A Visit With Friends and More

Last week a dear friend came to visit with her two sweet little girls. We had a fun time visiting the Arboretum, two parks and the swimming pool and watching a British reality show. :)

Wes had the privilege of lots of attention from more girls. :) Jennifer's little girls loved to feed Wes. He didn't seem to mind one bit.

Some new things he's doing this week are grabbing his elephant rattle and actually

squealing when he gets the monkey blanket. He's more observant than ever, putting on his serious observation face with the deeply furrowed brow. Also, he's been rolling over on his side but he can't quite get over yet, either way.

Yesterday, he discovered his toes! He was fixated for at least 10 minutes, of course with a furrowed brow. On stroller rides now he loves looking at the trees. He's much more active now too, especially when he's tired - like he's running to keep himself awake. He just kicks his legs like crazy and flails his arms all around.

Cloth Diapering 1.0

Hi all,

I have a few friends that have mentioned an interest in cloth diapering or are just intrigued so I thought I would give a quick overview. I am not in any way, shape, size or form a detail person so when I first started researching cloth diapers I was absolutely overwhelmed by all the information! There are so many different brands, styles, makes and models of diapers! You could spend weeks filtering through all there is out there and spend A LOT of money trying to figure out what's best. This blog entry is an attempt to simplify cloth diapering for those who are like me and either don't have the time to research for hours (we had only a week or so!), don't know anyone else who uses them or simply get bogged down in all the details like I do. First, I have written why I chose cloth diapers, and second, I am putting it in a format for what would have been most helpful for me. I hope it is useful for use as well.

To skip all the info and go straight to what I use, scroll down to What I Use in blue. To peruse a great website go to Cotton Babies. That is where most of the links on this site come from. It has everything in an easily accessible form, cloth diapering basics and you can order with free shipping. I usually get what I've ordered in one or two days with free shipping!

I do consider myself environmentally conscious to some extent, though we don't go overboard. I also like to be as natural as possible in most areas of our life - I try to do organic gardening (we don't mind holey collard greens too much) and eat as little processed food as possible and so it would only make sense to do the same with our little guy's back side. Yet, while these were considerations in choosing to use cloth diapers, the main reason was for the cost. I've read that you can spend up $2,000 for each child when using disposable diapers. Do you get that? You spend that much on something you are going to throw away! If you diapered your child for an average of 30 months in disposables, then that would average to at least $66 a month. So far we have spent far less than that on average per month including diapers, wipes, detergent, and water and power bills. Also, cloth diapers can be reused when other children come along. Also, babies that wear cloth diapers tend to be potty-trained faster. Furthermore, as Wesley has outgrown his diapers, they've come in handy as burp clothes (he needs a plethora!) and doublers. However, the amount you spend on cloth diapers could vary widely depending on the types of diapers you choose, which inevitably stems from your purpose - saving environment, ease of use, saving babies bum, or saving money.

Here is a list of the very basic items you need to use cloth diapers:

• cloth diapers :) You need anywhere from 18-30 depending on what kind of wetter your baby is. I change Wes after he wakes up from a nap and before I put him down for a nap which takes about 8 or so diapers a day.

• fasteners, if using prefolds - You can use either pins or snappis - Snappis are rubbery t-shaped deals that grab the cloth and hold it all together. Very quick and easy and no worries about poking. Pins are cheapest.

• diaper covers - you need at least 4-5 of these for most cloth diapers to keep moisture from leaking out. Again, there are a bazillion styles and kinds. The most popular are made with PUL, a waterproof fabric and fasten with snaps or Velcro. You can also find them in polar fleece and wool. The wool ones are crazy expensive but supposedly work the best.

• a diaper pail - Eric's parents gave us a basic one from Babies R Us. It seems to work fine. You can also use any kind of trash can with a lid.

• deodorizer - I've tried the disks that go in the pail, baking soda, tea tree oil and lemon oil (a few drops on a small cloth) and Lysol. I think so far I like the Lysol the best. You can get the disks at Babies R Us or order them online here.

