Adventures in Day Care

Oh goodness. People do this all the time. I keep telling myself that he will be perfectly fine. Thousands of kids go to daycare everyday. Thousands of mothers trust thousands of professionally trained, well-qualified people to watch their children everyday. It's still a big step for us. My husband has been blessed with finding a great job. While this means finally attaining financial stability, I can't help but feel a little guilty that we'll be leaving little man in the hands of strangers. Okay, they aren't complete strangers; I mean we did shop around for a child care we were comfortable with. The first place we saw was near home. It seemed okay at first, but upon visiting places closer to work, it the first looked dingy, dirty and definately not as friendly. The second place we visited was closer to my job. All and all, it was an okay daycare, and we probably could have been very happy there. The big down side: age restrictions. Due to corporate regulations, little man would have been placed in the infant room. We looked at those other infants in the infant room. Some were barely sitting up. Then there's little man, the bull in the china shop, curiously running from station to station. He was much more suited to the toddler room, but wouldn't be permitted there until he was 18 months to the day.This obviously wasn't an ideal fit. Final stop, a religiously sponsored day care on the campus of my school. All the parents and children we saw were so happy. Even though it was the end of a long day, the teachers still seemed very positive and upbeat. Sure we asked the obligatory questions, but more than anything, it felt very homelike. Peanut seemed to really fit in. So I know he'll be safe. I know he will have tons of fun playing with the other kids. And I'm hoping that he'll be glad to see me right after work. I don't understand why I then feel so anxious about his first day. I think I hope the teachers see him for the very brilliant little guy he is, and not the very super active mister doesn't-sit-still that someone who doesn't love him like we do might see. I hope he doesn't break anything, or hurt anyone. I hope he doesn't become too clingy or miss us too much. People do this everyday. He'll be fine. I'll be fine. It will all be okay. Wish us luck!

Bazinga!

Funny Peanut Story:
Tonight we gave Peanut his nightly bath, just as we usually do, and he did something that has prompted more than a few chuckles.
Peanut made a stinky in his bath water. I'm sure this could be funny to you, but it's not to funny for us. And this isn't the first time he's done it--just the first time in a few weeks. But that's not the funny part of the story.
So we remove Peanut from the soiled bath water and are getting him dressed. Rich does his "Peanut speak" voice (I wonder if other parents put words into the mouths of their unspeaking infants or if we're really this ridiculous?) and says "Ha Ha people. You fell for one of my classic practical jokes. Bazinga." To which Peanut responded with his charming, belly shaking giggle. This had the two of us laughing too.
Thank you Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory) for this warm family moment.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Blocks: Review and Giveaway

If you build it, he will come...

 There’s a new rule in our house; Peanut will not tolerate stacks to stand. A gathering of three or more blocks constitute a stack, and Peanut will do his best to demolish them. In fact, he will stop in his tracks, do a 180 and with great speed and voracity for an 8 month old, he’s on top of those blocks.

For these reasons, we love our latest review and giveaway offering from Peaceable Kingdom. If you are a fan of Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, a delightfully rhythmic and brilliantly colored alphabet book, you will love Peaceable Kingdom’s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Blocks. Even if you’ve never heard of the book, you will still love the bright colors illustrator Lois Ehlert featured on these delightful toys.

The 16 blocks feature all 26 capital letters, 48 lower case letters, and quotes and illustrations from the book. They come in a durable storage box with magnetic closure—very handy when trying to pick up after play time.

The blocks are glossy and constructed from paper. When we first took them from the box, Rich and I feared they wouldn’t last long. However, they have held up to several weeks of rough play, being kicked, tossed and rolled over. They have even survived the ultimate test of toy durability—our monster dog Roz, who has a habit of carrying them around the house.

The block size is perfect for Peanut’s hands. He is able to grab, manipulate and maneuver the blocks straight to his mouth. With the number of falling block stacks in our house, I’ve also come to love the lightweight construction. I really don’t have to worry that Peanut will injure himself with this toy. It’s definitely one of our faves.

Buy It: Block sets retail for $17.99 on Amazon. Purchase these and other great Peaceable Kingdom games, books and toys from their website http://www.peaceablekingdom.com/

Win It: If you’d like to win a Chicka Chicka Boom Boom block set or one of your choice, enter my giveaway by leaving comments below. Be sure to include your email address and enter extra entries as separate comments.

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Giveaway open to US only.  Giveaway ends May 17 at 12:00 a.m. EST. Winner will be chosen at random via random.org. Winner will be contacted via email and must respond within 48 hours. Product will be mailed directly by the company.

I was supplied the above mentioned products by the described company/ PR representative.  I was not compensated in any other way for this review.  The opinions are entirely my own.

