::foiled::

I thought a bowl of Special K cereal would be good after church tonight. We ate dinner early (right after 5 pm), so I was hungry after church. No biggie...it's Special K, right? But, when I was nearly done with my bowl, I suddenly noted that the milk was really good. I mean really good. And thick. And creamy. And sweet.

And then it dawned on me.

I accidentally used my son's whole milk on my cereal instead of my lowfat milk.

Until recently when I switched my son from formula to milk, I've only had one gallon of milk in the fridge at once. Reaching for a gallon of milk meant reaching for the only gallon of milk. Not so anymore. So, tonight I reached for the milk and unintentionally put the really fattening milk on my cereal. Instead of a nice, light bowl of Special K, I ate the equivalent of a bowl of ice cream.

Hmmm....

::an ode to tea::

Genuine tea from England. (My mother-in-law brought it to me after her trip to the British Isles last year.)

I chose English Breakfast.
The setup: tea pot, french press, tea.


Put loose-leaf tea in the press. Add boiling water. Allow to steep for several minutes.
Pour. Add milk/sugar, as desired.


Enjoy.

::craftiness::

I'm taking a break from my weight loss posting to bring some other things to the bloggy table. I did lose another pound, so I'm 5 down from the original weight, but I have to admit the last two weeks have not gone well. I could totally blame it on a number of things, but really a lack of discipline is at the root of the problem. For someone who has struggled for years and has teetered on the edge of a full-blown eating disorder, counting calories can become an obsession that fuels my weakness. For the past couple of days I've tried not to count every calorie, but rather to just cut my portions down. My mind has been able to breathe a bit easier, and the scale actually did move in the right direction. I have not been exercising regularly as I was in the first two weeks, but my husband and I did buy some bicycles, and our evening rides (which sometimes last an hour or so) serve as my exercise--and one that I really enjoy. Carrying my 25 lb. baby on the back of my bike adds some resistance, too.
:::
Now, onto other things. My son's 1st birthday is on Sunday, and we're having a big family party (with a few of his nursery friends from church) on Saturday. I'm planning on making my cake tomorrow, so I'll post pictures of that later. I could go on and on about how I can't believe Isaiah is a year old, but I'll save that for the family blog. Instead, I'll share some things that I made for him this week.

First of all, we got him a small baby pool for his birthday gift. Can't wait to get that set up on the patio. I think he'll love it. But more than gifts that he'll outgrow, I want to give him something to hold on to. So, I bought a plain journal and put some decor on the front with his picture. It is titled "Dear Isaiah", and in it I plan to write a letter every year for his birthday and on other special occasions, when I'm feeling nostalgic, or when I simply want him to remember something. My husband I will both write in it throughout his life, and then give it to him when he's an adult (as a wedding gift, perhaps, if the Lord blesses him with a wife). I'll also dedicate a spot for a yearly picture of him in the book, and a place for family to write short notes to him. I'll have the book out at his party on Saturday.


Something else I did, just for kicks, was to make a garland for his bedroom door. At the Wal*Mart in my town, there is quite a craft section, and they carry a Martha.Stewart craft paper that matches his room really well. So, I cut out circles in various patterns and colors using a large coffee mug, a drinking glass, and a champagne flute as my guides for the shapes.
I applied some stickers to spell out his name, strung it on a blue ribbon and hung it on his door.



Easy and cute.

I've got some other crafty things up my sleeve, but I'm busy with party preparations right now, so I'll get back to this next week. My garden is coming in so well, and I've got pictures to show you of that, so I'll be back soon!

-glenna-

::after the trip::

So, that camping trip was....interesting. I plan on updating about that on our family blog soon, but if you're a Facebook friend, you can check out pictures there.

As far as the diet changes...well, I admit that there was snack food everywhere. My mom went slightly crazy in her grocery shopping, and her motto for the weekend was "Open my car door and eat." (All the food was stored in the back of her SUV to keep out of the elements.)
I actually felt sick because even before starting my new eating plan, I rarely bought junk food, so snacking on it all the time was a little much for me (and my husband). But, we did have a good time and we did eat some good food. We also played some sandpit volleyball and walked a lot. We had to walk a half a mile to the bathroom, and even though it was downhill to get there...it was definitely an uphill climb to get back. So, there was a little exercise mixed in.

