Fluff

You may or may not know that we started using cloth diapers a few months ago. It first peaked my interest last fall, but we all know how chaotic life was then, so it fell by the wayside. Fast forward to January during my last visit with my dear friend Janelle before our move. She had mentioned her plans to CD (cloth diaper) her new baby and during this visit took the time to show me her stash and explain some things about it. I was intrigued. But again, with the chaos of moving and then finding out I was preggo and beginning to puke my brains out, it got put on the back burner.

Once I was a few weeks into my 2nd trimester and was starting to feel a bit better, we started to really discuss the logistics of having twins. The fact that we would soon have THREE kids in diapers sounded expensive. When I sat down to do the math, I realized that it didn't just sound expensive, it was DEFINITELY going to cost us a pretty penny. Depending on the kind of diapers you buy, the average amount spent to diaper a baby from birth through potty training is right around $2500. And Brennan wasn't able to wear anything but Pampers without getting a nasty rash, so even with coupons, it was expensive to keep his butt dry. Depending on what kind of CD you choose to use, you can spend anywhere between $200 and $1000 on a stash for one baby, washing diapers every other day. So even if I chose the most expensive kind and bought enough to wash every other day (for 3 boys) I'm still saving a nice chunk of change. And for those of you wondering about the water bill? Washing every other day, we've barely noticed an increase in the bill. We're expecting about a $10 bump per month once the twins are born. Laundry soap? You can choose to use pricey CD soap or regular laundry soap. Either way, you use a very small amount because it can cause build up on the diapers and cause them to not work effectively. Again, we haven't noticed that we're spending more on detergent at all.

By this time, Janelle had given birth to her sweet little bundle and was enjoying wrapping her little bum in cloth everyday. She shared lots of info with me, which was a major help to kick off my research into the world of CDs. I read everything I could, did tons of research, joined a CD group in Facebook through a friend, and decided it was time to jump in.

I bought a few different kinds of diapers and began experimenting. I'll admit, it did take a few weeks to get into a good routine for laundry and just navigating the in's and out's of CDing. But all in all, it was really easy. Diaper laundry really takes minimal time. With one kid in CDs, I do diaper laundry about every 1.5-2 days. And it's the easiest laundry EVER. Because there's no sorting or folding. It's by far my favorite load of laundry to do! And no, I'm not up to my elbows in poop, nor do I come into contact with it any more than I did when he was in disposables. Nor does the poop get into the washing machine. You simply dump it out of the diaper into the toilet and rinse with a diaper sprayer if you so desire. Or you use biodegradable, flushable liners so that the poop doesn't even touch the diaper. Easy peasy.

And the real beauty? I haven't had to shell out any money to buy diapers in MONTHS. It's awesome. Not to mention the fact that I'm not filling landfills with plastic and chemicals. That's just an added bonus! (Please know that I'm not judging anyone who chooses to use disposables. Heck, I used them for the first 20 months of his life! And it's everyone's own personal choice what to put on their kiddo's bum. I'm just pointing out the truth - they sit in landfills and will still be sitting there when our kids are diapering their kids. Sad :( I'd be lying if I said that that was the primary reason for switching. It's not - it was totally a money thing. But doing my part to save the planet feels very very good.)

I really just scratched the surface of this topic, but I feel like going through all of the details in one post would make for a realllllllllllllly long and boring read. So I'll post more about the details (the downfalls, different types of diapers, etc) later. If you have questions, feel free to comment and I can try to answer them in one of my next posts!

Please excuse me while I rant like a crazy woman.

I have a complaint. It's not that I don't like facebook. I do. I sometimes feel like it's my link to the outside world when I'm stuck at home with a huge belly and a crazy toddler. But I think that people abuse it.

Some people choose to post every detail of their lives on facebook. Others choose not to. Either is fine and it's obviously a personal preference. However the lines blur when those who post everything on fb decide to post details about other people's lives on either their own fb wall or the other person's wall. Quite frankly, this drives me bat.shit.crazy.

Now, I realize that it may come off as bitchy and that people generally have very good intentions and are just excited about good news. But I can't help but wonder if these people can't stop themselves for a split second, get a hold of their excitement, and think about the people they are posting about. Maybe they don't want this news on fb yet because they'd like to make the announcement themselves. Just because you heard it through the grapevine, doesn't mean it's necessarily "facebook public" yet. Or maybe these people don't want it on facebook at all. Ever think of that?!

