*Day 20: Your views on drugs and alcohol.*

Drugs ....
Really? What is so cool about using something that is going to hurt you, the people close to you, and make you forget what you did, or do things you normally wouldn't do, etc etc etc?
I have never seen the appeal. I pray extremely hard that I can raise my children to have that same feeling.


Alcohol ....
Moderation moderation moderation. This is one of those things I've never seen the appeal. I can honestly say I did not have any alcohol until I turned 21 - and even then I had one wine cooler at my mom's house for my birthday. I don't see any problems with having a social drink here or there. Having a glass with dinner, or a special night with sweetie, etc. But I do not see the point in drinking to point of being drunk. I miss the logic in why it's fun to do something that will give you a headache, make you puke, kill your brain cells, make you do things you will regret or not remember, and possibly harm yourself or someone else.
I hope to teach my children that there is an appropriate time and place to legally have alcohol. Most of all, I hope that I don't make them want to rebel and make foolish decisions regarding it. There is a fine line that I pray we can balance delicately.

*Day 19: What do you think of religion? Or what do you think of politics?*

I think Religion is just the man-made organization of spiritual matters.
As all man-made things, there are flaws and imperfections. It is good to join with others who share the same faith as you. It is good to have a system to hold you accountable for your spiritual life.
However, I feel it is also important to not put your faith in your religion. My faith is in God and God alone. He is the reason I exist and continue to live. I worship Him, not my religion. I obey Him, not my religion. I want others to know Him, not my religion.
Make sense?

Politics ... man-made organization of chaotic people. When you have some-odd billion/trillion people who are all unique, you will have some-odd billion/trillion opinions about everything. Politics will never please anyone. I feel a majority of political issues boil down to stereotypes. If you are this, you must believe this. Hence the reason I am registered as a "non-party affiliate." I will never fully agree with either party, or whoever is representing either party. I have my own individual views that do not form to any stereotype presented by political parties or groups or whatnot. It's one of those topics that I try not to stress out about because it will not solve anything. There is not going to be a simple solution to problems caused by a society made up of those some-odd billion/trillion people/minds/opinions/personalities etc. So instead of arguing over the decisions made by people who are trying to figure out how to make things better, why don't we all do our small part in the little world we live in to make it better and maybe the whole world would be better :)

That is what I think. :)

Diapers ...

... Cloth Diapers that is!

So almost 3 years ago (when I found out I was pregnant with my sweet Carissa) if you had said "Cloth Diapers" to me, I would have immediately thought about the cloth diapers my mom used on my brother when we were little. Not what I wanted to attempt. So I never gave cloth diapers a second thought.

Here I am - 6 months after having my second child and was introduced to the new world of cloth diapers.

I am apart of an online community for moms who all were due in June 2010. We all talk on a daily basis via facebook. Many of these moms use cloth diapers and talk about how much they love them. I started researching cloth diapers and was amazed at how much they have changed since I was little.

One of my mommy friends went back to work full time, which left her cloth diapering only part time. She decided to bless me and my family by sending us enough cloth diapers to get us started that she no longer was using! What a blessing!

Tomorrow will conclude our entire first week of exclusive cloth diapering. I could not imagine using disposables again. I am still learning things, and I am developing my own preferences. We plan to use the money we save each month on diapers and wet wipes (Yes! I am using cloth wipes as well!!) to buy more cloth diapers and wipes until we have a nice collection of the ones we like.

So here are some things I am learning.

Everyone has their own preferences.

Some moms swear by certain brands or styles, while others have nothing good to say about those same brands. If I poll a group of cloth diapering moms, I will get 20 different answers for what is recommended or their favorites. And I am already seeing how my own preferences are differing from those.

My preferences:

Velcro is the way to go! 

My child does not stay laying on her back for longer than 2 seconds ever. Definitely makes changing diapers challenging. Some of the diapers I have are snap-closed. They have many different snaps to adjust for a better fit. But when you have a child who is flipping over as quickly as you lay her down, it is a pain to try and find the right snap. And each flap has 2-3 snaps ... that is 4-6 snaps to close while trying to hold a child down! Oh, and sometimes I get them all snapped and realize it is too tight or too loose, and I have to take them apart and start all over. And getting Daddy to get them on - well, bless his heart!

