35 Weeks & Counting...

Eowyn, Dad (i.e. GB), me, and Anna at Clemon's graduation

As you can see, William is growing along.  I am not gaining any weight, but am continuing to pop right out (35.5 cm on Monday) and to be in great health.  My belly itches like crazy as my stretch marks stretch, and I'm down to a very few trusty shirts, and even those aren't quite long enough.  I joked that it was a good thing Dad & Anna graduated when then did, or else I'd have had to show up in Ryan's old t-shirt! Several unpleasant episodes of nausea, vomiting, and general digestive unrest, and my favorite old symptom from Eowyn's pregnancy:  restless legs, but otherwise I've got good energy and am breathing easier as he is dropping lower and lower (get outta my diaphragm, boy!).  **Tips for restless legs:  hot bath just before bed, cat-cow stretches, and peppermint essential oil rubbed on the soles of my feet.  The three of those combined USUALLY mean I can fall asleep!  If they fail me (usually when I'm super-over-tired, then a nice head rub and back massage from Ryan finishes it off).

It's been a super-busy past week, with Ryan out of town, making the slide shows for my dad & sis, organizing and cleaning the house for two sets of guests, lots of family outings related to the graduation, and trying to get all our Mothers' Day cards & gifts finished & mailed.  I've been staying up past midnight for the past week and it's catching up to me!  We took a double-date trip with some Louisville friends (Kane & Lyssa H.) to the Biltmore Estate yesterday, while my dear mamita kept Eowyn all day.  It was a blast-- the audio-guide tour (ultra-spiffy headsets... which we all synchronized because we're cool like that) through the house, mansion, palace, let's be honest-- the vineyard & wine-tasting, and dinner at the Bistro.  We haven't been back since our honeymoon almost 5 years ago and it was lots of good memories, both recalled and made.  I did have to duck out mid-day and go nap for 2 hours in the car, while they went through the gardens & conservatory, but it was a small price to pay.  Ryan and I are hoping to return in the next few weeks for a little baby-moon! 

I've started Dr. Christopher's Birth Prep Formula; herbal capsules taken in increasing doses the last 6 weeks of pregnancy.  I can tell they are helping tone my uterus (more contractions!) and will hopefully live up to their hype of shortening labor!  I've seen them help friends of mine, and my midwife recommended them.  It made it seem a bit more real to be taking them!  I also had my physician-overseen visit, as SC requires in the final 6 weeks of pregnancy.  I was declared fit for an out-of-hospital birth and got 4 prescriptions to get filled for the birth (3 in case of emergency, and the Vitamin K for the baby)... also making this very real.  I just dropped them off today! 

My baby projects are mostly done; his crib quilt (matches Eowyn's!), the shelves all hung in the kids' room, a new flannel sailboat bassinet sheet, his "L'il Bro'" onesie and a faux-tie onesie...and something new I'm trying this time around- cloth postpartum pads.  (Some I ordered from Talulah Bean, others I made. ) All I need to do once he's here is get his quilt & towel monogrammed!  His bag is packed for the birthing center, and mine is almost there.  First, though, we are waiting on Baby "Lily" as my sister Nicole is due, well... in the next week-ish.  Barring any calls, we'll be heading up to be with her at the end of this week-- please pray with me that I'll get to be there to help ease her entry into the world!  We're hoping she bucks the late-first-baby trend so I can be there. :)

In the meantime, I've been researching Group B strep testing, and probiotics!  Posts forthcoming! :)

Eowyn is very excited about her brother coming, and is so sweet about kissing, hugging, blowing zerberts on, and itching/rubbing my belly.  She's gotten really "into" puzzles lately-- her great-grandparents brought her a horse puzzle she found a bit challenging at first, and now does about a dozen times daily.  I love how independently she's playing these days!  Last week she melted my heart twice:  once, with an out-of-the-blue "You a good mommy, Mommy.", and again with her unprompted effort to load the dishwasher after her breakfast.  Her explanation:  "I want be your helper, Mommy."  Yes, yes!! Please!

Some Szrama Traditions

Ok, this is one of those posts where I'm throwing random stuff out there and I want you to throw lots back!!  So here's the question:  what are your favorite holiday traditions?  They can be personal (like you always read through Dickens' A Christmas Carol) or familial, like going to Ace Mountain Farms to cut down your own tree on the 16th... whatever!  They can even be food-related... I just might not read those until I'm in my 3rd trimester. :)

Some that we've started in our li'l family are...