I say this because a very close friend just had a her first little bundle of joy. She didn't want people to know she was going in to be induced and told a VERY select few of us, who she knew could keep our mouths shut. So today she had the baby and one of her relatives posted it on fb. Now, this relative is SUPER sweet and I'm sure was just excited. But I felt the need to say (first, congrats!) "are you sure they're ok with you posting this on fb? don't want you getting in trouble!". Apparently they were either not OK with it yet or she thought twice about it because the post was removed within 10 mins of making it. This however did not stop the other person who commented on the post from going straight to the new mommy's wall (where NOTHING had been posted yet) and writing a gushing congratulatory post. And 20 mins later, another relative posted the news on her own wall. Ugh. I gave up at this point.

Again, I'm probably coming off as bitchy. But think about how this new mommy probably felt. She went to great lengths to keep things a secret so that she could maintain some privacy and ultimately spread the news herself. Instead, some well-meaning folks stole all of that from her in a few sentences. How unfair is that? Not to mention the fact that she and her hubby come from very large families and how pissed would YOUR grandma be if she found out from someone on fb that you had a baby before you (or your parents) had a chance to call her? Yikes.

So the take-home message for today is: if you hear good news about someone else, stop and think before spreading it all over the world wide web. You could put a damper on a very special day in someone's life by not controlling your excitement. My rule of thumb? If someone hasn't mentioned it on their own fb wall, then it's not yet "facebook public" and I'm keeping my cyber-voice shut.

That's all for today. Thanks for listening :D

My name is Kelli, and I hate clutter.

I can't help but wonder when I turned into a neat freak.

I mean, I'm certainly not as much of a clean freak as a lot of people I know. Yet slowly but surely I've begun to turn into my mother. I have to empty the dishwasher and vacuum the family room first thing in the morning. I can't stand clutter on the counter tops. I have to get up and do the dishes immediately after dinner. And I can't relax at night until the dishwasher is running, the counters are disinfected, Brennan's toys are cleaned up, and all of the clutter is put away. There's just something so refreshing about waking up to a clean house. Oh my God ... that's my mom's line.

None of these things are especially neurotic in my opinion, but if you knew me at all in my previous life (a.k.a. any time before moving to Florida/getting pregnant) you'd be AMAZED at how irritable I get when I'm not able to accomplish these tasks. I mean, I was a class A, award winning SLOB. Just ask my parents, sisters, college roommates, husband ... any of them will tell you that my room rivaled the look of the houses on Hoarders.

And then I got a little better when I had Brennan. The thought of letting my kid live in filth grossed me out. But the clutter didn't necessarily bother me. And then ... we moved to Florida. And I got pregnant. And a switch flipped. And I became the crazy anti-clutter, things must be cleaned my way lady.

I don't see this as a bad thing in the least. Part of me thinks that since I'm now a SAHM, I take the responsibility of keeping a clean house, and a routine, a lot more seriously because I have the time and energy to do so. Working nights, and an irregular schedule, leaves you with zero energy and makes it very difficult to get into a routine. Now that that lifestyle is behind me, I'm finding it easier, not to mention more enjoyable, to stick to a routine and provide my family with a clean environment ... even if they just mess it up.

The thing that's throwing me for a loop lately is the fact that I'm having difficulty keeping up with it. And people that come to help don't necessarily have the same cleaning motivation and priorities that I do. So things aren't getting done in the order in which I'd like them to. And many aren't getting done at all. And I'm having to take a deep breath and convince myself that the world will not end. I just need to let my inner-control-freak calm itself. People are here to help and don't necessarily need to do things my way, as long as Brennan is taken care of.

But that doesn't mean I can't count down the days til my Mom comes to help me clean this place ... and do things the RIGHT way ;)

The final countdown.

On Tuesday I will officially be 34 weeks pregnant. Hallelujah. Not that I'm ready for them to be born at 34 weeks, because I still want to squeeze a few more weeks outta these boys. But for me, 34 weeks = relative safety. Sure, it means a little time spent in the NICU, which of course I don't want. But if it happened, I wouldn't freak out. I'd be sad yes, but frantically neurotic, no. They couldn't come right home with me like I'd hoped, but they'd be fine. And then we could all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

With that said, I'm still plugging along through this pregnancy. I feel giant and more uncomfortable with each passing day. My uterus is measuring 42cm, which is bigger than most full-term singleton pregnancies ever reach. I've gained 40 pounds (yikes) and still have 5 more to go to make it to the goal set by my OB. I can't sleep because my legs would like to run a marathon at night (restless legs = awful) and my giant belly makes it very difficult to find a comfortable position. Not to mention that I probably have 9 pounds of baby resting on my bladder, which requires hourly trips to the bathroom. If I sit for too long, my upper back hurts. If I stand for too long, my lower back hurts. If I lay on one side for too long, my side and hip hurt. My crotch hurts no matter what I do.

