Circumcision

I know this is a VERY heated topic, and I'll refrain from giving my whole view at this time, but I just watched this medical student's video blog about his first circumcision and found it very interesting to hear it from the perspective of someone who didn't really have an opinion one way or the other.

I just think that parents need to REALLY discuss this, not just do something because "that's the way it's done around here" or "to look like his father."  Do your OWN research.

I can honestly say that had my first child been a boy I don't even know if I would have done it or not, because I did absolutely no research and, to my shame, I just assumed we WOULD have because thats what I thought you DID.  Now I know better.

Be informed.

Good weekend. Good people. Good places.

We just got back from a weekend at camp.  I love camp.  This is the camp that I met my husband at when we were summer staff, so it will always have a special place in my heart.  I have way too much fun taking pictures of the pony rides as it just makes for such beautiful photos (too bad I don't have any editing software, I bet I could make them even cooler with a few adjustments!).

What a beautiful place.  It's richness just draws me in and makes me do a little happy dance in my head (or maybe not JUST in my head...).  The snow just adds such a dreaminess.  Only God knows where on earth this adventure of life will take our family, but I hope my kids will be able to experience the simple joys of Village Creek as they grow up.  I have such great memories of this place, and I hope they will too.    

I think I am still recovering a bit.  Jasper, who is normally a very good sleeper, didn't sleep so well there.  Actually I think none of us really did.  We're just so used to our comfy little house, I guess!!  This house definitely feels the most like 'home' of all the places we have lived.  Maybe it's because we moved here when Roxie was only a few months old, so it's the place that we've had kids the longest.  Also, maybe me giving birth to my son in the living room has something to do with it?  I don't know, but I love my house.... even if it doesn't have a dishwasher, or the kitchen is too small, or there is no storage space, or or or.... I don't care.  I know I'll be sad, for the first time when moving.  I can't believe my husband only has one more year of grad school after this year.  Then I honestly can say I haven't the slightest idea where we'll be living- it could really be anywhere on the Earth.  Except for maybe Antarctica.  I don't think the penguins need any philosophical teachings.  And PROBABLY not Greenland.  Or Iceland.  And very likely not the North pole either.  Although maybe Santa clause is looking for a philosophy or religion professor for his elves?  I guess really I will love any place where we can all just BE together the best.  It doesn't matter where we move.  And I will laugh really hard if we end up in Greenland because it randomly popped into my head as somewhere that we would not be moving too.  For the record I know nothing about that place (except I do remember learning that greenland is icy and iceland is green- is this true or am I just randomly remembering an untruth?) and hold not contempt towards it, it just doesn't seem too likely of a place to end up.  

So, I guess in conclusion, my favorite place to be is wherever my favorite people are.  But the awesomeness that is the beautiful valley that Village Creek is nestled in sure does add something special.  If I weren't too green for cremation (which I hear is pretty bad for the environment as far as what to do with your dead body), I would say that Village Creek would be one of the forerunners for where I'd want my ashes scattered.  Too weird?  That's okay.      

Sweet baby boy

Love.  Oh how I love him.  Sweet baby boy.

Adventures in diapering.

So, I recently wrote a post on elimination communication.  I thought I was due for a post on diapering.  A lot of people thing... ewwwww..... I could never do cloth diapers.  But these are not your grandma's plastic pants, folks.  While you still can do the more old fashioned prefolds and covers, there are plenty of options out there and they are really WAY EASIER THAN YOU THINK.  

Before I start this post I feel the need to say.... this is all just my personal opinion and what my family and I have chosen for us.  We all need to do our own research, decide what is right for our own families, and be tolerant of the choices that others choose to make for their families.  

Why do I cloth diaper?

I found a really great link that sums up my reasons better than I probably could here.  Basically, though, I cloth diaper because it is better for the environment, better for baby (I'm sort of afraid of those little gel ball things in disposables), and better for my budget,  

Starting out.

