Diapers

Well, I am seriously considering cloth diapers. And the vision that you are pondering is just not your 1970's diapers. Yes, there is still the standard old folded cloth diapers. And they are improved, no pins anymore. And they have great covers that are far better than the old rubber pants. But that just doesn't tempt me to leave the convenience of disposables.

However, once you start your education on the topic, it is a vast culture of awesome mammas!

This is what I am looking at, "Bum Genius 3.0" is expandable for many size needs:

So the diapers is used for about 6 weeks - 18 months. That makes the investment seem much more cost effective.

This one is made by "Happy Heineys" and it too will be used from 6 weeks - 18 months of growth.

Oh, the choices are amazing. Then there are all the color options - who knew?!?!

I am thankful for all the friends that have helpfully guided me through the maze of diaper culture. Here are my most favorite sites (so far):

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/store/bumGeniusV3.html

http://www.weebunzdiapers.com/cgi-bin/product.cgi?pg=110#main

http://www.katieskisses.com/proddetail.php?prod=23d

Yes, I know that the sticker shock is amazing at first glance. But I can cloth diaper for about the first 18-24 months for around $300 and I can disposable diaper for about $450 the first year alone.

Aaron is not so convinced. He is still deeply traumatized and offended by diapers in the toilet that he saw in his childhood. Too gross he says. So I will have to keep disposables on hand for his sensibilities.

A Baby Update

Here is the little weekly update that I get on the baby's development. I get it to help the kids understand that things are happening, even though we can't see the baby. And it has helped them realize how important it is for each stage of development to happen and for mom to get her rest!

Today is my first OB check-up so it will be wonderful to hear the heartbeat.

From Web MD:
Welcome to the Pregnancy Week-by-Week NewsletterWeek 11
Congratulations Janey! You're 11 Weeks Pregnant. Your fetus, about the size of a large lime, measures about 1.75 to 2.4 inches from crown to rump and weighs about three-tenths of an ounce. About now the rapid "swooshing" noises of the heartbeat may be heard using an electronic Doppler device. Fingernails and external genitalia are showing distinguishing characteristics, and the baby is swallowing and kicking, although you still won't feel it. Your uterus is almost big enough to fill your pelvis and may be felt in your lower abdomen. You may also be seeing changes in your hair, skin, fingernails or toenails.

God is so good!
-Janey

So what are those crazy Backers looking at anyway?

For the many of you that are following our trials and travails as we look for our future pad-to-be, here are the two current top contenders.

IN THIS CORNER:
Tarrega. 1 acre. 3000sq feet. 5br (3 in the basement), 2 bath.
Mouse poop. (lots of it)
Will require a strong stomach and lots of work before it's livable. As in, the main bath rebuilt, the kitchen rebuilt, all the ceiling sheetrock in the basement torn out and redone..many other "minor" pieces...

BUT...it's already got a shop. Surrounded by fields and pasture. At the end of a private road and well away from any main roads. And once it's done it'll be quite comfortable.

Check out the birds-eye view. (VERY cool!) You can even rotate around to see it from different angles. Zoom out to see the neighborhood and nearby roads..!

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=r7r8f45912v7&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=20888834&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1


IN THE OTHER CORNER:
Greenacres. (no kidding...that's the street name)

We just found this one on Saturday. It's a full acre, but the house is *TINY*!! (like, 1250 sq ft!) But it's been nicely redone, all new windows and carpet. Livable immediately. 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath. Single car garage. (Did I mention it's small?) Lovely, park-like backyard. The lot is an acre as well, but it just "feels" larger. RV electrical hookup in the field. No shop, but lots of room for one.

Beautiful 100' oaks behind the property. And about 20 trees on the property.

Oh, and it's tiny. Tiny kitchen. One family/living room. Carpet...WHITE carpet in the dining room. (what do these people THINK?!) No ac or furnace. (it uses radiant ceiling heat and a wood stove)

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=r7nwgn5953wr&style=b&lvl=2&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=20889471&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Decisions, fear and faith: Chapter 1

Waiting....

It has been a long process since May. We saw a property that began the dream of hope for a new season of home ownership. The property fizzled away but the dream was rooted and grew.

So we spent 3 long, sometimes tedious and sometimes arduous months of working on our home.

Goal #1 was pack up everything that we could live without for a few months. In that process I also weeded out all the things that I could give away or donate and even sold a few items.

Goal #2 was to polish up our home as much as we could, new paint, completing unfinished projects, learning new skills to upgrade areas that we could such as painting the kitchen cabinets and new enamel on the wrought iron railing.

Goal #3 was to price and list our home as competitively as possible and see what would happen.

We have daily followed new listings - watching for the perfect property. We liked some that sold really fast and some that were out of our price range drop down into our price range.

