Angels Among Us...

Saturday night was my 10-year high school reunion. I couldn't believe it had already been 10 years and was so excited to see everyone. Unfortunately, my parents decided to leave our fab house in Fresno and move to Highland, Utah so we didn't have a place we could stay for awhile. Brooke said we could stay with her & Mike at her mom's so we decided to make the quick trip out there. CB was a trooper. We flew Friday from here to Atlanta (yes, we did go backwards) and then on to San Jose, CA. It was about 7 hours of flying and we got there at 9pm which was 11 pm our time. CB was exhausted; he didn't sleep on the plane either so I spent a lot of time walking up and down the aisles, standing in the back with the flight attendants, etc... so he wouldn't get fussy. Luckily he's very content and didn't fuss a minute. Once we landed we drove to Fresno which was another 2+ hours so when we got there, CB was so wired he wouldn't shut his eyes. After a bit of me holding my hand over his eyes to help them shut (oh, the tricks you learn), he fell asleep only to wake up at 2am and 3am and then 5:30am for good. Joy.

Saturday he took a few naps and we went shopping (Little Rock is a little lacking in the great shopping) and that night was the reunion. CB stayed home asleep in bed with Brooke's mom and we went and saw tons of old friends from Nelson Elementary and on up through C-dub. It was a trip. Everyone looked the same but a little different (some a little older, some a little rounder, some a little thinner, etc...) and it was like the same as it was 10 years ago but we were all in different places and stages of life. It was so fun.

Then Sunday we headed back to San Jose and back through Atlanta and home. CB was just dead. He started crying a bit on the flight to San Jose so I put him in the sling (thanks heaven for the sling) and he went right to sleep. I was stressed out because he likes to scream happy screams to hear his voice so I was trying to keep him quiet and entertained. I kept the in-seat TV on the countdown and the minutes until we landed couldn't go fast enough. At one point I had to change his diaper (an impossible feat in the tiny airplane bathroom with the toilet seat cover as a changing table) and this sweet grandma asked if I was traveling alone. I said, yes. She said, "I'd be happy to hold your darling little baby if you need a break. I'm sure you can't go to the bathroom with him and I know it gets overwhelming". I almost started crying right then. What a blessing. Unfortunately he needed a diaper change and then was the sling nap so I never took her up on her offer. When we landed everyone around us kept saying "What a good baby" "He's so darling" "That's the best baby I've ever flown with", etc... Even if they didn't mean it, it made me feel so much better knowing that he hadn't been bothering anyone. All the comments gave me the strength to face the next leg of our flight.

We ate our dinner (avocado sandwich which CB loved) and sat at the gate waiting for the next flight to depart. They announced that they were overbooked (surprise, surprise) and they needed 5 volunteers "with flexible travel plans" to stay over in Atlanta and they'd pay for hotel, food, etc... plus a $400 Delta voucher. Technically, I had very "flexible travel plans". I didn't have to work, T could pick us up the next day instead, I didn't check anything so we could just go hop on an airport shuttle and stay in a hotel, but I was just too exhausted to even think about unpacking and repacking that suitcase again. So we didn't take advantage. I still think maybe I should've done it, but since CB & I both slept in until 9:30 am this morning, I'm pretty sure we both just needed to be home.

The last angel was on our flight to Little Rock. It was a very kind man named Mr. Tebow. He was so sweet to CB so I asked him if he had children. "Just 5" he answered. He showed me his family and his grandchildren and told me a little about his work. He was to speak at 2 events in Little Rock about his family, the Gospel, etc... He told me his sons played football and one was pretty good at U of Florida. Timmy Tebow is his name. It seemed to ring a bell but I don't know much about football. "He won the Heisman last year. Have you ever heard of the Heisman?" he asked me. "Oh. Yeah, I've definitely heard of the Heisman but I don't keep track of who wins it each year." Mr. Tebow just laughed.

Almost the whole flight he entertained CB with me. He let him play with his shiny silver watch, he held him and let him look out the window at the city lights, he played peek-a-boo, showed him pictures in the Delta magazine, etc... I was so grateful for all the help. It makes me want to always be helpful to strangers along the way.

What in the Soapnuts?

How to launder cloth diapers. It is the eternal question. You can read hundreds of forums, blogs, etc... about different people's opinions. You can add vinegar, do an extra rinse, add baking soda, use this detergent or that detergent, etc... It's complicated. And then it's a whole new system if you have a HE washer like we do. (Highly recommended, by the way). I've tried various methods and found this detergent on etsy that I liked. It has little suds (good for HE washer) and is organic and vegan so it doesn't leave residue on the cloth diapers. So I was satisfied with the system I had.

[Enter Soapnuts.] They are so fabulous. They're basically a fruit from a tree found in Indonesia, Nepal, and India and the outside of the nut is saponin which is a natural surfactant (the technical term for what soap does by breaking down carbon bonds of organic material). They don't have a scent so they are ideal for anyone with eczema, sensitive skin, etc... and are very ideal for cloth diapers which you don't want to have a weird scent anyway. I love them. If you use them for regular laundry you can put some essential oil on the cloth bag that they go in and it works great. I've used eucalyptus and tea tree oil and it's very mild. So I've converted from the etsy soap to these soap nuts. For our laundry, I'll probably still use the etsy detergent, but for cloth diapers they're the best I've found.

