The Bonds of Brotherhood

It has been amazing to watch the love between Jack and Christopher grow over the past couple of weeks!  I am so thankful for how easy of a transition from one child to two has been... the instant connection for Jack to his baby brother has been awesome!

Jack talking to his baby brother... he loves to lay on the ground with Christopher when he's getting some "wiggle time"!

Not to say he doesn't get a little jealous, but only when Daddy's getting some Christopher time.  (Jack is a major Daddy's boy.)

Christopher "enjoying" tummy time... and though you can't tell, he's actually lifting his head a decent bit and in this picture he was actually swinging his legs as if he were trying to roll over... I know he wasn't but I wouldn't be surprised if he did it earlier than we expect!

A quick weight stat from Christopher's 12 day check-up (it was just a weight check even though he was already over his birth-weight at 5 days), he was at 7 pounds 6.5 ounces which is 13 ounces in one week!  He seems to be a very "efficient" nurser... he doesn't nurse very long, but he's obviously gaining a lot plenty of weight so he's getting what he needs!  It seems kind of strange to me simply because Jack was still nursing for nearly 40 minutes every 2 hours at this point... just goes to show how different babies can be!

Welcome Christopher!

Well, it has definitely been a while since I've posted... things have been a bit busy around here! 

Christopher joined our family (well, outside of my womb) last Thursday, October 27th at 7:44 p.m.

Christopher warming up in our labor & delivery room.

Getting some skin-to-skin snuggles in with the little man!

He weighed in at a peanut size 6 pounds 8 ounces (the exact weight I was at birth), which is substantially less than I expected after his big brother was 8 pounds 2 ounces.  (It's also more in line with what size baby I thought I would have before Jack was born.)  He is 20 inches long and his head is 13 inches in circumference.  He also has a full head of DARK hair... I think the first thing I said when they put him on my chest was "Look at all that hair!"

He's breastfeeding like a champ, everywhere from 1 to 3 hours between feedings. (I'm sure we can all guess when he decides to eat more frequently, *hint* the sun is not up when this happens.)  We had his 5 day check-up with our pediatrician today and he was already back over his birth weight at 6 pounds 9.5 ounces.  Granted, he was weighed and then decided to poop... so he's approximately over his birth weight.

Jack peeking at his baby brother after Christopher's bath... he was already in love!

Holding his baby brother, with a bit of help.  The hospital setting was a bit overwhelming for Jack and he wasn't so sure about everything while we were there.  Plus, he was really interested in all of the new things to look at!  (You can also see Christopher's dark hair!)

"Baby's nose" - Jack loves to play name-that-part on Christopher... its quite adorable.  You can also see Christopher's beautiful baby blanket crocheted by my mother-in-law.

Jack with his big brother present, a real digital camera!  He took pictures of everybody and everything while we were in the hospital... including the IV stand and himself.

Jack is a wonderful big brother!  He loves to "help" with diaper changes by showing Christopher toys and has only had a few moments of acting out.  I can't say that the acting out is really because of his new baby brother though, it is all pretty standard 2 year old behavior!

Christopher in his first cloth diaper as we were getting ready to go home... if I knew I was going to have more of a peanut I probably would've gotten more of these Rumparooz Lil Joey's.  So far, they're Matt's favorite!

My beautiful family!

I thought it would be appropriate to make my first "thanksgiving" post in November about Christopher... I am so blessed to have a second little boy to love!

"Mower Grass"

This morning Matt had to go into work pretty early and had left by 6:30 am.  Jack woke up closer to 7:30 am (thank goodness for that) and came in to wake me up.  Here is what transpired between us:

Jack:  Daddy go?

Me: Daddy had to go to work, he'll be back later.

Jack (picks up Matt's old glasses off of his nightstand): Daddy's glasses mower grass
*Matt wears his older glasses when cutting the grass just in case things are flying

Me: Yup, those are Daddy's old glasses.

Jack (picks up a ball cap of Matt's, puts it on and attempts to put on Matt's old glasses):  Daddy's hat, Daddy's glasses... mower grass!

