crafty goodness:
Prudent Baby
Crochet!
Sew Mama Sew
Make Baby Stuff

Inspiration for mothering:
Steady Mom
Simple Mom
Gentle Christian Mothers

General Fun Stuff:
Nesting Place
TWOP
Salon

Cuteness November 11, 2010

Wow, thanks for all of the advice/input regarding yesterday’s post! (especially on Facebook) After I posted, we went to a playdate, and it just happened that one of the other mamas brought a bag full of small and one-size diapers that she gave to me, and another mama gave me some small covers – thank you Michelle and Hannah! Now I have a stash that should be big enough to get us through the tiny stage, and covers for the prefolds and flats I already have. I love it when I need something, and then it is just provided, and I love it when I am able to provide someone else with something that they need….the best part is that neither of these generous women had even read my post yet!

So, here is Elliott in all of his cloth bum glory:

That is one giant-looking diaper! I giggle out loud every time I look at this picture. (It’s a one-size diaper – we’ll probably stick to smaller ones for a bit.) He is growing fast, though. I’m already purging the clothes that are too small for him. (Does anyone need newborn boy clothes?)

I think we’re making some progress on the overall family adjustment, and on Alex’s adjustment in particular. Or maybe I’m just doing a better job of keeping my emotional cool. Here she is showing off her lacing beads from the Target dollar spot:

Last night she told me she wanted a hug. I thought she meant she wanted one from me, but then she went over to Elliott and gave him a big hug and kiss. Sweet girl!

I realize that I am at risk of alienating any blog readers who tire of hearing stories and seeing pictures of my kids all.the.time. So, ask me your questions! On what fascinating topics would you like to hear my thoughts?

Diapers, etc. November 10, 2010

It’s 6:30am, and I’ve been awake for over an hour, so please forgive any nonsensical thoughts….

Yesterday, I started putting Elliott in cloth diapers. I love the idea of cloth diapering consistently, but I really go in cycles with it. My plan is to raise my percentage of cloth over disposables this time, and I have to say that shopping for diapers for two kids and having twice as many dirty diapers filling the trash is pretty motivating. I’m finding it a bit of a challenge so far, though. I have a couple of small diapers, but I’m having a hard time getting them tight enough to not leak on Elliott’s tiny bum…I also don’t want to spend much money on getting more small diapers or covers, since he’ll outgrow them in a month or two or three. (I didn’t start cloth with Alex until she was a few months old.) I’m thinking of trying to use small flannel receiving blankets like a flat diaper. Has anyone had any success with this? Does anyone have suggestions for the best tiny baby folds? Any recommendations for the best tiny covers? Please, feel free to share your wisdom!

November 9, 2010

I am on a daily quest to get a picture of our son with his eyes open.

I’m also on a quest to get some kind of solid routine in place for our days. Today I got this book in the mail, which I’m hoping will provide some inspiration for being more intentional about our days as a family. We’ve been in so much transition the past four weeks, and I think we could use a little more predictability. I know that I could personally use a bit more patience. I feel like every other day I’m calm and patient, and as a result our day goes smoothly and mostly happily. On the other days, I’m impatient and snippy, and you can probably imagine what that does to the peace around here.

Any ideas, other mamas of little ones? What does your routine look like?

In which my brain moves in slow motion November 8, 2010

The best part of blogging every day is that people are reading it! People are leaving comments! I plan to respond to some of those comments more specifically, but today I’m taking the idea of a sabbath day of rest quite seriously. (and, yes, I am aware that the sabbath is actually the seventh day of the week, not the first) We’re all sleepy today, in spite of that extra hour.

It feels like a good day for bullet points:

•Tomorrow morning is our neighborhood play group. For my current life stage, this group is my equivalent of “Girls’ Night Out.” These women are wonderful, they are all raising great kids, and I’m so thankful that we can be ourselves together and be genuine with each other. That can be hard to find, and we really did find each other kind of randomly.

•I made pumpkin pie tonight.

•I really, really want to recycle and felt some wool sweaters.

•I’ve been watching Nip/Tuck on Netflix, and am intrigued.

That’s about all I have for tonight. Sweet dreams, all!

November 7, 2010

One of Alex’s favorite books of late is the original Curious George. George is one of my own favorite children’s characters, and the book is very cute. But, wow. Children’s literature has changed since 1941. I have a hard time imagining a children’s book being published today in which the main character is: captured in Africa and forced onto a ship, smokes a pipe to relax, gets thrown into jail, and is finally taken to live in a zoo as his happy ending – and not one of these events is portrayed as frightening or something to be avoided.

I guess we aren’t in 1941 anymore.

It’s hard to write every day! November 6, 2010

I was so excited to finally get a new camera with my birthday money tonight! According to all of the Amazon user reviews, my new camera takes great indoor photos, so I’m hoping I’ll be inspired to be a little more diligent about documenting daily life in the Fox household. Sadly, there are no new camera photos tonight, as the battery is charging. I did manage to take a couple of shots on my old camera today, though. Here is Elliott lounging at COSI this morning on a play date with Alex’s best friend. I love COSI. We have a membership that I haven’t used consistently for a few months, but I’m planning to make it a part of our weekly routine for the winter. It’s fun, it’s only a ten minute drive, and it has lots of open space for Alex to get out her energy. She was going nonstop there today, and had so much fun climbing and running and practicing her imaginative play in their kitchen and doctor’s office play areas. Elliott slept in the ergo most of the morning, but I managed to catch him with his eyes open after lunch. At almost four weeks old, he is such a chill kid. He does have a little fussy/gassy time in the evenings but it really is only a few minutes, and I’m working on clearing dairy from my diet. The past couple of nights, he’s only awakened twice a night, which is a nice switch from every 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Alex is doing well, too. Here she is this evening “making dinner,” which she declared was hummus. (I love hearing her say “It’s hummus time!”) She is acting very much her age these days, but seems to be adjusting pretty well to being a sister. She loves to hug and kiss Elliott – usually right before she yanks his pacifier out of his mouth. The first thing she says in the morning is “Where’s Elliott?” (Then she usually says, “I want to watch Caillou!” Sigh.)

Now, both of them are sleeping, which is probably a sign that I should head to bed, too. Sleep well, dear ones!