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Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Pumpkin Spice!
My two favorite things about fall are Honeycrisp apples and pumpkin spice coffee! Well, coffee and I don't get along so well right now, but I wanted the taste. So I tried the CoffeeMate Pumpkin Spice in black tea and it was PERFECT!
Now I can't find the creamer anywhere. I went through my one bottle and now I can't find it. There's other seasonal flavors, but I should have bought 15 cases of the pumpkin spice. and I'm sad.
Now I can't find the creamer anywhere. I went through my one bottle and now I can't find it. There's other seasonal flavors, but I should have bought 15 cases of the pumpkin spice. and I'm sad.
Rex's First Halloween
Last year we got a great deal on a Monkey costume right after Halloween for Rex to wear this year. I have to say, it was ADORABLE! LOL
We went trick or treating downtown to the businesses on Friday and it was so much fun! Rex was so well behaved. I did take him in the stroller, because he's not the best walker yet. BUT he is walking almost all the time now. Plus it was rainy, so it was better for him to be tucked up cozy in his stroller than walking around in the rainy cold. We got some candy, but we ate it all ourselves. He really doesn't need candy yet.
The biggest event of the day was a fire at one of the downtown businesses! Luckily it was a very small fire and there was only a bit of smoke and water damage. They are hoping to be open again by the end of the year! It was a little scary to smell the smoke and hear the sirens, because I've had a house fire before and it brings back memories of that, but it was all contained and taken care of in no time. By the time we made our way back down to the street it was on the smoke was gone and the fire was out.
We went trick or treating downtown to the businesses on Friday and it was so much fun! Rex was so well behaved. I did take him in the stroller, because he's not the best walker yet. BUT he is walking almost all the time now. Plus it was rainy, so it was better for him to be tucked up cozy in his stroller than walking around in the rainy cold. We got some candy, but we ate it all ourselves. He really doesn't need candy yet.
The biggest event of the day was a fire at one of the downtown businesses! Luckily it was a very small fire and there was only a bit of smoke and water damage. They are hoping to be open again by the end of the year! It was a little scary to smell the smoke and hear the sirens, because I've had a house fire before and it brings back memories of that, but it was all contained and taken care of in no time. By the time we made our way back down to the street it was on the smoke was gone and the fire was out.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
WALKING
Rex has been crawling for ages. And for some reason he has just refused to walk. He'd walk with his walking toys, and seemed to have all the other skills necessary for walking, and he simply had no motivation to get vertical. So, I started to get together with a friend who's son is about 5 months older than Rex and is walking around like a pro, and it's worked! BY GEORGE HE'S GOT IT!
He isn't doing a lot at a time yet, but he's getting better and better each day.
Way to go, Buddy!
He isn't doing a lot at a time yet, but he's getting better and better each day.
Way to go, Buddy!
Monday, August 15, 2011
BIRTHDAY PARTY!
WOW! What a crazy crazy year! Rex is a year old. He has been out in the world for a year. He has been wandering around for 12 months. He is so big and knows so much and is learning so much so fast.
Rex's party was a HUGE success. We had a ton of people here. Rex was surrounded by people he loves and I loved having everyone in our home to celebrate Rex.
The weather was beautiful and everyone got a great surprise!
We're PREGNANT! We're going to be having another baby in April!
Rex's party was a HUGE success. We had a ton of people here. Rex was surrounded by people he loves and I loved having everyone in our home to celebrate Rex.
The weather was beautiful and everyone got a great surprise!
We're PREGNANT! We're going to be having another baby in April!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Out trip to Florida!
We had a BLAST! It was sad that Daddy wasn't able to come with us, but it was a great trip. Rex was fantastic on the road. And Cousin Paigey was a lifesaver on the way down, even feeding him in the car a few times when he was hungry. He had two big meltdowns the whole trip up and down! Interestingly, it was in the exact same area. We pulled off at the exact same exit going South and North to let him stretch out and change him and get him calmed down! It was pretty weird!
We ended up staying in a hotel ON DAYTONA BEACH! It was great. And Aunt Kelly got to come over for a couple of days so we could all spend some time on the beach! It was a big help having Kelly around because she was willing to watch Rex on the sand while I played in the water with the girls. It was helpful having 3 adults, but it would have been GREAT if we'd had Daddy. It left me looking forward to the next time we get to take trip with the family! It wasn't very relaxing, but it was a lot of fun.
Rex's birthday is in a week!
We ended up staying in a hotel ON DAYTONA BEACH! It was great. And Aunt Kelly got to come over for a couple of days so we could all spend some time on the beach! It was a big help having Kelly around because she was willing to watch Rex on the sand while I played in the water with the girls. It was helpful having 3 adults, but it would have been GREAT if we'd had Daddy. It left me looking forward to the next time we get to take trip with the family! It wasn't very relaxing, but it was a lot of fun.
Rex's birthday is in a week!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Fourth of July!
We had a great time hanging out downtown for Cherry festival! And we had a GREAT 4th of July. Rex was a little cranky towards the end of the evening because he never naps well when we are out and about, so he was tired, but he managed to see the first few fireworks, then fell asleep in my lap! He really was a great sport. He had a great time playing on the beach and in the water. He's like a little fish and loves spending time being wet!