• diaper pail liner - Someone suggested just getting camp bags from Wal-Mart. I bought two so that I could have one while the other was washing. They were about $7.00 each. So far this has been fine except I think they are losing their waterproofness. Eventually I might invest in a more official diaper pail liner like these - PlanetWise or Bummis or

• detergent - supposedly, you aren't supposed to use detergent with additives, enhancers, softeners, brighteners, etc, which includes everything you can buy in a regular grocery store except All Free and Clear. Here is a list of recommended detergents. I use Soap Nuts that friend recommended to me. So far, I like them a lot. They take a little to get used to since they don't really suds up and doesn't smell, but everything seems to be clean and fresh. Plus, they leave the diapers soft.

• a drying rack - you can dry your diapers in the dryer which I have done quite often, but I've learned that drying them on a rack in the sun has a bleaching affect, meaning that it bleaches spots and kills germs.

Here is a very basic list of the different kinds of cloth diapers you can use:

The most basic and cheapest:

• prefolds - by far the cheapest option. $1-2 per diaper - last a VERY long time, have multiple uses when babies outgrow them. You need a cover and may prefer a fastener with these.

These are a bit more sophisticated - these already have fasteners, either with snaps or Velcro.

• fitted diapers - a diaper just like a disposable that has elastic and some way to fasten them but you have to use a cover as well. Easy and cheap to make depending on the materials you use. These cost anywhere from $8-20 each.

• All-in-ones - a fitted diaper with an out material that keeps the moisture from soaking through - just like a disposable. You don't need a cover. These can be the most expensive ranging from $13-25 each.

• Pocket diapers - a fitted or all-in-one diaper that has a pocket for inserts for night time, nap time or heavy wetters.

There are a bazillion different "brands" of all-in-ones, fitteds and pocket diapers. This is where I found myself a bit bogged down. Thankfully, I have a few friends who gave me some of their favorites as a gift. One friend who has a cloth diaper sewing and service business made me some flannel fitted diapers for preemies. I loved them! They were so easy to use. I tried to make some like this but by the time I got them all made, Wes couldn't really wear them anymore. Someone else gave me a bumgenius all-in-one diaper and I love it too!

SO HERE IS WHAT I USE

Diapers -

• Indian prefolds. I initially ordered 36 preemie size. I think I could have gotten by with 24 to 30. However, as mentioned earlier, these are handy for burp cloths now and we go through them quite frequently. Next, I ordered 24 infant size. He's just about to outgrow these and so I just ordered 18 premium size. These should last us the longest. For all of these we've spent $100 in diapers in four months. For naps, I use a preemie diaper as an insert in the infant size diaper.

• BumGenius All-In-One diaper - A friend gave me one as a gift and I love it. It's organic, one size fits all and all-in-one, no cover needed. I just bought another one of these. It is pricey but if Wes can truly wear it for the next two years then it is worth it. I may buy one or two more if I find that using them at night works well.

• Disposables - We use these at night and when we go somewhere. I would eventually like to use these only occasionally and replace them with the all-in-one for night time use.

Covers - here are the kinds I've used. You need at least 4-5 covers.

• Prowraps - These have worked really well for us and don't cost very much. They only leak if Wes sleeps for a long time on his tummy. A friend gave these to us in three sizes so we saved even more that way! These fasten with Velcro at the waste and come in 6 sizes.

• Thirsties - These are shaped completely different than the Prowraps but also work really well. I use these when he takes a nap. You can tuck the prefolds into them and not use a snappi or pins. They have snaps to adjust for different sizes and Velcro at the waist. These come in 2 sizes.

• Econobum One Size - When Wes outgrows all the covers he has now I want to try these. They are the same price as the Prowraps ($8.95) but he will be able to wear them until he's potty trained.

• Dappis - I may try these as well. They are only 2 for $5.00!

Fasteners

• We have six pins and 2 snappis. I haven't ventured to use the pins yet but as the prefolds get to the edge of the sizing so that the snappis don't reach anymore, the pins may be very useful to get more wear out each size of prefold.

