We're here

Oh yeah, I have a blog.  I forget that a lot lately.  I was just noticing today how many of my blog friends have updated their blogs in the last little while and I decided I'd better return the favor.  So here's a video I made when Crew was around 4 months old.  It is super cute.  Just like Crew.

You're going to want to make sure you have your sound turned on.  

Right now I'm in the process of making a new video of his life at around 9 months.  Maybe I'll be better at posting that one sooner than 5 months after making it. :)

My Teddy Bear

ULCER

Last weekend Spencer rode with his dad and two brothers in the ULCER (Utah Lake Century Epic Ride), a 100+ mile long bike ride around Utah Lake.  His dad has been doing this race for several years, and Spencer wanted to do it with him at least once before he calls it quits.  Spencer bought his road bike two weeks before the race and only had that long to prepare for it.  He has a mountain bike already and has been riding for years, but has only been on a handful (make that a small handful) of rides this year.  Let's just say it was an ambitious task.

He was pretty sore afterward, mostly from sitting on the bike that long.  He also got a little sunburned.  But he did a great job and was glad he got to do it.   I am so proud of him!  Now he is looking forward to using his new bike to start doing sprint triathlons.

Crew and cousins waiting to cheer on our riders in Springville.

Here they come!

Taking a little break in Springville.

End of the race!  They all survived and now have medals to showcase their hard work.

Happy family!

Cloth Diapers

While I was pregnant, I decided that I would like to try cloth diapers for our little guy.  Why?  Well, a few reasons, really.  First, the cost.  While the initial cost of cloth diapers is greater, in the long run they are much more economical.  Second, babies who are in cloth diapers generally potty train more easily.  This is because they can feel when they are wet, whereas the disposables are so good at soaking up the moisture that the discomfort of being in a wet diaper is not there, and there's less motivation to stop peeing in a diaper.  I also liked the idea of being a little more earth-friendly, but this was just an added bonus for me.  It really didn't influence my decision one way or another.

My problem with taking on a cloth diapering system was that I had almost no experience in cloth diapers and no idea where I should even begin.  My only experience with cloth diapers before now was when I myself wore them, and I really don't remember much about that time in my life. :)

Thank goodness for amazon.com!  I searched for cloth diapers on their website, read a bunch of reviews, and eventually found the perfect fit for me.  A company from Australia makes a cloth diaper kit, with everything you need from birth to potty-trained.  They also guarantee them to last through at least two kids.  It was on sale on amazon.com for about $450, so we bought it.

So basically, these diapers consist of the outer shell and the cloth diaper, which folds up and is tucked into the shell.

cloth diaper (folded) and outer shell

cloth diaper inside shell

The kit came with four different sizes of shells and cloth diapers (or "nappies," as the Aussies call them).  Six shells and 24 nappies in each size.  The outer shells only need to be washed if they get poop on them, so six is enough to last through all the nappies.  Laundry needs to be done every couple of days.

I was a little worried about scooping poop off of diapers and rinsing them off before throwing them in the wash, but with these I don't have to do that.  Since I'm nursing, Crew won't have solid poops until he starts eating solid foods.  And at that point the kit has included 800 disposable liners to place on top of the nappie, which can then be tossed in the trash at each diaper change.  Right now when I change a diaper, the cloth (and cover if it gets dirty) just goes in a 5 gallon bucket until it's time to wash.  Then I dump the bucket into the washing machine and run a cold rinse cycle, and then add detergent and run a hot wash cycle with extra rinse.  At first I dried the nappies in the dryer, but last week we got a clothesline and now I hang them to dry outside.

Once the nappies are dry, I fold them all so they are ready to go when Crew needs a diaper change.  Easy peasy.

We still use disposables at night, although the kit came with two nighttime inserts that are extra absorbent.  We also use disposables when we go out for more than a couple hours.  They're just easier to pack.

One small downside is that they are a little bulky.

But once the onesie is pulled down and buttoned, it's hardly noticeable!

I am so glad we decided to do the cloth diapers.  They really are pretty easy to do, and it is so nice to know that I am not just throwing money away every time I change a diaper.

