the best sound ever

This morning I had an ultrasound to figure out dates of our 4th little one.  Since I got pregnant so quickly after my miscarriage in August, we didn't have any dates to go on.  I was nervous to go to the ultrasound... I was terrified there wouldn't be a baby. I was guessing I was somewhere near 7/8 weeks along, so I was hoping that the heartbeat would be able to be heard.

I never thought I'd be so excited to hear a heartbeat in my life.  I saw the little flicker on the screen and I got teary eyed.  I was measuring 7 weeks 1 day, and the heartbeat was 150bpm.  YAY!  My due date is June 7, 2015.  I'm praying for a healthy, uneventful pregnancy and hopefully very minimal weight gain.  GAH.   I'm kind of disgusted because I truly could gain NOTHING this pregnancy and  be heavy enough.  I'm going to have to do some serious weight loss and toning after this baby arrives!

Third time is a charm: Baby Basics

Since it has been 4 years since I've had an infant in my home, I thought I'd do a little rundown on all the "newfangled" baby gear that I find so wonderful this time around.

• Safety First Snuggler Tub or Puj Tub:  I really really love this tub.  With Porter we bought one of the plastic baby tubs and it was always in the way in our tiny house on Annetta.  With Hudson I ditched the baby tub and we bathed him in the kitchen sink.  I found the Puj tub when I was pregnant with Amelia and LOVED that it could lay flat and be hung on the back of a door when not in use.  I balked at the price, but then found the Safety First Snuggler Tub and decided to give it a try for $20.  I LOVE IT.  It folds so that it creates a little "tub" inside the kitchen sink.  It is soft and foamy.  It is flexible.  When we're done with bathtime, we hang it in the shower to dry and then it hangs from a hook behind the bathroom door.
  
• Aden + Anais Swaddlers:  Another "should I spend the money" item... I'm glad I did!  I had heard a lot of great things about the A+A swaddlers and since Hudson LOVED being swaddled I figured- why not?  Well, Amelia did not like being swaddled, but she does love her A+A blankets.  She sleeps with one at all times and we take one with us everywhere.  They're huge- 44" square, but thin and lightweight so they don't take up a ton of room.  We used them to wipe up spit up, to cover her carseat when she's in the sun, and most often, for her to snuggle up with. She loves to sleep with a blanket on her face (ack!) but I don't feel too awful about the A+A blankets because they're thin and somewhat breathable through.
  
• Indestructible Books: I found these books at a bookstore in Mackinaw City and thought they were brilliant!  It gives babies that "paper sensory feeling" yet they don't rip.  Score in my book!
  
• Sophie the Giraffe: Sophie was on my "wish list" for awhile, and Aunt Lori bought her for Amelia when she was just a few weeks old.  Amelia now is grabbing at things and chewing on things and she LOVES to chew on Sophie.  Not sure what it is about this little giraffe....
  
  *note!!! I would not recommend purchasing from Amazon. Our Sophie began to lose her paint and the color was fading so I checked out Amazon reviews and it turns out "fake" Sophies have been sold from Amazon vendors.  I could care less about real/fake but..... my daughter is chewing on this and who knows where it was made and what materials it is made out of (and if the paint is non-toxic??).  I did contact Amazon and they are refunding me with a gift card and I will be purchasing another Sophie from an authorized retailer.
  
• Baltic Amber teething necklace   A friend I met through Facebook has a little girl who just turned one.  I noticed her wearing a necklace, and I asked about it (thinking it was just something "pretty").  She told me it was a teething necklace, and told me a little about it.  If you haven't heard about them, they are made of baltic amber (it HAS to be Baltic) and this contains succinic acid which is a natural pain reliever.  The amber gets warm from your body heat and releases small amounts of the succinic acid that is absorbed through your skin.  I did a bit of research and decided I'd try one with Amelia.  It may just be hype, but if it works at least a little bit it'll be worth it.  And besides, it is kind of cute on her!  :)  I ordered Amelia's necklace from AmberArtisians.com but found the necklace was kind of long for her.  I did a little finagling and was able to shorten it (11-12 inches is the best... mine was 13 inches).   

Have you had a baby recently?  Have you found some new, great baby (or kid!) product you want to shout to the world?  Let me know!  Leave me a comment!

My newest pastime

I spend a lottttt of time doing this.....

Just staring at this beautiful baby girl and cuddling her and holding her.  Yes.  She is bound to be spoiled.  I love her to pieces and I don't want these early moments to be forgotten or taken for granted.  So, I snuggle her lots.  And I stare at her lots.  And I let her sleep on my chest when I nap.  All surely things that will produce a needy and clingy baby but... I don't care.

