Crew's Favorite Things

The latest video of Crew's life.  Enjoy!

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!