What, earthmuffin?

I admit it. My name is Mandy, and I am a wannabe hippie-earthmuffiny-green lovin' environmentalist. (But I do shave my armpits...and my legs when I'm not 9 months pregnant!)

I'm not one of those crazy people that chain themselves to trees or anything, but I LOVE taking care of the environment. I try to do the best I can to make the smallest impact on our earth.

So here's the thing: diapers. Not to get up on my soapbox or anything, but babies go through a TON of diapers before they are potty trained. And those diapers go in the trash. Which goes to a landfill. And there they sit, for billions of years.

This stresses me out.

So, ever since I found out we were going to have a baby, I've been researching and researching cloth diaper options - with, of course, the support of my amazing hubby. The conversation, I believe, went somewhat like this:

Me: "Hey babe, I think we should cloth diaper."
Chris: "Sure, sounds good."

Yeah, he's awesome. I was even all prepared with a list of "studies show" and statistics to convince him of the monetary value of disposable vs cloth... no need. He's totally on board. Which is more than I can say for a lot of people. The looks I get from folks when I announce we're going to use cloth is along the same lines of the looks I get when I say I'm going for a natural birth - the eye rolling, nodding the head sympathetically, and the muttering "Yeah, right!" as they walk away.

But they underestimate my extreme stubborness. When I get an idea in my head, good or bad, it's there permanently. Even if the world is completely against cloth diapering, I will prevail.

So if anyone has any cloth diapering techniques, tricks, or brands that really worked for them, let me know! I'm open to any suggestions to prove those doubters wrong!

Stick a fork in me, I'm done

Yup, Baby Boy is considered full term as of today! He is officially done cookin' in there... and my belly button is popped out as proof!

I feel a strong resemblance to the little button that pops outs when a turkey is done... PING! All done!

And I promise, Baby Boy, when you come I will not chew on your little legs (although if they are as sweet and chunky as I'm sure they will be, it may be tempting...).

"The commonest fallacy among women is that simply having children makes one a mother—which is as absurd as believing that having a piano makes one a musician."-- Sydney J. Harris

Love this quote. The thought that I am already a mother makes me feel so much more confident in my ability to mother our son.

The beginning of our journey...

I had a doctor's appointment this morning and the doctor informed me that I am currently 1 centimeter dilated!!!!!!!!!!

It's really starting to sink in now.

I know, I know... like the huge basketball belly, the constant morning sickness, and the ultrasounds weren't enough to convince me - we are actually going to be parents by the end of the month!

Holy cow.

I am going to be responsible for a tiny, helpless little person. I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

Just this morning, I accidentally shut Chloe's head in the cabinet drawer. And I forgot to brush my teeth. And I STILL can't cook. I am definitely not ready to be a parent. Isn't there some test you need to pass to bring an infant home?

But is parenthood one of those things that you're never really quite ready for? Something that huge, that life-changing, maybe the crazy part would be if I DID feel ready for it.

All I can say is, I'm so glad my mom will be here for the first few weeks!

Visitors!

We were so delighted to have our good friends Jess and Stef come down for a visit before Baby Boy comes! We had good food and good times - walking downtown Medford:

And we went to Ashland for more delicious food and fun shopping... and of course, pictures in the park:

"OH MY GOSH IS HER BELLY REALLY THAT HUGE???!!":

Remember Love

I love finding words written in the concrete!

Last date as a twosome??

Chris took me out on a date last week... possibly our last date ever as a twosome!

We went to Ashland for dinner and a show - we saw an absolutely fabulous production of "Pride and Prejudice"! I just LOVE shows with happy endings! It was awesome to get out of town and have each other's undivided attention for an evening.

We didn't exactly have the best weather... but it sure made for this gorgeous double rainbow! A perfect start to the evening!