I can't believe he's getting so old! Next month he will be ONE YEAR OLD! That's ridiculous! LOL.
At the end of this month we'll be taking our first vacation. Daddy isn't able to come because he'll be working, but we'll be taking cousin Paige home to Florida and we'll be driving there with Grandpa Don. It will be a LOOOONG road trip, so I hope Rex does well.
I can't believe he's getting so old! Next month he will be ONE YEAR OLD! That's ridiculous! LOL.
At the end of this month we'll be taking our first vacation. Daddy isn't able to come because he'll be working, but we'll be taking cousin Paige home to Florida and we'll be driving there with Grandpa Don. It will be a LOOOONG road trip, so I hope Rex does well.
Monday, June 20, 2011
First Daddy's Day
I think Hubb's first Fathers' day was a good one. I got him a toaster oven (he's been coveting one since his brother moved out and took his with him) and let him sleep in. Rex was good almost all day, then skipped his afternoon nap, then was a terror all evening. He didn't want to go to sleep at bedtime, stayed up until 9:30, woke up at 2:00am, and wouldn't go back to sleep, even in bed with us. It's been so long since he slept in bed with us that now it's like play time when he comes to bed with us. So I was stuck sleeping with Rex on my chest downstairs from 2:30 until about 7 when Rex decided he could get up for the day.
Today he seemed like he was going to do well. He woke up and played happily. He wasn't too grumpy at all. Then he took a great nap at about 9:30 that lasted more than 2 hours! He woke up happy and played for a while. Then things started to go downhill. He got cranky, didn't want to eat, didn't want to play with his toys and was generally clingy. I was finally able to get him to take a nap at about 4:30 and he took a long nap again, but when he woke up he was still cranky. I can't tell if it's just one of his teeth coming in or if he may have an ear infection. It's so hard to tell sometimes. He did have a slight fever, and he was hitting the side of his face/head and tugging his ear. He also seemed to have a hard time swallowing. It could have been pain from the teeth or from the ear, and there is really no way to know for sure except to see the doctor. I will make the decision tomorrow whether or not to take him in. Maybe I will invest in one of those ear scope-y things so I can check things out myself in the future.
Other than that he's been doing really well. He still is refusing to stand up by himself, but we have been able to make him take steps when we're holding his hands. He doesn't like to, though, so he usually just tried to flop on his back or sink to his knees when we try to encourage him to walk.
Today he seemed like he was going to do well. He woke up and played happily. He wasn't too grumpy at all. Then he took a great nap at about 9:30 that lasted more than 2 hours! He woke up happy and played for a while. Then things started to go downhill. He got cranky, didn't want to eat, didn't want to play with his toys and was generally clingy. I was finally able to get him to take a nap at about 4:30 and he took a long nap again, but when he woke up he was still cranky. I can't tell if it's just one of his teeth coming in or if he may have an ear infection. It's so hard to tell sometimes. He did have a slight fever, and he was hitting the side of his face/head and tugging his ear. He also seemed to have a hard time swallowing. It could have been pain from the teeth or from the ear, and there is really no way to know for sure except to see the doctor. I will make the decision tomorrow whether or not to take him in. Maybe I will invest in one of those ear scope-y things so I can check things out myself in the future.
Other than that he's been doing really well. He still is refusing to stand up by himself, but we have been able to make him take steps when we're holding his hands. He doesn't like to, though, so he usually just tried to flop on his back or sink to his knees when we try to encourage him to walk.
Friday, June 10, 2011
The past month.
Well, Rex has been practicing his crawling and pulling up. He's a pro at both of those but we're working on getting him to stand up by himself, so we can hopefully get him walking soon. Rex and I will be going to Florida in July to bring my oldest niece back home from her month long visit with her biological father. We'll be taking the trip with Grandpa Don, so it will be a fun family visit. We want him walking, at least some, so that when we stop to get stretch and get gas he can get out and burn some energy without having to crawl on the ground. Plus we want to make sure he takes his first steps when daddy is home (or at least in the same state) instead of so far away where he can't be there with him. The next month or so we'll be making sure we have the video on our phones ready to get to fast so we can catch those steps digitally to relive forever.
He was doing fantastic with sleeping until this week. Something has triggered him fighting sleep and crying when we put him down in his crib. It could be separation anxiety, but I really don't know. He has been taking naps in his crib most of the time for about a week now. He had to because it was really hot out, and his bedroom and our bedroom are the only rooms with air conditioning. So he was much more comfortable in his crib than he would have been sleeping on me.
He also has more teeth! He has his front teeth on top and bottom and then one more on top has poked through, but isn't all the way in yet and two on the bottom are poked through too. It's so crazy to look at my little boy with a mouth full of teeth! In just a few short days he'll be 10 months old and then only two months until a year old. It's just all going by so fast.
