Creepy Crawlies

If you're wondering why I haven't talked about gardening in a while it is because we have been doing less gardening. I know, it is sad... but there are a couple of factors to blame.

The most obvious one is that we just had a baby. This spring I was very pregnant and didn't really want to go pull weeds in my spare time. We did have a parsley plant that produced like crazy (and I did eat a lot of it in tabouli form, chalking it up to "leafy greens"... which I think contributed to my low milk supply, but I won’t get into that right now).

We only planted a few things for the summer because we knew we would be dealing with a newborn and that trumped any vegetables. We have collected a good amount of small tomatoes and bell peppers and a few eggplants and I'm very thankful! But, we (or I) could be producing more... like cucumbers, basil, carrots, onions, watermelon, pumpkins, various squashes, lettuces, spinach, peas, beans, and many other things. We have the space... and I can't blame the baby any longer because we have such a good routine that I could easily garden for an hour in evening a couple of times each week... not to mention two hours every morning when it's cool outside.

However, something still holds me up. The second reason for not gardening as much I'm kinda embarrassed to admit...

Garden snakes and mice!

I know, I'm being a total girl right now... but I can't stand garden snakes! Steven will even pick them up and show me that they aren't harmful... even making me touch them in hopes to get rid of my fear. But, nothing helps. I know in my mind that they are totally harmless and will gladly slither away... but that's just it, "slither!" Every time I see a snake (even a harmless garden snake) I jump up and have to shake off the creepy crawlies.

And mice! Double eww!!! This is kinda a problem we created. We have a compost pile and several plants with ripening fruit. The first year we were in our duplex we planted pumpkins and the mice would get to pumpkins before we could and this year the tomatoes and pepper have familiar little bit marks. And there is a shed in the back and a deck attached to the house... so there is food and shelter for any happy little mouse family.

A couple of weeks ago I had mustered up the courage to do some gardening again. I just kept repeating to myself that snakes are not going to harm me. I was watching Steven mow an area where I was about to sit and pull some weeds, then we both saw a GIANT mouse/rat (I couldn't tell). I screamed and told Steven to put out the poison and that I would be inside.

I haven't gone in the back yard since.

I apologize to my environmentally friendly friends, but I can't stand mice! They eat our vegetables and they carry diseases. My mom recently gave us a "humane" mouse trap... but I will not hesitate to put out poison if I see one alive. I know it works and I want them gone! What we really need is an outdoor cat... but we live off of two pretty busy streets so that is out.

It makes me very sad, but I don't quite know how to shake off the fear. I grew up in the country and near a lake so you would think that I would be a little stronger in this department. I don't mind bugs or grubs or even toads or lizards/geckos... but snakes and mice just give me the creepy crawlies. And we had an outdoor cat so I think I never really saw many mice or snakes growing up.

I really hope to get back out in the yard soon and have been trying to muster up the courage again. Hopefully the cooler weather will encourage me… after all mice and snakes are less active in the winter.

A little puzzled.

For about two weeks now I've been trying to wean John off of swaddling. Why you ask? Because it didn't seam like he needed it anymore and I hate making sure I have a swaddling blanket with me when we go out. And maybe becaue we just put away all the pacifiers since he found his thumb... so clearly he can self soothe.

I started when I realized that John clearly knew it was nap time. I would take him to our bedroom and lay him on the swaddling blanket. He would then start to cry/scream in protest before I even began to swaddle him. I wasn't doing anything different to him... in fact, I did 5 times a day... everyday of his life! So I knew he knew that was my signal for napping/sleeping.

When he first began to protest I was confused and would think that he wanted to play long. Well, that was wrong... because he would be fussy mess if I tired to get him back up to play.

If I just let him protest it out (formally known as cry it out) he would only cry for 1-2 minutes... then fall asleep for the 2 hour nap.

I began to leave one arm out of the swaddle about two weeks ago because he was protesting anyway and I wanted to start weaning off of swaddling. Same drill... a little protesting and then off to dream land. My Mom actually witnessed this while watching John for us (while Steven and I were on a date) this weekend. Both my Mom and Steven have tried laying next to him to comfort him in hopes that he wouldn't protest. But, he still does... the only benefit is that you get to see him do his cute little acceptance huff before he falls asleep.

After our trip (I don't know why but I'm usually more "inspired" to move to the next level after a trip) I tired to not swaddle John for night time. I was terrified to try it because I was afraid that he wouldn't sleep through the night and it brought back bad memories of the first couple of weeks of John's life... I love my child... but, I strongly dislike not sleeping at night.