Well, we have been on the market for about 7-8 weeks and we got an offer!

The property that we like will take much faith and patience. We will have a few months of negotiations that will be just SLOW. Then if that all works out we will have a few months of much work - toil, labor, stamina and disgusting filth.

All this to hopefully realize the dream and hope of a lovely renewed home interior on a spacious and restful piece of land that will be all ours.

We have discussed and fretted over "where will we live" once our house closes. We had settled on an apartment, perhaps buying an older RV to live in at a trailer park then on the property while we work on the house, then we contemplated on renting a house. All these had significant drawbacks that we couldn't remedy. Fears of being in such small space that our family would unravel. Or of being locked into contracts that would consume so much money.

God does have a plan. And I kept praying that God would reveal His plan in His time. I have had peace much of the time and joy that there was a beautiful gift waiting at the end of the process. That God was leading us.

I will admit that I am getting weary and so that is when the fear finds weakness of faith to creep in. Pregnancy has brought on emotional upheavels and doubts of my strength. Then I recall that this is about His Strength and not mine.

So we recieved an offer on our house, which is still in negotiation but looks favorable. This brought on panic of "WHERE WILL WE LIVE?!?!"

But the next day we were offered an opportunity to rent an adequate 2bed/2bath home on half an acre for as long as we need. It was not real, it was too easy and too convenient and REALLY? God you had this planned and I just had to be patient for the right day and the right timing?!?!?

Well, this should have bolstered my faith, instead I started to fear that we wouldn't be able to negotiate the next house, the budget will be too big, the house will be a money pit, we will disolve into chaos and desperation. Which would make us the next foreclosure family....

No, that is not the God that leads, protects and provides for me. This is a long journey of faith, and I must endure in faithfullness. He is not leading us to failure but to fulfillment.

So we viewed more properties yesterday, but our list is back with the same property at the top.

God has made the process clearer, but there is still much faith and patience to be applied as we walk through the next chapters of the journey. There are so many questions and I joyfully look forward to each answer that God will provide at the right time and in the right way.

I look forward to posting the chapters as they unfold, one step at a time.

Wandering hairlines...

So this morning I'm brushing my hair. And ruminating that, despite it looking full and lustrous from the front, my vaguely ridiculous looking thinning top is completely hidden from view.

And so I call out to Janey: "I know why pattern baldness tends to start from the crown of the head and move out."

Janey: "Oh really?"

Me: "Yeah. Natural selection. Those of us who don't see it happening are in denial longer, so we're happier. Hence we live longer. Ipso facto conclusio."

Janey: "I see..."

[silence for a few minutes]

Janey: "I have an alternate theory."

Me: "Oh yeah? What's that?"

Janey: "You know how men hate to ask for directions...?"

Me: "Uhh....yeah..."

Janey: "Apparently male hair hates to ask for directions too. So as you get older it wanders off your head to sprout from your nostrils, ears, nose..."

The Slow Life

Being pregnant has slowed me down. I was adamantly not going to let this happen. No way was I going to be a wimp or be a pansy that demanded attention and special rights. I did kind of wallow in such behaviors with past pregnancies, thinking that I had better enjoy it while it lasted.

However, I have been so amazingly more tired with this pregnancy than I ever dreamed to expect. It could be my memory is sketchy, it has been 5 years since I have done this. Or it could be that since it has been 5 years since I did this that I am a bit older and therefore it is a bit more strenuous.

Whatever it is it is, now the rule of my life, momma must have rest. That means a daily rest time each afternoon - so glad that I already had this as a habit from the past 18 months. I have gone to bed at 9:30 many nights and even 8:30 a few nights. Tonight is a rare late night - Aaron isn't home and I feel restless until he does get home.

I am very careful to say "no, thank you" to many invitations and offers. I just can't spare the energy. Even field trips during the day are receiving more scrutiny and declined albeit with some guilt. For instance, going to the apple orchard tomorrow with our friends would be so fun. But it would be a long drive and really spend every ounce of energy. I do feel some relief that it was never verbalized as a possibility - the weather went wet and cold and I so happy that I mentally decided to committ to myself to stay home.

I have felt frustrated that if we are home more that more chores would be done and our house would do better at being staged and ready to show. Instead the house looks more lived in and that creates more feelings of overwhelming weariness at the housework load. But I really don't dwell long on these thoughts.

I am an optimist and have great hopes for "what comes next tomorrow - it is a new day" is my philosophy. So instead of dwelling on the shortcomings of today. I reassure myself that really this is temporary and in a few short weeks I will enter a new tri-mester and will be infused with more energy and ability to cope and work through many tasks.

Meanwhile my kitchen is a mess and odors send me reeling. Squeamish is the word, over things that I never noticed before. But tomorrow is a new day and the morning will be better.