Free Museum Day

Next Saturday is free museum day sponsored by Smithsonian. How fun is that? There are different museums in every state that are participating. Here in Little Rock, for example, you can go to the zoo for free or to the Arkansas Historical Museum. Check out this link to see what museums in your area are free and enjoy!

Green Tip

I'm always looking for ways to conserve energy and water, recycle more, waste less, etc... This year we have made significant steps forward with these goals. We started a compost, we use compostable/flushable gdiapers for CB, etc... Those are the big things but I've found that there are tons of small things everyday that can make a big difference, so I thought I'd share the tips I found.
1. I read that a dishwasher uses much less water than filling a whole sink with water to wash pots, pans, etc... so we started putting anything that will fit into our dishwasher. We run it more often, but we rarely fill the sink. Once in awhile, there is something that just won't fit, or something I don't like to wash in the dishwasher (like my knives). So when we need to hand wash something, we wait until the dishwasher has started to turn on the water for the dishes. That way, we're not letting the water run down the drain while waiting for it to heat up. The dishwasher waits for it to heat before it shoots any out so at that point, if we turn the water on, it'll be hot for sure.
2. Thanks to Gustav & Ike, we haven't had our sprinklers on for over a month. That's one thing that is sometimes hard to remember, but makes a big conservation difference. I get so annoyed when I see people watering their lawns while it's raining or when it's 2pm and it's 90+ degrees outside.
What are your eco-friendly tips?

Lucky Chuck

In Little Rock there are 3 children's consignment sales twice a year. It's such a great idea. Basically, people from all over the area consign their toys, books, shoes, movies, clothes, etc... for babies up through teens and even maternity clothes. It's all put in one place for a few days and then it's open for the public to buy stuff. If you're ever looking for anything that you don't really want to spend much money on, this is the place. It's all pretty high-quality and after much searching and digging, you can find fabulous stuff. This year I went to 2 and found such great stuff: a Bumbo seat for $14, a play table for $7, a darling mini crib, a few toys, 2 pair of shoes, and some great clothes. Most of the stuff is for when he's much older, but it's still fun. Here's a sample of CB's loot:

Legal Mumbo Jumbo

Ever since we got married, we've talked about how we need to make living wills and a trust, etc... Just in case. After following the story of Christian & Stephanie Nielson and after receiving the Quicken WillMaker from T's parents, we decided to really get it going. So last night for our FHE activity, we made our living wills and our AB Trust. It was very helpful to have this little program because otherwise, I'm pretty sure you'd have to hire a lawyer to know what any of the legal wording means. Even with the program, sometimes we had no idea what the questions were asking. Nevertheless, it is a relief to know that if we die, (heaven forbid) our wishes will be granted regarding CB and our large and vast empire (lucky family members). Also, the whole process of making both of our living wills and our trust only took about 1 hour--time very well spent, in my eyes.

So I just want to encourage everyone who reads this to take the time to make their own legal preparations. I know it's very sad to think about, and some people think it's going to jinx them or whatever, but it can be a reality and it would be very sad to have all kind of legal hassle for family members at such a devastating time. Just my two cents.

Help Me, Rhonda!

Somehow I got subscribed to a magazine called American Baby. I think it might have been a free subscription to all new moms. It's fun to read and every once in awhile I find a good tip. Today, on the other hand, I'm getting a good laugh combined with a deep feeling of worry for the babies whose mothers read this. Here's the article, read it and weep (or laugh):

"Don't forget baby!
PROBLEM: Each year about 36 children die because they're left in cars that overheat. [yes, this is a valid problem]
SOLUTION: [here's what is killing me dead] A child is never safe left inside a parked car, even if windows are cracked--the temperature can skyrocket in as little as ten minutes. Follow this advice from Jan Null, meteorology professor at San Francisco State University so you can always remember to take your child with you. [What?!? Also, how did a meteorology professor become a child-safety expert?]
- Place your bag in the backseat with your baby. When you grab it, you'll also unbuckle your child.
-Keep a large stuffed animal in the car seat. When your baby is sitting there, move it to the front seat as a reminder that your child is in the back."

Yes, this is a real article. I am still in shock. Firstly, whose baby is so silent the whole drive somewhere that you forget they're back there? Secondly, what parent in their right mind can forget their baby? It is mind-boggling. I always thought people left their babies in cars fully-knowing that they were in there. Any thoughts?


How could someone forget this little face in the back seat?

CB-friendly pancakes

Today I wanted to make pancakes for me and CB but he can't eat eggs yet and I don't want him to eat processed white flour yet either. So I decided to manipulate a recipe and see how they would turn out. They were delicious. CB ate a whole 1/2 pancake without syrup or anything.
Here's the recipe for about 10 small-medium pancakes:

1 C whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 t Egg Replacer
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 T sugar
1 T water
1 C buttermilk
1 1/2 T butter, melted

Next time I think I'll add some banana or blueberries or something.


Almost all of the pancake is gone and he's happy.

My, how you've grown.

This is a picture of the CB lying on the mattress from the mini crib he used to sleep in. And below is when he was newborn. I still can't believe it.



EDIT:
So a request was made for CB's stats:
Weight: 17 lbs 14 oz (46th percentile)
Length: 27 1/2 inches (75th percentile)

compared to the newborn picture:
Weight: ~ 8 lbs
Length 21 1/4 inches

A Big No No

So who decided that high-waisted pants were hot and stylish? They are very unflattering. I mean, if Katie Holmes looks bad, then they won't be doing anyone a favor.