All I could do was snap this picture with my cell phone:

He is such a Daddy's boy!

Jack & Mommy Day!

I took my last vacation day today (we have a use-it-or-lose-it vacation policy at work and all of our vacation must be used by Friday) which was much needed after this weekend!  Saturday, we were able to witness the vows of a friend from college and his high school sweetheart!  Beautiful ceremony and a fun reception... Jack loved to dance!  Jack kept pointing up front during the ceremony saying "Princess" when referring to the bride... yup, I'm a proud mama of my sweet, sweet boy!  Sunday we went to my sister-in-law's baby shower (she's due 4 days after me).  We can't wait to meet the little guy!

I had all big intentions of making today a big mother-son bonding day... It is a month away from my due date and I am really trying to get some extra time with the little guy.  Well, considering somebody decided to nap for 4 hours we didn't do a ton but we did get to enjoy each other!

Started out by getting breakfast at Krispy Kreme... I have a huge soft spot for fresh Krispy Kreme donuts and our timing couldn't have been more perfect!  My husband was able to come with us too!  We let Jack pick out which donut he wanted to have:

He called it "donut cake" because it has sprinkles on it!

Then we headed across town so I could get my hair cut (for the last time before the baby comes).  My mom and brother met us at the salon so they could entertain Jack for the 30-45 minutes I was getting my hair done.  They walked down the shopping center to a pet store where Jack got to see chinchillas, fish, and turtles!  What more could a boy want?

I had wanted to take Jack to see a "big movie" but I couldn't find any movies running that would be appropriate for his age.  I know Lion King is out, but only in 3D and I thought that would be a bit much on such a big screen with some of the intense scenes.  We took him to see Cars 2 for his first theatre movie and the only other one I could think of was the Pooh movie (definitely going to have to be a mother-son event since Pooh is the one children's series my husband can't stand, ha ha), but I couldn't find it playing anymore.  I need to figure out the local discount/late running movie theatres around here!

Well, that pretty much wrapped up our "big day" together... Lame, I know!  Jack did get a 4 hour nap, I napped 2 hours of that and right now have laundry going... I had to throw in some productivity!  Not sure what we're going to do for dinner, but I suppose I could cook....

Stay tuned for an update this week on how baby #2 is doing... I start going to the doctor weekly this week!  We're getting so close!

Teaching our Daughters and Sons

I saw this posted on Facebook and I knew I had to share it!

"We need to teach our daughters to distinguish between a man who flatters her - and a man who compliments her. A man who spends money on her - and a man who invests in her. A man who views her as property - and a man who views her properly. A man who lusts after her - and a man who loves her. A man who believes he is God's gift to women - and a man who remembers a woman was God's gift to man...And then teach our boys to be that kind of a man."

I feel like this is a very good way to look at raising a daughter or a son in today's world!

*I tried to search to see if I could find an original source, but it apparently has been out in the internet by way of multiple sources without attribution to whom might have first "said" it.... Thanks to Angie over at Blessed Beyond Words for sharing on Facebook*

Sharing Science with Our Little Guy!

As a chemist who works a full-time job away from my child, I really want to teach him (them) about what Mommy does when she's away, of course the big picture of science.  I am also the local section chair-elect (will be chair in 2012) of the American Chemical Society.

It is scary for me to think of the current state of the science and math education children are receiving... this is not knocking any teachers out there by any means, I am good friends with many amazing teachers.  (You can view the posts of my math teacher friend providing new ways to teach math here and their YouTube channel is here).  I am of the opinion that overall the amount of science offered is simply not enough, and the content tends to be incorrectly focused, leading to a decline in the interest our children have in pursuing further education and careers in science.  These are just some of the reasons why I will provide extra encouragement my children to learn, understand and most importantly, enjoy science.

We recently received free passes to our local science museum called COSI from my work... Matt and I had both been there as kids, but it had moved a number of years ago to its current location.  Here are some adorable picture of Jack enjoying the day:

A little bit about the power of flowing water!

