My Creative Roommates

I'm up waiting on the cloth diapers to finish washing so I thought I'd point you guys over to my roommate's new blogs.

Y'all have heard about Jill and her amazing purses/burp cloths/diaper bags/etc before. Well she has a blog but she never updates it. Head over there and tell her that she should quit all three of her daytime jobs and sew all day long.

Merritt is my girl. She lives in the capital of our country and she dresses like it. And she now has a blog to help all the rest of us (ME!) who are fashionably illiterate. And she'll answer questions! Where do you think she gets all of her material? Its not from me asking her a bazillion questions.

Lauren teaches middle schoolers science which qualifies her for a Nobel Peace Prize but if that wasn't enough she's about to walk a whole bunch of miles to raise money for breast cancer. She's blogging about it and she's one of the funniest writers I know. So take a gander at her blog and donate some money if you feel so inclined.

The Good and the Bad

The Good News: I hit my pre-pregnancy weight this morning!! Yea!

The Bad News: It was because I had a stomach virus all day yesterday. Boo :(

New Running Shoes

My sister helped me pick out these awesome new running shoes. Too bad it rained all day today :(

Goal: Accomplished

I finished my Couch-2-5K training yesterday 9 weeks and 1 day after I started. (Its a 9 week training.) You can do the training by time or by distance. It was easier for me to do it by time. By the end, I was running 30 minutes but not quite running 3 miles. J & I thought about running the 5K in downtown Greenville today but realized we could save the $50 and run our own 5K. Jonathan pushed the double stroller and paced me and we ran a 5K on an awesome trail we have in downtown Spartanburg. I ran 3 miles in 29min 26 sec and 3.1 miles in 30min 11sec. It was the first time I've actually run 3 miles. And it was hard. Incredibly hard. But since I wasn't crying or throwing up like they do on The Biggest Loser, I kept going. And I am incredibly proud of myself.

I did learn a few things these past 9 weeks.

1. My body can do more than I think it can. I'm learning how to push my body physically not to the point of injury, but def to the point of pain. I followed the prescribed training to a T and didn't experience any soreness or injuries but I saw def improvement.

2. My body can do more than my body thinks it can. There were times my body was yelling at me to quit punishing it. Until the very last C25K day when I tried to go 3 miles in 30 minutes while pushing 50 extra pounds, I never stopped jogging during the jogging intervals. Even when I got a side cramp my run Monday, I was able to let the hill carry me as I worked through it. And I ran 2.88 miles straight that day- a new record. Before I would have thought my body was telling me to stop. No my body was being a wuss and needed to suck it up and take it.

3. I am strong. I feel strong. I can start comparing myself to all kinds of people- runners- not runners- mothers- not mothers. It doesn't matter. I am strong. This is my running mantra. When I feel weak, I use these words to remind me of truth- I am strong. God created my body to run at maximum capacity. He made me strong; its time I start living strong.

4. Running is more fun in hot pink. The great part about starting a hobby right before Christmas is that you receive many Christmas gifts related to that hobby which in turn make you want to continue your hobby. I got a great cold weather running shirt which happens to be hot pink (thanks Mother-in-law and Father-in-law). I feel fun and spunky running in my bright hot pink shirt. So I've decided my running colors are going to be hot pink and black. My sister is helping me shop for running shoes on Tuesday (thanks Mom & Dad) and she promised we could find some hot pink and black ones.

I also lost about 6 pounds in 9 weeks. Not shabby at all esp since I had plataued for months at my previous weight and the holidays were in the midst of that. As of this morning, I am 1.4 pounds away from my prepregnancy weight. I'm back in my pants except my jeans. I just bought new jeans because I'm not sure these hips will ever fit in those jeans again.

What now? I'm planning to run 30 minutes 3 times a week. We'll see what comes up. One of my friends mentioned a sprint triathlon and that sounds interesting...

This afternoon I needed to flip the switch on our modem to reset the internet. I went into our room, laid down on the floor and reached under the dresser to flip the switch. And promptly fell asleep on the floor.

