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So I guess I’ve been neglecting my blog a bit. And, unfortunately, that means I’ve been neglecting the documentation of Princess Tater Tot’s childhood as well since this is my “journal”. Suffice it to say that we have had a lot going on since The Tot has become a hustling, bustling two year old. We’ve got amusement park passes to use, play dates and Mommy and Me. Errands to run and fun things to do. The result of all this hustling and bustling is that The Mommy is tired!

I also had been having some health problems including extreme fatigue that I felt were Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis related and have been having a hard time getting addressed. My insurance denied a referral to an endocrinologist (what the heck??) but my primary care physician did boost my thyroid meds, which is nice. It hasn’t taken care of all of the symptoms but it has made things “better enough” that I have the energy (almost) to get through a typical day with my two year old whirling dirvish. And another upside is that I have been able to lose 11.5 pounds watching my diet and exercising moderately! I am now below my pre-pregnancy weight (although nowhere near my pre-pregnancy fitness level!) and my clothes fit again! I am very, very happy with this since in the past it has been difficult for me to lose weight.

But enough about me and back to The Tot. Yesterday we went to Sea World with my sister and her family who are in town from Washington State this week and we had a blast! I expected that The Tot would crank out at about 12:30 but she hung in there without a nap until 3:30! Imagine that! A short nap on the way home and a regular bed time. Who knew? Of course we bought the Fun Card which gets us in for free for the rest of 2008 because, why not? If I was going to pay the regular price of admission anyway so Tater Tot could spend some time with her cousins, I might as well get the Fun Card. Of course we still have to pay $10 for parking each time and gas is through-the-roof expensive but I think we’ll at least swing a couple more visits before the year is over. It was pretty interesting to see her reactions to things. In the penguin exhibit, she was more interested in the escalator-like people-mover thingie than the penguins. While watching the dolphins, she was whining about wanting to “go in the blue hingie” (swim with the dolphins in the blue tank). But she had the best time at the new Sesame Street area in the water park before we went home. She would have stayed there for the rest of the day if I would have let her. Today we’re going to hit Legoland with The Cousins and hopefully it’ll go just about the same as yesterday. This is the first time Tater Tot has met her cousins and it’s really cute to see the kids interact. I’m happy they’re getting a chance to hang out.

On a totally different note, I’ve started checking out community supported agricultural programs in an effort to feed my family organically in a more cost-effective way. I have yet to figure out if it’s more cost-effective but that’s my next project. I’ve been keeping pretty strict track of my grocery spending the past couple of months but now it’s time to break it down a bit and see what I’ve been spending on produce. I’m hoping that it really IS more cost-effective because I had all but given up on organics on my current grocery budget. I just rinse and scrub my produce to within an inch of it’s life currently but I’m still not sure that produces the desired effect of eradication of the pesticides. So, if you wonder what I’ll be doing tomorrow during the Tater Tot’s nap time (like you’ve got nothing better to do with your time), I will be poring over grocery receipts for the month of May and calculating what I spend on produce each month. Exciting stuff, huh? Yeah, that’s Mommyhood in this Mommy Hood.

Peace, Out.

Before I got pregnant, the thought of using cloth diapers literally never entered my head. I had no idea at all what was involved or how much cloth diapers have evolved since back in the day. When the Tater Tot was a wee one, I met someone who was using cloth diapers with her little girl and I became very interested. I am by no means a cloth diapering expert but I will say that I have learned quite a bit in the time that I have been using them. If you’re interested in trying them out, take a look at the Nurtured Family site. Right now they’ve got Fuzzi Bunz diapers with free inserts and FREE SHIPPING!

If you’ve tried the old version of Fuzzi Bunz and they didn’t work for you, I would definitely recommend checking them out again. They’ve made the tabs bigger to prevent sagging in the front (the reason we went with Bum Genius instead of Fuzzi Bunz) and the elastic around the legs stretchier to accomodate all sizes of cute, chubby little baby legs! If I weren’t just about to potty train The Tot, I’d get a few of these myself! And, with free shipping these are the best deal that I’ve seen on Fuzzi Bunz anywhere!