Playing a piano of which the keys played sounds the human body makes... I'm sure in a few years we'll have to avoid this due to the silliness it will bring out in my little boy.

A giant water table with pieces he could mix and match to direct the flow of water as it moved downstream.

Jack the builder... the boy could hammer and build all day!  Future engineer?

I simply love this picture... when I was in junior high I volunteered at a natural history museum where volunteers were known as "Lab Rats".  It was an amazing experience that really took me out of my comfort zone when I got to go spelunking (caving) multiple times and it helped spark my love of science!

I was pleasantly reminded by a coworker that Mole Day (October 23rd) is only 3 days before baby #2's due date... and yes, I am so nerdy that I am hoping that he or she will make their entrance into this world that day!

You can view some of my previous posts on chemistry here, one of the first posts I wrote included some kid-friendly activities.

What are some of the ways that you see science daily and share it with your children?

Bicycle Safety

Jack received his first bike (a tricycle) from my in-laws for his 2nd birthday!  He LOVES bike rides these days, despite the fact that we have had some wicked heat and humidity lately.  Here is our adorable cyclist!

Yes, the tricycle can be steered by Mommy or Daddy using the tall handle!

He doesn't actually pedal hard enough to move himself but he's getting closer to having the strength!

One thing that's been a big part of my life growing up, and am determined to keep as a big deal in my children's life, is bicycle safety.  We live in a community where biking is very prevalent and quite a few of the main roads (at least portions of them) have designated bike lanes.  Even with the increased awareness and space on the roads cyclists are still at risk when riding, whether on a city street or even on a trail.  I may be more aware of this fact because of a good family friend, and very experienced cyclist, was killed by a car-bicycle accident when I was in college.  She was a very experienced cyclist and wore a helmet religiously but her life was still taken too soon.

Here are my top important facts from the "Bicycle Safety: Myths and Facts" from the AAP website HealthyChildren.org:

• Children need to wear a helmet on every bike ride, even the rides around the neighborhood or just in your driveway!
• You should ride with traffic, not against it when riding on the street.  Bicycles are vehicles and cyclists can even get a ticket in some cities for going the wrong way on the street.  (The Ohio laws pertaining to bicycles can be found explained here)
• Teach your children hand signals.  These are not only important for riding their bikes growing up, but also when their lights are out on their first cars.

Some other things I feel are important ideas of bicycle safety:

• Ensure the bicycle helmet fits correctly and is being worn correctly.  Check out the pictures on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website if you have any question.
• Bike helmets should be replaced (found here):
• After a crash/accident
• After dropping it that results in cracking in the plastic and/or foam (which can be hard to see)
• If the helmet doesn't have a safety standards sticker inside
• Every 3-5 years
• If it can not be adjusted to fit properly 
• Wear close toed shoes, not flip-flops or other sandals.  Sandals are notoriously unsafe, think of the number of times you may have tripped even while walking.  Sandals are not secure to your foot and are in direct contact with the pedals and close to the gears of your bike, they can easily get caught in the chain or gears with your foot still attached.
• Wear clothing that fits properly and is not loose; no skirts or dresses while riding.  Again, this is the risk of loose items getting caught in the moving parts of the bike.  I'm not suggesting people wear spandex bicycle shorts, but the average fit of shorts or capris would be a fine option.  Depending on how fashion cycles, those loose and baggy pants I saw guys wearing in junior high/high school would cause just as many issues as skirts and dresses.

Some of these things may seem kind of goofy, even to my husband who grew up without any care in the world when riding his bike, but these things really are pretty common sense. 

I must admit that one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing families riding their bicycles where the children are wearing helmets, but their parents are not!  Even if you have been riding a bicycle longer than your children, you are not any less likely to be involved in an accident.  So while some of the sources referred to are geared toward child bicycle safety, the rules apply to all of us.  Not to mention, children learn by imitating their parents... the whole "do as I say, not as I do" will not effectively teach our children how to be safe.

