Six (No, Make it Seven) Months of Sweet Pea Weekly

Here we are, seven months into Asher's weekly photo project. (I started this post right about the time he turned six months, so the fact that I'm finally getting around to finish it goes to show it's been a busy few weeks...) I lovingly dubbed this project "Sweet Pea Weekly" as a cute pun on the sweet pea rattle prop we use as a growth gauge in each photo. If we'd had a little girl, I would have been tempted to make it "Sweet Peach Weekly", being in Georgia and all (tee-hee).

Anyway, SWP has been quite the endeavor! So far, these photos have been taken in six different states. That's what we get for not only traveling way too much, but for having a baby on a Saturday- if we're traveling, you can bet we're almost always gone over the weekend, which means SWP props get packed and a photo (or 100) gets taken no matter how inconvenient.

Speaking of Georgia, this is the lovely state of Asher's birth, and the scene for the first six weeks of SWP. Here's week one;

Then, things took a turn for the crazy, and we moved to Kentucky for four months. Many a photo were taken there, and this is my favorite from the horse state;

Within that four months, little buddy had his first visit to Virginia to see the family. And yes, his weekly b-day rolled around while we were there;

 

Then, after finishing out a couple more months in Kentucky, it was back to Georgia. But not for long! A trip to New York for a family wedding followed shortly. Weekly photo? You'd better believe it;

Then, it was back to Georgia. Shew! But wait- it's not over yet- the ranch trip came next;

 

And while we were there, he turned six months! So, I had to do a little something extra to mark the day;

And as usual, I couldn't just take one...it's no secret that I've officially joined the ranks of the crazy-moms-obsessed-with-(their)-baby-photo-photography.

Notice the painted foot? More on that soon...

After returning back home to Georgia, I swore of all traveling until Christmas. Well, two weeks later we found ourselves in South Carolina, visiting daddy (who was taking a two week course for the army) and some good friends who met us from up north. Try as we might, we are physically incapable of staying in the same state for more than two weeks at a time.

If I'd had any idea that we'd be traveling this much, I might not have started this weekly project. But, ignorance served me well in this case. As not-so-convenient as it's been to have to pack a white onsie, a background fabric, the sweet pea, and a charged camera every time we travel (as well as find the time to take the photo while in flux), it's been a really fun "tradition". And as frustrating as it's been to have no consistency as far as setting and lighting goes, (lighting makes a big difference in photography) it's gone off without a hitch overall.

No, it hasn't been as "perfect" as I might like it to be with the constant on-the-go nature of our lives, but it's taught me that it doesn't have to be "perfect" to be great. Minor variations in lighting or convenience will just be remembered as part of this crazy but wonderful little project, as well as a great reminder of all the places we've been as a family of three. Praise Jesus for such a rich, full life, full of family and friends, adventures and opportunities.

And it's not over yet. Florida- you're next!

But until then, allow me to leave you with one more photo, in memory of Asher's travels in-utero;

This bun in the oven visited four Hawaiian islands. We can't wait until he's old enough to remember things- a trip back to Oahu will make for another great family vacation one of these days...

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P.S. See more about how I do the weekly photo here.

P.S.S. Asher's smiles will be getting a little "toothy" soon- his first tooth is coming in! (On the bottom.) And he turned seven months old yesterday! 

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Care to VOTE?

Here we are again, in need of a little help choosing Asher's 27 week photo. Help us out and weigh in on your personal favorite! Just use the poll gadget on the right hand side of the page -------- >

1. Me Oh My!

2. The "Side" Pick

3. The Vegetarian

Thanks again, we'll post the winning photo first thing Monday morning! See the whole collection here.

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Oh, For the Love of Coffee

Anyone recognize this? You might if you've ever been to Hawaii's island of Oahu. And if you have, you know exactly what I mean when I say I could go for a Cappuccino Freeze plus a possible spotting of the elusive John Locke.