Nurtured Family also carries Bum Genius, Mommy’s Touch, Happy Heinys, Swaddlebees, Sckoon, and Blueberry cloth diapers, inserts, and accessories as well as a whole lot of other natural products for mommies, babies, and toddlers. Give ‘em a look!

Nurtured Family is having a 10% off everything sale! If you’re interested in trying cloth diapering, this is a good opportunity to do it for less. The brand and type of cloth diaper you end up using will have a little bit to do with what you as a Mommy are looking for and a lot to do with what works for your child’s body and bodily functions! The cloth diaper that fits and works perfectly for our friends down the street worked well for us but not as well as another brand. Each diaper will fit your child differently and each insert will work differently for each child, depending on how heavy a wetter they are.

Fuzzi Bunz is a great brand to try and Nurtured Family offers free inserts with the Fuzzi Bunz you purchase AND they are eligible for free shipping! With the 10% off and free shipping, you will be hard-pressed to find a better price on this brand anywhere else! This is the brand I first tried when I was starting to cloth diaper and they are so easy to use. The diaper has a pocket for an absorbent insert (included in your purchase but you can purchase more and different types) and a fleece inner lining that keeps your little one dry. They also offer Swaddlebees, Mommy’s Touch, and Sckoon cloth diapers along with inserts, cloth diapering accessories and diaper bags. They offer nursing necessities and baby slings as well. Head on over and check them out! Don’t forget to enter your 10% off code: NewBaby and hurry! The sale ends November 20th.

If you’ve got questions about cloth diapering, there is a great forum over at www.diaperpin.com and wonderful, helpful cloth diapering Mommas that will help you figure out all of your cloth diapering dilemmas!

Simple Shoes clearance is going on now! Save 40-90% on footwear for women. Free shipping for a limited time!
Simple Shoes is committed to finding more sustainable ways of making shoes and it shows They don’t just list sizes and colors, they give you the “ingredients” of their shoes too! And, they now have selected styles that are usually from $28-$90 on sale for $10.90-$19.90. As Tater Tot says “Go! Go! Go!” But come back, okay?

Yeah, I’ve jumped from one project to another again. Remember the balcony I was fixing up? I’m kind of stalled on that one. It’s cute and a good place to hang out but definitely not finished yet. Imagine me moving on from a project before it’s finished. Typical for me. I’ve wanted to get things under control in my office for a while now but the inspiration just hasn’t struck me. And between the have-to’s and the other want-to’s in my life, I just haven’t gotten around to it. But, for some who-knows-what reason, I have gotten a burst of motivation for this project. Maybe because I’m tired of walking in and feeling overwhelmed by it. Maybe it’s because Tater Tot’s toys are multiplying while she sleeps and I’d like a better play space for her. Maybe it’s because The Daddy and I have had more trouble finding keys, wallets and other essentials over the past three weeks than the whole rest of our marriage. It’s never so bad that I can’t shove everything in a closet in a pinch if someone’s coming over but it’s just a niggling in the back of my mind that I would feel so much more like creating in here if things were in order. If I knew exactly what I had and where it was. If I got rid of all the stuff that I’ve been hanging onto “just in case”.

So I am utilizing Flylady’s mantra “you can do anything for 15 minutes” and slowly but surely getting rid of the stuff. Stuff we’ve had so long I don’t even see it anymore. Stuff that is shoved in drawers that are not opened on a regular basis. Stuff that I don’t even remember what it goes to. You know those wierd-shaped plastic pieces that you think might be a clip for a cell phone you no longer have but you just can’t be sure? Those keys that probably belong to an apartment you rented 10 years ago but who knows? The stuff that I can give away, I do. Freecycle can be good, although I encourage you to screen who you give things to. More people flake on me than don’t, unfortunately. Mommy Tip: If you can find a charity that picks the stuff up from you, it’s really a bonus! It’s a total time and energy-saver! And you don’t have to worry about a freecycler flaking on you. Generally, if I can give it to a charity that will pick up, I do. If it’s something they won’t take, I Freecycle it because I just can’t get with throwing stuff away that can be recycled or used by someone else. It’s just not right!