Having diapers that have Velcro make it quicker, easier, and the exact fit the first try (okay, so sometimes the second try depending on how much she is moving).

One Size!

I love being able to use the same diaper for Kathryn and Carissa! I don't have to keep buying new diapers as they get bigger. And if I combine the Velcro and the one size, I am able to get a customized fit specially for each girly without a whole lot of hassle. 

Pockets

For those who are unfamiliar with cloth diapers, ones with pockets have the waterproof outside and a pocket on the inside.You stuff the pocket with a liner for absorbency. 

When it comes to washing, you pull the liner out and wash. The outer layer hangs to dry to protect the waterproof layer, but the liners can be dried in the dryer. 

They have ones with the built in liners, but those take much longer to dry.

And then there are covers that you can put over pre-folds or liners etc. It's nice because the covers can  be wiped off and used again with a new liner/pre-fold ... but when you have a squirmy little one, it becomes quite a challenge to get the liners lined up right and fasten the cover for optimal absorbency. 

BumGenius

My friend sent me quite a variety of different kinds to try.

Rump-a-Rooz - This one has the pocket that I like but it has snaps.

Dream-Eze - These have a sewn in liner, have snaps, and are a size small.

Jamtots - I have a small and a medium. They have liners that can be snapped in, and they snap close.

Fuzzi-Buns - This one has the pocket that I like. It is one size with adjustable elastic in the legs and waist. And it snaps closed. 

GroBaby - Has liners that snap in. They do Velcro close, but they don't fit all the way up to Carissa. And I have had nighttime leakage from these.

Thirsties - I have one small fitted and three covers. I like the fitted one, but then you also have to have the cover to put over it and of course you have to buy a new size when she outgrows it (but it is velcro). The covers work over any of the liners or prefolds (and the fitted), but goes back to the struggle of getting them on her right with her flipping over. But for travel purposes, it is easier to bring multiple liners and one cover than multiple all-in-one diapers.

BumGenius - These have the pockets. They have two different size liners for me to choose depending on which child I am using it on - or if I want to double up for nighttime protection. They are the only ones I have that fit both Kathryn and Carissa. They Velcro closed. And they are the only ones I have tried that have not leaked at night. When Daddy does the diapering, I try to be sure he has one of these. It is the same technique to put on as putting on a disposable - only much softer and prettier.

I feel like these are the diapers that work best for our needs, so I think we will stick to stocking up on BumGenius diapers. (Special hint to family looking for Christmas ideas (or friends looking to get your own stock) .... BumGenius is running a special Buy 5, get 1 Free! *wink wink*)

And of course, if any of my cloth diapering mamas have a brand that you feel has all my preferences and you think I should try those too ... let me know!

Extra work ... but super easy!

 Definitely going with cloth diapers takes a few extra steps, but so worth it and not hard.

After about a week now, I feel like I have settled into a nice routine that works for me.

I have enough that I could probably get away with washing every other day, but I think if I did that I would be cutting it really close. I know my days can be unpredictable, so to be on the safe side I am washing everyday for now - at least until I have increased my supply with more of the ones we like best.

Here is my routine:

After the girls wake, I change them both out of their night time diapers. (Kathryn gets a fresh cloth diaper, while Carissa gets panties.)

All diapers and wipes are stored in the trash can we use in Kathryn's room. (It is a small can with a lid that has a foot pedal. Right now I just have the plastic bags I've always used for this can, and will just change the bag every week.)

I take the can (which generally is loosely full by this point) to the laundry room.

I disassemble the diapers as I add them to the washer, securing the Velcro tabs on the special laundry tabs.

First cycle is just a cold, gentle wash/rinse cycle with no detergent - to get all the loose stuff off.

Next cycle I do a Hot regular wash, with cold rinse (my washer only does cold rinses) with a small amount of Arm & Hammer Essentials detergent.