Cost For Basics - For the basics I've added up how much you would spend for start up. It seems a bit much at first but it is a huge savings over time. So for 24 infant Indian prefolds (for newborn to 3-4 months), 5 Econobum one size covers, 2 snappis, 2 liners and three BumGenius all-in-ones (the most expensive part!), deodorizer and Soap Nuts for 160 loads, the total comes to around $230. After the initial cost, you would have to spend around $36 to buy the premium size Indian prefolds and perhaps another package of Soap Nuts. After that, you're done! And, you can use them for your next child! Much better than $2,000! That's almost a tenth of the cost! And, even if you just used the expensive all-in-ones exclusively, that would still only cost you around $500 - $600! And again, you can reuse those with the next child if they are properly cared for.

Here are some other items you might consider buying but could use other alternatives:

• Cloth wipes - If you are like me you have the habit of throwing the wipe in with the diaper. Why not use cloth ones and just wash them along with the diapers? You can buy these Kissuluvs, or BumGenius, or, if you are handy with a sewing machine, you can make them for very cheap out of flannel. I could make 15 double layered wipes in one yard. I made about 60 which is PLENTY! I simply cut 7 inch squares, sewed two together, turned them inside out and topstitched them. These come in handy for lots other things too. They make great wash cloths or for extra soaking material in the diaper. Or you can buy baby wash cloths and use those as wipes. Using cloth wipes will also save you a lot of money!

• Wet Bag - These trendy bags help keep everything else in your diaper bag dry while using cloth diapers on the road. They are a neat idea but since we have so many Wal-Mart sacks, we use those instead, for free. Maybe one of these days, I'll get one or two.

• Fleece liner - These are used to help wick moisture away from the baby. These are also easy to make. You don't even have to sew! Just cut them to size and wala! They won't fray.

• Poop liner - This is my made up name for these. When baby starts eating solids, these liners help peel the poop away and you can flush them. I haven't used these yet. A friend had them and they seemed to work great. I read that back before such things were invented, women just cut strips of old fabric to lay in the diaper. Then, after it was used, they threw it away or washed it.

• Doublers/Inserts - These are used for times when it will be a while between diaper changes, like during naps and at night. There are many of these that you can buy or make but if you have enough prefolds you can just use those instead.

For these extras you can tack on an extra $100 over a 20-30 month period. Even if you "splurge" on these, you are saving money in the long run. If you try to cut costs by making these items, using sacks, old cloth and extra prefolds you will only spend around $25 for fabric for the wipes and fleece liners.

Washing

This might be what scares people the most. Actually, it is really quite easy. Click here for a link to washing. Here is what I do with diapers, covers, wipes, fleece liners, and diaper pail liners.

1. Wash in cold water, with or without detergent. This keeps the stains from setting.

2. Wash with detergent in hot water.

3. Rinse a second time.

4. Dry on the drying rack in the sun, or in the dryer (I don't put the diaper pail liner in the dryer.

5. If you feel it necessary, you can bleach them every few weeks or so but I haven't had to do this yet.

For poopy diapers, we either just throw the diaper in the pail without washing it out, dunk it in the toilet and swish it while flushing or rinse it in the sink. It is really not bad at all and I don't have a strong stomach at all.

I hope you have found all of this helpful and not too overwhelming.

Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken

This time ten years ago, I was getting ready to travel to Belarus to live for 9 weeks during the summer. I was so thrilled! I had spent two weeks there the summer before and felt confident about this trip - that it wouldn't be too hard. Boy was I wrong! Those were some lonely, cold, tough days. But that trip sparked a new chapter in my life, like a page turned. On that trip, God started to peel away at some things that I did not even know existed in my heart, revealing some nasty stuff I needed to be rid of and some truths I needed to understand about myself and about God ... and He has continued to do so ever since in a myriad of ways. So many things have happened in my life since that time and He's used all of them to continue to peel and teach and love. It is simply too much to comprehend all that God has allowed me to see and do and even to "go through." I've traveled to at least 9 countries since then and countless states, lived in three states and one other country - twice, gotten married, adopted the cutest little boy ever, got a Master's, studied three languages (one of which I have almost completely forgotten), learned to cook and knit, been on some hair-raising adventures, seen some wonderful history, met the neatest, godliest people, heard the most amazing stories and seen God do what only He could do - not in any particular order. I am simply astounded by the privilege of being able to be a part of what God is doing in so many places and in so many ways. While many of these things carried such blessing, some of them brought tears too, mostly because of something I had to work through or deal with. And so, I am humbled by the privilege to sit at His feet and learn and grow and understand through the good times and the difficult.

