Partial Paleo

I have decided to go partially Paleo, at least until we head to New Orleans for vacation.

Yay New Orleans!!  I'm excited!!

Paleo refers to eating "primal", as in eating what would have been available to our ancestors long long ago during the hunter-gatherer days.  Here are the basic rules of Paleo:

EAT:  Meat (beef, poultry, fish), fruits, veggies, nuts, eggs
AVOID:  Grains, dairy, beans/legumes, potatoes, sugar, processed foods/drinks

There are some variations depending on whose book/website you're reading.  Some versions eliminate alcohol, while others say moderation (a serving a day) is fine.  Some versions say only to eat grass-fed meat and/or wild meat (nothing farm-raised).  Some versions include eating potatoes, and some even include butter as long as it's pure butter.  Some versions eliminate corn, while others don't specify (The thought is that corn, potatoes, beans and grains wouldn't have been around for people or animals to eat pre-agriculture).  Some recipe books/sites use mostly olive oil to cook with, while others cook almost solely with coconut oil.  But they all agree that only fruit or nut oils should be used (no vegetable or other high-tech seed oils).  Some also use salt as a seasoning, while others say don't use salt at all.  Other variations exist as well, just depending on who you talk to or read about.

P.S. Chewing cannibus leaves would have also been considered the norm.

Here's one chart version of Paleo.

Here's one version of the Paleo food pyramid.

And here's another version.  Caveman apparently doesn't like this one.

The Paleo diet is often compared to the Atkins diet.  But Paleo advocates  will quickly defend themselves in this comparison, saying that Atkins is based on "low carb and high fat" while Paleo is based on "real food".  Atkins is also considered a diet while Paleo is considered a lifestyle change.  And if you order Atkins food through its program, you're ordering purely processed food.

Now that's a boring graphic.

There are definitely criticisms to the Paleo diet.  Some say this diet is "theorized" and that evidence does not support some of the restrictions (or even allowances).  Here is just one of the criticisms regarding grains:

There is solid evidence that suggests that Paleolithic peoples commonly ate grain, and even flour, as far back as 30,000 years ago.  In fact, there is quite reasonable evidence that people were processing cereal grains for food as much as 200,000 years ago.  The bottom line is that the fundamental premise that Paleolithic peoples did not eat grains and that they ate large amounts of meat is only "suggested" by historical records, not necessarily supported by them.  (paleohacks.com)

So I've decided to go partial for the next month to see about nipping some of this excess weight in the bud (there I go nipping stuff in the bud again!).  The gist of the diet makes sense to me.....eating lean proteins, fruits and veggies and eliminating (or at least minimizing) processed foods and sugars is definitely a healthy choice for anybody.  Read any gossip magazine about what a celebrity is eating to stay thin and that's pretty much it.  And back when I was training for my first half marathon and focusing on losing 20+ pounds, this is basically how I was eating, with the exception of dairy, beans and whole grains (key word for grains being "whole").

Enriched flour makes up a LOT of processed food.

I just thought this was pretty.

I do intend to step it up this next month regarding dairy, beans and whole grains.  Though I don't intend to eliminate them from my diet, I will do my best to minimize them for the sake of my experience with the Paleo way.  For the long haul, though, I personally believe that beans and whole grains are good for you.  Especially organic ones, so that pesticide and GMO consumption is minimal.  As for dairy, I do get that we as a species don't NEED dairy and that the dairy industry is a very evil one in terms of animal abuse....but I sure do love cheese.  And rich, creamy sauces.  Which is why I focus on buying only organic dairy, and local when available.  Buying organic doesn't solve all of the dairy problems, but it's a step in the right direction.  Buying local is the best way to go, especially if you have the opportunity to tour local farms and check out their farming practices.

Here's a blog post I saved titled, I Couldn't Give Up Cheese, So I Gave Up Animal Cruelty Instead". Just in case I do decide to give it up one day and want motivation.  If I were a better person, I'd give it up.

A few more motivational links I saved are:
Milk Comes From a Grieving Mother
How Loud Would You Scream If Somebody Stole Your Newborn Baby?
The Humane Animal Farming Myth

That being said, I hope to adopt some good habits and recipes from Paleo that will carry on even while on vacation and beyond.  But since I'm planning to get back into a partially vegetarian lifestyle, Paleo is obviously not the way to go, at least not in terms of meat, beans and grain consumption.  But I'm excited to get into a healthier lifestyle and lose some weight!

Here are two sites with some easy (and yummy looking) recipes, one which my friend Nicole referred me to and the other which I found by accident while searching for a Paleo graphic:

 

http://beta.primal-palate.com/

http://www.multiplydelicious.com/

I'm cooking two dishes from The Food Lover's Kitchen website this week:  Braised Short Ribs (though I'm using boneless instead of bone-in) and Smoked Paprika Chicken Thighs (though I'll probably just use regular paprika since I already have it), both which will last us two meals.

