babies!!!! (and all their cute stuff)

When Archie was one month old I suddenly decided that I really wanted to find the cute onesies that said how old they were on them because I'd seen some of my students' babies with them, but didn't know where to get such a thing.  I found a couple of websites where you could buy iron on decals, etc. but that seemed too complicated, and besides my husband thought it was one of the most ridiculous things he'd ever heard of.  I value his opinion, of course, but sometimes I need to realize that we are not the same and it's okay if we don't agree (speaking of that wonderful man, it's his birthday today!!!  He's getting old).  Unfortunately, that is not always the first conclusion I come to and instead just do what he suggests whilst stewing about what I really want.  I went to Hobby Lobby last week (to buy some things for my mantle to make it more interesting, but then after getting it all home decided it seemed too contrived), and found these cute month stickers -- how easy is that!!!  I know I missed the first two, but I squeezed in the third while he was still technically three months, and can use the rest.  Aaah, isn't he sweet?

One important thing my spouse is completely correct about is that I really need to rein in the spending because the cost of aiding and abetting six children through their college careers is looming large before us.  Funny how I didn't think about that at all when Ella was three months old...  I feel so disjointed as I quickly finish changing a diaper to run down and help Ella finish up some of her college applications.  So I am going to try and do better, BUT (that was a big but) I have such a hard time resisting diapers.  There is this one brand that my friend refers to as the cadillac of cloth diapers:

They are luscious minky on the outside and soft, absorbent bamboo on the inside.  I first bought some on the diabolical website Baby Steals -- the one where a new amazing deal pops up twice a day and all you have to do is hit one innocent little button flashing "steal me, steal me" coquettishly, and it comes to your house all wrapped up in a brown package!  I've only had two for a couple of months and I loved them right from the start.  On Sunday morning Matthew and I had a long heart to heart about being more frugal and I am completely on board, truly!  But while I was nursing the baby I decided to browse through facebook and someone posted, "Itti bitti tuttos on baby steals today."  Oh, I wasn't even going to go to the website that day because I don't believe in shopping on Sunday!  With wrenching heart and clenching stomach I just had to look, hoping there were still some left while also hoping they'd be gone so I wouldn't have to make the difficult choice.  I had gotten there soon enough and almost everything was still available (within 30 minutes I think most of them were gone).  I wasn't going to buy anything else, anything, but this was different and I just had to do it.  I bought three more diapers because they were such an amazing deal!  It didn't matter that I had recently sworn off consumerism and all of its evils.  It didn't matter that it was Sunday.   I even started thinking how sad it is that I won't be having more children to wear these breathtaking diapers, and how unfortunate it was that I would have to potty train Archie someday because I just want a reason to use these for years!  What am I thinking?  Complete irrationality has taken over.  THAT is how awesome these diapers are!!!  To make myself feel better I called my fellow diaper junkie to tempt her, be a bad influence, etc. etc. but she resisted.  I need just an ounce of that kind of courage and resolve.