You're Gonna....Cloth Diaper???

Never say never.  It couldn't be more true.  "I will NEVER cloth diaper."  I have said it a million times.  I have never had an interest in cloth diapering at all.  Never even wanted to try.  I already struggle with trying to keep up with the laundry demand, so I have always known that I am not the best candidate for cloth diapering.

However.

It kills me every time I have to buy a package of diapers or wipes.  They are so expensive, just to be used for a couple hours and then thrown away.  Then when I go to throw away a diaper genie liner full of diapers, I am thinking about how much I paid for those diapers, how much I paid for those diaper genie liners, and how much space all these diapers are going to take up in our city trash can (which reminds me that these diapers have to go somewhere, so I can only picture a landfill filled with diapers from all the babies in the county...let alone the world).  So I have been contemplating cloth diapering for a few months now.  I'll read a blog or two about it or look up how other mothers cloth diaper on youtube. 

I only know of two other people in "real life" who cloth diaper, but there are tons of mommies on the internet that have done it with success.  People choose cloth diapering for many reasons, but for me, it all came down to the money.

I decided to break it down.  Here is what it is costing us (approximately) to diaper August in disposables.

Disposable Diapering

 

*Prices will vary.  I did this based on the lowest regular brand price I can find (which is typically Luv's) in whatever grocery store I'm in, which is how I usually buy diapers.  No sales or coupons. I'm a last minute diaper purchaser kind of person. 

 

1. ) Luv's size 3 diapers at Walmart: 124 count. $20.00.  Since we do about 6 diaper changes a day, this pack would last us about 20 days.  So if there are 365 days in a year, if you divide that by the number of days it takes me to use a pack (20), that would mean I would need 18.25 packs a year.  However, since I can't buy 1/4 of a pack, I would need to buy 19 packs of diapers a year.  So at 20 dollars a pack, I would end up spending $380/year on diapers.

 2.) Parent's Choice wipes at Walmart: 700 count for $12.00.  This is TMI, but most days, August poops 1-2 times a day.  We'll call it 2.  Obviously the rest of the time, it is just pee.  So, if I use about 4 wipes on poopy diapers (14 wipes if you are my husband....just sayin!), and 1 wipe for pee pee diapers, that would total about 12 wipes a day if I change 6 diapers a day.  So that means that we would go through this pack of wipes in about 58 days, or 2 months.  So this would calculate (6 purchases a year times $12 per purchase) to about  $72/year on disposable wipes.

 

3.) Diaper Genie Pail Liners: We got a diaper genie as baby shower gift.  It's great, and we enjoy it, however, the disposable pail liners for those things are quite expensive.  If we were to buy a roll in the store (they are blue and sold in rolls), it would last us about a month and costs $10. So, if you buy in stores, it $120/year just for the liners.  However, I have been buying them off of Amazon since there is a better deal for them on there.  They come in a 3 pack off of Amazon, which lasts us about 3 months.  They cost about $20 for a 3 pack.  So I need to purchase these about 4 times a year, so (20 x 4) would come out to be about $80/year on disposable diaper genie liners off of Amazon.

So, in total, for disposable diapering, I spend about $45 a month or $532/year.  This total is not including the additional diapers (more than 6 a day) that are used for newborns.  It also does not include the cost of a diaper genie (add $30). From birth to potty training, (about 3 years) this would be end up costing about $1,600 to diaper with disposables.

 

Cloth Diapering

 

*Prices will vary.  There are many different brands in cloth diapering, as well as many different methods of cloth diapering.  These prices are based on the brands I have chosen and the lifestyle I prefer.

 

1.) Sunbaby cloth diapers: $144 for a set of 24.  I have chosen the brand Sunbaby for our cloth diapers.  They are comparable to popular cloth diaper brands such as Fuzzibunz and BumGenius.  However, a brand new Fuzzibunz or BumGenius diaper will cost anywhere from $25-$35 per diaper, where as Sunbaby diapers end up being $6.50 per diaper.  Sunbaby diapers are adjustable and are made to fit from birth to potty training.  They do this by having stretchy elastic and adjustable snaps.  There are snaps around the waist to loosen or tighten, snaps to adjust the rise (how long the diaper is), and snaps to adjust the leg hole size (for skinny newborns or chunky toddlers).  Since the diapers are made to last for as long as your baby is in diapers, $144 is all that is needed to diaper the baby from birth to potty training (about 3 years).  You can choose whether or not you want 1 or 2 inserts with the diaper (you stuff the inserts into a pocket in the diaper), and you can also choose the material you want the insert to be made of.  Different materials have different benefits.  I chose 2 microfiber inserts per diaper.  August is always double stuffed since he's a heavy wetter. 