1. Advent wreath & candles at dinner- yes, you've all heard enough about that.  I will confess that our wreath is an evergreen wreath from Michael's, wrapped with some clearance Christmas ribbon from Hobby Lobby (I think).  The candles are all left-overs, and the chalice in the middle was a gift from one of my students my first year of teaching.  Each year I pop in a new tea-light and it becomes our Christ candle.  Simple, frugal, pretty, and it works!  As Eowyn gets older I hope to add in an Advent devotional or story book (like Gaarder's The Christmas Mystery).

2. Jesse Tree at breakfast.  Once again, enough said.

Szrama Family 2011 ornaments

3. Trimming the tree (AFTER Thanksgiving) -- for 2 years now Eowyn's been my buddy during this.  This year she was absolutely enthralled, and each new ornament she unwrapped was met with a breathless "Oh, Mommy, yook!"  {She also knocked over the tree, breaking some ornaments, but reinforcing the lesson that she must not touch the tree... "or Mommy be sad when I break you star."  Now she occasionally reminds our tree "Don't you fall over, Tree!"}

4. Family ornaments- each year we pick or make a Christmas ornament that represents an event from that year.  Our first year of marriage, it was our cake toppers (a knight & a maiden) threaded onto ribbon from our rehearsal dinner inscribed with our names & wedding date.  We have a a Hungarian coin on ribbon (2008), a pink "baby" ornament for 2009 (when Eowyn was born), an upcycled Christmas Eiffel Tower from '95 (2010), and this year, Ryan picked out a red double-decker London bus while we were in England. (I write the year on the ornament in permanent marker as well as writing it into our Christmas memories book.)

5. Kids' ornaments- as my mom did for us, we are starting ornament collections for our kids.  We pick one each year -- this year, Eowyn actually picked her own; a Queen Katherine bought in Westminster Abbey, London.

6. Christmas Eve gift bags-- on Christmas Eve, our children get to open 2 gifts, which are the same type every year:  a book relating to the past year in some way, and a new pair of Christmas jammies, home-made by Mommy (so far out of upcycled material).  I made 2 drawstring bags (one large, one small) out of the same fabric as the top of Eowyn's Christmas stocking, so that each year, she'll know easily which presents are hers to open Christmas Eve (cuts down on packaging waste too!).  I look forward to making bags & stockings in different fabrics for each child God gives us!

Eowyn's ornament from 2011:  England's Queen Katherine

7. Stocking pins-- this was something Ryan grew up doing:  adding a little something to his stocking each year.  Last year Eowyn added an Eiffel Tower pin (since she visited Paris twice), and this year she'll add a slightly-less glamorous potty-trained pin.  Hey, it was a big deal!  She can always pin it to the back of her stocking while she's a mortified teenager. ;)

8. Basket of Christmas toys & books-- so far we have only a few, but Eowyn loves them!  My favorite is a finger-puppet felt Nativity set my mom found for me while I was still teaching.  It's just perfect for little hands!

9. Christmas memories book-- this was a wedding gift from Ryan's grandparents (I think, right?), with spaces to record traditions, events, menus, gathering places, memorable gifts, and more each holiday.  I love that we have this record, especially since I'll probably forget which ornament was for which year, or which kid gave Grandma that... it's already fun to go back and read about our past Christmases together!


Ok those are ours:  what are yours?

Our Christmas Memories book, under the tree

San Antonio- the personal side

(note the blueberry-stained fingers)

Jane (2) & Eowyn (21 months) were great friends, when they weren't screaming at each other, of course.

Sweet Ryan playing with a favorite toy

A heart-to-heart

Girl time!

Looking at animal pictures on Mr Aaron's iPhone

We snuck in and captured them talking quietly in Jane's "house"

How did they get to be SO CUTE!??

Awww...

Matching cuteness down on the Riverwalk.
(I made these matching dresses out of an outdated outfit of my grandma's, and we got compliments all day!)

Jenny & I by the San Antonio canal.  We ate at the Rainforest Cafe-- the BEST place to take kids EVER!

I wish we had gotten pictures of them dancing like crazy in the Rainforest Cafe... it was amazing.