Today's lunch will be a diet exception, since I'm going to a birthday lunch at P.F. Chang's.  I mean, really, what in the heck could I order at P.F. Chang's that would follow the guidelines of Paleo?  So I will just have to order something that's semi-sorta healthy!  I heart P.F. Chang's.  So yummy........

UPDATE:  I just found out that P.F. Chang's offers up a gluten-free menu, which closely follows the Paleo diet.

UPDATE #2:  I ended up not eating from the gluten-free menu after all.  Once we arrived, we found out the birthday girl had already ordered a few community plates of food for everyone.  So I had a salad with sesame dressing (possibly Paleo approved), one tofu lettuce wrap (vegetarian and wheat free, though not Paleo approved because tofu is processed and made from soybeans) and fried green beans (the fried part is definitely not Paleo approved, but again they were vegetarian). I also had two Guinness beers. However, my dinner was completely Paleo approved, minus the glasses of wine!  :)

You Da Baby

An outline of my night last night:

9:30 - Arrive home from dinner out.  Baby is sound asleep in his car seat.  Feed the dogs, take them out to pee, put them to bed.  Feed the cats, give Allie her shot, bid the cats goodnight.  Change the baby's diaper, put him in his PJs and settle down on the couch with the baby, the Boppy, a Sam Adam's Winter Ale and an episode of Top Chef.

10:30 - Lay sleeping baby in Pack N Play and go to bed.

11:15 - Baby wakes up.  Put the pacifier in his mouth and try to get him to fall back asleep on his own.  Baby just gets madder.  Take Baby out of the Pack N Play and swaddle him.  Rock baby in arms while holding the pacifier in his mouth, during which he bucks his body around fighting both the swaddle and sleep.  Baby gives up and is back asleep by 11:25.

3:30 - Baby wakes up and is flinging arm that has freed itself from the swaddle against the side of the Pack N Play.  Hold the pacifier in his mouth and lay hand on his chest to soothe him back to sleep.  Baby is back asleep by 3:35.

4:15 - Baby wakes up fighting to free his second arm out of the swaddle.  Baby starts to get mad.  Repeat 11:15 process.  Baby is back asleep by 4:30.

6:25 - Baby wakes up with both arms free of the swaddle.  Repeat 3:30 process.  Baby is back asleep by 6:30.

7:00 - Baby wakes up.  Repeat 3:30 and 6:25 process.  Baby is back asleep by 7:05.

7:15 - Baby wakes up.  Give in and get up to feed him.  Settle down on the guest bed with the baby, the Boppy and some Facebook on the cell phone.

7:45 - Baby wakes up while trying to put him back to bed.  Rock him in arms until asleep, then lay him down in the Pack N Play.  Baby begins to wake up.  Repeat the 3:30, 6:25 and 7:00 process.  Baby is back asleep by 8:00.

8:00 - Use restroom, put on workout clothes, feed the dogs, let them out to pee, feed the cats, give Allie her shot, let the dogs back inside since it's so cold out, stretch and hop on the treadmill.  Manage to get 2.2 miles and 2/3 of Grey's Anatomy in before Baby wakes up at 8:50.

Overall, not TOO shabby.  A little better than the night before.  He slept a 4-hour stretch, then a 2-hour stretch, then we got into the tidbits of the early morning.  And I got a run in, which is always a plus, even if I had hoped it would have been a much longer run.  And I'm not tired.  I'm typically tired first thing in the morning, but I'm hardly ever tired during the day, so I guess I'm getting enough sleep even if it is all chopped up.  I just wish there was something I could do to get him to STAY asleep instead of waking up for no apparent reason.  Especially in the hours before 6am!

Some people have theorized a growth spurt.  But yet when he was sleeping 12 solid hours, "growth spurt" was tossed out as well.  I've noticed that "growth spurt" seems to be the general comment made about anything AT ALL going on with a baby.  He's suddenly sleeping 12 hours?  Must be going through a growth spurt.  Oh he's barely sleeping at all?  Must be going through a growth spurt.  He's fussy today?  Must be going through a growth spurt.  He wants to be held constantly?  Must be going through a growth spurt.  You have absolutely no explanation for why your baby is acting like an asshole?  Must be going through a growth spurt!

Others have theorized that he's teething.  I guess this is possible, since his teeth could start coming in anytime between now and the fall, but I feel absolutely nothing coming through his gums, he doesn't seem in pain or ridiculously fussy and when he wakes up at night it's not an "in pain" or sad kind of cry.  He typically just fusses like he's making sure I know he's awake and then I put him back to sleep.

This made me giggle.

I think maybe I just have an annoying baby.  ;)  I'm only kidding.  Unless he really is just annoying.  Then I'm on to you, Delano!