When you decide to start cloth diapering it is easy to get overwhelmed.  I read a LOT of reviews, research, etc on www.diaperpin.com and looked for deals all over the internet for 2nds, used, and on sale diapers.  I learned the difference between a pocket diaper, and all in one, a fitted, and a prefold.

With my first child, I started with pockets because they seemed like the closed in ease to a disposable without taking a gazillion years to dry (like the all-in-ones supposedly do, I still have never tried one).  I know people who have an entire stash of pocket diapers and are perfectly happy with them.  I think they are great!  I used to call them my 'daddy diapers' until Matt became just as good at folding and snappi-ing a prefold as me.  I sort of think of them as the 'gateway drug' into the world of cloth diapering.  They're what hooks you and draws you in deeper.  Anyone want to try out one of my pocket diapers? Mwahahaha *evil laughter*

Then, I had to stop cloth diapering for a good few months because my daughter came down with a TERRIBLE rash and we could not find the cause so we had to load her up with butt cream, which we were not able to do with cloth diapers (we did not know about disposable liners at the time that would have allowed us to continue cloth diapering).  After we started it back up again, I became OBSESSED with finding 'the perfect stash.'  Well, let me rephrase that... 'the perfect stash that was ridiculously cheap while still being awesome.'  

My perfect stash.

So, I think I've pretty much reached stash nirvana.  I mean, i don't have super cute diapers, really.  Most of my diapers were given to me by awesome amazingly wonderful mama friends.  Still, they are functional, and some of them are squishy and soft, and they serve their purpose... they catch the pees and poops that don't make it into the potty.  Here's what I got...

PREFOLDS

So.... I had some of these when Roxie was born and... not so much.  i didn't even really try them because they looked too complicated.  I didn't have the most amazing invention on the planet (okay... so maybe I am exaggerating a bit), the Snappi.  And the few times i did try i couldn't get them to fit right.  Now, I have NO IDEA what my problem was.  If anyone is in the twin cities area and wants a demo on prefolds, just ask.  Or google it, I'm sure there are a million picture and video demos online.  It's NOT HARD AT ALL.  So now, the bulk of my stash is prefolds.  Why?  Well, first because they were almost all given to me and the ones that weren't I bought for cheap.  My absolute favorite prefolds are Green Mountain Diaper Prefolds- so I have some that I bought from there, but most of them are random ones given to me.  They aren't quite as absorbant as some other diapers, but I change my child every time he eliminates, so that doesn't so much matter to me.

FITTEDS

I have some various fitteds that I enjoy using every once in a while.  They need a cover, just as prefolds do.  Buy instead of folding them and snappi-ing them, you snap them.  In my *obsessed with the perfect stash that was ridiculously cheap but still awesome* phase I kind of did something bad and bought something that was *kind* of expensive-ish.  A pack of Goodmamas.  Goodmamas are THE cloth diaper that the cloth diaper obsessive buy the best of the best mamas buy.  When i bought them they were just starting out, and now those things are a whopping $35 a diaper!  Unreal.  Anyway, i bought a pack because I got them even cheaper than they were originally if i bought a bunch of them.  Plus, I used my birthday money to buy them.  Yep... I'm the crazy girl who used BIRTHDAY money to buy a poop catcher.  It's okay... I'm comfortable in my absolute awesomeness.  Haha.  So anyway, I have those squishy soft, bamboo velour awesome diapers.  I use them for nighttime or bumming around the house.  They are a little bulky, in my opinion, to wear under clothing.  But they are really absorbant.  So, we wear them without a cover, or pants, around the house.  They are great overnight diapers as well.

I also have some other various fitteds that I've gotten from cheap 2nd deals that we wear sometimes as well.  I should probably try to sell some of these because I have entirely too many, but they are such cheap ones that I probably wouldn't make much anyway.  Whatev.