Don't Toss It, Re-Toy It!

I mean, repurpose it into a toy!  Or into anything, for that matter

In an effort to be ever-more thrifty and green (and as stewards of God's creation, yes, that does matter), I've taken my recycling to a new level.  I still keep the paper bag by the back door for all those paper scraps (including junk mail), I continue to flatten boxes, and ruthlessly separate out any and all recyclable plastics.  But now I'm trying to find new uses for some of that stuff.  Like all kids, Eowyn is soooo entertained by unconventional toys-- like they're more "grown-up" or something, so here's some things I've done.  I can't wait to hear your ideas!

- large cylindrical coffee canisters w/ plastic lids -->as blocks & small toy containers; the advantage is that they roll,  making very interesting noises when containing blocks, and they double as little stools.  (For Eowyn, pretty much everything doubles as a stool)
- lids off juice & similar bottles --> colorful sorting objects (stored in rinsed-out baking powder containers with plastic lids).  Rinsed off, these are a great cheap way to start learning color, to practice pulling in & out, and to just stack.  Eowyn chooses this "toy" over all her others!  (The lids are non-toxic, and are often non-recyclable anyway)
- empty spools of thread -->  blocks (perfect for turrets on mini-castles).  Eowyn also puts them in with her caps and loves cleaning them up & dumping them out... over and over again...
- mis-matched socks--> sock puppets!  All it takes is drawn-on eyes, or 2 over-sized buttons VERY securely sewn on.
- paper still blank on one side--> great for all those daily "drawing projects"

Not toys, but more useful:
- holy socks--> either stitched up & turned into puppets, or cut off evenly and used as wrist or leg-warmers.
- glass jars w/ lids (salsa & the like)--> washed and used for food storage (who needs tupperware? =D), as glass won't absorb smells, and doesn't leak anything into food like plastic can. Dry-erase markers write on them and come right off!
- glass jars with lids--> great for beverages on-the-go for adults, like milk or water or kefir.
- plastic jars (peanut butter, etc.) --> used for a myriad of containing purposes.  Most recently I've taken two in my shower for my homemade shampoo alternatives (baking soda & apple-cider vinegar suspensions).  This way they won't shatter if they fall.  Others are at Sunday School holding markers, crayons & pencils. Others have gone to friends in "mercy meals" containing sauces, dressings and soups.

The key to re-using anything is making sure it's easy to keep clean, with no sharp edges.  Don't re-purpose anything that has held anything toxic (duh, I know).  Also bear in mind whether or not it will be in situations where it could be dropped.

Please pass on any tips you have!

Ta-Da! (Longies, Shorties, and Baby-Bum-Sweaters)

 Here's the sweet lil model, sporting her baby-bum sweater, which with this heavy felted grey wool looks more like a pair of "shorties."  The 2 other sweaters I've made with lighter wool look more like diaper covers.  As you can see, they tighten with a drawstring and have cuffs around the legs.

And here is one of her new "longies!"  Amazingly less bulky than standard cloth diaper fare when she's only wearing a prefold (or fitted) diaper, and these!

Recycled Hair-bands

Here's a quick little recycled-clothing tip I discovered just the other day. 

Because of all the things I make with t-shirts (quilts, baby clothes...), I have a lot of spare t-shirt sleeves lying around.  I got the idea to cut these into 2" wide vertical strips.  Pull on them so the cut ends curl, and TA-DA!  You've got a perfect headband!  I love these because they keep hair out of my face, dress up a plain braid or pony-tail, but don't put pressure on my head or pull my hair like elastic ones do. 

So far I've made these sleeve-bands in hot pink, black, white, and red, and have worn one just about every day! :)  Eowyn always smiles at them in my hair, and wants one on her head, too.

Pic to come.

Li'l Szrama-clan Update

I sat down to write my sister an email, and out came a pretty good summary of our doings since coming home on Sunday.

First off, I detailed my next project:  baby-bum sweaters!!  Eowyn is outgrowing her diaper wraps, and I think instead of just ordering more I want to try this. One of my friends sons can only wear wool wraps, and she showed me the ones she made, which motivated me to try some on my own. So here goes!! (My sister is a fellow DIY recycled crafts nut.  I love her.  We used to have craft nights and cover our bedroom floors with our crafts, and just talk and talk and talk. We totally need to do that again.)

