Baby Steps...

Looking at this picture brings tears to my eyes every time I see it. Not only because it is SUPER sweet, but, to know we've come this far. I remember not too long ago, Harvey's absolute fear of hearing those words "I'm pregnant!". We never went anywhere NEAR the baby sections of stores and if, by chance, we happened across some cute baby stuff, like, a pair of tiny little shoes, I was pulled away with a stern "NO". LOL.

When we went to visit Joe and Amy at their home after the birth of their little girl, Amy laid Cora in Harvey's lap without warning. I seriously thought he was going to pass out. He was as stiff as cat with it's back arched! I laughed outside, but, was a little worried inside. Would he always be this way with babies? With our Baby?

I've come to realise that, along with so many other things in life, you just have to take it one day at a time. "Baby steps" seems to fit this situation perfectly. And sure enough, after a little time, (and I think the realization that he will be expecting one of his own in less then 8 months!) Harv has started to pick up that "Daddy" instinct. This picture was taken two weekends ago. And just last weekend, We were at Joe and Amy's and Harv took Cora so that Amy could eat. Amy looked at me and said "It's like he is a pro now!"

I smiled with tears swelling up. :)

Looking Back

I went over to my mom's house late lastnight to get some information about our family and to go over any last minute questions with her before our first doctor appointment. She pulled out my baby book and we went through it.

I have to say that I adore my mother. After she showed me a couple of things, I took the book home. Harv and I sat on the couch and went through it page by page. She documented EVERYTHING! I think my favorite thing was this:

"Les likes to pull blanket over her head and pretend she is a monster" (2 years) LOL.

And even more detailed notes that listed all the words I was saying every other month and when I started to discover different things. (sigh) Just by reading all of the details hand written on notebook paper and stuffed into pockets of my book, I know she was a WONDERFUL mother and cherished every moment she had with Matt and I. I think we take our mothers for granted sometimes. I know I have.

She also saved my frist birthday cards! They are ADORABLE! And this one is my favorite... from my Aunt Joni, Mom's youngest sister.

E-I-E-I.... Duck!

Last Sunday, Our friend Sharron had a huge brunch at her house. It was great getting together with all of our friends on a Sunday morning. Some other families showed up with their kids too. There was one couple who sat with Harvey and I at the breakfast table and as we ate, (our Fabulous BLT sandwiches on home made bread and Gouda cheese...Mmmmm) we were watching this other couple's two little ones swarm around their mother. It was adorable. Two boys, I believe the oldest was 4 or 5 and the youngest was 2.. I think... but, anyway, it was SO fun watching the two of them interact. The oldest was the talker. He came over to me and in a very grown up way said "listen to this..." He then went over to his little brother and got so close to him that their noses were touching... He started to sing "Old McDonald had a farm... E-I-E-I..." he paused... the 2 year old then sang "Duck!" It was ADORABLE! I looked over at Harvey and said "THAT'S why we should have two."

Cloth Diapers Baby!

I've been doing research for almost a year now on cloth Diapers VS Disposable Diapers. I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing when the time came for us to start our family. Now that day has come, I feel like a college student cramming for the final exam when it comes to finding the right diaper. And let me tell you, I am blessed to live in a day in age where I can read over 100 reviews in a matter of 30 minuets on any type of product out there! I work in marketing and know that when a company says that their product is "The Best" (which everyone seems to think their product is THE BEST), I know that there are at least 30 women (and sometimes men!) who have tried it and are ready to share their experiences... good or bad.

The results, well, as of right now, my vote is leaning to the far side of cloth diapers. GroBaby to be brand specific. "Are you kidding?" I'm sure you are saying out loud. And I totally understand where you are coming from. When someone mentioned cloth diapering to me several years ago, I laughed. "If you still ride a horse to work and your means of communication is a telegram"

But, I will say that I was secretly intrigued. And so the research began. What I've found is that cloth diapering has evolved from white cloths and close pins (and rubber diaper covers...which I found out that my mom tried on my brother) to very sophisticated all in one diapers, snap in and out diapers, and even flushable inner linings! (Who would have thought that poop actually goes in the toilet! Even Baby poop! (lol)) I was blown away with the fact that today's cloth diapering is actually more advanced than good'o huggies.

