Sow. Weed. Water. Wait.

As mother’s, we have a tremendous responsibility before us in raising our children. When they are babies, it seems so simple. Hold them, feed them, change them, love them. As they get older, we have to start teaching them right from wrong. Figure out what behaviors we will allow and which ones we won’t allow, and choose how we are going to discipline them for the latter. We start to think about what and how much media we are going to let them be exposed to, and worry about the values we may be teaching them if we let them play with certain toys. Then we began to feel the even deeper responsibilities of passing on our faith and values in an authentic way.

...continue reading at First Day Walking!

Always, 

Amanda

Four

My little Buddy is four today. I know I am supposed to say that I can't believe he is four already, but I can. He acts like he is four and it feels like he's been with us forever. As hard as it is for a mama to watch her baby grow up so big that she can hardly hold him (oh but I still do), I LOVE this stage of life with him!

He is so incredibly creative.

 "Mom, an idea just flew into my head!"

He loves to dress himself. I would say his style is eclectic. :)

His preferred home attire consists of white tank tops and underwear. I usually ask him to put on shorts for pictures at least.

He would also wear his fire pants everywhere if I would let him. Many times I do. He's a good negotiator.

He thinks he is all superheroes rolled into one.

He is kind and compassionate, inquisitive and insightful. He is wise beyond his years and has the vocabulary of an adult. 

"Mom, malls have fantastic play areas!"

He is very charismatic and never meets a stranger. Young or old, rich or poor, black or white...he doesn't care. He wants to be your friend and he will talk your ear off if you let him.

Buddy, 

I love you sooooooo much! You are such a special boy to this very proud mama. I know that God has His hand on your life and that you are going to do great things for His Kingdom. I am so blessed to have you as a son. 

Happy 4th Birthday!

Always, 

Mom

Being Intentional About St. Patrick's Day

I grew up not thinking much about St. Patrick's Day, other than it being a day that you wore green to school so that you wouldn't get pinched. When I got older, I observed that it was a day that people got drunk on green beer. And that sadly pretty much sums up my knowledge of St. Patrick up until this year.

I have mentioned a time or two that I enjoy listening to podcasts by Pastor Chris Seay of Ecclessia Church. A few months ago I listened to a sermon he did last year about the Celtic Way of Evangelism, and it completely opened my eyes to the amazing story of St. Patrick and the Celtic Christians. (He also mentioned that there is a book called The Celtic Way of Evangelism. I have added it to my ever-growing list of books to read.)

To basically sum up the story of St. Patrick for those of you who don't know...

St. Patrick was born in Briton under Roman rule. As a teenager, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland to be a slave, and then sold to a landowner to be a shepherd. In those fields, he prayed to God day and night. God spoke to him that it was time for him to escape, and that he would have a ship waiting for him. Back in Europe, Patrick decided to devote his life to God, and studied to become a priest. He later had another dream in which God revealed to him that he was to go back to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity. Once in Ireland, he took some bold steps of faith in order to come before the King and receive his blessing to spread the Gospel throughout Ireland. Slowly but surely, Ireland became a Christian nation. One of his methods of evangelism, was to use the shamrock to teach about the Trinity saying, "There is one stem, but three leaves from the same stem, just as there is one God, but three persons, stemming from the same divinity." 

(You can find the complete story here.)

The Celtic Christians of that region later became known as people of great hospitality and welcome. They took Hebrews 13:2 very seriously, as it says...

"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels unaware."

After learning all of these things, I really wanted to be intentional about how our family observed St. Patrick's Day this year and in the future, making sure to teach the boys the real story of St. Patrick, in addition to the other fun ways we traditionally celebrate with kids.

So here is how we celebrated...

On Friday, I told Buddy the story of St. Patrick and that we would be celebrating the following day.

On Saturday for breakfast, I made "Green Eggs and Ham". I basically just baked eggs mixed with a little green food coloring in a muffin tin, and served them on an English Muffin with ham circles.

Unfortunately, my picky eaters would not even try them. No matter how many times I coaxed with...

You do not like them.SO you say.Try them! Try them!And you may.Try them and you may I say. 

