Retro Plaid Christmas Card

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Happy St. Patrick's Day!

"I can do it myself, mommy!"

Emily is becoming more and more independent as the days go by. We've attempted eating table foods, but banana's are much more fun to play with than to eat. I probably should have chosen a less sticky first finger food, but she loves banana's and I thought it would make the transition a little easier. I think we'll try something different the next time around. She also refuses to wear a bib. She figured out that she could use her hand to hold the bib down while using her mouth to pull the Velcro apart thus removing the offending cloth from around her neck. Now that she's attempting to feed herself, a diaper (and nothing else!) is a much better mealtime wardrobe anyway.
Now that Emily is crawling (sort of) she is getting into everything. Much like her mother, she loves books. The second she hits the living room floor she makes her way to the bookshelf and begins dutifully tearing every book in her reach off the shelf. Don't worry, for her safety I have moved the Shakespeare and Milton anthologies to the upper shelves. She has also recently figured out how to use anything that will stand still to pull herself to her knees and feet. This means trouble! But, it certainly makes for fun web-cam time with Daddy.

live a little greener

Had someone told me years ago that I would be a cloth diapering mama, I would have laughed at them. Now, cloth diapering is not just a means of containing my child's excretions, it is a true obsession. With diapers as cute as these how could you not be obsessed?! Sharing my knowledge of cloth with friends has been a blast (I love converting the doubtful). Even Benjamin, who wanted to commit me when I mentioned the idea of cloth diapering, is now an advocate. There's something terribly sweet about watching my husband sit around drinking a beer and discussing the many benefits of cloth with a buddy.

Cloth diapering has been reinvented since the days of prefolds, pins, and rubber pants. Although prefolds are still around (and my recommendation for diapering infants before they become too mobile), dangerous diaper pins and hot rubber pants are things of the past. Rather than use your fingers for pincushions as you try to fasten baby's diaper without poking them, you can now use a snappi (invented by a cloth diapering daddy!). Prefolds come in two sizes that will diaper baby from birth to potty training. For between two and three dollars a diaper, you can't beat the savings!

Along with a prefold you will need something waterproof to replace those rubber pants. Today's solutions are PUL (polyurethane laminate) and wool diaper covers. Wool comes in super cute shorts, skirts, and pants but can be quite expensive (around $40-$50). PUL covers are our cover of choice. We have had great experiences with Thirsties. Thanks to the custom fit of a prefold, coupled with a waterproof cover with great leg gussets, even Emily's most explosive diapers have been contained. No middle of the night sheet changes in our house!

Of all cloth diapers out there, my absolute favorite are goodmama fitted diapers. The prints are to die for! They're super soft, absorbent, and adorable; the perfect diaper.

Emily loves them, too.

Growing So Fast

It's hard for me to comprehend that my little baby will be a year old in just two and a half months. Two weeks ago she weighed in at 19lbs 2oz, measuring 28 and a half inches long. Where does the time go?

We have recently figured out how to sit up from our hands and knees, which mommy loves because now we don't just face plant and scream til someone sits us up to play. She hasn't quite figured out how to crawl (forwards at least), but she rolls and backs into things very well. Although crawling doesn't appear to be a priority for Emily at this time, she is determined to figure out how to get up on her feet. She likes to grab on to my legs and pull herself to her feet, or plant her feet on the ground with her hand and stick her bum straight up in the air. It's quite cute. Especially with her cushy cloth diapered bottom!

Although her adorably sweet little girl smile is easily deceiving; don't be fooled!

I'm so proud of my husband!

I came across this today.

I am so proud of him!

Let's catch up!

In an effort to quickly get up to speed I've included a small (OK, a large) collage of photos from the past 7(!) months. Enjoy!