He's eating really well, too. He eats three meals of solids a day. Usually getting fruit in the morning with either yogurt or baby cereal. Then for lunch he gets a veggie and a fruit, and at dinner he'll get a veggie and fruit. He also gets some snacks during the day. Sometimes he eats the gerber puffs, sometimes he has little bites of my food (like broccoli with cheese sauce, he loves that) and sometimes I make him cut up fruit or give him some raisins or something like that. He's also had eggs and pancakes for breakfast. He really loves everything you give him. He'll eat green beans and peas as readily as he eats peaches and apples! It makes me feel good that he is going to have a nice broad base of tastes to build on as he gets older. Both Hubbs and I ate lots of veggies and fruits growing up, so I plan to continue that with our child/ren. Plus, now that Rex is eating more and more "table" food we're getting motivated to eat better. We want to make sure that when we're eating, and he's begging for our food (because he does. Like a dog. He goes from person to person and begs until he gets a bite. Then if he likes what he got, he'll stick around and beg for a while, then move on to the next person! It's funny to watch, but we'll be discouraging it pretty soon) that what we're eating is good for him. And when it's good for him, it's good for us. I haven't eaten fast food in a couple of weeks! I haven't lost as much weight as I hoped I would with cutting it out, but I guess just knowing that I am setting a better example for Rex is good enough for now.
We've been to the beach a couple of times already and Rex LOVES to play in the sand and in the water. He'll crawl in the sand near the water and the little waves will come in and he'll crawl out of the water, then back down to it. It's really adorable to watch him! This Summer is going to go very fast. Before you know it, Rex will be a toddler and as sad as I will be to not have my infant anymore, I'm so excited to experience all those firsts, for the first time, with him!
He was doing fantastic with sleeping until this week. Something has triggered him fighting sleep and crying when we put him down in his crib. It could be separation anxiety, but I really don't know. He has been taking naps in his crib most of the time for about a week now. He had to because it was really hot out, and his bedroom and our bedroom are the only rooms with air conditioning. So he was much more comfortable in his crib than he would have been sleeping on me.
He also has more teeth! He has his front teeth on top and bottom and then one more on top has poked through, but isn't all the way in yet and two on the bottom are poked through too. It's so crazy to look at my little boy with a mouth full of teeth! In just a few short days he'll be 10 months old and then only two months until a year old. It's just all going by so fast.
He's eating really well, too. He eats three meals of solids a day. Usually getting fruit in the morning with either yogurt or baby cereal. Then for lunch he gets a veggie and a fruit, and at dinner he'll get a veggie and fruit. He also gets some snacks during the day. Sometimes he eats the gerber puffs, sometimes he has little bites of my food (like broccoli with cheese sauce, he loves that) and sometimes I make him cut up fruit or give him some raisins or something like that. He's also had eggs and pancakes for breakfast. He really loves everything you give him. He'll eat green beans and peas as readily as he eats peaches and apples! It makes me feel good that he is going to have a nice broad base of tastes to build on as he gets older. Both Hubbs and I ate lots of veggies and fruits growing up, so I plan to continue that with our child/ren. Plus, now that Rex is eating more and more "table" food we're getting motivated to eat better. We want to make sure that when we're eating, and he's begging for our food (because he does. Like a dog. He goes from person to person and begs until he gets a bite. Then if he likes what he got, he'll stick around and beg for a while, then move on to the next person! It's funny to watch, but we'll be discouraging it pretty soon) that what we're eating is good for him. And when it's good for him, it's good for us. I haven't eaten fast food in a couple of weeks! I haven't lost as much weight as I hoped I would with cutting it out, but I guess just knowing that I am setting a better example for Rex is good enough for now.
We've been to the beach a couple of times already and Rex LOVES to play in the sand and in the water. He'll crawl in the sand near the water and the little waves will come in and he'll crawl out of the water, then back down to it. It's really adorable to watch him! This Summer is going to go very fast. Before you know it, Rex will be a toddler and as sad as I will be to not have my infant anymore, I'm so excited to experience all those firsts, for the first time, with him!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Has it really been 5 months?
Wow, so much has happened since the end of December.
Rex can crawl! He started as a sort of army crawl where he mostly pulled himself with his arms. That turned into a sort of inch worm move where he got up on his toes and leaned way forward and landed. it was funny to watch. Last week we noticed he is actually crawling now. on his hands and knees.
Rex can also pull himself up to standing! He started when were at my dads house (Grandpa Don) and has become a pro at it. He'll pull himself up on the TV stand and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and dance with the music.
I stopped breastfeeding when Rex was about 5 and a half months old because he went on a nursing strike. He preferred the bottle and I didn't have a good enough pump to keep him on breastmilk until he was over his strike, so we decided that 6 months was long enough! It's a lot of pressure off now too. I don't have to worry about making sure there is enough milk frozen to last Rex an evening away from me.
After the two teeth Rex got at Christmas-time, we were waiting and dealing with teething pain for months before his mouth got a little fuller. His two top teeth are now coming in. One is mostly broken through the other is just starting to poke out. It has made his mouth a dangerous place for fingers!!
We also failed at sleep training in the beginning! We didn't get Rex out of bed until March. And when we got him out of bed, he went to his crib. In the beginning, he would wake up several times a night still and need to come into bed with us to get back to sleep, but now he sleeps through the night most nights. He will go to sleep at 8 and sleep until around 7. Some nights he wakes up once, but mostly he sleeps all the way through the night.