2008 Book Superlatives

Favorite Children's Sleep Book: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth, M.D.
Book I Thought Would Never End: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
Book That Changed My Day-to-Day Living: Getting Things Done by David Allen
Books I Couldn't Put Down: A Voice in the Wind and An Echo in the Darkness by Francine Rivers
Book That Made Me Want To Become An Egyptologist: The Curse of the Pharaoh's by Elizabeth Peters
Favorite Book Written By Father-in-law's College Roommate (right, Gerald?): Deeper Water by Robert Whitlow
Most Overrated Book: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Book That Made Me Think the Most: The Shack by William P. Young
Strangest Book: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Book I'm Glad I Read: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Book That Made Me a Better Person: Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
Book That Made Me Feel Not Crazy: Raising Your Spirited Child by Mary Sheedy Kurchinka
Favorite Book of 2008: The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar

All total: 40 books

Top 3 I recommend
1. The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
2. Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
3. A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers

On my list for 2009
1. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein recommended by Cousin Deb
2. anything by Harlan Coben recommended by Jennifer B
3. Oxygen by Carol Cassella recommended by Cousin Deb
4. The Good Sister by Diana Diamond recommended by Mert

2009 Goal: 50 awesome books

Ok please give me any other suggestions for 2009. I realized looking over my list that many of the books I read were good but not great. I'm hoping 2009 will be full of great books!

Where Do They Come Up With This Stuff?

Its short- I Promise! About 14 seconds.

First Taste

Cloth Diapering Part 2

I totally forgot to talk finances when discussing our decision to cloth diaper. Its cheaper. I haven't done the math but its pretty obvious that as long as you don't get carried away buying lots of cute diapers, you will come out ahead in the money department. (Plenty of people have done the math like The Simple Dollar.)

For us, it was more than just the diapers versus water and detergent. We actually just canceled our trash service. We had already gotten our trash down to 2 bags per week due to increased recycling. Now that we are only throwing away 1 or 2 diapers a day compared to 6 or 7, our trash is way down. Since the dump is at the same place as the recycling center, we figured we could take one or two bags a week and not pay the trash people $4 a week to haul away 1-2 bags of trash. Maybe this is just in my head but I find I'm using less wipes since less mess seems to be on her booty and more on the diaper. But I could just be imagining things.

Cloth Diapers

I mentioned that we switched Sienna to cloth diapers. I'm still loving that decision even though we only have 5 and I have to wash them every night! I look forward to building my stash.

So why did I decide to switch to cloth diapers? Well, I kept hearing from other people about how easy they were nowadays (these aren't your mama's cloth diapers) and I kinda thought, "Why not?" Since Sienna is the second girl, there was very little she needed for Christmas. So I did some research and asked the grandmothers for cloth diapers.

I started researching by reading online. This blog post was one of the most helpful as well as this message board dedicated to cloth diapering. Once I had the basics down, I turned to Emily to ask questions of a "real" mom who used cloth diapers. (Andrea- I had no idea you used them too or I would have been picking your brain too!) I decided to do a pocket diaper and go with BumGenius. I liked the BumGenius pocket diapers because they are adjustable and they should last Sienna for the rest of her diaper wearing time. Many other types of cloth diapers come in different sizes so you need to buy some of each of the sizes. I don't have any experience using these with a newborn but they fit Sienna wonderfully now. We haven't had a single leak or explosion since Sienna started wearing them.

We received 5 pocket diapers (they each come with 1 liner and 1 newborn liner) and 2 additional liners. We use about 5 diapers during the day so I'm using them every day and washing every night. I use a disposable diaper for nighttime but when I get more, I plan to use them at night too (maybe with a double liner). I hang the diapers and the liners to dry overnight and use them again the next day! I'd love to invent a washing machine with a cloth diaper cycle on it!

Honestly, I love them. I really wish I had done this years ago. Its a little annoying having to wash every night but worth it. They are pretty bulky so Sienna def has a booty now. Plus they are so darn cute!

So if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll share from my three weeks of experience! Plus
Emily, Andrea and Jeni use BumGenius
SaraBeth uses Fuzzi Bunz
My friend in "real life" Melanie uses Prorap

I'm sure any of them would be happy to talk about their experience with cloth diapering. I can put you in touch with them if you want- just email me. I just realized everyone but Melanie lives or lived overseas. Coincidence?

I Love Etsy

I like the idea of putting the child's name on the wall. We used the wooden letters with Kiran so I wanted something different for Sienna. I found Synergy Signworks on Etsy and worked with them to create a custom decal for Sienna's room. We ordered it in time for Christmas and I love it! It almost completely covers up the mess that came from Grant's name. I think my Magic Eraser will take care of the rest.

6 Months!

Oh my, Oh my. 6 months have passed since I birthed that baby. Half a year. To me, this is the biggest month milestone. They go from being sweet little babies to big sitting crawling standing cruising??? babies. Oh my, Oh my.
Erin G- you will be thrilled to know that not only did I take some pictures of Sienna on her 6th month birthday but I got my parents to bring their fancy camera over and take fancy pictures.

Sienna came in at 15lbs 7oz (25-50%), 24.8in (10-25%) and her noggin is 17 in (50-75%). She's checked out perfectly healthy.

She is sitting pretty good on her own and spinning herself around in circles on her belly. She now usually flips over to her belly to sleep for her naps and at night. She puts everything in her mouth and removes her socks at an alarming speed. She likes to play in her exersaucer and in her high chair.

