The End of One Year, the Start of Another

Happy New Year!

Over here we're just starting to scratch the surface on a lot of things. It's fitting that it's about to be a new year because there are some changes happening in the Lee family.

We are finally cloth diapering full-time! It's too bad that it took us one-and-a-half years to overcome our fear of touching, smelling and seeing poop. All we could manage when we first had a baby was: take off stinky diaper, roll it up as fast as humanly possible, and discard into the trash can where the poo is no longer anyone's problem (except the trashman's).

Fast forward to now. Here is the new routine: take off stinky diaper, clean tush, take diaper to toilet and flush poo, use hand-held toilet sprayer to clean off the diaper, throw diaper into pail to be washed soon.

I'll be honest. It was really hard when we first started. REALLY HARD. Like, hard for me not to want to vomit. And for these reasons alone, I don't advise anyone to do it unless they are really persuaded with their own reasons (whether financial or environmental). There was a learning curve for us, and an upfront cost. I found myself needing to buy 18 diapers, special detergent to wash them with, a diaper sprayer, flushable liners, and waterproof bags to hold soiled diapers in. On top of this, I wash diapers about everyday now.

However, on the plus side, I really like putting Noelle in cloth diapers! The feeling of going to Target, and being able to pass right on by the diaper aisle without having to load up the cart with yet another box of diapers feels really gratifying. It feels really good to use the same, cute, clean, organic cloth diapers on Noelle over and over again. It's nice not to have a plastic bag full of dirty, disposable diapers to add to the pile of trash I'm sending to the landfill. It's actually fun for me to wash them. And I'll tell you a secret, it's really really fun to have a clothesline out on our upper balcony (where nobody but us can see). Hanging diapers out there in the California sun to dry! There's really nothing quite like it.

Of course now that we've got the system up and running in the way of cloth diapers, it's ironic that we've started to potty train the little girl! The good thing is that the diapers we have (Bumgenius Elemental All-in-Ones and Grovia All-in-Ones) are size-adjustable. They fit newborns up to Toddlers. They can be used as training pants, and they can also be used for the next baby. And they are going to save us thousands of dollars in the long run.

On another note, I'm looking forward to next year. I just finished reading The Plug-in Drug, in which Marie Winn studies the effect that television has on child development and family life. Really, I was trying to make a decision for what to do with Noelle during the time that I needed her to stay out of trouble. Putting on something for her to watch (Sesame Street, PBS, etc.) really became easy and T.V. was acting like a babysitter for me. If she fussed while I was trying to get dinner ready, it was becoming the solution. I noticed that she started to ask for it more and more, whenever she was bored, whenever she saw anything that reminded her of her shows.

So for December we made a resolution to get rid of T.V. and see what would happen. I was pleasantly surprised. It is forcing me to be more proactive in finding something for her to do. It is also forcing her to be more imaginative in her play. Kevin and I now read a ton more books. We are also reading more books to Noelle and to each other. I'm really looking forward to the new year to see what other fun activities, outings, and learning opportunities are waiting for us.

Lastly, because this post is so long, I just wanted to mention briefly that home schooling has been on our brain. Kevin and I are listening to a series of seminars on the advantages of home schooling as well as the difficulties that people encounter. It feels like the beginning of a wild adventure...And something for which I will have to share more about later.

Happy New Year!

The Cloth Diapers are Here!!!!

On Black Friday I purchased some cloth diapers (Bumgenius Elemental Organic All-in-ones, to be specific). It took forever to decide which ones to purchase because apparently, cloth diapers are for mothers what electronics are for men. There are more brands, features and designs for cloth diapering crazy mothers than I can count or read about. It's a whole world with specific terminology and lingo, usage, maintenance, cleaning.

ANYWAY, I've gone and done it. The idea is that we will stop pouring money (in the form of used, disposable, non-biodegradable diapers) into the landfills and be able to reuse these lovely cloth diapers on our first child and beyond.

Will keep updated on how it goes :)

On Another Note: Home Birthing

You may or may not care, but I don't plan on having another baby in a hospital. Having another baby - YES, may God bless us (not that we are pregnant again). Birthing another baby inside the four walls of a hospital - NO, thank you.