We also picked out green clothes to wear for the day. Buddy actually has a "Green Lantern" inspired outfit from H&M so he was set, but Little Man only had a Toy Story shirt with a picture of Rex the dinosaur. I had a knitting class at the church that morning, and Phillip had a meeting to attend, so the boys came with me. While we were there, the senior adults invited us to stay for their St. Patrick's Day luncheon. They went all out with St. Patrick's Day decorations, hats, and corned beef. They even had Irish music playing in the background. One of the men gave Little Man his green hat, so he had a little more green on.

After the luncheon, we came back home and they played in our new "cloud dough" bin (which I will blog about  later this week).

I had also purchased black wrist warmers with shamrocks on them at Kroger the night before. Little Man wasn't interested in wearing them, but Buddy wore them most of the day, because he is a huge fan of wrist warmers. (He actually wore them to church yesterday too.) I used those wrist warmers to teach Buddy about the three parts of the Trinity, just as St. Patrick did.

I had planned our big celebration of the day to be a traditional Irish meal shared with friends, in the practice of hospitality and welcome. I checked out a lot of different recipes, and I decided to go with Irish Lamb Stew and Irish Potato Bread (Farls).

Buddy helped me wash and cut up vegetables. He's a great help in the kitchen.

As we blessed our meal, Phillip prayed the beautiful prayer of St. Patrick.

May the Strength of God pilot us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.
May the Way of God direct us.
May the Shield of God defend us.
May the Host of God guard us.
Against the snares of the evil ones.
Against temptations of the world
May Christ be with us!
May Christ be before us!
May Christ be in us,
Christ be over all!
May Thy Salvation, Lord,
Always be ours,
This day, O Lord, and evermore. Amen.

I am so excited to say that the meal was delicious! (It was a little unnerving to invite someone over to eat something I had never prepared before.)

We ended the day with Shamrock Shakes, which was basically ice cream blended with milk and a little green food coloring, topped with whipped cream and chopped chocolate mint candies. Served with green straws of course!

I am really pleased with how our day went. We didn't talk about leprechauns or rainbows, but I still feel like the boys had a traditional "American" experience with wearing green and talking about the shamrocks. Most importantly, I feel like I was able to emphasize the things that were important for me - the ministry of St. Patrick, the use of the shamrock to explain the Trinity, and the ministry of hospitality and welcome. I know the boys didn't quite understand all of it, but I also know that I am planting seeds of God's love in their hearts, and that those seeds will grow and flourish with time if I remain faithful to the task.

Always, 

Amanda

Two

This is starting to feel like a while ago...

But this seriously feels like yesterday!

Where has the year gone and where is my baby?

He's the big TWO today. (But he'll always be my baby as far as I'm concerned.)

This little guy brings so much energy, silliness, zeal, sweetness, and joy to our family. Just as I thought I had this mothering thing down, he came along and challenged me in new ways. But I think after two years, I almost have him figured out.

He prefers tickles and wrestling to snuggles and cuddles.

He won't let his Daddy walk out the door without giving him a kiss.

He loves "chock-it" milk.

He can't stand to get his face or hands dirty.

He hates clean rooms. (That's all that I can figure because he always destroys them immediately upon entering. I guess he prefers the "lived in" look.)

He is fearless.

He wants to be just like his big brother.

And when he sleeps, he looks like an angel.

Dear Aidan,

The other night I woke up to find you lying on top of me, your head against my chest. I felt your little body go up and down with each breath. Your soft hair tickled my nose.

I live for those moments.

You are so full of energy and you never seem to stop. I love to watch you run around and be silly. You always make me smile. But I also love it when you wear down and want your mama to hold you. I cherish every moment that I get to hold you close and nuzzle your hair and pat your back. I know that much too soon, there will come a day when you will be big enough to hold me. So for now, I am going to hold you and love on you whenever you will let me.

My heart is so full of love for you. Happy Birthday!

Always,

Mama

The Practice of Creativity

One of my favorite bloggers has written a series about her practices of mothering, in which she writes about the things she does or tries to do to enjoy and love motherhood. Sarah has asked her readers to write about some of our own practices. This post is my contribution. 