"But the last one: the baby who trails her scent like a flag of surrender through your life when there will be no more coming after-oh, that's love by a different name. She is the babe you hold in your arms for an hour after she's gone to sleep. If you put her down in the crib, she might wake up changed and fly away. So instead you rock by the window, drinking in the light from her skin, breathing her exhaled dreams. Your heart bays to the double crescent moons of closed lashes on her cheeks. She's the one you can't put down." - Barbara Kingsolver 

She laid on my chest & her breathing filled me almost to beyond what I could hold. 

-Brian Andreas: StoryPeople.com

Straight from the bottle

Tonight my friend/cousin, Amber, posted a link to an article called "Breastfeeding and the Agony of Baby's First Bottle."  Now, she and I have discussed our thoughts on this subject as both of us have experienced that "agony of baby's first bottle."  She nursed her oldest son, and was unable to with her 2nd.  She suffered great guilt and feelings of failure when she began formula feeding.  I had a somewhat simliar experience with Porter,  I had trouble breastfeeding Porter and as a first time mom of course I felt like a failure to switch him to formula.

I wholeheartedly chose formula for Hudson and will again for this baby.  I have no desire to breastfeed.   It isn't because I can't, or am unable to, or don't produce enough milk.  No, those are not factors in my decision.


I simply do not want to.  I like having my body to myself.  I like being able to eat and drink what I want without worrying if it will upset the baby's tummy.  I like being able to pass off night feedings to Ryan. I don't want to deal with sore, cracked nipples, possible infections, clogged ducts etc.  I like being able to leave my babies at home and have a "ME" day without worrying about when and where I'll pump or will the baby take a bottle and what if they don't.  Selfish? Lazy? Uneducated? To some it might seem.


A few weeks ago I came across Crystal Butler's blog post while looking at baby sewing tutorials.  Her post couldn't have been said any better in my own words: 

"I'm the odd one out in my demographic, I know.  And I am entirely supportive of my breastfeeding friends who brave some really tough stuff in order to give that gift to their child.  But the gift I desperately wanted to give my children this time around was a sane, healthy mom.  I resented the idea that everyone who chooses to bottle-fed is somehow making a lazy, uneducated choice.  I stand steadfast in my decision, having looked at all of my options and weighing the possible risks (including another expensive outpatient stint in intensive therapy), and I choose sleep.  I choose the ability to run errands, to enlist the help of my husband in feeding, and a certain freedom to just stare at my guy during feeding and breathe him in without wincing in pain, checking his latch, and crossing my fingers that he got enough."


Will my children suffer a life of sickness and stupidity because I didn't/don't/won't breastfeed them? HELL NO. The guilt I felt when I switched to formula with Porter has been erased by the knowledge that my children are thriving, happy, healthy, intelligent children.


Back to the article that Amber posted on Facebook.  A few things I so loved from it....

One commenter quoted: "The other day, March of Dimes tweeted the AAP’s position on breast feeding which included the line breast feeding “promotes a [...] emotional connection between mother and baby.” Emotional connections happen irregardless of feeding type! When the powers that promote breast feeding try to use love and the mother-baby bond in their war against the bottle, that is where I draw the line. It’s stupid and WRONG and only serves to guilt bottle-feeding moms and dads."

And, I L-O-V-E this quote by Lisa from Bottle Babies: "Bottle Babies motto is that ‘How you fill your babies tummy is not as important as how you fill their heart, mind and spirit’. Your baby will not remember how you gave birth to them or how you fed them or even what nappies you wrapped their bottom in. But they will remember the nights that you snuggled in bed with them and read a book or sang a song or just cuddled them close while they breathed in your familiar smell, listened to the rhythm of your heart beat and they way you make them feel safe and secure. Those are the things that are important." 


AMEN! 

I have always thought that with all the push for breastfeeding... all the worry and concern and media spent trying to encourage moms to breastfeed because "their kids will be smarter, and healthier and they will bond more with them"... what about spending all that effort encouraging parents to read to their children, to spend time with them, to take everyday moments and use them as learning experiences?  THAT would make children smarter... and bonds stronger.  I'm sorry, I can't buy into the fact that a child sucking on my body is going to make me bond any more with them that if they are eating from a bottle in my arms. Furthermore, I firmly believe that a childs' intelligence and health has nothing to do with what they are fed that first year of life.  