COVERS

So, fitteds and prefolds need covers because they are not waterproof on their own.  I use Bummis super whisper wraps because in my experience they contain the poo and pee and they work well.  I wish they had cuter designs, I grow rather tired of the froggy pond and the space exploration baby... but they work so I'm not going to complain too much.  They are, after all, just poop catchers, right?  I also have some WOOL COVERS.   Which, in my opinion, are freaking awesome.  Wool is breathable, unlike my waterproof PUL material bummis covers.  This is good for babies bum.  AND they are so adorable!!  I have some I got from a really cool work at home mama with a great name, Lindsay at Rainbow Waters and I have some that were recycled from old sweaters, and some that were knit for me.  Unfortunately most of them are girly and were used for my daughter.  If anyone wants to get some wool yarn and knit some wool pants for my son I would give them a big hug :) :).  But yeah... the good thing about covers is that you don't have to wash them all that often.  I think you only really need about 4 covers in each size.  Wool you have to hand wash, but I don't think it's that hard.  I just use wool wash from Ewe Need It .... mine is Chai tea scented and I LOVE supporting real people instead of buying another 'made in china' product.   

POCKETS  

I have maybe 10ish of these?  I'm actually trying to use them more often because they are so nice and easy and I find myself 'saving' them and then they never get used!  I put Jasper in a pocket diaper when he's at the gym drop off childcare because they won't change diapers and these are absorbant and wick away the moisture from the baby (like a disposable does)- so he won't scream for a new diaper.  Or at least it's less likely.  I have some bumgenius 2.0s (yes, i got them at heavy discount because they were just releasing the 3.0s), but I personally wouldn't recommend them.  They work and serve their purpose for us, but I'm only on my 2nd kid (and my first was fully out of diapers at 16 months) and the velcro is already loosing it's life.  I have 2 diapers made from a work at home mom (who i can't remember now, she didn't put a tag on them!!!  ACK1) that I love because they are one size so they grow with your baby like the bumgenius does, but they have SNAPS instead of velcro.  Hooray!!  Anyway, I think that it's a good idea to everyone who is cloth diapering to have at least a few of these... they are nice to leave with the babysitter or the unsure daddy.  

WETBAGS

I have some on loan to a new cloth diaper mama (convert??) but the ones I am currently using are big pail liner ones.  Then, I splurged on my cute ones.... I have a hanging wetbag in the bathroom (also used for our dirty family cloth paper) from Goodmama, and a medium sized one that goes in my diaper bag to bring home dirty diapers from our excursions out of the house.   

That's it!  My stash.  After writing it all out, it doesn't REALLY seem like stash nirvana is the exact right word.  It's comfortable.  It works.  It serves it's purpose.  It doesn't have all the frill and fluff of some other stashes I've seen, but it's fully functional and will be used for many kids to come (including, hopefully, some nieces and nephews someday if my sisters decide they want to cloth diaper when they have kids). 

MY WASH ROUTINE.

I'll end with a quick look at my wash routine.  When my wetbag gets full I bring it down to the washer and dump in all in there and then throw the wetbag in as well.  I am currently using powder  Tide free and clear but I think any free and clear detergent will get the job done... just so long as there is no optical brighteners or bleach or perfume in it.  With cloth diapers, less detergent is more... you do NOT want to overdue it on detergent because your diapers may start to retain the soap and therefore smells!  Yuck.  Anyway.  I do a cold rinse first.  This is to make sure I don't set any stains with hot water.  Then, I do a HOT/COLD wash with my detergent.  Then, I do a cold rinse.  The extra rinse at the end is to make sure ALL the soap gets out.  Then, I just toss it all in the dryer on HOT.  Prefolds and my goodmamas take a while to dry since they are so absorbant- so I always have my dryer on high.  I know others who meticulously line dry their diapers to preserve their life... but well, I live in North Minneapolis without a yard, so in the dryer they go on high.  I've not notices any extra wear or tear from it.  i use dryer balls (don't use dryer sheets!!!  chemicals= bad for diapers!) when my kids haven't stolen them to play with, otherwise I use nothing.  

Feel free to comment any questions you have.... it might seem overwhelming but it's really a whole lot simpler than I make it sound... I promise! 

