Coming Soon to a Blog Near You...

All of my favorite things during pregnancy! This will be fun, but it will take a while! Check back to find out what I was totally in love with while I was pregnant!

These are a few of my favorite things.

As a new mom I have obsessed over finding the newest baby gadgets and gear. I know that most of the people who read my blog are prego, working on it, or waiting on their little one to be born half way around the world and so I feel obligated to share. Here is a list of my top 10 baby items (so far).

The Soothie
Before Aby was born we had decided not to give her a pacifier. At 1am the day she was born we paged the nurse and begged for one! The soothie seems to be the easiest for her to keep in her mouth. The nipple is also very realistic unlike some pacifiers. We tried to give her a "binky" and several other pacifiers but they just kept falling out! I love the Soothie! This is what they will give you at the hospital if you request it, they can also be found at Wal-Mart.



The Boppy
The boppy is a wonderful tool! Breast or bottle feeding this thing is great! If you don't know what it's for let me tell ya, just slip it around your waste and rest your arms on it while holding, feeding, or playing with your baby! It really helps when you want to hold your baby all day but they weigh 10lbs like my little lady. The boppy is also great for when you want to eat dinner on the sofa...it makes an excellent plate holder! lol. I would recommend getting a separate boppy and cover (instead of the all in one) so that you can throw the cover in the wash anytime it gets "wet" or "dirty"! And for all of my expectant moms they also have a boppy total body pillow to use during pregnancy. I didn't have one but it looks amazing!



Medela Breast Pump
If you plan on breast feeding you must own one unfortunately these bad boys will clean out your pocket book. That is why I went to Once Upon A Child (a children's consignment shop) and found one for a 1/3 of the price! You can replace the tubing and anything that actually comes in contact with the milk for about $30. Just ask your lactation consultant at the hospital where you can purchase those items! It is a great deal. It takes me less than 10minutes to pump 3oz of milk which is whole feeding! The reason it is so important to have is to store milk! Aby is starting to sleep through the night causing my milk to decrease and so now I wake up a couple times a night and pump a bottle and freeze it! In the future when I want to go out for the day and leave Aby at home with the hubs he will have plenty of frozen milk for her! I can also just throw on my backpack and take it with me to pump while I'm away, it even comes with a nifty ice pack and container to keep the milk cool!

The Bumbo
I have not used ours yet with Aby because she can't hold her head up yet, but I have seen this thing in action with my nephews and I think it rocks! We bought Aby the bumbo with a play tray. It enables babies to sit upright all by themselves!


New Native Sling
I have a few slings and baby carriers that I purchased or that were given to me but my absolute favorite is my New Native sling. No twisting, tying, looping, stretching or buckling, just slip it over your head and on you go! I wear Aby in it to the mall, church, grocery shopping and even around the house sometimes. It is much more convenient than lugging around the whole car seat. Which I would recommend doing if you are going to be getting in and out of the car frequently (so that you don't have to disturb the little angels sleep)!
buckling or


Glider
I spend hours and hours everyday in my glider. I love to feed Aby in it, read to her, and rock her (almost) to sleep in it. Stephen love it too, so much that he thinks we should get another one and put them side by side in her room so that we will both have somewhere to sit! Every momma needs a glider. I think they are much smoother than a rocking chair but that's just a personal preference!


Family Driven Faith
I could write an entire blog post about this book alone but I will spare you (for now). Stephen and I received it as a gift when we found out we were pregnant and we couldn't be more grateful! I love Voddie Baucham and his ideas about family worship. I think every person who ever plans on being a parent should read it. Even if you disagree with some of his views you will enjoy the conversation starters that this book offers!

Moving right along...

Dr. Browns Glass Bottles
Before I had Aby a friend of mine said "I will only use glass bottles when I have kids" and I thought "huh? I wonder why?" So I did a little research and this is what I found out. Plastic bottles contain something called BPA if you ask the makers of the products who use this chemical they would say it's harmless...if you ask me its a chemical that could not possibly do anything good for Aby so I will do without it. Unfortunately there are still many products like Tupperware, water bottles, and plates that contain it and it's not always advertised (wonder why?) so as she grows up she will use items that contain BPA and we will pray that it is as harmless as they say! Now, as for why I picked Dr. Drowns bottles, they are supposed to be the best for reducing gas and reflux. I used them when I was a nanny and decided to look into the supposed benefits when I got pregnant, you can look here for more details about how they work! So far I don't have a bad thing to say about em!

Bulb Syringe

If you haven't had your baby yet keep this in mind, the hospital has the BEST bulb syringes! My sister told me this when I was in the hospital with Aby and I didn't think much of it but oh boy was she right! I am so glad that I saved mine now that Aby has an upper respiratory infection and I am using it a dozen times a day. I have several that I got in the little baby care kits but they stink! You can't get anything out with those silly things! So, a word of advice ask for an extra before you leave the hospital and hold onto it for dear life!

and finally...