On Becoming Those People

Let's just face it; we are not "those people." You know, those people.... those really great people out there.  I'm not a baby wearing mom because it hurts my back after awhile and I have trouble reaching around my bundle of joy.  I wish I was a breastfeeding mommy, but that didn't work out the way I planned either.  Truth be told, I'm not even a natural birth mommy, as peanut was delivered by emergency c-section. 
We're not green because it's trendy.  I freely admit we chose some green options because they are frugal.  Alright, I'll say it. We're cheep.  I don't make my own baby food because I want peanut to eat all organic, non-hydrogenated, preservative free healthiness.  I do it, because $.99/lb strawberries go a lot further than $0.50 /jar baby food does, especially when my little darling can eat three jars a meal, three meals a day when he's feeling ambitious.
We got into cloth diapering because of the cost analysis.  If I had had more time, I probably would have found a way to sew my own diapers, to save on that initial cost too.  Yet, I'm not the one home all day like my husband is.  Rightfully so, he was concerned about dealing with the stinkies while wrangling a busy body boy like ours.  When I returned to work, peanut became a nights and weekends cloth baby out of practicality.
But not anymore.  Peanut is now an almost full-time cloth baby (we still disposable at night--which is another topic of conversation).  We're becoming those people who can make cloth work. When Rich and I talked about the way I wanted the pregnancy and breastfeeding and all of that to go, diapering options were low on my priority list.  I knew I wanted to cloth, but I would have gladly compromised in order to do the others as I originally intended.  Life throws curve balls and we just get to roll with them.  I'm so indescribably excited that I can now count ourselves among "those cloth diapering people."  It helps reduce some of the mommy guilt.  I feel like I've at least gotten one thing to work out as planned.
  Rich has been fabulous through this process.  He's really the most amazing dad and husband any family could hope for. I know I couldn't do it with out him. I truly am so grateful.

Cloth to Cadillac

            Could we travel for several days using cloth diapers? During a spring break trip to visit family we set out to test our cloth merit.  We’ve never been a staunch cloth family.  We don’t cloth at night, and only recently have we clothed in the afternoon shortly before I return home from work.  Largely due to the overwhelming amount of stuff you already have to pack for a little man we have avoided long travel with cloth up to this point.  I had survived an overnight trip to my sister’s using cloth, but one night supported by my parents is far fewer than three, especially when three results in the need to do laundry.  We packed a bag of disposables just in case.

            Largely we packed hybrids—Flips with stay dry inserts and organic cotton inserts, GroBaby Shells and an Econobum.  In a plastic bag we placed a single load of powdered detergent.  We also traveled with a large home-made wet bag.

            I really loved traveling with the hybrids and believe it was a smart choice compared to the bulk we’d have had with our pocket diapers.  We soon learned a few lessons for next time.  We should have also brought a travel sized wet bag, since we weren’t always at the grandparents house and were separated from a storage container for dirty dipes save spare plastic grocery bags.

            Normally we like to soak soiled dipes.  After our first night, we learned we hadn’t brought a bucket.  The solution was a soak in the washing machine.  We’d brought enough to not need to wash until shortly before our return.  We ended up washing sooner than we’d plan, to ensure we didn’t interfere with our host’s laundry.  Instead of line drying the inserts, we used the dryer.  We don’t usually use the dryer, but oh how soft it makes them—especially the organic cotton.

            As a tangent adventure, we packed our homemade baby food ice cubes.  Our commute to Grandmother’s House took all day, as we were detoured to help move furniture from great-grandmother’s home.  Our cubes were all melted by the time we arrived.  We monopolized grandma’s ice cube trays and refroze an interesting conglomeration of foods.  For the remainder of the trip, peanut dined on veggie surprise and fruit medley.

            In short, we did it.  We’re still not one of those die hard cloth families.  We cheated and left peanut with disposables when he was left with family sitters.  We learned from our mistakes.  No, it wasn’t as easy as it is at home.  But we did survive and are no longer afraid to attempt it again.

Great Cloth Diaper Change

       Saturday marked the inaugural great diaper change (http://greatclothdiaperchange.com/) and peanut and I did our part to get our hometown on the world record map.  We had the opportunity to participate at a local children’s learning center.  Our event was hosted by Tender loving Cloth Diapers LLC.  I was elated by the experience.

            We had committed to cloth diapering while we lived in Savannah.  In Savannah we attended a cloth diapering class at a locally owned boutique which really answered my questions and alleviate my husband’s apprehensions about cloth.  We knew where to go to for cloth and that there were other people in the area who used cloth.  When we moved back home weeks before peanut’s birth, we lost that sense of community support.

            I think that’s what I loved about participating in the Great Diaper Change.  Sure, there were several cliques who obviously knew each other well, but it was a terrific opportunity for a working mom to socialize with other like minded parents.  Suddenly, I no longer felt like we were the only family in town to use cloth.

            I loved seeing the variety of diapers used.  Oh, how charming are all the colors and styles. There are actually two cloth diaper retailers based in the area who hosted events (Sweet Cheeks is the other). I loved that both publicized their events and got the area talking. 

            I also loved to see the variety of children’s ages—all in cloth.  Some held week’s old infants.  Other parents walked along with squeaky shoed toddlers and kids who spoke in full sentences.  It’s amazing how much change our Peanut will go through in two or three years.