Well, I made sure John was well fed that day (one of the reasons John wasn't sleeping at first was because he was hungry because I had an almost non-existent milk supply) and put him in a night gown (we didn't really use pajama's because the swaddling blanket kept him warm enough for August in Texas) and put him to bed. ... ... ... He did great! No crying. And he slept from 9pm to 7:30am-ish just like normal.

So I tired for the next nap time to just put him in his bed like I had done that night.

Well, napping is a little different. He fell asleep for about 30 minutes... then he woke up and cried.... and cried... and cried. I couldn't take it and got him up early. I tried again for another nap cycle and the same thing happened.

Why did not-swaddling work for night time but not work for napping? He could clearly fall asleep if one arm was out during his naps, why not both?

I decided to just wrap the blanket around his tummy to see if maybe he just wanted to feel snug. I kept the no swaddle routine in place for night time, but for naps I wrapped his tummy only... both arms out.

Well, we are back to no crying to fall asleep (which is a relief) but now I'm puzzled. Essentially it is the same to not be swaddled at all and to have only your tummy swaddled. It's like he needs a signal, "Hey buddy, I love you very much, and it's time for you to rest so you will have energy to play again in a couple of hours. This is your signal to take a nap. I will be back in a while."

He also has begun to not take good naps at other people's houses.... which is a HUGE bummer. I do venture out one-two times a week to visit friends. But it's like he can tell that the room is different. He is getting smarter!

I don't know... do you have to give your baby a "signal" to go to sleep? Or does your little one just get it when you leave them alone for a while? What are other signals besides a hot blanket wrapped around your baby's tummy?

Zucchini and Popcorn

Let me just say, I promise I'm not pregnant again... it's way to soon for our next one. However...

I was thinking tonight that there ought to be a restaurant that where you could go and order whatever you wanted... even if it was the most random combination. Something like Zucchini and Popcorn... or Strawberry Puree and Chicken Pot Pie... or Spaghetti with Cream Cheese and Falafel without the Pita. And even if no one in your family ordered the same thing you still would be able to all get what you wanted. You could just request it and they serve it.... especially great for pregnant women who don't like the smell of what they are cooking, but are hungry.

Wouldn't that be great!

Now, I know that is the most unrealistic thing anyone could ever imagine. I mean, think of the stock of food they would have to keep on hand. And your wait time might be forever because they had to prepare something that they don't know how to... they would have to look up a recipe and figure out which one is the best and so on and so forth. And then there is the problem that nothing would really taste great because they do everything... kinda like a buffet (I hate buffets... Steven thinks they are the greatest things since slice bread).

This whole chain of thoughts occurred because for dinner I had... yes, my friends, Zucchini and Popcorn! It was delicious! And exactly what I wanted!

I think it I may make it a personal habit of mine to have whatever I want to eat on Sunday night. I usually want to rest on Sunday (being our "Sabbath" and all) and I highly encourage Steven to cook because I know I've got a week of cooking ahead of me. I feel like I deserve what I want... even if it is Zucchini and Popcorn.

Okay, that is enough of that... I just wanted to share my thoughts... that is actually what my blog is for, even though it seems like John land right now.

A small diaper update

I promise I am working on a complete diaper update... but I've got about 1,000 different projects going on right now and I need to reign them all in.

However, I am very proud of some recent projects.

I've been making diapers!

"Out of what?" you ask.

Well just about anything that says 100% cotton. I've made some out of flannel bed sheets (My favorite because they are so absorbent!) and old t-shirts and old socks and old pillow cases... if it sucks up water, then I'll try to turn it into a diaper.

The best part is that I've have 7 new fitted diapers and it's only cost me $1.75 for the purchase of elastic.

Actually, I started making prefolds because that seemed like an easy way to up my diaper supply the quickest. Then, while disassembling some fitted sheets I found some elastic. A few experiments later I had new fitted diapers. I quickly went back and turned the 3 prefolds I had made into fitteds. I love the fitted because there is no folding and they hold in poop a lot better... which saves my covers...

Which brings me to my wool covers. John has been in cloth since he was about 2.5 weeks old but I hadn't experimented with lanolized wool until recently... as in yesterday. I knitted a cover before he was born out of Fisherman's Wool from Hobby Lobby, but recently I bought an 100% wool skirt at a garage sale for $1.00. Considering that one wool cover goes for about $30-$50 and I can make 4 covers out of my skirt... that was an AMAZING deal!