Next, the going-ons: We have E's "Sugar and Spice" party tomorrow (along with 2 other girlies born about a week apart), so today I'm making pumpkin cupcakes for that. Tomorrow we'll be getting ready for the party but I may attempt a goodwill run, looking for sweaters.

I got an amazing haul of books 2 days ago at Half-Price books- mostly kid books (I got a bunch of new board books for $1 each, and several really nice new bilingual books for $2 each... and a ton of paperback classics like 'Time Cat' and 'Bridge to Terabinthia' for 50c each... oh yes and Artemis Fowl books for a buck each-- Powell Christmas gifts, check. Baby gifts, check.), AND a Lonestar CD (The one with "mr mom" on it) for $2. So fun. The only reason I didn't buy the whole store was that Eowyn kept entertaining herself by going and pulling books off the shelf. Very funny.

We went apple picking at Huber's Wed. with our church playgroup (pics here), and then yesterday we had our family portraits taken. It was a GORGEOUS day, about 85, so we had perfect weather. Eowyn really liked the photographer-- a portly, soft-spoken man, and she held out her arms to him and cuddled on his shoulder the second she saw him! We were shocked! Anyway, he was amazed at how easy she was to photograph, and she did all her tricks for the camera-- holding up one finger for her age, putting her hands over her head and saying "Ta!!!" for ("tan grande!" (so big) when asked how big she is), waving hi and bye, crawling and walking. We have to wait 2 weeks to see them but I'm confident there will be at least a half-dozen must-haves.
Thirdly, reading list:  I'm going back and kinda skimming HP 4 right now... just finished All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriott-- HILARIOUS!!). I think I'm going to try Walt Wangerin's Book of the Dun Cow next-- it was highly recommended at the Hutchmoot and so far they haven't led me wrong. 

Lastly, spiritual health and time-management update (so often they go hand-in-hand for me...maybe for all moms):  I actually have been doing better about cleaning & tidying up the house, and I've started decorating for fall. Having friends over is a good motivator for me, lol. I got to sit down and read my Bible just a minute ago (love that morning nap), and it was Ps 121 which I'm sure you know. The Lord spoke to me in a different way through it, though, as not just a comfort "The Lord who watches you will not slumber," but as a "you have no excuse" reminder. There is NEVER a time when I can't ask for help with my attitude, with my thoughts, with my temptations. A few days ago I was really frustrated with life and Ryan got I'm-mad-at-you-treatment for a whole day... I knew it was wrong but I didn't care and didn't feel like anything could help me. The Lord brought that to mind and reminded me that "yes, I would have helped. I was awake and watching, remember?" I am so thankful for forgiveness in the Gospel, arent' you? Without it I would be so crushed by my own guilt.

Taggy Blankets

These have been my latest project.  I usually cut out enough squares for 4-6 blankets at a time, then sew them all up in the course of 2 days (working mostly at naptimes). These have become my "standard" baby gift, and I let Eowyn judge each one before washing & drying it. (She usually responds with glee, immediately putting them to her cheek or burying her face in them.) I've experimented with 2 sizes and with or without buttons in the middle (always very large to eliminate choking risk).  Each blankie is unique, but the consistent elements are one silky-smooth fabric, one fleecy-soft fabric, and one cotton patterned fabric, with tags of various textures. 

Cloth Diapering Report #3

Eowyn is now 9 months old, fully mobile, and is eating at least some solid foods. The past 3 months have held both regular baby-sitting (while I worked 2 mornings/week) and travels in cars and by plane. Here's what's been going on in the Szrama diaper-front. (See past updates here and here.)

Preferences:

-- Daily use:

infant size 4x8x4 unbleached prefolds in a medium g-diaper (prefold: still using the factory seconds I bought for $11/dozen) It's been six months of using them daily, and they show no signs of wear. If they get a stain, it takes a maximum of 2 dryings-by-clothesline in the sun and they are nice again. I HIGHLY recommend good (unbleached) pre-folds to anyone! I also am very impressed with the g-diapers. This was sort of a surprise to me, since they are marketed to be used with disposable (biodegradable) inserts as a disposable-cloth hybrid. But two friends gave me their stashes (one with two whole packs of disposable inserts-- perfect for travel!) of g-pants, and after sewing new velcro onto one friend's very-worn set, I've been super-pleased! I just fold a pre-fold into thirds and stick a fleece liner over it, and ta-da! Éowyn is ready for another 4-6 hours. I've never had a blow-out and quickly found the source of a seepage issue (a worn-out holder). I love this system because it never marks up her legs, is easy for anyone, fits great around her waist, is super-cute, doesn't leak, dries stain-free and simply, is economical, and is pre-loadable (helps Daddy and diaper-bags out!). I even get use out of some random flat diapers passed down to me; just fold them up and slap on the fleece liner, and we can go for 3-4 hours.