When I think about the fact that I could have to live like this for another 4 weeks, I want to curl up into a ball and cry. But one thing keeps me going -- these boys. I want them to have the best possible chance at coming straight home with me after they're born. That means NO (long term) NICU TIME. Which means that I will suffer through all of this garbage for 4 more weeks, even if it kills me. But I've also seen plenty of 35 or 36 weekers go home with mom, so that thought keeps me motivated to keep plugging along for just another week or two. Thinking about what's best for my boys keeps me sane. So that's what I'll keep on doing.

I'll leave you with a 33.5 week belly shot ...

... someday I'll wear makeup and do my hair again ...

Live and learn.

Can you remember a time in your life when you were really, really happy with your body? I can't. Wait, lemme think ... OK, yeah, nope, still nothing.

So when I'm perusing through old pictures and come across pictures like this one ...

and this one....

... I can't help but want to reach out and shake this girl. REALLY? You thought you were fat?! That body was healthy. Not the skinniest I'd ever been ... still some meat on my bones. But HEALTHY. And beautiful. I'd KILL for that body right now. Hell, I'd kill for that body plus 15 pounds right now!

This isn't me hating on my current body. Clearly, I'm going to be at my heaviest weight ever when I'm carrying around 2 extra people inside my belly. And it's not me hating on my body before I got pregnant. Working nights, aging, a previous pregnancy, and motherhood have changed it over the years. When you're carrying around an extra 40 pounds of baby and stuff, you find yourself longing for your former body, which you thought was gross. And not even the old old one. I'm just anxious to have the old one back so I can work on getting back to the old old one. Or somewhat close. I've accepted that and will strive to get healthier after I have these boys, not for vanity sake, but for my emotional and physical health. I want to be a fit, healthy mom for my boys. But still, that's not what this post is about.

It's about perspective. I wish I'd had the perspective years ago to look at myself and my body with pride. I wish I would've felt comfortable in my own skin. I want to tell that girl from years ago to enjoy herself the way she is. Because life catches up to you too quickly to dwell on things like appearance. Focus on health and the other things will fall into place.

Oh, and P.S. Sister, he loves you for you, not for what you look like. Because otherwise, he wouldn't build a wonderful life with you and bring 3 beautiful boys into the world with you. So just date him already.

I've got friends in low places.

Low as in Florida. But the whiskey sure isn't drowning, nor is the beer chasing my blues away. But oh, do I wish it was. I'm dying for a beer. Anyways, I digress.

When you live in the same town for your entire life, you tend to keep the same friends around. Sure, friendships ebb and flow. Once in high school, I stopped hanging out with my friends from grade school. They liked to drink and I was too afraid of my parents busy studying. But I quickly made new friends, many of whom I'm still very close with today. One of those girls became my roommate in college and together we made even more fabulous friends.

When you're in a school environment, you're almost forced to make friends. Everyone else is in the same boat as you. But moving to a brand new city, in a brand new state you don't usually have that luxury. Luckily, I had a group of "ready-made friends" waiting for me. The wives and girl friends of Brian's coworkers are wonderful women who welcomed me with open arms. Several of us have had/will have babies in 2011, so we have mommyhood in common. But sometimes I find myself a bit sad for Brennan because he doesn't have anyone his age to play with.

Since I found out I was pregnant the minute we moved here and very quickly started wretching my brains out all day long, and subsequently had a super-crazy-fast moving pregnancy thanks to the fact that I'm growing not one, but two munchkins, Brennan and I haven't explored as much as I'd hoped. So finding friends has been difficult.

But, I have managed to have some success. I met one mom of a 2 year old little girl through a craigslist deal (I know, it sounds sketchy, but she's very normal). Despite several attempts, we just haven't been able to make a play date happen. Then I met another mom expecting twins during our birth suite tour. She spotted us eating dinner at a local restaurant and came over to swap contact info so we could have a playdate in the future. That CLEARLY hasn't happened as we're both HUGE pregnant and have other children to run around after. The thought of that playdate just makes me tired. We also met a 3 year old boy and his mom in our Mommy-and-Me swim classes. Although there's a bit of an age difference between our boys, she and I hit it off quickly after learning that we're both recent "transplants" from the midwest. Again, contact info swapped, no playdate yet.

I think it's just because I'm tired. And the fact that it's physically painful for me to be running around too much. If I was full term with a singleton, I'd say bring on the pain, bring on the labor, but I have to get a few more weeks out of these boys, so I avoid the exertion at all costs. I'm hoping that someday when I call one of these ladies and ask if they'd like to come over for a playdate, that they don't think I'm weird and lame for getting around to it months later. But they all seem very cool and understanding. So while I feel like I've been fairly successful in making friends outside of the company-circle, I have yet to turn them into actual friendships. At least it's progress!