Someone asked me not too long ago if it was worth the wait for Wesley, if it made the time we did wait disappear. To the second question, no. The time - 4 1/2 years - still seems long. But to the first question, a resounding yes! And not simply because we now have Wesley but because of all the other treasures God has given along the way that at first didn't seem so treasurable but now are so sweet - they were even sweet before Wes came. These ten years have made a profound, life changing impact on my life and my relationship with God, for the better. Praise God for these! Though the road has been bumpy and mountainous at times it was all SO WORTH IT! I wonder what the next ten years will be like?

We were visiting a church this past weekend that played this song in worship. I had never heard it but almost immediately it plucked my heartstrings and I began to cry - if you know me well you know this is not too uncommon. : ) It says so much about what God has taught me through these 10 years - not what I think I am, but what my heart attitude should be - most especially the first, fourth and fifth verses. And it speaks it so beautifully and joyfully which makes it all the better to me. If you would like to actually hear this song, there is a link at the bottom you can click on. I think it would be well worth it to do so.

Jesus, I my cross have taken,

All to leave and follow Thee.

Destitute, despised, forsaken,

Thou from hence my all shall be.

Perish every fond ambition,

All I've sought or hoped or known.

Yet how rich is my condition!

God and heaven are still my own.

Let the world despise and leave me,

They have left my Savior, too.

Human hearts and looks deceive me;

Thou art not, like them, untrue.

O while Thou dost smile upon me,

God of wisdom, love and might,

Foes may hate and friends disown me,

Show thy face and all is bright.

Man may trouble and distress me,

Twill but drive me to Thy breast.

Life with trials hard may press me;

Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.

Oh, 'tis not in grief to harm me

While thy love is left to me;

Oh, 'twere not in joy to charm me.

Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Go, then earthly fame and treasure,

Come disaster, scorn and pain

In Thy service, pain is pleasure,

With Thy favor, loss is gain

I have called Thee Abba Father,

I have stayed my heart on Thee

Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;

All must work for good to me. (Romans 8:28)

Soul, then know thy full salvation

Rise o'er sin and fear and care

Joy to find in every station,

Something still to do or bear.

Think what Spirit dwells within thee,

Think what Father's smiles are thine,

Think that Jesus died to win thee,

Child of heaven, canst thou repine?

Haste thee on from grace to glory,

Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.

Heaven's eternal days before thee,

God's own hand shall guide us there.

Soon shall close thy earthly mission,

Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,

Hope shall change to glad fruition,

Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iU8yXzsejc&feature=related

Our Teeny, Tiny Taylor

We are rejoicing in the gift from the Lord of our precious son, Wesley Joseph Taylor.

He has come to us quite quickly! On February 23, the social worker called to tell us we had been chosen by a birth mom to adopt her baby boy that was already born. We met the birth mom the next day and proceeded to go forward with adoption. After a week and a half of somewhat controlled chaos and the gamut of emotions, Wesley was placed in our arms for good yesterday, March 5 (with the exception of a few legal formalities a few months down the road).

Little Wesley was born on February 16, 2010. Since he was around 7 weeks early, at birth he weighed it at a whopping 4 lbs 8 oz. He stayed in the hospital for 10 days to ensure he could take a bottle for a full feeding on his own and maintain his body temperature. He has done incredibly well and is so beautiful! At his first doctor's appointment this week he weighed 4 lbs 12 oz. It is so remarkable watch something so tiny and helpless chug down his bottle with a fair amount of ease (once we figured out the right nipple and bottle size for the little guy).We've yet to really hear him cry. He just sounds like a quiet little bleating lamb. I know this will change soon but it is very sweet nonetheless.

Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

This Year in Pictures

I hardly ever post pictures or write about my everyday life so I thought I would make up for it today!

Enjoy a walk through our year in pictures.

We did a ton of work on the house this year!

The insulation monster tried to eat me!

Eric being the handyman. We had to take up all these boards in the attic to put down more insulation so we would be warmer this winter. It is working so far! It was worth the clogged up lungs and furry bodies.

I have painted almost every room in the house! Pardon my backside!