He's pretty stinkin' cute, though.

I Suffer From UMS

My baby confuses me.

He's been off of night feedings for quite a while.  I'd have to look it up (wow...I've forgotten already??) but I think Delano started sleeping through the night (6-8 hours) around 3 months old.  Then about a month or so ago, he upped his game to 12 hours.  As in 12 straight hours without a peep.  It was AMAZEBALLS.

Well, now we've taken a step backwards, and I can't figure out why.  For the past couple of weeks, the boy has been waking up consistently throughout the night.  He tosses and fusses, and so I pop a paci in his mouth and rock him back to sleep, which takes no longer than 5-10 minutes.  Then we do this over and over again until he's up and ready to eat around 7am.  I knew he was waking up pretty frequently, but last night was the first night that I watched the clock.  It seems that after he sleeps for about 4-6 solid hours, he's up EVERY 40 MINUTES.

Seriously, baby??

I've tried putting him to bed earlier.  I've tried putting him to bed later.  I've tried keeping him awake after 5:30.  I've tried not feeding him any solid foods for dinner.  I've tried removing blankets in case he was hot.  I've tried tucking him in with heavier blankets in case he was cold.  I've tried swaddling.  I've tried NOT swaddling.  I've tried using a humidifier.  I've tried NOT using a humidifier. 

Next up?  Swapping out his Rock N Play sleeper for his Pack N Play.  Because maybe he's sick and tired of sleeping in the angled carseat position.  I have no idea.  But I'm on a mission to figure it out so that we can nip all this fussin' in the bud! 

What does that even mean, to "nip something in the bud"?  Let's find out, shall we?

Thanks, www.phrases.org.uk

Oh and to top it off, Delano has started gulping when he eats (not all the time, just sometimes, usually in the mornings) and then ends up shooting milk out of his nose.  NICE.

So on to other news......I've discovered that I suffer from a case of UMS - Unsexy Mom Syndrome. 

- First of all, I'm gaining weight.  And I totally can't call it "baby weight" because I lost all of that early on.  Nope, I am gaining weight for two reasons:  I'm not running nearly as much as I used to (or would like to be) and I'm still pretty much eating the same as when I was pregnant.  So it's all my fault, but it is what it is.  And I bet you didn't read a lick of that paragraph because you were too busy trying to wrap your brain around the picture below.

I SERIOUSLY FOUND THIS PICTURE WHILE SEARCHING FOR A "GAINING WEIGHT" IMAGE.

I'm detouring, but I must share where this pic came from once I clicked on it to find out WHY this girl's pic popped up in my search engine.  It's from a chat forum, and here was her post:

I'm gaining weight on purpose and I obviously don't "need to".  I'd just like to know what everyone thinks of me currently.  I'm a feedee, and if you guys don't know what that means, it means I eat a lot so I can gain weight on purpose.  My boyfriend gave me the idea, and I used to be 120 pounds or so before I met him.  Now I'm a LOT bigger, and hope to get to 300 pounds before the end of this year.  I feel better in my body, more at-home, and have more of a purpose.  I love myself, and I'm not going to stop what I'm doing, I just figured I'd get a perspective.

So there's that.  Anyway..........

- Second of all, my clothes suck.  Last week I brought an empty box into my room to pack away all of my maternity clothes and literally emptied out about 2/3 of my closet.  So what the hell was I wearing before I got pregnant??  Where are all my clothes??  I can tell you what my clothes consist of now (and maybe always did) - jeans, t-shirts, tennis shoes and a few sweaters.  I also have a drawer of tank tops and tube tops that probably don't fit right now and may never fit again.  And my feet are now a half-size bigger, so I need to purge all of my shoes.  I need a clothes overhaul, because looking at my current clothes options depresses me.  I don't need to look like a rock star every day, but I'm tired of looking EXACTLY THE SAME FREAKING WAY every single day.  I mean, I don't even pull off "cute".  I just look boring boring BORING.  I also need to invest in some eye cream because I've got bags under my eyes.  Fantastic.

Exactly, bored baby.

**Insert comment where my mother tells me I'm beautiful and perfect and to cut myself some slack because I have a 5-month-old.  Thanks in advance, Mom.  :)

I thought there was a "third of all" to add to this, but I'm guessing my mommy brain forgot it.  Ah well.  If I remember I'll toss it into the next blog.