Naps are still a little bit of a struggle, but I've learned to pick my battles! Rex will nap for a long time if we are laying together or I'm holding him, so most of the time I will give in to ensure that when he's awake, he's happy. When I try to force the issue and make him nap by himself he usually only gets about 45 minutes of sleep.
At his 9 month appointment Rex weighed 22 pounds 9 oz and was 29 inches tall! He's in 18 month clothes and size 3 shoes! How crazy!
Rex can crawl! He started as a sort of army crawl where he mostly pulled himself with his arms. That turned into a sort of inch worm move where he got up on his toes and leaned way forward and landed. it was funny to watch. Last week we noticed he is actually crawling now. on his hands and knees.
Rex can also pull himself up to standing! He started when were at my dads house (Grandpa Don) and has become a pro at it. He'll pull himself up on the TV stand and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and dance with the music.
I stopped breastfeeding when Rex was about 5 and a half months old because he went on a nursing strike. He preferred the bottle and I didn't have a good enough pump to keep him on breastmilk until he was over his strike, so we decided that 6 months was long enough! It's a lot of pressure off now too. I don't have to worry about making sure there is enough milk frozen to last Rex an evening away from me.
After the two teeth Rex got at Christmas-time, we were waiting and dealing with teething pain for months before his mouth got a little fuller. His two top teeth are now coming in. One is mostly broken through the other is just starting to poke out. It has made his mouth a dangerous place for fingers!!
We also failed at sleep training in the beginning! We didn't get Rex out of bed until March. And when we got him out of bed, he went to his crib. In the beginning, he would wake up several times a night still and need to come into bed with us to get back to sleep, but now he sleeps through the night most nights. He will go to sleep at 8 and sleep until around 7. Some nights he wakes up once, but mostly he sleeps all the way through the night.
Naps are still a little bit of a struggle, but I've learned to pick my battles! Rex will nap for a long time if we are laying together or I'm holding him, so most of the time I will give in to ensure that when he's awake, he's happy. When I try to force the issue and make him nap by himself he usually only gets about 45 minutes of sleep.
At his 9 month appointment Rex weighed 22 pounds 9 oz and was 29 inches tall! He's in 18 month clothes and size 3 shoes! How crazy!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Christmas 2010 and Sleep Training
What a circus! Rex met all sorts of new family and really got himself overwhelmed over the course of two days. Plus, of all times of the year, my baby boy got his FIRST TOOTH on Christmas Eve! And of course the second followed quickly. He pulled in a TON of loot from family and friends. Lots of toys, clothes and goodies! He really is a lucky boy to have so many people who love him so much! Overall it was a lot of celebrating and I think we've decided that next year we're going to try to cut back on some of the festivities and have a little bit quieter Christmas.
In the midst of all the crazy Christmas celebrations, we realized we needed to help Rex with getting to sleep. We really didn't know where to start so I went to the library and went crazy getting books. I got everything from the sternest Cry It Out (CIO) to the gentlest co-sleeping no cry methods. I was really just lost and looking for some sort of direction. Rex's sleeping habits are terrible and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. So this week we are starting to implement some training.
We've decided to go with a gentle CIO approach to helping Rex learn how to sleep better and by himself. The first rule we've learned in our research that ALL of the "experts" agree on is to create a routine. Some experts recommend a long routine that helps baby wind down slowly and get into the mood of sleeping and others say that as long as it's the same, it doesn't matter how long it takes. Our approach is somewhere in the middle! For bedtime we plan on a bath with calming baby bath in it, put on Jammies and then eat. Then we'll rock him and sing or read until he's sleepy and before he's completely asleep we'll put him in his Pack and Play in our room to fall asleep.
Our hope is that if he falls asleep by himself, he'll not be as afraid when he wakes up by himself and will be able to go back to sleep more easily without our coming to his rescue. Now, if Rex starts crying when we put him down in his PNP we will let him cry for 5 minute intervals until he falls asleep, or one hour. If he has cried for one hour with our 5 minute checks and hasn't gone to sleep, we'll pick him up and check to make sure he's comfortable and full and not hurting (those teeth get the best of him sometimes) and then rock him and cuddle him to make sure he feels okay. Then when he starts to get sleepy again, we'll put him back in his PNP to try the process again. We don't want to deal with the extra cuddling, but who knows what Rex will do when we start this? Ideally, this will only take a few days to really let him know that it's bed time and he'll start to get in the groove and it will get really easy to put him to bed.
The next issue we're dealing with is his naps. Sometimes he will nap just fine several times throughout the day, and those days are like heaven. Other days he will refuse to nap altogether! Then there are days where he'll take an hour long nap in the morning and then won't nap for the rest of the day without sleeping in my arms. We are hoping to train him to sleep regularly during the day as well as during the night. So I'm going to start making sure we wake up by 9 every morning. I'll let Rex eat and we'll hang out for a while and then I'll take him upstairs and rock him for a few minutes then put him down for a nap by 11. Hopefully that will start a positive chain reaction! I'm still doing research and trying to figure out a good schedule for him during the day. I'm going to try to be very watchful and make sure I pay attention to his cues to see when he's really sleepy and ready to go down. Hopefully within a week or so I'll be able figure out the best timing to put him down for naps and we'll have a real routine going for us.
