Scott's parents got us a camcorder as an early birthday present. (Very early in Scott's case, but who are we to argue with a generous gift?) They wanted to be able to see Owen's wiggles and laughter before he starts racing around the house. We took this right at the end of our playtime tonight, but I wanted to test the blogger upload.
Thanks Jeff and Ethel!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Why I Love Bravo
Still taking votes on the baby legs in the next post. Used them again this morning as another layer in our walk... But let's move on.
If one television station could be called the center of my guilty pleasures, it would have to be Bravo. Two years ago, I may have said TLC, but my obsessions have shifted from Trading Spaces, What Not to Wear, and Clean Sweep to the full suite of reality shows offered on Bravo. Project Runway, Top Chef, Top Design, Make me a Supermodel... I'll joyfully watch any of them. I've even watched a few episodes of Millionaire Matchmaker (it's kind of interesting), but I do draw the line at The Real Housewives (gag) and that Kathy Griffin show (seriously??). However, with all these great shows, the real reason I love Bravo is that the schedule fits my life. Sure, all their new shows premier at 10PM On any other network, this would be a problem, as we have sworn off TV after 10 in order to get some sleep. Bravo, other the other hand, doesn't have enough shows to fill their line-up. Instead, they cater to my schedule and replay each week's episode over an over in various timeslots. Missed the new Project Runway episode on Wednesday at 10? No problem, catch it on Thursday at 9, or a couple times over the weekend, or (as a last resort), Wednesday at 9 before the newest episode premiers. They may not have a wide variety of shows, but they get great mileage from the ones they have!
If one television station could be called the center of my guilty pleasures, it would have to be Bravo. Two years ago, I may have said TLC, but my obsessions have shifted from Trading Spaces, What Not to Wear, and Clean Sweep to the full suite of reality shows offered on Bravo. Project Runway, Top Chef, Top Design, Make me a Supermodel... I'll joyfully watch any of them. I've even watched a few episodes of Millionaire Matchmaker (it's kind of interesting), but I do draw the line at The Real Housewives (gag) and that Kathy Griffin show (seriously??). However, with all these great shows, the real reason I love Bravo is that the schedule fits my life. Sure, all their new shows premier at 10PM On any other network, this would be a problem, as we have sworn off TV after 10 in order to get some sleep. Bravo, other the other hand, doesn't have enough shows to fill their line-up. Instead, they cater to my schedule and replay each week's episode over an over in various timeslots. Missed the new Project Runway episode on Wednesday at 10? No problem, catch it on Thursday at 9, or a couple times over the weekend, or (as a last resort), Wednesday at 9 before the newest episode premiers. They may not have a wide variety of shows, but they get great mileage from the ones they have!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Opinion Needed
Scott's mom was down for a visit last weekend. Like any good Grandma, she was concerned that I'm not keeping Owen warm enough when we go outside. In her defense, it is a lot colder here than in Seattle, but in my defense we've just come off a single digit cold spell, so 40 degrees felt like spring. (Okay, okay, 40 degrees probably still warrants a jacket, but I was to lazy to wrestle with it.)
But that's not what I need an opinion on. Here's the story:
We stopped in at Bambini (my favorite baby/kids store) to get another sleep sack for Owen. I was showing Ethel all their cool products, and she offered to buy Owen a pair of "Baby Legs" - score! They're basically long leg warmers that are supper stretchy, so they fit from birth to age 2. The idea is that baby stays just as warm as if wearing pants, but you don't have to mess with snaps and waistbands for diaper changes. Anyway, I picked the giraffe print, which I think is supper cute, but Scott thinks they are horrendous...
Tell me your thoughts. Can we go out in public like this?
Sorry Ethel, not the best picture, but we gotta show off the Baby Legs.
Oh, and I did use them as an extra layer when we took Owen out hiking last weekend. They were super convenient. When he got cold, I just slid the baby legs on under his romper. Easy - but are they cute?
