Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

One day old and almost six months old



Monday, December 28, 2009

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time


Colin's first Christmas was a good one! First we had dinner and gifts at Grandma and Grandpa Coleman's house on Christmas Eve.

Then we headed out for Colin's first Christmas Eve Mass.


After Colin went to bed Santa came to visit him because he was a good little boy.

And the next morning we played with his new toys.

Then it was off to Mamaw and Grandpa's house for gifts and Christmas Dinner.

Colin was beyond spoiled and his toy inventory has now been multiplied by 1,000.
I do have to brag on myself, and say that my brother got Beetles Rock Band for Christmas and there was one song (only one) that I was able to play the drums on expert level and get 94% of it correct. Yes - I am awesome. Ok, normally I play it on medium.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Friday Review: Cleaning Products

My favorite brand of cleaning supplies are Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day products. I stumbled upon them at an outing to Whole Foods back at the end of summer and have been hooked ever since. These cleaning products are all natural and contain no ammonia, chlorine or phosphates. I honestly couldn't care less about that. All I care about is the great scent and the great cleaning power. (I don't buy into this "green" stuff unless it a) saves me money or b) is better than the non-green counterpart.)

These products come in 5 or 6 fragrances but I have only purchased the Lemon Verbena. I like the lemony smell in my kitchen. I am thinking of trying out the Lavender one soon in the bathrooms.

I use the Counter Top Spray, All Purpose Cleaner, Dish Soap, Liquid Hand Soap, Shower Cleaner, and Window Spray. I get great results with all of these products but I am especially liking the Window Spray right now.

We have a black stove/oven and so it shows lots of streaks when I clean it. I started using the Window Spray on the stove top, oven door, microwave front, and dishwasher front after I wipe everything down. It gives everything a streak-free shine.

If you are looking for a new product to try pick one of these up. I have ordered them online and found them at Whole Foods. I have a feeling you can find them at any "green" type of store though.

Happy cleaning & Merry Christmas!

Counter Top Spray: Retail Price $3.99
Dish Soap: Retail Price $3.99
Liquid Hand Soap: Retail Price $3.99
Liquid Hand Soap Refill: Retail Price $7.99
All Purpose Cleaner: Retail Price $7.99
Shower Cleaner: Retail Price $4.99
Window Cleaner: Retail Price $4.99



No, I didn't write this on Christmas Day. I wrote it earlier and set it to post on this Friday. =)

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

So what kind of person are you?

Are you a pack rat or do you like to get rid of stuff? A few weeks ago I was boxing up Colin's clothing that didn't fit anymore (he is already in 6-9 and 6-12 month clothes!) and decided that there was no point in keeping ALL of them. I picked out stuff that he didn't wear much (or at all) or that wasn't my favorite and I took them to Once Upon a Child to sell. I told Andrew not to tell either of our mothers I did that. My Mom already had a cow when I told her I gave my neighbor some of Colin's newborn sized clothes for her little boy due any time now.

Yesterday my Dad mentioned to me that one company that leases office space from us has a receptionist that is pregnant. She is due with a boy and is about 7 or 8 month along. I already hate her b/c I couldn't even tell....OK, just kidding. But I wish I looked like her and I am not pregnant. Anyway, he said that if I had any of Colin's clothes to get rid of to pass them her way. I had to tell him I already sold a good chunk of it, but not to mention it to Mom.

That got us on the subject of pack rats. He said Mom has never been much of a pack rat but she saves TONS of baby stuff. Evidently she even had HER baby crib in the attic until recently when she finally got rid of it. That thing was about 48-49 years old.

My Grandma (my Dad's mom) is the worst of the worst. This woman saves scraps of fabric. I mean tiny little scraps. She gave us sewing lessons when I was in grade school and we used them to practice, but still. What other purpose do they serve? She would save tiny pieces of yarn...they had empty bottles stored in the fridge. Junk....everywhere.

In fact, when I was little my Mom would give each of us $1 for each person we were to buy a gift for and we would go to the dollar store. I remember finding the random Hershey's Chocolate tin - it had the design of the a house at Christmas on it. There were a few different designs of Christmas houses but I picked the blue one. Christmas came and went and few months later I was in her sewing room where on a shelf I looked up and saw SIX of the exact same tins just stacked up. The exact same design and everything.