Babywearing!!!  This is something that I am really into, as anyone who sees me ever these days in most likely very well aware of from the fact that Jasper is almost always strapped to me in one way or another.  There are SO many benefits to babywearing, both to parents and to the child.  Some people may think that a baby who is constantly worn and held will cry more and need more attention, but studies actually show the opposite to be true.  In cultures where babies are worn all the time, huge crying spells are practically unheard of and, as written about a research study in "The womanly art of breastfeeding,": These findings confirm what our mothering instinct tells us--that plenty of loving contact does not 'spoil' a baby or make him more demanding, but instead helps him feel more comfortable and happy in his new world.


I think a baby forms a more attached bond to his/her caregiver as they move about the day together.  Even when the caregiver is involved in other tasks, the baby is constantly there.  In a quiet state of alertness they are learning about their world as they watch the tasks performed and are constantly interacted with.

Babies are used to the soothing movement of the womb and all of a sudden they come out into this world and have to sit in cold, uncomfortable bucket seats all the time.  Obviously, carseats are essential in our society today (especially here where everything is SO stinking far away!!).  But babywearing helps to ease into that transition into the world for babies.  They are soothed by the closeness to their mother, and also the soothing motion of movement.  I'm always surprised that I don't see more parents today carrying their babies/young toddlers around in slings... sometimes I think strollers are just so restrictive.  We didn't use a stroller that much with Roxie, but I remember very vividly an instance of trying to maneuver through a clothing store where is was virtually impossible to make it around the displays with the stroller.  I had to give up and leave the store!  And don't even get me started with the crazy busy farmers market.  I will never. ever. attempt to bring a stroller there!

Babywearing benefits parents as much as it benefits the child.  We can get around places that strollers restrict us from going.  Baby is much more content up close to mom than in a stroller.  When he gets upset, you can quickly do a little bounce or assure him with a soothing voice and he goes right back to being content.  And I must say... I am amazed at how heavy those infant bucket seats are.  Now that it is starting to get really cold out I usually have to carry Jasper from the car to inside of wherever we are going in his car seat before taking him out and popping him in a carrier of some sort.  Wowzers!!  How do people seriously carry these things around everywhere?  It seriously hurts my back just thinking about lugging that thing around everywhere when there is an easier way!

So, I used my carriers a LOT when I was the mother of one.  Roxie wasn't the easiest of babies.  She was a firecracker from day 1.  So, babywearing SAVED me.  It was my sanity.  It allowed me to get housework done, dinner made, and to get out of the house with confidence and ease.  But now that I am the mother of a 2 yr old (who is still a major firecracker!) AND a baby?  Babywearing is even MORE essential to me.  I don't  know if I'd be confident enough to leave the house without it knowing that my older child is going to need me to help her not attack another child, or run off, or need me in some way.  And then, while dealing with her I'd have to leave the baby by himself in his stroller which would most likely involve crying and..... and.... oh man, it gives me a headache just thinking about it!  I don't think we'd have groceries, like, ever because I would be terrified of going to the grocery store.  Babywearing allows me to always be aware of my babies needs while still caring for my toddlers needs.  Perfecto!!!  My toddler is not neglected and neither is my baby.

Okay, so it seems pretty obvious that babywearing makes life easier and better for baby and parent.  But there are a lot of different kinds!!  Here is a brief overview of some kinds of carriers that I personally enjoy.  With pictures.... nobody is around to take pics of Jasper and I.... so some of them are from other sources so you can get a good idea.  And we lost most of Roxie's baby pictures (backup your computer hard drive!!!!).

Pouch sling
This is what I used exclusively when Roxie was a small infant.  Mine was Hotsling brand.  I love the colors of it and I loved that I could order the size that fit me best (not just small, medium, large... they have numbered sizes).  Newborns are just SO snuggly in pouch slings.... all smooshed up in there like they were in the womb.  I used my pouch sling with Jasper also when he was a tiny baby and enjoyed it.    I like that it isn't a lot of fabric so it fits nicely in a diaper bag or left in the car and it's easy to pop a baby in and out of.... which is especially nice in the early weeks when they are nursing and eliminating every 5 minutes (okay, not quite THAT often... but I think both of mine pooped continuously for a while).