But that's not what I need an opinion on. Here's the story:
We stopped in at Bambini (my favorite baby/kids store) to get another sleep sack for Owen. I was showing Ethel all their cool products, and she offered to buy Owen a pair of "Baby Legs" - score! They're basically long leg warmers that are supper stretchy, so they fit from birth to age 2. The idea is that baby stays just as warm as if wearing pants, but you don't have to mess with snaps and waistbands for diaper changes. Anyway, I picked the giraffe print, which I think is supper cute, but Scott thinks they are horrendous...
Tell me your thoughts. Can we go out in public like this?
Sorry Ethel, not the best picture, but we gotta show off the Baby Legs. Oh, and I did use them as an extra layer when we took Owen out hiking last weekend. They were super convenient. When he got cold, I just slid the baby legs on under his romper. Easy - but are they cute?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Messy Update
One of the most common questions we get these days is whether Owen has grown out of his reflux. Sadly, the answer is no. We feel like it may be getting better, but I think we've just gotten used to it. Our pediatrician indicated that "better" would be when we only see it flare up 1-2 times a day. Oh. I guess spitting up after every feeding, a couple thick spews every day, and a occasional vomit in the middle of lunch or dinner (yes, mid feeding) doesn't qualify as "better."
So, while I prefer to post about new and exciting things, I wanted to spend a minute to note..
Indicators that your baby is fighting acid reflux:
1. You use ultra absorbent cloth diapers as burp clothes.
2. You never hand someone the baby without first handing them a burp cloth.
3. Your daycare provider gives you the daily rundown with three points - How did he eat? How did he sleep? and How much did he spit up?
4. You gage how well the week went by counting the number of burp clothes in the wash. A good week is 10-12 burp clothes; a bad week is 15 or more.
5. Your rocking chair is covered in a bath mat to catch the vomit.
6. After getting ready for work in the morning, you ALWAYS drape a blanket over your lap or shoulder when holding the baby. The days you forget - just plan on changing clothes.
7. Your carpet looks like an abstract painting.
8. Your husband asks, "Can't we please just have some pictures without the baby wearing a bib?"
And the event that inspired this post:
9. You dream that you are holding the baby, and he vomits on you IN THE DREAM. Seriously?
Someday....
Owen will be a toddler running around the playground. He will not vomit at random. He will not wear a bib. He will not take a dose of PPI medication every morning before breakfast. He will not remember any of the discomfort, soggy clothing, or sour smell that we associate with his reflux.
Someday...
We will steam clean our carpets. I will wear my favorite shirts. We will look back with relief that this stage is behind us. We will watch our toddler running around the playground and marvel that we ever did items 1-9 above - especially #9.
In the meantime, we are thankful that Owen's medication keeps him from being in pain. We are thankful for his smiles, laughter, squeals, and wiggles. We are thankful that this is just a stage that he will grow out of. We are thankful that he is our kiddo - reflux and all - and it is our joy and privilege to love and care for him.
So, while I prefer to post about new and exciting things, I wanted to spend a minute to note..
Indicators that your baby is fighting acid reflux:
1. You use ultra absorbent cloth diapers as burp clothes.
2. You never hand someone the baby without first handing them a burp cloth.
3. Your daycare provider gives you the daily rundown with three points - How did he eat? How did he sleep? and How much did he spit up?
4. You gage how well the week went by counting the number of burp clothes in the wash. A good week is 10-12 burp clothes; a bad week is 15 or more.
5. Your rocking chair is covered in a bath mat to catch the vomit.
6. After getting ready for work in the morning, you ALWAYS drape a blanket over your lap or shoulder when holding the baby. The days you forget - just plan on changing clothes.
7. Your carpet looks like an abstract painting.
8. Your husband asks, "Can't we please just have some pictures without the baby wearing a bib?"
And the event that inspired this post:
9. You dream that you are holding the baby, and he vomits on you IN THE DREAM. Seriously?
Someday....
Owen will be a toddler running around the playground. He will not vomit at random. He will not wear a bib. He will not take a dose of PPI medication every morning before breakfast. He will not remember any of the discomfort, soggy clothing, or sour smell that we associate with his reflux.
Someday...
We will steam clean our carpets. I will wear my favorite shirts. We will look back with relief that this stage is behind us. We will watch our toddler running around the playground and marvel that we ever did items 1-9 above - especially #9.