The jury is still out in if my brother and sister are pack rats. I think they are just messy to it makes it hard to tell. I, however, get rid of everything. Our trash can is always full b/c I always have "stuff" to put in there. I try to give it away first but if it isn't gone fast it goes straight to the trash.

I kept some of his baby clothes that were my absolute favorites and that he would wear a lot. But I also figured that I pay for digital photo storage and take plenty of photos so I will be able to see those clothes again in the hundred million pictures I take.

What about you?

Monday, December 21, 2009

Please tell me

that I am not the only one that find this Christmas card completely odd...out of place...strange...disgusting...(insert your own adjective here)

Solicitors - some random babble from my head

I hate them. I hate that they have to ring my door bell and cause chaos in my home, particularly with the dog. I am going to start letting Molly outside to jump all over them and maybe they will just leave. She would never hurt anyone - just drive them nuts.

There have only been a few instances where I have actually purchased anything from someone door to door. The company that keeps the bugs out of our house and the ChemLawn people.

I once foolishly purchased a DVD from some kid selling them when I was in college. I bought The Notebook. It came in (MONTHS later) and was not in English and clearly looked pirated. It didn't even play...needless to say, I was pissed. I found on my "receipt" a number and talked to a guy over and over and over again. I was supposed to get my money back. This went on for a while. With the help of the Internet and reverse phone number look up I was able to figure out where this dim-wit lived. Andrew kept me from knocking on his door and getting what was mine. How did I finally get my money back? With the help of the Murfreesboro Police Department. I know, a waste of your tax dollars at work, no? Once the police officer paid a visit to this man's house I received my refund within 2 or 3 days. Did the officer think I was nuts? Maybe. Do I care? Nope. I got what was mine back and hopefully scared the crap out of the douche bag that tried to sell that piece of garbage to me and then avoid me.

Then yesterday I came out of GFS to find a random piece of paper on my windshield. Don't litter on my car. My junior year of college some club put these colorful postcard like fliers on the windshields of the cars at our apartment complex. It was a hot summer day, and the stupid picture melted off onto my windshield and I couldn't get it off. There was a half naked woman melted to my window. I tried every cleaning product I owned and even tried scratching it off with a razor blade. I know my Cavalier wasn't all that, but I did try to avoid making it look to craptastic. When I realized I wasn't getting it off I called the club and demanded they come clean my window. I am sure this guy laughed at me after he hung up the phone, but I told him if he wants to put colored fliers on people's windows then he needs to remember that they will melt in the heat. Since he put it there he needed to come clean it off. Did I expect much to happen?? Maybe my car to be egged...but that didn't. That afternoon my window was SPOTLESS.

Recently we have had a string of people coming to our door to sell junk. Most recently a woman that ask me to taste the cleaning solution she was selling...after she licked the straw from the bottle first. Psycho. I closed the door. Or the guy that worked his way in to try and get us to clean our carpets, only to find a gun laying on the floor b/c the boys were headed out to the farm so shoot (that works really well to get them out fast!!).

I am putting a stop to this. Casey is awesome, and I told her about a no soliciting sign I want for my door. She said she would make me one with her Cricut. It will say something to the effect of "No Soliciting Except Girl Scouts."

God help the first person that ignores my sign. (No worries - I will not be rude to small children that try to sell wrapping paper or anything like that. This is purely for the idiots that ask me to taste their cleaning products.) If I really want something, I go an find it (like hunting down someone that sold Girl Scout cookies last year.) Also, asking for donations is soliciting to me. We give to causes we feel are important to us. Please don't come to my house asking for my hard earned money.

Now, I haven't figured out what to do on vacation though - where you pay to take the water taxi across to another part of the beach and then you get some random "tour" and the guy passes his hat around and bluntly asks you for tips. I didn't ask for a tour. I just wanted to get to the other side and I paid for that already.

This has been bothering me lately and it feels good to get that out there in the open. =)

Friday, December 18, 2009

Good Moby Demonstration

This video is a good demonstration on how to put on the Moby Wrap. Better than I could ever explain it.

Other baby carries you might want to look at: Maya Wrap, Mei Tei, Hotslings, and Ergo Baby Carrier.

ML - I haven't found a way to wrap a baby back to back facing out, but google "double hammock wrap" to find a very securing looking back carry with a Moby type wrap.