Someone Thinks He's Big Stuff

Today we found out Jack will get to start preschool next month!  We had put him on the waiting list for the toddler class, which is one day a week for 4 hours, at my parents' parish and got the call today that someone decided to pull their child and Jack gets a spot!  I'm so excited for him to get that interaction with other children his age and get that exposure to having to follow rules set by someone else... all of those good things about growing up.  I can't believe that my baby is going to go to school though... it is definitely bittersweet for this hormonal mommy!  Next steps:  paperwork, figuring out if he can wear his cloth diapers, parent meeting and "meet the teacher"... (Am I really old enough to go to "Meet the Teacher" as a parent?!)

Today was also a crazy day at work for both Matt and I, so we decided to order pizza for dinner.  I suppose we were kind of celebrating too.  Jack was VERY excited about pizza... which he usually will be excited about a meal in theory but it is a crap-shoot on whether or not he will actual eat (excluding something yummy like ice cream).  Here is a play-by-play of what transpired starting with the pizza delivery man:

(Pizza delivery car pulls into the driveway)

Matt (walking to the door): Pizza's here!

Jack (standing on our couch looking out our front window, waving):  Pizza! Hi!  Hi!

(Matt opens the door to sign and get the pizza, Jack hops down off the couch and runs between Matt's legs)

Jack:  Hi!  Pizza!  Dank yous! (Yes, that is "thank you")

Pizza guy: Hi.

Jack (as the door is closing): Dank yous!!

Pizza guy: Ha ha, you're welcome!

Jack runs into the kitchen following Matt, yelling "pizza!"

He proceeds to start to pitch a fit, complete with waterworks, because he wanted pizza now.

Matt: Jack, I'm putting some on a plate to cut up.

Jack: No!!  This!  (pointing to the pizza)

Matt: Yes, we're putting pizza on your plate.

Jack: Up!

Matt lifts him up, Jack keeps pointing at the pizza saying "this"... Matt hands him a slice of pizza (it was cut party-style).

We finally end up coercing him to sit at the kitchen table with his whole piece of pizza after refusing to let us cut up the pizza.  Watching him attempt to take bites out of the pepperoni was quite entertaining throughout dinner.  He kept taking a bite out of his pizza while not quite cutting through the whole piece of pepperoni and not sure what to do when he pulled it off the pizza between his teeth.  He proceeded to open his mouth to let the too-large pepperoni fall down his front.

Matt (after watching this occur several times):  Jack, I just washed the floor last night!

Jack (looking down glumly, almost muttering): Seeet  (You can imagine what 4-letter word we thought he said that started with "s" and ends in "t")

I immediately start dying laughing... giggles to the point of tears.

Matt (remaining somewhat calm but still chuckling): What, Jack?  Seat?

Jack (pointing down between his legs): Seeet!

My giggles were uncontrollable at this point, I had to take off my glasses to wipe my eyes.  Jack had joined me in my giggle fest and was cracking up at my hysterics!  (Honestly, I tend to get giggly towards the end of my pregnancy... I remember Matt's stares at my ridiculous giggles when I was pregnant with Jack).

I can't believe my son is old enough to be going to preschool, use his manners with the pizza delivery man, eat his pizza without it being cut up and using 4-letter words (even if they're not really the word his ridiculous mother thinks they are!).

Quite the Personality

Matt and Jack were playing around after dinner this evening.  This is the events that transpired:

(Jack puts his fireman's hat on Matt's head)

Jack (yelling): NICE HAT!

Matt (turns to me laughing): Did our son just mock me?

(Jack turns the fireman's hat to be backwards on Matt's head)

Jack (giggling): Nice hat!

Me: Yes, yes he is...

Afterwards, I texted the event to my mom & her response was "Its only the beginning."  Oh the personalities of little ones!

Just Keep Swimming...

I grew up going to the pool in the summer, and doing swim lessons ever summer until middle school/junior high age.  I partially grew up in Texas, where you can swim nearly 5 months out of the year... let's be honest it was hot enough that it is necessary to go to the pool.

