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Tonight getting Tater Tot ready for bed was more of a team effort than usual.  For some unknown reason she was Miss Fussybutt so The Daddy had to make Mr. Duckie fly through the air doing acrobatics in time with the bedtime music to calm Fussybutt down enough for The Mommy to be able to change her diapers and get her into her “jammies”.  Normally, she’s a little fussy due to the fact that she hates to change clothes anyway and she’s eager for that bed time bottle!  She’s usually fairly easily distracted but still ends up standing up, hugging The Mommy instead of getting her jammies on.  And, while The Mommy appreciates the hugs, by the time bed time rolls around, The Mommy is pretty focused!

On an unrelated note, the Bum Genius worked great today!  This is the first day that I have cloth diapered all day long (because I’ve only had 1 cloth diaper until this weekend!) and there were NO leaks!  Wahoo!  This is one stoked Mommy!

Today Princess Tater Tot and I went for a run down at the beach where Daddy was surfing and I ran 3 whole miles!  This would not have been much of an accomplishment BTT (Before Tater Tot) but since she was born, the running…it just hasn’t been happening very often.  So I have a tremendous sense of accomplishment along with a very sore backside!  I guess there are muscles in there that I just haven’t been using very much…

When we got home, I put Tater down for her nap and got ready to go shopping.  Yes, shopping again!  It seems like there’s always something we need.  Anyway, usually I put her down and she talks to herself and plays in her crib for about an hour before she falls asleep.  Then she usually sleeps for an hour.  Well, when I got home at 11:00, she had just woken up.  So she took about a two hour nap!  And the “We’ve Got A Winner” part of this all is that during this three hour period her Bum Genius DID NOT LEAK!  Not one. Little. Bit.  Wahooooo!  For those of you who have been cloth diapering for a while, that is not a “wahoo moment” but for me, who has been cloth diapering for two seconds, it is momentous!  The Fuzzi Bunz that I tried before leaked during nap time unless I had a super-absorbent hemp insert so the fact that the Bum Genius didn’t leak with just a normal insert is HUGE!  The other thing I like about the Bum Genius is that the insert has snaps on it so you can adjust the coverage.  For Tater Tot, she doesn’t need the insert to go all the way to the back, especially during nap time since she naps on her tummy.  So I snapped it over to include more coverage in the front and voila!  No leaks!  And I’m really loving the hook and loop closure that lets me adjust the fit to Tater’s chunky little legs!  I got my Bum Genius over at Cottonbabies.  Their customer service was great, too!  When part of my order was back ordered, they sent me an email letting me know that.  I was able to let them know that they could substitute any color and they got it to me QUICK!  The order shipped out Thursday and I got them on Saturday.  So, FINALLY, after the eBay Fuzzi Bunz debacle, my cloth diapering adventure can begin!

I got my Bum Genius order today!  Woohooo!  It just shipped on Thursday so I wasn’t really expecting them until Monday but, BOY, they’re FAST!  The diapers are so cute!  And I love that Cottonbabies lets you try one, wash it, and if you don’t like it, you can return the whole order.  So far I like Bum Genius better than Fuzzi Bunz because, for the same price, you get lots of cool features like a more adjustable waistband (hook and loop strip/closure makes putting them on a lot like putting on disposables!), a more finished pocket to put the insert into that folds over the insert, “laundry tabs” to attach the hook and loop tabs onto so they don’t snag everything in your laundry load, gussets on the legs so there aren’t any gaps for “stuff” to come out, snaps on the front to adjust the height of the waistband so that it can truly be a one-size-fits-most diaper.  No need to buy bigger sizes as your baby grows (although medium Fuzzi Bunz seem to be able to be used for quite a long time, too).  So far so good.  We used one today and it lasted about 2 hours with a standard Cottonbabies insert.  Tomorrow I’m going to try it with a hemp insert and see if it lasts longer.  I haven’t really tried any doublers or doubling up on inserts yet so I’m sure I can get more out of them when I try that.  I’m still nervous to try overnight because Princess Tater Tot is not exactly “Princess-like” in her peeing capacity.  She wakes up with a disposable diaper three times the size it was when it was put on her.  I swear it’s Expando-Diaper!  Anyway…

Have you ever noticed that some people just have “it”?  They just seem to do everything well.  Their houses look great and are tastefully decorated, they have a hugely popular blog, book deal, a job and three kids all while maintaining a size 4 body.  Or they’re involved in all kinds of extra-curricular things while still managing to give individual time and attention to each of their 5 kids and hold a job.  How do these people do it?  I can barely get the grocery shopping done and blog every other day.  I’m lucky if Princess Tater Tot gets a bath more than twice a week!  And I only have one.  One. Child. No. Job.  What the hell is wrong with me?  Lack of tolerance for “franticity”? (Yes, I did just make that word up)  An overwhelming desire to not have appointments in my life other than the occasional doctor’s appointment for me or Princess Tater Tot? (And actually, I’d even looove to skip the ones for me except that, if I fall apart, who’s gonna take care of The Princess?)  I guess I’m just not as driven as I thought I was.  Or maybe I’m just getting lazy in my old age.  I used to be driven.  I had to be to work and go to graduate school and do an internship at the same time.  To maintain the social life that I used to have (a loooong, loooong time ago).  Huh. 