            As for Peanut, he had a pretty good time.  There was a ball pit he crawled through.  He tried to keep up with the bigger kids, or at least was very intent to watch other’s playing.  From a dentist vendor, he received his first tooth brush. It’s blue and maize for Michigan, and kept him entertained for most of the event. 

            Approximately 10 minutes before the official record setting time, we filed into the room and found a place on the floor and prepped for the change.  Peanut took his post fairly well and was moderately well behaved with minimal squirming.  Yet, the longer he waited the squirmier he became.  Waiting for the final minutes to pass seemed to take an eternity.  When the whistle was blown and we began the change, he settled long enough to single-handedly complete a quick change. 

            As a bonus, we received a “swag bag” with a free insert and we also won a new diaper to try out.  Although it took a little more of my Saturday than I’d intended, I believe it was time well spent.    

Boysterous Toy Giveaway

What is the difference between a doll and an action figure? In vast generalizations, dolls are cute and cuddly, while action figures are hard, plastic and typically violent.  In most families, boys may play with as many action figures as they like, but will garner strange looks for preferring dolls.

I was surprised by a recent study that reported that young children, both boys and girls prefer dolls and doll-like toys over many other alternative toys.  The study praised playing with dolls for stimulating the imagination and providing a world for children to practice social skills. I even thought about how this study applied to my own young son and how he already prefers toys with faces over those without. 

So for dozens of reasons, there ought to be “doll-like” toys for boys. If a toy is too much like a girly-girl doll, my husband will  not be happy.  If the toy is too violent, I won’t be happy.  What’s a parent to do?

Enter Manhattan Toy’s Boysterous line, which just might be the answer to these parental concerns.  The Boysterous toys are a line of sports themed characters in what I’d call a “hybrid action-figure.”  They lack that hard plastic exterior.  Instead they are made from soft yet durable fabric.  They have an interior frame, making them bendable for posing in sports moves.  Their magnetic feet help them connect with their sports equipment accessories.  Each figure stands about 8 inches tall, making them a great size for their target 3-6 year old audience. 

Check out this video to see the boysterous toys in action. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9qfNDkzQ7w&tracker=False)

In all, there are 5 figures. 
We tried  Slope Shredding Sean--a Snowboarder,  and Golie Gavin--a Soccer player.   


We also got to try the zippable Boysterous Extreme Sports Zone.  I love the sturdy construction.  Designed with many sports field options, this multi-functional storage case/play set provides a flat or curved surface to suit the needs of the character.  I love how the case gives children a forum to start their imagination.  However, I am most in love with storage capacity of the case.  It easily holds our two dolls and accessories, so hopefully those extra pieces aren’t misplaced or left on the floor.

I love the toys as is.  However, the librarian/ teacher in me would love to see a simple storybook line to promote reading for boys as well.  Again, that's the librarian in me.

How can you get your hands on one of these great toys?

Buy It: Action Figures retail for $18 and the Extreme Sports Zone case retails for $30
Purchase these and other great Manhattan Toys from their website www.manhattantoy.com or from a Specialty Store near you.
As a special bonus, Kat's Adventure Book readers can earn Free Shipping on all orders through May 3rd.  just enter the promo code: BLOG040811

Win It:  If you’d like to win your very own Slope Shreddin Sean, enter my giveaway contest by leaving comments below.  Be sure to include your email address in each entry.  Be sure to enter extra entries as separate comments.

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            Visit Manhattan Toys website and comment here on any other toy they make that you would like to have.  Remember to leave your email address.

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Giveaway  open to residents of the continental US and Canada. Giveaway ends April 19 at 12:00 a.m. EST.  Winner will be chosen at random via random.org.  Winner will be contacted via email and must respond within 48 hours. Product will be mailed directly by the company.

I was supplied the above mentioned products by the describe company/ PR representative.  I was not compensated in any other way for this review.  The opinions are entirely my own.

My little comedian

Last night, despite overshooting bedtime by at least an hour, peanut wasn't too convince it was bed time. Needless to say parents weren't in complete agreement with his decision.  It took a long bit of rocking and shushing to change his mind. After listening to his wailing calm to moans, after calmly explaining that he was tired, after going through the litany of whispered what he had done today and what he could do tomorrow when he awoke, I thought we finally had a winner. Peanut was drifting, drifting off to sleep. His eyes had closed and he seemed relaxed. 
Then my little comedian drowsily pulled out his pacifier as I whispered "What do you want to tell mama?"  With perfect comedic timing, peanut let out a loud  raspberry. His eyes then popped open, and we were back to our bed time struggles anew.  At least we got a good laugh about it.