I will never forget the moment when Buddy and I were painting side by side, and he looked over at me with the biggest smile on his face, hugged my arm, and told me he loved me. He tells me he loves me often, but there was just something special about that moment. Something about the way he looked at me. It has happened again several times since then, usually when he and I are doing something creative together. Like this overwhelming feeling of pure joy and contentment hits him, and he can think of no other way to express it other than genuine love and appreciation for me. There is something sacred about the act of creating together. Something very bonding for this mother and son.


I wrote about why I want to raise creative children, and I know that the best way for me to do this is to live creatively in front of them.

Up until recently, I never considered myself a very creative person. I have never taken an art class, and do not draw very well. I struggle with perfectionism, and the thought of messing up or not doing it right kept me from venturing down many creative paths.

I don't know how or why, but something changed in me a couple of years ago. Maybe it was having children. Maybe it was moving into a home I love. I don't know why, but I started to create things, and allowed myself to make mistakes. I got a sewing machine and didn't worry about perfect seams. I bought yarn and needles and taught myself to knit. I started sanding and painting furniture. I started making things for my kids and with my kids. I began decorating my home in a unique and creative way. In practicing creativity, I discovered a part of me that I didn't know existed.

As a mother, creativity is an important daily practice. It brings a certain energy and excitement to the day for me and my boys. Sometimes it is just a simple craft. Many days it is helping Buddy make something he has imagined up. When I can, I love to squeeze in a home project or a little sewing myself. I try to resist the urge to wait until after the boys go to bed, and try instead to involve them in my projects. Or at the least, allow them to see me being creative.

I have learned to let go of perfection and embrace the act of creating together.

Goodbye cute clothes. Hello paint stains from a spontaneous art project.

Goodbye perfect furniture. Hello to paint drips and an afternoon of painting together in the back yard.

Goodbye straight hems. Hello to allowing Buddy to "drive" the sewing foot while I make a bedskirt.

Goodbye clean house. Hello to glitter on my kitchen floor and paint brushes drying by my sink.

Goodbye tidy back yard. Hello random bricks and pieces of scrap wood, essential items for creative little boys.

Goodbye intimidation, perfectionism, and hesitation. Hello creativity.


For more "Practice of Mothering", be sure to head over to Emerging Mummy on Monday, February 6.

On Pregnancy After Loss

An open letter to the mama who just found out she is pregnant again after experiencing the loss of a baby.

Sweet mama, 

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." I believe that sometimes that good is worked out as we share our stories of pain to bring encouragement to others and strengthen their faith. 

My first pregnancy ended with a miscarriage at 11 weeks. I was devastated. When I found out I was pregnant again a few months later, I was overcome with fear and anxiety that I would miscarry again. I didn't want to tell anyone until after the first trimester. But then I wrestled with guilt because I felt like if I didn't tell anyone, it meant that I didn't have enough faith. It was a really emotional time. 

It is sometimes hard to balance all of the feelings and questions we have. Happiness mixed with fear. Hope mixed with faith, add in a little doubt and then guilt. If I just pray hard enough... 

It is hard to understand God's ways. To know that no matter how hard we pray and hope, we have to trust that He is sovereign in all things. 

During my second pregnancy, the Father taught me to let go of the things that I could not control (life and death), and to focus on what I could control...my mind. I searched the Bible for every verse that I could find on worry, anxiety, and our thoughts. I typed them out and read them multiple times a day. 

I actively practiced taking captive every thought that was not in alignment with the Word of God. (2 Corinthians 10:5) 

One of my favorite verses was Romans 8:6...

"The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;"

Right now the enemy wants your mind to focus on death and fear of death, but I encourage you to let your mind be controlled by the Spirit of God, so that your focus will be on LIFE for your new little one and PEACE for your heart and mind. 

Every time the enemy sends a negative thought your way, you can come back at it with the Word of God. 

I can't tell you that everything is going to be okay, because no one knows what the future holds except our heavenly Father. But I will tell you that He loves you and your baby, and He wants you to walk in peace and joy today.

I don't know you, but I feel love for you in my heart as your sister in Christ. I want you to know that I am praying for peace and joy for you and for the Father's hand of protection in and around your womb as you grow and nourish this precious new life.

Always, 

Amanda

(Click here to download my list of scriptures on Worry, Anxiety and the Mind.)