When I talk about home birth, some people look at me like I have an elbow growing out of my forehead. Well, how do you think women have given birth for thousands of years before medical hospitals were invented. Midwives. All done at home.

And plus I live 4 minutes away from the hospital, so it's not like I couldn't get transferred in the event of an emergency.

But, WHY? is the question. Don't I want the comfort and safety of the hospital? Oh, the needles and tubes and wires and gadgets stuck to me, winding around my legs while I am trying to cope with labor pains; the nurse telling me I have to wait to push, even though the baby is already 2+ station coming out....just because they need the OB to catch the newborn...and the OB is not here yet?

Actually, the biggest reason I don't want to give birth in a hospital is for post-partum reasons. I literally did not sleep a wink at the hospital after giving birth to Noelle. We had her at 5am. I was not "discharged" until the following morning at 8am. Count the hours awake: somewhere around 49 to 50 hours, and the first quarter of those hours were spent in labor.

For a person like me, the hospital is not a place of safety, comfort and rest. Sorry! I just have trouble sleeping in an unfamiliar environment and those who have known me since I was young know that this is true. In fact, when Kevin and I first got married, it took me a full year to adjust and start sleeping well again! Normally, it's ok to to lose some sleep - but not when you've just gone through labor with no epidural, you haven't been sleeping well anyway because you were 38 weeks pregnant, and you won't be sleeping well for the next 3 months!!

When Kevin brought me and Noelle home from the hospital (this was after we begged them to release us so that I could go home and get some sleep), I remember collapsing in the comfort of our bed and thinking, "Never again."

Next time I am doing it at home. No more jackhammers (yes, they had jackhammers outside my hospital window), no more overhead calls from nurses broadcasting to other nurses in the ward (can you turn it off or at least turn it down? No, because the nurses need to be able to hear it), no more noise and hustle from interrupting nurses and pediatricians and doctors and photo-takers and religious clerics, no more being unable to sleep and nurse with the baby in bed, and no more separation from family (I didn't like being in the hospital alone with strangers who don't care about me).

Do I sound ungrateful? I'll try not to be and just say this: I am thankful that hospitals exist for the many times that births cannot happen naturally and need the help of pitocin, epidurals and c-sections. In the event that something goes wrong, I know I would be very thankful to be sent to the hospital to be cared for. And to give hospitals some more credit, some moms I know say that they had a good experience, that the nurses waited on them and it felt like a "hotel."

For me, however, if I am ever able to have another baby again, I know for sure that the hospital path is not one I will seek out. It might sound crazy, but to me, it sounds so normal to give birth at home.

Change

Pigtails, pink wings, and a rainbow tutu of sorts. Gotta love having a little girl to dress up for Halloween.

We went to a trick-or-treating thing in downtown Sierra Madre with some family. She had no idea that hundreds of kids were stuffing their faces with candy - my dad gave her some banana to eat. Gotta love that, too.

Our family dynamic is changing more and more everyday. We can't talk about Noelle as much anymore in front of her. She's beginning to understand that we are talking about her. So we say, "She's so C. U. T. E." instead because we don't want her to become conceited. Hehe. I imagine pig latin may come in handy soon, too. And then there's the reserve we must show when an issue comes up that requires a "united parenting front." All the issues have to wait until she goes to bed and we can discuss parenting approach in private.

Life is really flying before my eyes these days. Noelle grows out of her shoes and clothes faster than I ever imagined. Cute shoes and outfits don't have time to become "favorites" - they must be worn a little then shoved into a box for another baby.

New developments hardly have time to be cherished. She's saying new things everyday - every moment - ALL OF A SUDDEN. Now she's a parrot. Rejoice that she can say, "One - two - three!" And the next second she is saying a lot more. There just isn't enough time to take pride in each new thing.

It's like the wind decided to give a great big gust, shaking all the leaves loose off the tree, and here I am running around frantically trying to capture each one. Each leaf is amazing! But I can't hold them all and soon they'll be gone. She is changing so fast.