Butt Paste
When we were using disposable diapers full time (aka last week) we used this good stuff at every diaper change. I decided to try a sample of something else that I got in the mail and she instantly got a diaper rash! It is a little pricey though. Lucky for us with our fancy cloth diapers her booty is looking good and we don't have to use it very often!

Sick Little Baby

Aby is not feeling well. We took her to the Dr on Saturday because she started coughing on Friday night. He thought we might have come in a little prematurely and let us know that it would get worse. She isn't running a fever but she sounds horribly congested and has the saddest cough you have ever heard. He said it is viral so there is nothing we can do except spray saline in her nose to try and break it up and then bulb suction it out. It seems to be helping because now not only is she congested and coughing but has snot running all over her little face. It breaks my heart, and scares me a little bit to see her feeling so crummy. He said it would last 3-5 days and I can't wait for it to be all over! I'm convinced that she is going to smile at me soon, a real "Hi Mom" smile...not a "I'm about to poop my pants" kind of smile...so I really need her to be feeling better!


I gave up swaddling her hands...she always gets them out!

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week was pretty relaxing...NOT! We had our first full week without visitors since Aby was born and yet it was still busy busy around here! So what did we NOT do this week...Stephen and I did not load Aby into the minivan, get in buckle our seat belts, start our engine, throw it into reverse only to realize that the car was parked behind us and we wouldn't get very far! bahaha, nope that did not happen! I did not (yet again) watch The Biggest Loser with my traditional Oreo eating habits. Not me! I'm sure these aren't the only silly things that I didn't do this week but to tattle on my husband a little...
I did NOT catch my hubby in the front yard with one of the neighbors that he invited over to help/join in on the fun standing on top of our yard waste container holding onto a tree jumping up and down because "we have to fit more in"! Not my husband!

Baby Legs.

I found these at the store where we get our diapers... I think they are too cute! I can't wait until Aby is a little bigger so I can get her some! They say one size fits all but I seriously doubt they will fit her tiny little legs! Maybe next winter! The idea is that you don't have to take pants off and on to change their diaper!


THIS IS NOT A PICTURE OF ABY!!! (hahaha!!!)

Vote!

Check out my new poll!------------------------------->

Cloth Diapers

I am so glad to know what you think! I am a little surprised at the results of the poll. I thought it would be a little more towards "don't even think about it" or "that is so gross". Well here is what we think (Me, Stephen, and Aby)...We think they are very different than what we imagine when someone says cloth diapers. I know that they are a little more trouble than throwing on a pamper and chucking it afterwards BUT is it worth it?

On average a family will spend $2500 on disposable diapers per child! That is outrageous! I don't know about you but I don't have that kind of money...considering how many kids we want to have! Cloth diapers are an investment. We are putting the money up front now to save some in the long run. Compared to the price of disposable diapers we will save money starting with Aby and plan on reusing the same cloth diapers (and adding a few along the way) with all the children that follow!

Dioxin, you have probably never heard of it but it's a bleach byproduct and is one of the most toxic of all cancer linked chemicals and it's in disposable diapers. Disposable diapers also contain chemicals like polyacrlate gel and Tributyl Tim as well as perfumes, latex and dyes that can cause other complications. I know what you're thinking "don't be so technical, no one has gotten cancer from a diaper" but everyone these days seems to have cancer...and I'd rather be safe than sorry. If there is something I can do to prevent her from getting cancer or lower the risk, then I will do my best! I consider it my job to make the very best choices for her, even if it's not the easiest for me.

Disposable diapers are also the 3rd largest consumer item in landfills. Crazy right! I am no tree hugger BUT I do think that we are responsible for the planet and we will be held accountable to how we treat it. It's the same reason that we don't litter.

Cloth diapering for the glory of God. This is ultimately what drives us in making this decision. We have been in trusted with this little life and we want what is very best with her, we also desire to be fiscally, and environmentally responsible. my ministry is here at home with Aby and I seek to glorify God in every choice I make and ultimately I think that we are honoring him in this decision!

Let me be very clear about something though this is a choice that we have made for our family because we can. I recognize that not everyone is a stay at home mom. Not everyone has the money to put up front and frankly not everyone is impressed with the benefits of cloth and would never even consider it and that's okay. It doesn't work for everyone it is simply what works for us!

They also look super cute on her little hiney!

Stupid Cupid....Stop Picking On Me!

