The return of cloth diapers

When I was pregnant, Carl and I bought a stash of cloth diapers to try out. I did tons of research and found many benefits of using cloth instead of disposable diapers. Well, changing about a million diapers a day coupled with an almost unending supply of free disposable diapers(courtesy of my mother-in-lay) pretty much killed that dream. Yet I kept the cloth diapers next to Max's crib and lately they started calling to me. I would stare at them and think about the money I spent on them whilst contemplating how cute Max would look in brightly colored britches.

Eventually I decided to give them a whirl and have found that the new breed of cloth diapers makes the whole process virtually painless. I know what everyone is thinking- "But what about the poop?" That was my main concern as well so my awesome husband made me a diaper sprayer. There is no need to get my hands anywhere near all that yuckiness and let's be honest, most of us are pretty familiar with our kids' bowel movements anyway since we are the ones cleaning them up until they are potty trained. The offending diaper goes in a diaper pail until I decide to wash them.

So far I have been impressed with the absorption and mess containment of my cloth diapers and Max is diaper rash free. I have several different brands and have only had one minor leak thus far. Admittedly, I still use disposable diapers at night because they are more absorbent but that's about it. I think we are sold on the cloth diapers.

The only question that some of you may still have is this: "Who is this woman and what has she done with Ashley?" I ask myself that all the time. I use cloth diapers and I make my own baby food...I never imagined myself doing either of those things. In fact, I vehemently swore that I would never do those things but I am because I feel like it is better for my child.

Many people told me that having a child would change my life but I didn't understand just how right they were. When Max was first born, I worried about losing my identity. Over time I realized that I wasn't losing anything, I was merely evolving and forming a new and improved version of myself. I can make baby food, keep my baby in cloth diapers, try out baby sign language and wear these awesome shoes at the same time! Instead of worrying about myself so much, I let the love I have for my child motivate me to be better and try new things. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone and into things I thought were beyond my capacity in very unexpected ways. In short, motherhood, messes and difficulties included, rocks.

Thought of the Day

Lately I have been studying the Articles of Faith and I came upon this little gem today:

“ ‘We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression’ (A of F 1:2). This not only means that we will not be punished for what Adam did in the garden, but also that we cannot excuse our own behavior by pointing a finger to Adam or anyone else. The real danger in failing to accept responsibility for our own actions is that unless we do, we may never even enter on the strait and narrow path.”

—Elder F. Burton Howard of the Seventy, “Repentance,” Ensign, May 1991, 13.

Somehow our generation seems to have missed this crucial lesson about choices and their consequences. It has really made me think about how I am going to help Max understand this principle. I haven't had any "Aha" moments or anything like that but I just thought it was a thought worth sharing.

Parmesan-Poppy Seed Broccoli

As requested, here is the recipe for Parmesan-poppy seed broccoli

2-3 cups fresh broccoli florets
3 T unsalted butter, melted
1 t poppy seeds
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
parmesan cheese to taste (1/3 c)

Steam broccoli. Cook until tender but still firm, about 6 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, stir together the melted butter, poppy seeds, paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss the broccoli with the butter sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Be sure to make this right before you serve it because it cools quickly. If your broccoli is in danger of getting chilly, put it in the oven. It survives well at 350 degrees for up to 20 minutes. Also, the quantities of the spices are on the low side so feel free to adjust as needed.

Real Kids Don't Eat Broccoli

Does anyone remember Tiny Toons? I used to love watching that show every day after school. In one episode, Buster must figure out who is an alien and who isn't. Of course, he does a smashing job based on this maxim: "Real kids don't eat broccoli."

I hadn't thought about that show until last night. Carl and I had the missionaries over for dinner so I actually made a whole dinner(usually it's just the main dish since I am always running behind schedule). We had salad, Parmesan-poppy seed broccoli, garlic bread, and feta stuffed chicken. I timed everything just right so that all the dishes were done at the exact same moment. It was a beautiful thing. Feeling rather pleased with myself, we sat done to enjoy our sumptuous feast. This was our conversation as dinner began:

Ashley: Well, dig in.
Elder R: Looks great!
Ashley: Thanks. Oh, the broccoli has poppy seeds on it. My mom made it for my birthday and I really enjoyed it. We hope you both like it.
Elder R: I've never had poppy seeds on broccoli. I"m excited to try it.
Elder M: I've never had broccoli before.
Everyone at the table: ????Befuddled expressions all around???
Ashley: Oh.
Momentary silence
Carl: And the chicken is stuffed with feta. Yum.