Yes, breastmilk is more natural... its what is made specifically for babies. And of course, if you're willing, sure- breastfeed! I'm all for the AAP encouraging breastfeeding, but isn't the point to encourage and not make them feel guilty for any opposing decision?  My thoughts on it..... of course breastmilk is the most natural choice for babies.  It really is.  But... so is growing every bit of your own food in your backyard and harvesting it from the ground to feed your family.  Do many of us choose that nowadays?  Nope.  Are we criticized for buying our food at the store?  Nope.  

A few weeks ago I was browsing one of the message boards on BabyCenter and came across a post by a first time mom.  She posted about how she was feeling pressured from her family to breastfeed when she had no desire to.  She finally pushed the guilt away and decided she was going to formula feed.  And she was just simply writing that she wanted to let others know that if they don't want to choose to breastfeed that they should go with their heart and not be guilted or made to feel bad. You should have read the masses of criticism from Pro Breastfeeders/Anti-Formula Feeders. The poor girl was crucified for her decision and just for trying to ease other moms fears who might be feeling guilted one way or another. So sad. 

WHEW. Okay I'm sure I'm opening a huge can of worms but I could spew on and on.  To me, it doesn't matter whether you nurse, pump, supplement, or formula feed. Parenting is hard enough without being ridiculed for how or what you feed your child.  We're all moms, we're all trying to do our best and every mom who feeds and loves her baby should be celebrated the same way and not made to feel guilty of their own personal decisions.  We, as moms, have the same ultimate outcome in mind:  happy, healthy, well adjusted children.  There is a lot more that goes into creating that outcome than what you decide to feed your baby.  


And... a few articles that either made me laugh or nod my head yes, yes...
People I want to punch in the throat

Bad Parent: Straight to the Bottle

Fearless Formula Feeder (a blog)

Carter Logan Murphy

My friend Missy (who doesn't have a blog... so I can't link you to her. Hmm... Carrie... do you think we should bug her to start a blog?) had her baby boy on Monday, July 7th. Carter Logan Murphy joins big sister Hailey. She's 6 and is going to be a little mother hen, I can already tell. Brian (dad) was telling me how he slept with Carter on the pull out couch at the hospital and Hailey said "WHAT! You slept with him on this couch? You could have SQUISHED him! He could have ROLLED OFF! Oh my gawsh!!!" HAHAHA!

I can't believe how much Hudson has grown in the past 7 weeks. He was even a pound smaller than Carter is (Carter weighed in at 8lbs 3oz). It makes me a bit sad to realize how quickly they grow.

After we met Mr. Carter, the boys and I met Katie and Nolan at Vermeulan's Furniture store to see if they still had the couch that we bought a few years back. We only have a couch and chair right now, and we'd like to buy a loveseat to fill in some bare space in the huge living room. (they don't have our fabric anymore... phooey!). I told Ryan the night before that I was going to attempt to take both boys furniture shopping. Not that I am chicken to take them places, but I knew that taking a 2 year old to a furniture store and actually being able to ponder and think about furniture and fabrics would be, ehh, slightly more fun than prying my eyeballs out with a nail file.

And I was right on target too. It was lunchtime, Porter was going buck wild and acting like a jackrabbit on speed. He was galloping here and there, dinking with lamps and attempting to climb over the back of the couches. I had never been so embarrassed by him in my life. He is normally so good in stores.

I think the kicker was when Katie and I were trying to talk to the sales lady about putting a piece of furniture with pattern on it in the living room... Porter laid down on the floor in front of us, started thrashing back and forth like a fish out of water and saying "Meoooowww! Meoooowww!" I about threw up, apologized a zillion times to the sales lady for how he was acting and fought back embarrassed tears in my eyes. GAH! Never ever again. Never.

Here is Nolan (left) and Hudson (right).... at least THEY were quiet.


**FYI... new banner... finally! And, I went ahead and made Lori and Katie new banners as well, so their blog designs might be updated soon.

Calling all moms with infants...

For the life of me, I'm at a loss for getting Hudson to fall asleep on his own. Ok, he's only 4 weeks old, so I know I technically shouldn't have any expectations for him to fall asleep on his own quite yet, but I don't want to start any nasty habits if they can be avoided.

A little rundown for you. Lately, he's been awake more often, and often he likes to fall asleep taking a bottle or being held. We do let him spend time on the floor on his play mat, or in the swing or bouncy seat. He can fall asleep in the swing just fine (although that, too, is a habit I don't want to depend on).

