Today is Ian’s one month birthday. Such a short time, but it seems as though he has always been a part of our family. It has been a great month, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of his first year of life holds!

Don't you love the irony of meeting Morgan Spurlock (of "Super Size Me" fame) while clutching a giant cup of sugary soda?

Anyway, this sparked yet another conversation about how our family’s diet is not-so-awesome and needs to be addressed. (Like, why do the children shun the box of Organic Oaty-O’s that have been sitting in the pantry for months, yet they descend on Golden Puffs like locusts?) Maybe that’s why we got so excited when someone forwarded me information about Bountiful Baskets, a regional food co-op.

For $16.50, we got a laundry basket filled with yummy fresh fruits and vegetables. I was concerned that we might end up with some weird things that I’d be unable to use (for my cooking skills are not up to being creative), but the only item that hasn’t been entirely consumed is the red peppers. The kids have been eating fruits and vegetables with every meal- fabulous!

The only drawback is that we have to pick it up at the ungodly hour of 7 am on Saturday morning. (!!!) Thankfully, the pick up site is about two minutes from our home.

The contents of our first basket.

I found the generous amount of bananas to be particularly exciting. Brady is a banana-eating fiend, but I still managed to snag enough of them to make a loaf of banana bread. I used this recipe (with less sugar), and then sprinkled the top with a smattering of butterscotch chips.

This loaf barely lasted long enough to get a photo...

Though this may prove challenging, thanks to the arrival of baby Ian on January 13th…

Ian sporting his beanie hat. (Photo by DoChara Photography.)

Ian is modeling a Beanie Hat from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms. I also made this pattern for Brady, but the yarn that I used looked bedraggled after a couple of wears (Caron Simply Soft, I think). I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (in Lake and Taupe) this time around, with much better results. The only modification was adding a couple extra rows before the decreases, because my kids have giant melons. I’d like to try knitting this in the round next time, but knitting tiny little baby hats on DPNs intimidates me following some false starts with crazy amounts of laddering.

I also made half of a pair of booties from the same book, but switched to making Bev’s Stay-On Booties in the interest of saving time. Poor choice on my part- these booties do NOT stay on Ian’s long feet. Hand-knitted baby booties going astray makes me sad.

In other baby-related crafting news, I used this tutorial from My Crafty Side to make clips for Ian’s Gumdrop pacifiers. (Incidentally, the shape of the Gumdrop is far superior to the face-dominating  roundness of the Soothie, Brady’s pacifier of choice. So glad I discovered these!)

My first attempt at making a pacifier clip.

Finding grosgrain ribbon that was (a) an adequate width, (b) non-girly, and (c) coordinated with the pacifier colors (because I probably have some form of OCD…) was more difficult than I anticipated!

I’m not in love with the method of attachment. I made a trip to SAS Fabrics by the Pound, home to a million random notions, in pursuit of smaller, lighter plastic clips (like these ones, which are apparently only available in bulk quantities online); after wandering past box upon box of belt buckles, I resigned myself to using metal suspender clips. Ian doesn’t seem to mind, though.

The five-gallon bucket of homemade laundry detergent sitting in the kitchen is a testament to the fact that I fall prey to these notions at times. (Thanks, Duggar family!) Additional proof- my hair.

The whole “no poo” thing was rattling around in my head for a while, but it seemed a bit too much like crazy hippie talk to me. Baking soda? Apple cidar vinegar? In lieu of shampoo? For reals? Then “no poo” started making the rounds on the Interwebs a few weeks ago and I read this article, and the whole idea sounded much more palatable to me.

Maybe it’s that I’m trying to grow my hair out. It’s a never ending cycle- I grow it out for a couple years, then chop it off when I can no longer stand the brittle/split end/breaking issue that plagues me when it’s long. My hair is thick, so drying it takes forever. If I don’t heat style it, it does this highly unattractive thing where parts are wavy and parts are straight. So the promise of healthy hair that actually behaves was mighty tempting.

And then there is our recent household mission to kick weird chemicals to the curb. We make regular use of the Cosmetic Safety Database now. Ditching sodium laurel sulfate seems like the next logical step, right?

So I was shampoo-free for the past couple weeks, and it was working out pretty well. I never experienced greasy hair or anything of the sort. I started out using a trial pack of DevaCurl products, and they were perfectly servicable until I started getting some weird buildup on my scalp. Then I started alternating those with baking soda and apple cidar vinegar, with greater success, but the results were still not quite what I had envisioned.

Although that might be due the fact that I haven’t found a styling product sans silicone that can tame my hair. So I tried to follow the Curly Girl method of styling, coaxing my waves into…something. (They sure weren’t pretty little ringlets. ) Gave up on that after a couple days of diffusing and scrunching and plopping, all leading to copious usage of barettes to disguise the insane aftermath.