Adventures in Real Food: Part 2

Now pushing 7 months, peanut has gone beyond his first foods.  He's also becoming more particular in his likes and dislikes.  He has a strong preference for fruits.  He really doesn't care for cereals at all any more.  I think this is because it's so bland and he recieved some with every meal for awhile there.  He'll tolerate cereal in the morning, but will throw a fit if you serve it with dinner or more than once a day. 
Since last food post, he's tried butternut and acorn squash.  I like thes because they're easy to cook and puree up very smoothly with just a little extra formula.  The acorn squash worked out exceptionally well, and is relatively thick for homemade squash baby foods.
Peanut has also had carrots, but they were his first strongly disliked food.  He now eats them, but usually makes a face for the first bite.  We learned a valuable lesson durring his first days of carrots--they go through him quickle.  We reguallarly combine his carrots with squash for "squarrots" which he likes better.
Another combo he likes--"guaccabeans" and "quaccapeas."  We tried avaccado since it is a very easy "instant" fresh baby food that I don't have to cook or run through the food processor.  He really didn't care for avacado by itself, as it has so little flavor on it's own. However, if you blend it with another green vegatable, you really have something.  It makes the homemade greenbeans a little bit smoother. I was surprised to discover that the remaining avacado can be frozen in an ice cube tray like our other homemade baby foods and doesn't brown up too bad.  It did begin to look a little discolored after being in the freezer for a few weeks, so I wouldn't recommend doing a large batch in advance.
On to the fruit.  As mentioned, there isn't a fruit he won't eat.  Apples were probably his first fruit.  We picked a bushel in the fall, and made homemade applesauce with no sugar or additives. 
He also eats bannanas--another great no-fuss baby food.  He wasn't crazy about them at first, I think because of the semi-slimmy texture.  However, if you add a little formula to cut the slime, he is less likely to object.  He also likes bannanas blended with other fruits or with cinamon.
His next fruit was slightly tropical--mango.  Wow, does he love mango.  I'm not a huge mango eater myself, but I figured it would blend up smoothly and it does.  He'd eat a whole meal of mango if you let him.
Most recently, we've blended fresh strawberries into an awesome purree.  We all also love blended bluberries. When combined it's a challenge to see who can eat more of them first.  Although they are delicious, the berry purees are also really messy--especially the bluberries.  We find mixing them with cereal or more solid fruits like bananas helps contain the mess.
  

Not so little "Little Man"

Weighing in at an impressive 16 pounds 11 and a half ounces and measuring 28 and 1/4  inches--my little man is officially not so little anymore. He isn't this super light little bundle anymore, but rather stretches across my lap. He's eating much more and has started fruits.
Peanut's also a lot more mobile.  He can roll in either direction at will--though cries when he lands on his tummy and is too tired to flip back to his back.  Not yet crawling and not really showing to much inclination to do so, he is a master scooter.  He army crawls and kicks off with his legs.  In a span of a few minutes he went from under his baby gym to the side wall of the room.
 I think he's pretty amazing, but I'm pretty partial.  It is sometimes frustrating how often he is compared to his cousins.  One is two weeks and one is six months older. When speaking with other mom's and all of their bragging, it seems like a contest of one upping.  I know we're all proud of our babies, but there is a tactful way and some not so tactful ways. It sometimes feel like there is a competition about who's kid has the most teeth, weighs the most, has the largest head circumference... I love my peanut for who he is, period.  He's special for who he is, without comparing him to any other babies out there.

Adventures in Real Food: Round 1

Over five months and pushing sixteen pounds, our little peanut is becoming quite the conesuir of non-formula foods.

Food experiment one: Rice Cereal.

Reaction: meh. He wasn’t too impressed. I must admit, I am impressed with neither rice cereal’s appearance nor taste. We add a shake of cinnamon on occasion to spice things up. Peanut is like his dad and loves his cinnamon. After the first two days of cereal dinner, peanut would push his bottle away at dinner time, awaiting his cereal.

Food experiment two: green beans

Reaction: Good at first. Peanut used to scarf down green beans, until he discovered peas. Now he makes a face when he gets green beans, wishing he was having peas instead.

Food experiment three: peas

Did I mention, peanut loves his peas? He would eat peas for every meal if he could. We’ve been making our own baby food purees. We use frozen veggies with a little formula and a whole lot of food processing. We pour the purees in to ice cube trays and freeze. Frozen veggie cubes are stored in freezer bags and thawed as needed. One cube microwaved about 30 seconds makes a pretty good meal.

Food experiment four: Oatmeal
Reaction: No noticeable preference between rice or oatmeal.

Food experiment five: Pumpkin.
Reaction: Yeah, that’s right. Peanut is now on his orange veggies. He’s had two gallon sized bags of pumpkin puree waiting for him for several months. Grandpa bought peanut a very large and very cheap pumpkin near Halloween. Since we didn’t get a chance to carve it, it became baby food. I split the pumpkin and threw out the innards. I steam baked the pumpkin for about an hour. Then let it cool, and purred the pulp.
Pumpkin is actually pretty watery. Normally I add a little formula to his veggies, but not pumpkin. Our doctor said to start with green veggies first, but if she hadn’t so instructed, his first food likely would have been the pumpkin. It pureed so smoothly. Pumpkin likes to blow bubbles in the pumpkin on his spoon. He has also timed a sneeze appropriately and managed to spray pumpkin all over both of us.

