I need a tripod

Because obviously even when I'm used a real camera and not my phone... they are still blurry. I'll chalk it up to the fact that Raymond cannot be still.  Oh well. These pictures are for you, Tasha.

Regardless of my (lack of) photography skills, he's a cute little drummer boy, no? This boy loves his pots and pans. He bangs and pats on just about anything that will make a thumping sound (my legs, the floor, his high chair tray, his blocks, a book, etc.) But big red pots are best of all.

Who knew these fun pots would become the family favorite?

Trees

 (image from here)

I love trees. Love them.  It didn't really happen until I moved to Utah and witnessed first-hand their beauty as they change with the seasons and climates.  I remember, in fact, the first tree I feel in love with. It was (is?) along the walkway of the Jesse Knight (Humanities) Building on BYU campus. Living in Helaman Halls at the bottom of the hill, I walked past that tree often on my way to and from campus my first year at college.

I still don't even know what kind of tree it is (growing up in Southern California didn't prove many opportunities for tree observing, and somehow I've still never mastered the skill of learning their names), but it is enormous.  It's long, knarled arms twist their way heavenward in defiance of gravity itself.  All that year I gloried in that tree. I loved it's shade in the early days of fall, and then I smothered a smile as it's red and orange leaves crunched beneath my feet during autumn. I loved it's mighty silhouette during the long cold winter months--reaching, stretching, climbing ever heavenward, like the soul of a man struggling in mighty prayer. And oh how I loved it in the spring with its brilliant neon green leaves, eager and ready for life.

I have tried on many occasions to write a poem about trees, but to no avail. I cannot seem to simplify the enormity of their majesty in mere words. Even poetic words. They symbolize too much for me--of life, of what it means to become even as God and Jesus Christ, of joy and beauty, of all that is good. (You see? Even here my attempts sounds silly and trite.)

I know, you probably think I'm a little crazy. After all, they're only trees. But oh, in other ways, they seem the very breath of life. I hope with all my heart that someday my house is surrounded by trees. A little wood in the backyard where my little ones can ramble. Jeremy laughs at me when I say these types of things (he aspires to city dwelling), but I'm serious. That little "house of dreams" that I drew pictures of as a little girl had a white picket fence, red shutters, and trees. Sigh. A girl can dream, right?

I threw away two books today.

No, I'm not going to disclose which ones, but let's just say they've been on my shelves for a few years. Both were books I thoroughly enjoyed reading too. Great story lines, gripping characters, thought provoking themes.

(The English teaching, book loving, anti-banning part of me has been fighting this for a long time. A very long time. It's been a deep rooted internal struggle.)

They weren't bad books per se (in fact I'm guessing if I told you the titles a good number of you would say, really?? What's wrong with that book?). But every time I've thought about one of my children pulling them off the shelf and diving in, I knew I wouldn't want him to. And every time I've thought about rereading them myself (I'm a chronic rereader, if you didn't know), I've thought... well, that one part, or that one word (that resurfaces throughout) Eh. I shouldn't.

So today, all of a sudden I just went to my beloved bookshelves and took them off. And then put them promptly in the trash without looking back.

I am typically so opposed to banning books. But after thinking long and hard about it, I've decided that my selves should not have "not until you're older" books on them.(Well, I know there are some really outstanding books out there that my little charges just won't get until they're older, no matter how young they try. I'm not really talking about those books). It's just that I feel like having a book on my shelf is, essentially, a stamp of approval. It means I not only would allow it to be read, but I encourage it. Hmmm. I don't think the world would end of one of my kids sought out these two books someday off a library shelf and chose to read them. But I'm not going to move the process along by putting them in easy reach, you know what I mean?

And you know, I'm really pretty choosey about my movies (as in I stick with old movies, it seems like), but I haven't always been as choosey with my books. I think I need to change that. And these two didn't make the cut.

There is a hopeful little gap on the shelves waiting for something wonderful to come and fill it's place.

Swingtime... almost springtime!

The weather has been nicer the past week or so, and so Raymond and I have taken up daily(ish) walks again. Oh how we missed the sweet outdoors during the long chilly months past.  So long. So chilly.

