Not Me! Monday (on Friday)

Okay, so I pretty much stink at posting these things on Mondays. But I tend to think that my wiggly baby boy gives me a pretty valid excuse for my blog-negligence. In fact, he gives me a valid excuse for just about anything, which comes in handy sometimes (oh wait - Not Me! Monday - I mean it doesn't come in handy. I would never, for instance, use Fox as an excuse for things I don't want to do. Nope, not me!).

The list of things I did not do this week ends up being a list of personal faux pas vs. parenting ones. But, let's face it - once you're a parent, there's really nothing exclusively personal anymore.

For instance, earlier this week I did not eat my husband's leftover, cold oatmeal straight out of the pot because I was too tired and too preoccupied with Fox to cook a real breakfast. I would never do something that slovenly.

I also did not deliberately squish a fallen piece of cereal today with my foot so I could vacuum it up instead of bending over to pick it up. If I had done something that lazy, it would probably have been because I had a baby strapped to my chest, so I would hope you wouldn't judge me too harshly. If I had actually done that, of course, which I didn't.

On a more serious note, and to give due credit to the founder of Not Me! Mondays, I want to note that Fox and I are celebrating the amazing outcome of Stellan's heart ablation. I'll admit that I was bracing myself for bad news, which made it even more exciting that such a medical miracle occurred. You can read all about Stellan's story and his progress here. I will sum it up by saying that God has answered the prayers of thousands (literally) in healing this little one's heart condition. I am amazed by such a miracle and that the God of the Universe would be concerned with even the tiny pathways of a little baby's heart. It's a great reminder of His sovereignty and His provision for His children.

Not Me! Monday (on Tuesday)

Here is my first attempt at releasing some of my parenting faux pas in a humorous way, thanks to MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week, I did not let Fox sit on the counter within reach of a measuring cup full of hot water, so he did NOT grasp the cup and nearly turn it over on himself. Whew! I'm glad that didn't happen.

Saturday night, I also did not let Fox sleep on my chest for the entire night. Nope, not me! I'm trying to promote consistent sleep habits with my son, so of course I would NEVER sabotage those efforts by letting him sleep on me just because I was too tired to try anything else. Definitely not me.

This week I did not let a puppy lick Fox's fingers for a second before pulling him away. I also did not allow nice people at church to reach out to touch his face, hands, and carrier. I would definitely not be more concerned about appearing rude than about protecting Fox from various diseases during this swine flu pandemic. Not me!

Fox is almost 6 months old, so of course I am NOT still wearing maternity pants, and of course I don't weigh nearly the same thing I weighed two weeks after he was born.

I am also NOT letting Fox play on the floor with his toys in front of the television while I compose this blog post.

*Sigh*

I hope this post simply reminds me to be more careful. For some reason I actually wasn't thinking that the puppy could nibble on Fox's finger. I just for some reason didn't react quickly enough to pull him away. Same thing with "allowing" people to touch him at church. I actually hung hand sanitizer on his carrier, hoping people would get the hint (some didn't). I am getting better at just smiling at people as they reach for Fox and pulling him away, even going to the extent of (kindly, I hope) saying, "I'm trying to keep him from getting sick."

So I hope my "Not Me! Monday" post doesn't make you think I'm a bad parent. That's totally not the point! I just figure (along with MckMama and plenty of other Not Me! Monday-ers) that we learn as we go along, and we might as well view our mistakes with little bit of humor.

Crunchy

This week I met a woman who describes herself as “crunchy.” She is, of course, poking fun at the term “nut and granola” which is used to describe people who are interested in natural living principles. Natural-living folk are interesting - they refrain from using chemicals in their home (from cleaning supplies to pain relievers), eat organic whole foods and feed these foods to their families, try to reduce their negative impact on the environment, and they often adopt unconventional views of modern medicine. They are frequently viewed as “weirdos,” “hippies,” and “crazies” (all descriptions I’ve heard firsthand), and people tend to think that they’re a bit left of center. Even in today’s “healthy chic” culture where environmentalism and healthy eating are trendy, true adherents to natural living fundamentals are still viewed as abnormal (in the negative connotation of the word).

It’s true - the world at large is not typically kind to crunchy people. Despite this, though, I want to be one. Yes, I want to be an amber-wearing, whole-foods-eating, chemical-free-cleaning, non-vaccinating, cloth-diapering, homemade-baby-food-making hippie. So what’s stopping me?

Before Fox was born, I made so many plans that never came to fruition. I was determined to do a drug-free natural childbirth, which of course turned out to be a c-section. I was sure that I would never need a single disposable diaper, as I was going to use cloth diapers. Of course, now that Fox is nearly 6 months old, we have gone through hundreds of disposable diapers - he has maybe worn cloth for 30 minutes. I planned to breastfeed him exclusively for as long as possible, but I could only nurse him for two weeks before I got a blood clot, went on blood thinners which had a questionable level of nursing safety, and my milk dried up. I am learning to come to terms with these things and accept them as the way things are. I try to take comfort in the fact that everything, good or bad, happens for a reason, and I’m reminded of Proverbs 16:9: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps“ and Proverbs 16: 33: ”The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.“ As challenging and discouraging as these setbacks have been, I am convinced they were providential nonetheless, and I can be comforted and encouraged by that.