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's day! What a fun time to celebrate love. I love hearing about every ones plans for the day and seeing all of the flower delivery trucks out and about! Unfortunately my Valentine's day was very different this year. We woke up at 7am with a coughing, snot nosed little lady and made a quick trip to the doctor before breakfast. She has an upper respiratory infection, the doctor said it was viral so there is nothing we can do. Upon arriving home I proceeded to cook my husband breakfast. His gift from me this Valentine's day was his favorite bacon, pancakes, eggs, a nice cup of coffee and a card. I will mention that I burned at least the first 3 pancakes because of my horrible skillet. While we enjoyed our Valentine's meal we discussed cleaning up the yard from the storm, finishing the fence, painting the hallways, the stimulus bill, and Aby's new schedule (romantic huh?). After breakfast we decided to make a quick trip to Target to get some very much needed cookware. A gift to each other, now I can cook a decent meal...and now he doesn't have to eat all the burnt junk I make! Later in the evening Ginger decided she wanted to vomit several times (oh yeah and she pooped in the house for the first time in years while we were getting ready to go to the doctor) on the back porch, howling like she was being mauled. We still aren't sure what was wrong with her but she hasn't thrown up since yesterday. After she finished emptying her stomach Stephen wanted to rinse it off the porch with the hose...that we haven't used in several months because of the freezing temperatures. As I watched him from the back door I noticed that it sounded like the water was on full pressure but it was only drizzling out...then I noticed that the floor INSIDE was soaking wet! It was flooding! Holy moley! So we unplugged everything and proceeded to wash up the water, having no clue what has happened! To end my romantic V-Day I made some pasta, and watched a movie with my hubby...a crying baby and a very sad looking dog! And yet I wouldn't trade it for anything! Why? Because I don't believe in the Greco-Roman myth of cupid and his silly love arrows. I don't believe that love is a random, uncontrollable force, that can strike at any moment, or that it can end without notice. I believe that love is a choice, and I choose to love my husband unconditionally. As Voddie Baucham would say....I would rather have a sandwich with Stephen than sex with another man. And that is why I had a wonderful Valentine's day!

Stimulus

This blog was not created to talk about "the issues" it was intended to keep up with family and boast about my baby girl but I do have opinions and it is my blog! So here is what I think about the stimulus. Preposterous. What an amazing amount of money to be spent so carelessly. While president Obama rushes this bill along before everyone who is involved has a chance to read over it with a fine tooth comb we sit by helplessly. Sure you can call your senator or send a letter but is that really effective? I don't honestly think so. I'm sure there were many democrats who called there republican senators pleading with them to vote yes on this stimulus bill and yet only two republican senators actually did. It just simply isn't effective. I am happy to say that my senator Mitch McConnell was not one of those republicans. He is the senate minority leader and had this to say about the supposed stimulus...

“We’re taking an enormous risk -- an enormous risk -- with other people’s money,” said McConnell. “The president was right to call for a stimulus, but this bill misses the mark. It’s full of waste; we have no assurance it will create jobs or revive the economy. The only thing we know for sure is that it increases our debt.”

So how much money are we talking about? $789,000,000,000 To put this in perspective McConnell says "if you spent $1 million a day, every day since Jesus was born, you still wouldn't have spent $1 trillion."

So what exactly are they going to do with this money? Here is a break down of what some of the larger portions of this stimulus will be spent on...

Health care-$137.0
Tax Credit-$115.0
Energy-$92.1
Education-$91.0
Infrastructure-$85.7
Alternative minimum tax-$70.0 ( I don't know what this is, if you do please explain!)
Aid to the unemployed-$67.0

I am not only concerned with the amount of money that is being spent but with how quickly these decisions are being made. If things really are as bad as they seem then I would want our government to take their time and at least try to get it right. Throwing money at the situation and hoping that something works (claiming all the while that it might not work just to cover their rears when it doesn't) is not wise and I do not wish for my money (and your money) to be spent in this way.

I will continue to pray for our countries leadership. Asking God to save their souls and change their hearts. That they would desire to do what is right according to his word.

Happy Valentine's Day!

(Day four)

Day Three.

We are working on Becoming Baby Wise and let me tell you it is no joke. The idea is to get Aby on a schedule and stick to it so that she will start sleeping through the night. The routine goes like this starting at 7am eat, wake time, nap time repeat every 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours (except at night). Aby does really well in the afternoon but at night when she has her normal fussy time she usually misses nap time all together because she won't calm down. It is so hard to hear her crying and leave her in bed but I want a baby who sleeps through the night, in her own bed (eventually) and doesn't have to be held, rocked, shushed, swung, or take a pacifier to do it. It has already started paying off she slept last night from 9-2 (waking only to eat and going directly back to sleep)and 2:30-7!

Naptime.

After Aby had been napping for about thirty minutes I went in to check on her and this is what I found. I thought see looked too cute so I had to take a picture.

