Logistics...

Sometimes things are easy. I love those times. The past few weeks have not been some of those times, and have required some  a lot of logistical planning. I'm a planner anyhow so I'm not bothered by things not being super easy, so here is how my brain works as I encounter some of the issues that make it necessary to reroute my plans (fair warning--girl talk present in some of these situations, boys might be weirded out):

Situation #1:
I need to take a shower because...well...that's what people do. And I need to shave my legs somethin' fierce.

Problem:
Charlotte wants to be in the shower with me, and she clings to my legs as if touching anything else is touching hot lava. I can't shave my legs like that.

Solution:
Shave my legs as soon as I get in the shower, and let Charlotte play in the bathroom during that five minutes then bring her in with me so she'll stop crying.

Suck it up:
This is what happens in that five minutes...

What you can't see in this picture are the three rolls of toilet paper and the two towels that she put in the shower with me. Apparently I need a better storage solution.

Situation #2:

I need to take the trash out...like a lot of trash. Like this much trash:

I feel like I need to explain my disgustingness first. Usually Matt takes the trash out and we never let it pile up like this.

Problem:

Matt has been TDY for six weeks, and still isn't home yet. So there goes that. YES I am perfectly capable of taking some measly trash bags out to the bin, but that presents a whole other set of problems. Our garage is detached. Behind the garage is the alley where the trash bin is located. So taking the trash out to the bin myself would require opening the garage door and leaving Charlotte inside by herself, which I can do (she has a totally childproofed area that she can stay in for five minutes), but I would need to leave the back door open so I can hear her if she needs me. If I leave the back door open, and the garage door is open, the dogs will get out and run all over town. Eh, maybe that's not such a bad idea. I kind of hate one of my dogs now anyway...

Solution:

Frankly I should have been taking a bag out at a time when I'm already going to the garage to go run some errands. Apparently I'm not a good enough planner. New solution: wait 'til Matt comes home.

Situation #3:

I've had a "system" for my cloth diapers for like a year. Everything is neatly put away in easily accessible organization bin type things. Charlotte has never really been too interested in them and left them alone...until recently. Now she takes everything out (diapers, inserts, everything), and then later comes to shove it all back in, as partially seen here:

Solution:

OBVIOUSLY I need a new storage system that she can't get into. Well...I have one. I bought a dresser that I can store everything in and put child lock things on so she can't run amok with the dipes. Buuuut there's a little issue with that right now. The dresser is in the back of my car. It is heavy. I am pregnant. My husband is gone. This one waits 'til the hubs gets back.

Situation #4:

It snows. The sidewalks need shoveling.

Problem:

It's not too much snow to shovel being pregnant. It's not like there are 8 inches of it out there. But there's a toddler in the house who is too heavy for me to wear, and can't be left inside alone.

Solution:

Sorry. Not doing it.

So the moral of this story is that logistically and otherwise, I love my husband. And he needs to come home. But seriously, logistically he needs to come home.

For the First Time in History...

I am absolutely, 100%, completely READY for Christmas. I'm super serious, too. D.O.N.E. For realz. Every gift is bought, wrapped, and shipped. I've baked (um...and eaten most of the following) banana nut bread, two pans of brownies, three dozen sugar cookies (frosted and sprinkled), and two dozen oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. In my defense---most of the cookies are in the freezer out of my immediate reach. Sadly, most of the brownies have perished. The tree and the house are decorated and we are ready for Santa :)

My memories of Christmas time growing up are divine. Always lots of baking, a pretty tree, lots and lots of family. The family is all over the place now, and we're beginning our own traditions with Charlotte. It's a bit sad, in a way, to have to leave my childhood Christmas behind and be on the other side of it, but I hope I can create the same wonderfully warm memories for my children that I have of Christmas.

So this year, like last year, we will be ordering pizza on Christmas Eve and having hot chocolate with whipped cream towers, then digging through our stockings and watching movies. Christmas morning is all about a big breakfast and opening gifts, then sitting around enjoying the lazy morning before starting dinner. Just the three of us, hangin' out, cooking, eating, and watching A Christmas Story on a loop on TBS. Pictures to come, Merry Christmas!

December Part One...

Vacations with Babies...

...are not really vacations at all. Especially when your other half is not "vacationing" with you. Here's why you need to bring back up.

* Two extra hands to fish random stuff (that belongs to your relatives and is usually breakable or an heirloom) out of the toilet.