I have never met anyone who has never eaten broccoli before. I was shocked. To Elder M's credit, he tried 3 spears of broccoli yumminess but did not go back for more. I am not sure he liked his first foray into broccoli but I do hope that he tries it again because it is so good. At the end of dinner we also noticed a leftover piece of stuffed chicken (I only made 4). We made several conjectures as to why li'l Elder M passed on that delightful dish. Here are our top 5 reasons:
1. Lactose intolerant
2. Vegetarian
3. Nervous stomach (it was his first day in the field)
4. Prefers red meat
5. Wasn't hungry and didn't want to waste food

Carl and I had a good chuckle after dinner about the whole situation. Who knew broccoli and chicken would be exotic foods!

Burrito Mama

Carl and I bought a new bed for our two year anniversary. Technically it's an early present but there was a huge mattress sale over the 4th of July weekend. Once the bed arrived, I just wanted to lay on it and never move again. I mentioned my plan to Carl and this was the result:

He rolled me up like a burrito "to help me never move again." It actually took some doing to get out of my "tortilla." I love that my husband has a quirky sense of humor; it keeps things lively in our home.

And yes, Max is wearing Baby Legs. They prevent rug burn. Carl insists on calling them legwarmers and takes them off Max the second I leave the room.

Where's Max?

I find myself asking that question more and more often these days. True, sometimes we are playing peek-a-boo but more often than that, I turn around for a moment and Max is off like a rocket. Even though he can't crawl yet, he can scoot and roll very fast. Jordan would say he is in beast mode...take from that what you will.

So here's a normal conversation betwixt the adults:
Carl(chuckling): Ash, where's Max?
Ashley: Um, on his blanket?
Carl: Nope.
Ashley: Um...
Carl: By the front door, eating your running shoes.
Ashley: Sick.

Here's another option:
Ashley(sitting on the couch): Carl, why is Max fussing?
Carl(sitting on the floor): Huh? Oh! Max, what are you doing?
Ashley: ???
Carl: Max, get out from under the couch.
Max: Aaahhhh
Carl: Oh you're stuck.

Repeat this scene with a couple of variations all day long. Max cracks me up.

Caribbean Coast at the Zoo

Today we went to the zoo to see the stingrays. It was so awesome! It's a travelling exhibit so we made sure to see it before it left. Since Max is on a pretty structured routine right now, we only had about an hour to go look at the stingrays. Fortunately, we live super close to the zoo. Once we got there we made a beeline to Caribbean Cove and just had a blast. I really wanted to be there for feeding time and we were. Unfortunately, we didn't have a dollar to buy food but all the food in the water seem to make the rays more frisky.

Carl and I both were surprised by the stingray's texture. Their wings were soft but the edges were very solid and could deliver a solid hit. Their skin was a bit leathery yet supple; it's very difficult to describe. I must admit, the first few times a stingray came close to my hand, I freaked out a little bit.

I have this weirdness about sea creatures and I am not sure why. Maybe I have watched one to many Shark Weeks in my lifetime...who can tell? After my initial apprehension faded, I really enjoyed petting them. Carl did a great job balancing Max while leaning over the side of the pool so he could pet the stingrays. Afterwards we had to sanitize everything within Max's grasping range so he wouldn't get stingray nasty in his mouth. We had Germ-Ex up to our elbows and the wrist strap for the camera is now in the washing machine!

Max is such a funny little guy. I just put him down for bed and he fought it the whole time. He tried to finesse his way out by smiling and cooing at me. When that didn't work, he rolled around the crib and banged the sides looking for weaknesses in the slats. When that attempt yielded no results, he cried and whined. Eventually he gave up and went to sleep. He does that. Every night. For up to 30 minutes. I always heard that kids taught their parents patience but I had no idea that bedtime would be such a learning experience.

Anyway, back to the stringrays. What is your favorite memory of an encounter with a sea creature. Leave your answer in the comments.

Carl and I finally decided that Max was just too big to sleep in our bed. Max, on the other hand, disagreed. We could not get him to sleep in his crib without screaming for hours on end. A couple of my friends had mentioned the Baby Whisperer so I checked out one of her books from my local library and gave her method a shot.

It is still early on in this process but I think it is going to work. We have a new structured routine that Max seems to really enjoy. Nap time and bedtime are going much better. While he still puts up a fuss, it's only for about 20 minutes and then he usually sleeps pretty well. The next hurdle will be getting him to sleep all the way through the night. On this program he has already dropped one night time waking and hopefully he'll drop another one tonite. I"ll keep you posted!