But, Just like Huggies, Pampers, Loves, etc. (an endless line of disposable diapers) Cloth diapers also have a WIDE range of different styles. And I would LOVE to go into the details of each, believe you me, I know how each one works along with the pros and cons. But I finally narrowed down my options to the newest and the most popular in Newton (every time Healthy Baby Boutique gets a shipment in, they are gone. In a Day!) the GroBaby Diaper. This thing is AWESOME!

Here is what it looks like. The outer "shell" is made of a breathable mesh fabric (no more moister being trapped inside from rubber covers causing diaper rash!) and the inner "pad" like inserts snap right in. And boy are those things thick and SOFT! you can even add extra liners for heavy wetting and overnighters. Once the baby's stool is hard (I hate that term... stool... it's called poop. LOL) you can put in a thin liner that will hold the poop so that when its time to change the diaper, you can pull out the liner and flush the mess. Toss the liners in the wash machine separate or throw the whole thing in at once! So many options!

But wait, it gets better! It is estimated that newborns go though 12-14 diapers a day. (my husband about choked when he heard that... He's been pricing out huggies just in case)

It is estimated that you will likely spend $50-$80 a month on disposable diapers... If you don't potty train until 3 years old.. that would roughly cost you between $1800-$2880...

I had the lady at Healthy baby quote me out if I were to buy EVERYTHING I needed to do the Gro Baby system (with buying 3 extra of everything just in case)

The Name "Gro" Baby is for a reason. This diaper has snaps so that the diaper can me made smaller for newborns and can be converted larger up to age three. So, One size outer "shell" fits all! Whoo Hoo! So, I estimated 8 outer shells which include one heavy thick snap-in liner, one thin add-in liner per shell at $25 a piece, Plus four extra Thick Pads sold separately and a container of the thin "poop" liners that flush (100 for $12 ) made my total to be $260.

TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY DOLLARS. from birth to potty training! Now that's a deal! Looks like we'll get a head start on putting all that savings into Harvey Jr's college fund! Won't he be embarrassed when we tell his college buddies he's there because mommy washed his diapers... Too Funny! LOL.

There are many MANY other reasons as to why I'm going this route. I'm sure this isn't the best solution for everyone and I'm sure there are mothers out there who have the same strong opinion for the disposable diapers. But, after I watched a video on how long it takes for a regular disposable diaper to break down at the land fill, I couldn't do it. I'm not a "ALL GREEN" person yet, but, I'm trying. Step by step I've acknowledged my wrong doing to mother earth and I'm taking steps to make it right. This will be a BIG one. And I will say that it's been hard with everything organic being almost three times the cost... in this situation... it's a no-brainer... you will actually save thousands of dollars!

So, to wrap it all up in a couple of words:

Cloth Diapers, Healthy Baby, Saving Money, Helping Planet, Happy Mommy.

Family Growing Every Second!

My Brother and Sister-in-law just found out last Friday that the baby they are hoping to adopt will be a girl and will be born around September 10th! That's Next Month! They are super excited for their long awaited dream to come true. I can't believe that in a matter of a couple weeks, I will be an aunt, and then, 6 months later, I'll be a mom. Wow... Life is amazing! It just hit me yesterday that with Carlee (Katie's new little girl) will be comming home the end of September, I will need to send baby shower invites out ASAP! Here is a preview of the design I came up with yesterday. Don't cha just LOVE baby stuff! :)

Never thought I'd LOVE the word Preggo.

I never thought I'd Love the work Preggo untill the word discribed myself. FINALLY! We're having a baby! So, call it what you want, Preggo, Knocked up, Bun in the oven... I'm so Happy, I don't care! :)