A few of the prints

 2.) Cloth wipes: The cost for me on cloth wipes is $0.  I simply cut up August's receiving blankets (we got a TON from baby showers....don't worry I saved the special ones that I remember using in the hospital) into squares and then with the help of cousin Sarah, sewed the squares to make a 2-ply wipe.  I ended up making about 50 wipes.  The wipes will be thrown into the wash with the cloth diapers. 

 

3.) Wipe "wetter": The cost for me is $0.  I will be using my peri-bottle that I got from the hospital when I had August.  You just need something to wet the wipe.  Some people use a spray bottle or even a wipe warmer with water in it.  You can ever wet a wipe under the sink on your way to the changing table.  Whatever works!  Some people add in baby wash or baby wash and tea tree oil into their water, but I have heard water works just fine.

 

 

4.) Reusable Pail liners: In cloth diapering, it is easiest to use reusable pail liners.  They work just like a garbage bag except that they are reusable.  You just throw it in the wash along with the cloth diapers and wipes.  I purchased 2 reusable pail liners on Amazon for (Kissa's pail liners) for $14.95 each, or about $30. ***UPDATE: Unfortunately, I do not recommend this product.  One of my Kissa's pail liners ripped at the seams in the wash after about 2 washes.  The other one is not leaving my pail dry.  It is "sweating" and not holding in moisture.  I have since purchased a liner from Planet Wise, and it is working out great!  The Planet Wise liners are a lot more substantial.  They seem to be made with a thicker fabric, and there aren't any exposed seams that could rip in the wash.  The Planet Wise liners run just a couple dollars more than the Kissa's liners.

 

 

5.) Diaper Pail: Most people may already have a trash can on hand, but I didn't since I use a diaper genie for disposables.  So I had to go to Walmart and purchase one.  I paid $0 for mine since I used a giftcard.  I'm not going to include this in my costs, since that's basically a gift, just like the diaper genie.  If you get a step one, it will cost you about $13.

 

6.) Wet bags: You need a wet bag to put your dirty cloth diapers in while you are out and about.  You probably technically need 2 so that you can have one to take out if one is in the dirty laundry, but I only have 1 for now.  The cost for the one I purchased is about $17.00 (Planetwise brand off of Amazon in size medium), so if I buy 2, the cost will be $34.00.

 

 

 

7.) Cloth diaper safe detergent: There are many cloth diaper detergents out there, however, I have heard great things about Tide detergent (powdered).  I know that there are perfumes and dyes in it, and I personally am allergic to those things in detergent.  We will see how August reacts to it.  However, with cloth diapering, you give your diapers at least one, preferably 2, extra rinses in the wash cycle to make sure there isn't any build up (which will cause repelling).  So there shouldn't be any detergent left on them.  If I have issues, I will try the free and clear version before moving to cloth diaper specific detergents that I would have to order online.  Tide is $7.99 at BI-LO this week.  It's hard for me to say how much we will buy over the course of a year.  I make my own laundry detergent for our clothes, so the Tide will be for diapers only.   I will use about 1/2 of the smallest load size on the scoop since cloth diapers actually need very little detergent.  Maybe I'll repurchase it 3 times a year?  I'll estimate it to be $24.00/year.

 

8.) Dryer balls (optional): You don't really need these, but I found that my microfiber inserts that came with my cloth diapers tended to stick together in the wash since you can't use dryer sheets with the inserts (they cause repelling since the non static stuff will build up in the diapers).  I paid about $5 for a pack of 2 from Walmart.

 

 

9.) Cloth Diaper Safe Rash Cream: Cloth diapers require a diaper rash cream that is cloth diaper safe.  Typical diaper rash creams will build up in the lining of the diapers which will cause the diapers to repel liquid instead of soak it up.  I have chosen CJ's butter diaper rash cream.  There are different options out there, but I chose CJ's because I have friends who use it, and I also read that it is basically a do-everything ointment.  Many people use it in place of Vaseline and Neosporin.  It is also well known for clearing up diaper rash in one application.  The cost for the CJ's Butter is about $14/8oz. off of Amazon.  This tub is pretty large, and since August very rarely gets diaper rash (he has had maybe 3 his whole life), I bet we won't need to repurchase this.