* You'd be surprised how difficult it is to unload groceries or shopping bags...or anything for that matter...in six inches of snow with a child on your hip because you can't leave them alone inside the un-childproofed house.

* At some point you're going to want to eat (sleep, have a conversation, handle a crisis, be able to hear your own thoughts for two seconds) on this trip.

* Childproofing means very different things to different people...even if they have kids.

* The child you have at home is not the child you have on vacation. Suddenly they do weirdo things  like pinch, hit your mother's dog, and totally flip out when you try to go to the bathroom...or make a phone call...or breathe.

* If you are a "napper" you can kiss that pipe dream goodbye.


At least you leave with a greater appreciation for your hubs (plus great pictures and memories).

November...

Well we can all agree that this "picture a day" thing aint happening :) But here are some highlights from November!

October...

Day ?...

Way behind, as usual :) So I'll see if I can do some damage this mornong.

Growing People While Raising Them...

Apparently all it takes to upset a Gentle Parent's gentle rhythm is growing a person inside you. As I write this entry, I simultaneously want to throw up, eat a pound of french fries, take a nap, and throw something at my dog. Who am I today??

It's no secret that Charlotte has bouts of sleeplessness at night from time to time, so I'm no stranger to under eye concealer. But last night's 800-Round sleep battle certainly didn't do my mood any favors. Neither did my neighbor coming over at nap time and sending my idiot dog into a frenzy. I've never wanted a tranquilizer dart for him more badly than I did today. Does anybody want a dog?

And if anyone is familiar with the side effects of taking Zofran for nausea, then I don't have to explain my horrendous tummy troubles. Well guess what...Charlotte has been attending Karate classes when I'm not looking and this week's homework is to kick me as many times as possible right in the gut at every.single.diaper.change. It's also apparently freakin' hysterical.

So I thought I'd do everyone around me a favor and take a hot bath. Maybe I'll relieve some stress, chill out a little bit you know? (I'm laughing an evil laugh in my head right now). No. No, that's not what happened. What DID happen was that my Curious George toddler dropped something, I can't remember what, behind the cabinet and when I bent down to pick it up I smacked the shit out of my forehead on the towel rack. And yes I'm going to say "shit" in this post because, you know what? Today is a shit day. And after I hit my head on the shit towel rack, Char put an entire roll of toilet paper into the bath water. Why on Earth would I leave toilet paper out for her to play with? What a shitty parenting move.

And if I have to pick up 5 million freakin' cheerios ONE MORE TIME I'm going to lose it. "Stop giving them to her, then" you say? You know what's surprisingly MORE annoying than picking up a shit load of cheerios 8 times a day? A whiney toddler who WANTS.HER.CHEERIOS...NOW!

I can't believe I've filled as much white space with my complaining as I have. I am not this person. My daughter does NOT drive me crazy. I don't want to sell my dog. I don't mind picking up messes. This is my welcome mat to prenancy while raising a toddler...

Toddler Carriers...Wearing My Big Baby!

Miss Charlotte is just growing and growing! So much so, that my beloved (and I mean that) Beco Gemini is no longer usable :( Seriously, insert sad, slow music here. I loved it so much, that I am having a really difficult time deciding on a toddler carrier. Will I love it as much as my first love? Sigh...I fear I'll never find as perfect a match as I did with ol' Gem.

Why do I need a new carrier? Child carriers need to provide support in such a way that the child's knees are slightly higher than the pelvis. The carrier should provide a deep seat, and should mimick the way the child would sit if you were holding him or her. The Beco Gemini, in all its greatness, has a narrower seat than an Ergo, Mei Tai, or Beco Butterfly II. (note: I would still choose the Gemini over these carriers). Charlotte has some pretty long legs, so the support is just not ideal anymore. Toddler carriers are designed to keep the knees in the ideal position for longer as your toddler grows.

So, like I always do...I've started researching. I have narrowed it down to two soft, structured carriers: The Boba, and Olives & Applesauce.

Boba 3G http://store.bobafamily.com/baby-carrier/
Olives & Applesauce http://olivesandapplesauce.com/catalog.htm?item=499

I've heard great reviews on both carriers, and the prices are relatively similar. I'll keep you all posted on my decision...

What day is it?

I don't know which day I'm on, but here is my attempt at catching up with about a month's worth of photos!