One of the best parts of my job are the benefits; we actually have a park and pool on-site free for employees to use during the summer!  A number of the lifeguards are certified Red Cross swim instructors, so they also offer 3-2 week sessions of swim lessons.  We missed the first session because of vacation (and I pretty much forgot to sign-up), but we participated in the 2nd session, which just ended! 

This was during the first lesson... I didn't really have to hold on to him because he had such a tight grip on me!  It felt like being a tree frog's mom because he just stuck to me!

It got better slowly!  He actually let himself be taken by his teacher to work on kicking during the lessons!

His favorite "game" is the mat races... he just finished showing Daddy how fast he could go!

There's my big boy, enjoying the 2' section walking around without any fear!  He is holding onto the wall here, but he has no qualms walking around and even getting his head wet isn't a big deal!  He's even gone off the diving board (being caught by his teacher, of course) a handful of times!

It has been quite a roller coaster so far and Jack has definitely improved, but he still has his moments!  We start the next session this evening, so I'm hoping he continues to improve and get more comfortable in the water!

Friday Fill-Ins!

And...here we go!

1. Blue skies are filling up my weekend weather forecast and its about time.

2. I took a trip down memory lane when we went to Texas and I got to see a bunch of high school friends!

3. Kids, at least mine, are my reason for existance because I love being a mom.

4. Sleeping in, lots of family time, trying new things; these are some of the best things about vacation.
5. Love is all around me.

6. I wonder if they hold submarine races.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to laying low & making buffalo chicken dip, tomorrow my plans include getting a haircut & my brother's high school graduation party and Sunday, I want to relax with my boys a bit!

Adventures in the Big Boy Bed (Part 2)

(This series is kind of a selfish one of mine because I really want to remember how this goes for our future children; you can read the first post here.)

Day/Night 4 (June 22):

Jack did end up sleeping the remainder of the night in our bed, but had no qualms about taking a nap in his bed today!  Matt was off work today and said he had to cuddle him a little bit, but that he was willing to go to bed.  Jack is so funny during the day about climbing in and out of his bed.  He still has a pacifier and we really try to limit it naps and night time, but they sit on his bed when he's awake.  He will go into his room and climb into bed suck on his pacifier for a few seconds, spit it out and climb out of bed... usually running into the hallway laughing or saying "good job" to himself!  It really is quite hilarious!

Jack went to bed just fine with Matt snuggling him/falling asleep with him.  We've been putting the gate up in the hallway so he can make it to our room but not wander the house.  Well, last night we got our first night time visitor!  Matt woke up to Jack standing next to our bed (around 2 am again)... he took him back to bed and ended up falling asleep there.  I remember waking up and realizing that Matt wasn't in bed, but didn't say anything until the next morning.

Day/Night 5 (June 23rd):

My mom said he napped just fine, about 3 hours!

We went over to some friends' house for pizza and to visit some friends who were in town from Florida.  Well, that resulted in Jack and I not getting home until nearly 10 p.m. (there goes our goal of 8:30 pm bedtime, oh well), but he was so cooperative for bedtime!  He came in the house and went straight for his pacifiers, but came out so I could change his diaper and put on PJs.  I went to snuggle him up in bed and I quickly realized that he was not going to notice me being there or not, so I slowly backed out of the room and he didn't even notice. (Can I admit I'm a little disappointed since he always wants his Daddy to snuggle him at night before bed?  Ah, to be the mother of a Daddy's boy!)  Jack ended up falling out of bed once, and waking up crying twice after that.  I was already in bed but Matt was still up so he comforted him and got him back to sleep in his bed.

Day/Night 6 (June 24th):

Great nap after he wore himself out playing around lunchtime at the McDonald's play place!

Evening went about the same as it has been... Jack work up two or three times, but Matt got up and ended up sleeping in bed with him for a couple of hours.  We've noticed that he has woke up around 2 a.m. every night... we really need to get him a music box or white noise maker that he can turn on when he wakes up.  He has had one in his crib that he would turn on in the middle of the night (or day for naps), so he must really need something like that.  Stay tuned for what I find... I've got to read some reviews before we make a purchase!