I only gained a pound over the 4 days we were gone, but I've already lost it, so now I'm back to where I was before we left for the trip. I consider that "not too bad."

Today has been somewhat of a struggle in the snacking area, but I'm trying. Snacking IS part of my eating plan (6-7 small meals per day instead of 3 large ones with uncontrolled snacking at other times), but I'm so tempted to eat more than my allotted calories. One thing that is somewhat helpful is to have hot tea or coffee in the afternoon. It seems to cut some of my cravings. (And we all know how I love caffeinated beverages!) I read Melanie's post on tea time this morning and decided to indulge in a cup of my favorite Irish Breakfast Tea this afternoon.
I also munch on a cucumber sprinkled with sea salt when I'm wanting something crunchy and "snacky".

What are your tips for overcoming the unnecessary snacking and/or head-hunger?

::progress:

Well, week 1 of the new weightloss plan is now over. Four pounds seems like a lot to lose in a week, but I know it was partly due to water retention. That, and drastically cutting the amazingly high number of calories I was eating without realizing it. I have found that snacking throughout the day instead of eating three big meals has helped me tremendously. I know you hear people say that a lot, but it really does work! I have a good friend who has also lost a good amount of weight by cutting back portion sizes and eating more often throughout the days. For an acid reflux sufferer (which for me, is most times stress induced according to the doctor who diagnosed me, but can also be triggered by overeating), this is an ideal eating plan.

While trying to stay within my daily calorie range, I've discovered that it pays to make good caloric choices. There are SO many things out there that are filled with empty calories. I can waste 200-300 calories by eating a handful of chips or I can eat a decent sized cup of yogurt with some Kashi cereal mixed in for under 200 calories--something that is far better for me and that sticks with me a lot longer than some greasy chips. I do have to make decisions about my food, but when I'm eating smaller, more frequent portions, I find that I am never famished when dinner time rolls around, so I eat a small portion of...anything, really. I don't have to completely give up the foods I like if I can stick with small portions. And for a 5'2" petite woman, small portions are plenty.

I'm also trying to get in some exercise 3-4 times per week. I'm limited in what I can do because I don't have a gym membership, and I do have a baby whose schedule I have to work around. I push him in the stroller and we walk about 1.5 miles in the mornings. It's a good 30 minute work out, especially considering the horrible sidewalks here in my town. Lots of pushing, pulling, and manuevering is required to keep the stroller (with my 24 lb. son!) going. I also do some strength training that requires nothing more than my body weight, the wall, the floor, or a chair.

I'm thankful to have achieved some success the first week, and truly I do not feel deprived. (Although, would it be so terrible if I were?)

The test: going on a camping trip for 4 days with my family. Camp food, s'mores, hot dogs, cookies, etc., etc., etc. Can I survive? We shall see! I think I would be content to simply maintain and not worry about losing while I'm gone. I'll let you know how it goes.

Blessings...and thanks for keeping up with me on this journey. It's hard to go public with all of this, but I think it's a good thing.

-glenna-

::honesty:it hurts sometimes::

Twenty-eight.

That's the number of pounds I've set to lose over the next few months. (This also happens to be the age I will be one month from today!) It seems like a lot. And I've put off posting this for a number of days because I am afraid of failure. What if I don't lose any? What if someone says something mean to me about my weight here? What if transparency is more painful than I planned? What if...?? Why am I sharing this intensely painful post with you here? Because accountability of some sort is good for me. I have an accountability partner that I meet with weekly who questions me about my struggles in this area, but it doesn't take long to get comfortable with that person and to not fight my areas of sin as forcefully. I thought by putting this out here (even though I only have like 3 readers anymore), it might make me work a little harder to be real and honest and to try.