I know (in my heart of hearts) that springtime isn't really here. But for a few day's we've liked to pretend it's on it's way. Of course I still had to bundle Raymond up... but the snow melted enough, and the ground firmed up enough (sort of) under the swings for him to take a little ride.

He still loves it as much as ever.

I'm telling you, I'm convinced the world would be a better place if everyone had a pair of cheeks like these to kiss everyday. Mmmm.

Some things in our house are not optional

Like red kitchen towels.
And family prayers.
And nap time.

Raymond is actually an pleasantly long napper (read: a one hour nap is uncharacteristically short). As soon as I read Marc Weisbluth's book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, I became a believer in bed time routines and naps (and short intervals between naps), and falling asleep unassisted. I will try not to be obnoxious about how life altering reading this book was for sweet Raymond's well-being.  But, I'm telling your folks, just as he says in the very title of his book: a child with healthy sleep habits is happy. Dr. Weisbluth was on to something. I absoulutely 100% believe that Raymond would not be the happy, smiley, go-out-and-conquer-the-world boy he is (read: get into every thing possible... all while smiling and laughing) if I did not enforce naps and bed times.

Truth: when the boy has gone longer than two (maybe he can sometimes stretch to three) hours between a nap, he has bags under his red, bloodshot eyes. And he's on the brink of a melt down. No mother likes a child about ready to pop. Am I right?

Now, I know that Raymond is one of the lucky few that falls into the "long napper" category of babies. Plenty of babies are just "short nappers" (or shorter)  but no babies are "non-nappers." If you tell yourself that, you're fooling yourself. And your depriving your baby of the rest he needs to develop and grow and be happy.  (I'm sorry I sound obnoxiously like a know-it-all... but I'm just telling you what the man (Dr. Weisbluth) has proved with countless studies... all recorded in his book. You should read it.)

I get a few suspicious looks when I mention the fact that Raymond goes to bed between 5:30pm and 6:00pm. But you know what, I can handle it. It not only has helped him be happy, it's helped me be happy. That counts for something, doesn't it? Usually by about 5:00pm he's rubbing his eyes and getting fussy. We start slowing down, reading books, playing on the rug, closing the blinds. We take a bath and put on warm jammies (mmm) and get wrapped up tight in a blanket (yes, I still swaddle him under his arms for naps and night time... because if I don't, those feet are so wiggly and entertaining!). When I lay that boy in his bed after nursing him one last time for the day, he rolls right over and falls asleep (if he isn't already). So sweet.

(While I'm on my sleeping-soap box, I might as well add here that while Raymond's day and night sleep schedule might be, at times, inconvenient, I  feel really strongly that his needs should trump my own the vast majority of the time. Of course holidays and vacations and trips will mess things up every now and again, but for the many "normal" days in between, I should not be dragging him around according to my schedule. Despite the modern notion that babies can and should be able to go wherever (and whenever) their parents are going somewhere, if it's during his naptime or bedtime, I just don't agree (with the exception of Church of course). I know it gets sticky when you have older kids to get to and from school and whatnot, but still. Just because you want to go to the store right now doesn't mean you should, if it means you have to cut your baby's nap short. As Dr. Weisbluth says, "Never wake a sleeping baby.")

I've been working on helping Raymond fall asleep unassisted lately. For a long time I've nursed him to sleep for his naps. Dr. Weisbluth says this is a-okay (so long as your are consistent in your going-to-sleep routine and consistent in soothing completely to sleep vs laying down awake). Raymond has had a harder time falling asleep while nursing lately (he's so easily distracted. As still as I sit, I'm still a huge distraction to him), so I've been laying him down drowsy but awake. I'm not going to lie, it's been an uphill road. The good Dr. W says to let them "cry it out" for as long as an hour (for naps) but not longer. Most babies, he says, will only need to do this for a few days, but as long as a week or two. Well, we've passed our "week or two" mark. But I refuse to give up. Naps are not optional in this house. And, I've decided, neither is going to sleep unassisted.