Eric's parents helped us a lot. Here, Doug is examining his work in our closet. It turned out great!

Which color do I choose? I picked one of these colors for one of our bedrooms.

Some great friends came to visit! Here I'm trying to ice skate with Jen and Lily.

It snowed & snowed!

I tried some gardening... from this to ....

this... to....

THIS!!! I had no idea these things could get so big!!! And they got even bigger!!! I grew all kinds of peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas, green beans, lettuce, squash & zucchini. I planted a lot of herbs in pots as well. It was so much fun!

Also, I visited with friends in Beaufort, South Carolina.

I love live oaks!!! Beaufort is teeming with them!

Then, my sister got married!! :) It was a gorgeous wedding! Welcome to the family, Joey! :)

In November, we went to Arizona to visit a friend who has a ministry for refugees. We helped with an English camp that weekend. It was great fun! Thanks, Cherie!!!

We enjoyed the beauty of our area and discovered some great parks.

A great Christmas picture!

Sick at Christmas. :( We got this recliner and its match at a garage sale for $10 total! We need to do a bit of work on them as you can tell and they don't match our walls but they are comfy. Cricket especially likes them!

And... it snowed some more! We had a very, very white Christmas and in fact, it's snowing right now! :)

So this ends the photo tour. There are so many more pictures that I had to leave out! I will try to post more throughout the year instead of putting them all up on one day. There are two big things we couldn't really take pictures of that we want to celebrate!

1) We finally found a church that we are excited to join!

2) We've finished all the paperwork for adoption and are now just waiting for a phone call that says, "We have a baby for you!" So you could say we are "expecting" or that we are "paper pregnant." We are very excited!

Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and we wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Scripture Storyline

Are you looking forward to the New Year? Would you like to start it out with a new Bible reading plan? The pastor of our church has worked long and hard on a year-long Bible reading plan that gives commentary and application for each day that you read. Thought-provoking and well-written, it is an excellent way to start the year and to encourage a daily time with the Lord.

Enjoy! Here is the link: http://www.scripturestoryline.com/

Some Thoughts on Freedom

Over the last few years I've been reading a lot about the period of the American Revolution. I've been curious how the ideas of freedom as the 'founding fathers' saw it, i.e, the individual rights of man as well as a collective political and social freedom, match with what the Bible says with regard to freedom and our rights.

I've discovered through my reading that many of the founding fathers, even those who were professed atheists or deists, saw the definite need for virtue within a society and on an individual level in order for personal, political and social liberty to succeed within the context of a democratic or republican government. Our freedom cannot stand without a sense of social decency and respect for fellow citizens, otherwise we infringe on their freedom. Our freedom cannot be at the expense of someone else. It is a sacrificial freedom, one that gives sacrificially on an individual level as well as a societal level for the good of all so that liberty is maintained. Complete freedom to do and say as we please on an individual and corporate level will be the undoing of a republic. For a democratic republic to work there must be a give and take of freedom for the good of the whole. It requires responsibility and selflessness. These virtues sometimes limit freedom on an individual level but for the whole, freedom continues.

I've been reading through I Corinthians via the Scripture Storyline and have discovered the very same principles laid out by Paul. There was a debate about whether it was permissible as believers to eat the meat sacrificed to idols. In summary, Paul agrees that we have the freedom in Christ to eat whatever meat or to drink what we desire but we must ask ourselves if it is beneficial or helpful to the rest of the body of Christ? Will someone else in the body be bound and strangled by your freedom? The goal is not to do as you please now that you are in Christ but to help the body of Christ to grow in maturity and unity and love and to draw others to Christ. We must be careful with the freedom given to us through grace. We must be willing to give up what we think is permissible for the sake of a brother or sister in Christ. Paul had experienced immense hardship for the sake of the body of Christ and so that some might be saved. Think of what Christ gave up for our sakes! Our focus should not be on ourselves and what we are free to do in Christ but on Christ Himself and be willing to lay down our rights and freedoms so that someone else may be free in Christ and grow to maturity unhindered.

So whether it be for the sake of a nation or for the sake of the body of Christ and a person's salvation, we must be careful and selfless with our freedom. It is not to be taken lightly and not to be had at the expense of someone else's liberty.