It is SUPER DIFFICULT to make a workout schedule with a 5-month-old.  Especially when he's not sleeping solid until 9am or 10am like before.  When he was doing that, I had a good 1-3 hours in the morning to get things done before he woke up.  I don't have that time to myself anymore.  At least not until he starts sleeping like that again.  Or taking naps in the afternoon that don't require him being in my lap or attached to my chest.  And it doesn't help that I am NOT motivated to run in 30 degree weather!  Two years ago I trained 3-4 days a week in it.  With completely inappropriate clothing, too!  Now I actually own cold weather gear but would rather hit the treadmill when it's that cold, even though the treadmill is much more boring.  Lucas will watch Delano in the evenings when he gets off work so that I can run, but then I'm cutting into other time slots, like dinnertime.  But hopefully in the near future I'll be able to fit some more "ME FIT" time into my day.

As for eating better, I just need to get on the ball.  I've been saying that for months.  I know I'm getting bored saying it over and over again, so I KNOW you're getting bored reading about it over and over again!  So when is it finally going to sink in?  Ugh....it needs to be soon.  I've done it in the past, so what's my problem now?  Why am I such a slacker?  It's not like I can't do it, it's not like I don't WANT to do it and it's not even like I keep a lot of junk in the house.  We are almost a junk-free household.  Ugh again.  My friend Nicole and her husband Mark follow the Paleo diet and LOVE it.  She gave me a book to read plus a bunch of websites to look at, so I'm going to look into it.  From what she described, it seems pretty easy to follow with the exception of a few key food/drink items that I do really enjoy.  So if I do give it a go (and I don't see why not) I may not follow it all the way, but maybe will do "mostly".  And maybe it will become an awesome lifestyle change!

And we all know life just wouldn't be complete without a little of this.....

Less Facebook, More Socializing.

I have goals for 2013.  Not resolutions - just goals.  More like a 2013 To-Do list.  A few of the things on my list I've mentioned before in a past blog:  Print and frame family photos, create photo books and box frames, update my address book, re-velcro diapers and have a magazine day.  I'm giving myself the entire year to have these things done and marked off the list, though I'm really hoping that they get done much sooner so that I can move on to more projects!

I've already started printing family photos by ordering two canvases from our fall photo shoot (thanks, Groupon deal).  And I've decided to make our dining room wall the photo wall instead of the hallway.  You wouldn't think that it would have taken Pinterest to come up with that idea, but it did.

Delano's picture canvas in the middle!  I'm going to relocate the organizer and framed picture on this wall once I start "collaging".

I've also already started going through my magazine stash.  I was sadly mistaken when I thought going through my magazines would take merely a day.  Though I've gotten through a chunk of them, I've still got lots more to go.  Seventeen that I see just from where I'm sitting!

Actual view from where I'm sitting.  There are twelve magazines on top of the cabinet and five more on the coffee table.

Since writing that blog almost a month ago, I've come up with a few extra "To-Do" items to add to the list:

6.  Overhaul my closet/drawers
7.  Unpack and organize the office closet
8.  Create (with Lucas's help) the living room play corner
9.  Attend the monthly neighborhood book club meetings
10.  Buy a family membership to the Creative Discovery Museum
11.  Lose the baby weight plus some (maybe shoot for my first half marathon weight?)
12.  Keep on runnin' and racin'
13.  Become less connected with my laptop and TV (with the exception of my blog!)
14.  Become more connected with friends
15.  Organize (and then get rid of) the computer desk downstairs.

Ok, so I realize that some of the things on that list are more like resolutions instead of projects, but they're still on my 2013 To-Do list of things to get done!

I definitely need to become less of a Facebook junkie. 

 
On one hand, I use Facebook to do good things, such as share animals-in-need posts.  Facebook has done WONDERS for the animal rescue community and has saved TONS of lives.  Plus Facebook keeps me in touch with people I see very rarely (or even never).  But I'm on it way too much.  I need space.  Not a complete removal from it (I couldn't stand being out of the loop THAT much!!), but maybe just limit myself to checking it once or twice a day for a short amount of time. 

As for the TV, that won't be hard, I don't think.  The reason I watch so much of it now is because I am often sitting down in front of it while breastfeeding.  But I can change this by opting to read a book instead.  Since I love to read, that's not a problem.

I DO need to become better connected with real live people....aka my friends.  There are a couple of people I see regularly, but others that I haven't seen in forever.  Having a baby definitely changes everything.  You become less connected with those who don't have kids and way more connected with those who do, especially the ones who have kids relatively in the same age range as you.  I feel like that's probably because your child consumes your life.  And for me, my whole daily routine changed.  Before becoming pregnant, I worked during the day, made plans (if any) for the evening hours and went to bars on the weekends.  I also volunteered my time at the shelter during holidays and usually 1-2 Saturdays a month.  Since becoming a stay-at-home mom, I make plans during the daytime hours, am home during the evening hours and don't frequent the bars much at all.  And I'm typically at home taking care of the baby during my holidays and Saturdays instead of at the shelter.  Not that having a baby has been a bad thing - of course not - but I do need to make more of an effort to see those friends I never see anymore.  They deserve it because nothing about THEM changed.  It was my life that changed! 