In the meantime, we are thankful that Owen's medication keeps him from being in pain. We are thankful for his smiles, laughter, squeals, and wiggles. We are thankful that this is just a stage that he will grow out of. We are thankful that he is our kiddo - reflux and all - and it is our joy and privilege to love and care for him.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Valentine's Day
Scott and I are not very big into the romantic holidays, but this year we had a very nice Valentines Day without really planning or talking about it. I spent the day making a yummy Butternut Squash Lasagna and then dashed to the store with Owen to pick-up our favorite Sea Salt Baguette and the fixin's for Caprese Salad (you can't ever go wrong with tomato, basil, and mozzerella!). Scott picked up cards and chocolate from both him and Owen. A bottle of wine and we were set!
The card from Owen was super cute - it says something like "To My Mommy, My First Valentine" and Scott even traced his hand prints as a signature. I'm not really into cheesy sentiments, but when they're from you own kid...I cried. Owen also brought home a footprint heart with an "I love you mom and dad" message on the back. Have I mentioned how much I love our daycare? Fabulous. Miss Megan said it was pretty funny trying to get his footprints (see the previous post about movement and wiggling...), but I appreciate that they take the effort.
The other fun thing this week is that Owen has found a new sound. It's a pppppffft sound that he makes by pressing his lips together and acting like he's playing the trumpet. He thinks it's pretty funny, and we have to agree. I finally got a chance to take some pictures without a bib on yesterday (at Scott's request), but they all came out with this same look. PPPPFFFT!Tuesday, February 12, 2008
7 Month Update
Two things are marking Owen at 7 months: teeth and movement. We had a fussy week, and I thought Owen was getting a cold, but instead he's teething. For the most part, he's taking it well, but his sleeping is suffering a bit. Not that I can blame him - pushing teeth through your gums can't be pleasant.
Owen also figured out how to move this weekend. He's not crawling, but he's rolling and making these "fish out of water" wiggles to get where he wants to go. It's really fun to see him set his sights on something and then figure out how to get there. On Sunday, I put him on his play mat (sitting up) and 10 minutes later, he had moved across the floor to check out the coffee table. Scott's mom was here this weekend and she kept looking around and saying, "hmmm... this will be interesting" I think watching Owen move brought back memories of Scott's activity level as a kid. We've got our work cut out for us!
I have always felt like babies start really showing their personality around 7 months, and that is certainly true for Owen. He is:
- An explorer - trying to get his hands on everything.
- A musician - loves the guitar and making his own music with toys, spoons, or his feet.
- A wiggly machine - no sitting still for this guy.
- A gymnast - loves being upside down
- A big eater - carrots, squash, sweet potato, peas, pears, parsnip, celery
- An animal lover - still gets a kick out of watching the dog or petting the cats
Owen is still a pretty high intensity baby. When he's tired or frustrated, the fussiness shows up in full force. And yes, he still has the reflux issue. However, we are really enjoying seeing glimpses of the little boy he is going to be. So fun!
Owen also figured out how to move this weekend. He's not crawling, but he's rolling and making these "fish out of water" wiggles to get where he wants to go. It's really fun to see him set his sights on something and then figure out how to get there. On Sunday, I put him on his play mat (sitting up) and 10 minutes later, he had moved across the floor to check out the coffee table. Scott's mom was here this weekend and she kept looking around and saying, "hmmm... this will be interesting" I think watching Owen move brought back memories of Scott's activity level as a kid. We've got our work cut out for us!
I have always felt like babies start really showing their personality around 7 months, and that is certainly true for Owen. He is:
- An explorer - trying to get his hands on everything.
- A musician - loves the guitar and making his own music with toys, spoons, or his feet.
- A wiggly machine - no sitting still for this guy.
- A gymnast - loves being upside down
- A big eater - carrots, squash, sweet potato, peas, pears, parsnip, celery
- An animal lover - still gets a kick out of watching the dog or petting the cats
Owen is still a pretty high intensity baby. When he's tired or frustrated, the fussiness shows up in full force. And yes, he still has the reflux issue. However, we are really enjoying seeing glimpses of the little boy he is going to be. So fun!