I posted this on my Spark People page [[which...let me tell you is an invaluable resource. Even though I'm just starting out and getting used to it, I already can see how it would encourage someone to stay on track with health and fitness. Go for it. Look at my link on the right.]], to help give you some insight on why I'm making some changes. (I did add a few things here and there that are different from my original post.)

I am still learning the ins and outs of SparkPeople, but so far I'm impressed with how motivated I already feel.

Yesterday I began the program. I walked for 30 minutes, pushing my 24 lb. son in his stroller. Today I did the same but added some strength training. After walking, I did two sets of forward lunges--oh. my. My legs are trembling! How out of shape am I? [I also did some other reps of strength training exercises, as well.]

I used to be a runner (weren't we all?). I ran every day after classes or after work back in my college days. I ran in 100 degree weather in the summer. I never ran any less than 2 miles. I ran and ran. And I was in great shape, even though I didn't believe it at the time.

My weight had crept from 130ish (where my body type is most comfortable) to about 168 (yikes!) after 2 years of marriage. After two stressful years of infertility (make that 5 years now), the weight just piled on. I used eating as an out. It numbed the pain of something I couldn't control. Rather than go to my Lord or His Word for my comfort, I went to the other god of food, I am ashamed to say. Idolatry is at the heart of my problem here. How humbling is it to realize that I have worshiped food? It shames me to my core to write that.

In 2006, my husband and I started training for a half-marathon (13.1 miles). We trained for about 3 months and ran it at the end of April 2006. We did not make good time. My husband is a type 1 juvenile diabetic, and didn't handle the distance running as well as we thought he would. We ran the first 7 miles or so without stopping once. Once we started taking rests, it became extremely difficult to start back up. We ran, walked, jogged, crawled, bled, cried, etc., to the finish line. BUT, we did finish!

After recovering from that, my plan was to continue running because in all my training, the 5 mile run was my absolute favorite distance. I felt SO good after running 5 miles. But...my post-marathon recovery took a lot longer than planned because my toes were so bruised, I couldn't put my running shoes on. My muscles hurt tremendously for a couple of weeks, so
I only hit the pavement once or twice following that.

I toned my body some during that time, but I ate whatever I wanted during the training because I figured, "Hey, I'm running 8 miles in the morning. Who cares if I eat ice cream tonight?"

It didn't add up well.

By the end of 2006, I started counting calories and lost nearly 15 lbs. I kept most of it off, but I've been a yo-yo dieter for years. It comes off and goes back on (goes back on much more quickly, right?).

I slimmed down in 2007 for my sister's wedding simply by eating well and healthfully. I didn't have time to exercise much, but I felt that I did well in meeting my goal for that wedding. A year passed and I maintained somewhat. In the Spring of 2008, we were knee-deep in the adoption process, and the stress of it all had an opposite effect than what is typical for me. I couldn't eat or sleep! I lost a bit of weight, and did quite well until we had our son. Once I was at home all day every day and up all night every night, the weight crept back on. I know, I know: excuses, excuses!

Now, it's May 2009, and I am sick to death of my slavery to food. I need encouragement and accountability but can't really afford a program like Weight Watchers or a gym membership since we live on a ministry budget (my husband is a full-time pastor).

This is why SP seems to be a great program for me! There are plenty of strength training and cardio activities I can do at home without equipment.

Today has been great so far...and I know myself--I have to take it hour by hour sometimes. I long to see this 28 pounds disappear. Well, 26.6 pounds as of today.

Baby steps, right?
(end of post from my SP page)

I remember the first time someone told me I was fat. Well, fat wasn't the word used, but it was implied. I was about 9 years old, and I definitely was not fat. But, my friend at the time was one of those stick-thin people you secretly despise for their good genes and trouble-free eating habits. (To my knowldege, she is still stick-thin nineteen years later! It's taking gargantuan amounts of self-control not to covet her excellent metabolism here.) I remember distinctly that she called me "husky." And not in a good way. Not in a "your voice has that husky, raspy quality reminiscent of Norah Jones." It was a matter of fact "You're bigger than me. Not exactly fat. But not thin like me. Just bigger....husky, really."