Last cycle is just another gentle rinse to make sure all the detergent is fully rinsed.

I then hang the outer diapers on my makeshift indoor close line.

All the liners and cloth wipes go into the dryer on low heat until they are dry (usually takes about an hour for them to be completely dry.

After the girls go to bed at night, I gather up the liners from the dryer and my line-dried diapers and sit on the couch (usually watching TV or talking to David etc). I put the liners in the pockets and prep all the diapers for the next day.

And lastly, I prep my cloth wipes for the next day.

Oddly enough, having this task to do daily helps me form routines to my day. I actually enjoy this process.

Special Cleaning

Okay, so I don't have much experience in this department yet.

Main thing separate from my above cleaning is the poopy ... and all I do for that is shake it off into the toilet and give it a little rinse before sticking it in the "diaper pail."

The only other "special cleaning" I found and have used is in cases of diaper rash. Kathryn had a little bit of a rash due to teething recently. I researched options and here is what I settled on:

I put a cotton liner in the diaper directly against her bum, so that I could use the diaper cream but it only got on the liner.

When I changed that diaper, the liner and the wipe went into the sink until I had a chance to take care of it.

I would then use a little Dawn dish soap (the blue kind) to clean the diaper cream off the liner. I would rinse it all off and if there was still cream, I would repeat until it was all gone. Once I made sure there was no more signs of cream on the liner, I washed it like normal.

Worked wonderfully!

Cloth Wipes

One of my favorite things!!

My friend sent me some wipes with the diapers and I just love these! (I need to find out where she got these so I can get more like them.)

I researched wipe solutions and finally decided what I wanted to do.

My wipe solution:

1/4 cup Baby Oil (with Aloe and Vitamin E)

1/4 cup Baby Wash (just the regular yellow bottle)

4 cups water

(When mixing, add the water first to prevent bubbles.)

I made my solution in a storage container from my kitchen. I put my wipes in a regular wipe container and poured some solution over them (just enough to moisten the wipes). As I use them, I pull one out, wring it out, and am able to use one wipe per change (unless there is a massive mess - but generally I am able to utilize all sides of the wipe etc). Each night when I prep them, I put the wipes in the containers (one for the living room and one for the changing table), and add solution as needed.

These wipes work great for more than just diaper use! They work wonderfully for cleaning faces, hands, or giving a quick wipe down of whole body. The solution is safe, smells wonderfully, and leaves them fresh and soft.

So in all, I am extremely satisfied with my cloth diapers and most of all, my girls seem to really like them as well. This will save me about $60+ a month in diapers, pull ups, and wet wipes. And next time we have a kid, he/she will be cloth diapered from the start! I am ever so grateful to my friend for passing along blessings!

Anyone on the fence about cloth diapering ... my suggestion would be to give it a shot! :)

*Day 18: Your views on gay marriage.*

Ick ... what a not so fun topic.

First, I must put a qualifier. I feel that there are two different kinds of marriage.
1. Biblical
2. Legal

The first kind of marriage - Biblical. I completely disagree that this is legitimate for homosexuals. I strongly believe that God's intention was that one man would leave his family and marry one woman. I also believe that anything against God's intention and design is wrong. Therefore, if two men or two women wish to be married, I believe it is wrong because it is against the original design of nature that God created.

The second - legal. I understand (and respect) that there are people with different views, understandings, and beliefs than myself.  I cannot impose my beliefs on others. So I accept that there will be homosexuals who wish to make commitments to one another to live faithfully - in the same manner as heterosexuals. People who practice this lifestyle should be allowed the same legal benefits as a heterosexual (ie. tax credits, insurance dependents etc). While I don't agree with their lifestyle, I do see a practicality in allowing a legal marriage to take place.

In my opinion, Christian heterosexuals practice both marriage types simultaneously. I am legally married to my husband in the eyes of the state, but I am also spiritually united to my husband in the eyes of God. But I feel homosexuals only practice legal marriage.

These are my views and my views only. The end.