 

10.) Water Bill: Of course you have to pay for the water to wash all these diapers.  I haven't been cloth diapering for a full month yet, but I have heard from many mommy bloggers that their water bill was increased by about $5/month or an increase of $60/year.

 

 

So, in total for cloth diapering, I will spend about $309 in the first year, and $84 (for detergent and water) each year after that.  So from birth to potty training (about 3 years) I will spend a total of about $477 to diaper with cloth.

 

 

So, if you do the math, I will save (1,600-477) $1,123 by cloth diapering.....our first child!

 

Here is where it gets really crazy, we are pregnant!  Ok, that's kind of old news and not that crazy.  BUT.....to diaper our 2nd child, I can buy 12 diapers with 2 inserts per diaper for....$78.  I wouldn't need to buy 24 diapers because I don't actually go through 24 diapers without washing them.  36 diapers (18 diapers per child) would be a perfect number for doing laundry every 2-3 days.  So here are the cloth diapering comparisons for diapering 2 kids from birth potty training.  Note: The water cost will not change because I have plenty of room in the wash for another set of cloth diapers.

 

Birth to Potty Training with 2 Kids Cloth Diapering Cost Comparison

 

Disposables: $3,200

 

Cloth: $555

 

 

Savings of (3,200 - 555) = $2,645!

 

As you can see, the money saved continues to increase with each child.  However, you don't have to buy new diapers with each child.  Usually, you will have one leaving diapers as one enters.  However, our kids will be 15-16 months apart, so they will be in diapers at the same time, hence the need for a second set of diapers.

I hope this cost comparison was helpful for you if you are considering cloth diapering!  So far, I have been cloth diapering for about two months now.  I will give an update on that in another post.  Thanks for reading!

Pictured: White Sunbaby Cloth Diaper

 



Nesting/Planning Has Begun!

I have been going through MAJOR purge and organize mode in this house lately.  Nesting has hit full strength for sure! I am realizing that our little house (not so little compared to some...I think it's just under 1100 square feet.) is about to get even cozier.  With 3 people (soon to be 4!!  Ahhh!), 2 LARGE dogs, a tank of fish, tons of baby gear, and more clothes than any of us need, breathing room is tight.  We also have furniture that is way too big for this house, but most of it was found at yard sales or are hand-me-downs, and for that we are thankful.

A couple nights ago, Adam and I went through all of our clothes.  (I cornered him, bless his heart.)  Everything.  I won't say we have a small closet.  It's not a walk in, but it is fairly spacious.  We also have our own dressers.  He has a tall chest of drawers set (anyone else call this "chester drawers" for years and not know it was wrong?).

I have a regular dresser with the mirror attached. 

Both provide a lot of storage.  In addition to that storage, I also have tubs of clothes I keep in the garage.  I have a storage tub for fall/winter clothing, spring/summer clothing, and maternity clothing.  I have waaaay more clothes than I actually wear.  I realize I wear the same things over and over again, and none of the other clothing even gets used.  So I decided to get rid of everything that is not a favorite.  And let me tell you, it feels GREAT!  We were able to fit all of our "not nice enough to bother hanging it up clothing" into my dresser.  We will be getting rid of his "chester" drawers!  Woo hoo!  I loooooove getting rid of things!  It's kind of weird.  I will still need tubs in the garage for my non-maternity clothing.  But I am so glad to have gotten rid of so much!  We have a large bookcase in our living room, and we will be moving it to the bedroom where his "chester drawers" used to be.  I am happy with that because the bookshelf looks really awkward where it is in our living room.  (We have a weird layout in here.)  I also don't like it being in the living room because it isn't bolted to the wall, and it could topple on a little one.  So yay!  Having the bookcase out of the living room will give us a spot to put the pack n play (or baby swing in a few months) since right it kind of floats awkwardly in the room, and we are always pushing it out of the way.