I don't know about you, but a nice hot mug of coffee is what I look forward to most in the morning. Other than Asher's cute little face when I get him out of his crib, of course (insert big smiley face here!). Speaking of Asher, he's decided that sleeping through the night is overrated. Or, he's been completely ruined by his week or two of sleeping in my bed while Thane was away. Either way, his couple of months of sleeping eight+ hours straight are loooong gone. Which makes a good cup of coffee even more appreciated. Can I get an amen, fellow moms?

And now onto the next limited commodity; time. Brewing a pot of coffee was way too tedious. For me, at least, because I use a vast array of ingredients; Two kinds of coffee (I mix caff & decaff- I like a rich bold taste but without a ton of caffeine), sugar, non-dairy creamer, chocolate Ovaltine, and last but not least, cinnamon! (A friend taught me this trick- sprinkle a little cinnamon on your grinds before brewing and it takes the bitter edge off.)

So that's six steps, not including the filter and the water. And Asher's not a fan of anything that occupies my arms for more than two minutes at a time (unless he's simultaneously nursing, of course).

So, tired of this self-imposed tedious process, an idea struck; coffee storage containers! That I could pre-mix all of my ingredients in!

Off to- guess where?- Ross, I went.

But first for the mixing.

The two types of coffee plus cinnamon went into a big Pyrex and got mixed. The Pyrex really helped. With it's pouring "spout", it could easily be transferred into the new containers. Same with the sugar and creamer mixture.

And here they are; six steps down to two! And they make for very nice windowsill "decor". They're very conveniently placed right above the new spot where the coffee maker is, next door to the green firebird rooster. No more dragging six different containers out of the pantry (and then putting them back away) every morning.

I keep a measuring spoon in each, so there's no need for a new spoon everytime. (If you put your creamer/sugar in first, the coffee mixes it on it's own when it gets poured in.) I've had this little system going for about a week now. It's sped up my coffee making process so much that the first few days I felt like I was missing something.

Oh, and Thane's first question was "how will you know if you have everything mixed in the right proportions?" Just a little trial and error. It was easy to tell that my creamer mixture needed a little more sugar, so into the mix it went, and now it's just the way that I like it. Yay!

Does anybody else have a favorite mug to drink out of? Here's mine- another favorite forged in Hawaii.

The total cost of this super time-saving system was $5 ($2.50 a piece for the containers, at Ross). Well worth it! And I made up for this cost in about one trip to the grocery store. I downgraded from my all-time favorite Dunkin Donuts brand coffee to Eight O'Clock (recommened by a Kentucky-turned-Alaska friend). Now I save about $4 each time I buy coffee. And I honestly don't really notice a difference... So thanks for all the good tips everyone!

Back to Asher for a minute- lots of big news!
1. He didn't cry at all during either day of our traveling to and from New York.
2. He started sucking on a pacifier last Friday! (Same day as the trip, praise God.)
3. He rolled over for the first time on the 3rd! From his back to tummy. And (on the same day) he threw up all of his squash while I was holding him at the dinner table during a meal with guests. I'm not talking spit-up, but real throwing up...twice, huge amounts. I felt so bad for him. It might have had to do with the extra bouncy ride that two of our little guests gave him in his bouncer right beforehand.

One more thing- his new love of a pacifier leads me to a theory on why he's no longer sleeping through the night. (At first it must have been the move back to Georgia plus sleeping in the bed with me, but that should have corrected itself by now.) Now that we're somewhat settled again, I'm noticing that he hasn't been nursing as much since discovering the joy of a pacifier. Which means he might be getting hungrier at night and needing more solids during the day. That, or he's teething. Who knows.

Anybody have any advice for me? Have you enjoyed the bliss of a through-the-night-sleeper only to have him or her revert back to waking up multiple times?

And don't forget to tell me what your favorite mug to drink out of is!

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P.S. Since we're on the topic and Asher and Hawaii...



Couldn't help myself! See his 23 week photo here.

Have a great day!

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Home at Last!



I know, you've seen this photo a lot lately... Can you tell what's been on my mind? Well, it's no longer a distant thought...I'm thrilled to say that we're back at Benning, hooray!

