I was sad, but not surprised to learn earlier today that Farrah Fawcett had died. Shortly after, I heard about Ed McMahon. Sad, but again not so surprising.
Just an hour ago, I read that Michael Jackson has also left us.
I stared at the screen for a few minutes, dumbfounded. Normally, celebrity deaths don't bother me. They are just people and people die all the time, right? But Michael Jackson... As a child of the eighties, to me there has never been a time that he didn't exist. He was always there, a constant dose of mild insanity, a glittering monolith, the undisputed King of Pop.
And now he's gone. It's strange to imagine a world without him. Is it a better world? Considering the many accusations leveled against Jackson over the last sixteen(?) years, maybe it is. As mother to a little boy myself, I can certainly understand the outrage and fear that has been directed towards him. On the other hand, however inexcusable his actions may have been, without Jackson's influence, popular music as we know it today would not exist. It begs the question: do we discount the art because of who or what the artist is? His publicity marriages, questionable parenting, and other acts of disreputable behavior are beginning to fade from my memory already.
All that remains is a single, sparkling glove, a dance, and a beat that never ends...
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
I love my sling!
Jack is officially teething. While he's still a generally delightful baby, there have definitely been more tears around here than usual. This leaves me with three options: leave Jack to cry while taking care of my business, hold Jack and don't take care of my business, or make use of the sling.
Let's face it: when baby is crying, no amount of focus will allow me to do my work. But someone had to do the dishes before the leftover food bits became a highly evolved society. Still, for some reason, I spent almost 2 hours running back and forth between the kitchen and attempting to comfort a very uncomfortable child before realizing I was getting nothing accomplished. So, Jack went into the sling, and while the going was a little slower than I would have liked, I managed to clean the kitchen. (I did wait until his nap to wash the knives or begin cooking!)
Right now he's sitting in my lap, supported by the sling. I'm hands-free and able to type, and he is happy close to me and his mid-afternoon snack.
So here's Jack in his sling...
He's using the nursing cover as a tent. Well, at least it's being used...
Did you know plastic pants double as chef hats? Yes, they are clean.
So last night we had this ridiculous monsoon/storm thing. Joshua is convinced we brought the tornadoes with us from Huntsville. It's kind of weird that there has been a tornado almost every day since we got here, when normally there aren't whole lot of them here.
We had this bizzare continuous lightning. It went for at least half an hour.
25 seconds of cuteness.
And just for fun, we gave him his first solids last week. Plain pureed avocado, yum!
Let's face it: when baby is crying, no amount of focus will allow me to do my work. But someone had to do the dishes before the leftover food bits became a highly evolved society. Still, for some reason, I spent almost 2 hours running back and forth between the kitchen and attempting to comfort a very uncomfortable child before realizing I was getting nothing accomplished. So, Jack went into the sling, and while the going was a little slower than I would have liked, I managed to clean the kitchen. (I did wait until his nap to wash the knives or begin cooking!)
Right now he's sitting in my lap, supported by the sling. I'm hands-free and able to type, and he is happy close to me and his mid-afternoon snack.
So here's Jack in his sling...
He's using the nursing cover as a tent. Well, at least it's being used...
Did you know plastic pants double as chef hats? Yes, they are clean.So last night we had this ridiculous monsoon/storm thing. Joshua is convinced we brought the tornadoes with us from Huntsville. It's kind of weird that there has been a tornado almost every day since we got here, when normally there aren't whole lot of them here.
We had this bizzare continuous lightning. It went for at least half an hour.
25 seconds of cuteness.
And just for fun, we gave him his first solids last week. Plain pureed avocado, yum!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Reflections on Cloth Diapering and some Pictures
Ask anyone who knows me and they will confirm: I am obsessed with diapers. We made the switch to cloth when Jack was about six weeks, and after much trial and error, I think we've got the hang of it.
We use a combination of different types of diapers to meet Jack's... elimination needs. My favorites by far are bumGenius Organic One-Size Cloth Diapers. It's not that they're organic, though that's a nice touch. The fact that they are all-in-one doesn't hurt either, but the great thing is they seem to fit a slightly larger size range than the bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper. Incedentally, that's my second favorite. Stuffing diapers can be a little bit of a pain, but it's great for nighttime and travel when Jack needs more absorbency, and when it's really hot, you can cut down on the bulk by using just the doubler/infant insert.
We also have a handful of purple size Medium FuzziBunz diapers that my mom found at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro for $2 each. They are still too big for Jack, but I like the snaps and the fact that they have a higher rise, good because he is tall (long?) and thin.
But the real reason I'm making this post is to praise the wonders of a traditional prefold and rubber pants, or a Dappi cover. (Warning, there is about to be poop discussion...) Cheap, easy to wash, and almost stain-proof, if your baby goes number 2 on a regular schedule, these are the diapers to use when he is due. I use prefolds almost exclusively during the day for all those reasons. I also like that when pinned on, the sides of the diaper create a pocket that contains matter in a way that pocket diapers have never done for us.