Speaking of purge mode, we are also purging a ton of furniture we have been holding onto.  It was furniture we had in our guest room/office/elliptical room/craft room/it turned into a junk room.  Since most of our family lives just a few minutes away, we haven't had a guest in the almost 3 years we have been here.  So it really wasn't necessary.  So we are getting rid of everything in there except for the elliptical.  My brother and his fiancé are getting married at the beginning of August, so we are giving them our extra furniture: couch with a pull out bed, coffee table, filing cabinet, desk, a pair of chairs, and our chest of drawers.  We will be turning that room into a play room since Baby #2 is a boy!  I will also keep the elliptical in there so I can exercise while they play.  We aren't going to go crazy and make this a Pinterest-worthy play room by any means.  I plan to keep things very simple, no to very low budget (I already have about everything I need), child friendly, easy to clean up (aka not a ton of toys), and good for August and the new baby.  I am excited to give them a place to play together.

Now, the reason for the playroom and not a nursery is because August and his brother will be sharing a room.  Ahhhhh!  I know, it is kind of scary just saying it.  However, this is the way that things have been done forever, right?  I think this is a recent (past 60 years or so), American, thing where everyone has to have their own room.  I want the boys (I LOVE saying "the boys") to be close, and I think sharing a room will bring them closer together.  I'm sure it will be an adjustment, and things might get thick for a while, but they can do it!  I also like this option because since they are so close in age, they will both still be in diapers, so I don't see the point in having 2 changing tables, 2 nurseries with the same things in them, etc.  I think I have already decided where the crib will go. 

This is what you see when you walk in the nursery.

I believe we will put the new baby's crib here.  It is directly across from August's crib.  We will either have to get shorter curtains or do something because I know the curtains can be a hazard.  The glider rocker will either go in our room for the first few weeks or it will go in the corner next to the boys' closet.



This is August's crib.

This is the view if you were standing in front of the dresser/changing table.  That door goes to the closet.  Don't mind the diaper genie and tubs in the floor.  Since we switched to cloth diapers (post on that soon, I promise!!), we haven't been using the diaper genie.  The tubs are out because I am bringing out the 18 month/24 month clothing.....say what?!

This is the "junk room."  All of the furniture will be going to my bro, and then the room will be ready for me to get my hands on!

Another view from the doorway.

So that's the happenings around here as far as planning/preparations go.  I am so excited to start planning for this baby.  This is one of my favorite parts about being pregnant!  I loooove to change things around, and I love anticipating the baby's arrival.  I am over the moon excited!!!  :) 

Gender Reveal Video of Baby #2!

 

This is how we revealed the gender of Baby #2 to our family!  It didn't quite go as planned.  I thought August would be more into the whole present opening thing.  He would rather put on a show for everyone else, I guess. :)  This was at my parents' house.  Let me know if you can't see the video.  I won't make a comment about Windows 8....this time. :)

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Bathroom Cleaning

I have been making my own cleaner for about 2 and 1/2 years now.  It saves us soooo much money!  We have seriously bought the ingredients to make it one time, and we still have plenty of the ingredients left.  I posted about the homemade cleaner I make HERE.  (Update on the recipe: I don't use the essential oil anymore, but I do use Gain scented dishwashing liquid.  It smells so fresh and clean!  I prefer it.)  I didn't come up with the recipe myself, it's from the Dr. Oz website.  I leave the cleaning concoctions up to the pros!  I also use some of these ingredients when I made glass cleaner, floor cleaner, etc. so I definitely get my money's worth.

I recently had this "duh" moment.  Whenever I'm in the bathroom, which can be quite frequent during these pregnant days, I always notice what needs to be cleaned.  Faucet needs to be wiped off, sink needs to be cleaned out, trash can needs to be wiped down, etc.  It's little daily maintenance things that would take 2 seconds if I had my cleaning stuff in there with me. 

But by the time I'm walking out the bathroom, August needs tending to, the phone is ringing, the clothes need to be switched over to the dryer, etc., and the bathroom gets bumped way down on the priority list.   So I decided I need to have my cleaning products in the bathroom with me so I can get it done while I'm in there.  I'm sure many of you already do this; I'm just a little slow.  :)

So the other night when I was mixing up some cleaner, I made some extra for a couple small cleaning bottles I got from Walgreen's.  They were $1.99 each.  I'm sure you could get them cheaper from the dollar store, but I just picked them up while I was in Walgreen's one day.  I just halved the recipe for each bottle.  Here they are, ready to use!  One of them was just shaken, guess that's why it looks different.  I bought the smaller bottles in blue so that they would match the bigger bottle.  Blue bottles = all purpose cleaner, Green bottle= glass cleaner, not pictured.