When I started this post Raymond had been crying (fussing, talking, singing) for about 50 minutes. I'll be honest, I can't do much while he cries (so I try to distract myself with blog-land, thanks for listening). And then, all of a sudden (at about 53 minutes), he fell asleep. I tell you, I know this is going to be worth all the heartache. I know he's going to be a happier person his whole life if he can master the trick of falling asleep and soothing himself back to sleep when he wakes up. I've spent a decent amount of time awake in the middle of the night; I don't want to give him my own unhealthy sleep habits.

So anyhow, long story short, babies (and their mamas) need sleep. And while I hate listening to him cry, I know it is for his own good. It's like of like when I have to take away the (book, pen, piece of trash...) that he managed to get his hands on (and shouldn't have). I'm not going to keep letting him play with it just because it will make him cry to take it away. It's for his own good. And studies, says the Dr., have shown that "protest" crying "will not cause permanent emotional or physiological damage. In plain fact, the contrary is true (... for children over the age of four months and only during normal day and night sleep times)." (page 277). Don't feel guilty for helping your child grow emotionally and physically by getting the sleep he or she needs. Just saying.

Well now I'm rambling, sorry about that. Now that the wee man-child is snugly nestled in his dreamland, I'm off to take a shower! I hope you have a lovely (almost springtime!) day.

To any who have never cooked a whole chicken in the crock pot...

the time has come, my friends, for you to taste the tenderest piece of poultry ever. Ever.

I'm not joking.  Its juicy, succulent, flavorful meat will have you asking for seconds... until that sweet little chickee is all gobbled up (as just happened at our kitchen table. With Jeremy being the primary gobbler despite the fact that normally he simply endures chicken for my benefit. No forced eating tonight).

Unsure what to do? Where to start?

1. Your local grocer will have whole chickens in probably the frozen and/or refrigerated meat section. Don't be fooled in paying much more (if any) that about five bucks.
2. If indicated on the package, remove the "innards"
3. Place in crock pot on low for a good 6-8 hours.

 That's all folks. She will produce plenty of her own juices, but if you're worried (or you want more) add a half cup or so of water or chicken broth. You can add some s&p or favorite herbs too. Stuff a few lemon slices if you want to go the lemon chicken route. I'm telling you, you won't regret it. We usually have enough meat left overs for a chicken pot pie later in the week, but even if we ate the whole thing... it was only $2.50 a serving, so it didn't break the bank.

Go on, give it a whirl. I'm telling you, it's life changing.

(It's very satisfying to write with many too many italics sometimes. Please excuse the exuberance.)

Just Curious

Does anyone else wash a (very) full load of red-only laundry on a weekly basis? Or is that just in my neck of the woods? Jeremy's convinced we're the only house on the planet that consistently has large amounts of red lint coming out of our dryer.

But I'm not alone, am I?

All my love

Five year ago I was in Catacamas, Honduras as a missionary. And I was filled up with a deep and abiding love for the people of that beautiful place, for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for my family. In a Valentine's letter I wrote home that year, these were my thoughts...

"I feel so filled with love today. I love to see missionaries happy. It was good to have a preparation day together to rejuvenate our spirits. I love the missionaries in the mission. I love my companion [Hermana Perez]. I shall miss her. She has been one of my favorite companions. We have so much fun together. I love sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the last few days I have been asking in my prayers to feel the love of the Savior for me and for my investigators. I have had so many experiences of being in a lesson to talking with a member and suddenly I just feel an out pouring of love for that person. Often it has happened while singing a hymn. Song is a way we show our love for the Savior and often when we can feel His love for us.   I have also been praying more for each of you and have felt a deeper love and connection to you in the past week or so.  We are all so connected one to another by the love of the Savior.  Charity is His great love for each of us and the way we must feel love for each other.  Without charity, we are nothing.  We must learn to love one another and sacrifice for one another. It is what the Savior did.  It is how we can grow personally.  When we (collectively or individually) sin, we begin to isolate ourselves. Sin not only separates us from God, but from one another--our eternal family.  It is Satan's plan that we lose the connection, and it is the Savior's plan that were be a welding link of some kind (D&C 128:18).  We must fight to stay connected. We must sacrifice our own selves to do it.  There is no other way.  I feel a deep connection to each of you as you sacrifice to write to me, to mention my name in a prayer, etc.  I connect to you as I do the same.  I feel a deep love and connection to the Honduran people as I knock on their doors and climb the hills where they live, and pray for their hearts to be opened.  I feel a love and connection to my Savior as I study His life and His gospel, as I try to represent Him and try to emulate Him. ... I know He loves us. I know I cannot make it alone. It is WHY we came to earth as families.  Man was not made to be alone.  It is not part of the plan to come alone. We must join hands. We must love one another.  We must love as the Savior loves us. We must go and do what He is calling us to do and be.  Hand in hand--each connected and part of the family of God.  I have grown to love the Plan of Salvation. It is so complete.  So hopeful. I know this life is not the end.  The Father wants us to be connected with unbreakable bonds to Him forever.  So  much depends on us now.  It is so filling with loving. ..."