I decided to try another approach and do the conditioner wash method, using a bottle of Suave Naturals Coconut conditioner that I found shoved in the back of the cupboard. For my heavier conditioner, I visited every store in a five-mile radius looking for L’oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss for Wavy/Curly Hair (eventually finding it at Albertsons, FYI). But you know what? The Suave shampoo bottle looks a heck of a lot like the conditioner, and I ended up shampooing my hair for three days straight.

The good news is that I can say without a doubt that the “no poo” experiment was working in my favor, because now my hair looks really, really awful after going back to regular shampoo.

I still get a copy from the local library now and then, and was interested to see the headline, “Comfy flats and big bags for Black Friday survival”. You see, Black Friday shopping is a hallowed tradition for me, which started long before it occurred to the unwashed masses to camp outside of Best Buy overnight and trample innocent Walmart employees in pursuit of $100 off a plasma television. So I was curious to see what Yes would recommend to “keep [my] fashionista cred intact”…

Good thing these shoes are labeled “bargain”. I’ll need that savings to offset the cost of the $328 tote. Those fussy drawstings look like they could pose a problem when I’m digging for my wallet while precariously balancing a pile of goods… At least the irate people behind me in line will appreciate my fashion sense!

Gladiator sandals are the perfect footwear for waiting outside of a store at 3:30 AM. It’s 47 degrees at that hour, but practicality must be ignored when fashion is at stake. Who needs socks? They only serve to hide my pedicure, and Chanel Blue Satin nail polish ain’t cheap!

Seriously, what kind of vain women are buying into this rubbish? Probably the same women who would buy a $1200 holiday flower arrangement:

Whiskey-tango-foxtrot, people?!

Me? On Black Friday, I chose to forgo the advice of Yes while putting together the perfect outfit for storming Babies “R” Us at 5 AM. I was sporting a hoodie from Eddie Bauer (the poofy fleece material adds 10 pounds, but it’s warm) over a long-sleeve tee from the Gap, Old Navy jeans, and Nike sneakers that Pussycat used as a chew toy years ago. Oh, I can’t forget the handbag! It’s from the 75% off clearance rack at Target (while my Michael Kors and Juicy Couture bags languish in the closet due to a dearth of functional pockets).

We scored six boxes of diapers (756 diapers total) and six boxes of baby wipes (2,880 wipes total) for $97.24.  (For my readers sans children: that’s incredible. Trust me.) Not as good as last year, when there was no limit in place and my pregnant self (along with K.) cleared out every remaining box in the place, but I’m content with my Black Friday purchases. Ya’ll can keep your Blu-ray players and gladiator sandals.

Some things that are making me happy:

Mon.thly.Info – This site keeps track of your menstrual cycles and predicts when I will have my period (and ovulation, if I was into the idea more babies right now). It even e-mails a helpful reminder two days before the “event”, so I don’t have to make a rushed trip to The Store That Shall Not Be Named for tampons. Brilliant use of technology.

Ruche – This online boutique has a feeling that’s similar to Anthropologie, yet I don’t have to sell my first-born child to afford it. Also: some organic cotton items. I highly approve. I bought this Magenta Flowing Forest Scarf, this Wooden Branch Charm Necklace, and these Leafy Filigree Earrings. I wish I wasn’t too fussy to buy shoes online, because these Brown Lacey Lace Flats are calling me.

The local library added shopping baskets for use by patrons. As someone who wanders among the shelves while balancing a precarious stack of books, this addition is greatly appreciated. Now if only they could block MySpace on the public computers…Thirty-two computers, and every one is occupied by a preteen.

Twitter – Now that I have an iPhone, it is 10x more fun. I can twitter while doing interesting things, as opposed to every post being along the lines of: “Sitting at my desk. Working.” TwitPic is my friend. (Not so much: the Twitter application for Facebook. I gave it the boot after it filled up my profile page with status updates, making me look like a loser who hangs out on social networking sites all day long.)

Brady fell in love with a kiddie piano at FAO Schwarz and I hesistantly plunked down $50 to bring this one home (because a pink Baby Grand for $175? Not happening.) Would he continue to be enamored with it enough to justify the cost (as well as the hassle of dragging it through Caesars Palace)? Oh, yes. Brady thinks he’s Baby Elton John, tickling the ivories all day long (and sometimes teething on the piano lid, using it to pull himself to a semi-standing position, or falling over and hitting his head on the keys with a resounding “PLONK!”).

School starts in less than a week, and we have yet to receive our books. I can’t get organized, and my sanity depends on organization.

I’ve got an inbox full of correspondence I’ve neglected.

My hip is acting up for no discernible reason (aside from scoliosis).

Brady was fussier than usual.

And my grandpa died this afternoon.

Yeah, it was a bad day.