It's strange. Every now and then I catch myself looking around and wondering if I'm really here. It's like the movie Inception, where they can only go into the dream world so many times or they'll no longer know whether they're awake or asleep. Well, it's possible that if you move too many times you might not know where you live anymore. Or maybe it's the "too good to be true!"-yet it is true-feeling that keeps weirding me out. Anyway, it's wonderful! I keep telling everyone that I felt like I was walking into a palace compared to the hotel we lived in for four months. The high ceilings, the real furniture, the dishwasher, the washer & dryer, the full size oven...whoa now! Talk about appreciation with a capital A! Praise God for bringing us home!

Getting all packed up for the drive home.



So now we're getting back into the swing of things. No pun intended, but that's the first thing that happened; the swing went up. Priority #1 of this move, without a doubt: Asher, Asher, Asher!



And then there was his bouncer seat. It took me about three attempts to reassemble it. In other words, it won a battle or two. But never fear, I won the war! I finally realized I had the main piece backwards (just like Thane suspected all along).



Thank goodness it finally went together! This is one of those must-haves in our house, and has been since the beginning. It started as the only place Asher would sleep during the night. We've continued to use it daily since then, and I predict even moreso now that we're in a bigger space. When I'm cooking or getting other chores done, I've got to be able to carry him with me from one side of the house to the other and then set him down. He's usually pretty happy to hang out in it, especially with the vibrating "massage" function. On a side note, Thane's wanted a massage chair for years (we're the couple that's always testing them out for just a little longer than what's considered appropriate in Brooks & Brothers). But who gets one first? Asher.

Oh my goodness, what happened to Asher's nursery?! Oh that's right, he was born. Hahaha. And he's already been through two army moves, this being the aftermath of the second. That just about sums it up. But all that matters right now is that his changing station is up and running again!





Due to another endeavor gone wrong- cloth diaper size adjustment- Asher's nice crib got completely drenched the first day back. So it was off with the sheets, and on with the quilt! That was actually my first round of crib sheet washing and changing. Let me just say that getting the sheets back on the mattress was WAY harder than I thought it would be. So from now on, we're going to use a quilt as the "safety" barrier. It'll be much easier to wash, when necessary, and hopefully that cuts back on the sheet changes. 





But speaking of his crib, he loves it! No more Pack n' Play for him! And he just met his new monkey friend who's been waiting patiently for us to get home...

And of course there's his play mat. Actually, two, if you look carefully. (The one of top is his tummy mat.) I just need to re-attach his hanging toys to the play gym, and he'll be set. Oh and his carrier snuck into the photo too, on the floor to the left. Baby gear galore. If he liked his swing, it would be up and operating rather than sitting in the trunk of the car right now. Still working on un-packing...it's a much slower process than it used to be.





As far as the rest of the house is concerned, one word will sum it up. Chaos. 

Ok, maybe two words. Chaos and laundry.

And general disorganization.

So these next few days will no doubt be spent unpacking, cleaning, organizing, and of course making sure the baby's doing well and happy in this new environment. Sometimes he seems to love it, other times he seems a little stressed. But all the same, we'll give the "baby-fy the house" task a big fat check! Which means today we might be able to start on some long-awaited decor projects! See the whole (and growing) to-do list here.

We'll definitely keep you updated on what gets done (if anything, ha), so stay tuned!

P.S. Parents, what's your favorite/can't-live-without-it peice of baby equipment?

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Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
John 14:23

Dipes & Wipes on the Go...

...Again!

Asher and I are about to make another long haul. I'd attempt to explain our crazy travel plans for the next couple of months, but they're so complicated that not even Thane and I have it all figured out yet. So lets just say that we'll bouncing between states like a ping-pong ball gone haywire. And I have to admit that at the thought of all of this car seat time with our four and a half month old baby is scary. Very, very scary.


This next trip will be our fourth big road trip with Asher and his cloth diapers + accessories. So since this is becoming quite the "routine" I thought I'd share a few simple tips for cloth diapering on the go.




It's simple. All you need is the following:


-Your clean diapers
-A wet bag and/or plastic bags from the store to hold dirtied diapers.
-A wipes case- large or small/travel size, depending on the length of your trip.
-Your wet cloth wipes stored in the wipes case, or dry wipes + your spray bottle filled with solution (depending on which method you use).
-A changing pad.

