Diapered

I cannot believe the amount of diapers my daughter goes through-and if you've read the previous posts, you know why! Sometimes when I know she needs to be changed, I really want to put it off, dreading the process of pulling out yet another diaper and going through the whole changing ordeal. However, recently I've been thinking of diaper changes in another way-with gratitude. I have clean diapers that I can change Evelyn into. I don't have to worry about stretching her diapers out, making them last, and wondering if I'll be able to afford the next pack. (Just for a frame of reference, a week's worth of diapers is between $12 and $15)

My new found gratefulness came after Bard and I helped at a local food pantry that provides people in need with groceries. When we arrived, a few minutes after the scheduled opening, people were lined up around the building. As the people come in, they fill out a pre-printed "menu" marking the items they need-fruit, pasta, soup, toilet paper, etc. Then they turn the menu in to us, we put together bags with their requested items, and call their number so they can come retrieve their groceries. It's really a great system. As I said, we arrived just after they opened. There was a package of diapers available to people,and each person who requests diapers receives three or four in their bag. The diapers were gone within minutes. For the rest of the evening when mothers asked for diapers we had to tell them no. Apparently this is very common, as diapers are very expensive so the food pantry does not normally have enough to meet demand.

As a mother, I simply cannot imagine not having a clean diaper to put on my child. Even if you are not a mother, I'm sure you can picture how miserable that would be. If you go to Discovery Church, you've probably already heard that we are doing a diaper drive to help stock the food pantry's supply. And I encourage you to bring a package of diapers, any size to church this Sunday. But even if you don't go to Discovery, I can guarantee that wherever you are, there are mothers in need of help. Maybe you think it's because they made bad choices, and who knows? But I hardly think their little babies deserve to wear dirty diapers just because of some bad choice made in the past. Can you do me a favor? Go right now and add a pack of diapers to your grocery list. Then, just look up a local food closet and drop the diapers off there this week. I know there are people all over the country reading this blog (not because of me, I just happen to have a very cute baby!) and wouldn't it be amazing if food pantries all around the US experienced a mysterious influx of diapers?! Don't worry about the religious association of the food pantry or if they are a worthy organization. Simply give and know that you are helping a mother, and a baby, in need.

Some poop, drool, and other random thoughts

Well, I know you all have been anxiously awaiting an update on how my daughter is doing with all her pooping. ; ) (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, see previous posts!) To avoid any further suspense, here you go-she is driving me crazy! I seriously thought we would have switched to cloth diapers by now. I'm waiting for to stop having so many blow outs, but I'm beginning to think we'll be sending her to college in poopy diapers! The last several days she has come out of her diaper, onto her clothes, and onto me- pretty much once if not twice a day. I'm telling you, I have post graduate work under my belt and my life is reduced to scrubbing poop from little pink dresses. Sheesh. So there you have it, I hope you weren't sitting down to dinner anytime soon!

The last few weeks she has also started leaking from another area (as if the issues above weren't enough). Now she is a little drool monster! I can still be very thankful that she doesn't spit up, so I guess I shouldn't complain, but I'm going to anyway. She can literally soak the whole front of her dress, I don't know where all this drool is coming from. Her favorite activity seems to be to put her hand in her mouth and then move her hand across her face, spreading drool everywhere. She also likes to drool on my arm, shoulder, and clothes. If you check out the recent pictures, you can even see drool in motion falling from her mouth to her blanket!

She is becoming so aware of her environment, it's adorable. She can reach out and grab objects held in front of her. Well, okay, she can try and grab it, sometimes succeeding-the hand eye coordination is developing slowly but surely! She loves the patterns on her crib bumper and will stare at it fascinated-which is actually a problem because I want her to go to sleep! She loves a mirror toy that she has and will sit for long periods of time-even up to an hour-staring at the mirror, talking to that baby she sees in it, and reaching out to smack it with little clenched fists. It's so cute!

And, I saved the best for last-for all of you who read through my long blogs : ) She rolled over for the first time just an hour ago! She was on her tummy, looking at her mirror toy, with Bard and I sitting on either side of her, when all the sudden she just pushed herself up and rolled over! It's really the most amazing thing any baby has ever done. Bard and I couldn't believe it, we just stared at each other and then looked at her. We put her back on her tummy and she did it two more times. Crazy. I wasn't expecting it all. Every milestone is such a big achievement and I feel so proud of her, what a great baby : )

Summer baby

I'm so happy the weather has been warm lately. When I was pregnant and knew that she would be several months old during the summer I had all these visions of taking her on walks, sitting outside on our deck in the sunshine (except she has to be in the shade), and meeting friends at the park. Seeing as how it snowed the first week she was born, we had record cold temperatures in June, I couldn't walk for more than ten minutes the first 6 weeks of her life, and she cried when I put her in her stroller-I was beginning to despair of seeing those visions become reality! But the weather has been great and every day I have such a fun time picking out a cute sundress for her to wear : ) We sit outside on a blanket in the front yard and read. Well, I read, she watches the leaves dancing in the wind. We walk up to the coffee shop and get iced tea or Italian sodas. She sits in her bouncy seat while we BBQ on the deck. She is not old enough yet to sit in a swing or go in the wading pool, those will be highlights of next summer, I'm sure. But this summer has already started off with so many fun and peaceful experiences that I'm just reveling in the fact that something I imagined with a slight tint of Romanticism has actually come into being exactly the way I pictured it!

I love. . .

I can barely believe that my baby is three months old! I feel as though I've had more experiences in the last three months than my first thirty years. Some of them will probably be lost in a blur of pain, sleep deprivation, and bewilderment, but there are so many that I want to capture in my heart forever.

I love the cooing sounds or growls she makes while she is sleeping.

I love that when I go to pick her up out of the crib she gives me the biggest smile and starts waving her tiny fists and chunky legs around.

I love the way she nestles into my arms as she is nursing and drifting off to sleep.

I love the way she "talks" to her giraffes in the bouncy seat.

I love the way she holds her head up and stares fascinated at any light nearby.

I love the way she smiles at Bard when he sticks her tongue out at her.

I love seeing her sleeping in his arms as he catches up on the stock market.

I love her look of amazement when she is getting a bath and I poor warm water over her.

I love the way she sleeps all night!

I love how old she looks when she holds her head up and looks around, but then loses control and looks like a baby bobble head!

I love looking down at hear while she sleeps in my arms.

I love coming home to see her after I've been at work for 3 or 4 hours.

I love sitting with her in the mornings and telling her about our day and I love reading to her before she goes to bed at night.

Most of all I love that she is my baby and I am her mom and nothing can ever break that beautiful bond.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy 3 Month Birthday Evelyn Joy!