Weekend linkage // 7QT #11

Linked up with Conversion Diary . . . well, actually Clan Donaldson today.

1)

"If you were an animal you would be a puffer fish wildly flapping its fins."
-well, husband, that's because you keep tickling me

2)

Between BB's and Cherry Hill, I bought 150 pounds of apples this week. When perfectly good "seconds" are going for .45/lb, one must stock up. Little Mouse likes to nibble on half an apple while I can sauce or freeze slices.

Edit: I got at least 36 quarts of sauce, several crisps, and at least 8 quarts of sliced, quartered apples for baking and smoothies.

3)

This is really funny (but some non-child-friendly language, so please be warned): The Primate Awards. I need a pygmy marmot, stat.

4)

Time for videos of people being awesome! Sweet tap dancing and magical costume changes.

5)

What does each country lead the world in?

6)

Why are we so afraid of large families? "Who, knowing anything about human flourishing throughout history, would think that it’s impossible to be a good parent to six kids? Since when did having kids become something that Americans irrationally fear and loathe?"

7)

And I wrote two more guest posts! Our love story, part 1 and part 2.

Weekend linkage // 7QT #10

Linked up with Conversion Diary.

1)

"You know, you're allowed to think about happy things sometimes."
-Jared after yet another wifely meltdown over a theoretical disaster

2)

What Ellie lacks in size she makes up for in volume. She's essentially a baby foghorn.

And she's so cute I can't STAND it.

3)

They say this might be the world's most romantic proposal. Eh, it's fun to watch . . . but I liked just having me and Jared. I am a private person in some ways (despite having a blog).

4)

Ooh, interesting: perimortem C-sections may not only save babies, but when done quickly, increase maternal survival rates as well.

5)

Nothing like a good insult to liven up your day. Twenty-one disparaging remarks by classical composers about their unfortunate peers. "I liked the opera very much. Everything but the music."

6)

Because I know you have nothing better to do: I wrote a guest post for The Mirror.

7)

Ah, excellent: seventeen overly optimistic book titles. Didn't you want to know how to find uranium?

the quotable princess bride #6

The Reading by Renoir

"I am not a planner. I follow. Tell me what to do and no man does it better. But my mind is like fine wine; it travels badly. I go from thought to thought but not with logic, and I forget things, and help me, Fezzik, what am I to do?"

I feel you, Inigo.

I like to tell myself that I'm smart and I have bright ideas, but truthfully I don't have many ideas at all (or if I do, they only come after long and laborious cogitation). In college, I got top grades on my writing the themes were never particularly brilliant. I had just developed a knack for making mediocre ideas sound impressive-- that's what vocabulary and syntax can do for you, kids.

So I love it when other people give me suggestions and I can run with them. That's where I excel: helping to execute somebody else's idea!

And no, logic does not make a regular appearance in my brain. Sometimes I try to explain my thoughts and they just jumble around until I don't even understand them myself. Fezzik, what am I to do?

I plan to make logic a cornerstone of my children's homeschool curriculum. Sort of for their sakes, but mostly for mine. (This is also the reason we will be studying Asian history: I don't know a single thing about it!)

ahoy, discoveries! vol. 12 [the first six months edition]

Put the Baby In It

After Ellie graduated from her bouncy seat, she learned how much fun one can have jumping. I always put Trumpette socks on her so she doesn't rough up her feet on the wooden floors.

I know that some people don't find them all that useful, but we like our Bumbo and tray a lot. (Look for one on Craigslist; they're everywhere. And make sure that you send in for the free add-on kit with straps.) Ellie often sits in it while we eat dinner, scraping on a carrot stick or begging pieces of fruit from her soft-hearted father.

Our infant carseat is a Chicco Keyfit30. It's fairly heavy but also has high safety ratings, and it's wide enough to let a baby's legs fall into the frog position rather than holding them straight. It will fit Ellie up to 30 pounds, after which, I'm not sure. Any suggestions for the next step?

Our stroller is another large item I'd recommend-- it's a Baby Jogger City Elite. The three-wheel design works great on uneven city sidewalks, it's easy to maneuver, it has an adjustable handle, it has a decent sized basket and storage pockets by the handle, it folds up with one quick motion, and it is surprisingly lightweight for such a sturdy contraption. It also seems to have decent suspension: Ellie doesn't mind bumping along over the cracks and curbs.

Cleaning Up

I also use the Bumbo for bathtime. Stick her in, run the water, and she's free to splash away.

Speaking of which, Burt's Bees makes a really nice bubble bath soap. Ellie really enjoys the mounds of bubbles floating around her! It is expensive, though, so I plan to experiment with my own concoction once the bottle runs out. :)

I had a couple of small baby towels for when she was really tiny, but now I've started to just use one of ours and that's perfectly fine since they are all so soft.

Green Sprouts bibs feature a waterproof inner layer, so your little droolbucket doesn't immediately soak the clothes beneath the bib. Ellie is constantly dripping . . . so we have two dozen of these . . . and I still run out.

Fun!

Mortimer the Moose (or just "Moose" as we call him) is Ellie's favorite toy, apart from anything Mama happens to be holding. He has a squishable body and hard antlers, which are great for teething. We keep him in the car and when we're on the road, you can usually hear Ellie crinkling his feet as she stuffs them in her mouth.

She's also a fan of IKEA children's tableware, particularly cups and spoons. As I write this she's lying on her back with her face stuffed into a cup, singing happily and kicking the floor. Whatever works, baby girl.

Medical-ish

Over the past six months I have wanted to take Ellie's temperature several times; I use this spiffy folding model from Safety 1st. She has never objected, and actually seems to think it's pretty funny when I stick it under her arm. She ran a fever once, but I just took off her clothes and kept her hydrated, and it went away on its own (as fevers usually do). Seemed to be related to teething.

Little Mouse sometimes gets cradle cap. I rub coconut oil all over her head, and after 20 minutes start combing it all out, being careful to pick up all the flaky skin I can. After a thorough bath, the cradle cap is just about gone. This little comb and brush set from American Red Cross works nicely.

Not medical, but related to safety: you should probably get a sunshade for the window next to your baby's carseat. We have one from UPPAbaby and I like it so far.

Sleepytime

When we go on trips or if Ellie needs to sleep at someone else's house, we put her in a basic Graco Pack and Play with an organic crib sheet.

Sleep sacks are fantastic. I have a few lightweight ones for naptime and fleece for colder nights. Warm, easy, and very cute. Just layer a onesie underneath and you are set! For some reason, Ellie loves putting on her jammies and gets very silly once she's in a sleep sack. :)

the quotable princess bride #5

La Promenade by Renoir

"Buttercup was searching somewhere for sufficiency of courage. Evidently, she found it in his eyes."

The mushiest. Yet so true of me.

The most intense instance of this came when Ellie was on her way out. I know for a stone-carved fact that if it weren't for Jared's presence I would have given up an hour into active labor. Not because it hurt so much at the moment, but because six . . . seven . . . twelve more hours of it sounded like too much to handle. And they would have been, had I faced them alone.

I'm not sure why a companion can give you courage, but that's exactly what happened. While I lay in the hot tub, breathing slowly and relaxing every muscle in my power, Jared sat by the edge holding my hand. The knowledge that my husband was with me made each contraction seem like something I could handle. Labor wasn't going to beat me. We were going to do this thing. And we did.