Wish us luck as we start to train Rex to sleep by himself and for long enough to keep himself resting.
In the midst of all the crazy Christmas celebrations, we realized we needed to help Rex with getting to sleep. We really didn't know where to start so I went to the library and went crazy getting books. I got everything from the sternest Cry It Out (CIO) to the gentlest co-sleeping no cry methods. I was really just lost and looking for some sort of direction. Rex's sleeping habits are terrible and we have nobody to blame but ourselves. So this week we are starting to implement some training.
We've decided to go with a gentle CIO approach to helping Rex learn how to sleep better and by himself. The first rule we've learned in our research that ALL of the "experts" agree on is to create a routine. Some experts recommend a long routine that helps baby wind down slowly and get into the mood of sleeping and others say that as long as it's the same, it doesn't matter how long it takes. Our approach is somewhere in the middle! For bedtime we plan on a bath with calming baby bath in it, put on Jammies and then eat. Then we'll rock him and sing or read until he's sleepy and before he's completely asleep we'll put him in his Pack and Play in our room to fall asleep.
Our hope is that if he falls asleep by himself, he'll not be as afraid when he wakes up by himself and will be able to go back to sleep more easily without our coming to his rescue. Now, if Rex starts crying when we put him down in his PNP we will let him cry for 5 minute intervals until he falls asleep, or one hour. If he has cried for one hour with our 5 minute checks and hasn't gone to sleep, we'll pick him up and check to make sure he's comfortable and full and not hurting (those teeth get the best of him sometimes) and then rock him and cuddle him to make sure he feels okay. Then when he starts to get sleepy again, we'll put him back in his PNP to try the process again. We don't want to deal with the extra cuddling, but who knows what Rex will do when we start this? Ideally, this will only take a few days to really let him know that it's bed time and he'll start to get in the groove and it will get really easy to put him to bed.
The next issue we're dealing with is his naps. Sometimes he will nap just fine several times throughout the day, and those days are like heaven. Other days he will refuse to nap altogether! Then there are days where he'll take an hour long nap in the morning and then won't nap for the rest of the day without sleeping in my arms. We are hoping to train him to sleep regularly during the day as well as during the night. So I'm going to start making sure we wake up by 9 every morning. I'll let Rex eat and we'll hang out for a while and then I'll take him upstairs and rock him for a few minutes then put him down for a nap by 11. Hopefully that will start a positive chain reaction! I'm still doing research and trying to figure out a good schedule for him during the day. I'm going to try to be very watchful and make sure I pay attention to his cues to see when he's really sleepy and ready to go down. Hopefully within a week or so I'll be able figure out the best timing to put him down for naps and we'll have a real routine going for us.
Wish us luck as we start to train Rex to sleep by himself and for long enough to keep himself resting.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Coming up to Rex's first Christmas
So, as we approach Rex's first Christmas I realize I've been VERY busy! LOL. Rex has been growing so fast and is so big. He's 17 pounds and 26 inches long and 4 months old. He wears 6-9 month clothes comfortably! He's learned so many things. He loves to grab things and put them in his mouth, he loves to play with his toys and he really enjoys being in his exersaucer!
Cloth diapering has been going so well! We really do love it. We made a bunch of cloth wipes and we really love using them. They are terry on one side and flannel on the other. They clean up so much more than the disposable ones. Rex has outgrown all of his original covers so we only have 3 that fit him perfectly. We can use the larges we have, they are just a little baggy, but he's growing so fast it seems pointless to buy more just to have him outgrow them in a month or less!! Now that the sun is pretty much gone all the time though the diapers all seem dingy. I'm going to have to find ways to sun them without putting them outside. Because it's simply too cold for that!
The Holidays that Rex has had so far have been great. Halloween he was a cloud. He was absolutely adorable! Thanksgiving he wore a cute outfit that Gam Gams got him. He had a big ole turkey on his butt! He's got a couple of Christmas outfits too. One has a reindeer on the butt!!! The other makes him look like a little elf! I am so excited to continue on this journey of learning and teaching! It's been so rewarding and exhausting already and I can't believe how fast it goes!
Cloth diapering has been going so well! We really do love it. We made a bunch of cloth wipes and we really love using them. They are terry on one side and flannel on the other. They clean up so much more than the disposable ones. Rex has outgrown all of his original covers so we only have 3 that fit him perfectly. We can use the larges we have, they are just a little baggy, but he's growing so fast it seems pointless to buy more just to have him outgrow them in a month or less!! Now that the sun is pretty much gone all the time though the diapers all seem dingy. I'm going to have to find ways to sun them without putting them outside. Because it's simply too cold for that!
The Holidays that Rex has had so far have been great. Halloween he was a cloud. He was absolutely adorable! Thanksgiving he wore a cute outfit that Gam Gams got him. He had a big ole turkey on his butt! He's got a couple of Christmas outfits too. One has a reindeer on the butt!!! The other makes him look like a little elf! I am so excited to continue on this journey of learning and teaching! It's been so rewarding and exhausting already and I can't believe how fast it goes!