During the day I try to put him in his bed to nap, regardless of where he falls asleep. Sometimes he does fine and transfers just fine, but other times (like today, for example) he wakes up within minutes of being put in his bed. Then, within minutes of being picked up, he's out like a light again. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. This often happens a lot at his 3am feeding (which has been taking us- err.... me- until 4/4:30am ish to get him back to sleep). Usually, when it happens in the middle of the night I put him in bed swaddled real tight and rub his head, pat his butt (sometimes we lay him on his side to sleep), and shhh-shhh-shhh him. But, c'mon... at 3:30am jumping through those hoops to get him to sleep isn't exactly what I want to be doing.

Today I tried laying him in his bed and letting him fall asleep on his own but he only ended up fussing and getting very agitated. I've tried laying him down drowsy (when his eyes are just starting to close) and he always seems to startle himself or wake back up a few minutes later.

What should I be doing? At this age, does it matter how they fall asleep? I can't remember how we did it with Porter. I'm not sure exactly what we should or should not be doing as far as getting Hudson to sleep.

Help?

This was definitely part of the Master Plan

I now know God surely knew what He was doing when he concocted this insane house sale this month. After last night, I know there is no way we'd survive in this house with an infant and a toddler. If you remember the floorplan I posted awhile back, you know that the bedrooms are right off the living room... and directly across from the kitchen. So, last night when I was up at 3am to get Hudson a bottle, Porter heard me, woke up and saw the kitchen light on. So, not only was Hudson up from 3-5am, so was Porter. He wanted to "help be a good big brother" and "wake up" he kept telling me.

Speaking of the house situation... we close on our house on Thursday. Yep... less than a week. Luckily, we have next weekend still to move- we don't have to be out until June 2nd. No news yet on the H house. They countered our offer last week (did I update that?) with just dropping their price about $3,000, so we countered back and raised our offer $2,000. We'll see what they counter with- we're most likely going to just take their counter offer- Ryan just likes to play games and is trying to get as much out of them as possible. Good strategy... only HELLO we have no house to move into yet and we have just a week to move so let's get this ball rolling!!!

Hudson is doing great. He's such a sweet, content baby (so far....). He rarely cries and when he does he is soothed easily. We did have to take him to the pediatrician today as his circumcision started bleeding. They re-wrapped it and said he should be fine. He weighed 6lbs 14oz. He's still not eating a whole lot... about 1 ounce every 2-4 hours.


I forgot how much laundry one tiny baby can produce. Last night alone he went through three sleepers, two receiving blankets and a bedsheets. We have to put vasoline on his diaper because of his healing circumcision, so sometimes the pee just runs right out of his diaper. I already have a good load of laundry from just Hudson alone.

I think this upcoming week will be the roughest thus far. I'm still incredibly sore where I was, uh, stitched up. My milk is coming in and that's hell in itself (more on that later). We close on our house and are moving in with my mom by next weekend, and we're still trying to get used to the up all night schedule now that the "new baby" adrenaline has worn off. I figure if I can make it through the next week, it'll be somewhat smooth sailing from then on.

Back to the boobs. Oh man... I feel like they've packed on 10lbs each in the past day. My upper back is KILLING me... I feel like I'm hunched over constantly. This is reaffirming my decision to not breastfeed... I feel no guilt. I can't imagine dealing with the milk boobs. I told Ryan I need to take a picture (with my clothes on, of course!) to remember just how ginormous they got.

Well, I'm still working on those pictures from Hudsons little session. I want to get his birth announcements ordered asap because we'll be moving next week and I don't want to have to deal with wondering what house they'll need to be shipped to. I guess I should get back to work and then get my butt to bed!

Oh boy...

Real quick. I'm proofing pictures from my "session" with Hudson today.


Love this picture. Two reasons...

First... just love the tiny parts.

Second... do you see it? Look close.

HAHAHAH!

8am: Day 2 of being a Mom of 2 Kids...

I'm just sitting here blogging... waiting for them to bring Hudson back from his baby check. And waiting for breakfast.

We had a decent sleep last night. The nurses took Hudson from about 10pm to 3:30am and Ryan and I both got some good sleep. I had them bring him back at 3:30 and I snuggled/half slept with him for awhile and then tucked him into his little cradle thing and we both slept until nearly 7am when they came to take him for his baby check.

I'm still feeling pretty good... I want to take a shower, and I think I'll attempt that after breakfast. My upper back/neck hurts a tad like the beginnings of a headache/migraine (shit)... but I'm hoping that its just from the way I slept last night and maybe after getting up and moving around and taking a warm shower I'll feel better.

I'm surprisingly keeping up on blogs... insane, yeah. I was just sitting here and I love that we have wifi here in the hospital because, honestly, what else is there to do in a hospital room with a newborn who pretty much just sleeps?