 I am glad Valentine's Day is on Sunday this year. It reminds me of the true Love of the Savior that we are striving to emulate.  I love this little day to help us remember and act on the love we feel for each other. I hope you have a love-ly day filled with true and real and lasting love.

All my love,

cj

My Symphony

by William Ellery Channing

To live content with small means,
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion,
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich,
to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly,
to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart,
to bear all cheerfully, 
do all bravely,
await occasions,
hurry never--
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common.
This is to be my symphony.


This morning I was reading poems aloud from the Julie Andrew's Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies while Raymond explored his bedroom, and I came across this poem. (It is a book my wise mother gave to us for Christmas.  It is a delightful collection for children--perfect for helping Raymond love poems as much as his mama does.)  It exactly describes how I feel about how I want to live. And how I hope, at least in part, I am already living.

So much going on, so little to say

Seriously, has it almost been a week since I last posted? Goodness. It's not for lack of excitement around these parts, that's for sure.

Valentine's are underway (although I hate to say it, but I'm only semi- in the mood this year. Can't seem to get motivated enough to finish and mail them. Maybe it's because I haven't bought any conversations hearts yet. That must be it.)

Cloth diapers are causing a fiasco around these parts (the store I bought them from a week and half ago was actually closed. Who know? Not me, obviously. Thank goodness for pay pal and getting a refund. It's just now left me in a debate over which brand to buy (all over again) as I can't get the kind I want as cheap anywhere else. I've starting looking (seriously) into making them myself. It would get me over my fear of sewing with elastic, that's for sure. But going in I would have to buy a snap press and supplies (about $115) (and NO, I'm just not willing to do velcro, no matter how much cheaper it would be) and the fabric is actually pretty pricey, plus the time it would take to make them all. The next batch wouldn't be much cheaper than buying them. But then the next size up (or down for a newborn) would. Sigh. Decisions decisions.

A beautiful fog rolled in last night. We love the fog around here. There is something almost edible about it. Mmmm.

Oh yeah, the LSAT happened. We'll see how it went. The next test is in June and well, it's always an option. Although, he does feel pretty good about it (usually) and hopes he won't have to go that route.

Um, lets see. And Raymond is still pretty much about the best (and cutest) thing that ever happened around these parts. His favorite thing to do lately is read books (makes my English Teacher heart melt). The funny thing is, he's pretty picky. He only likes about 2/3 of his books (and we don't have that many). He'll turn his head and refuse to turn teh pages and crawl off my lap if I try to read him a book he doesn't approve of. Pretty much I've read Polar Bear Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? more times than I can count.

Alright, that's all for now folks. Maybe some (Valentine's) brownies will grace this house later today. All I want is chocolate this week (but somehow feel it is more justified than other weeks, don't you agree?)

Hasta

cj

Thoughts on baby food

Pretty much pureed food in a mini jar makes me gag. Big time. I don't want to smell it. I don't want to touch it. I don't want to store it in my pantry. (I'm not kidding, the puke-on-myself reflex is strong when that stuff is around)

It should come as no surprise that I am doing homemade baby food all the way. It was decided before the cloth diapers.  I know, I know. Granola. I should just be feeding my son granola because I'm so dang granola. I'm down with that (but not for a few more months of course).