Carissa-isms

Our little (almost) 27 month old is quite the entertainer. You would not think she is only 27 months for how well she talks. She does not talk baby talk and very few words does she mess up. She still says "Kafryn" ... but she can say her "th" when she says "this" or "that" or "there" etc. She speaks perfect sentences - articles, verbs, nouns, pronouns, etc - in the proper order. Absolutely outstanding.
So with her wildly large vocabulary and conversation skills, she is also developing quite the imagination and basic thought processes. I really need to start writing down all the little things she says or does that crack me up!

I decided to go ahead and journal some highlighted favorites:

* While starting to lose her balance, she said, "Woooooaaaahhh! I'm okaaaay!"

* Anytime Kathryn starts pulling at her she says, "Kafryn!! Don't ... get ... me!!"

* She was sitting on a blanket on the floor and had pulled the sides of the blanket up around her and said, "I'm in a boat. Great idea Rissa!"

* We have a pump for an exercise ball, and it has a long blue tube (kind of like a flexible straw) that she has been playing with as if it were a stethoscope. She will go up to someone and say, "Rissa measure __(name of person/animal)__'s heart" while putting it up the way a doctor does.

* Today she had me crawl on the floor with her so we could "creepy crawl past dragon's cave." And when I asked her where the dragon's cave was, she took me to the window, and we had to hide behind the curtains from the dragon.

* Out of the blue tonight she said, "Dash speak Spanish." Dash is the dog. Thank you Dora for teaching my daughter that animals can speak.

* She has started a new kick of her "favorite" things. Today she came and said, "Rissa want 'nother favorite snack." I had no idea what snack she was referring to, so we went in the kitchen to find it. She had me open the fridge, and she looked. She pointed to the produce bin and said, "in there." So I opened it and she looked some more. Then pointed at the lunchmeat/cheese bin and said, "in there." I opened it and she looked and chose some cheese. While she was eating her cheese the dogs came up to her and I heard her say, "No ... this Rissa's favorite snack ... favorite cheese."
    .......... Then later in the day, she told me she wanted "Rissa's favorite food." And when I asked her what Rissa's favorite food was, she thought a min and said, "Cake ... yeah!" Silly girl.

* Normally when she gets a boo boo and asks me to kiss it, I ask her to let me look at it. So now anytime she gets a boo boo, she comes to show me and says, "Mommy, look it boo boo on _(bodypart)___ ... kiss it!"

* She says "Look it this" a lot! She loves showing us things!

*She has also started the questions! She says, "What's in there?" or "What is it/that?" or "Where'd __(something)___ go?"
      The cutest time ... We were loading up to go to GiGi and Papa's for Thanksgiving and Daddy had already loaded her little potty in the car. She needed to go potty and she looked all around and seemed frustrated and said, "Where did Rissa's potty go?"

*Today she randomly started singing, "Santa Claus coming to town." We've been talking to her about Santa this year, and she's seen him on TV or pictures and even had her picture taken with them. Well, tonight she was on a kick of "Want Santa bring you presents!" At one point I asked her what kind of present and she said, "Dora presents!"

* Her Great-Grandma (Ninny) and her Great-Great-Grandma (Mema) were just here for a visit and she loved that! She would come and get Mema's finger and say, "Come on Mema" and take her somewhere. But the funniest thing was David had been throwing her in the air and when he got tired from throwing a 36lb girl in the air, she turned put her hands up to her GREAT-GREAT-Grandmother and said, "how bout Mema throw Rissa" Oh that was too funny! There was no way Mema could have lifted that big girl - let alone throw her in the air lol!

* This one bout broke my heart! I took Ninny and Mema back to the airport early this morning while Carissa was still sleeping. When I got home, she ran to greet me saying, "Mommy!! Ninny!! Mema!!" As soon as she realized I was alone she looked sad and said, "Mommy, where's Ninny and Mema?" I love how she loves them and how attached she gets to people she loves!

* David has a screen saver on his computer that is bubbles. She loves to pop bubbles, so they pretend to pop them on his screen. Today she went up to him and said, "Rissa pop bubbles Daddy puter."