I also think it's important to have mommy friends, so hopefully 2013 will bring with it some lunch dates and play dates with other mommies, and maybe a few good friendships that'll stick, too!

On a totally different note, my little rugrat turned 5 months old this past Wednesday!  Which means he's already almost HALF A YEAR OLD!!

Love.

I Don't Get It...I Ate Blackeyed Peas!!!! Where's My Good Luck??

So....I am 15 days into 2013 and let's just say that it has gotten off to a rocky start!!

Everything seemed okay at first, but then Saturday the 5th rolled around.  I picked up a shift at the Hunter because another bartender needed off and Lucas and I didn't have anything going on.  The wedding was small and the shift was slow (not the biggest drinkers on the planet) but overall it was fine.  I was home by about 11:45.  That's when the night changed drastically.

Lucas had texted me earlier that evening (around 9pm) that when he let all the dogs in, our dog Massai was a no-show.  He said he called for him but he didn't see him or hear him anywhere.  I told him to wait a few minutes and try again, so he did.  He even took the baby outside with him to look in the shed.  Nothing.

At this point Lucas needed to feed the baby and put him to bed.  And OF COURSE this particular night, Delano didn't want to fall asleep.  So it was quite a while (after 11pm) before Lucas was able to put the baby down for the night and go look for Massai.  Did I mention it was also raining?

Around 11:20ish, I get a text from Lucas that says he found Massai and that he had a cut on his leg but that's all he saw, so I sighed a big sigh of relief.  I said I would check on him when I got home before I came to bed.

The second I walked into the dog room, flipped on the light and saw Massai's face, I knew something was TERRIBLY wrong.  His front left leg was out at an awkward angle, the back of his neck was abnormally matted down, he was shaking and he just plain looked terrified.  When I went to lift his arm to investigate, he yelped and I saw what appeared to be a hole in his armpit.  That's also when I noticed the circle of blood on the blanket.

I went upstairs to tell Lucas I was going to the emergency vet and then emptied out the back of my car for Massai.  Then I had to figure out how the hell I was going to get him in the car without hurting him.  I took a sock out of the hamper and tied it around his mouth and nose to muzzle him just in case I accidentally hurt him and he snapped at me.  Then I had a talk with him asking him how we should go about this.  I asked him if he could sit up (he could) and I asked him if he could stand up (he could, but he was wobbly and didn't want to walk).  I ended up moving his back legs for him while he hopped on his good front leg, then I had no choice but to lift him into the car, trying to stay more around his back end for his sake.  Then we were off.  I called the vet on the way to let them know we were coming and that I might need a gurney to help get him out of the car. 

Fast-forward to my conversation with the vet, who verified that Massai had been attacked (and not just injured out in the woods).  I knew he had a major gash in his armpit....what I didn't know was that there were through-and-through punctures in his arm as well as punctures and teeth scratches all over his neck.  The vet took me back to see him while he was sedated and they were shaving him in preparation for surgery....he was covered in bite marks.  I left him there for the night and they told me they would call me first thing in the morning with an update.  It was 2:30am.

I brought Massai home Monday morning but couldn't get him to take any of his meds Monday afternoon.  I tried for four hours, and I'm no newbie to forcing animals to swallow pills.  He just wasn't having it.  And he wouldn't eat a bite, so I couldn't slip his meds into a treat.  So back to the vet he went.  They kept him until around noon on Thursday, which is when he started to eat. 

The night before I brought him home.  I went to visit and see if he would eat anything from me.

Poor guy was pretty sedated and out of it!

He wasn't a fan of the giant cone AT ALL......

He wouldn't even walk...he just kept backing up.

So I made him a T-shirt to cover his wounds.

Stylin' and profilin'

On Friday, his injured arm was SO SWOLLEN and his wounds were leaking fluid so we ended up back at the vet to see if there's was anything that needed to be done. 

Poor swollen, leaky leg!

They took a look at it, did massage therapy on it to squeeze out some of the fluid, re-wrapped it, gave me instructions on how to care for it and sent us home.  The long-sleeved T-shirt I made him had gotten wet and nasty and stretched out during the trip, so I hooked him up with a short-sleeved shirt that he wouldn't step on.

He looks better in black, anyway.

Saturday morning, I wake up to a dog who has managed to strip off his shirt (I should have put the other shirt back on him!!), yank off his bandages and pull out the stitches from one of his leg holes!  He was the happiest dog EVER Saturday morning.....with a GIANT open wound on his leg.  So back to the vet we went AGAIN.  This time, they gave him a more fitted cone with softer edges and orders that it stay on permanently for the next ten days.

He thinks I brought that out for him.