It’s taken me a long time to come to this point though. When nothing turned out the way I planned (and being a mother turned out the be the hardest and most exhausting thing I’ve ever done), I wallowed. I have been having a pity party for myself for 6 months. As a result of that pity party, I sighed and recoiled from the idea of trying to accomplish any goals (especially hard ones like becoming crunchy), assuming that these plans would fail like all my others. So that is what has stopped me until now.

But today is a new day. I have begun eating a completely different diet - no white carbohydrates, no added sugar, all whole foods - and I’m already noticing positive changes in my health and sense of wellbeing. Of course I still get discouraged at the long road ahead - but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and Laura’s health was not restored in a month. So I will keep at it, and hopefully be better for it. The success of my diet (now nearing the end of its third week) has inspired me to revisit my goals and interests, such as embracing the nut and granola lifestyle.

There are plenty of obstacles. My 6-month-old baby, for instance, who keeps me busy constantly and leaves very little time for altering my lifestyle. Our finances, which make it difficult to continue to buy whole, organic foods each week at the grocery store when I’m counting every penny and Easy Mac is so cheap (thankfully, the idea of Easy Mac makes me want to gag). The opinion of other people in my life matters to me too, though most are supportive (or at least don’t make fun of me to my face). But these are small obstacles in light of the benefits of the changes I plan to make.

But there are little things I can do, and each one changes me a little. And so, off I go to try to make myself and my family just a little healthier today.

Cloth Diapering

Call me crazy - but we have decided to use cloth diapers with Fox. Before you judge me or think I'm a looney toon, check out our reasoning. You might be surprised!

Reason #1: Budget

After comparing numbers, there is no arguing that, while cloth diapers may involve a bit of an initial investment, over the long haul they save a TON of money over using disposables.

Reason #2: Comfort

Would you want to wear plastic underwear? I didn't think so.

Reason #3: Mother Earth

As much as we love convenience, we do also feel compelled to do what we can to reduce our waste. Normally I would consider us to be "lazy environmentalists," but I'm not sure that term can apply once you venture into the land of cloth diapers. Maybe I watched too much Captain Planet as a child - who knows? At any rate, the thought of all those dirty diapers filling up the landfills somewhat gives me a bit of a complex. So I'm going to do my best to go green in this area.

Reason #4: Nut and Granola

Okay, so maybe I am a bit of a looney toon. But I just don't feel completely comfortable putting Fox in diapers made super-absorbant by the use of chemicals and other unknown substances. This is not to say that, if you use disposables, I think you are harming your child. I am most definitely NOT saying anything of the sort. All I'm saying is that, for me, the jury is still out on this, and I feel better moving away from chemicals as much as possible (in all aspects of our lives, not just baby poop).

Reason #5: Posterity

Is there any merit to the theory that the rise in male infertility over the past 25 years is in correlation to the increased use of disposable diapers during the same time period? Probably not. But hey - I'd like to give the kid the best possible chance I can!

So, that just about sums up our reasons for deciding to do cloth. Now, if you wish, you may feel free to call me crazy. Doesn't bother me! If you would like to read more about cloth diapering, check out these sites: www.diaperpin.com

Awaiting Fox Marcus

Well, I should have known I couldn't remain private forever.

As part of my nesting phase, I have recently felt compelled to share about this adventure in the blogosphere (from which I have conveniently been absent for a very, very long time). So, here is my outlet for sharing my pregnancy journey and everything in the great unknown beyond that!

Fox Marcus Cochran should enter the world sometime in early May (the official due date is May 2, but really - who knows?). I am currently 27 weeks along in my pregnancy (hello month 7!), and I'm already impatient (big surprise). I feel and look like a blimp. The first trimester was hellish ("morning" sickness is a misnomer, as the nausea is most certainly NOT limited to the morning). The second trimester sped by (seriously, where did the time go?). Now that I'm entering the third trimester, I'm starting to experience all the "fun" things like serious aches and pains, swelling feet and ankles, moodiness (sorry Michael), sleeplessness, the works.

And yet - I love being pregnant. I love feeling Fox kick and squirm inside my belly. I love knowing that, in three (hopefully short) months, I'll get to hold my son in my arms. It's amazing how the "switch" happened: a few months ago, I was still a little weirded out at the idea of having a living being inside me; somewhere in the last month or two, however, something clicked, and now everything in my life is geared toward being a mom. And every time I feel him move inside me, I am reminded of the great gift I have been given, and what a miracle it really is to make a new life inside of me.

Forgive me if I'm a little rusty - blogging has been the last thing on my mind for the majority of these last few years. I look forward to keeping you updated on everything as we get ready for this new chapter in our life!