Today feels very much like an intermediate sort of day.  The day between not having money and having money (maybe?) (hopefully?).  The day after my “little” girl turns 9 months old (THREE MONTHS LEFT, ZOMG).  The day before my blog turns 4 years old.  (Four?  Really?  Sometimes it feels like one, sometimes it feels like ten.)  The cusp of Christmas.  The calm before the storm (that had better leave us some snow this time, for pity’s sake).  The end of the weekend but the start of vacation.  Gosh, look at me waxing poetic here.

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I ended up submitting photo #3 to the contest last night.  It ended up with the most votes between this blog, Cloth Diaper Mamas,the goodmama forum on Diaper Swappers and even Twitter.  It was actually a really tight vote though.  As of the time I submitted, #3 had 9 votes, #2 and #1 both had 7 and #4 had 1.  I think the reason that #4 was “shut-out” was because, though adorable, it didn’t contain the unrestrained joy and the interesting-ness of the other three.  It was a REALLY tough call, but I feel good with the picture I submitted.  It shows not only the diaper, but the tree in the background and since the photo would be posted to the site later on this week, just in time for Christmas, it was appropriately festive.

So a huge THANK YOU to everyone who gave me their vote.  I really appreciated it because no way I could have picked on my own.

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My laptop continues it’s steep downward spiral into the bowels of hell.  Oh Dell.  How the mighty have fallen.  Dell sucks, ya’ll.  And I’m not afraid to say that.  My “g” will probably cease all function in the next day or so since the little green “thingie” that allows me to press it is threatening to fall off once and for all.  And once that happens, I plan to chuck this thing into a snow-drift.  (Of course, I only wish I could do that.  Alas, I cannot.)

Come on tax return!  Mama needs a Macbook!

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Wanna see some pictures?  Of course you do.

See this diaper?  This is my new best friend.  I love it so. It’s called “Wild Child“.  It’s going under the tree for me Evie.

I love a good picture of a crying baby.  This is the same “Baby’s First Christmas” outfit that we got for Liam.  The difference is that Liam swam in it and Evie barely fits.  But you know, whatever works!

Luckily, she got over her ire and proceeded to entertain us with her “nose thing”.  Gosh, I love that face.

I was trying to achieve some nice “bokeh” in the background and a) my camera sucks and b) I need more lights or something.  Whatever.  It’s more blurry than bokeh but it works, I guess.  I’ll keep working on it!

Can someone tell me why there’s a dent in the middle of this fingernail?  Cuz it kinda freaks me out.

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Okay, that’s enough from me today.  I’ll be back tomorrow with some grand blog-iversary festivities.  Which means: a post about how this blog is now four years old.  WEE!

I often worry that my particular parenting choices will come off as “preachy” to other moms.  That they will feel intimidated by what I chose to do with my children and will think that I will in turn think less of them for making a different choice.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, I think my choices are just that, choices.  And how could I look down on anyone simply for making other choices?  Choices that are just as good as the ones I make for my own family.

Take breastfeeding for instance.  I do take pride in knowing that Evie has been, for the most part, exclusively breastfed since the day she was born.  Solids are merely a supplement at this stage in the game.  Often, they’re an afterthought (she said, with shame).  I wasn’t able to nurse Liam, but I did pump all his milk for the first ten months of his life and he was a lot worse about eating solids than Evie is.  Harry too was nursed exclusively for the first year of his life.  Do I think this makes me better than someone else who has used formula?  No, it just means I made another choice.  I’m happy with that choice and proud of it, sure, but it doesn’t make me better.

Co-sleeping is the same.  We have co-slept with all our children, to varying degrees.  This was simply a choice we made when our children were newborns.  We (read: I) wanted more sleep so co-sleeping was the simplest, most-effective way to achieve that.  It turns out, I really enjoyed having my kids in bed.  I felt I bonded closer to them and was able to really enjoy the closeness and the small moments of smiling into each others eyes first thing in the morning.  But am I better than a mom who chose to put her baby in a crib or bassinet from day one?  Nope.  Not in the slightest.

And cloth diapering is NO different.  I’ve gotten the vibe from people I know in real life that they might be a little intimidated by my decision to use cloth diapers on Evie.  That they think I might think less of them if they don’t want to cloth diaper as well.  Definitely not.  I know it’s not for everyone.  Shoot, why do you think I never tried it with Harry or when Liam was little?  Because I didn’t feel it was a choice that I wanted to make, could make or maybe even SHOULD make for my family.  Things change, attitudes change, budgets change and opportunities open up.  I don’t think I made the decision to switch to cloth lightly, and if I gush about it on here or to someone I know in person, it’s only because I’m excited about it.

I’m thrilled that I have been able to embrace cloth diapering as easily and thoroughly as I have.  I am invigorated by the cloth diapering community and all the completely adorable options out there for diapering my kids butts.  So if I gush, it’s simply because I’m just seriously PSYCHED about the whole business.  And not because I entertain for a moment the notion that I could/should/would convert anyone to using cloth diapers.  Now, if someone became more likely to give it a shot after talking to me?  Su-WEET!  That would be awesome.  But I’m not going to tsk-tsk and look down my nose at anyone who prefers to stick to their disposables.  Because, at the end of the day, it’s a choice.  I’m not a better mom for cloth diapering any more than I’m better for co-sleeping or breastfeeding.

And you know what?  It goes both ways.   I don’t want anyone to look down their noses at me for the choices I have made either.   I don’t want someone to roll their eyes when I mention that we co-sleep, give me a dirty look for nursing my daughter in the van while we’re out during the day or wrinkle their nose in disgust when they learn my children wear cloth diapers.  You don’t have to explain your choices to me, and I shouldn’t have to explain mine to you.

Because, when it comes down to it, we’re all equal.  We all love our children.  And that’s what matters.