Friday, December 10, 2010
final2
Family Snowfall Red Christmas
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Monday, November 29, 2010
Christmas Card 2010
Classic Lime 5x7 folded card
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Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Breastfeeding my baby!
This has been a fun ride so far! Rex was able to breastfeed really well right after delivery. He latched on well and sucked for several minutes! Then he slept. and slept, and slept and slept! After that he had some trouble latching on well. He really did a number on my nipples. He had developed some kind of bad habit while sucking on his hands and fingers in the womb that he was carrying over to my breast on the outside. It took him quite a while to really get the hang of it, but before we got out of the hospital he had stopped whatever it was he had been doing.
Now, my nipples are almost completely healed and once he's latched on he's a GREAT eater. The only trouble now is that he is having some issues with getting frustrated really quickly when he's hungry and not being able to latch on because he's wiggling around so much and crying. It's almost as if I have to wake him up just before he wakes himself up and start feeding him to avoid him getting hysterical.
He is going a little long between feeding at times. Getting upwards of 4-5 hours between, but when he is asleep there is almost nothing you can do to wake him up. And the things you can do to wake him up make him so angry that he won't latch on, then as soon as he calms down a bit, he's sound asleep again! He's getting better at eating more frequently now that my milk has come in, but I'm still keeping my eye on the clock between feedings and getting worried when he's been sleeping for a while!
He is taking a pacifier because my nipples couldn't handle the sucking just for comfort in the beginning. Also, when he just wants to suck for comfort and I try to put him to the breast, he gets angry when milk starts coming out! It hasn't been affecting how he latches on, so I don't have any concerns about starting him on it so early. If he hadn't torn up my nipples so badly in the beginning I may have waited several weeks to ensure that Rex didn't have any trouble, but things are turning out okay so far!
In the next couple of weeks I will start to pump my breastmilk to encourage a healthy supply and to have a small store of milk for Andy to feed Rex at night and let me sleep sometimes!
Now, my nipples are almost completely healed and once he's latched on he's a GREAT eater. The only trouble now is that he is having some issues with getting frustrated really quickly when he's hungry and not being able to latch on because he's wiggling around so much and crying. It's almost as if I have to wake him up just before he wakes himself up and start feeding him to avoid him getting hysterical.
He is going a little long between feeding at times. Getting upwards of 4-5 hours between, but when he is asleep there is almost nothing you can do to wake him up. And the things you can do to wake him up make him so angry that he won't latch on, then as soon as he calms down a bit, he's sound asleep again! He's getting better at eating more frequently now that my milk has come in, but I'm still keeping my eye on the clock between feedings and getting worried when he's been sleeping for a while!
He is taking a pacifier because my nipples couldn't handle the sucking just for comfort in the beginning. Also, when he just wants to suck for comfort and I try to put him to the breast, he gets angry when milk starts coming out! It hasn't been affecting how he latches on, so I don't have any concerns about starting him on it so early. If he hadn't torn up my nipples so badly in the beginning I may have waited several weeks to ensure that Rex didn't have any trouble, but things are turning out okay so far!
In the next couple of weeks I will start to pump my breastmilk to encourage a healthy supply and to have a small store of milk for Andy to feed Rex at night and let me sleep sometimes!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
My Home-made laundry detergent!
I was doing research online about what kind of detergent I should use with cloth diapers. All the options available for purchase were really expensive and seemed like they weren't all that special. So I started hunting for a cloth diaper friendly recipe for a home-made detergent. I found several online and combined the concepts and mixed up a batch to try.
I decided it would be easier for me to use a powder detergent instead of a liquid one, mostly because that way I wouldn't have to find/save a jug to use. With the powder I was able to stick it in a plastic storage container and not worry about melting things together and adding lots of water to make it pour well.
My recipe is:
1 1/2 Cups Borax
1 Cup Baking soda
1 Cup washing soda
1 Cup (1 bar) ivory bar soap.
You grate the soap finely and then mix all the ingredients together. I don't measure how much I use for each load, I just sprinkle some in, but I know it doesn't take much. It rinsed out of my first load of diapers very well. I've got the second load washing right now, so I'm assuming it will do as well as the first load did.
All of the ingredients were available at my local grocery store in the laundry aisle and the baking aisle (the baking soda). I spent about 10 dollars for all of my items. I purchased big boxes of everything so I can make several batches of the detergent without having to go shopping in between. I figure that's a much better deal than 30 dollars for a detergent that really doesn't have a whole lot more ingredients and will do fewer loads of laundry!
I decided it would be easier for me to use a powder detergent instead of a liquid one, mostly because that way I wouldn't have to find/save a jug to use. With the powder I was able to stick it in a plastic storage container and not worry about melting things together and adding lots of water to make it pour well.
My recipe is:
1 1/2 Cups Borax
1 Cup Baking soda
1 Cup washing soda
1 Cup (1 bar) ivory bar soap.
You grate the soap finely and then mix all the ingredients together. I don't measure how much I use for each load, I just sprinkle some in, but I know it doesn't take much. It rinsed out of my first load of diapers very well. I've got the second load washing right now, so I'm assuming it will do as well as the first load did.