Here I am with my newborn Roxie.  Less than a week old.  This hotsling was my first ever experience with babywearing.  See how great it is for newborns?

And again with my newborn Jasper at the MN State Fair

Ring sling
A friend let me borrow her ring sling when Jasper was born.  I decided that I like ring slings better than pouch slings.  Originally I wasn't so sure about the extra fabric hanging down, but I've found the ring sling to be very handy for quick pop in and out times that I need my hands free.  I love the adjustability so they don't need to be sized like a pouch sling.  More than 1 person can use it and it seems to grow with your baby a little better.  I liked being about to pull the top rail tighter when Jasper was a baby to support his head a bit better.  I used the cradle hold when he was a newborn, just like the pouch sling, but this guy likes to be upright so I put him in it with his legs dangling out and he loves it!

My friend Angie came over to try out carriers.  Her son, Grayson, loved the ring sling!

Okay so he's kind of in there weird- but I was new to ring slings!  At the zoo.  A few weeks old.

Wraps!
Wraps are hands down my favorite way to babywear.  It does, admittedly, take more time to get used to. But, like tying a shoelace, after wrapping a few times it becomes second nature.  i like the versatility.  I like the adjustability.  I like that it's easier on my back now that Jasper is an almost 4 month old in 9 month clothing.  I like that I can wear him on my front, hip. or back.  There are stretchy wraps, like the Moby.  And there are woven wraps that do not stretch at all, like the Stochenweige (that is the brand I have, but there are tons of them!!).  I know people who swear by stretchy wraps.  They are easier to wrap tightly when you are new to wrapping, more forgiving, and overall really great.  I have 2 mobys that were given to me that I frequently loan out to those wanting to try them out.  Woven wraps, on the other hand, are my personal fav because they are more supportive for your back and I feel like as my babe goy heavier he was more secure in it because of the lack of stretch.  They do have a higher learning curve, but honestly... I figured it out I'm sure anyone could!

In the vatanai wrap (woven wrap, a little lighter material- great when it's hot out especially!) at the pumpkin patch

My fav- the Storchenweige.  I was holding Jasper in the wrap, holdingRoxie, and carrying a diaper bag and another bag!!

Now that he is bigger I can wrap him a little differently because I don't have to support his neck as much.

Mei Tei 
A mei tei is a structured carrier that ties instead of buckles.  I think they are beautiful.  I bought mine with birthday money before I discovered wrapping.  Yep, I'm weird (more like awesome!) and spend birthday money on this kind of stuff.  Mine is babyhawk brand, but there are lots of people who make them.  I wore Jasper in it when he was just a few weeks old at the state fair because my back got tired using the pouch sling and it worked great.  I used to wear Roxie in that thing when she was 1+ to get her to fall asleep for her nap while I did housework.  So it's great for all ages.  And you can wear them on your front or back.

I'm trying to find the BEAUTIFUL picture I took of Matt wearing Roxie in the mei tei.  Alas, I can nt find it!!!  Since Jasper is only a few weeks old in this picture, his legs are not hanging out and it is tied behind his back instead of under his bum.

Some more mei tei pics <3 <3

There are other types of babywearing out there, like the buckle ones (Ergos ROCK I'm told) but these are the types I have personal experience with.  There are also many different ways to carry a babe within each type of carrier.  It's fun to try a bunch of them and find your "go to" carries.  Now- go wear your baby (and toddler)!!   

Smoothies!!

We love them around here.  What doesn't get drank gets frozen into popsicles.  I remember giving my 2 year old a popsicle for breakfast once and having her think she was getting something exceptionally naughty.  Ha.  Actually, she might not drink them so heartily if she realized just how good they were for her.  It makes me smile every time I hear the SLURP of the straw trying to get those last drops of smoothie.  Like this morning.  And I really had to try to contain my amusement when, a month or so ago, my daughter actually had a tantrum because her smoothie was purple instead of green.  Really, I am not making this stuff up.