Chalkboard Prayer Door

A few weeks ago,  I kind of impulsively painted our pantry door with chalkboard paint and I LOVE it! I intended to use it for daily to-do's, but I always end up using the dry erase board in my office for those. So my pretty pantry door has sat rather empty of words. When I saw this on Pinterest the other day, I had an "a-ha" moment, and decided to turn our pantry door into a "Family Prayer Door".

Here's the plan. Each week, I will write a specific thing that I want to pray about for Phillip and each of the boys. Then as a family, we will choose a few other people to pray for, and write their names and needs on the door. This will help me tremendously in reminding me to pray for others, because I walk by that door about 500 times a day. As a busy mom, prayer isn't always the first thing on my mind. (Except for "Lord, please help me survive Little Man's terrible two's!")

I have always struggled in praying for others aside from my immediate family because I feel like there are so many people and so many needs, and if I don't pray for all of them, I feel guilty. With this door, I hope to focus my prayers on just a couple of people a week, unless of course an immediate need arises that needs prayer.

I think this will also help me in my One Word goal for the year, which was to be more intentional in my friendships. I have several friendships that I specifically want to invest in, so I will keep their names in rotation on my door.

Hopefully this will help out with teaching and encouraging the boys to pray. Buddy is funny. He refuses to pray for meals right now. He tells us that he doesn't pray anymore. Hmmm...might need to add that to my door.

Always,

Amanda

For Mamas of Boys

I found this via Pinterest the other night, and was very inspired.

25 Rules for Mothers of Sons

With things like this, I like to create visual reminders for myself, or else I will forget them. So I summarized a few of her rules along with some of my own, and wrote them on the boy's chalkboard door in their room.

Even though they can't read yet, these "rules" will work as visual reminders to me of things I want to teach my boys.

My favorite three rules were:

6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.
The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth.  But make sure he also knows about men who kick butt because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).


7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity
The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth.  But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).


8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.
You already are all of those things.  If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this:  If you have done any of the following:  a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero.  do not doubt yourself for one second.  Seriously.


What were your favorites?


Always, 


Amanda

Embracing the Imperfect

The other night, Phillip and I sat down and planned out our month of December and scheduled in all of our church activities, family outings, and Christmas traditions. Thursday was the night we planned to decorate our Christmas tree and begin our Advent celebration. I planned to cook spaghetti for dinner and envisioned hot chocolate, Christmas music, and a special time decorating the tree and making our first Advent ornament.

Of course, things did not go as planned or envisioned.

Phillip had already put the tree up and brought down all our decorations from the attic earlier that week. The boys were very anxious to start decorating, so Thursday morning, they tore into my ornament boxes (and I mean tore) and started getting them out faster than I could hang them up. We roughly got all of the ornaments onto the tree that morning, and planned to finish getting out all of decorations out later that evening.

That afternoon, the boys and I went to the church with my Phillip, so I could wrap some gifts for our upcoming Women's Ministries Christmas Party, while he worked. Things took longer than expected and we left the church later than we should have. We were starving, so we decided to order a pizza instead of spaghetti. Because Buddy had exhausted himself playing with a little boy at church, he fell into a deep sleep on the way home, and we could not wake him for dinner.

After dinner, Phillip had to send some important work related emails, so Little Man and I worked on getting out more decorations. (Well, I worked, while Little Man played/destroyed).

And I had a little pity party for myself because nothing was going the way I had planned.

Buddy was asleep, Phillip was on the computer, Little Man was in extreme destructive mode, and here I was, decorating all by myself. No music, no hot chocolate, no Advent devotion.

As I opened boxes, and put out more decorations, I tried to give myself a little pep talk. It didn't really work. (Especially when I found all of the ribbons and flowers that should have went on the tree BEFORE the ornaments).

I continued to sulk.

A little while later, I heard a door open, followed by little footsteps, and an exclamation, "Mom, it's beautiful!". Buddy had woken up and came to join us. I asked him if he wanted some pizza and he sat in the room and ate while I finished decorating. We turned on some Christmas music and Phillip joined us as well. We finished the tree, and it looked beautiful. Then we went to the dining room table and read our Advent devotion. We never made the ornament, which was supposed to be a candle, but that's okay. We lit a candle and read our devotion by candlelight, which was even more special. We finished the evening by eating chocolate chip cookies out on the sun-porch by the light of our little Advent tree.