Y’know I don’t think it’s that I’m not driven.  I’m driven to different things these days (and, no “drinking” is not one of them!  Yet…).  I am driven to be a good mother to The Princess Tater Tot and do what’s best for her no matter if I get my needs met or not (within reason, of course…don’t go thinkin’ I’m a complete Martyr Mama.  I know I have to take care of myself).  I am driven to have more balance in my life than I did before (do NOT get me started on the job I had when I was pregnant with Tater Tot…talk about unbalanced!) Driven to take the best care of my family that I can while not becoming a raving lunatic.  And while I’d really like to be “accomplished” in everything that I try, I think that my life has become more about finding joy in what I’m doing than doing it well.  This is huge for the girl who never wanted to do anything that would make her look or feel stupid.  That’s one of the things that I’m hanging onto with this blog.  Sure, I’ve got ads.  Yes, I’d love it if you clicked on them, visited stores and bought stuff.  But primarily this blog is for me.  For me to enjoy.  And hopefully for you to enjoy but definitely for me to enjoy.  Sometimes it’s hard not to get sucked into the “I only have two readers” trap but that makes it not as fun.  So I don’t let myself get sucked in.  And if you’re one of my two readers, welcome to my world!  I hope you enjoy your stay… 

My refund finally went through so I shipped the Fuzzi Bunz back to the ebay seller today…and gave her a negative review.  I wasn’t mean.  I was just truthful.  She said the items were in excellent condition and they weren’t.  She apologized seven times after I asked for a refund but, I swear I don’t know why she was apologizing.  Because she got caught?  Did she think I wouldn’t notice that the diapers and inserts were falling apart?  “I’m sorry that I tried to swindle you”?  And, to top it all off, it cost me $9 to ship the crappy-ass things back to her.  @#$^$%#! It’s only $9 but it’s $9 more than I should have to pay.  But I think I’m going to cut my losses at this point and just pay the damned shipping myself.  Oh well. 

On a more positive note, my Bum Genius order shipped out yesterday!  Hooray!  It didn’t ship sooner because of some ginormous winter storm or another.  Living in a place where winter is characterized by the temperature being in the 60’s instead of the 70’s, I sometimes forget that other states have real weather.  Schedule-busting, life-stopping, stuck-in-the-house-you’d-better-be-stocked-up-on-food-and-hope-the-septic-tank-holds weather.  Yes, this is why we live here where housing prices are completely ridiculous but we can surf all year round.

Yes, that is a question rather than a title because I can’t be sure that what I do can/should/would be called gardening.  Basically, I ignore my garden until it is so overgrown that I can’t stand it.  Then I hack it all back to oblivion so it can grow back healthy again.  So my gardening consists of weeding occasionally, watering hardly ever, and cutting the crap out of everything twice a year.  Is that still considered gardening?  If it’s not evident, I’m currently on a “hacking it back to oblivion” compulsion.  It’s so satisfying to see our fence underneath all of that overgrown morning glory!  And the little plants that have been trying so hard to grow underneath it now have a fighting chance!  I’ve got a long way to go but The Daddy has next week off so maybe I’ll get a little extra time to make some progress.  Oh, who am I kidding?  If I get extra time I should be sleeping for heaven’s sake!

Anyway, we finally got to go shopping today after our botched attempt yesterday (cranky nappiness on the way to the store prompted The Mommy to turn around and go home).  Princess Tater Tot was very well behaved and we spent quite a bit of time picking up things for the house and looking for birthday present ideas.  I could tell it was time to go, however, when Tater Tot wanted everything I picked up and started to fuss if I didn’t give it to her.  Ah, Toddlerhood.  I’m sure it doesn’t get any better from here on out in terms of the toy-wanting behavior. 

She fought her afternoon nap again today so I rocked her a little bit extra and slept with her in the recliner.  I hate to do that because I’m sure sleep is more restorative in her crib but, I swear, to see her little “waking-up face” right next to mine is just so precious.  She wakes up with a big smile and starts babbling to me and I just melt.  Besides, I figure some sleep is better than no sleep!  The other thing about having her sleep with me in the recliner is that I’m forced to nap, too.  Naps are good. 

Princess Tater Tot’s birthday is in two weeks.  TWO WEEKS!  How is it that I have an 11 1/2 month old?  It seems amazing to me that a year has passed already.  I look at her little teeny preemie clothes and wonder how it is that she ever could have been that small. (Money-saving tip: save tiny baby clothes for doll clothes later!)  So I am on the hunt for birthday gifts not only for Tater Tot but also for Tater’s friend who lives down the street who was born on the same day and for Tater’s cousin who was born two weeks later!  And of course, there’s all the party supplies and decorations that need to be figured out.  Party City here I come! 

If you’ve got a little one in your life about to have a birthday, check out the First Birthday Gift ideas at 2Blockheads.com and birthday gear for little ones  here . 

