Cloth Diaper Contest

Hello, all you fellow mommies! Have any of you used cloth diapers? How was your experience with it and what was your favorite type? We are starting this adventure and I am constantly looking for suggestions. I just entered a contest to win AppleCheeks from DiaperStyle. This starter kit looks awesome! The covers are SUPER adorable. Wouldn't Grevin look too cute in these? What I really like is that with the dogs, I won't have a bunch of smelly cloth diapers hanging out in his room! I am dreading them getting into the diapers!!


Also, I wanted to thank my friend, Rebecca, for making me this adorable diaper cover. I have such crafty friends, you would think it would start to rub off!

Don't forget the dogs!

Every weekend we try to get the dogs out for a run and to play ball. Unfortunately, they do not get as much attention on a daily basis as they used to. We usually go out to a school or field that is much bigger than our back yard and they love to run their hearts out. Just this week, Luna has started trying to keep an eye out for Grevin. Here she is hanging out with us wanting to be close by-which if you know her, that is so unlike her! She is the one who ran off on our walk in the woods and finally came back almost an hour later when we were walking out and thinking we had lost her forever. When she comes in the house she looks at all of Grevin's hangouts-my arms, the bassinet, the swing, and hunts for him until she finds him then she settles down. Plus, she has all of sudden turned into a ball dog as well. She used to just chase Ado when he went after the ball but now has started stealing his ball so we have to throw two balls now! I think she finally realized she needed to put in some effort to ensure she gets attention....

Luna, Grevin, and Me( I LOVE the ergo carrier!!)

All that running makes Luna thirsty!

Ado, too!

Life is rough as a dog.

Thanks, Kim and Jerry!

Our friends, Kim and Jerry, made this cute block for Grevin. It has his initials on three sides and a monkey, too!!

But I want to go to the lake NOW!!!!

Let's Play!

Grevin wanted to thank Michelle and Andrew...and Bella...for letting us come over and play with your toys! He apologizes for sleeping most of the time but really enjoyed watching Andrew play in the sand while Grevin played on his mat. Hopefully, next week is nice and we can take our playdate to the beach!! Thank you for being such good friends!!

Michelle, Andrew, Jen, and Grevin(sleeping!)

Warning: internet addiction higher in new moms

Check out this article at cnn: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/13/mothers.internet.addiction/index.html

From the article:
"I'd heard about Internet addiction before, but always assumed it was something limited to socially challenged guys who played too much World of Warcraft. Now it seemed my Internet "habit" was slowly but surely crossing the line. Sometimes I found myself up into the wee hours of the morning, surfing the Web while my family slept. I read the news, kept up with friends, and looked up answers to endless questions. I wrote my personal blog and read dozens of others...It turns out I'm not the only mama who plugs in and zones out. Coleen Moore, coordinator of resource development at the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery in Peoria, says that she's seeing more and more women coming in for Internet addiction. They're young, they're often new mothers, and they're addicted to blogs, message boards, and Second Life, she says."

Maybe I am just making accuses like other addicts who won't admit they have an issue, but the internet I think is more beneficial to new moms than harmful. Isolation is one of the key factors leading to depression in new moms. Emails, blogging keeps me in touch with friends and family where with a newborn, it is hard to make phone calls but I am becoming a pro at typing one handed while holding a sleeping baby! I can also find quick answers to questions like "is it normal for my baby to have milk come out of his nose?" It might take me 3 hours to type this post but that is okay because when my baby needs my attention, he gets it immediately and the post is still here when I can get back. The internet has allowed us to reach out to people who are in the same place we are-especially new moms-where there might not be others close by who are going through the same things.

Plus, it is much more fun to stalk other blogs than do the dishes!!

Grevin's "so advanced"

In the crib at Grandma DeShazer's house

"so advanced." That is what everyone hears from Zippy when they say to be more careful with his 5 week old baby. "Support his head" or "be more gentle" from Zippy's mom or Grandma gets met with a "he's so advanced." He shows the picture above to prove it. Little did he know that his dad, the photographer, caught the truth behind the photo!!

1 month

Our friend Michelle suggested taking a picture next to an object for scale as he grows. What would work better than a soccer ball! This is my absolute favorite picture...

Dear Grevin,
I looked at the calendar earlier and was shocked to realize that today was your 1 month birthday. Time is flying by and I am already sad that I am going to have to eventually go back to work! It feels like you have always been here and a part of our lives. I already cannot imagine what life was like before you were here. You bring so much happiness into our lives, as well as tears of joy. I have caught many of your loved ones tearing up as they held you close because we are all just amazed at what a precious gift you are. You are such a mellow baby who loves to take everything in and just rolls with all of the crazy stuff your mom and dad put you up to! Okay, okay. I know you are probably groaning over this mushy stuff so I will just recap what has been happening this last month.