I turned it into a one sized (I know, fancy right!) diaper cover using my Bumgenius as a guide/pattern. Right now the one cover is in it's "testing" phase and I will make the other 3 after it passes.

Here are some pictures....

I took one t-shirt and made TWO fitted diapers with just a small amount of scrap.

Here is the diapering process...

Put fitted diaper on baby, fasten with snappi

(I opted out of using Velcro because I didn't want it sticking to different things in the wash and it was a lot cheaper to just use one of the six snappi's I already own).

((note the strategically places Texas A&M symbol, courtesy of Steve's old dorm days shirt... it's currently my favorite diaper))

Then wrap up lanolized wool diaper cover made out of skirt.... and PRESTO! A diapered baby ready for a nap!

It's so fun to have an actual baby to do all the modeling for me... I'm glad he's a good sport. (And sorry, Mom, that I cut out his face... the camera took a better picture of just the diaper)

Okay... coming soon... a really, really, REALLY long post about our entire diapering system!

Who needs real toys anyway...

I have to say I'm quite proud of myself. I love it when I find a solution for something I wanted and it doesn't cost me one penny!

Recently, I wanted some black and white, high contrast toys or pictures for John to look at when he played. He has the one little rattler that Steven insisted on us registering for... it has a black ball on one end with white dots on it. Well, turns out he loves it! So I knew that his play are could benefit from some high contrast stuff.

Well, Steven and I have been on a card playing kick (current game of choice is Gin). One night we were playing cards at the coffee table and John was playing next to me on the floor. I reached over to do something with him and he saw my cards... and then he followed them as I moved the across his line of vision.

Ah ha! So I quickly set up some cards for him to gaze at. Then I got really creative and taped some to the vertical blinds. He already liked the vertical blinds... now I'm sure they are his favorite!

And, now I've got cards taped everywhere!

I really like them because they don't interfere with lifting the car seat up and down and in and out of the car.... Best car seat toy ever! Until he figures out how to rip them down... oh well... Mommy will just have to be creative again.

Another toy we really like is the mirror. I can't lie, I stole this one from a friend. Well, I thought of going out and buying a mirror, but then realized I had a small mirror in the bath room that I wasn't really using. I ran to get it and propped it up on his toy box. And, boy, does he love it! I love it when he makes himself smile in the mirror... I'm sure I'll have a video of that soon... he is so cute!

Here's a picture of John's little play area. I love those pointed toes during his tummy time!

I think I can?...

I'm thinking of starting an Esty shop. I would really like to pay off my student loans as soon as possible. I try to help out by using cloth diapers on John and making sure we have something to eat in the fridge (avoiding eating out and over spending)... but I think I can make some money with my crafts. Here are two recent projects that didn't take long, but turned out adorable!









I think I may also sell these bibs. I'm confident my stuff is cute enough, and I have employed the most adorable model... so surely they would sell, right? I'm not sure if I can make enough to contribute to my loan payments, but I figure I should at least try.

I wanted to make the name kinda general in case I decide to venture out and make something other than baby apparel. I think I've decided on "31-24" It's based on the verse

"She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes."

-Proverbs 31:24.

I'm probably not going to make linen garments or sashes, but the idea was that the Proverbs 31 women helped her family by using her skills to bring in extra income. That is what I want to do. The name still feels a little silly to me (it's not particularly catchy and it's kinda long when said out loud), but it fits for what I want to do so I will probably keep it. I thought about naming it linen and sashes... but that seemed like it might mislead someone to think that the baby beanies were made out of linen or something. I don't know, what do you think? Unless something else comes to mind I will probably go with 31-24. It's just an Etsy shop after all.

I've been reading seller testimonials on the Etsy blog. They talk about what has worked to make them successful and what has been some of their regrets. Right now I'm trying to think things through and make a plan. If I do it I need to be organized because my number one priority during the day is the baby and the house. Since naps are going so well right now I have about 6 free hours from babies duties... if you calculate in the time to do house hold chores (and me being super productive!) then I only have about 4 hours that I could dedicate to my crafts & managing my shop.

I think I may try in September and see how it goes. I'll probably start with a small inventory and see if my things even sell. I will decide if it is worth maintaining after that. If it works, it could be beautiful!... but I just don't know.

We will see!