Oh, Good Lord, what have I done?  The Daddy came home with all kinds of tasty treats from his classroom (apparently he is really well-liked by his students!) and, of course, The Mommy had to sample some.  I’ll be lucky if I can complete much more of this post before I slip deliriously into a sugar coma.

Today was a great day!  Tater Tot and I went and picked up dinner from the local health food store so I didn’t have to cook (does reheating count as cooking?) and she took two (count ‘em…TWO) naps, one of which was one and one half hours long (whoda’ thunk it was possible?).  There were so many times today when I found myself thinking “I am the luckiest woman in the world to be able to stay home every day with this adorable little person!”  It is completely worth whatever we have to do for me to be able to continue to stay at home with her.  (So, can ya’ help a Mommy out?  Check out the Stores over there ——–> This from the “Shameless Commerce Division” as Click and Clack would say).   Offended by the shameless commerce?  Blame it on the chocolate…   A Mommy’s gotta do what a Mommy’s gotta do to make a buck.

This may be a no-brainer for some but I thought I’d post this anyway…

I recently bid on and won a set of 10 used Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers on ebay since we’ve decided to go cloth.  I also bought a bunch of hemp inserts to go with them from the same seller.  The description said that they were in excellent condition but may have some small stains.  Well, I received them last weekend and I will tell you that they most definitely were NOT in good condition and all but a few were more than “slightly” stained.  You may say “Ewwww, USED cloth diapers?”  But isn’t that part of the whole purpose?  Reusing instead of creating more?  And, in order to try cloth diapering out, I had bought one used Fuzzi Bunz on ebay which WAS in excellent condition so I had no reason to think that these wouldn’t be that way.  And since Fuzzi Bunz are so expensive (but soooo easy!), buying them used on ebay saved me at least $4 a diaper.  If they were in excellent condition, they would have been well worth the money.  That’s a $40 savings on the 10 that I bought!  Well, I contacted the seller and she is going to refund my money.  Since I paid through PayPal it is still processing.  We’re waiting for funds to be in her account.  I won’t post her username unless my refund doesn’t go through…

In the mean time I’ve found another brand (Bum Genius) that I’m going to try.  Unfortunately there aren’t many of them on ebay so I’m buying them new.  They’re the same price as Fuzzi Bunz but they’re a bit different and sound like they may be a little bit better for Tater Tot.  So I’m still waiting…

Well, Princess Tater Tot woke up once last night but was able to soothe herself to sleep.  This Mommy is so grateful I don’t even have the words!  I got so spoiled with her sleeping 6pm-6am that I had forgotten what a heinous toll it takes on me when she doesn’t.  Hopefully we’ve weathered the worst of the teething for the time being. 

Oh!  Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!  Not that this day is any different than any other day.  Diapers still need to be changed, errands need to be run, dinner needs to be cooked, laundry needs to be done.  But, at least for today, I am going to try to take it easy, pick up some ready-made tasty food from the local health food store, and shave the legs so that, if we’re not too tired…

Princess Tater Tot slept through the night last night!  Hallelujah!  Of course I woke up multiple times but at least I did not have to get my aching Mommy Body up and rock her for two hours.  What a bonus, huh?  It was soooo nice to sleep!  And she went down for her first nap as usual: talking herself to sleep.  She didn’t even want me to rock her!  What the…?  I put on the “sleepytime tunes” and she leaned over to her crib.  I tried to keep rocking her because she has done this before and when I put her down she screams like a banshee.  Well, not today!  She kept leaning over so I put her down, kissed her forehead and said “Mommy loves you.  Have a good sleep.”  She cried when she realized that I was leaving the room but then she just started talking to herself and playing with Tigger.  We may even have a shot at getting out of the house on time without major drama to get to my doctor’s appointment!  Imagine that.

Hopefully today I will get a referral to an Ear, Nose, and Throat doc to look further into the vertigo deal and see if there are other options than “drug yourself so you’re too tired to function.”  Luckily this only happens every 2-3 months but still!  In my humble opinion, that’s 2-3 months too often for this Mommy.

On an unrelated note, I have started to try the Blood Type Diet.  Not to lose weight although that would be an added bonus.  It’s a very interesting concept and I got into it because my sister was told that she may have another autoimmune disorder (all the women in my family have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis).  So she’s trying the diet too.  I had looked into it before but hadn’t really tried to stick to it before.  This diet in particular talks about certain foods producing reactions in your body that cause your immune system to attack the body.  Well, we don’t need that, do we?  For my blood type it suggests avoiding wheat, corn, white potatoes along with a ton of other stuff.  But it reccomends a high protein, low carb diet which I already was used to doing.  It’s pretty easy to follow because I’m already used to shopping at the health food store and I’ve become pretty interested in alternative types of foods in recent years.  For instance, instead of ice cream I’m eating Rice Dream made out of rice milk.  Is it as good as ice cream?  No.  Does it satisfy the sweet craving? Yes.  Occasionally I’ll still have ice cream but until I do, this tides me over.  Another example is using rice flour pasta instead of whole wheat or regular pasta.  It feels good to know that I’m taking good care of myself so that I’ll be around a long time for The Tot.