Side note, when adding the water, make sure you use warm water, otherwise your Borax will harden in the cold water.  I learned this that night.  You can kind of see the Borax chunks on the bottom in the bottle in the middle.  It will dissolve eventually.

So I just popped them under each bathroom sink with a roll of paper towels so I can clean while I'm in there.  I hope this was helpful for you!  If you would like to see a couple more homemade recipes I have tried, click the links below.


Homemade Laundry Soap (Liquid version.  This post also has a cost comparison, if you are curious as to how much money making your own really saves.) http://newlywedhares.blogspot.com/2012/01/homemade-laundry-soap.html

Homemade Laundry Powder (We currently use this and prefer it.  To me, it's easier to make than the liquid version.  I typically make a big batch by tripling the recipe.  The grating goes really quickly if I use my Kitchen Aid mixer attachment.  You can of course do it by hand though.  If I have enough time, I will run it through the food processor to make it super fine.  I think it's more like store-bought powder that way.  Also, instead of storing it in a class container with a screw top lid, I now store it in a glass container that has the metal latch flip up thing.  LOL.  Maybe you know what I'm talking about.  It's easier that way because I can get the powder out one handed since I sometimes have a baby on the hip.  Haha.  Tripling the recipe has lasted me for months and months!)  http://newlywedhares.blogspot.com/2012/04/homemade-powdered-laundry-detergent.html

Thank You, Lord

 

This morning as I was cleaning up the kitchen, I found myself thinking about how mundane it can be to do the same chores every day: empty the dishwasher, take the clothes out of the dryer to be folded, make the bed, start a new load of laundry, etc.  Just as I was trying to think of another way to get all this done besides doing it every day, the Lord spoke to my heart.  He started turning my silly complaints into blessings that I should be thankful for.  I love how He does that.  He never lets me feel sorry for myself, which I am grateful for.  I immediately felt rebuked, but I now realize all of these inconveniences are blessings.  I am going to do my very best to always see it this way, to combat the discontentment that Satan will undoubtedly feed me.  I decided to write out a few of the complaints I have in my daily life, and instead of complaining, I can turn it into thankfulness.

1. I hate unloading this dishwasher every single day.  Thank You, Lord that I have a dishwasher.  I didn't have to stay up late and wash these by hand.  The dishes were clean and ready for use when I got up this morning.

2. This laundry is never-ending.  I feel like I am constantly doing laundry.  Thank You, Lord that I have a working washer and dryer.  Thank You for the money you have given us to buy clothes.  Thank You that I can purchase clothing to keep my family warm.  Thank You for the bodies that fill this clothing.

3. I feel like I just swept this floor yesterday.  Now it's covered in crumbs and dirt.  Thank You, Lord that we are able to have crumbs that cover this floor.  It means we are eating.  Thank You for the dirt that was tracked in.  It means my family can walk and that my husband has been working hard for us out in the cold.

4. There are toys and baby gear everywhere.  This place looks like a daycare.  Thank You, Lord for my son.  Thank You for this precious gift of life.  Thank You for the people who have given us the toys and baby gear to help my son learn and grow safely.  Thank You for the gift of fertility in me.  Thank You for August's health and that he is able to play with these toys.

5. I hate cooking supper.  I don't even know what to fix.  Thank You, Lord that I even have this dilemma.  Some mothers worry because they don't have any food for their children.  I have a pantry, fridge, and freezer that would appear full to someone who has nothing.  Please help me to use my resources wisely and to share what we have with others.



First meal I ever fixed for Adam as a married couple...soup.  It was only 90 degrees outside, and he had just come in from mowing. :) Haha.

6. My husband leaves his clothes everywhere.  I feel like I am always picking up after everyone.  Thank You, Lord that I have a husband.  Thank You that my husband leaves his clothes here and not at another woman's house.  Thank You for his faithfulness in our marriage.  Thank You for the way my husband lives according to Your Word.  Thank You for the way he provides for our family.  Thank You for the way he loves me and our son.  Thank You that he is imperfect, because if he were, he definitely wouldn't be with me!