Ouch. I can still feel the blood rushing to my face as a nine year old. Husky? Really? And it was at that point in my life that I began noticing and disliking the way I looked. And so began my battle with food. Because that was the thing which makes one fat or husky. But it was also the thing which didn't judge me, which tasted good, which was something I could control--or so I thought. What I didn't realize: I allowed it to control me.

I battled with my weight intensely throughout highschool and college. While in highschool I tended to fight it by skipping meals during the day only to overdo it at dinner each night. I was somewhat active at the time. I played softball, but that was about it. Looking back, I wasn't very overweight. Quite possibly only 25 pounds or so at the very most. Once I hit college, my life became ruled by the clock. Classes all morning, work all afternoon and early evening, activities and homework late at night. Sleep? Sometimes. Eat? Only when I had time. Coffee? Absolutely necessary every day!

College took my focus off of food. If I skipped meals, which I did often, I did it because I simply did not have time to eat. I dropped 25 pounds very quickly. In fact, I fairly certain I dipped into the 120's during my junior year, which is UNHEARD of for me. I do remember one thing, though. I was always hungry. I never ate enough, which is why I think my body is most comfortable at 130 or so. I didn't feel hungry all the time when I hit that weight, but I wasn't necessarily overweight, either. But, even at my lowest weight, I struggled so hard with my appearance. I constantly lived in my nine year old frame of thought: I'm fat.

I remember the first time I really talked about the constant battle in my mind with food and body image. It was with a guy I was dating at the time (and the one I eventually married!). We were being extremely honest about our personal struggles--physical and spiritual--when I poured out my feelings of failure. He was incredibly reassuring and understanding...as much as he could be without having the same struggle. And now, seven years later, he still is as supportive and approachable about this subject as he was then.

But you caught that, right? It's still a struggle. Every hour it's a struggle. I hate, hate, hate that my mind is so consumed with something so temporary and superficial. The enemy knows my weakness for sure. He absolutely has my number here. And he throws it in my face unceasingly.

So why do something about it now? Why do I feel so determined today? Because I am sick to death of allowing this to rule my life. While I do need a health and fitness plan to help me get back on track, I also need to be seeking how to put this idolatry to death, spiritually speaking.

If you're still reading at this point, major kudos to you. I covet your prayers as I walk this road.

A blog I read regularly is that of a college friend, Erin Mount. She has taken an amazing leap and has lost over 60 pounds over the past year and a half. She is a major inspiration to me here, so I'm super-proud of her. She's my weightloss hero! Check out her blog.

Until later...
-glenna-

(Now I'm taking a deep breath and clicking "publish post"...for someone who prides herself on being transparent, this is not as easy as I thought it would be!)

::one more::

I knew I forgot one!


This is my favorite kids CD. We got it for Christmas...or rather, my son got it for Christmas. Put together by two Christian artists, Slugs, Bugs & Lullabies is a fun, poignant, and somewhat silly CD. Some of our favorite songs are "Tractor, Tractor", "Post Office Song", "Piggy Little Toes", "Bears", and "Chicken Wiggle" (which is also Isaiah's favorite). I applaud Andrew Peterson and Randall Goodgame for a great production! It's obvious through their music that they love and ENJOY their children. Children are a blessing from the Lord, and I think their precociousness and delight is celebrated in this album.

If you've got little ones, you must get this album!!

Enjoy your weekend!

-glenna-

::a few of my favorite things::

Today has been a day of lots of good stuff. Thought I'd share some of those niceties with you.

• Beautiful, breezy cool spring days. I sat out on the patio soaking up some sun while studying my Bible and having my prayer time while my son was down for his nap. There is nothing like a lovely spring day to remind you that the Lord's mercies are new everyday.
• 
  
• Good time in the Word. I'm still working my way through my Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan. I've fallen behind at times, but I always double up to catch up. Today I'm plugging along on schedule, mostly. I really enjoy reading in four different spots in Scripture. I'm currently in Judges, Psalms, Mark, & 1 Corinthians. I was so encouraged and convicted in my time this morning. Prayer time was just as sweet. How faithful and good our Father is!
• 
  