First up: (besides having no clue what and when to feed my son--trial and error and this website were helpful) homemade baby food smells good. As in, it actually smells like whatever it is.

That right there should make you a believer.

Peas smell like peas (oh how I love peas). Sweet potatoes smell sweet. Carrots smell carroty. If I didn't have a huge food-texture issue, I might just dig in myself, they smell so good. It's a whole lot easier feeding food to your child (who will wipe and smear it over every possible extremity) when you are tempted to eat it yourself.

Second up: It's not hard. Cook up a few sweet potatoes, throw them in the food processor (or blender) and walah! Food for many days made.  I know what you're thinking: I just don't have time. You'd be surprise at how easy this is. Really.

Third up: Storage is pretty basic. I was always going to buy ice cube trays (but my lovely local market doesn't have them, and I always forget when I'm at Wal-Mart). So I use snack baggies instead. I label the date made, the amount (1/4 cup when starting out, we're up to 1/3-1/2 cup now), and the food inside (carrots and sweet potatoes look shockingly alike). Then I have a box in my freezer where I put them (an old corn dog box to be exact. See I'm not as granola as I look. The Husband loves a good corn dog).

Forth up:  I believe in spices. Who says baby food must be bland? Ok, so right off the bat maybe... but two months later? No sir. Sprinkle some basil in those carrots. Add a touch of garlic powder to those green beans. Cinnamon and nutmeg makes that oatmeal oh so appetizing. No sugar, no salt, of course. But don't be afraid of making your wee one love your favorite flavors.

Fifth up:   Do I even need to mention how much money you will save? I thought not.

So long story short: I support homemade baby food. And you should too.


On a totally unrelated note. I just looked around the corner and this is what I found:

I had sat him down next to his basket of toys and left the room. Looks like he knows how to get what he wants!

(ps. Note the bib. I just made him two new ones (this is one)... and I ask you, when (oh when?!) will this boy stop spitting up?? Sweet potatoes aren't as sweet when they're coming back at you! Seriously.)

My Mobil Monkey

Sunday:

Monday:

Today:

He's 8 months on Friday--can you believe it?

Cloth Diapering Report

Well, six months later we're still using cloth diapers (and just made our big purchase of the next size up!). While I know that almost none of you (who regularly read this blog) use cloth diapers, I still wanted to give my six month review and tell you what I've learned.

Some background:
The first batch of diapers we bought were Fuzzibunz (that's a brand) sized pocket diapers. Not knowing cloth diaper lingo, you probably have no idea what that means. Here's a picture:

The outside is made of PUL--a waterproof polyester, and the inside lining is make of (some sort of fancy not-the-kind-you-buy-at-Walmart) fleece.  It's called a pocket diaper because at the back there's an opening between the PUL and the fleece (a pocket, so to speak) where you stuff an insert

We bought sized diapers, meaning they come in small, medium, large, etc. This is compared to one size diapers that "grow" with your baby (either through an extend-able snap system or buttoned elastic in the leg gussets).  We purposefully chose not to do one size (abbreviated OS in the cloth diaper world) because we want to be able to use our diapers on multiple kids. If Raymond is still in diapers when baby #2 comes along (and likely he will be) then we would have to buy all new diapers for the baby. With sized, we'll have to buy diapers of each size, but then multiple kids can be using our diapers all at once (does that make sense?). I am also SUPER glad we veered away from OS because they are so dang bulky. And I have a right to say that because we did buy 3 fuzzibunz OS diapers and pretty much I hate them. Raymond only wears them at night. I can't ever get the size just right and I won't even tell you how low they drag in his crotch (ok, almost to knees!).

We also purposefully bought fuzzibunz as they are one of the most highly recommended brands and they use snaps. I love the snaps. They are more durable than velcro, cleaner, and make it easy to adjust the diaper to fit the both around the waist and around the thighs.