 

 

 

7. Our back yard is a mud pit every time it rains.  The dogs are always tracking mud in.  Thank You, Lord that we have a backyard.  That is a privilege that we have a safe, fenced in area to be outside.  Many people don't know what it's like to even be safe outside.  Thank You for our country and that we can go outside without fear.  Thank You for the companionship that our dogs provide. 

8. I didn't sleep at all last night.  I am exhausted.  Thank You, Lord that I have a nice bed to rest my head and my body at night.  Even though I couldn't sleep, I was still home in my quiet, warm house.  I wasn't working late hours or separated from my family.  Thank You for the time I got to lay close to my husband.  That is a blessing.  Thank You that You were not sleeping, and I was able to talk with You.

9. I don't know what my son wants.  I have fed him, changed him, played with him, and held him, and he is still fussing.  I can't handle this! Thank You, Lord for teaching me patience.  Thank You for molding me to depend on you.  Thank You that the testing of faith produces endurance (James 1:3).  Thank You that I am able to stay at home with August and take care of him.  Thank You for giving me hearing, not only to hear his crying, but for hearing his laughter.  Thank You for reminding me, that this too shall pass.  One day I will miss these days, and I will long to do them again.  Thank You for loving my son.  Thank You for giving me Your only Son, Jesus Christ.  Thank You for His sacrifice and that my son does not have to make that same sacrifice. 

Soooo grumpy.  Mom, don't make fun of my grumpiness.

Nope, still not gonna smile.

Oh the things we do to try and get our kids to smile. 

10. I just don't have the same body I once had.  My hips are wider (which I didn't think would be possible since they were already so wide), the baby weight is slow to come off (now not coming off since I'm pregnant again), my skin looks horrible, and I just don't feel like a woman anymore.  I feel like a mom.  Thank You, Lord for my wide hips.  It means I was built to carry life inside of me.  Thank You that they are now wider, since it means a baby has passed through them.  Some women who deal with infertility would give anything to have this "complaint."  Thank You that my struggle is with extra weight and not starvation.  Thank You for giving me the restraint and the knowledge to know how to eat healthily, even though I abuse it.  Please help me to make the best choices I can with my eating habits and to be content with the shape of the body You gave me.  Thank You that Your idea of beauty is not the same as the world's.  Thank You that you value a gentle and quiet spirit over a tiny waist and flawless skin. Please help me to step away from the t.v., magazines, and internet so that I can block out all of the false messages about how the world thinks I should look.  Thank You for my hormones which help me to get pregnant, grow a baby, regulate my body, and produce milk.  Thank You that I am a mom!  Thank You for this high and holy calling, even though the world doesn't view it that way.  You have told me in Your Word that there is no greater calling and blessing for me, as a woman, to be a mother.  Thank You for valuing motherhood and for helping me with my daily tasks.  Thank You that you have built my body so that I may complete everything I need to get done in a day.  Thank you for making me.  My body is Your masterpiece, and it is beautiful. 

The day before August was born.

 

3 weeks old

 

6 weeks postpartum



2 months postpartum

 

3 months postpartum



4 months old

 

4 months postpartum

5 months postpartum

 

6 months old

 

Pregnant with Baby #2 at 7 and 1/2 months postpartum

 

Thank you, Lord for giving me life today.  Thank you for the opportunity to love and care for my family, to sacrifice my body for Your kingdom, and to most importantly bring You glory. Thank you that I am Yours.