It’s pretty silly, but I think dinner time is becoming one of my favorite parts of the day. Despite the mess, I really look forward to it and hope peanut does too. If not, I know he loves the bath that follows—a close second for my favorite time of day.

Peanut's on a Schedule

Let me just say that life has gotten a skagillion times easier now that peanut has found a routine.

Going into parenting, I thought all those books that preached about scheduling your child were hog wash. I figured Peanut would let us know when he's tired, hungry.... No need to force him to eat just because the clock says it's time. I was not going to be one of those Nazi parents who force their kids to nap at 1:00 just because it was "nap time."

Oh how wrong was I. Live and learn. We started with a bedtime routine. Dinner, little play time, bath then bed. Nothing fancy. The more we've done this, the more he wants to bypass playtime for bath time. Peanut is a splashing and slippery baby who lives for bathtime.
He has always had a morning routine, because he needs to be fed before Mommy heads to work. The last trick was hammering down a mid-day habit, but that too has finally fallen in to place.
Sure we don't look at a clock and feed at exactly the same time every day, but we follow his cues too and we're usually within a half hour of the target time.
To be completely honest, it has made such a difference. He goes down for naps without as much struggle when he isn't super tired because he should have been napping an hour earlier. His naps have lasted longer. Most wonderfully, I now have quiet time with my husband before getting to bed so much earlier than I would have imagined myself doing.

Adventures in Cloth Diapering

For the past two weeks we've taken the plunge. Peanut is now large enough to fit his one-size cloth diapers and we're giving this cloth diaper thing a whirl. We bought a variety of diapers before he was born and he's finally gained enough weight that he's not swimming in them.

What we've tried and learned so far:

The Wet factor:
We learned we have taken the super absorbency of disposables for granted. Peanut never cried to complain in his disposables when he was wet. He rarely complained if he was dirty. Not so with the cloth. In cloth, when he's wet he's unhappy and we all know it. Consequently, he gets changed much more frequently in cloth. Lately, he is now also fussier in a wet disposable diapers too. Still, we're thinking this might not be such a bad thing--especially later on for potty training. Besides, it is probably best if he's not sitting in that for longer than he has to.

Overnight leaks
After the first few nights, we decided that cloth was not for overnight for us. I'm sure we could super stuff his pocket diapers, but after a few leaks and restless nights, we're back to disposables. Also, the first week we tried, Peanut seemed so small and the cloth diapers seemed so bulky, I was convinced that more than 1 insert and doubler in there and he'd be miserable.
As an aside, I also didn't pre-wash my dipes, which may also have contributed to the leakage. We've had far fewer leaks since they've been through the laundry.

Snaps vs. velcro
Snaps can be a bit tedious, especially when he's squirming. We can get a much snugger fit with the velcro. However, even in just these first few weeks, the velcro is beginning to show a little wear and I'm curious how long it will last. The snaps will last forever, which is good since I hope to pass some of these down for the next little one.

Cost factor.
I confess--I'm a cheapskate, which is why cloth diapers are so appealing.
There are many cost analysis of cloth diapers out there which will give a much more accurate assessment. We bought our dipes sporadically and on sale, so I couldn't give an accurate start up cost. I'd guestimate that we were in the $200-$300 price range. My husband still isn't sold on the cloth--especially while he's home alone with the peanut. There is a little more organizing and work and he's not comfortable leaving the baby unattended while he tends to the diaper mess. This means we only cloth in the evenings and weekends while I'm home. We're eliminating at least 4-5 diapers daily, maybe 10 or more on the weekends. At this rate, I don't think we're saving a boat load. However, the way I see it, we've already made the investment, we might as well use them. I'm hoping to at least recover the start-up cost.

The stink factor
Yes, collected wet diapers begin to smell ripe after a few days. We do laundry every other day. Wet diapers are gathered in a zippered wet bag. As previously noted, I'm cheap. I made my own hanging wet bag from PUL bought at Jo Ann's. I'd bet it's no where near as nice as a Planetwise or other professionally produced bag, but it gets the job done for far less. I'm not sure it will hold up, but for the $7 invested, I'm not out much if we don't keep up with cloth diapering.
As long as the bag stays closed, the stink really hasn't become an issue yet. We really need a second bag for laundry time, but with a tight budget that is not yet in the cards.

The dirt on dirty dipes
Peanut is formula fed, resulting in one large sticky mess daily. Oh how I want a diaper sprayer for Christmas! I shake the diaper in the toilet, flush and repeat several times to remove the bulk of the solids. I then head down to the utility sink and power wash the remnants. I do a brief soak to help reduce stains and plop the wet mess in my wet bag. So far so good, but a bit more labor intensive than I'd imagined. (I wish I could have stuck to breast feeding). I can understand why my husband would not want to handle this while he's on his own with the baby.