-- While out-and-about, overnight, or for childcare:

- a double-stuffed pocket diaper (favs: M Green Acre Designs, OS Kawaii Baby, M Happy Heiny, M snap Swaddlebees), my favorite inserts being hemp. Not so impressed with Fuzzibunz... I'm actually trying to pass on half a dozen of them...send any interested my way. OR

- a regular-sized prefold, modified a la this webpage, with a diaper cover

I took 2 unbleached regular-sized prefolds (I have a dozen I inherited--they are too big for E now) and use them overnight (again with a fleece liner) with great results. I still like my M Bummis Super-Brites...love those leg-gussets!

Others used:

Bumkins Dr. Seuss covers (not sure what's up with the mesh in the back; if she sleeps in them it often leaks there)

Tricks & Tips learned:

- I'm sort of in love with this site...

- diaper liners: I cut up a fleece blanket into strips, and use these for my liners. I think they make a big difference in keeping her dry and rash-free. Also make for easier clean-up of poops, and also guard against lotions getting on the diapers themselves. They dry super-fast.

- wipe solution: ~1/2 T raw coconut oil, drop or two of baby wash, and ~1/3 wipe-box-full of water. So far my cloth wipes (just washcloths cut into halves or fourths) are holding up well. I'm zig-zagging the cut edges a bit at a time. Not sure if it's needed, but I think it will help them hold up longer.

- I had to strip several pocket diapers I bought used (they were repelling water!)...after washing them normally, I boiled them with white vinegar in the water, then I scrubbed them with a natural oxygen bleach powder (natural version of OxyClean) with a toothbrush, and then I threw them in the next diaper load. They've worked great ever since!!

- for diaper rashes (rare): Burt's Bees Carrot Night Cream, or coconut oil (raw). [I just bought Arbonne's Herbal Diaper Creme, and to my dismay found it contains soybean oil, so I can't apply it to her!! I have put it onto a disposable wipe and spread it on her that way. Supposedly it doesn't interfere with cloth diaper absorbancy...] Anyway I LOVE the night cream, and also put it on any skin irritation, etc on her. It doesn't treat anything, so probably wouldn't work on an infection, but it does nourish the skin & heal it up quickly!

- my laundry routine works like a charm: hot cycle with double rinse, using ~2 T of my homemade soap (grated soaps --most recently freebies from hotels,-- borax, washing soda & a tad of OxyClean), drying everything in the sun (usually). I have enough diapers to make it through 3-4 days easily. I just bought a pail liner (Kissa's Antibacterial) to make laundry faster and less gross. :) I have learned that I DO need that much soap-- any less and the diapers smell "swampy", and if I skip the 2nd rinse I risk giving my baby diaper rash. :( White vinegar helps too. I also think that using coconut soap or fels-naptha instead of random hotel soaps makes for a stronger detergent, meaning it might be better for diapers.

- for swim diapers-- meant to catch solids, not liquids: a g-pant (old) with a square of cloth from an old t-shirt folded inside (so her bum isn't touching plastic), and an old Dappi brand cover (it had nice mesh inside) that's too small to be worn over a prefold, also with cotton fabric folded inside. These worked great at the beach, and we'll be using them all summer long!

- for pocket-diaper inserts-- microfiber "carwash" towels from Target folded into 3rds. They really do work!

My stash: between each wash I regularly use 1 dozen unbleached pre-folds, 1/2 dozen flats, ~18 diaper liners, 4-6 diaper doublers, ~4 g-pants, ~6 g-diaper liners, 3-6 pocket diapers, 2 extra-absorbancy prefolds, and 1 diaper cover. I do diaper loads 2ce/week.