These are the methods that work well for us:

For Long Road Trips:

-Make sure that as many of your cloth diapers and wipes as possible are clean before hitting the road. Store the recently-dirtied ones in a wet bag that you plan on taking with you. We own two medium sized wet bags, one is Planet Wise's "Meadow Tweets", and it's a C.D. must have!

-If your diapers need to be prepped (inserts snapped in, pre-folds folded, etc), do this before leaving and put them all into a diaper bag or backpack- wherever they can be conveniently stored and easily accessed during your trip.

-Fill a large empty disposable wipes case with your cloth wipes. If you use a spray bottle solution to spray your wipes individually, pack your spray bottle in a plastic bag or wherever it won't possibly leak onto other things. If you dampen all of your wipes at the same time (like we do), prep them before leaving and store them in an empty disposable wipes case. Worried about mold and mildew while traveling with damp wipes? Kissaluvs Diaper Lotion Potion Concentrate prevents this (more info here)- even up to a month, as I "accidentally" learned by leaving a damp wipe in a disposable case for that long. You can imagine my surprise when I opened it up expecting a green fuzzy wipe, but instead found no mold whatsoever. It even smelled good! (But don't worry, I washed it before using it all the same).

-At each stop we make along the road, I use a changing pad to change our baby on the seat of the car, (it seems to be easier than using the gas station bathrooms). It's as simple as this- off with the dirty one, and on with the clean one. The dirty diaper and the dirty wipes go into your wet bag or a plastic bag that can be tied shut. You don't want those smells wafting in your car!

For Short Outings

-Put a clean cloth diaper (or two) into a plastic grocery/store bag.

-Put a couple of clean cloth wipes into a small travel size wipe case.

-When you're out and it's time for a diaper change, take your clean diaper out of the plastic bag and then use the same bag to hold the soiled one. Tie the bag shut with the dirty diaper and dirty wipes inside, and store it in your diaper bag or vehicle until you're back home.

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We haven't traveled by plane with our baby and cloth diapers yet, but I assume the same system would work. And we might find out! We're considering a flight at the end of the month, depending on how the rest of our plans pan out. And in that case, since we'll be staying in a hotel for just a couple of days, we may only use disposables. Which (to me) is a scary thought after getting so used to using cloth...but we'll see what happens!

Cleaning Your Cloth Diapers Away from Home

Asher used his GG's port-a-crib during our visit in Virginia. It doubled as a really great changing station!

He also fell in love with his Grandma's toy when she was a baby.

How you clean your diapers away from home depends on a couple of factors. Will you have access to a washer and dryer? And will you be staying in a house or in a hotel?

We've done both. We are currently living in a hotel (on a temporary army assignment that's almost over), where we use a shared laundry room to wash our diapers. We brought our BumGenius diaper sprayer with us and hooked it right up to our hotel-room toilet. If you're going away on a shorter vacation where you wouldn't bring your diaper sprayer, the sink works just fine (if necessary) for rinsing out those messy diapers before throwing them into the washer.

Likewise, when we visited family for a week, I used a utility/mud-room sink to rinse out our messy diapers before washing them.

As a new mom and a newbie to cloth diapering, I've been pleasantly surprised to see how easy it's been. I believe the key is having a good system, which means not being afraid to go through a little trial and error to get a good system down. It doesn't take long to figure out which methods will work best for you, so just jump in and don't be afraid to "get your hands dirty" (because you will, ha!)

*As much I don't like to use them, (they give Asher terrible diaper rash) having a few disposable diapers and wipes on hand is always a good idea. As well as an extra outfit in the event of an explosion! We've learned that one the hard way...twice.

What about my fellow cloth diapering moms? Have any tried and true tips to share? Have you ever C.D.'ed in a hotel for a weekend trip? What do you think, should I try it?

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The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.
Psalm 121:8

Happy Fourth! And the Winner Is...