* We have MarioKart on the Wii ...and one of the tracks is called "Moo Moo Meadows" and has cows on it. Carissa loves that and will occasionally grab a Wii-mote and say, "Rissa race cows"

And best of all ... She has started going around and randomly saying, "This is Rissa Gunter ... That's Mommy ... That's Kafryn ..." and name everyone. And if you ask her, "What's your name?" She says, "name Rissa Gunter" Oh I love it!!

I am sure I could think of many more. And I'm sure I could fill a notebook if I wrote them down as she says things. I hope you have enjoyed our Carissa-isms as much as we have! :)

<> Baby Scientist <>

My girls are now both officially scientists ... well, they've participated in child development studies for Duke University. I imagine Duke University receives a list of babies who receive birth certificates in the surrounding counties, and they contact these bubbly new parents. 

When Carissa was a baby, we were asked to participate in their study; and Kathryn was also just invited. They were working on the same study both times, but the activity was slightly different.

They are conducting a study to see what babies understand about quantity before they know numbers or how to count etc. (For example, if you put 10 cheerios in one pile and 3 in a different pile, will infants go for the one with more? etc)

With Carissa, she sat in a high chair in front of a computer screen. The screen flashed different sizes and numbers of little dots. They video taped to see if she showed any interest in the ones with more dots etc.

     The results ... who knows. She got fussy haha.

With Kathryn, she also sat in a high chair (and ended up in my lap when she got antsy and kept trying to turn and get me). But they had three screens in front of her (one directly in front of her, and one to the left and one to the right). The first "test" they had a constant number of dots on one screen, while the other screen changed quantities and the second test they had cats and mice - one screen had the same number of mice and cats, while the other changed the ratio between the two etc. The theory behind this is that if she recognized different quantities, she might pay more attention to the one changing quantities, etc. Every minute there would be a little break, and during this break there was a color pinwheel that spun on the screen directly in front of her. She loved that pinwheel. She watched it until it went away and the other screens lit up. She looked at one screen, then the other, back to the first, and decided to play with the chair or talk, and look around - but every time that pinwheel came back on, she stopped and stared at it, and repeated her process of checking out each screen. Apparently the dots, mice, and cats were boring because she looked at them for a second and played with something else.

I really don't know if my girls contributed to their study in any concrete way, but they received little certificates saying that are baby scientists.It was kind of neat to let them take part in a study for educational purposes. :)

*Day 17: A book you’ve read that changed your views on something.*

(haha ... a wee bit behind on this 30 days of truth lol ... but here I go still trotting along)

I apologize if this post rubs anyone the wrong way, I am not expecting anyone to view things the way that I do ... but simply stating my truths.

The book ... "A New Kind of Christian" by Brian McLaren


The changed views ... If I am honest with myself, I think the one thing over the past few years that has changed in my worldview is my understanding of Christianity and the Church. I grew up in a church, was active in my youth group, and was the typical "goody-good, Bible-thumping Christian." But my understandings of what it meant to be a Christian and what it meant to be the Church were so superficial and naive.
I went off to college to study religion and got a job working as a Youth and Children's Minister. I then started Divinity school.
Along this journey of religious education I found myself questioning the way the church functions today, and what it means to be a Christian. (Before I continue, please don't think me heretical. Keep reading!) When I was a kid and youth, I never saw the business side of the church. But as I started working in churches, I had an icky introduction to the world of Church Politics .... wow. I don't remember Jesus establishing any rules on how churches should conduct meetings, and have committees. And I certainly don't remember him saying it's all about membership.
I was already becoming open to new ideas and thoughts, and I read this book for one of my classes and got to attend a lecture given by the author. Simple and amazing ... simply amazing. This book challenged me (the reader) to learn what it means to be a Christian according to Jesus' standards ... not the world's. Jesus set the ultimate example for us ... we are here to serve others, help those who are in need, and spread love to everyone we meet. How often do "Christians" go to church on Sunday morning, and go about their business the rest of the week without another thought about what Jesus would have them do. Or how often do people get into debates about being liberal or conservative, or the legalistic list of dos and don'ts. For me personally, I feel they are all idiotic. We shouldn't be fussing about what "kind" of Christian we are ...there should only be One kind .... the kind that follows the example and teachings of Jesus Christ - period.
Essentially ... my views were changed from how the world views church and Christianity now, to what can I as a Christian and as a member of the Church (aka the Body of Christ) do to share God's love with everyone I meet. And how can churches restructure themselves so that they aren't functioning like a private business, rather a group of people out in the world living like Jesus. As a result, I found myself having a lot of discontent with the "average church in America."
That does not mean I am against church and think we shouldn't go. It means that I can do my part to live like Jesus, and help others to do the same. And pray that one day the church will catch up with the rest of the world.

