Rearranged

Cyprian has been sleeping terribly for weeks. He wakes 5 or 6 times every night and either really needs me (nursing or diaper change) or can't settle himself back to sleep. We wondered if perhaps sharing our room was disturbing him frequently (he seems to be a light sleeper), so we decided to give him his own space.

Yesterday David spent a couple hours moving no less than 8 pieces of furniture from room to room and now we have:

1. A nursery (picture above), complete with crib, glider, dresser, and changing table. The room will still serve as storage for office/craft/school items as well. We can easily access the hall bathroom from the changing table (which is necessary with cloth diapering).

2. Teresa's room. It now has her bed (still just mattress and boxspring on the floor) and the guest bed, as well as a bookcase, toy/game cabinet, and dresser.

3. Master bedroom. It now has so much more space...enough for me to create a quiet corner with chair, table, and lamp. Perhaps this will help me sanctify my days with prayer more faithfully. The prayer corner brings me great joy...as does being able to get in and out the side of my bed!! (I've been crawling back and forth from the end of the bed since the cosleeper or crib was previously stationed at the side.)

So, how did Cyprian sleep in his new digs? Same old, same old. I was up with him 5 times between midnight and 3:30. Then he slept until about 6 am. I think his teeth (still under the gums) are hurting. Sigh.

And how are we going to accommodate our regular guest, David's dad? Tonight we're going to try having him sleep in Teresa's room (on the guest bed) and drag her mattress into our room. We'll see how it goes!

Household odds and ends

Two little things to share...

Newspaper bag full of bottle caps to be recycled

As excited as I am about our county's expanded recycling program, I regret that they do not accept any plastic bottle caps (because they're small and can clog up the recycling machines, I've heard). But I found an alternative to just throwing out my caps: Aveda has a cap recycling program. The Aveda webpage says it's just for schools, but I called up my local Aveda-affiliated salon and the employee said she'd be glad to take my bag of caps in to the Aveda Institute here in Charlotte, which is a collection point. I brought them in last week and am already filling up a new bag.

Herb drying sack hung in laundry closet

When my garden herbs revived with the (somewhat) cooler weather, I thought I'd try preserving some of them by drying. I researched methods online and tried this first:

1. cut the herbs with long stems
2. rinse and shake
3. gather into bundles (I used half twist-ties to keep them together)
4. set out to dry for a few hours (I put them on a plate on my counter)
5. punch holes in a small paper bag
6. tape the bundles of herbs inside at different levels (try to keep them from touching)
7. close and hang in a dry place (for about 2 weeks)

It worked! I opened the bag and found my oregano nicely dried. I stripped the leaves off the stems and put them in a labeled Ziploc bag for future use. I look forward to trying this again!

Laundry analysis

Because our water bills have been a little bit higher than we anticipated, David asked me to track how many loads of laundry I run. Our new washer is a high-efficiency front loader, so it actually uses very little water. But I was also curious about our laundry habits, so I kept a tally of loads for the month of March. The results:

12 loads of diapers (every 3 days, on average)
10 loads of regular clothes (about once a week I run a load of lights and a load of darks)
3 loads of scrubs (we always wash David's work wear separately in hot water)
4 loads of linens (2 towels, 1 sheets, and 1 bedding)
-----
29 loads total (an average of 1 load per day)

That's definitely more than I thought; since I don't do laundry every day (I like to run 3 loads in a row to conserve dryer heat, if possible) it seemed like less. Also, laundry is a chore I somewhat enjoy, so I don't make as big a deal out of it (in my mind, anyway) as chores I dislike, such as washing the dishes.

If it seems like our family of 3 washes fewer loads of regular clothes than most, remember my philosophy of wearing clothes several times to make them last longer and consume less water and energy. And if you're wondering whether we regret our decision to use cloth diapers, since they require a good bit of time (all that washing - and folding!): never. They have saved us so much money (and will continue to do so for YEARS!), they've kept an incredible amount of waste out of the landfills (it pains my heart to think of the mountains of disposables people throw away), and they're really not that difficult to use. Plus they're cute to boot!

Our house at Christmastime

David would like to keep our Christmas decorations up until the end of the Christmas season, the Baptism of the Lord, which is Sunday, January 10. Our pastor is coming to bless our house on Monday the 11th, though, so we may keep everything up another day or two.

We are getting a piano soon, though, and it's going to go right where the Christmas tree is. Hmm!