To update on Hudson: he isn't taking his bottle as well as I thought he would. They want him eating every 4 hours, but by 8pm last night he'd only had a whole half an ounce. They did get him to eat about 30mL around 3am I think. He doesn't seem to have figured out the suck/swallow deal yet, but he's getting better. I haven't had a chance to feed him this morning (he's with the nurses, remember?) so hopefully once he is back he'll eat for me. Unless they've fed him.

I think Ryan is going to go get Porter today and let him hang out with us at the hospital and then take him home to put him down for a nap. I'm hoping they'll let us go home this evening, but not sure... when I had Porter (which was a Tuesday at 5:30pm) they kept us until Thursday morning.

Nolan Huff

I posted a few pictures of Katie's little guy on my photography blog. Nolan Jeffrey Huff was born on May 7th, 2008. I don't think they've had a chance to update their blog with any pictures of him, so I thought I'd share!

OMFG OMFG

I was browsing the Web Nursery to see if pictures of Nolan (Katie's little guy!) were on there, and decided to browse the other babies born in May.

I found this one. Cute little bugger. Check out the SECOND picture of her.

You have GOT to be kidding me.

BPA: Hype or Concern?

I keep reading all these articles on the risks of BPA in our plastics. And on the iVillage expecting board many many moms are switching over their previously used bottles for BPA free or glass bottles.

What is Bisphenol A?
Bisphenol A is a hormone-mimicking chemical used in polycarbonate plastics (PC or identified as #7 recycling code) and resins commonly used for items such as shatterproof baby bottles. Bisphenol has estrogenic properties which, in animal tests has shown to cause a bevy of health problems such as an increase in prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls, metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes and obesity and neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Research is showing that when plastic containers, mostly those used to hold liquids and foods, are leeching Bisphenol into the foods and liquids they are holding. Heating food and liquids with these plastics is shown to increase the leeching of this contaminate.

Many companies use this chemical in their packaging including cans, soda cans, and plastic food containers. There is a risk of absorbing this chemical through the use of containing foods and liquids but can also leech into our water systems through landfills.

Many leading experts argue that the use of Bisphenol is safe to the human public but research may begin to further prove otherwise.

If you're unfamiliar with what is being said about BPA and bottles... here is a "Crash Course" from the Safemama.com website:

• What is BPA? BPA or Bisphenol-a is a chemical used mostly in polycarbonate plastics (PC), which are used in: baby bottles, sippy cups, sports bottles, canned food / formula lining, and jar food lids. Greeeat. (feel my thick sarcasm?)
• How do I know if something is made with PC? Flip the item over and look for a recycling symbol on the bottom. It looks like a triangle of arrows with a number between 1 - 7 in the center. Polycarbonate plastic is usually marked with a 7. It might sometimes have a PC next to it indicating polycarbonate.
• 
• Why should I avoid BPA? Bisphenol-a is a known endocrine disruptor. Meaning it has estrogenic properties which, in recent animal tests has shown to cause a bevy of health problems such as;
  • precancerous tumors
  • uro-genital abnormalities in male babies,
  • a decline in semen quality in males,
  • early onset of puberty in females,

Research is showing that when plastic containers, mostly those used to hold liquids and foods, are leeching Bisphenol into the foods and liquids they are holding. Heating food and liquids with these plastics is shown to increase the leeching of this contaminate. Bottom line: It’s icky and if you don’t want to chance it on your precious kids, there are ways to avoid it.

• So, do my Avent / Dr. Browns baby bottles have BPA? If they are the traditional hard clear plastic ones that millions of people use? Most likely, YES. Want to check which bottles are not made with polycarbonate plastic (PC)? We have a growing list of bottles, sippy cups, milk storage and other items available:
  • BPA Free Bottles, Cups and Milk / Food Storage Cheat Sheet
  • BPA Free Teethers & Pacifiers Cheat Sheet
• What if my item has no recycling code on it? Welcome to our hell! There is no way of knowing unless you a) Find it on the “BPA Free lists” or call the company the product is made by and ask them what kind of plastic it is. We wish it was easier than that, believe us.

I'm really at a loss as to what to think. When I first read about BPA I was concerned... and I looked into it and contemplated tossing all the Avent bottles that I used with Porter (they do contain BPA... Avent has released a materials chart, although they will be going BPA free by the end of 2008) . But then I started to think... Porter drank from those bottles and he's fine (so far)... and honestly, our world is laced in toxins and we can't shelter our children from everything. So, I figured I'd keep them. Well, now I'm reading more and more about how Canada is banning all BPA products, and by the end of 2008 Toys R Us and Walmart will sell only BPA free products. Its making me wonder...