4. Mr. Contemplative! -Thanks to our tie-breaker, Janelle.

 And here's a big thank you to everyone else for voting. Happy Fourth of July! Jump over to Sweet Pea Weekly to see the winning photo donned with the "19 Weeks" graphic later today.

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Vote on Asher's 19 Week Photo!

1. All Smiles

2. Do the Twist

3. Yipee!



4. Mr. Contemplative

See last week's winning photo here. Thanks for sharing in the fun, everyone!

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Put the "Kick" Back into Your Cloth

Ever suspected your cloth diapers of losing their absorbency? Have they ever seemed to leak a little more than usual? I came across this issue a while back. I wasn't sure what the problem was. Was the baby wetting more than usual? Was I not putting his diapers on tight enough? Were cloth diapers just not going to work for us?

Then I realized that I was using the wrong detergent. I never got around to ordering the good stuff (Country Save, Rockin' Green, etc) from Nicki's Diapers, so a couple of weeks after Asher was born I picked up Seventh Generation's "Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender" scented liquid detergent. Which was not additive free. Duh, what was I thinking? I knew I wasn't supposed to be using the standard chocked-full-of-unnecessary-chemicals-that-linger-in-your-laundry kind of detergent, didn't I? We'll blame it on infant-imposed lack of sleep at two weeks post-partum. I also remember having the silly thought that because lavender is anti-bacterial as an essential oil (an ingredient in my diaper wipes solution), it would likewise fight bacteria as a detergent scent.

NOT additive-free=Cloth Diaper no-no.

So after realizing my big spoof and immediately worrying that I'd "ruined the diapers forever!", I came across Just Simply Baby, a great C.D. site that rates every detergent on the market based on it's suitability for cloth diapers. The less additives, the better. Surprisingly, certain household brands like Arm & Hammer Free & Clear and Woolite get pretty good ratings. (See the full rating list here- it's got everything.) I felt like I didn't have time to order one of the fancy brands online, so back to the store I went. I picked up Arm & Hammer's "Sensitive Skin- Free of all Perfumes and Dyes" liquid detergent, and it was only about $5 for a huge gallon of it.

Free & Clear

I was still curious about the more expensive detergents that are made especially for cloth diapers, and I was still worried that I'd compromised the absorbency of my cloth inserts because of the Seventh Generation I'd been using. (Whether I did or not, I can't be totally sure...but either way it was worth switching to a better detergent). So, I looked into Rockin' Green, which seems to get raving reviews from the C.D. pros, including the owner of Just Simply Baby, a stay at home mom that's developed her own line of diapers.



So when I saw a small sample at Supper Mommy's (a natural parenting store in Elizabethtown, KY) that was meant to clean unwanted additives out of your cloth, I had to try it. The sample size was only about a dollar or two.

I don't have a personal washer and dryer to use for soaking here at Motel K, so I filled up our bathtub with hot water, mixed in the detergent, and let my diapers soak in it for a while before washing. (We have a shared laundry room in the basement of the building). And voila! Leak issue solved! As far as I could tell, at least. And now that it's been a couple of months I'm thinking about giving the ol' cloths another cleansing. Maybe I'll even get the big bag of Rockin' Green since our Arm & Hammer is getting low.

Again, I can't say for sure whether it really was the 7th Gen. that was causing extra leaks, and I can't say for sure that it was the Rockin' G. that fixed it. Maybe it was just the "placebo" affect of giving the dipes a special cleaning. But it might be worth a try if you're experiencing the same problems. After all, a sample of the Green stuff is just a buck or two!

So, fellow C.D. moms, what detergents do you use? Have any special washing tricks to share?

---P.S. Did you notice the three latest additions to our stash of Best Bottom shells? Eeeee I'm thrilled! Just picked up Mint-Chocolate-Chip, Blue Moon, and Orange Sherbet through an auction on Under My Crib. They're second hand, but I saved about $21 bucks that way. And why not re-use instead of buy new all the time? Great site by the way, I've both bought and sold on it now.

---P.S.S. See my favorite C.D. products here!

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The earth is the LORD's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein.
-Psalm 24:1