Day/Night 7 (June 25th):

Jack fought going down for a nap for me a little bit... finally he let me scoop him up and carry him into bed.  He "made" me lay down with him and he was asleep within 10-15 minutes.  He woke up twice during his nap, once I had to comfort him but the second time he fell back asleep on his own (clearly not ready for the nap to end).  Once he woke up he was his usual "happy Jack" self!

Jack went down pretty quickly this evening, but we again wore him out at a summer cook-out before bed!  Imagine that... 2 am and he's awake by our bedside again!  Luckily he's still sleepy so he goes back to his big boy bed with Daddy following for some snuggles!

Day/Night 8 (June 26th):

So this was a bad day for the big boy bed... we had a baptism (and party) to go to that landed smack in the middle of nap time.  It would've been nice if Jack would've decided to sleep in, but alas, he did not!  Needless to say, his nap fell around 4:30 p.m. in the car and finished up around 5:30 after being home (and in his bed) for about 30-45 minutes.  We pretty much expected what came next...

Jack wound up in our bed sleeping the rest of the night.  The worst part?  Neither of us honestly remember when he came in, but only the fact that we woke up with him in between us... taking up the majority of the bed by laying perpendicular between us!  Ahh, parenthood!

Adventures in the Big Boy Bed

I wanted to keep a log of Jack's transition to his new big boy room.  I know the process won't be that easy or even always progress, but it is such a big step for our little man!

Day/Night 1 (June 19th):

We actually had the mattresses the night before, but I don't think Mommy & Daddy were brave enough to try to put him into the new bed.  Also, we wanted him to introduce him to the beds before asking him to sleep there.  Well, on with it.  It was the day of his birthday party, we actually let him take a nap in "Mommy Daddy room" (as he calls it) to avoid any serious meltdowns before his party. 

That evening we decided to try putting him down in his big boy bed.  He had such a fun day wearing himself out and loved showing his friends and family his new room that he seemed pretty comfortable with the idea.  Of course he wanted some snuggles (and he got them of course) and fell asleep easily around 9:30 p.m.  He woke up at 2 a.m. and Matt just brought him to bed with us... we weren't brave enough to push the issue!

Day/Night 2 (June 20th):

Grandma was at our house during the day, and he was good & worn out when he willingly went down for a nap in his big boy bed.  He slept there for over 3 hours, only waking up once in the middle.  She said she easily calmed him down by rubbing his back and shushing him.  When she went in to check on him around the 3 hour mark, he was laying in bed awake.  He asked her to get him out of bed.

After I got home from work that evening, I made sure to help teach Jack how to climb in and out of his bed by himself.  I would never want my child to feel like he can't get out of his own bed, even if that does mean him running into our room at night (plus, we've got a baby gate blocking our bedrooms' hallway from the rest of the house).  That night Matt got home around 8:30 p.m.; we used that time as a little bit of visiting with Matt and then we put him in bed.  He seemed to really need some Daddy time and was really upset when Matt tried to leave.  So, again Matt snuggled him to sleep in his big boy bed.  Low and behold at 2 a.m. (actually more like 1:50 because I remember looking at my phone) Jack woke up again!  This time Matt was able to cuddle him back to sleep, but I had fallen asleep when I noticed Matt coming back to bed... I'm pretty sure he had fallen asleep too, ha ha!

Day/Night 3 (June 21st):

Grandma got him to nap successfully again!  It was a shorter nap but he was in a great mood afterwards, so quality over quantity!

This evening resulted in lots of tears at bedtime (around 8:30 which is our goal), but Matt snuggled with him (seeing the Daddy's boy theme, yet?) and he eventually calmed down and fell asleep.  Since then he had already fallen out of bed twice (all before midnight).  We have chosen not to use a temporary rail, because he's in a twin bed which the mattress is only sitting on a board (not higher on a box spring) and many people I've talked to swear that kids might fall out a couple of times, but they move past it quickly!  We have a full length body pillow laying right next to his bed to cushion any fall and every time he cries out in the night we check on him.  Both times he fell out the crying was relatively short-lived after we cuddled him & put him back in his bed and he fell back asleep in his bed quickly with some shushing and back rubbing.  The second time he had fallen out of bed it looked to me like maybe his feet had gotten caught in the sheets and he got a little more discombobulated when he fell.  When I put him back in I ensured he didn't have any covers on... our house is warm enough anyway!