I mean... these kinds of plastics are everywhere: Bottles, sippy cups, pacifiers, shampoo bottles, lotion bottles (all sorts of kids skincare products), food storage, water bottles etc etc etc... the list goes on. Is it really a concern? Or is it just a bunch of hype? I mean, we weren't concerned with this 20 years ago... but then again its scary to think of all the young and middle aged people with terrible diseases like cancer and the like and there are no surefire "causes" to cancer. Maybe there is some truth to the BPA scare?

Here is one link that was interesting: BPA Timeline: from invention to phase out

What do you think? I'd love to hear all your opinions, and especially if there are any readers out there that know more about plastics and the effects on the body.


For those interested, or concerned with BPA... here are a few articles I've bookmarked "just in case" I decide to take caution and go BPA free..

• EWG's Guide to Baby-Safe Bottles and Formula
• Z-Report on BPA in Children's Feeding Products
• BPA Free Bottle and Sippy Cup Cheat Sheet
• BPA Free Pacifiers and Teethers Cheat Sheet
• BPA Free Baby SkinCare Products Cheat Sheet
• The Green Guide to safe food storage containers
• 
  

TFT: Don't Touch or Snuggle Up...

*I'm posting this a tad early, well, obviously as you're reading it NOW and not tomorrow HAHA! I'll add links to other TFT'ers to the bottom once I see those posts. Give me a shout if you post a TFT!

OK... on to the Thought for Thursday....

I came across this post on Thingamababy and thought it'd make a good topic for TFT. If you don't care to visit the site and read their post, the short story of it is they were highlighting a website that sold baby onesies that say things like "Look but don't touch" and "If you can read this you're too close."

Now, I am guilty of reaching out and touching little newborns, and snuggling my nieces as babies and smothering my own child with kisses as a newborn as well as passing him around to whoever wanted to hold him. I don't consider myself a very "overprotective" (for lack of better word) parent when it comes to germs... I never really think twice. We had a squirter of Purel by the door, but rarely used it. A year later it was less than half gone. Furthermore, I was out and about within a week of giving birth. Porter was born on a Tuesday and the following Monday he had a doctor's appointment and we also stopped by to see the teacher I student taught with the month prior. Yep, school germs! Eww. That same week, we took him to Outback Steakhouse for Ryan's birthday dinner. A week later I was visiting Spring Arbor University's Fieldhouse to walk the indoor track. We were out and about and I never thought a thing about it.

Anyhow... as a parent... I never think twice if a stranger oogles my baby, or if relatives want to pass him around. I read the comments on Thingamababy's post and I started to wonder if I was in the minority.

So... my question to you this wonderful Thursday...

• Were you cautious with other people handling your newborn?
• Did you stick to the old "6 week rule" and not leave the house for 6 weeks?
• What precautions did you take to protect your newborn from germs?
• Any additional comments on this topic?

Other TFT'ers this week:

Cass on luxury

Jessica on dreams and aspirations

Jenny on name-brand products

Heather on what's in a name

Michelle on celebrities selling the exclusive rights to their family photos

Denise on ghosts and haunted houses

April on interpreting dreams

Kristi on ESP and premonitions

Unproductive weekend

I feel like I got nada done this weekend. We were pretty busy....

• Two house showings... one through our realtor and one not (we did not renew our contract w/the realtor... we have more bargaining room with potential buyers if we don't have to give a realtor a cut of our sale)
• A newborn session on Saturday (see a few of baby Reyna's pictures on the photography blog). I spent a big chunk of late Saturday evening (into Sunday morning) proofing that session.
• An out of control, 3-ring circus of an extended family get together on Saturday night
• A surprise birthday party for one of my girlfriends
• A mini session with Porter to get his "one year" pictures... (oooh he's a cute one, I tell ya!)
• I ordered Porter's birthday invites
• I set up QuickBooks for my business, and began tracking my expenses and income. Fun stuff...

Ugh. I swear... I feel like I have sooo much going on.

What I did NOT do....

• Grocery Shop
• Buy diapers
• Finish my 5 scrapbook pages that I challenged myself to do
• Exercise

I'm not ready to go back to work tomorrow. I guess I shouldn't complain... I only work until noon HAHA. In the afternoon I have a meeting with a lady at the hospital to fill out the paperwork to get onto their Merchant Program for new moms. I'll be listed with other area business offering discounts to new moms who complete the Labor and Delivery classes through the hospital. I'm really excited about this... I love newborn sessions, and this will be a great way to get a lot of new clients!

Well... I should either try to scrapbook or go watch the Wives. I love that show. I am hating scrapbooking right now... I have no creativity at all. UGH.