Crew's First Camping Trip

We took Crew on his very first camping trip last weekend.  Every year (when we can) we tag along with the Lorenzon's to attend the big Bangerter family reunion in the Uintahs - more specifically, Black's Fork.

This year we drove up Saturday morning and arrived just in time to eat lunch and set up camp before the big storm rolled in.  Spencer had gone off fishing and got drenched.  I stayed in camp and managed to keep mostly dry.  It rained all afternoon and most of the evening.  I think it ended up raining about an inch total.  Crew mostly just slept the day away, all snug in his blanket.

Sunday morning, the weather was much improved.  It stayed a little overcast, with the sun peering out behind the clouds every now and then.

We attended the family church service, where a few family members shared stories about pioneers and past camping experiences.

After lunch we packed up and headed home.  All in all, an enjoyable little campout.  Just enough to get me in the camping mood.  We will have to plan another trip very soon.

I'll end with a post-camp picture.  This is what we did when we got home Sunday evening:

Rub-a-dub-dub...

... Crew's in the tub!

Crew loves bath time.

Mommy and Daddy love bath time too.  Mostly because he is just so cute!

One Month

Crew has been a part of our family for one whole month today!  He is currently taking a nap, which gives me an opportunity to do a quick blog update.

The first week of Crew's life was pretty overwhelming.  My mom stayed after the birth for a few days and was a LIFESAVER!  She cleaned the house, fed me, held Crew between feedings, changed diapers, etc.  I don't know if I could have survived without her!  I was really exhausted and was trying to recover from the after effects of childbirth - it hurt to sit, it hurt to stand, walking was a chore..., let's just say it was rough.  Breastfeeding was a bit of a challenge, but not more than is typical.  It took a couple of days for my milk to come in, which created some all-night nursing sessions.  And when my milk DID come in, the engorgement lasted a couple of days and it was hard to get Crew to latch on.  By the end of the first week breastfeeding was becoming easier and I was starting to heal physically.

Week two was an improvement.  I got out of the house a couple of times and took Crew to the doctor for his PKU shot.  That was a terrible experience because he started to get hungry right before they poked his heel, and when I asked if I could feed him they said the PKU shouldn't take very long and I should just feed him afterwards.  Well, half an hour of Crew screaming at the top of his lungs while the nurses squeezed tiny drops of blood out of his little heel made me regret giving in to the nurse's suggestion to "just wait and feed him when we're all through."  Lesson learned.  I will be one of those moms who gets her way when it comes to my little guy.

Crew also went in to the doctor during his second week to get his frenulum clipped.  That's the little piece of skin under the tongue, which in his case was preventing him from sticking his tongue out past his lips.  That appointment went so much better than the PKU!  For one thing, Spencer came, so I wasn't there by myself.  And Crew didn't cry at all when they gave him the numbing shot or when they clipped his tongue.  The bleeding was pretty minimal as well.  He can now stick his cute little tongue way out!

Week three:  steady progress!  I was now able to sit pretty comfortably in almost any type of chair, we took Crew to church, breastfeeding was well established, and I finally felt like I was getting the hang of things.  I even felt good enough to teach my primary class.  I went grocery shopping with Spencer and Crew, and once by myself while Spencer watched Crew.  And I visited the elementary school where I used to teach.  It was fun to see the teachers and some former students.  And of course everyone loved Crew!

We are now halfway through week four.  Crew is sleeping a little longer between feedings at night, which is very helpful for me.  Spencer has been sleeping in the other room on our futon so he can go to work every day.  But soon he would like to try sleeping in the bedroom again now that Crew is not awake all night.  I just want to be sure at least one of us is well rested every night.

I can't quite fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans yet, but I have a pair of pre-pregnancy khakis that I can get into.  My stitches have healed up and I don't have any problems with sitting anymore.  Hooray!  Crew is getting a little faster at breast-feeding, but still comes unlatched now and then when he is fussy.  He almost never spits up.  He's getting chubby and is just as handsome as ever!

I'm sure there is a lot more I should mention about these first few weeks of Crew's life, but I'm not sure how much longer he will stay asleep, and I feel like I need to take advantage of his nap and take a nap of my own!  So that's all for now.  We sure love our little guy!