You can't beat pockets or all-in-ones for convenience, but it's hard to improve upon the original prefold. I remember my mom using them as rags long after my sister and I had been potty trained. They make great burp cloths and impromptu bibs too.
Since changing over to cloth, Joshua and I have gone from three full trashbags a week to less than one. I think once I convince him that cloth wipes are great too, we'll get away with one every 2 weeks. We've added one load of laundry a week, so essentially, we are spending $1.75 to wash cloth, where we were spending at least $12 on disposables before. After the initial investment for the diapers, and estimating 3 years in diapers, that's a savings of almost $1500! Even more if we have another kid and reuse the diapers.
Yeah, I think cloth is pretty great.
And now for some pictures...
Jack can't get the pacifier straight.
He loves his new house =D
Chillin' in Canon City. My niece Addie took that one.
Joshua and Jack at Lake Loveland.
And the vector I whipped up for Father's Day.
We use a combination of different types of diapers to meet Jack's... elimination needs. My favorites by far are bumGenius Organic One-Size Cloth Diapers. It's not that they're organic, though that's a nice touch. The fact that they are all-in-one doesn't hurt either, but the great thing is they seem to fit a slightly larger size range than the bumGenius 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diaper. Incedentally, that's my second favorite. Stuffing diapers can be a little bit of a pain, but it's great for nighttime and travel when Jack needs more absorbency, and when it's really hot, you can cut down on the bulk by using just the doubler/infant insert.
We also have a handful of purple size Medium FuzziBunz diapers that my mom found at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro for $2 each. They are still too big for Jack, but I like the snaps and the fact that they have a higher rise, good because he is tall (long?) and thin.
But the real reason I'm making this post is to praise the wonders of a traditional prefold and rubber pants, or a Dappi cover. (Warning, there is about to be poop discussion...) Cheap, easy to wash, and almost stain-proof, if your baby goes number 2 on a regular schedule, these are the diapers to use when he is due. I use prefolds almost exclusively during the day for all those reasons. I also like that when pinned on, the sides of the diaper create a pocket that contains matter in a way that pocket diapers have never done for us.
You can't beat pockets or all-in-ones for convenience, but it's hard to improve upon the original prefold. I remember my mom using them as rags long after my sister and I had been potty trained. They make great burp cloths and impromptu bibs too.
Since changing over to cloth, Joshua and I have gone from three full trashbags a week to less than one. I think once I convince him that cloth wipes are great too, we'll get away with one every 2 weeks. We've added one load of laundry a week, so essentially, we are spending $1.75 to wash cloth, where we were spending at least $12 on disposables before. After the initial investment for the diapers, and estimating 3 years in diapers, that's a savings of almost $1500! Even more if we have another kid and reuse the diapers.
Yeah, I think cloth is pretty great.
And now for some pictures...
Jack can't get the pacifier straight.
He loves his new house =D
Chillin' in Canon City. My niece Addie took that one.
Joshua and Jack at Lake Loveland.
And the vector I whipped up for Father's Day.Obligatory Introduction Post
Let's see... my name is Natalie and lately I'm pretty much a mom. I am primarily starting a blog now because my husband and I packed up everything we (cared to continue to) own and drove from Huntsville, AL to Loveland, CO last month. With Joshua working and Jack still preverbal, I'm a little lonely and would like somewhere to vent my thoughts.
So, what to expect as far as content. I have longed to start my very own webcomic since 2003 when I discovered Natalie Dee. I don't really have a cohesive concept, but I like to doodle about funny occurrences in everyday life. No stick figures, I promise. This is my blog, so there will be stuff about me and my family- photos, videos, goings-on in our lives, etc. Ramblings about my interests, maybe some tutorials that relate to my hobbies and activities.
Since Jack was born five months ago, my primary desire has been to simplify and get to what really matters. To me, that is family, both immediate, and our global family- kindness to one another and respect for the world we live in. So that's what the bulk of this journal thing is about.
Will post actual content later.
Love,
Natalie
So, what to expect as far as content. I have longed to start my very own webcomic since 2003 when I discovered Natalie Dee. I don't really have a cohesive concept, but I like to doodle about funny occurrences in everyday life. No stick figures, I promise. This is my blog, so there will be stuff about me and my family- photos, videos, goings-on in our lives, etc. Ramblings about my interests, maybe some tutorials that relate to my hobbies and activities.
Since Jack was born five months ago, my primary desire has been to simplify and get to what really matters. To me, that is family, both immediate, and our global family- kindness to one another and respect for the world we live in. So that's what the bulk of this journal thing is about.
Will post actual content later.
Love,
Natalie
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