Diaper Report #2

Eowyn is now 3 1/2 months old, and at 3 months weighed 13 1/2 lbs... no idea how much she does right now, but basically she is a lot chubbier and longer than she was at my last diapering report.

Preferences:
-- Daily use: infant size 4x8x4 unbleached prefolds, fastened with a snappi, covered in a medium Bummis Super Brite cover.
*prefold: I bought factory seconds for $11/dozen at http://www.clothdiaper.com/ So far they have been WONDERFUL!! I do use a diaper doubler (homemade: usually 1/2 a 100% cotton washcloth, or a whole one folded in half), and a fleece liner (again, homemade-- just strips cut the length of a prefold). The extra thickness keeps messes absorbed nearer the middle of the diaper (less likely to seep out), and the fleece wicks the moisture away, and is easier to clean off.
*I like the Super Brites better than the Super Whisper Wrap because they have leg gussets as well as fastening with velcro (nice exact fit every time)
-- While out-and-about, overnight, or for childcare: small Fuzzibunz pocket diaper, double-stuffed. Just like disposables, except they get thrown in a bag, not a trash can. I usually use 2 of the inserts that came with the diapers (newer dipes have microfiber inserts; older ones come with cotton I think-- I received a huge stash as hand-me-downs from my Aunt Virginia). In a pinch I've folded 2 of the low-quality prefolds I also inherited and stuffed with those. The double-stuffing is imperative.
-- I do also use Bummis Super Whisper Wraps, and Indisposables brand fitted prefolds, given to me second-hand. I do NOT recommend the Indisposables if you are building your own stash. They are soft enough, etc., but they don't absorb well, and some are wearing out alarmingly quickly. Reviews at diaperpin.com seem to indicate this is relatively common, mainly because they are filled with polyester rather than cotton... So it may be that my distaste for fitted diapers should be limited to the brand I have! I'm happy w/ pre-folds now, so I guess we'll never know. :) The Bummis are great. They dry quickly, fit moderately well (snaps), and show no signs of wear so far. Now if only they had leg gussets...

Others used:
-- I was just given a Kawaii Baby one-size pocket diaper (available at http://www.theloveyourbaby.com/) which came with 2 microfiber inserts. I am thrilled with the fit of the diaper, the price looks amazing... the only thing I don't love about them is that the microfleece layer next to Eowyn's skin seems to hold stains worse than Fuzzibunz diapers do. Time outside in the sun helps, though. A great diaper to get if you are starting your stash!
-- Eowyn had a blowout at friend's house and I needed to borrow a diaper cover. My friend lent me a Thirsties cover, and I LOVE IT! It has leg gussets, velcro... It just feels less sturdy than the Bummis covers I have. Not sure how it would do long-term. If I was buying my own stash, I'd probably get at least 1/2 of these, though!

Tricks & Tips learned:
-- diaper sprayers are WONDERFUL. You totally could pressure wash a sidewalk with ours, lol.
-- when using diaper covers, the maxim "a cover is only as good as the diaper it covers" totally is true! I thought my diaper covers were absolute trash until I tried using higher-quality prefolds, and all of a sudden had NO leaks at all, ever, for hours. The cover will only be as good at holding junk IN as the diaper is at absorbing it! So... INVEST IN QUALITY PREFOLDS!!
-- make sure you tuck everything in. Facilitated diffusion means that moisture will travel to every bit of dry material it can reach-- if the teensiest part bit of diaper is sticking out of the cover (maybe in back where you didn't see it), it WILL get the clothes all wet! I found that tucking in the leg gussets of the fitted prefolds around her legs helped with leakage too.
-- making your own phosphate-free powder laundry soap is soooo easy!! (this is the recipe I use, plus I add a bit of OxyClean or its organic counterpart) I tried an all-natural coconut-based soap with wonderful results. It made my cost a little bit higher than if I'd used Dial or Ivory, but I liked knowing that it was less toxic and more "natural." Once my stash of Borax, OxyClean & Washing Soda run out, though, we are going to try soap nuts!! Talk about all-natural: they GROW ON TREES!! I'll keep ya posted.
--g-diapers: Eowyn outgrew the smalls we had, and we liked them while they lasted. I used the disposable inserts on trips. They worked especially well on her when she was little! We'll probably use them the first 2-3 months on our next one, too.