 It was a beautiful evening after all!

I can't help but think of Mary and how things did not go as she had planned. She never planned to get pregnant. Never planned to ride a donkey that distance at the end of her pregnancy. Never planned to give birth in a stable surrounded by animals, alone with no midwife or friend to assist. Yet, the night she gave birth to Jesus, was surely the most beautiful evening in history! 

God has a way of taking the things that we see as imperfect, and turning them into things of beauty.

This Christmas season, among the busyness of all of your "mama planned" activities, I encourage you (and myself) to let go of your perfect plans, and see the beauty in the imperfect.

The beauty in little curious hands that take ornaments off the tree.

The beauty in take-out pizza by candlelight.

The beauty of home, family and togetherness.

Wishing you an imperfect but beautiful Christmas season!

Always,

Amanda

Little Peter

We have a little Bible storybook that I often read out of to the boys during breakfast. In the section about Christ and His Resurrection, there is a page that shows the soldiers taking Jesus away. Buddy is quite obsessed with that picture. That is the only page that he ever wants me to read from. He gets quite angry at those "mean soldiers" and often tells me how he is going to fight them because of what they did to Jesus. I always use this as an opportunity to tell him the story of Peter. That Peter cut off a soldiers ear, and then Jesus healed the soldier because Jesus loves even the bad guys. Buddy is more interested in swords and fighting "mean soldiers" right now, but I know that I am planting a seed in his little heart.

One of his favorite "open-ended art" activity is to make collages. I have a big container where I save all kinds of scraps: paper, ribbon, fabric, yarn, various textures. I will usually lay out a big sheet of paper, give him a glue stick and leave him alone to create.

The other day, I walked in the playroom and saw this...

I asked Buddy what he made, and he told me that they were crosses like the one that Jesus died on.

And I see that little seed starting to sprout.

Always,

Amanda

Doing Our Part

We are blessed to live in a neighborhood with several beautiful parks within walking distance. At least once a week, the boys and I load up the wagon and head down the street to play and explore. Like any young boy, Buddy loves to collect leaves and sticks. We always have a lot of fun. 

The downside to these outings is always the amount of litter and trash that we see while we are exploring. It is very important to me to raise my children be responsible and clean up after themselves. Buddy already does a great job of throwing away his trash and placing items into our recycling bin, although he still does need to be reminded occasionally. Unfortunately, not all children (or adults) have been taught these habits, which result in empty soda bottles in the creek and candy wrappers among the leaves. 

I have decided to add a new element to our weekly nature exploration in the form of trash clean up. Using a plastic "grabber toy" from Target, we will pick up a few pieces of trash off the ground and place them in the park trash cans.

No, I am not going to make my children clean the entire park. But picking up a few pieces of trash each week will be my way of teaching the boys that we can do our part to help keep the earth clean, and therefore be good stewards over God's creation. I even made up a little song to make it more fun...

(To the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat")

God made this beautiful earth

And gave it to you and me

He wants us to take good care of it

So let's keep it nice and clean

Hopefully, while we are picking up trash at the park, another child or adult will see us and be reminded to properly dispose of their own. Then "our part" just got a little bit bigger.

Always, 

Amanda

DIY Chalkboard Collage Door

We purchased a door from the "as-is" department at IKEA a few months back. I had originally planned to use it to display photos in our living room, but when we rearranged the furniture, it no longer worked with my design plan. So it sat in our shed for a few months, while I waited for inspiration. 

A few weeks ago, my mother-in-law gave us a dresser to use in the boys room. We painted it white and put it in their room. It looked great, but needed something above it since there was no mirror. I thought of a few ideas using art or perhaps a shelf. Then I remembered the door. Light bulb!

I decided I wanted to do a combination of chalkboard space and photos. 

First, I taped of the panels with painter's tape, and then painted the insets with chalkboard paint. We tried several brushes, but it turns out that a regular old roller brush worked best. It took several coats and I then went back and filled in some of the edges with a black Sharpie.

The center square measured a little over 16" square. So I picked 16 recent pictures of the boys, changed them to black and white in Picasa, then printed them in 4x6 at the drugstore. Using my scrapbook paper trimmer, I cut the photos to 4x4. 

