New Diaper Stash Finished!

I just completed Juliana's new diaper stash. I had made a set of cotton/hemp fitteds for my sister's second babe that I have been using on Juju. They have been too small for about a month now, but due to the earthquakes in China, my sources for hemp fabric have been completely out of supply. So, I finally found someone in Canada who had hemp/cotton fleece in stock (for twice the price I used to pay) and ordered it up. I changed the inner fabric to this new yummy cotton/bamboo velour. Oh, the velour is so soft and buttery that you just want to rub it all over your face. I know that that is not the most appetizing of images -- me rubbing a diaper over my cheeks. They are still as yet fresh and unused, so I am getting my tactile needs out now :) I used a single layer of hemp fleece as the outer with a single layer of the bamboo velour for the inner and serged them together. I then made internal soakers of one layer each hemp and bamboo, serged together and sewed two of these to the inner bum. They can fly open in the wash and really get clean. I had fun low-immersion crinkle dying the outer diaper fabric and pot-dying the cover fabric. I like the tie-dye effect of the crinkling.


I also finally found some affordable 100% wool interlock from which I made some nice covers. I have decided that there are many more interesting things that I would like to spend my time knitting, so I am sewing these wool covers rather than knitting them as I have in the past. I like the stretchiness and trimness of these interlock covers as well. Juliana is modeling one fresh off the Bernina in the photos.

When I sew or craft, however, I do tend to become one-track minded and the house is now a disaster. Bits of thread and fabric scraps abound. I had better get to cleaning it all up.

Time flies

Today is Michael and my 3rd anniversary. Can't believe it. But then, it's also hard to believe that I am in my 30's. I really think that I'll always feel 29 years old and newlywed . . . I hope!

We just got back from a weekend in Bakersfield. My brother, Joe, has moved back from San Diego to work as a Deputy District Attorney there. We celebrated his return with yummy barbecue and good times. I got to sit in my Dad's new swanky vehicle. Never got a chance to drive it, though. Not that I would ever really drive it the way a Porche is intended to be driven. I am a wimp and would be screaming taking any kind of turn at over 30 mph. I just kind of want to know what all of the hype is about. It sure is pretty, though.

Tierney and Eleanor have finally become friends. Tierney has always loved her Emma, but Eleanor was somewhat of a threat. Now that they are about the same size and can walk and communicate together, they seem to have more fun. Tierney likes to give her hugs. Juliana and Benjamin are nearly the same size, too, although Ben has considerably more hair! Juliana crawled her way around the house and is now climbing up on things to stand. I had to lower her crib already to keep her from falling out!

My cousins Kate and Amy are participating in half-marathons this fall and invited me to check out the one in Big Sur. I looked into it and I think that I am going to do it. It is November 9th and is a great goal for me to get in shape for. This second baby fat is really sticking around and I am officially ready to get rid of it. I had better get the girls dressed for a grocery shopping trip. I need to make something yummy for dinner tonight in celebration and pick up a bottle of bubbly!

What?! Teeth already?

I cannot believe that Juliana is actually getting teeth in. While I feel like she has always been a part of our family, I still am having a hard time grasping the fact that she is old enough to have teeth. She is doing everything so much faster than Tierney, her babyhood is just whizzing by. She is getting her two bottom teeth in. Surprisingly, she actually is drooling much less since I have been able to see them coming in. She has been one super drooly baby since birth.

We are getting ready for another wedding tomorrow at which we will camp overnight. Breaking out the camping gear, finally. Does it count as camping if it is in someone's yard? She lives on a mountain in Sonoma County, so I am going to say yes, it does.

I am getting through a sinus/ear infection and Tierney seems to have just caught some sort of cold, too. She did get her stitches out on Saturday (yay!) and it looks really good. She had a bit of a breakdown at swimming lessons last night because her bandaid was coming off that covered the scar. She is deathly afraid of seeing even the healed scar. She has woken up at night saying "I don't want to see it!" from nightmares about it. Poor girlie . . .