Overall, he's doing really well.  His wounds are healing and his hair is growing back.  He's just totally bummed out about the cone and that he can't go outside unless I take him out on a leash.  He's definitely not used to having an audience attached to him while he poops.  But since he ripped out some of his sutures, he can only have part of his stitches and staples removed tomorrow and not all of them!

This whole fiasco has cost and arm and a leg....around $2,000....but that's not the most disturbing and heartbreaking part about it.  What's totally heartbreaking is that it was most likely one of my other dogs that attacked Massai.  At first this thought didn't even cross my mind.  My dogs have been together for YEARS and have never fought.  And none of my dogs are prone to fight, either.  I can take any of them out and about to a public event and they all get along with other dogs, kids and people.  Sure, they each have their little quirks, but I never in a million years thought that any of them would attack another one.  But the vets and technicians said they see it pretty frequently.

Do I know which one did it?  Not a clue.  I checked all the dogs the next day after I visited with the vet and saw NO evidence of fighting.  Massai's the type of dog to throw up the white flag when overpowered, so I wasn't looking for bite wounds - I was looking for blood stains.  Nothing.  I haven't had any meet-and-greets between each dog and Massai yet to see if I sense any hostility.  But the bottom line is, even if everybody acts perfectly normal, I can't put Massai back out in that yard in case it ever happened again.  He may not live through it a second time.  So of course this situation had me all stressed out and I couldn't sleep at night worrying about the fate of my dogs.

However, a possible solution has presented itself.  After Massai is completely better (no more stitches, staples or cones), he will be headed to my parents' house to live.  I've been taking him over there periodically to get used to being there as well as around their cats (we have cats, but theirs are "new" cats that don't currently have to deal with a dog).  I am SO grateful to my parents (aka my mom) for offering to take him in, and hopefully it will all work out smoothly.  If it doesn't, I'll worry about it then!

Random Addictions/Obsessions and a New Year

So in my Christmas post I posted this pic of this baby from the gdiapers website:

Baby in a gjoy diaper.  Too cute.  Should have bought one before they sold out!!!

Well....a girl I know from my childhood recently posted this pic of her baby, and I must say....HE WINS!!!

Thatcher in his gjoy.  Totally stole this from Facebook, because I love it!!

Anyways....that is not what my post is about.  Not fully, anyway.

So for those of you who read my blog (which apparently is several, though I technically only have 3 followers. I bet that's because the website asks for your info and threatens to email you stuff.  BOO.  But then again....this is a free blog site.  So as long as people are READING, who cares if they're following?), you know that I use cloth diapers.

SURPRISE!!!

Just kidding.  See, I know that some of you ENJOY reading about my cloth diaper experiences, while others would rather stab their eye repeatedly with a fork.  But that's exactly why I pre-warn you readers about cloth diaper info coming up.....so you can skip it.  FYI, if you hate getting your learn on about cloth diapers, SKIP this next section.  Don't exit out of my blog completely, I still have other stuff to say, though it will still likely be baby-related because that's how I roll.....just skip this next section and move on to the next bold print.  It's that simple.  The cloth diaper info is for the moms (or just friends) out there who are interested in reading about it!

FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW MY CLOTH DIAPER SAGA:
I haven't checked my backlog of the cloth diaper saga, but where I THINK I left off, I was having some trouble with leaking issues, usually while Delano was breastfeeding and therefore lying on his side.  At first I thought it was because he was outgrowing his small gdiapers (leaking is a potential sign of the need to upsize), but when it was happening in almost ALL his diapers, I figured I was doing something wrong.

As a refresher, Delano owns several brands of diapers for different reasons and/or times of the day.  His gdiapers have been designated for daytime use only.  We have been using double cloth inserts in his gdiapers from pretty much the start (the "hemp sandwich" method) because he is a heavy wetter, and therefore we quickly discovered that he needed more than a gdiaper at night.  (FYI - if your child isn't an obscene wetter like mine, gdiapers may be all you need.....a single cloth insert for daytime and an extra or even two extras at night.  I tried this with our chitlin....no bueno.  He pees too much both during the day and definitely in his sleep for using strictly gdiapers and nothing else.)  So I bought some one-size Happy Heineys pocket diapers for nighttime use, and even with those we have to use two inserts because Delano pees like a racehorse (granted he also eats ALL THE TIME to fill his bladder with pee).  I also own some GroVias, both the hybrids and all-in-ones (both which are great for daytime but Delano will out-pee at night), some all-in-one Swaddlebees (same as the GroVias) and a few other random brands of diapers, covers and inserts.  And I just bought two new all-in-ones via Ebay that were handmade by some lady that I can't wait to try out because they are adorable yet also seem pretty absorbent.  I love ALL my diapers, and they all have their pros and cons.

The one on the left is an old-school Swaddlebees diaper that was included.  The two printed ones are the homemade ones I bought. 