She's HERE!

I got a call from Rocky, Les' dad, this morning. At 7am.

"Leslie wanted me to call you. She is dilated to 9 1/2 and she's panting away."

OMG HAHAH.

I was so teary all morning, I nearly cried going to work. Just thinking of all the emotions, the miracle, that my friend was going through. Its so amazing. It just hit so close to home, nearly one year ago I was in her place, turning into a new person. Not Nicole. MOM. Leslie is no longer Leslie... she's no longer just "my friend" she's " my friend, the MOM". Its so... soo... I don't know how to describe it. I just wanted to cry tears of joy and excitement for her, tears of sadness for me because MY baby is growing up so fast and I don't know how to freeze the moments I want to remember forever. I'm getting choked up just writing about this. HAHA. I'm nuts. I guess its just hitting me hard that Porter is turning 1 soon, and I'm so happy for Leslie and so excited that we now have this in common.... it was so awesome throughout her pregnancy, sharing the memories with her, and now we can share motherhood together.

Anyway... onto the more exciting stuff... THE BABY!

Reyna arrived around 7:49am. She was 6lbs 11oz and 20 3/4 inches long. She is gorgeous and I am in love with her already. I did a little mini-shoot at the hospital (awesome lighting there by the window!!) and I posted a few pictures on Les' blog. I'll post a few here... but I want to save some for Les and Jade to see in their gallery.

This is NOT a false alarm

I got a call from Leslie's dad around 7am... she's at the hospital and dilated to 9 3/4. There is no doubt... Reyna will be here today! From what I heard, she and Jade went to the hospital around 1am. I'll update when I hear more.

Reyna Jade is on her way!

For real this time (for those of you who know Les IRL or read her blog..). Leslie's water broke this morning, and they're going to the hospital! I'm soooo excited! What a week of babies... Denise was induced yesterday with baby Gavin, so I'm assuming he's here already too! And now Reyna! Babies babies babies... enough to give me baby fever! LOL.

Good luck Les! We can't wait to see her!

Porter Walked!

This was totally totally out of the blue. He still won't stand alone for more than 3 seconds (and usually its when he doesn't realize he let go with both hands), but lately he's been toddling a step or two to get from the coffee table to the couch/person etc...

Well, tonight I was helping him walk to my mom. He walks SO good when you hold his hands. I let go of his hands, and he kept on walking... FOUR steps on his own. He walked back to me, from my mom, taking about 3 steps on his own. Ry ran to get the video camera, but by then he was dropping to his knees the second we let go of his arms, or lunging forward right when we let go.

My little guy is going to be walking soon!!

I guess I'll update a little more on Porter, so I have something to reference back to when attempting to fill in the baby book.

• He has 6 teeth now, and he's a bit lopsided... he has the 4 front teeth (2 on top, 2 on bottom) but then, if you're looking at him, he has a new one on the top and bottom, but both on the same side. Here's a drawing of him..
  
• He has lots of new words he is attempting.
  
  • He says No NO! all day... he knows what "no no" things are. He will pull up to the coffee table, looks at the remote and says "No No!". Same goes for my candles, glasses, my purse... silly boy.
  • He called the Christmas tree "Pretty". He was standing by it, looking at it, put his arm in the air and said "Preeee". I said "Pretty? Pretty tree?" He said "Preee". Aww.
  • He makes truck noises... "Brrrrrrrr"
  • He says Mooo (more like Booooo)
  • Hmm... seems like he was saying a few other things, but of course I didn't write them down.
  • He says "hi!" allllll the time.
• He gives kisses all the time. Big, wet, open mouthed baby kisses. So sweet!

I've begun to notice distinct things about his personality. See, he's always been a pretty happy baby (except when he's teething and then he's a beast). He has never really had stranger anxiety, and I guess I've always assumed he was outgoing. Well, I was reading some of Kim's layouts about Morgan, about how he's such an active, friendly, outgoing kid, and realized... hmm... Porter isn't really as outgoing as I thought.

See, at home, he's a nut. He is crazy and loud and is on the move allll the time. But I have noticed that at other peoples houses he's a bit more reserved... he sits back and studies people, he takes awhile to warm up, he isn't as talkative and he doesn't smile as much. I was talking to Heather about this, saying that he seems to act soo much more outgoing when he's at home in HIS environment. He does act pretty comfortable at her house, as we're over there a few times a week, and he and Sawyer are such little buddies now, but even at her house, or family members houses, he is always just a little more reserved. And when we're out and about, at the stores, when people say hi to him, or talk to him, he stares. A lot of times its because he's tired and I'm dragging him around on errands really close to his naptime, but still... strangers don't often just get smiles from him. He does say hi, though LOL.

random thoughts

Ok, this post is going to be a little random. I'm going with the "review" theme and am going to review some baby items... I recieved a One Step Ahead catalog the other day in the mail, and had a good laugh at some of the items for sale. I thought... who the heck would use these? (but then I thought... ehhh I do know some people who totally baby their kid(s) and would throw their money away at useless inventions) but anyway... since babies are on the brain for our group of friends (Reyna is due in about a month!) I thought it'd be fun to do a "Totally Useless" and "Totally Essential" post on baby items.