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
12 Things: February
How fast did January go? It's already month 2 of our 12 month goals challenge. Here's an update of how we did on accomplishing our January goals and what we're aiming to do in February.
Going Green
January - Yes, Scott snagged some awesome bags for shopping. Even the checkers at Safeway seem to like them. I've been bringing my own bags for the last year or so, but they were so small and always fell over. These are sturdy enough to hold a 14 pound baby!
February -still need to change our air filter and put an insulating wrap on our water heater (at least I did the research last month, so we know the wrap should only cost $25!). The NEW goal for February is to start composting our kitchen waste since we now have yard waste pick-up and they'll take our fruit and veggie scraps.
Household
January - Yes, cleaned the living (aka junk storage) room and filled 3 boxes for Goodwill.
February - BABYPROOF! This is non-negotiable. Owen's not crawling yet, but he's trying to get into everything.
Owen
January - Yes, Owen is now sleeping without a super swaddle. I also signed us up for mom/baby play time at the pool, which was going to be our February goal. So our February goal is a repeat:
February - Get professional photos taken.
Faith
Still gotta work on saying grace before dinner.
Finances
January - Yes, we made it ALMOST the whole month without putting anything on the credit card. Our only purchase was on January 31! We bought plane tickets on the last day of the Alaska sale, which is the whole point of having a mileage card. Plus, our restraint gave us a chance to pay off all those unexpected purchases from back in December.
February - Keep up our credit card restraint.
Family
We WILL hire a babysitter and go out this month. On a more serious note, we need to prepare a will. Yikes!
Fitness
January - Well, the snow really put a damper on our attempts at outdoor exercise. (This photo is from last Thursday, and we've had a couple more snows since then!) Poor Hudson is also suffering without a way to really burn energy.
February - Scott's going to shoot for exercising twice a week and I'm going to take at least 2 classes at the fitness center. Two might not sound like many, but I need to just get in there and test out the daycare. We're also going to get Hudson out at least twice/week. That may mean trips to the dog park for a while until the snow melts around town...
Okay, that's enough for today. Owen turned 7 months today, but that's for another post.
Happy February!
Going GreenJanuary - Yes, Scott snagged some awesome bags for shopping. Even the checkers at Safeway seem to like them. I've been bringing my own bags for the last year or so, but they were so small and always fell over. These are sturdy enough to hold a 14 pound baby!
February -still need to change our air filter and put an insulating wrap on our water heater (at least I did the research last month, so we know the wrap should only cost $25!). The NEW goal for February is to start composting our kitchen waste since we now have yard waste pick-up and they'll take our fruit and veggie scraps.
HouseholdJanuary - Yes, cleaned the living (aka junk storage) room and filled 3 boxes for Goodwill.
February - BABYPROOF! This is non-negotiable. Owen's not crawling yet, but he's trying to get into everything.
Owen
January - Yes, Owen is now sleeping without a super swaddle. I also signed us up for mom/baby play time at the pool, which was going to be our February goal. So our February goal is a repeat:
February - Get professional photos taken.
Faith
Still gotta work on saying grace before dinner.
Finances
January - Yes, we made it ALMOST the whole month without putting anything on the credit card. Our only purchase was on January 31! We bought plane tickets on the last day of the Alaska sale, which is the whole point of having a mileage card. Plus, our restraint gave us a chance to pay off all those unexpected purchases from back in December.
February - Keep up our credit card restraint.
Family
We WILL hire a babysitter and go out this month. On a more serious note, we need to prepare a will. Yikes!
Fitness
January - Well, the snow really put a damper on our attempts at outdoor exercise. (This photo is from last Thursday, and we've had a couple more snows since then!) Poor Hudson is also suffering without a way to really burn energy.February - Scott's going to shoot for exercising twice a week and I'm going to take at least 2 classes at the fitness center. Two might not sound like many, but I need to just get in there and test out the daycare. We're also going to get Hudson out at least twice/week. That may mean trips to the dog park for a while until the snow melts around town...
Okay, that's enough for today. Owen turned 7 months today, but that's for another post.
Happy February!
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