Stockings

Here are the EXACT stocking I want. But they are sold out online at Pottery Barn. So I will wait until next year to see if they have them again. But no stocking for Colin this year. No need spending money on one I will throw away. And I have nothing to put in a stocking this year...what would go in there? Pacifiers? Santa has plenty of other stuff for him, so he won't even miss it this year.
Again, not settling. I want these and only these.

Friday Review: Baby Carriers

I enjoy carrying Colin in a baby carrier. It allows me to be hands free when he jsut wants to be held or close to me. I own three different kinds and I am going to give you my pros and cons on them all.

Lets start with my least favorite first: the Baby Bjorn. I want to say I hate it, but it has come in handy every so often. It is fast and easy to put on so I use it for sporadic trips to the grocery. But that is about where it ends. With Colin being on the front of my body and there being no support around my lower back his weight really takes a toll on my back. There is a deluxe model that has the extra back support, but I was not aware of this when we registered. Had I known, we would have tried it instead and probably would have come out with better results. So remember that if you ever decide to purchase this carrier!
Baby Bjorn: Retail Price $79.99

My overall favorite (so far) is the Moby Wrap. With the ability to be used with a baby from preemie size all the way up to 35lbs, you have many options. This carrier comes in lots of colors and fabric types and has so many carry options. We usually do the Hug hold and Lotus hold but I am going to attempt the Sling hold pretty soon (I never noticed it in the instructions before but I am excited to try it!). There are about three other holds (or ways to carry) using the Moby Wrap including ways to carry TWINS (yes, twins!) and older children on your back. Colin always appears comfortable in this wrap and it never hurts my back. The fabric spreads wide across you back over both shoulder blades and around your lower back to evenly distribute the extra weight you are carrying.

The only downside I see for the Moby Wrap is the fact that the piece of fabric is nearly 6 yards long and it can be difficult to learn at first. I always put it on before leaving the house so that I don't have to try and wrap it in public while trying to not let it touch the ground at the same time. Don't be intimidated. I practiced before Colin was born and was a pro by the time he got here. I can do it pretty quickly now! You can find videos on You Tube that can help you out and my tip is always make it tighter than you think you need it. The fabric stretches and you want to make sure your precious cargo is safe!
Moby Wrap: Retail Price $39.99

My newest carrier and maybe my soon to be favorite is the Kokopax Classic Carrier. Before reading the price of this carrier, please note I did not but this for myself. It was a recent gift from a family member who was looking for a "big ticket" item to buy Colin since he has been born. But after using it I would totally pay the price tag myself.

There are not a lot of options with this carrier. In fact, there is only one: on your back. But since this carrier can only be worn on your back its features are made specifically with that type of carry in mind for your comfort. First, there is a kick stand to assist in getting your little gal or guy into the seat. Once he or she is in there you buckle them in for added security. There is a little ring in there so that you can attach toys if you choose. Once he/she is in there you hoist them up onto your back where you should have the straps and lumbar support already adjusted to your comfort and pull the kick stand in until it clicks. Good to go!

Why I love it? EASY! Colin loves it and is happy in it. I put it on in the evening while I am making dinner as this is is fussiest time of the day. He usually falls asleep in it, and then I lower him down with the kickstand out and let him sit in it asleep until I am done eating dinner. I really don't' even notice he is up there. It can be used for babies from 6 months to 2 years (35 lbs).


Only problems I see? It is huge and he likes to pull my pony tail. He is getting better at avoiding the pony tail, but the size hasn't changed. It is small enough to fit in the overhead bin on the airplane so I think I am going to use this for our trip to California and when we go to the San Diego Zoo. I am toying with the thought of not even bringing the umbrella stroller - since the only site seeing we will be doing is the Zoo and we already plan on using the carrier, why bring something else! I am not definite on this decision yet, but I am toying with it. On the downside, I think I will have to take him out before going through security b/c of the metal frame as opposed to leaving him in the cloth Moby Wrap and having both hands free the entire time.

Kokopax Classic Carrier: Retail Price $159.99

Research your carriers well and look for good back support! They can be expensive and you don't want to buy a ton of carriers you hate just to find the one you like. I suggest borrowing one from a friend that doesn't use theirs anymore to see if you like it before investing the money. If anyone ever want to try out any of mine for a few days before buying their own they are more than welcome to!

I will be able to tell you what I think of the hip/sling carriers in a few months as ML said if I give her some fabric I like her mom would make one for me. Her mom made her a really cute one for when Bates comes home and she tested it out on Colin last week. He didn't quite fit it yet, but he wasn't unhappy at all! He just needs to work on those muscles to hold his little torso up by himself better before he gets carried in one of those full time.