All of the ingredients were available at my local grocery store in the laundry aisle and the baking aisle (the baking soda). I spent about 10 dollars for all of my items. I purchased big boxes of everything so I can make several batches of the detergent without having to go shopping in between. I figure that's a much better deal than 30 dollars for a detergent that really doesn't have a whole lot more ingredients and will do fewer loads of laundry!
Washing my second load of diapers!
So we are officially using cloth diapers on our son! Rex seems to like them well enough and they are really easy!
We took the first couple of days and used the 'sposies that the hospital gave us, and a few out of a pack that our family gave us. We wanted to make sure that Rex's circumcision wasn't bleeding anymore and that he was pretty much done with the meconium before we started putting him in cloth.
Andy and I are both really impressed with the way they are working for us. Since this is our first child, we really didn't have any other expectations and so we're only judging based on using the disposables for a couple of days, but the cloth is just as easy! We are using disposable wipes right now, because we've been given quite a few of them, so we have the extra hassle of having the cloth diaper pail and a trash bag for the wipes, but once we run out of the throw-away wipes, we'll start using cloth wipes and not have that extra step.
We haven't really had Rex out of the house for long enough to have to deal with a diaper change, but a wet bag in the diaper bag is ready and waiting for a dirty diaper and I'm confident that there won't be any hassle for regular trips out of the house while using cloth diapers.
As for washing my diapers, I'm using a home-made laundry detergent (I'll have a seperate post about that) and washing once on hot and rinsing cold (as a reminder, I'd use a hot rinse, but my washer doesn't have that option) with the detergent, then doing another cycle without detergent, then either line drying or machine drying depending on when the load is getting done. I've washed one load and those are working great on Rex right now, so I don't think I'm going to modify anything unless I notice issues later on. Also, I'm exclusively breastfeeding, so I'm not doing anything special with poopy diapers. They go right into the pail like a pee diaper and get washed the same, since the poop from breastmilk is water soluble. Once we start feeding him solid foods (In months and months) we'll set something up in the bathroom to rinse the poop off into the toilet, then put the dipes in the pail.
If you haven't ever considered using cloth diapers, or you're on the fence, feel free to ask some questions. I don't have all the answers, because I'm learning as I go, but if I don't know an answer I'll try to find a resource that will have the answer, because it's information that I'll probably need as well!
We took the first couple of days and used the 'sposies that the hospital gave us, and a few out of a pack that our family gave us. We wanted to make sure that Rex's circumcision wasn't bleeding anymore and that he was pretty much done with the meconium before we started putting him in cloth.
Andy and I are both really impressed with the way they are working for us. Since this is our first child, we really didn't have any other expectations and so we're only judging based on using the disposables for a couple of days, but the cloth is just as easy! We are using disposable wipes right now, because we've been given quite a few of them, so we have the extra hassle of having the cloth diaper pail and a trash bag for the wipes, but once we run out of the throw-away wipes, we'll start using cloth wipes and not have that extra step.
We haven't really had Rex out of the house for long enough to have to deal with a diaper change, but a wet bag in the diaper bag is ready and waiting for a dirty diaper and I'm confident that there won't be any hassle for regular trips out of the house while using cloth diapers.
As for washing my diapers, I'm using a home-made laundry detergent (I'll have a seperate post about that) and washing once on hot and rinsing cold (as a reminder, I'd use a hot rinse, but my washer doesn't have that option) with the detergent, then doing another cycle without detergent, then either line drying or machine drying depending on when the load is getting done. I've washed one load and those are working great on Rex right now, so I don't think I'm going to modify anything unless I notice issues later on. Also, I'm exclusively breastfeeding, so I'm not doing anything special with poopy diapers. They go right into the pail like a pee diaper and get washed the same, since the poop from breastmilk is water soluble. Once we start feeding him solid foods (In months and months) we'll set something up in the bathroom to rinse the poop off into the toilet, then put the dipes in the pail.
If you haven't ever considered using cloth diapers, or you're on the fence, feel free to ask some questions. I don't have all the answers, because I'm learning as I go, but if I don't know an answer I'll try to find a resource that will have the answer, because it's information that I'll probably need as well!
My Birth Story!
My birth story kinda starts on Wednesday, August 11. I thought I had a high rupture of my membranes and had leaking amniotic fluid. I decided to go to the hospital that night around 10 PM and get the fluid checked out. My husband and I were there for two hours and after testing the fluid the doctors concluded that I had NOT ruptured my membranes. When we finally got home and in bed it was about 1 in the morning on Thursday, August 12.
On Thursday I was so tired that when I finally woke up I went to the bathroom and then went straight back to bed. As I turned over a little I noticed a little trickle of dampness that I thought was just a little bit of urine that leaked, so I turned more to grab some tissue off my nightstand. As I grabbed the tissue I had a huge gush of fluid. That time I KNEW that my water had broken!