• Your Grandma and Grandpa Oglesby along with Uncle Ben came to visit. You shared your one week birthday with your Uncle Ben and we went out to eat for the first time. We take you out alot and you just love to watch the world go by and to sleep in the wrap with mommy.
  
• You tried to worry us by not pooping for the first 4 days...now we wish you never started!! You are the master pooper now, and when I was taking the pictures for this post, you had a major blow out!
  
• You also lost almost a pound those first few days but it didn't take you long to gain it back along with a few more! You are almost too big and long to fit in your 0-3 month sleepers. Your feet are at the limit of the footed ones!
  
• Grandma helped me give you your first sponge bath while your cord was still on and you HATED it! Luckily, when we gave you a real bath, you really enjoyed it.
  
• When your dad left to take Grandma and Grandpa Oglesby to the airport, he picked up your Grandpa Greg and Grandma Georgi. We had such a good time with them here!
  
• You have had so many visitors from friends to family...and you have even visited daddy's work a couple of times to get lots of attention. Everyone comments on how big your hands and feet are..and how much hair you have. You have a baby mulette already!!
  
• Sleep. Luckily, it didn't take you long to realize the difference between night and day. You still wake up every 2-3 hours but go back to sleep by the time you are finished eating. In the beginning, 4 am was your favorite time to be awake and alert-now you sleep until 7 am every day.
  
• You do not like to sleep by yourself. Your favorite place in the world is to be on mommy or daddy with your head on our hearts. You absolutely love to cuddle and I am not complaining! I hope you stay that way :-)
  
• You are hit and miss about enjoying your walks. We have had to turn around a couple of times even before the end of the block because you wanted to be held and not pushed in the stroller. Your daddy went for a run with you and you liked it for the first 20 minutes and then demanded he return home as fast as possible. I think you just wanted to help him get in shape by making him run faster!


• We have gone shopping numerous times, taken your picture with the Easter bunny, gone to a birthday party, a bbq, many restaurants, dinner at Grandma and Grandpa DeShazers and to watch your daddy play soccer! We even went with our friends Michelle and Andrew to see a movie on a rainy day. A local theater has a 'baby' booth that is sound proof that can be reserved. I think we will be using it alot!
  
• You love to watch your dogs. In the afternoon, when it is not raining, we go out and throw the ball for Ado. He is really looking forward to you getting bigger so you can play with him. Luna still doesn't know what to think about you sometimes. The first few days, she would run into another room when you started fussing! Now, she doesn't even flinch. They both would love to cover you in kisses if we would let them. For now, we are just limiting the kisses to your toes. Occassionally, they sneak a big wet one across your face when we aren't paying attention but you seem to enjoy it.
  
  
• Milestones: you are smiling and cooing but I am still working on getting a laugh out of you; just a couple of days ago you started to purposefully hit one of your toys on your play mat to make it rattle; you definitely know mom and dad's voice and face. You can track us in a crowded room.
  
• Likes: the dogs, cuddling, the big black picture frame in our living room, the ceiling fan, your rocking chair, playmat, going places, hanging outside, baths, car rides(you never want to fall asleep but at least you don't cry!), eating and eating and more eating!

March 10, 2009: 9 pounds 13 ounces

April 10, 2009: 11 pounds 15 ounces

• Dislikes: sometimes the stroller, not being held, changing your clothes(but this is getting better), your bassinet, falling asleep (this is when you are the most vocal!)

I think that captures the first month with you, Boo. We love you, Grevin, and look forward to watching you grow!

Lots of love, hugs, and kisses!
Mommy and Daddy

4 days

1 month

Bath Time Fun!

Wow, two postings in one day!! I am impressed with myself :-) I was starting to get complaints about not posting enough so I am trying to catch up while Zippy is around this weekend. Here are the photos from Grevin's first bath while his cord was still on so he could only get a washcloth bath. He absolutely HATED it.

WEEK 1 BATH

Then....his cord fell off, his belly button healed and we could take a REAL bath. Luckily, he absolutely loved it!

WEEK 3 BATH

Grevin and Daddy

Grevin is so lucky to have Zippy as his daddy. They both just adore each other. Even though I am nursing, they have had alot of time together to bond while I take my naps! Grevin is staying awake longer and longer and is starting to interact more and more - and if you know Zippy, you know how entertaining he is!!

At the hospital

Nap time


"I have a present for you, daddy!"

When we were filling out the pre-admission paperwork for the hospital, it was asking for info for the newborn but Grevin wasn't even born yet. The person looked it over and asked what the ethnicity of the newborn would be. Zippy said he better be caucasian or we might have to have a serious talk! Well, Zippy's mom scanned his baby photo for me and I don't think there is any doubt who Grevin's baby daddy is!!

Baby Zippy