I measured to find the center point of the square.

Using a low temp glue gun, I glued the pictures off of that center point and just kind of eyeballed the distance of my spacing. I chose to use a glue gun because the pictures peel off easily, enabling me to change them out as the boys grow.

My husband used picture wire to hang the door over the dresser and it looks great!

I am using the chalkboard space to write words of affirmation and encouragement to the boys. I know they can't read yet, but I can read it to them. And it is a good reminder for me each day that I am caring for precious sons of God, and need to be intentional with my words and actions.

 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up..."

1 Thessalonians 5:11

I hope that someday the boys will use this very same door to write words of encouragement to each other. 

Because I am not the most creative person when it comes to words, I searched online to see if there were any lists of affirmations for children. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to find anything. I know a lot of moms read my blog. I would love it if you would leave a comment and share some of your favorite phrases of encouragement/words of affirmation that you say or write to your children....

Always, 

Amanda

Three Years With My Buddy

Yesterday was Buddy's 3rd birthday. It was a fun and busy weekend and I'll share pictures of his awesome party later this week. But today I want to say a few words about my sweet little boy.

To my "Buddy"...

The past year of your life has been such a year of growth and change for you. You left toddlerhood and became a "real" little boy. You have become so independent and you are needing me less and less. It makes me sad at times, but I love watching you come into your own.

You are so kind and compassionate, and you have wisdom that goes well beyond your 3 years. You don't always listen to me, but it is because you think you know better than I do. And at those times, I know you are my child because we are so much alike!

You are such an amazing little boy and I am honored that God chose me to be your mother. I know that the Father has anointed you to do great things for His kingdom and I am so excited to have a front row seat!

I love you more than I ever thought I was capable of loving someone. You have taught me so much about myself, about life and about God's ways. Being my first child, I am sure that I am making many mistakes with you as I am learning how to be a mother. But even on the days I am cranky, impatient and no fun to be around, you love me. Unconditionally. All you want is to be near me. And in that, you have taught me about the love of God.

"I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it." Mark 10:15 NLT

I couldn't ask for a better little friend or "Buddy" and I just want you to know that these past three years have been the best three years of my life!

March 20, 2008

March 20, 2009

March 20, 2010

March 20, 2011

Always, 

Mom

Happy 1st Birthday Little Man!

One year ago this very night, I was walking the halls of the hospital wondering when "real" labor would start. Well it did start and only a few minutes later, Little Man entered this world at 2:34am weighing in at 9lbs. 

Today, February 16, 2011, we celebrate one year of loving life with our Little Man. 

To my precious baby boy,

You came into this world quickly, and instantly captured this Mama's heart. 

I love everything about you! 

Your big smile showing your six pearly whites...

Your soft wispy hair that I love to nuzzle...

Your warm hands touching my face...

Your little body nestled against mine as we sleep...

Your big brown eyes gazing up at me while you nurse...

Your sweet high pitched voice mixed with the occasional low pitched grunts...

The way you love to fearlessly explore... 

The way you follow your brother around and laugh whenever he touches you...

The fiery energy that your little body can hardly contain. 

You are my little friend and constant companion. On my hip, in my lap, or on my back, you always love to hang out with me, and the feeling is mutual. Whenever I am away from you, I feel like a part of me is missing. You are an amazing little boy and I am so blessed to have you as my son. And I can't wait to watch as you grow up and become the amazing man I know you will be. 

I love you so much! 

Happy 1st Birthday!

Always, 

Mama

Cloth Diapering 101: Getting Started

I have a couple of friends who are expecting and are thinking about using cloth diapers. They have both asked me about what they need to get started, so I thought I would post my advice here on the blog in case any of you are wondering the same thing.

First up, I would recommend purchasing used diapers from either Craigslist or Diaper Swappers. That will save you a lot of money up front and allow you to try out cloth diapering without investing too much money. If you have never shopped Craigslist or a FSOT (For Sale Or Trade) Forum before, tomorrow I will be posting some tips on using these.

Next up, you need to determine how much you want to spend starting out. If you want to keep the costs down, I would recommend going with prefolds and covers. If you can afford to spend a little more, I would recommend going with one-sized pocket diapers.