So, here we go.

Totally Useless
(disclaimer: If you have these items, love them and use them... great. My opinion is just that... my opinion. Its not right nor wrong.)

Tub Time Bumper- This was the item that sparked the idea for this post. Let me say... WHAT THE HELL? A kid can't even bathe in the bathtub without a bumper?? Seriously... why not put your kid in a bubble to live.

Shopping Cart Cover- I crack up every time I see someone at the store with one of these. (so... I know I'm going to offend SOMEONE with this post...) Yeah, the carts are probably crawling with germs. But, let me deliver you some newsbreaking information... your kid WILL come into contact with germs sometime in their life. Same goes with the high chair covers... I have enough crap to cart around with a baby. The last thing I want to try to remember is some kind of contraption cover.

Wipe Warmers- Now, lots of new moms register for these. I, personally, have thought this was a really stupid invention, unless you have some sort of "travelling wipe warmer" for your diaper bag. Yeah, cold wipes aren't all that fun on baby bottoms... but isn't it even more torture to have their tushie all used to warm wipes, and then when you're away from home you have to use *GASP* cold wipes on their bum? (same goes for bottle warmers... that is, unless you refrigerate formula. We always use room temp water... and when we did make formula batches ahead of time and refrigerated them, we only warmed the bottle in the microwave for ohhh 15 seconds just to get rid of the chill)

Baby Safe Feeder- Ok, I'm kind of on the fence with this one. Porter does have one but we never used it. He's been eating solid foods... chunks of fruit etc... since he was about 6-7 months old. It was a sink or swim thing... learn to gum up soft fruits or choke LOL. Maybe that seems mean. Anyway, my child is still alive, and he chews food great. I think it is a neat invention for babies... maybe I would have used it sometime... maybe frozen fruit for teething babies...but look at the age on that... up to 2 years??? Seriously, if you have a 2 year old sucking fruit from one of those you have some problems (again... I think I know someone who could possibly have that problem).

Totally Essential
Bumbo- I don't think I could have lived without this. I loved my bumbo. Porter was able to sit somewhat upright from about 6-8 weeks old. He could sit on the counter next to me washing dishes, he could watch his einstein movies, he ate his first cereals in this until he could sit up in the booster (more on that later) and it is so light and portable it can travel anywhere. This, I do believe, is something you absolutely must have.

Booster- Honestly, I think eventually "old school" highchairs are going to be phased out. We never registered for one, never needed one... they waste soooo much space and are so bulky and "HEY look at this BABY chair!". Porter ate from his bumbo until he could sit up, and from then he ate in a booster. Saved us so much space, especially since our house is so small. There are even boosters that recline, so babies who can't sit up yet can use them (if you don't want to invest in a bumbo). And they are a fraction of the cost of big high chairs. AND they are portable too. Whew. Lots of bonuses for this little item.

Boppy- for awhile, the only place Porter would sleep soundly was in his boppy. And I think Jess can vouch for this... boppys (boppies?) are lifesavers with infants. THey keep them feeling snug and secure. (no, Les, I'm not trying to stir up more frantic boppy dreams.... you won't die if you don't have one... babies can lay virtually anywhere... but they are nice to have)

Swinging Gate- When we registered, we originally registered for this $80 white metal gate that had a swinging door on it. The opening was only about 20", as there was some sort of "frame" on the sides (you know what I'm talking about... these types of gates seem pretty popular). Anyway, Heather and Ryan had one of these wooden swinging gates, and it is so awesome. It goes across the whole width of your doorway, so you don't have this tiny opening to walk through, and it swings open and is adjustable. And cheap! This is definitely the gate I would recommend.

OK, this isn't an "essential" but I think its so cool! I wish I had known about this when P was an infant...
3D mold

Well, I think thats about it. I'm not sure what the point is of this post, but maybe new-mom-to-be's out there might like the reviews. As I said before, my opinions are neither right nor wrong. Some of these items may have worked for you, or may have not. Feel free to throw in your two cents/reviews etc. if you'd like.