• Mint leaves. I mentioned this in my previous post, but I am growing mint, among other things, in my garden. There is nothing like dropping a couple of fragrant sprigs in your iced tea. So fresh. Love it.
• 
  
• Floaty linen skirts. I wore one just for the heck of it today, and I felt feminine and breezy (that's for you, Janie!). Nothing wrong with feeling girly once in a while, right?
• 
  
• Fun finds! Lamps for $5. No joke! I bought two of these Better Home and Garden Lamps at Wal-Mart for $5 a piece. I desperately needed new lamps for the nightstands in our bedroom. The one on my table had broken and didn't work at all. I wanted a matching set, but you know...lamps aren't cheap. So I was thrilled to find these! Go check your store to see if they have them!
• 
  
• Cheesy chicken enchiladas. When William and I first got married, I was so new to cooking it wasn't funny. I love to cook now and have learned a lot over the past six years! I feel confident in the kitchen and unless I'm baking or making something where timing and measurements are required to be precise, I'm comfortable throwing things together without measuring and substituting what I think will work. But, when I first got married, I only had about 5 recipes I could make with ease, and that was after several months of practicing. One such recipe was from a friend at church who had only been married about 6 months longer than I had. This recipe doesn't actually have enchilada sauce, and I'm not even sure that's the right name for this recipe, but that's what I call it. Mix together a can of cream of chicken, a cup of sour cream, a can of rotel, one small diced onion, and 2-3 cooked, shredded chicken breasts (add more if you like), salt and pepper to taste. Grease a baking dish. Put large spoonful of the mixture in a soft, white tortilla, sprinkle with shredded cheese (whatever you like: cheddar, jack, pepperjack if you like it really spicy), and then roll your tortillas up and place seam side down in your greased pan. If you use large tortillas, you'll use 6-8. If you use small ones, you might get 10-12, depending on how stingy you are with your mixture. I always reserve some of the mixture to spread on top of the enchiladas when you're done lining them up in the pan. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes or until heated through and bubble. Serve with extra sour cream, jalapenos, chives, salsa--whatever you like. Easy. Cheesy. Yum. And it's what we're having tonight. :) You can make it the night before, refrigerate overnight and bake the next day. Just add a little more baking time to knock the chill off.
• 
  
• Benadryl and Visine. I love spring, but spring does not love me. My allergy eyes and sneezing are raging in rebellion to the beautiful blooming world outside. A morning dose of benadryl (just one tablet) takes that sneezy feeling and runny nose away all day long. Later in the day, after watering the garden, my eyes got all red and itchy, but a drop of Visine Allergy drops worked a miracle. That stuff is golden!
• 
  
• Songs that make me long to be in heaven with my Lord. I'm stuck on this one right now and I'm really hoping we can teach it to our congregation.
  

• 
  
• And lastly, the smile of a little boy I am blessed to call my son.

(I realize it might look like he's crying or mad here, but actually he's laughing really hard! He loves swings!)

What small (or big!) blessing have you enjoyed today?

-glenna-

::how does your garden grow?::

(Nearly a month since I last posted?? Oops!)

I finally got my garden in.

I have been wanting to do this for several years, but this year it actually happened. Our neighbor does landscaping for a living, and he tilled up a plot for me in the backyard. It's a great spot for a garden as it gets sunlight all day until about 5 pm when the shed starts to cast a shadow over it. The soil feels good, too, I think. It seems healthy and moist. And that seems like a good thing, right? (Who am I kidding? What do I know about soil?)

I thought about buying seeds and germinating them indoors way back in February, but that didn't happen, so I bought germinated plants.
Here's what I planted:

• two tomato plants
• two zucchini squash plants
• two cucumber plants
• nine sweet green bell pepper plants
  
• eight jalapeno pepper plants
• one sweet yellow bell pepper plant
• lots of herbs (I LOVE cooking with fresh herbs): rosemary, thyme, cilantro, mint, and basil

I thought about doing more, but this IS my first attempt, and who's to say I won't kill every last plant?