Security in Charlotte

Hi all...David here. So thanks be to God, we have a loan and we'll be living in a house. One of the many priorities that need to be addressed will be the security system. Anyone have any good tips in addition to resources for companies here in Charlotte that are reputable. CPI was used by the previous owners, but after checking some online reviews, I'm hesitant about jumping into their services. It does seem that most of the companies will go through the cable line which is also different from when my folks had their security system.

Thanks and keep the prayers coming because we can't do it without Him.

Sink

This is the kitchen sink in the soon-to-be-ours house. Cosmetically, it looks just fine. I can get over the fact that it isn't stainless steel. But there are two things about it that really bother me:

1. Situated against the end of the counter, it has no counter space to the left.

2. The left-hand side of the sink (the one with the garbage disposal) is really small.

I have to rethink the way I use my kitchen sink now. In our apartment, I prefer to have dirty dishes (that can't go in the dishwasher) stacked to the left of the sink. I don't like putting them in the sink unless they need a soak. But if I put them to the right of the sink, where will I put the dish drainer? Can it sit on the top counter ledge without falling off?

And how will I do dishes? Currently, I wash in one side and rinse in the other. But that small side doesn't look like it will accommodate the rinsing of large dishes. My mom suggested washing in the big sink by starting with just a little soapy water and rinsing over it to increase the water. I'm afraid I still won't have enough space to rinse big pots and such. Maybe I could use the sprayer (lift the spigot) and rinse from a greater height to accommodate large items.

Finally, what good is that little side with the disposal? What can I do in it besides rinse off food gunk into the disposal?

I'm open to any and all ideas, especially from anyone who has worked with a sink like this. Thanks!

Seeking input: Washer & Dryer

Appliances are at the top of the list of things we will need for our new home, specifically a refrigerator, a washer, and a dryer. We are prepared to spend the bulk of our small "moving in" budget on these items...my parents are strong advocates of "buy once, buy right" when it comes to appliances. The Maytag washer and dryer they bought for their first home lasted 25 years (washer) and 30+ years (the dryer is sitting in the garage at their river house, ready to quick-dry wet winterwear). I've been told they don't make them like the used to, but I'd really like to purchase appliances that are going to last us a long, long time...and perform their functions efficiently. I'm a big fan of high efficiency appliances that save resources (such as water) and energy (and therefore money).

In this post I am requesting any an all advice about washers and dryers, especially if you've acquired some recently and are familiar with current options. Here are some of the questions running through my mind:

• I think that Maytag and Whirlpool are good brands - am I right? What other brands are trustworthy? Kenmore, Frigidaire, LG?
• Are the high efficiency models worth it? Do they clean and dry well? How about with cloth diapers?
• Have you dealt with incomplete draining and/or mold growth in a front-loader?
  
• If I go with front-loading HE models, do I need to buy the pedestals as well? What do you use those drawers for?
• I am considering shopping for appliances at a local Sears Outlet store, where "cosmetically flawed" units are discounted. I don't mind a scratch or ding if it saves us money. Have you ever made a purchase at a store like that?
  

Please share your experiences and ideas with me via the comments, email, or Facebook message. Thanks!

Photo credit: chris.corwin

We're buying a house!

We accepted the sellers' counteroffer yesterday and signed the contract papers last night. Today our mortgage loan was approved at the fabulous rate of 4.5%. We're scheduling the inspection for next week and getting other ducks in a row. What an exciting time!

Here's a picture of the backyard through the screen door:


The deck canopy and wooden playset are staying. The yard is flat and well fenced, and there's plenty of sun so I can grow a garden. What a blessing!

Third time's a charm?

Today David and I made an offer on a house. This is the third time we've completed offer paperwork since we started house hunting almost 2 and a half months ago. We never expected how time-consuming and energy-draining this process would be, nor did we realize how much we had to learn about real estate markets, home purchase financing, and so much more. But we've taken in stride some tough lessons, difficult decisions, and frustrating delays and now we're really, really, really hoping everything will go through for us to purchase this house. We feel great peace about it.

We're going to wait to share any details about the house and its location until things are more settled. But I wanted to post this news quickly and thank everyone for their prayers and understanding as we've searched for a home for our little family. We've let all sorts of things (including relationships) take a back seat during this time, so we're looking forward to getting back on track and picking up the slack soon (how's that for mixing idioms?).

Your support and continued prayers are greatly appreciated. God's will be done!