There is really so much more in this book. It's a great book, but definitely spiritually challenging.
Speaking of ... I think I let someone borrow it. I need to get it back :)

Thought Processor

I love to write. It is such a release for all the thoughts floating around in this pretty little head of mine. But sadly enough, when I have the most going on and have a head crammed too full of stuff ... these are the times I fail to write. I have so many things I want to write about, but I have so much else going on that by the time I sit down in the evenings I am too overwhelmed to know where to begin with my writings!  (So .. sorry I have not written in a while!)

But I'm aiming to change that ... my blog in a way is like my "thought processor." Even if no one reads this who even cares about what's going on in my world, it is nice to be able to get things off my chest, out of my head, and written somewhere. In a way, I think it makes my thoughts feel more tangible. I am able to look at them and structure them the way I feel they should be. And once I have written them and published them, that should be the end of my processing them in my mind - "should" being the operative word.

Do you ever have things on your mind that you have thought about repeatedly; and even though logically you know it's not worth your time to think about, you can't help but think about it? Yeah ... I have lots of those things too! It frustrates me to no end that I let things bother me enough to consume my thoughts. Sure, some things warrant some thought effort, but not consumption. I guess that's why we all need outlets to get things out in the open so they don't consume us. (Although, for now ... the number one thoughts I am struggling with now need to remain out of my blog ... )

But other stressors ... Now that one door has closed for us, will this other door that is opening remain opened - or will it too close? Will David hear good news back from this potential job? Are we going to be able to sell our house? Are we going take a huge financial hit in order to get out from under our house? How in the world am I supposed to get my house into "Viewing Condition" while I work every day just to keep my house functioning daily with 2 small children, 3 cats, and 2 dogs? Are we going to be moving soon, a little later, or not at all? What is in store for us? Something good has to come right? 

For now ... all I can do is take things one day at a time. Every time I start thinking about the future, and the what ifs, and the hows, and the whys .... I get overwhelmed. It is taking a lot of faith to trust that God has something better in store for us. I know that this is not where He has intended us to stay. I know He has a perfect plan. And while even though things seem impossible at times, He has always provided and we have always had enough and more.

I was listening to the radio on the way back from the airport and I heard a song I've heard a million times before, but it resonated a new chord with me today.

The song is "Feels like Today" by Rascal Flatts ...

(Lyrics)

I woke up this morning

with this feeling side me that I can't explain

like a weight that I've carried 

been carried away, away

But I know something is coming

I don't know what it is 

But I know it's amazing, you save me

My time is coming

And I'll find my way out of this longest drought ...

It feels like today I know

It feels like today I'm sure

It's the one thing that's missing

The one things I'm wishing

Life's sacred blessin' and then

It feels like today

feels like today

You treat life like a picture

But it's not a moment that's frozen in time

It's not gonna wait 

til you make up your mind, at all

So while this storm is breakin

while there's light at the end of the tunnel

keep running towards it

Releasing the pressure, that my heartache

soon this dam will break

And it feels like today, I know

It feels like today, I'm sure

It's the one thing that's missin'

The one thing you're wishin'

Life's sacred blessin' and then,

It feels like today

Feels like, feels like your life changes

I feel like all of these changes that are happening are just the beginnings to something better. These changes have to happen so we can be finally be on our way to living the life God always intended for us. And it feels like today..... :)