Pockets v. Hybrids: We have several Bum-Genius 3.0, a fuzzi-bunz a knicker-nappies and several pou-ponds (a deal we found on e-bay). We also have 2 flip shells, 3 gro baby shells and 1 econobum shell. We have only flip microfiber inserts. For most occasions, we love our hybrids. They take up so much less space for travel, or even storing wet diapers. Without a diaper sprayer, they are so much easier to shake out the solid messes than messes in pocket diapers. They also dry pretty quick (even line drying). As a negative, however, my husband has more to "think about" with the hybrids. Before he changes the Peanut, he usually asks which way is "the right way." This might also be a factor in why he doesn't cloth diaper during the day. Although we've only had leaks when we first started, I sometimes question their absorbency and if they'll be able to keep up with him as he grows.

For longer periods of time, we trust our pocket diapers. They are easiest for my husband and family to figure out. I'm not crazy about the excess bulk, but think this may diminish as he grows and is no longer on the smallest setting. They also take up tons of space in the small travel wet bag we have.

It's Been

Long time, no posts.

Two month recap: We're back home. Johnny was born early--he's amazingly perfect. I recreated the nursery in a space I envisioned as perfect when I bought the house five years ago. Johnny keeps us up nightly. We love being back in the north for the fall and have had several fall adventures. The job is okay but requires a bit of adjustment. They're sending me on my first ever business trip.

More details on all of the following at some point when I find more time.

Homeward Bound

One week can turn everything you thought was going to happen on its head. When my parents came down for a visit about two weeks ago, I recieved a phone interview offer for a job in our hometown. Life was a bit frantic that week because if I got the job, I'd have a week to relocate and start ASAP. We placed tons of "what if's" in place on standby preperation, but really couldn't do much until we knew one way or another for sure.

The first interview was this Monday, which I knocked out of the park. As proof, they called back an hour later to offer a second interview via Skype for early the following morning. That one didn't feel like it went nearly as well. I forgot my headset, had wireless connection issues, lost video near the end, forgot to look into the camera instead of at the screen, talked too fast... I was pretty sure I'd botched it. Surprisingly, I was okay with this, since I approached this situation with an "if it's meant to be," attitude. If I landed the job, I'd be headed home. If not, there's nothing wrong with staying put; I'd already learned to accept that the baby would be born here.

Yesterday, my afternoon doctors appointment was switched to the morning because of the doctor's family emergency. While waiting, I got the offer. Today's my last day at work. We're moving home this weekend and I start my new job on Monday. We're so excited! It hadn't really sunk in last night, until about 3 am when I realized I was wide awake with my head spinning with all of the things I needed to get done.
So things happen the way they are meant to and when they are supposed to. I am very grateful and lucky and cant wait to be living back home again. I'm also really glad we'll have family around when Johnny arrives.


(In baby news, according to the ultrasound, Johnny is 5 lbs. 2 oz. He has the cutest looking cheeks as best as we could see. He's in the position he needs to be with head down--so all is well. I on the other hand need to work on my blood pressure, but hopefully that will straighten out once we're all settled in.)

Entering Week 30

As of the most recent check up, all is well and going according to plan. Yay. I need to get on the ball about finding a pediatrician. I was so grateful to get the "inside scoop" from the Nurse Practitioner. She was great: "this one's crazy, never heard of this one, this one's really earthy..." We really love her, she's so down to earth.

Yesterday, I was reminded that I work with the greatest bunch of people ever. We had a shower. Technically, it was for me and the baby... but I know we all love an excuse to have a get together with great food and conversation for once in awhile. We're a small staff, but we don't often see everyone during the day. I brought my world-famous fruit pizza, which was a hit (no leftovers to take home--easy peesy recipe below).
In addition to bibs and gift cards that will be put to good use we received some of the funniest and most charming gifts. A coworker got Johnny an AASU onsie--so he can be a pirate where ever fate takes us in the coming year. Imported from Canada, we received Rich approved hockey themed pee pee teepees. Everyone commented on how we're not sure they'll do the job, but we all had a good laugh. The flaming puck print makes them exceptionally adorable. The highlight gift was a "survival kit for new parents" featuring worry beads, a bottle of wine, pain reliever, no-doze and ear plugs. Also included was an emergency stash of chocolate (a 1 lb Hershey bar) inside a red box with a clear laminated window labeled "In case of emergency, break plastic.



Easy Peesy Fruit Pizza Recipe
(also decent recipe to get kids into the kitchen)
1 batch sugar cookie dough (for the quickest method, premade tube o'cookie dough from the refrigerated section is fine--I've used homemade in the past, but premade is the easiest for those "Stink, I forgot I was going to make something for tomorrow moments"). Cookie dough must be chilled for rolling out to work without being a sticky mess--hence I usually opt for the squishing into place method--opt for a little flour on your hands to decrease some of the stickyness. For pizza look, use a pizza pan--I usually just use a cookie sheet/jelly roll pan because it travels easier. Bake at 350 till slightly golden (somewhere in the 15-20 minute range). Let cool.

Frosting: Mix 1 box cream cheese (fat free, full fat, whatever suits you), 1/3 cup sugar and a splash of vanilla. Spread over cooled cookie crust. (I think some recipes call for cool whip too, but I don't find it a necessity. If it seems to thick, a splash of milk will thin it out just fine.)

