Knitting and Knesting

So I'm learning how to knit. I'm not sure what it is about having a baby that brings out this overwhelming nesting instinct, but lately I just want to bake yummy treats, decorate my home, and, yes, knit homemade things for my baby. I've watched people knit, and those needles just seem to fly with ease. How hard could it be, right? Yeah... Those of you who know me well know that I love to try new things and learn new skills, but I want to be perfect at them immediately. Is that really expecting too much?! Knitting is much harder than it looks, and poor little Madelyn will be lucky if she ever ends up with something knitted by her mother that doesn't either fit lopsided or fall off her little body completely. I'm nearly done with a little hat that just looked so cute in my head! I've made many mistakes, but I think I'll be able to salvage it (with significant help from my neighbor and friend, Eden, who is teaching me). But I'm just sticking with baby hats. First of all, is there anything cuter than a little hatted baby head? And secondly, it's healthy to know and accept one's limitations, right? Thank goodness for skilled knitters like Rita and Jessie who have knitted such adorable, perfect little sweaters for Maddie. We have loved getting out and about in these sweaters, and we always get compliments on how cute they are. Check them out!

First Ever "Name That Caption" Contest!

So Kurt took this photo earlier today when the 3 of us were just sitting around after her nap, and he and I about wet our pants when we saw it...so hilarious! These varied, spontaneous expressions are very characteristic of Madelyn but very rare to capture on camera. If only there was a little ticker-tape running across her forehead telling us what was going through her mind...but that's where you all come in. Leave a comment with your idea of a caption for this photo, and Kurt and I will pick our favorite one on Saturday March 1st. Have fun!

Here are some more photos from this same afternoon, just for fun :)

Moments with Maddie

No real purpose or big event for these photos. Just some fun, daily moments to share with you. Ok, that's not really true. A couple of the photos show Maddie eating her first solid food. That's a big moment! Especially because she loved it so much and lapped up every last little bit while flapping her arms in pure delight the entire time. Very fun! Oh, and another one shows her first ride on the MAX train here in Portland. Also very fun! She was wide-eyed but appeared quite content all snuggled in her stroller.

FUZZI BUNZ!

DISCLAIMER: I was actually asked to write this post! So before anyone gets all up in arms about me espousing my hippie, granola beliefs with respect to diapering, I'm only trying to fulfill a request. No guilt, no judgment, no persuasion (although after reading this I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to jump on the cloth diapering band wagon!). Just a few thoughts and observations from my own experience. Alas...Lynne, here you go!

So Kurt and I decided to use cloth diapers before Maddie was even born. Our reasons were threefold: environmental, financial, and comfort (as one of my friends puts it, "would you want to wear paper underwear?"). We started with a diaper service. For $17 per week, they delivered fresh cloth diapers to our door and took away our dirty ones. No washing, no picking up, no hassle. They were always very prompt and very nice, but ultimately we didn't have a good experience. With traditional cloth diapers, you have to fold them and lay them inside a waterproof cover. Although we tried several covers, we could never find one that cinched up tight enough around Madelyn's little legs, so they were always leaking either onto her clothes or onto the diaper covers, which you have to be able to use over and over. I also got frustrated with folding the diapers because I could never get them folded and into the cover fast enough before she would pee all over. Plus, at $17 per week (or approximately $70 per month), the service really wasn't that much cheaper than buying disposable diapers.

I was seriously considering bagging the whole cloth diapering thing when my friend, Monica, referred me to Babyworks here in Portland. They are THE BEST! They have all kinds of different cloth diapering systems in there and are so patient in explaining how they all work. I will always be grateful to them because they introduced me to Fuzzi Bunz (visit www.fuzzibunz.com). Fuzzi Bunz are what they call a "pocket" diapering system, meaning that the absorbent part of the diaper is stuffed inside the outside, waterproof cover before you even use the diaper so it functions just like a regular disposable diaper in that there's no folding necessary and no reusing of the covers. The inside lining is fleece so it's super soft against baby's skin and it wicks away the moisture very quickly and effectively. Plus, there are graduated snaps around each leg and the waist so you get a custom fit. You use each diaper once, just like a disposable, and then put them in a dry sac to be washed every other day. No soaking, no swirling around in the toilet (although we have found it very helpful to have a sprayer attached to the side of our toilet to help remove some of the, ahem, chunky stuff before being washed in the washing machine). Initially, I was worried that washing the diapers all myself would be time consuming and messy, but it has not been a problem at all. It takes us about 15 minutes to spray the diapers with a stain and odor remover and then we just put them in the washer for a regular cycle and then the dryer for a regular cycle. That's it. Stuff the inserts inside the covers and we're good to go. SO EASY.

Plus, Fuzzi Bunz are the CUTEST diapers ever...almost as cute as the buns inside them!!


Anyway, we love our Fuzzi Bunz. Oh! And I forgot to mention that even though there's an upfront cost when you buy your own cloth diapers, you save nearly $2000 over the life of a diapered kid, and that's not even counting reusing them with subsequent children.

Whoa! Deep breath. For those of you who actually made it all the way up to this point, thanks for sticking with me. If anyone has any specific questions or thoughts, just post a comment! And I should also mention that Babyworks does most of their business in long distance orders, so if you can't find Fuzzi Bunz in a store near you, visit their website and place an order. They have a 30 day money back guarantee...use them, stain them, wash them...if you don't like them you can return them for a full refund. Awesome!

Bye Bye Auntie Kelsie!

Auntie Kelsie left yesterday evening to spend one month practicing medicine in a remote hospital outside of Kampala, Uganda. Uganda!!! We are so excited for her...and a bit envious if we're being honest! It's just hard to believe that in 24 short hours (although they'll probably feel long to Kelsie!), she will be half way around the world in Africa. So amazing. We can't wait to hear her stories and see her photos when she gets back. We will miss you, Kels, and we're praying for you every day!


In honor of Kelsie's African adventure, Maddie took a ride on her giraffe this morning. I'm sure Kelsie will see many giraffes but hopefully she won't find herself riding any :)

Kickin' Back

So most of the time, Madelyn is wide-eyed and busy busy busy observing and exploring her world. After all that activity, however, she's bound to eventually get tuckered out and need some chill time...


...which she evidently knows how to do pretty well! The only things missing are a nice cold microbrew and some football!

Jump Around, Jump Around, Jump Up Jump Up and Get Down

Here's a taste of one of Maddie's favorite pastimes. As you can see, there's a very fine line between "I'm really enjoying this!" and "Get me out fast or I'm going to pop!"

Enjoy!
Kim