Thrifty Mom's Waste Management

Everyone says you cannot overestimate the sticker shock of a baby. I believed them, but I didn't fully understand what they meant. Going to the store for diaper supplies and coming out $80 lighter was a real wake-up call. Combined with the cats' kitty litter and my toilet paper, we hit nearly $100 a month on just poop. It's enough to stimulate your bowels -- in a bad way.

Coupons are now my friends. I'm able to get the same number of diapers at 75 percent of what I had been paying. I'm an expert on when Huggies (the diaper du jour) will be on sale, when coupons are doubled, and which stores will accept store and manufacturer coupons.

I use cloth diapers when we are home. Just plain old prefolds with a diaper cover work like a charm. (And, hey, I think this counts for Mother Earth kudos too.) Now that I'm healed from the c-section and can run up and down the stairs, laundry is easier. These diapers wash very easily, and baby is still breastfeed. When she starts solid foods, I'll let you know if there are horror stories.

The coupons and sales and store policies can be very entertaining. These days, I especially enjoy reeling in a bargain. I'm not one of those who can buy $100 worth of groceries for $.50, but I can knock $20 off the total. It makes me want to dance!

Baby Likes Bookstores

Being an avid reader myself, I hope to share this interest with my daughter. We read Goodnight Moon or The Runaway Bunny. She bats at the pages or snuggles with me. Frankly, she's less than attentive. I've started sneaking in a few pages of Leaves of Grass when I've read her a book or two. She doesn't seem to know the difference yet, which is good because Uncle Walt is racier than I remembered. As to the baby, perhaps she will have pleasant associations with the site and smell of a book -- if only it is because when we sit down together.

I'd been avoiding bookstores so the customers aren't offended and the baby isn't cranky. A trip to the bookstore this weekend went very well. She sat in her sling and looked at the colorful book spines while I browsed. Of course, we made new friends with the staff and the customers. Baby smiles and flirts with everyone. I had no idea how much people love babies. I'd only heard horror stories about rude comments from strangers. Nearly six months into the game, we haven't had any encounters. I have a whole new appreciation for my fellow humans.

I still have to pinch myself each time I realize that I have a baby who I love and who loves me right back. I'm not dreaming. It's the real deal.