Am I nuts because I want to use these?

http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=98&products_id=1279

Ian seems to think so. He can't get over the "ick" factor.

Why do I want to use them? Lets see...

$$$$$$ - They cost less in the long run! I would save about $4000 on diapers during the span of Cashew's pre-pottyhood.

Environmentally conscious - most disposable diapers aren't biodegradable & the ones that are cost 2X as much.

Our mothers used them & we turned out OK! (And cloth diapers weren't this cool back then! I asked!)

Less diaper rash - according to the random people I have accosted while changing their babies in public places; have you noticed I'm not shy?

Do I agree that there is an "ick" factor? Well, DUH! Its poop, for goodness sake! But is it something I can live with to keep a little more green in my pocket while I help the environment at the same time? Yes! I've never been squeamish about that sort of thing. Growing up as the only girl with a brother & 3 male cousins, I couldn't afford to be. Not to mention that we had cows, pigs, chickens & geese on our ranch. (Now that's a lot of poop!)

This is why I needed a vacation...

random moments

Max & Uncle Scott in Central Realty's "new" Betty

I love cardboard boxes. We get so many different shapes & sizes in at work that I can't resist bringing them home every couple weeks at least. With the Holidays approaching, we've gotten in some pretty big ones containing whole displays. One was about 4 ft long & 2 1/2 ft wide, shoebox style & had extra cardbord inside for stabilizing the display. And it fit in the back of the CRV perfectly! Max saw it & immediatly got out the crayons & with a little help from our friend Beth, made a very cool pirate ship. Two days later it was a tank. Then it was a bulldozer. I wonder what it will be next?

On Tuesday, Max got some new Halloween stickers (Thanks Aunt Becky!) & put one on my tummy. When I said thank you, he replied, "Its for the baby, Mom! You don't get a sticker."

I took Max to my Dr appt on Friday so he could hear the baby's heartbeat. He was so excited, it was all he could talk about for days. When the day finally came, we went over the rules (no being loud, crazy, etc) for the dr's office & away we went. While Ian went to visit his Mom in the main part of the hospital, Max & I headed the the Doctor's Building. The wait was a little difficult since I forgot to bring coloring materials & of course that was all he wanted to do. But then Becky (wonderful nurse) opened the door & called us in. Max marched right up and said, "Hi, my name is Maxwell Harris Good & I want to hear my baby's heart!" But first we had to do all the usual tests. Ever try explaining why Mommies have to pee in a cup each visit? The "just to make sure everything's OK" answer just doesn't cut it! Becky was a trooper & tried to answer all his questions & listened intently as he described each & every boo-boo he had received over the past week. She even supplied a few band aids to add to the collection on his leg. When Dr. S came in & asked Max if he was ready to hear the baby's heart, I thought he was going to jump out of his skin he was so excited! He sat very still in his chair & I wish I could have taken a picture. The look on his face was pure amazement! It just made having a new baby all the more real for him.

I was naughty.
I ate ice cream.
It was delicious.
I will pay for it later.

We're having a perfect little...

BABY!

That's right! Instead of fooling us completely like big brother, Cashew is refusing to play the game at all. I've had 2 ultrasounds in the past 2 weeks & this kid was not about to show his/her stuff. Mom/Mary seems to think that this definitely means its a girl because she's stubborn, just like me. (Me? Stubborn? I really have no idea what she's talking about.) Max has decided that he really wants a brother but keeps reminding me that "We don't get to pick, Mom. Only God gets to pick!"

Only 20 more weeks til we find out!

Isn't that just the cutest little foot!?!

I'M HUNGRY!!!!

During pregnancy, you're supposed to eat. Not literally for two, but enough to keep that precious cargo healthy & growing. So why does this baby seem so intent on not letting me eat anything I like!?! It started off with chicken & turkey & I was OK with that. I eat a lot of veggie based meals anyway, supplement that with an occasional steak, no problem. I can still get prenty of protein. Then came dairy. I can't eat cheese! I love cheese! I've been drinking soy milk & putting it on my cereal but I would love a hunk of chedder right now! Lactaid only works for very small amounts of dairy (think half a Hershey bar) & most brands of soy cheese are not tasty! Even my die hard vegatarian friends refuse to take the almost full package off my hands. So, while I love dairy, I can deal with not eating it for a few months. Its for a good cause! There's still pasta with lots of veggies & red sauce, right? Ha! Cashew has other ideas! No tomatos. No lemonade. No more acidic foods for me! Do you know how many recipes call for at least one of the above ingredients? Which brings me to the real reason for this post. I need recipes! I have exhausted my standby cookbooks & would rather not deal with any of the overly fancy ones. So if anyone has some good ones, feel free to send them to me. Cuz I'm hungry & tired of eating pasta, baked potatos & bean burritos.

PS- For some reason, Cashew like spicy, so if you have any that you think I might be able to handle, send them on! I love spicy!

Baby Excitment & International Fun

Max is cracking me up with his big brother excitedness. He wants Cashew to be here so badly that he is doing everything he can think of to get ready. On stay home days, Max will usually crawl into bed with me for a little bit of snuggle time before breakfast. A couple days ago, it was 8am & since he hadn't come into our room, I was wondering if he was still asleep & if not, why it was so quiet. I got out of bed went to his room to check things out. When I cracked the door just a bit I saw him standing in the middle of his room looking thoughtful. He had raised the blinds on one of the windows so he could see. After watching him turn this way and that for a minute or two, I opened the door fully & asked him what he was doing. "I'm figuring where the baby will sleep, Mom." So we sat & thought of different places to put the crib.

Whenever it gets too quiet, I usually find him in the storage room upstairs, looking at baby paraphernalia, or moving some of it into his room, or as in case of the bibs, spreading them all out on the dining room table. He was quite irritated that I wouldn't let him bring the highchair downstairs until I explained to him that the baby wouldn't need that right away. He replied by smacking himself on the forehead, saying "Babies drink from your boobs, Mom!" (Like it was my idea to bring the highchair down in the first place!)

On 8/23, Max & I took our friend Leslie to the Festival of Nations in Tower Grove Park where we celebrated a couple of firsts.

1) Max got to hold a claymore (HUGE sword-taller than me!) when we visited the SSAS booth where Ian's friend Chris was working. If you notice, Max is holding the sword all by himself, Chris is just steadying it to prevent Max from chopping me off at the knees. Max was on cloud 9! Now he wants one.

2) Leslie got to hold the sword too! Watch out Lucas!

3) Max tried falafel for the first time & didn't care for it. He did eat all the veggies & the pita that came with it though. Mmmm, more falafel for me! He did, however, really like the Bosnian version of apple strudel. I don't think Les got to eat very much of hers.