He's woken for a third time tonight and called for Daddy... he keeps asking to go in Mommy & Daddy's room so the falls might have made him nervous.  We're going to take him to bed with us for the rest of the night, but we'll keep trying to encourage him that his new big boy bed is a very comfortable and safe place for him to sleep! 

There's always tomorrow!

Building our Newborn Cloth Diaper Stash

We're looking forward to welcoming baby #2 to our family this fall.  I have been obsessing over what cloth diapers to buy for the itty-bitty baby we'll be cloth diapering.  Because we've been having issues with our wash routine, having diapers that wash easily is my number 1 priority.  I had posted before about that we ordered a Happy Heiny Mini-OS and two Rumparooz Lil' Joey.  The recommendations out there say 20-24 cloth diapers for the newborn phase.  Here are things that I'm planning on (or wishing) adding to the stash:

• Sustainablebabyish (Sloomb) Organic Fleece Fitted: a fitted diaper with snaps (XS); these need a cover.  (I got a great deal over Memorial Day Weekend and used a buy 4 get 1 free coupon!)
• Goodmama Newborn Diapers: These get rave reviews over at All About Cloth Diapers so I'm very excited to try them.  I've ordered two and they're pretty expensive for newborn diapers, so I don't know if I'll order any more.  They are made in the US by stay at home moms, so I could justify the expense for a couple of diapers!
• Newborn prefolds (at least a half dozen, but likely at least dozen): either traditional cotton, hemp, or terry 
• Bummis Super Lite Diaper Cover (6)
• Best Bottoms with small inserts (1-2 covers with 4-6 inserts): I've heard their gussets are excellent for keeping newborn breastfed poop contained.
• Some knit or fleece diaper covers; I ordered two Sloomb covers, one knit wool cover and one pair of knit "longies" (essentially pants that work as a diaper cover).

I have never used wool, but I know the brand I purchased has great resale value so if I don't like them I can get rid of them easily in the future!  People swear by using wool for breathable and preventing diaper rash, so it can't hurt to try.  The "longies" can be used as regular pants too if I don't like them as a cover.

The totals up there will add up to approximately 24 diapers.  Anyone have any other suggestions or reviews?

Where'd Our Good Sleeper Run Off To?!

We've been blessed with such an easy going little boy!  He's always been a happy boy only getting upset when he was hurt or sick and maybe a little bit when tired.  Lately, it has been a whole different story!  I don't know where our good sleep has run off to, and who this not so good sleeper might be. 

Luckily, he's still taking good naps, but sometimes I wonder if he's too good at napping.  His bedtimes have been so drawn out lately (consistently for 2+ weeks), that we've even asked my mom to limit his nap and wake him up at 4 p.m... I know, I know "never wake a sleeping baby" but he simply isn't sleeping like he has in the past and I'm not really sure where else to go with making bedtime easier.

I think he needs to be going to bed around 8:30-9 p.m. (which is probably later than most kids his age), especially if he's sleeping during his afternoon nap until 4 p.m.  Not to mention with all of this rain, we can't seem to get him outside to burn off all of his energy.  We've tried a few different things with a bedtime routine... we haven't done a bath every night before bed because a) his skin gets so dried out from baths and b) with Matt often working until 8, trying to give a 2 year old a bath while pregnant is not an easy feat... I just don't necessarily feel that safe doing it.  Heaven forbid we both slip and fall because of me trying to get him out of a bath with wet floors. 

We need to figure out something soon because we want to switch him into his big boy bed (soon after the bunk beds arrive) and the scientist in me thinks it would be best to only change one variable at a time.  Anyone have a similar experience with toddler sleep regression?  Any suggestions on bedtime routines or other things we can try to get him to wind down in advance of bedtime?