Prayer Journals for Christmas

Look at me on a blogging streak!  Haha.  I'm on a roll.  Today has been a busy and hectic day.  It was a blessed day, but a full day.  I slept better last night than I have slept in a while.  Adam and I have been going to bed super late for some reason, and last night we didn't go to bed as late....12:00 a.m.  Yeah, that's not as late for us.  Goodness.  We are usually in bed around 10:30 or 11, but lately we have been night owls...like 1 and 2 a.m.  Oops.  Anyway, this morning August slept in until 8:15....so I slept in until 8:15.  I try to aim to have us both ready to go out the door by about 9:10.  Sunday school starts at 9:30, and since Adam teaches middle school youth, we can't be late.  If August and I aren't ready on time, then we have to drive separately, which is no fun.  Adam spends the morning in preparation for teaching, so August is my responsibility on Sunday mornings.  So, since we slept in, we started off our morning running behind.  After I nursed him, changed his clothes, got myself ready, got the diaper bag ready, hunted for shoes, etc. we were headed to church.  I decided to take August to the nursery for Sunday school for the first time.  He usually stays with me in Adam's class, but lately as he gets older, that is harder and harder to do.  He is very wiggly and just wants to play with everything.  It makes it very hard to focus.  So I took him into the nursery, passed him off to the teacher, and he immediately started screaming.  I searched through his diaper bag and realize I didn't pack everything I needed.  So I leave him with the nursery worker, rush home (in the pouring rain), rush back to church (still pouring), and get back to the nursery to see that he is still screaming.  We are going through a clingy phase.  It's been going on a good month or more.  The nursery teachers are so great with him though.  I'm pretty sure they have more patience for that than I do.  Haha.  So I gave him a bottle when I got back.  I decided I would just try him in the sanctuary during the church service.  He didn't even make it to the actual sermon.  He wanted to sing too apparently, and very loudly at that.  So back to the nursery we go.  I stayed with him since it was a bit busy back there, and I was hoping I could get him to sleep.  No go. 

When we got home this afternoon, I needed to get the house ready for our middle school youth party this evening.  I already had the kitchen cleaned up, I just needed to prep some of the food, sweep the floors, clean the bathroom, and just pick up around the house.  Adam and I also decided to make the students prayer journals as their Christmas present.  We went to Walmart (ugh.) yesterday since I needed to make a return and bought the supplies we would need.  I made the journals for the girls, and Adam made them for the boys.  He is so crafty! :)  Haha, he even admitted that it was kind of fun making them.  We wrote out a prayer inside the front page of the journal specifically for that student.  I wrote one for each of the girls, and Adam wrote one for the boys.  I think doing that showed them how much we care about them and pray for them individually, and it also models to them how to pray.  Not that there is a specific format or that you have to use certain words, but I think sometimes it's hard to know what to pray about if you have not been praying.  I think a prayer journal is beneficial for anyone for a lot of reasons.  1) It's much easier to focus if you are writing down your thoughts. 2) A prayer journal is something you can look back on and see how God answered previous prayers, or how he answered them in a way that was surprising to you.  3) Prayer journals are also a good place to record encounters with God- those moments where you just know that God is speaking through you to someone else or God has purposefully placed you somewhere and used you, etc.  I think those kind of moments are good to look back on in hard times because it solidifies your faith.  I think recording those things is important.  A homemade prayer journal could be a great Christmas gift for a new believer, friend, son/daughter, or anyone really. 

One of the journals Adam made for the boys. 

One of the journals I made for the girls.

I love how you can personalize a prayer journal.  If your child is older, you could let them create their own.  They might be more likely to use it that way.  I have planned on starting a prayer journal for August ever since he was 2 months old, and I still haven't started it.  I want to write prayers for him in it.  Prayers about his salvation, his witness to others, his future, his thought life, his obedience to us and to God, his potential wife, his education, his time management, just everything.  I think it will be neat to give to him when he is older, so that he can see how we have prayed for him through the years, and he can see how those prayers have been answered in his life.

Adam read the Christmas story during the party, and we ate food and played a game.  Well, I missed the game part since I was nursing/bathing a little one. :)  But that's ok.  I missed being part of the fun, but I enjoyed the time with August since we have had such a busy weekend.  I fixed a cheesy rotel dip with chips, cocktail sausages, frozen pizza, cookies, and I let the students bring drinks and other desserts.....it was the party food of champions.  Haha. They seemed to enjoy. Ahh to be in middle school and eat whatever you want without the guilt.  Must be nice. :)  (By the way, am I the only one who has problems with eating too much of the food?  I eat it before they arrive to "test" it, I eat with the students during the party, and then I eat as I am cleaning up the leftovers.  Ughhh....I seriously need to start practicing some self control, because if I do this for the rest of my life, I'm gonna be huge.)

Well I hope y'all had a wonderful weekend.  I will probably be recovering tomorrow, but I also have a lot I still need to get done.  Ummm...Christmas cards anyone?  I have them and haven't mailed them out yet.  That is terrible.  So I HAVE to get on that tomorrow, especially since some of the cards need to make it to Texas!  Ahhh.  Goodnight y'all!  Have a peaceful evening!