Why does the baby always fall asleep at the wrong time?

I'm baking potatoes so M can make gnocchi. This is the time when I would like Mark O to be awake, but we're listening to Talk of the Nation, and I think it lulled him to sleep. So, now I would like to either a) Take a shower or b) do a little work, but if I pick him up to take him upstairs where all of my work crap is, then he will wake up. Also, I will probably forget about the potatoes then. So, instead, I'm writing some emails for this home renovation workshop I (for some ridiculously foolish reason) volunteered to chair, washing dishes, folding diapers and other 5 minute tasks. When you have young kids, it is actually a pretty dumb idea to try and do anything that takes longer than 5 minutes. Yesterday we put the kids to bed quite early. Lights were out at 7:30, which just doesn't happen around here. It was not on purpose (I tried that the other day and it backfired.) This was due in part to Laurel not taking a nap over the weekend, as well as running her around Phipps Conservatory (their pretend farmer's market area is the best place to play!).

And no, they didn't sleep through the night. Don't ask us that. Don't ask any parent that. Mark O took the biggest crap I've ever seen come out of an almost six week old and Laurel woke me up to tell me that she loves me, even when she breaks things. I know it's a terrible habit, but sometimes I read email or the news while I'm nursing in the middle of the night. My friend sent me a link to this guy's blog and I laughed so hard I cried.  My Three Year Old's Stand-up Comedy Set is so my life right now. I should keep a notebook next to the bed and write down the random thoughts Laurel wakes me up with every single night. Then I could save them until she's a teenager and then wake her up and read them to her in the middle of the night.

I just bought some flat diapers. A lot of people cloth diaper because of the cute factor. You can spend a lot of money on cute diapers. Like, $25 a diaper. We do it because of the cheap factor, and also, as long as your washing machine is working, you never run out of diapers. We had some prefolds, but not quite enough to make it 2 days between washing, so I bought a dozen of the cheapest diapers I could find. I have to admit, though, that I'm a little in love with the flats, especially the origami fold. They are pretty trim and I can see them fitting at any size. It's taking me a while to figure out how to fold them (Loren and Sarah F. - you know how I struggle at origami), but now I have to try this one. And this one. Plus, they can be handwashed when absolutely necessary and they dry quickly on a close line. They do, however, have to be changed more frequently. I kind of miss the box of pampers we just finished up. Those suckers can hold a lot of pee and if you don't mind them ballooning up in your kids pants, you can get away with 4 or 5 hours in between diaper changes. Not that I do that on purpose. I'm just sayin'...

It's 3pm and I haven't gotten dressed yet. Actually, I am kind of dressed. I have a supremely limited wardrobe that mainly consists of black pants and t-shirts in "post-partum" size, so I don't really have "night" or "day" clothes. This is extremely useful in the mornings if I have to drop Laurel or M off. I accessorize with the Moby Wrap. My neighbor knits our kids incredibly cute hats, so mostly people just comment on Mark O's hats, and I hope they don't notice the spit up on my mom/ninja/yoga uniform.

Ding! Potatoes are done. Mark O sleeps on. Time for shower!