Hi Michigan, Bye Michigan

**Warning ... way too many pictures ahead!**

We had quite a whirlwind trip back to the mitten last weekend. After booking our tickets months ago, we went back and forth for FOREVER trying to figure out how to see the people we wanted to see, accomplish what we wanted to accomplish, and keep things even between the two families. After awhile, we resigned ourselves to the fact that we'll never be able to see everyone we want to see, do everything we want to do, and keep things even ... especially in 4 days.

So, we broke it down as evenly as we could and stayed with Brian's family for the first three nights and mine for the last two. This made the most sense since Brian's sister and brother-in-law were going to arrive on Thursday night/Friday morning and my sister wouldn't be in town til Saturday night.

One thing that we were both pretty insistent on doing was taking Brennan to Ann Arbor. It's very near and dear to our hearts and we not only wanted to share it with our kiddo (yes, we realize he'll never remember it and that it was totally just for our benefit) but we also needed to stock up a bit on U of M gear. So Friday morning we packed up the kiddo and headed north. First things first, we stopped at hubby's old frat house. It burned down a few years back and they're still in the rebuilding process. While we lived in Michigan, he was on the alumni board and very involved, but hasn't seen the progress on the house since last fall. It was nice to see the rebuilding process as the house holds so many great memories for both of us, but especially Brian. After the visit to DU, we enjoyed some shopping, walked around the Diag a bit, and headed to Jerusalem Garden for lunch.

Daddy & Brennan in the Diag ... **Gag Alert** These benches are very special to us. It's where Brian first told me he loved me and where he proposed to me 5 years ago!

Playing on the "M" ... legend has it that if you step on the "M" you'll fail your first Blue Book exam. Sorry buddy, I think you screwed yourself.

Later that day, we picked up Brian's sister Jen and her hubby Brian (I know, weird right?) and headed to the Toledo Zoo. We hadn't been there in a few years, but both went frequently as kids, so it was nice to share it with Brennan. And Brian pushed me around in a wheelchair since I hit my walking quota that morning. FYI, wheelchair vinyl is extra hot when wearing jean shorts and you will feel like you peed your pants when out in 90 degree weather. Yuck.

Brian's parents both had to work on Friday, so after the zoo, we met them for dinner. Mexican food = yummy. Not being able to share the margarita pitcher = crappy.

Saturday morning Brennan and I went to visit my dear friend Jessica and her beautiful babies, including a fresh one I hadn't yet met. Brennan and her son Matthew played together next to each other, while I got to snuggle on her sweet little Makenzie. The visit was way too short, but it was fabulous to see them. We had to head back to my in-laws' house to help with party preparations. Brian's grandma will turn 99 in a few weeks and we had her birthday party while most of the grandkids were in town. It was awesome to see the family and eat cake.

Me & Gram ... yes, she's 99. Doesn't look a day over 80 does she? We've established that Brian will definitely out-live me. I'm OK with that.

Brennan & Aunt Jen ... notice the balloons? Jen & Brian blew up 99 red balloons for the party. That's how they roll.

Sunday we headed to mass with both of our families, then headed to my aunt's house for our annual 4th of July party. Brennan had so. much. fun. chasing bubbles, swinging on the swing, and driving the golf cart. He was sooooo happy that day.

On the swing with Aunt Trix & Grammy

Driving already?!

Monday was my very favorite day. We had a quick photo shoot with our favorite photographer (who happens to be my sister's best friend) to capture The Belly in all of it's glory. Brennan did not cooperate for any cute big brother/belly shots, but every time I think he was awful, she manages to get amazing shots. I have no doubt this time will be the same.

The rest of the day we did NOTHING. We relaxed in the pool at my parents' house and spent time with my family. Brennan loved every minute of pool time and learned to count down from three when Daddy threw him up in the air. TooIt made me miss living in Michigan, where we could do this every weekend if we wanted. My friend Janelle and her adorable mini-me joined us for a bit too. It's always a breath of fresh air to see great friends.

So much fun in the pool with Daddy

Tuesday morning we headed back to FL. We were lucky enough to be upgraded to first class on the way back ... I think the lady at the ticket counter felt sorry for the lady with the giant belly, a toddler, and her husband the pack mule. Whatever, I'll totally take sympathy if it allows me to enjoy a nice big seat!

We don't know when we'll make it back the mitten again, so it was nice to enjoy our time there while we could. The jury is still out on whether or not we'll be crazy enough to attempt a trip at Christmas-time with a 2-year-old and two 4-month-olds. We'll cross that bridge (or just jump off of it) when we get there!