When she woke up I went in to get her and this is what I found.

Normally she has a sleep positioner to keep her on her back but today I left the positioner in our bed(where she sleeps at night). Need less to say I won't do that again!

Day Two.

Aby and I just getting home from the grocery store. I might cry too if a crazy lady kept putting funny looking bows on my head! They say a healthy baby will cry on average between one and four hours a day, and Aby is very healthy!



You thought I forgot...I just didn't have a chance to post yesterday!

Project 365

I recently heard about something called Project 365 (thanks Barie), the goal is to take a picture a day for 365 days and then make it into a book. After a very disturbing phone call from my step mom today where she told me that in the previous post of Aby and her new friend Sofia she and my Dad has a difficult time deciding which baby was mine I decided that I have got to do it. Not for me of course but for all of are friends and family at home. They have to see us and by us I mean Aby. She is going to grow so much this year and unfortunately everyone is a thousand miles away. And so I promise to do my very best to take a picture a day that includes my little lady and hopefully at the end you can all have a copy of the book! I don't want you guys (all of you at home) to miss a beat when it comes to Aby!

I am obviously no photographer but here we go. Day one.

Aby in her sling. This is how I spend most of my day, with a baby in tow! I am working really hard to get her to take naps in her crib. I hate the idea that she is getting spolied but I love having her close to me. I never worry about if she has stopped breathing or if her pacifier is going to fall out and wake her up (because she doesn't take it when she is in the sling) or if she has kicked off her blanket and her (adorable) little feet are cold! So, for now we will both be spoiled.

Pooping Swing.

To say that Aby loves her swing would be...a complete lie. She will tolerate it for a few minutes, if I'm lucky long enough to grab a quick shower and pick up a few things around the house. She will look at the window or stare up at the mobile but just when I think "She is starting to like it" she screams and wants out and I can't possibly get there fast enough...honestly it sounds like someone is torturing her. And almost every time I pick her up...I understand the tears, personally I would cry too...A complete blowout! EVERY TIME! When I put her in the swing she is clean and dry and when I take her out she is pooped all the way to her feet (she doesn't have a single pair of poopie free socks) you will also notice from the pictures that the swing is white. I have no idea who came up with that idea (or why we didn't consider it when we purchased the swing) but I find myself scrubbing it daily! So here's to Aby and her pooping swing!

Aby and Sofia

Today we had our first official play date!! WHOO HOO! Aby has her very first friend! We went to the mall, and all kinds of fancy consignment shops and then back home for some fancy frozen pizza and salad. I know what kind of person invites people over for dinner and cooks frozen pizza...the kind of person like me who has a one month old!!!




(Sofia was trying to calm Aby down by holding her hand...obviously Aby could care less!)

I'm no hippie...

But I do love my new tie dye onesie...Thanks G-Ma!


( Do I look like a frog?)

Daddy Duty

I can't imagine what it's like for Stephen to leave Aby all day while he is working. I love spending my days with her and I know that Stephen can't wait to get back home to see her at night. Here are a few pictures of Aby and Daddy!

What do you think about...

I have added a poll to the top right hand corner of my blog. I want you all to be completely honest and let me know what you think. It won't hurt my feeling if you disagree with me but it will be helpful in my decision making process as we try to decide what is the very best for our little girl! My intention is to update the poll with a new question each week and write a blog post about the previous question so don't be shy tell me what you think! You can also feel free to explain your choice on any blog post throughout the week! So this week...What do you think about cloth diapers???

Not Me! Monday!

Thanks to my "charming" big sister I have now become addicted to blogging, unfortunately I spend so much time reading all the fun new blogs that I have found I never get around to actually updating my own blog (sorry). One of my favorite new blogs is Mckmama's the creator of Not Me! Monday! and I am so excited to join in and share all of the ridiculous things that I did NOT do this week! You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


This week I did NOT watch The Biggest Loser (and cry on several occasion) while eating an entire sleeve of Oreos! I would never do that!I also did NOT go on a shopping spree at Target buying myself a new Yoga outfit (did I mention I have never done yoga) and the new Biggest Loser Yoga dvd, I would never spend money so carelessly not to mention the new jeans and baby sling that I DID NOT purchase b4 I ever got to Target. Also, I definitely DID NOT lay down Aby's ONLY pacifier at the pretzel station at the mall while waiting in line only to walk off and leave it there I would never do something so gross! NOT ME! And I wasn't still in my pj's at 2:30 in the afternoon on Thursday when my hubby came home from work and I DID NOT forget that my in-laws were coming flying in from Texas that night at 6:00 and my house was not a wreck and I did NOT run around frantic trying to take a shower, clean my house, feed the baby, and cook dinner...I would NEVER be so forgetful!