Oh, Just a Little Of Everything

My favorite text today went like this:  "I'm in need of a Walden Family Digest post.  Please and thank you."  Here you are!

Where do I even start? So much time has lapsed that I feel like I've lost my page in a very long book.  Where did I leave off?  Let's just get to it.

1.) Our house is on the market.  It's clean, organized, and ready for a buyer!  So far, we have had great feedback (the only negatives have been the size.  We know that already.  Can't change it.)  I'm as excited as I am indifferent about moving, as it just occurred to me that we will have to pay for our new home.  Oops.  Oversight.  I would like to keep my little mortgage, yet get twice the home.  Is that possible?  No?

2.)  In getting the house ready to sell, I have become obsessed with home-made cleaning products.  How are these not the norm?  They work better than anything I have bought from the store, and cost about $0.50-$1 to make.  My favorites: 1/2 Dawn Dish Soap, 1/2 White Vinegar.  This works especially well on toilets and on soap scum in showers.  Also, it smells just like SweetTarts.  I credit Jamie Shartzer for this.  Blue Magic, this stuff is.  As an all-purpose cleaner, I use 1/2 vinegar, 1/2 water, and the peels of several oranges or lemons.  It needs to sit for two weeks, but it doesn't matter too much unless you really want to get rid of the vinegar smell.  (I kind of like it.  It reminds my of my grandparents' house.)

3.)  Teeth!  We have teeth in this house!  Well, naturally, four of us have at least most of our teeth, but our tiny baby is not the only one without any more.  He's the latest teether of them all at 6.5 (almost seven!) months, but we have two tiny teeth finally poking through his little gums at the very same time. (He is already a biter when he nurses, so pray for my nipples.)

4.)  Related or unrelated to the teeth (and I hope related), our generally happy and mild-mannered little guy was introduced to formula recently with very terrible results.  After asking my brother to watch the kids overnight while I was working and Adam was out of town on business, it dawned on me that it might be a little weird for him to handle my breastmilk.  So, I figured maybe we would try formula for sitters and the the feeding Adam has to do while I am gone at work three nights a week.  Sadly, Hatch reacted terribly.  I can count on one hand the number of times he has been fussy in his short little life, and yesterday was one of them.  He was pitiful.  Obviously, he was in pain, but I'm wavering between whether it was teeth or belly pain.  I nursed him all day yesterday.  ALL day, in an effort to soothe him.  Today, I gave him some Tylenol and he's been asleep since 9am.  My poor little buddy.  I have a good supply of pumped milk, so we'll just go back to that.  Also, when did formula get to be so expensive??  I choked when I saw the price sticker.  Highway robbery.

5.)  Hatch has also started to crawl!  I wouldn't say he is a "crawler" just yet, but he can get up on his knees, rock for a few seconds to gain momentum, and crawl short distances before flopping on his ample little belly and smiling ear-to-ear at his accomplishment.

6.)  Lastly, but definitely most importantly, welcome to the world little Louie Edward!  We have been waiting for you!  (We gained a new nephew this week.  A new, much-anticipated, perfectly perfect nephew. )