Sadly, I think the cucumber plants have already kicked the bucket. I'm going to give them some more time to perk up, but I think they're goners.


Why so many pepper plants? I love to make salsa throughout the summer, so I want to make sure I have plenty of bell peppers, jalapenos, and tomatoes for that. The cilantro is also a key player in my salsa.

Now, about the blue cups.

I know, I know: they are quite adorable. What garden is complete without plastic blue cups, right? My neighbor told me that all the pepper plants were at the mercy of the resident bunny rabbits and squirrels, of which we have plenty. He warned me to put something over the base of the pepper plants until they get larger or else the rabbits would eat them, snipping them off at the base. He recommended tin cans, but I didn't have any and I wasn't planning on opening 19 cans of anything anytime soon, so I used plastic cups. I don't think I'll get them to stay on the plants all the time, but perhaps they'll stick long enough for the plants to mature a bit. We shall see.


We are going to put up a border around the garden eventually as another measure of defense against the critters.

Now, if you've gardened, I welcome your tips. Even if you haven't, you probably know more than I do! I gather that everything basically needs sunshine and water (yay--it's raining all weekend, so no watering for me!). I don't want to put chemicals all over everything because I'd like for it to be as organic as possible. But any tips besides weeding and keeping everything moist? I used some vegetable garden soil when planting everything, but I probably need some type of fertilizer, right?? Again, I'm so new at this I virtually have no idea what I'm doing, so if I yield any type of harvest, it will be a success. No cracks about my crooked rows, though. I realize they're not straight and narrow. ;)

::sew what?::

I am looking for a basic book or website on sewing for beginners. Any recommendations? I do visit Sew, Mama, Sew somewhat regularly, but I'm still so new to sewing that a lot of it is over my head. For you sewers out there, how did you get started?
:::
My friends are still doing their Friday freebies which last throughout the weekend.

• Janie is giving away an awesome nursing cover in a fun fabric over at bug-a-roo slings and things.
  
• Suzanne is giving away another set of birthday cards. (I could so use these!)
  

:::
I've not done anything even remotely crafty here lately, but I'll try to soon so I can post on something more interesting that give aways (although, those are always fun and I love to promote my friends' work). Oh, which reminds me....another friend, Lili, has begun a crafty business doing wall decor. Give her a look!

Well, it's late, and Sundays are long days and we're in the throes of teething which means less sleep for all of us, so I should most definitely be in bed instead of here.

'Nighty-night.

-glenna-

::more give aways::

Because I've been a bit too busy for bloggy stuff, I'm just going to plug some more give aways.

My friend Janie is having another give away at her mommy/baby accessory site. Hop on over to participate in her contest today!

Another friend of mine, Suzanne, is also holding give aways on the Fridays in March. Her stationery business is a great resource for custom made cards (& more!). Keep in touch with her through her give aways.

Be back soon with more bloggy love.

-glenna-

::bug-a-roo give away::

My best friend, Janie Williams, is hosting her first give away over at her business blog. She makes the cutest slings, burp cloths, and diaper ditties. To help promote her business, she is hosting her first give away! Hop on over to her sight to check out the goods and enter for the give away. She is a very talented lady! I personally own one of her slings and several of her burp cloths, which are my favorites of all the burp cloths I received when my son was born.
Her products are perfect gifts for baby showers! She even has a gift set that can be ordered for just such a gift.

-glenna-

::7 Quick Takes Friday::

• I have the flu. So does my 8 month old. I have NO idea where we picked it up, but it has taken its toll. We went to the doctor yesterday and tested positive for Influenza A. Lovely.

• My carefully planned week has gone down the tube. I had made all kinds of lists on Monday and was planning on following my home management notebook, but this week is one of those times when plans just don't pan out. Instead of cleaning and taking care of my home, I have collapsed on the couch for hours at time, trying to also take care of my sick little 8 month old.

• On taking care of the little guy while I'm sick....this is the not-so-glamorous part of motherhood. It's hard. I'll just be honest. Knowing how bad I feel just breaks my heart for my son because I know he feels just as bad!

• My house is a disaster, but...I don't care. Too sick to care.