Sienna has had a rough time with milk protein intolerance and reflux. I've thought for a long time (since she screamed in her car seat all the time- remember that? Oh thank God that is over) that she had a mild case of reflux. It seemed to be handled well by modifications- raising the head of her mattress, keeping her upright, etc. Mid-December she started waking up at night screaming and it would take a good hour to get her back to sleep. We decided to try Zantac and the doctor warned us that it would take 5-7 days before we would see results. Sure enough, on the 5th night, her night wakings just stopped except for one early morning feeding.

I'm so glad that we have the pediatrician that we do now. His second son had the same two issues and his wife eliminated dairy from her diet as well. He really understands what we are going through and has excellent tips to help us- as well as a light at the end of the tunnel. She will outgrow these issues and shouldn't have any lasting effects. We haven't started solid food with her yet but will start cereal soon. We'll introduce a new food every 5-6 days since kids with these issues are at a slightly higher risk for food allergies.

When Sienna is happy, she is really happy. Her smile and laugh are infectious. She has a huge cheerleader in her big sister. "Look Mommy! Sienna is sitting all by herself! Yea Sienna!" is all I've heard for days now. Kiran is our ray of light and Sienna is our little bubble of joy.

Scenes from the Beach

The first night we were at the beach, we went out to eat at a seafood restuarant near our condo. Kiran convinced Mimi to take her to the little girls' room. Kiran ran back into our dining area and yelled, "I WENT POTTY!" Two of the tables beside us burst into applause.

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Same restaurant, I was standing up holding Sienna since she didn't want us to sit down with her. A man at the next table was making conversation. Then he asked me AS I'M HOLDING MY NOT YET 6 MONTH OLD BABY if we were already expecting another one. Wow. No just the baby weight from this one thank you. Geesh.

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The last night we ate at K&W cafeteria. The girls were the hit of the restuarant. Every person in line talked to them and Kiran captured quite an audience as she ate. A lady came up to us near the end of our meal and said, "You must be very proud of her," while pointing at Kiran. We all kind of nodded. Kiran had been on her best behavior mostly because of the Jello and I was proud of her. The lady continued, "She sure can eat a lot of food." Yes, yes she can.

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Ok I had a request for a potty training post so I'll do that one. Maybe a cloth diaper one? Any other requests?

Catching Up....

We went to Lancaster for Thanksgiving with J's parents and granddad. This was the annual after lunch nap.

The next day we headed up to Brevard for the annual Day After Thanksgiving Tree Hunt with the Fitz fam.

Kiran potty trained! It was much easier than I anticipated- K did great!
*no photo for this one sorry*

Katie and Noah got married and I was reminded of why my college years were so good. I love this picture because Katie is looking at the camera and Noah is looking at Katie.

Sienna's night wakings worsened and she started waking up screaming. That plus some other things prompted a trip to the dr and a decision to try some meds for reflux. Sure enough 5 days after we started, her night wakings just stopped except for one feeding. I have since had dairy which messed her all up again for the beach but hopefully she'll get back to sleeping again soon!

My car hit 100,000 miles!!!

Jonathan ignored our money limit for Christmas and surprised me with a Wii and WiiFit. The girls got me Mario Kart. I'm terrible at Mario Kart but I will get better! I like Wii tennis way more than real tennis. Oh this is the photo J snapped when I came out Christmas morning and saw the Wii.

We drove to the beach for a week of fun in the sun with J's parents.

We switched Sienna to cloth diapers! Well mostly- I only have 5 so every day she wears those 5 then every night I wash them. I love cloth diapers and I wish I had made the switch earlier.
I donated about 10 inches of hair!

Before:
After:

Whew that brings us back to the present. I want to do a Top 10 pictures of 2008 post and a recap of my books read with recommendations to you.

New Years Day

I was reflecting on some of the questions that SimpleMom posted on her blog and I really want to hear from you the answer to the first question.

What was the single best thing that happened this past year?

It was very easy for me: Sienna Alice Caskey. I spent the first 6 months of 2008 growing her in my belly and the last 6 getting to know her, falling in love with her, and holding her in my arms. She has deepened my capacity to love and challenged my patience and energy to levels never hit before (milk protein intolerance and reflux). I think I'm able to enjoy her babyness more than I did with Kiran and I absolutely love squeezing her chunky thighs, playing peek-a-boo to make her laugh and nursing her day and night. I love that my memories of her birth are very pleasant ones- no interventions except that blessed epidural. So Sienna Alice was absolutely the single best thing that happened this past year.

What about you? I'd love to hear the single best thing that happened to you in 2008.