So back to my leaking issues.....it was out of control.  Delano would pee on me at LEAST once a day while he was eating, sometimes multiple times, and I was at a loss for what to do.  So I hit up Google (as always).  Well, several suggestions in blogs and what not, besides the "he may be too big for his britches" comments, were that it may be time to strip the diapers.  I had no idea what it meant to strip cloth diapers, so of course I Googled THAT.

Turns out (who knew?), cloth diapers and inserts need to occasionally be "stripped" of detergent build-up. I knew that standard commercial detergents could decrease the absorbancy of cloth diapers due to their chemicals (as well as irritate your baby's booty), and I knew that diaper rash creams could do the same.  But I've always used a "green" detergent and I've never used a diaper rash cream with my cloth diapers, so I never thought this would be an issue.  Well.....if you're having leaking issues, try stripping your diapers!  Stripping literally involves just running your diapers (and inserts) through the hottest wash your washer will allow, water only, until the point where when you open the lid of the washer mid-churn, your water is clear and no soap bubbles are present (not to be mistaken for agitation bubbles).  Some people even said that if your washer water doesn't get super hot to either add boiling water to it or turn up the temp on your hot water heater.  These people are serious about stripping.  For gdiapers, this doesn't include the cute covers, just the cloth inserts.  Just whatever your baby is pooping/peeing on.

I broke out the disposable inserts (used usually only for when we travel) and stuck every cloth diaper and insert that I had into the washer to be stripped.  Most advice said 3-4 rinses would do the trick.....8 washes in and mine STILL had a little residue on top of the water mid-wash!!  But by that point I was over it and ready to see if there was any improvement. 

Three words:  NIGHT AND DAY.  I am SO glad that I took the advice (though not technically for me) to strip my diapers!!  Turns out Delano hadn't outgrown the smalls like I thought (and still hasn't)...they just needed a good stripping!  We are back to normal on the diaper front.  As long as I change him every two hours or so (the normal capacity for a cloth diaper), we typically have ZERO leaks.  And his Happy Heineys are working GREAT for his current 8-11 hour nights.  They are definitely FULL when he wakes up (aka no feeding him on his side until I change his diaper first) but I don't even remember the last time he woke up with wet PJs.  SUCCESS!!!

FOR THOSE SKIPPING THE CLOTH DIAPER SAGA/UPDATE:
Welcome back!! 

So the REAL topic of my blog tonight (before I got off on the cloth diaper update) is/was addictions/obsessions.  I currently have a few addictions and/or obsessions that I either need to address or just have fun talking about!

#1:  Baby leg warmers
I think this one qualifies as an obsession.  I am OBSESSED with baby leg warmers!  I never even knew they existed (or just never thought about it) until I saw them on the gdiapers website.  Well I bought a pair from there, saw how ADORABLE Delano was in them plus how EASY they made diaper changes that I decided I needed more.  That's when I made the mistake of typing in "baby leg warmers" into Ebay.

Baby D in his leg warmers about 6 weeks ago (6 WEEKS AGO!!! OMG!!!)

Go ahead and type "baby leg warmers" into Ebay's search engine.  On the "50 results per page" option, you'll come up with about 60 PAGES.  It's insane.  Needless to say, I went on a shopping spree and Delano has nine pairs of leggings on the way....NINE.  They were all so cheap, plus I was able to combine most of the shipping.......and he won't need pants for a LONG time.  That's my excuse, anyway.

#2:  Cloth diapers
I haven't decided if this one qualifies as an obsession or an addiction.  Am I obsessed with buying them or addicted to buying them?  I don't know.  Regardless, I have a LOT of cloth diapers.  As in, I am not a poster child for saving money on cloth diapers (which is the NORM) because I have WAY more than I need, because I can't turn down a bargain or an absolutely adorable diaper.  I sound like a hoarder.  When it comes to gdiapers, they're ALL cute, but the limited edition patterns are SUPER cute and I just can't resist.  And when it comes to other brands I like (such as GroVia), when I see some cute like-new AIOs floating around on Ebay for pennies, I can't help but buy them.  Because I know what an AWESOME deal they are.  Even if to resell them for closer to their worth.  Which I (cough cough) haven't done yet.  So like I've said in the past.....the normal cloth diapering mom needs NOWHERE NEAR my stash.  I'm just addicted.  Or obsessed.

Imagine that this is my laundry room every 3 days.

When I found that photo above, it was attached to this Motherhood Naked blog, which I read (it's pretty short).  She can't stop buying cloth diapers, either!  She says, "It’s true that they are more economical- if you don’t continue buying them at the same rate you would buy disposables."  Partner in crime right there.  She also says that she started using cloth diapers when she accidentally washed a disposable diaper and it BURNED HER HANDS while she was cleaning up the diaper mess in the washing machine.  Kinda scary.