Suddenly a Toddler

I walk, I crawl, I wobble here and there! I can go so fast! I like to feel myself zipping down the hallway on two legs. The speed is addicting!

I pick at Grandma's mouth and eyes as she pretends to sleep. I go into crazy giggles when I find out she is only pretending.

I giggle A LOT when it gets late and it's past my bedtime.

Books are my favorite things to look at. That and other babies. I am very interested in little people. They are so small and they are my size.

I like to eat crackers. I just discovered them. I don't want to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner anymore. I just want crackers.

I can't help but smile when I am happy, and everyone thinks it's so funny, especially when my two teeth show through.

What We are Up To

Noelle is walking! I started religiously taking her to the park when I realized that she went hog wild at experimental walking when she had wood chips to fall on and other toddlers to chase around. She is also trying really hard to say things, but so far can only manage to say words that begin with the consonants "m" and "b." So "up" sounds like "bup." She's 13 months old!

Kevin is on a break from classes (he's earning a certificate in Human Resources at UCLA Extension). Only one more class to go before he's done, yay! He's also started rock climbing more and is doing this thing called "Convict Conditioning" where he is conditioning his body using old school calisthenic methods. He's been reading a variety of things on his own, but to Noelle he reads a book called "Leading Little Ones to God" that explains God's character, the human condition, and the work of Jesus Christ. For our devotions together, he's been reading the Psalms.

As for me, I am going through a stage in my life where I feel up to my eyeballs in sheer joy everyday. I wake up and can't wait to start the day as a mother and wife. I love taking Noelle to the playground, the library, to the zoo - I love coming home and watching her eat a cheese stick all by herself. I love making food for our nightly dinner, then consuming and watching my family consume the dinner with gusto and enjoyment. Right now I am also going through another educational stint on parenting. I am reading Proverbs and just raking it for any wisdom on parenting. There is really so much parenting advice out there in the world - much of it good, and unfortunately, a whole lot of it TERRIBLE. What do you do when there are books and books full of manmade advice on how to raise your child, advice that contradicts and conflicts with each other? Well, you read the Proverbs and you pray for wisdom, of course!

"If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the Lord, and discover the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Prov. 2:4-6

I am learning that there is a load of parenting advice out there aimed at the behavior of children. How to manage it, how to modify it, how to control it. How tempting for a young Christian parent to want to reduce parenting to something as simple as behavioral modification. Is my job really only about keeping my child "in line"? Especially (ahem) at church, at the grocery store, in a nice restaurant? The answer is a resounding NO. But what will people think when my child can't sit still at church, throws a tantrum in the checkout line at Target (and on and on go my man-fearing thoughts...).

I am positive that God has so much more for me as a mother than what I just mentioned above. So far, just reading the first three books of the Proverbs has already blown my little mind. For instance, the writer says to his son, "Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching; indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head, and ornaments about your neck" (Prov. 1:8-9). Already a beautiful vision of motherhood is developing right before my eyes: that of teaching and instructing my child, not just manipulating her behavior through spanking, time-outs, or what-have-you every time she disobeys or misbehaves. My job is to teach wisdom and pray that the child receives it and builds internal character that will take her into a fruitful adulthood: "For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; discretion will guard you, understanding will watch over you" (Prov. 2:10-11). What a high-calling!! Pray for me.

If it's good, share it

We have been drinking raw cow's milk for a couple weeks now. Guess what, good news for the lactose intolerant: I can totally digest it, no problems!

This is because raw milk has not been pasteurized (heated up) and therefore retains all of the enzymes that natural to milk, including lactase, the enzyme that helps us digest milk.

We are raw milk converts now. Especially when it's from such a reputable source, a farm that has never had any issues with contamination or food poisoning, we are happy!

We buy from http://www.organicpastures.com/ though not online. They have a "hub" (a truck, essentially) in Glendale where we buy their stuff for almost half the price they used to sell it at Whole Foods Market. A family at our Bible Study also buys from them and they've been drinking their raw milk for years.

I am a total "natural parenting" mom, so guess what Noelle is going to be drinking once she can start dairy?