Next Friday: my favorite cleaning products.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Changes in what!?

I have some weird pain and swelling in one of my fingers and so I called the doctor to see what to do. I have been taking prednisone for about 3 months now to help with a flare of my Lupus that happened after I gave birth.

Today he called in a different steroid and I was looking up side effects. I know that usually "rapid weight gain" is a side effect of steroids (not sure why) but then I read this online about the new steroid and I busted out laughing:
  • changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your arms, legs, face, neck, breasts, and waist)
I can understand maybe gaining fat in a different location, but CHANGING SHAPE!? What the heck does that mean? I fear waking up one morning with the random buldge of fat out of my neck that makes me look like The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

It is coming so fast!

Can you believe in one week it will be Christmas Eve!? Christmas came so fast this year, it feels like I just put up the tree and decorations.

I always thought it would be fun to have an annual Christmas Party but never acted on that. I am thinking of doing this next year. Probably not on Christmas or Christmas Eve, as people spend time with there family, but maybe the week before. Our house is small, and it would be a tight squeeze depending on who would come, but I figure as long as there is enough food, drinks, holiday music, and happy people it couldn't turn out bad.

So next year, someone remind me about this post (around Thanksgiving time if you don't mind) and maybe I will do it.

(My makeshift fireplace...we didn't want one when we built the house. We improvise...and no, I haven't found Colin a stocking yet. Oops!)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

I like the idea of Wordless Wednesday that I have seen on many blogs so I am incorporating it into mine!


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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Monday, December 14, 2009

Did we actually do it??

Did we successfully Ferberize??

Two nights in a row now of sleeping through the night. Tonight could go right down the pooper and us have to let him cry again, but I am very hopeful that we have achieved success!

It feels amazing to have slept for 8 hours straight two nights now.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Friday Review: Diaper Bag

I decided that every Friday I am going to review something. Put in my two cents. Maybe a baby item (most likely at the moment), restaurant, recipe, or other gadget. To kick it off, I am starting with my little guy's diaper bag.

Before Colin was born I had picked out a diaper bag. I wasn't able to pick a gender specific one, for obvious reasons, but I liked the idea of a plain black one regardless of a boy or girl. I decided on the Skip Hop Dash Deluxe. This bad has plenty space to keep everything you need for your day outings. To give you an idea of what it holds, here is what I have in it when it is stocked and ready to go:

6-8 Diapers
Diaper Wipes Case (also Skip Hop - I like their products)
Butt Paste
Hand Sanitizer
Kleenex
Mini Lysol Spray
Aquaphor
Pacifier Wipes
2 Bottles
Formula Dispenser
Can of RTF Formula
2-3 Burp Clothes
Infant Tylenol/Mylicon
Board Book
Rattle or Toy
Hat/Sweatshirt (depending on the weather)
Extra Onesie (needed that for the first time this weekend...)
Wet Ones Antibacterial Wipes
Snacks/Change in the "Parent Pocket"

It holds a pretty good amount for its size. I also really like the way it attaches to my stroller. Unclip the main strap, and put out two shorter ones attached to the bag from the inside. Just wrap them around the handlebar and click into place. Done! (The white thing hanging in the picture is the wipes case. I love it.)
Skip Hop has some really "chic" bags that I would love to have, but I decided to try to avoid needing to change bags every time Andrew takes him on his own. He won't want to carry a bag that looks like a purse and I don't want to shift things all the time. So this bag is perfect. In fact, we bought one more just to mix it up. Camo!

I also picked up at Target a few months ago a smaller diaper case by Skip Hop (exclusively at Target). It is the size of a small purse and holds a small wipe case, 2 diapers, and even has a pocket that comes with a thin changing pad. I added to that pocket some hand sanitizer and a pacifier. I take it with me when I know I will be in and out quickly with no need to feed Colin - but I don't want to take the chance of being stranded with no diapers!

So if you are in the market for a new diaper bag I suggest you take a look at the Skip Hop site and see if any of there bags fit your needs. I am very happy with my choice and have yet to see a diaper bag in stores that I wish I had purchased instead.

Next week: baby carriers. Because I got a new one today that I am trying out and I am curious on how it will compare to the Moby Wrap.