At least I have this to cheer me:

Brady with the piece of tortilla he mooched at Chipotle, 8/3/08

• disposing of plastic food storage containers with no matching lids (or vice versa),
• recycling cardboard boxes strewn about the garage,
• putting books on the bookcase we moved upstairs,
• packing up old school books to send back to K12 to make room for the new books that will arrive any day now,
• posting our old microwave on Freecycle,
• or pulling the creeping weeds of evilness that invaded our yard.

One project is photogenic enough to warrant mention, though. Using this starched fabric decal tutorial, I added a giraffe to Brady’s room.

The recessed area above his bed was definitely lacking something. I wanted an easily removed, cheap bit of artwork since the Pottery Barn jungle animal motif will disappear when the baby outgrows his crib. Using this lamp for inspiration:

I bought two yards of white and yellow gingham fabric for $2 at our local Store-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named, as well as a 52 cent scrap of orange. I made an enlarged paper pattern of the giraffe using Rapid Resizer, cut out the body, and stuck the fabric up there using the tutorial directions. I was concerned that the bumpy wall texture (prevalent in Arizona houses) would cause a heinous end result, but it worked out fine (although smooth walls = best results). I then cut some freehanded orange spots; in retrospect, I would have liked a lighter orange, but not enough to warrant a trip to another fabric store.

Kyle thinks that I should add a tree. And clouds. And a bird. (This project was easy, but not THAT easy.)

I vaguely recall that this was originally supposed to be a knitting blog. My knitting output has diminished greatly since the baby arrived. (Note: I was knitting prior to his arrival, but failed to document any of it. It involved booties and hats that were outgrown in the blink of an eye, because Brady is in the 90th percentile for height/weight.) But while we’re discussing crafty stuff, I’ll post this:

The second sleeve to my #@!* Hourglass Sweater, which had better fit this time around. I am so close to finishing it, but am so bored of endless stockinette stitch with Classic Elite Bam Boo (Bougainvilla) yarn that hurts my hands.

And this:

A Shadow Scarf in Knitpicks Shimmer (Bayou). I was working on one of these before my lace yarn met a tragic end and I frogged the whole thing. (Pussycat has only attacked the yarn for this scarf during the initial winding, resulting in minor damages. Knock on wood.) I like knitting lace. It appeals to my perfectionist side. This project is highly portable with an easily memorized pattern (about all I can hope for at the moment) and the resulting fabric is super soft and cuddly. Yay!

It started with our trip to Michigan, which wreaked havoc on his schedule. Signs of never-before-seen crankiness appeared. I began getting up in the middle of the night to quell the fussing in the Pack N’ Play across the room. My dad and I took Brady for numerous outings, as riding in the stroller was the only thing that ensured contentment (as long as we didn’t slow our pace, even to window shop).

He amazed our relatives with his newfound sitting and rolling prowess, but also began whining for food like an insistent dog. I think this habit started with a slice of pickle I gave him to teethe on, and was reinforced with bits of baked beans and melted marshmallow slipped to him by family members on the 4th of July. I knew that I was in serious trouble when he had a five-alarm meltdown because I wouldn’t allow him to drink my pop. (It finally dawned on me to buy teething biscuits- messy, but proffering them at meal times maintains the peace. His new fancy European cow sippy cup, courtesy of Grandpa, is also of great help.)

So traveling with Brady was not a rousing success, but his bad temper was manageable because there was a constant supply of adoring people to hand him off to. I thought he would sort himself out once we returned home, but then came a fever, followed by…

Chicken pox. (Caught from Aidan, who had the vaccine and acquired a mild case that I thought might be bug bites or an allergic reaction.) Thankfully, Brady’s case of chicken pox was also fairly tame (in comparison to mine*), but it certainly did nothing to improve his mood. He is now in the recovery phase, but the past week has been a blur of toys-whinging-bottle-lullaby-nap-repeat. (Also, I feel guilty over the fact that Brady traveled on an airplane at the height of contagiousness and exposed numerous people to his germs, including my pox-free brother.)

I am mentally preparing myself for tomorrow. Brady has an appointment with the family doctor, which will undoubtedly include shots of some sort. Fun!

* Yours truly, with chicken pox:

As opposed to the ramshackle old cargo vans plastered with stickers that travel down our streets, hawking a wide assortment of Mexican candy (possibly containing lead) in addition to the traditional sherbert cartoon character heads with gumball eyes.

And why do they all play a tinny version of the “Popeye” theme song?

As this post proves, the rumors of my demise were patently false. There were a variety of reasons behind my blog neglect, which included:

• An incident (unrelated to this blog) which made me question the wisdom of making personal information readily available on the internets,
• Pregnancy and the resulting confinement to my bed/couch, which limited my blogging inspiration to such scintillating topics as “Why hasn’t someone at All My Children told Jacob Young that his hair looks wretched?”,
• The arrival of Baby Brady and the discovery that followed: One-handed typing while holding an infant? It’s quite difficult.