Prefolds and Covers
If you are going with this option, you will need to purchase about 24 prefolds, 2 snappis, and 4 covers. (Around $100 NEW plus tax & shipping/$75 USED no tax, shipping included) That will have you washing diapers every 2-3 days. I would recommend Cloth-eez (GMD) or Little Lions Prefolds. My favorite covers are the Thirsties Duo Wrap and/or the Imse Vimse Cover. And then Snappis are a must have when using prefolds. For photo instructions on using prefolds, click here and scroll down the page a little bit. You can also use fleece and/or wool covers. Click here to read more about these types of covers.

Pocket Diapers
If you have a little bit more money to spend, I would definitely go with pocket diapers. I know when I posted about pocket diapers before, I wasn't a big fan. But that was before I tried the bumGenius One Size Pocket Diapers. They are amazing and now I use them exclusively. These go on just like a regular diaper and are very easy to use. The other great thing about these is that you can use the same diaper as your baby grows. You can also purchase replacement elastic and hook/loop (velcro) for repairs if necessary. This allows you to use the diapers for years on multiple children. They are definitely worth the investment in my opinion. I have 18 diapers (Around $325 NEW plus tax & shipping/$200 USED no tax, shipping included ) and that is enough for me to only have to do laundry every 2-3 days.

The other things you will need to get started are:

• Special Laundry Detergent (Click here to read my recommendations.) 
• Something to put your dirty diapers in at the house and also a small wetbag (or a large ziplock bag) for when you are out. (Click here for more information.)
• If you want to use cloth wipes, you can make your own or just use washcloths. (Click here for my recipe for homemade wipe solution.) You can also use regular wipes, you just have to remember to throw those away in a separate pail or trash can. 

One tip that I have if you are cloth diapering a newborn baby is to either protect the inside of your cloth diapers from the meconium poo by using flushable liners, or use disposables for the first few days until all of the meconium has passed.  

So that sums up my advice for anyone asking the question..."What do I need to start cloth diapering?" Of course there are other kinds of cloth diapers out there. You can read more about these by reading through  "Cloth Diapering 101" on my Natural Parenting page. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I will also answer in the comment section so that everyone can read.

Always,

Amanda

DIY Mei Tai Baby Carrier

This past Summer, I purchased a woven wrap and was so excited to be able to wear Little Man on my back so that I could get some housework done. Although I loved the look and feel of the wrap, I didn't love putting it on. It took too long for me to get on and I didn't feel comfortable putting Little Man on my back by myself.

So I began the search for a soft structured carrier. The two types of carriers that fall into this category are buckle carriers and Mei Tai's. I was able to try on both styles at a La Leche League Parenting Conference. Although a lot of people prefer buckle carriers, I found them confusing and difficult to adjust. When I tried on a Mei Tai, it just felt right. It was easy for me to tie on and no adjustments had to be made. Plus I liked the way the tied straps looked over buckles.

So then I began my search for the perfect Mei Tai. Nice padded ones can be fairly expensive, costing around $100+. I looked online and found several tutorials showing how I could make my own. I was nervous because I'd never sewn anything this complicated before, but I decided to give it a shot. I used this tutorial and the materials and supplies only cost me about $35. I made A LOT of mistakes and I kept running out of thread. It took me about a week to finish. But I am VERY happy with the results.

It's a little wrinkly in this picture because I wear it all the time. In fact, I just wore Little Man on my back for two hours this morning while I was finishing some Christmas decorating around the house. It is so fast and easy to put on and I feel very comfortable putting him on my back by myself. And he loves it too!

Here'a picture of me wearing him in a front carry while we were out and about in the city.

And here is a picture of me wearing him in a back carry after church yesterday while we were wrapping presents for our upcoming Christmas outreach. If I hadn't had the Mei Tai, I probably wouldn't have been able to participate.

I have worn him while cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, putting on makeup, shopping, sightseeing, preparing for a meeting, and even directing a wedding rehearsal. This thing sure has come in handy! If you are looking for a baby carrier, I would still recommend a ring sling for the first few months. After that, a Mei Tai is the way to go! If you are curious as to how to put one on, here is a site with good instructions.


Always, 

Amanda