Top: (This is the fun part). Top with an assortment of clean/sliced fruit and berries... (strawberries, halved grapes, cherries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, kiwi, Mandarin oranges,....whatever's in season/ whatever you like). You could get artsy at this point and make some sort of design, but it all tastes the same. (Some people make a simple glaze at this point to make the desert more "tart-like" but I think it's A) more work and B) more sugar than you actually need.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Saturday Adventure: Punch and Judy

I am a firm believer in supporting local business when possible, though admittedly lack the economic resources to do so as often as I would like. Savannah is a city filled with dozens of small boutique businesses, including those that carry the oober nice/ slightly pricey/ quality baby merchandise. Punch and Judy's is once such boutique.

I had read about them at least a year before and had been meaning to seek them out. An ad in the Savannah Morning News gave me the confidence to tackle this adventure last Saturday. When we parked outside it's Habersham Avenue location, Rich had to offer an obligatory reality check before we exited the truck. One look at the merchandise in the window and we knew we were out of our league. I noted that we were just there to look, and that they don't charge for browsing. Besides, some of my best ideas come from trying to imitate something really cute that only a boutique like this would carry.

In case you have any doubts, Punch and Judy's carries very nice baby things that you won't find anywhere else. I'd always known I wanted a wooden high chair (not those flimsy plastic/aluminum jobs everyone carries that I know the dog could knock out with her tail). Had we not received an antique one from my father, I would have been begging and drooling. They carried several to choose from, which is impressive, since other than Amish Oak shops near home, I'd never seen anyone carry them. And, all things considered, they weren't priced that out of line.

For the most part, their prices in general weren't out of line for what you were getting. Everything was high quality and very well made. Sure it was more than we could spend, but I wouldn't think twice about it if I could. The furniture in particular would realistically last through several babies, and most would transition through childhood. Bedding displays were cute, colorful and imaginative. They were unique and unlike the generic commercialized themes that everyone else (ie babies r us) carries. They were also, relatively classic/traditional, which I personally loved.

Rich fell in love with an overstuffed upholstered glider. It rocked, swiveled, reclined, had a footrest and side pocket. He was convinced we could afford this chair. Visions of day long hockey marathons danced in his head. As the voice of reason, I pointed out how much more practical a gorgeous armoire would be for our storage needs. With adjustable/ removable shelving, a bar to hang clothes and several dovetailed drawers it could easily accommodate Johnny's wardrobe, blankets, toys, and still have room. Since neither piece would fit well in our small apartment, we were forced to decline.


They also carried Bummis prefolds. Since this is the first time I'd actually had the chance to feel the difference in person, it was nice. I gave Rich a pop quiz on which type of cloth diaper I was holding--he passed. He could finally understand the difference between a quality prefold and the birdseye gerber prefolds at Babies R Us.
Among the list of things I'd probably never purchase, but found charming just the same, there was selection of heirloom quality linen bibs and bonnets. They had french lace trims and beautifully detailed embroidery. Outfits featured smocking and high quality fabric. While Rich is right, I'd be heartbroken when Johnny puked all over a $40 sleeper they were still very cute.
I think the most amusing part about our adventure was overhearing another couple shopping for a car seat. The wife had clearly done her homework and knew she wanted an infant carrier, transitioning to a booster later. The husband, however, thought he wanted the convertible seat so he would only have to buy one car seat. The wife patiently prodded the sales lady to reveal the advantages of her plan, to which the husband gradually agreed. This really wasn't fair to the husband, but rather amusing to the observer.
So we loved the huge stuffed animals, the unique wall art, the hooked rugs, the elephant piggy banks, this stuffed chenille sheep that opened to lay flat and just about everything else we saw there. We'll definately be back to browse.
You can browse online too at: http://www.punchandjudysavannah.com/

Waiting for My Real Life to Begin

Any minute now, my ship is coming in
I'll keep checking the horizon
I'll stand on the bow, feel the waves come crashing
Come crashing down down down, on me

And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart
Let the light shine in
But don't you understand
I already have a plan
I'm waiting for my real life to begin
--Colin Hay

I’m working on being patient. I’m working on trusting that everything will work itself out. I’m not perfect at doing either of these things, but I am trying to be better.

The past week or so has been a test of my patience. No, nothing exciting happened, which I suppose was precisely the problem. We’re waiting for Johnny. At the same time, I’ve been waiting for a better job. I’ve been waiting since well before graduating six months ago. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to move home for almost three years. Heading into the third trimester, the ability to travel for interviews is concerning. Not to mention, the odds of being hired at this point in the pregnancy probably are slim.

I worry about leaving Johnny with strangers. I worry about finding trustworthy caretakers on our second shift schedules. I worry about affording child care. In a perfect world, we’d be back home and I’d have family I could trust him to.

Yet, maybe this is where I’m meant to be for now. If I stay put, I at least have some sick/vacation time built up for maternity leave. I’m not trying to play Pollyanna and put a positive spin on an otherwise stressful situation. Instead, I’m trying to find the patience to accept the blessings I do have. I’m trying to focus on the joy in my life. I’m trying to quit waiting for my real life to begin and instead enjoy the life I am leaving.