• My husband went to Wendy's to get me frosty last night because that is all that sounded good to me. What a man!!

• Thankfully, the little man has no fever today!! Except for his cold symptoms, he is back to his playful, happy self.
  

• Will somebody come wash my sink full of dishes??

(I'm glad this list was only 7 points long....this about did me in!)

::plugging a give-away::

Check out this fun contest. The catch is, she won't do the contest unless she has at least 25 people put their names in, so go leave her a comment. :) If I win, I want something done for my son Isaiah's room.

::Mommy, Mommy, quite contrary, how does the diapering go?::

I admit it: I use disposables. (gasp!) Now that you picked yourself up off the floor, especially if you read some of my former posts on going green, let me 'splain.

I researched cloth diapering a bit, but I simply had no desire to go in that direction. Maybe it was the large up-front cost (even though there are minimal costs after the initial purchases) or that the thought of washing diapers in addition to my regular laundry just did not appeal to me (read: too much work). I did seriously consider it when we began our adoption process and knew that at some point we'd become parents, Lord-willing. But.....it wasn't attractive to me. Not to mention that in the small town I live in, I know not one soul who cloth-diapers. I'd be on my own as far as advice, information, buying, trading, etc.

Of course, I also looked at disposables, and let's just be honest: the convenience factor is a huge plus, right? Back when I was making some "green" changes, I vowed never to use disposables as long as I could afford a different option. That's why I was so excited to discover g-diapers. A veritable cross between cloth and disposables! The outside covers were cloth and reusable, and the inserts were biodegradable; you pick how you dispose of them: flush 'em, compost, toss in the trash. So I bought some. And I told a few folks that this would be my diapering method of choice which resulted in some thoughtful shower gifts in the form of g-diapers.

At the suggestion of even the staunchest cloth diaper-ers I read about online, I used the newborn disposables when Isaiah was born. He was so tiny, and I was worried about the bellybutton and such, so I just used the newborn diapers as everyone suggested. It was easier. After a month or so, I switched to the g-diapers, but I had already been subconsciously sucked in by the convenience of the disposables.

The g-diapers were amazingly cute on my little guy's bum. There's no argument there! Cloth diapers or g-diaper covers are adorable on a baby bottom--much more so than a disposable. My problem was the leak factor. The g-diapers leaked all the time! I changed them as frequently if not more so than I had with disposables, but they continued to leak, not to mention that there was always poo on the inside of the covers, which required washing. Not a big deal, but I wasn't thrilled about it.

And then there was "The Great Flood of '08". I made the mistake of flushing a g-diaper insert into the upstairs toilet. B.I.G. mistake. The toilet clogged and overflowed...and KEPT overflowing! I had over an inch of water in the bathroom that was quickly making its way out into my upstairs hallway (which, incidentally has original hardwood floors). I ran downstairs to grab more towels, after turning the water off behind the toilet, and heard the sound of rain downstairs. I made a quick pass through my front room/dining room to discover that it was, in fact, raining in my house....directly underneath the upstairs bathroom onto my hardwood floors. I frantically dialed my husband on the phone and begged him to come home and help me. The baby was crying in his bed, the bathroom upstairs was flooded, and it was raining toilet water downstairs.

It was a mess. A big mess. And I learned that out of the three toilets in my house, only one could handle a g-diaper flush. My husband asked me not to flush them anymore, and understandably so.

I could simply throw out the g-diaper inserts instead of flushing, but I just quit after that episode.

I'm a wimp, I realize. I switched back to disposables. They're just easier in the long run. I apologize for my lackadaisical attitude towards this subject. I live in a small town that doesn't carry any brand of earth-friendly disposables. If I could find them around here, I'd definitely give them a try. But for now, I gleefully open my son's closet to a small army of Pampers--the deluxe family size boxes, Christmas gifts from the grandparents. And I figure...if these diapers are still hanging around in 500 years, surely they will have found a way to get rid of them by then. After all, they will have had 500 years to figure it out!

-glenna-


(I just blogged on my diapering experiences for Momfessions! You can, too!)