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope every mom and expectant mother out there are having a wonderful Mother's Day!  Being a mom is what I have always known I wanted to do with my life and it is the most important role I have.

Mother's Day is a time to be thankful for the moms in our life.  I am very grateful (and a bit spoiled) to have my mom and mother-in-law in the same town as us.  My mom watches Jack during the day when Matt and I are at work.  Trust me, I know how lucky I am... we are all quite spoiled by this and wouldn't trade it for the world!  My MIL is always willing to watch Jack whenever we need or want a night out and Jack loves his Bapie!

Fun facts about Mother's Day in my life:

• Twenty-six years ago on Mother's Day, my mom welcomed her oldest child into the world (yours truly)
• I have had my birthday on Mother's Day 3 times since I was born, which will happy the 4th time in 2013

My little family on the day I welcomed my oldest child out into the world!

And its hard to believe that next year, for Mother's Day 2012, I will have two little blessings to celebrate the honor of being their mom!

My Son is...

a Daddy's boy, its official.  This evening's scenario:

(Me coming through the back door after work)
Jack (running toward the back door): Da da da da!
Grandma: No, who is it?
Me (in my most excited-to-see-you voice): Hi Jack!
Jack (turns on a dime before even getting close to me and runs to my mom): NO NO NO NO NO!

Ouch, kid... that was cold.  Doesn't get much worse then that... well, I guess there could have been tears.

Fast forward an hour or so, he had calmed down... Mommy got stole a couple of kisses and we played.  Daddy gets home and we all play together until... Daddy goes in the other room and closes the door.  Full breakdown with tears ensues, baby boy is pounding on the door because he wants his Daddy.

Yes, there were tears in the end, all because a boy wanted his Daddy.

The Countdown!

One week from today, Matt & I will be in Germany!  We leave next Monday, and get in early morning our time.  I am really hoping we'll be able to check into our hotel and take a nap when we get there.  We'll be there over our anniversary so that is going to be really nice!  Jack will be staying here (with my parents & my in-laws) and it will be the longest either one of us have been away from him. 

So very excited for the vacation, but also going to miss my baby boy like CRAZY!  We're bringing out laptop in order to Skype with him (oh yeah, and my parents) when he's at my parents.  I am hoping that helps me!

Because we're getting ready for our trip, blog posts will be sparse this week and next.  Before I know it, it will be closing in on the end of January!

Problem Solver

Our pediatrician has been constantly reminding us on how many preventable injuries occur in children Jack's age.  While, we have kid-proofed a lot in our house, Jack's height is allowing him to grab things from the kitchen table and counter that were previously pushed back far enough to be out of his reach.  I know we keep a pretty good eye on him, but at the same time there's no way for a parent to stare at their children 24/7.

My father-in-law always tells Matt & I "No fortress is impenetrable to the mind of a child"... referring to all of the things kids will find a way around.  One weekday when Matt was off work, I got a picture message with Jack standing on his ride-on giraffe after he had pushed it up against our couch in order to climb up on the couch.  Here is a picture of him showing Mommy his new trick later that day:

Shortly after I took this picture, he stood up and let go of the handles... depending on your perspective the appropriate response is: ta-da or duh-duh-duuuuhhh!

Needless to say, the giraffe toy only comes out when Mommy & Daddy are not cooking or doing dishes.

A Date with My Son

Earlier this week Matt went out with the guys for wings & beer (they do so every month or so). Jack and I were home alone around dinner time, which isn't really that rare of an occurrence due to Matt's work schedule, but I wanted to "spice things up" a little. Jack has enjoyed pulling the blankets out (normally stored on a low shelf in our living room) and is especially entertained by me flipping the blanket to get it laid out on the ground.

While Matt was out to play... Jack and I had a picnic date in the living room! Here are the pictures from the adventure:

Getting some quesadilla pieces.

I think he was looking for more food on the plate because the pattern on our dishes is distracting.

This is what he does when you say "all gone"... notice the cloth diapers in the background that he previously pulled off the couch after I put them back together.