It's gonna happen soon, soon, soon
It's just that times are lean

And you say, be still my love
Open up your heart, let the light shine in
Don't you understand
I already have a plan
I'm waiting for my real life to begin

Weekends of Crafty Goodness

What does one do on a rainy holiday weekend? Craft projects for the nursery, of course. The dining room of our one bedroom apartment now comes close to resembling a nursery thanks to some crafty and creative additions.

For Christmas, I finished the "hockey quilt," for Rich. It's a standard Crib size with an Ohio Star pattern. I used flannel for both the front and back, and a cotton batting. A large portion of the quilt is machine quilted (in the ditch. Hopefully the machine quilting will help it hold up better through many washes. The white squares are hand quilted in a "net" diagonal checkerboard pattern and the star centers feature a hand quilted redwings logo outline. I made the pattern for the logo by tracing the shoulder patch from the Winter Classic jersey. The border features blue and red prairie points. This quilt doesn't really go with the nursery theme, but we think Johnny will like it just the same.

Several weeks ago, I created about 4 receiving blankets out of flannel. They are simply 2 1yard cuts sewn right sides together, then turned out and finished. For two of the blankets, I cut the 45" down to 36" so the resulting blanket is square and easier to use for swaddling. Very simple, but Jo Ann's has so many cute flannel patterns and they look very nice. The double layer of flannel should prove to be pretty warm too.

I also created a dust ruffle--yet another layer in my shabby chic decorating. The fabric for the dust ruffle was easy to obtain. We had an old blue and green striped fabric shower curtain we weren't using. The fabric was cut to fit the crib length. Remnant pieces were added at the headboard and foot board to complete the look at no cost to us.



This weekend I created a "crib caddy"-- a fabric creation with pockets designed to hang from a crib and keep necessities handy. We're actually tying it on to the changing table, as that's where we need more storage anyway. Besides, it's a small space, so everything is within arms reach of everything else. I used grosgrain ribbon instead of the prescribed bias tape, which seams fairly sturdy. I followed a simplicity pattern, which made it seem more complicated than it was. Having made it once, a second one should go together easier, but it's not on my priority list.

Since the cost of a new glider was not in the budget, we've decided to recover our old glider. Structurally, there is nothing wrong with the old one, other than the fact that the cushions were old, a little worn and not very comfortable. I wrapped the old cushions in 2 layers of high loft batting and a layer of fleece. For this project, I used a full size pre-packaged batting, which was enough for the cushions, and ottoman, with enough left over for the memory boards. I very quickly tacked the batting/fleece in place with some loose hand stitching. Tacking things down was a good idea; I could tell it would have been a nightmare trying to stuff the cushions into the covers otherwise. I chose to cover the cushions in a blue and white gingham.With the cushions on the fabric, I cut out two pieces with roughly 1 inch extra all the way around. I stitched together three sides, leaving the "bottom" open to insert the cushion. Once the cushion was inside, I hand stitched the opening with some ribbon tabs to tie the cushions to the chair.


So we have this "pond" theme for our nursery, and above Johnny's crib is his own lily pond. We made lily pads from green fabric. I used coloring book images to create a rough pattern and enlarged the pattern to various sizes. Two pieces of fabric were stitched together, turned right side out and filled with a little bit of scrap fabric or fiber fill. To create "veins" I used a variety of machine stitching patterns. Some of the lily pads were sewn to the blue tulle "pond" canopy. The canopy is attached to the ceiling in a random draping fashion using thumbtacks. Rich did most of the ceiling work as I directed from the ground. Next, we added extra lily pads suspended from fishing line, as well as tissue paper "lilies." Sparkling blue butterflies from Hobby Lobby's summer decor finish off the ceiling masterpiece. We were careful to keep the canopy far enough from the ceiling fan, but close enough that when the fan is on, the hanging pieces have some movement.

On the wall behind the crib we painted pre-cut wooden letters. You can find these letters at just about any craft store--ours happen to come from Walmart, where they were marked down. Rich gave the letters two base coats of white. I added green and blue accents and voila, for much less than $16 a letter we have a cute wall decoration.
Under his name, we added a frog. It's actually a kid's summer placemat from Jo Ann's for $1. We may add accent fish to the sides yet.


On the to do list yet... Finish the memo boards, create a window treatment and more wall art. I might make a "pond" mirror--but that's not a priority.

The Blueberry's close up

This is our little blueberry's first photo. The future hockey player is an impressive 3/4ths of an inch--or roughly the size of the gummy bear he/she resembles. Not even Buckeye sized yet! The black part is the amniotic fluid and the blueberry is the gingerbread man inside. We heard the heart beat too--the heart is the bright white button on the gingerbread man. We won't know whether it's Alexander Viacheslav McGowanstrom or Stevie Yzerman McGowanov for another twelve weeks.
This was a super exciting appointment, even if I again lost my breakfast at the office. We can't wait to meet him/her.