Last, but not least, we chose fuzzibunz because they supposably run big and thus many babies can go through their whole diaper faze in just two sizes (small and medium). Funny how I didn't think about how this might affect the multiple kids in the same diapers problem I addressed at the beginning.) It's true, however: they do run big.

OK, so all that said, here's my thoughts six months later.

1. I'm still sold enough to keep using them! I am grateful we use cloth every time I have to buy disposables for trips. He can go through a pack (of 42) in roughly a week, and I am grateful I don't have to buy them all that often. Seriously.
2. I am glad we went with pocket diapers. Super glad. I still have no desire to try the prefolds and covers method. Stuffing isn't hard and now that I have a wash system down (back to that in a minute); I hardly notice the time it takes to stuff the diapers after they're done being washed.
3. I am SUPER glad we didn't do OS diapers. My biggest drawback (I must be very vain) with cloth diapers is how bulky they are. It bugs me that I can't always get clothes that fit loose when he's wearing disposables to fit nicely when he's wearing cloth. I think they make him look chunkier than he is (see, I really am vain I guess).  I can't tell if the bulk of his diaper is making it harder for him to learn to crawl or not.  Fact: he crawls the fastest when he's in just in birthday suit, so I assume they are. For this reason I have decided to change diaper brands (more on that in a minute).
4. Washing is not as scary as you might think it is. Now that Raymond eats solids, I do have to dispose of his stool (ie shake or (not my favorite) scrape what I can in to the toilet). Luckily for me, there is a bathroom connected to Raymond's room and really this isn't hard. Most of his stools are solid enough to shake and them put the diaper in my diaper pail without complaint. I do, however, have a plastic spatula in that bathroom for those extra loose stools that need some help coming off his diaper. That might gross you all out, but I rarely do this and pretty much I can suck it up for the other benefits of cloth diapering. Everyone picks their battles.
5. It is sort of a bummer that you have to be picky about your laundry soap. Most cloth diaper distributors recommend fancy-smancy soaps (and the truth is, you have to use something geared towards cloth diapers or they will get buildup and leak. That's the last thing anyone wants). I use Tide Clear (the one in the white and green box that is more expensive than any other Tide. Funny how you have to pay more to get less dyes and softeners etc). I use it with all my laundry and have been perfectly happy with it as far as cleaning my diapers goes. About once a month I run them through an additional HOT wash (called stripping  your diapers) to make sure any buildup is rinsed out, but again, not hard.
6. After about a month of washing my diapers 3 times a week, I noticed that in two of my diapers the PUL was warping--in other the words the plastic waterproof part (on the inside of the pocket) was shrinking. They recommend you dry your diapers on low. Unfortunately I don't have a low setting, so I've opted to line dry instead. I have a cheap (from Walmart) clothes rack that I keep by my washer an dryer. I dry the inserts in the drier and line dry the diapers. It means I have to plan a little bit more ahead as they take about 3 hours to dry (vs 45 minutes or less in the dryer), but I have been surprised at how non-intrusive this step has been. I do have some disposables on had in case my diapers still aren't dry and Raymond needs a change, but also not a big deal.
7. Raymond rarely has a diaper rash (usually only if he's been wearing a disposable), seems content, and the truth is, they're cute. For the most part, I've been super happy with our decision to do cloth.

What I'm going to do next:
Because I was frustrated with the bulk of fuzzibunz, I've done quite a bit of researching and review-reading online and have finally decided for the next size up to switch to Swaddlebees Original Snap Pocket diapers.

The price is very comparable to Fuzzibunz, they are a pocket diaper made with PUL and use snaps (although theirs are on the side rather than the front--I'll have to see how I like that). What really sold me on their diaper is that it is widely proclaimed as the trimmest diaper on the market. If you scroll back up and look at the fuzzibunz vs the swaddlebees, it's obvious that the swaddlebees has been cut narrow in the crotch. Their inserts are also contoured

in order to help eliminate the bulk. And, from most of the reviews I've read, their a favorite in most people's diaper stash. We'll see if I agree!

So, long story short (anyone still reading??): I'm still a cloth diaper user and supporter. 

(note: if you have any experience with either of these two brands, let me know what you think!)