Of course, I called everyone and went straight to the hospital. I drove myself to the hospital (Andy had gone to work with his dad so his dad drove him to the hospital, since it was almost directly in the middle of our house and the job DH was working on) and I got to triage at about 12. I sat around triage for a couple of hours just waiting for a room to be cleaned and opened up and for everything to get settled. I didn’t actually start having noticeable contractions (IE early labor) until 5 PM, but once that hit, things really went pretty quickly. When contractions started hurting I got into a Jacuzzi tub to relax. That helped for about 5 contractions (which were steady at 2-3 minutes apart and getting stronger) then I felt like it wasn’t helping and I was done hurting so I got some Nubain and relaxed again for a few minutes. When I got the nubain I was 5 CM dilated. By the time I was allowed to get more drugs (the epidural I was craving!!) I had progressed to 8-9 cm dilated! Not much longer after that I was dilated to 10 with a small amount of cervix left. My nurse told me to call her when I felt like I really needed to push, so I followed her instructions and at about 2:00 AM I had to push. I pushed for an hour and a half and Rex Arthur was born at 3:25 AM on Friday the 13th! Overall my real labor was about 10 ½ hours long from when I first started feeling contractions to the time Rex was born.
He was 8 pounds 6.3 ounces and 20 inches long. He was a big boy, and I have a sustained a tad bit of damage because of it, but it was so worth it. He is the sweetest little thing a person could ask for
On Thursday I was so tired that when I finally woke up I went to the bathroom and then went straight back to bed. As I turned over a little I noticed a little trickle of dampness that I thought was just a little bit of urine that leaked, so I turned more to grab some tissue off my nightstand. As I grabbed the tissue I had a huge gush of fluid. That time I KNEW that my water had broken!
Of course, I called everyone and went straight to the hospital. I drove myself to the hospital (Andy had gone to work with his dad so his dad drove him to the hospital, since it was almost directly in the middle of our house and the job DH was working on) and I got to triage at about 12. I sat around triage for a couple of hours just waiting for a room to be cleaned and opened up and for everything to get settled. I didn’t actually start having noticeable contractions (IE early labor) until 5 PM, but once that hit, things really went pretty quickly. When contractions started hurting I got into a Jacuzzi tub to relax. That helped for about 5 contractions (which were steady at 2-3 minutes apart and getting stronger) then I felt like it wasn’t helping and I was done hurting so I got some Nubain and relaxed again for a few minutes. When I got the nubain I was 5 CM dilated. By the time I was allowed to get more drugs (the epidural I was craving!!) I had progressed to 8-9 cm dilated! Not much longer after that I was dilated to 10 with a small amount of cervix left. My nurse told me to call her when I felt like I really needed to push, so I followed her instructions and at about 2:00 AM I had to push. I pushed for an hour and a half and Rex Arthur was born at 3:25 AM on Friday the 13th! Overall my real labor was about 10 ½ hours long from when I first started feeling contractions to the time Rex was born.
He was 8 pounds 6.3 ounces and 20 inches long. He was a big boy, and I have a sustained a tad bit of damage because of it, but it was so worth it. He is the sweetest little thing a person could ask for
My first adventure with new cloth diapers!
Well, we decided months and months ago that we would be using cloth diapers exclusively for our son. It's cheaper, safer, more economically friendly, and the right choice for us. Earlier in my pregnancy my mother in law kindly purchased the beginnings of a VERY good stash of gently used pre-folds and covers as well as a few pocket diapers and all-in-ones. I did need more prefolds and covers, so recently I went online and found a great deal on some 100% cotton Chinese Prefolds. They are brand new and even though I'm a novice in the world of cloth diapers I knew I needed to "prep" them to remove oils and to make them fluffy and absorbant.
I didn't really know what to expect when I was prepping them, so I turned to my old friend "google" and did a little research. There were a ton of different techniques and articles and tidbits of advice so I just compiled them in my head and decided to create my own system!
I prepped my diapers by washing them on HOT with a cold rinse (My washer won't do a hot rinse, but if it did, I would've chosen that) once with Purex Baby. Then I put them on the clothes line to dry. That took all day, so I was only able to get that first cycle done the first day. The second day I washed again, only this time without any detergent. I dried in the dryer. I repeated that hot wash, cold rinse, machine dry for a total of 5 washes including the detergent cycle. In the end they were fluffy, absorbent and soft. That's the whole point of prepping, so I called it good. Tune in again to see how my birth went and how our first adventures with USING cloth diapers has turned out!
I didn't really know what to expect when I was prepping them, so I turned to my old friend "google" and did a little research. There were a ton of different techniques and articles and tidbits of advice so I just compiled them in my head and decided to create my own system!
I prepped my diapers by washing them on HOT with a cold rinse (My washer won't do a hot rinse, but if it did, I would've chosen that) once with Purex Baby. Then I put them on the clothes line to dry. That took all day, so I was only able to get that first cycle done the first day. The second day I washed again, only this time without any detergent. I dried in the dryer. I repeated that hot wash, cold rinse, machine dry for a total of 5 washes including the detergent cycle. In the end they were fluffy, absorbent and soft. That's the whole point of prepping, so I called it good. Tune in again to see how my birth went and how our first adventures with USING cloth diapers has turned out!
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