After I’m done “de-cluttering”, I’ll take stock of what items I have left and the space that I have to house them. Move some furniture. Maybe buy or create some new storage items and, voila! Office organization! Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Not so much. Is there an Office Organization Fairy I can call on here? If only…

I have found the perfect pair of shorts. Actually, The Daddy found them. He came home from working in his classroom one day last weekend and said “I hope you don’t mind that I brought presents”. Uh, why would I mind presents, exactly? Oh, yeah. We have no money. Huh. Nope. I don’t mind. He’s earning it so, if he wants to spend it on me, far be it from me to say no.

Back to the shorts. They don’t look like much, especially in the picture above. If I had seen the picture before I saw the shorts, I would not have given them a chance. But, since The Daddy came home with them and had obviously been listening to my recent lamentations over only having two pairs of shorts that fit me, I tried them on. Oh Happy Day! They fit low in the waist like I like and have plenty of room in the hips. They’re made of an organic stretch cotton so they bend and move with me instead of binding and making me feel like a huge MUFFINTOP! The length is just long enough to hide the post-childbirth (and let’s face it, the has-always-been-there) cellulite but short enough to feel sporty and not like your grandma’s shorts. Or “Gamma”, as Tater Tot says. They also come in three colors. The “stucco” above, “burlap”, and “green earth”. The weird thing is that these shorts look better on me than on the model above. And I’ve got HIPS. And I NEVER think anything looks better on me than the model. They’re not cheap but they’re worth it!

Playsuits are the greatest thing since sliced bread! Okay, maybe not that great but, for a relatively fashion-challenged Mommy with not a lot of energy, they are a must! No color coordination required. Except maybe if you’re putting socks on your little one. Or shoes. But for the most part, they are fuss-free! I like that.

Mommy Tip: Another reason I like them is that they are easier to put big ‘ol Cloth Diaper Butts into without making them look like their pants are too tight! No, I haven’t yet gotten around to finding slimmer inserts for the Bum Genius we love. But soon.

Tricky & Titch has some really cute playsuits. This is my favorite:

Their clothes are “Cute, Not Cutesy” and are made of premium combed cotton. The playsuits have envelope necks so they’re easier to get over the heads of Fussy Pants “Miss Independents” (or “Mr. Independents”, as the case may be) and color-coordinated, nickel-free snaps on the legs.

Tricky and Titch are also committed to being “carbon-neutral” by investing in renewable energy sources based on their carbon calculations for their day-to-day energy consumption. What a bonus! I’m so glad that a small company that could say “we just can’t afford it because we’re still growing” has decided not to say that. I’m impressed! And cute clothes to boot! Go check them out…

Still lovin’ the cloth diapers!  The good news is the other night was the first time I was brave enough to leave Princess Tater Tot in a cloth diaper because I was afraid of leaks.  Not only did they not leak, but she didn’t wake up early and fuss like she does sometimes when her disposable is soaked through.  I’ve rarely had a disposable leak overnight (maybe once or twice in a year) but they’re sopping wet and uncomfortable for The Tot.  Not so with the Bum Genius!  I used a Cottonbabies microterry insert with a Babykicks Joey Bunz Hemparoo insert closest to the moisture and it worked like a charm! 

I have to give props to FuzziBunz, too, though.  They generally seem to have a more trim fit on Tater Tot than the Bum Genius although I haven’t tried the Bum Genius with only a Hemparoo insert.  That would give them a more trim profile, I’m sure. 

I wish I’d cloth diapered from day one but I just didn’t have it together enough to do it back then.  We had a fairly rocky start with The Tot in the NICU for two weeks and home with meds after that.  By the time she had gotten stronger and we had figured out what her colic was all about (reflux), I was traumatized!  It took me a while to relax into mommyhood.  When I look back on all that we went through, I am so grateful to be here where my most pressing problem is that she is kinda clingy sometimes and sometimes doesn’t want to take her afternoon nap!

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…