I put lots of stuff in her smoothies that she can't really taste, but that is so beneficial to her.  I tried putting cod liver oil in there once (more for me than for her because I can't STAND the stuff), but even if you can't taste it... if you can SMELL it.  Yeah.... not so much.  Luckily for me, she BEGS for cod liver oil and after she takes her teaspoon of it she LICKS the spoon clean.  siiiiiiick.  I wish I liked it that much!

So, back to the smoothies.

I always put in two-ish kinds of frozen fruit.  Just whatever I feel like. Today she asked for peach, so I threw in peaches and blueberries.  I plopped in a few dollops of yogurt (probiotics!  good for her gut!) and some real grassfed milk (yep, we're doing dairy again.  in limited quantities.), some magnesium (I ground up a pill since she isn't too fond of the sweet/sour flavor of natural calm magnesium and the pills are flavorless), some spirulia (which normally makes it nice and green unless you add fermented beet juice- a tantrum will ensue if you don't warn her ahead of time that it will be purple instead of green today), some brine from pickled beets (more fermented goodness for her gut... she can't taste it mixed in and it makes it beautifully purple), and an egg yolk or two (so many benefits to that.... I could write a whole post on why eggs, the yolk specifically, rock for your health).  She DOWNED that puppy.  Sometimes I add dark leafy greens- like kale or chard.  But I have been CRAVING it lately so we don't have any left.  My perfect lunch is greens in bacon grease with diced bacon all sauteed together.  Oh heaven.  So good.  And yes, I think bacon and bacon grease is GOOD for you :)

I don't know WHAT I am going to do when it is below zero cold and we don't feel like drinking smoothies anymore.  I can get magnesium in her mixed into a spoonful of yogurt, but brine?  Yeah... I don't think she'll take that stuff straight.  I guess I'll have to get creative and mix it in other things.

I also don't know what I would do without my magic bullet blender.  It's perfect because we can each make our own individual smoothies right in the cup we drink it out of.  So everyone can have something a little different.

I also have learned not to let her sit on the couch and drink her smoothie.  Even though I still let her sometimes.... because I'm cool like that.  It never fails that smoothie WILL get spilled somewhere.  She just looks so stinking cute sitting on our couch with her smoothie mug.  I suppose she would look just as cute at the table though, huh?  

Muhallabia Massawa

This dessert rocks.  I remember when Roxie was just learning how to talk and she'd get all excited when I made this, saying "Malli SAWA!!!!" with her eyes big in anticipation.  I like it because it's easy, and it's good.  The two most important things to cooking when you have a 2 yr old and a baby.

This dessert hails from the Red Sea port city of Massawa in Eritrea.  It is commonly served for dessert during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting.  I got it in a Moosewood cookbook a while back.

I love the combination of cinnamon, cardamon, and vanilla.  I have made it with rice milk, cows milk, and coconut milk... and it tastes great every time.  So use whatever kind of milk you fancy.

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon (okay so I don't REALLY measure, I think I probably add more than this honestly)
1/2 tsp ground cardamon (I just add equal-ish to how much cinnamon I add)
4 cups milk of your choice-- this time I used coconut!  Sure to make it nice and creamy and give it a hint of coconutyness.  Yum
2 eggs, well beaten
2 TB butter, at room temp
2 tsp vanilla extract

Add sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cardamon to a medium saucepan.  Gradually add just enough milk to make a paste.  Then, whisk in the remaining milk.  Add the beaten eggs.

Cook on medium heat, stirring often, for 12-15 minutes, until it thickens.  As it begins to thicken, stir constantly to ensure an smooth texture an prevent sticking.  Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.

Pour into six dessert cups or wine glasses and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes- until cooled.

I put mine in wine glasses, because I'm cool and fancy like that.  Everything tastes better out of a wine glass, don't you think?  Well maybe not beef stew.... or a few other things I can think of.... but THIS definitely tastes better out of a wine glass.

Roxie's is the one in the dessert dish.  She is still napping so I haven't washed the saucepan yet so she can help me lick it clean :)