#3  Ebay
I am obsessed with Ebay.  No, I take that back....I am obsessed with the Ebay app on my phone!!  This has made my life SO EASY TO SPEND MONEY!!  And I kind of have a love/hate relationship with this app.  On the plus side, I can search for what I want super easy, the app alerts me when an item I'm watching has 15 minutes left, and I can bid easy-peasy from my phone.  On the con side....ALL OF THE ABOVE!!  Because due to the ease of it all, all I do is spend money!  But I AM obsessed.  Ebay even knows my likes....it knows to search gdiapers, swaddlebees, grovias, happy heineys and baby leg warmers before I even fully type them out.  Ebay loves me.  I don't EVER want to add up what I've spent over the last 6-8 months or so.  As the guy from The Princess Bride would say...PREPOSTEROUS!!  I'd much rather stay NOT in the know.  It's easier that way, for all of us.

In the back is Ebay....I'm the piles of money in the front.

#4  My weight
I guess you could say I'm obsessed with my weight.  I'm definitely not addicted to it.  That would insinuate something totally different and maybe even a little weird.

Before I started running two years ago, my weight was at the highest it had ever been.  Which for me was 146 pounds.  And I'm a pretty small person and NOT tall.  So while 146 pounds may sound like heaven to some of you, it was chunky on me.  My heaven is somewhere between 115 and 120 pounds, which I believe has been lost forever within the sea of my college days.

After I started running and eating a little better I started dropping weight.  By September of last year, 10 months after I had started running, I reached my lowest weight of the last who-knows-how-many years: 123 pounds.  I maintained this for a while, though I was back up to 129 pounds by the end of the year, which I consider to be my pre-baby weight.

While pregnant I gained right at 25 pounds.  After having the baby I eventually settled back down to about 133 pounds.  Well......over the past month or two I've started adding weight back on.  This is totally my fault...I haven't been exercising or eating like I should.  I've been a total slacker.  Which means that this total slacker is now at 137 pounds.  Only nine pounds shy of my highest weight ever!!

So I'm obsessed with getting my weight back down!  My first goal is my post-baby weight (133).  My next goal will be my pre-baby weight (129).  Then my final goal will be my in-shape weight (123), which will be a tough one to get to since my body is different and squishier in the belly area than it was back then!  But if I can get into the 120s, I'll be happy.  For a girl who started college at 104 pounds, I'm ok with being 25 pounds heavier in my 30s.

Because this is real....way to go, editing department, for a stellar job.  I'm sure that lady looks like EITHER of those.

#5  Running

Another obsession, addiction or a little of both?  Probably more an addiction.  Addicted to running farther than I did the last time.  Addicted to signing up for races.  Addicted to half marathon race medals.  Addicted to setting a new PR.  Addicted to being engulfed in a sea of people all there to run.  Addicted to running clothes and gear.  Addicted to getting into shape without working out.  Addicted to BEING ABLE TO DO IT.

Granted, I haven't been nearly as dedicated to running lately as I envision myself in my head.  But I DO have a half marathon coming up and I DO have some weight loss goals to pursue, so I need to get back on the wagon and back to training.

Ugh......as I sit here on the couch wrapping this up, I realize that I should probably practice what I preach and go run this afternoon!  I think I'll do just that.  That way I can say:

2013, Here We Come!

It's the first day of 2013!

2012 has been an awesome year, with the ultimate highlight being a little addition known as Delano, who is now 4 1/2 months old.

But there were a lot of other good things that happened in 2012.  By January I had run a total of six half marathons in four different states.  Lucas got a TON of work done on our house.  One brother got engaged while the other got married in a wedding that I officiated (at nine months pregnant).  My BFF from high school found out she was also expecting a baby, who is due to arrive this February.

2012 also involved a major shocker, which was the loss of my parents' house during the March tornadoes that hit the Harrison area.

They were some of the lucky ones, though.  All five of their cats survived.  Due to having AWESOME home owner's insurance (USAA kicks some major ass, for those of you who are able to get it), they received their settlement funds before the dust had even settled and were able to start looking for a new home immediately.  They bought a house in record time, closed on it in record time and were moved in before the tornado even actually happened, I think.  It's all such a blur.  ;)

As for 2013, I can't wait!  I'm signed up for my first half marathon post-baby in February (in state #5!) and I'm hoping to get a few more under my belt as time and commitment capabilities allow.  I get to continue to be a stay-at-home mom to Delano and watch him grow up during his first year.  I get to be there while Amanda has all of her first-baby experiences, and while my second little brother ties the knot.

And who knows?  Maybe a little brother or sister for Delano is in the cards......  ;)

Disclaimer:  This is NOT an announcement that we're pregnant.  We are indeed not pregnant.  We're not trying to get pregnant, we're just not NOT trying, either!