I am feeling refreshed

Last night I got to head out for my mom's group meeting and relax while baby-free. The meeting was interesting on the topic of vaccines and their role in human disease. The presenter was a little wacky as a person, but his research was really spot-on. He donated some of his books to our club's lending library, so I am reading it now. Also, if you haven't read Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s article on thimerasol, you should check it out: Link Don't be alarmed that it is published in Rolling Stone Magazine. There is a whole story behind that. The mainstream media pretty much refused to publish his article out of fear of political retribution. Rolling Stone was the only publication that agreed to publish it. Now, however, he is being sought-out to tell this story because it is so compelling. That Freedom of Information Act was certainly, as Martha would say, "a good thing."

We had over fifty people in attendance at last night's meeting. Our group is really growing fast. After the presentation, I went out to Starbucks with a couple of the other women. It was great to just hang out and sip my latte while chatting with other adults. My speaking abilities, however, have been greatly diminished after two years of baby talk. I am always stumbling over myself and searching for the right word to express what I am thinking. I am probably about as comprehensible as Tierney when she goes off on a long gibberish rant. Hopefully, I'll improve with more practice, just as she does.

Mike and the girls went over to the end of the court for ice cream and visiting with the neighbors. Mike had sawed off the foot portion of her splint so that it stops right above the ankle. She now walks like a peg-leg pirate. I was trying to teach her how to say "Aaarrrrggh," but she didn't go for it. She is really excited about Cody coming to visit tonight. Fun times with cousins.

Just a little longer

We went in to the doctor's office today in anticipation of getting Tierney's stitches removed. When he took the bandage off, however, the wound looked less healed than it had the last time I checked two days ago. The knee is a tough spot to heal since the joint pulls the skin apart every time it bends. Since I took off the splint and she has been walking around, the wound has split open a bit. The doctor told me to wrap it back up, immobilize it and limit her activity. So, I'll put a firm ace bandage on her entire leg after her nap. We have another appointment on Saturday that should be more fruitful. In the meantime, we'll be using the stroller a lot as we visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Oakland Zoo while Cody is out visiting. More videos of choo-choo trains . . .

Forget Princesses, The QUEEN Reigns . . .

Here she is on her throne. With the splint on and her fear of seeing her "owie," Tierney has spent the past week on the couch. She has been going through her video collection between snoozes with Pop and Bear. Nana brought over some choo-choo train videos that she has been watching pretty much non-stop. Every hour or so I get an order to "go get Tierney a cookie. In the kitchen. NOW!" Last night we finally ditched the splint and just wrapped an ace bandage around her leg so that she still felt supported. So, she was running around the house (a little wonky-like with a stiff leg) playing hide and seek with Daddy. Tomorrow she will get her stitches removed just in time to play with Cody who is coming to town on Wednesday. She has really gotten accustomed to her life of leisure, though, and will have a hard time snapping out of it. This morning she was fully capable of getting out of bed herself yet still called for me to carry her to the couch :)

Juliana is loving her jumparoo that hangs in the doorway. She now babbles "ma ma" and is getting a little separation anxiety whenever I am immediately out of sight. I am going to get a much-needed break from both girlies tomorrow night when I go to my Holistic Mom's Network meeting. We're having a doctor speak about vaccinnations and then are going out for coffee to discuss. Wow . . . coffee with just adults -- I can't wait! At the same time as my meeting, Mike is taking the girls to an ice cream social that a new couple to our neighborhood is holding. I wish I could go to that, too, because it is such a good idea and such a nice thing for someone to do for the neighbors. They also have a baby that is Juliana's age that will be fun for playtimes once they are interested in eachother.

As a last note, I have to show off what I was working on this weekend. I absolutely love her and am having a really hard time handing her over to Ms. Destructive, a.k.a. Tierney. I think that I may hide her and wrap her up for her 3rd birthday when she may be a bit more gentle with her. This is a Waldorf-style doll made of cotton tricot with wool stuffing. She has button-jointed arms and legs. Her hair is a super-soft wool boucle that I crocheted into a wig and sewed on. The wool stuffing gives her such a satisfying weight and actually warms up when she is snuggled in bed. Here she is: