We have a winner!!!!

First, thank you to everyone who entered!!! At the last minute, I decided to enter this giveaway in the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival which really upped the numbers! Also, on behalf of Cara, thank you for visiting her site and checking out all her goodies and giving feedback!!!!

I had 100 entries (a nice even number for me, haha!) And the number generator picked:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

19 

Timestamp: 2008-11-01 01:07:48 UTC

I counted down 19 entries and I'm thrilled to say the winner is:

STEPHANIE!!!! She said:

Yeah for give-aways! I love the taggie blankets - I keep thinking I'm giong to get Eden one, but still have yet to buy one!

Congrats Stephanie and thank you again to everyone who entered!!!!! (Steph, I will email you so be on the look out!)

"Happy" Halloween

Is that not the cutest pumpkin ever!!!! :)

Well, we had to make another trip this morning to the pedi. & long story short, K has "baby asthma" & we are 'proud owners' of a nebulizer. I know in the long run this will be a good thing (we can battle colds much quicker from home). He also has an ear infection in his right ear. So, yeh, that was our morning.

Daddy made me do it

Ok, Keaton didn't SAY that. But this morning at breakfast, he took a bite of his waffle and then spit it out. I asked him why he did that, he responded with, "Daddy"...we enjoyed a good laugh! :)

Unfortunately, both boys are now sick :( Keaton picked up something, I'm sure, from his "older toddlers" class (or the dr's. office, or the grocery store cart, or...) Whenever he gets something, it shows up Wednesday morning. Tuesday, he was all over Benjamin (he loves him SO much!!! As I type, he's standing next to his swing, a bag over his shoulder, keys in hand, waving/saying bye bye and blowing kisses!) But, yes, Tuesday, Benjamin was showered with big brother kisses. Wednesday, Keaton woke up with a snotty nose and congestion. Benjamin woke up this morning with a cough and congestion.

We had stopped Benjamin's probiotics because it always seemed he was fussier on the the days he got it, but we started it up this morning, in hopes to shorten the duration of this cold.

We'll go see Dr. Davis today. Keaton's been falling a lot while walking/running around and Benjamin is having a hard time latching on.

Don't forget to enter the two giveaways I'm hosting. The travel wipes case giveaway ends tomorrow night at 9pm!!!!! The embellished onesie giveaway ends Sunday afternoon at 3pm! And don't forget to head over to Bloggy Giveaways for the Carnival!!!! There's nearly 1400 giveaways you can enter!!!!

A Bloggy Giveaway Carnival Giveaway!

I won this onesie in a giveaway - but the "bedazzled" look of it doesn't necessarily work for our boys ;-)


So...I'm offering it to one lucky winner!

Details:
A brand new (tags are still attached!) red onesie, size 6-12 months from Tuni & G which reads "got my mind on mommy & mommy on my mind" in silver ($32.oo value) - I will pay s/h!

How to enter:
Comment on this post about who you would give this adorable onesie to! It's that simple! (Please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win!!!)

Want more entries?
1 extra entry - Blog about this giveaway - come back, comment - leave the link back to your post!!!!
1 extra entry - Follow me!

Do all 3 for 3 chances to win! (you most leave a comment for each action!!!)

The deadline is 3pm (EST) Sunday, Nov. 2! I will then draw a winner via random.org & email them. The winner has 48 hours to respond to that email. at that time, I will draw another winner, and so on and so on....

Don't forget to check out the other fabulous giveaways through the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival!!!!!!

Hair cuts & the park

Before:























After:























After church today, we met up with Faye (who was our doula) and her family at the park for some play time. Sadly, this was the first time seeing her since B was born!!! She couldn't get over how big he is now! (not that he was small 10 weeks ago! haha!) Keaton had a grand time running around









































































B all wrapped up in his wrap. Which I'm now starting to sell! They will be called Kendi wraps - Kendi is African for "The Loved One" :) I have some testing and tweaking to do but I'm SO excited to start this new adventure!!!





Keaton busted his lip at church. He did a face plant in the santuary. On our way home, I turned around to look at him at a red light and blood was running off his lip! He seems to have forgotten about it, but his lip is pretty yucky looking!

We also voted early today! One location here is right at the park. When we got there, the line was so long. We weren't planning on voting, and after seeing the line, we had totally dismissed the idea. But after the line disappeared, we decided to give it a try. We each took a kid and did our thing - I mean, our American responsibility!

I made chili for dinner...once again it was a beautiful day...with a high of 70...ugh - ONE day I will make chili when it's cold out!

And I have NO idea what is going on with blogger and the pictures and weird spacing...but whatever. I'm too tired to fix it and figure it out! :)

Are you ready to become X-Men? (#14!)

Well, the big event of the day was hair cuts. Keaton was in desperate need (as much as I loved his shaggy look, his "bangs" - what are they called on boys?! - kept getting in his eyes!) as was Zach! So off to Kidz Kuts we went. They do an awesome job there - so patient with wiggly babies! Keaton on the other hand...screamed the ENTIRE time! I'm talking tears pouring down his face, having trouble breathing making other parents look...I don't know what the deal was, I told Zach I think it was the "cape" they put on him (that's when the screaming began) but I'm not really sure. It was so sweet though, Zach was in a chair behind him getting his hair cut at the same time and Keaton kept turning around and reaching for him ...I'm cracking up remembering the drama! ;-)

And, yes, you read the title right, number 14...tooth that is, arrived this morning. I've been able to feel it underneath his gums for about a week or so now, but finally, after a rude awakening (Keaton) at 430am (!!!!!) I realized what was going on. He is officially very uneven. But, there's 14 teeth you say!!! Yes, but on the bottom he has his 2 back molars, his two front teeth, the front one to the left and then the left eye tooth...nothing on the right. It's driving me absolutely mad!!!

Ok, the X-men thing. Keaton has a book entitled Meet the X-men. 4 pages long, but it is most likely his absolute most favorite book. I loose count by 10am how many times we've read the book. I have it memorized, I'd share it, but I'm sure there's some sort of copyright rules against that ;-) However, I will summarize. Professor X is welcoming new students to his Institute. He introduces the new students to Cyclops and Storm. He reminds these students that X-men use their powers to help other people. The book finishes with Prof. X asking, "Now, are you ready to become X-men?" EVERY time we read this book and I ask the question, Keaton shakes his head and says, "Noooo" HAHA!! I love it!!! :)

He has a new favorite word (not one to replace "no" - I don't think ANYthing will replace that word!) But it's the sweetest sounding "daddy" you've ever heard. He's said "dada" before, but this is more along the lines of "Dah-deee" ugh, it melts me every time!

And the last Keaton story of the day. I was nursing B yesterday afternoon and Keaton was attempting to get into trouble, so I turned on PBS and there's this show called Super Why. It's kind of annoying, but it's educational and it kept him contained to where I could see him/kept him entertained to let me nurse B! Well, I'm watching B because he makes funny faces and I hear one of the characters say something about finding "super letters" and asking what they were. I hear Keaton say "Eh-ch...Eeeee" Then I hear the main character said, "H! and E! That's right!" I looked at the screen and sure enough, there's an H and an E!!! I looked at Keaton and he just grinned! HAha!!! I don't really think he had any clue, but, Zach and I agreed that he's never made the "H" sound....Hmmm...Boy genius! ;-)

OK, the other one...Benjamin...he's in the middle of another growth spurt (he wore 6 month clothes this week...yeh, not sure we can AFFORD more growth spurts!) He still really has no desire to do ANYTHING while on his belly! It just amazes me! He has great neck control when we hold him, put him in the bumbo or lay him on our chest. Put him on the floor and he buries his head in the blanket and screams - lovely! :)

He has proven to be an amazing sleeper - Sleeping through the night for almost 3 weeks now, I would say 4, but that first week of it, there were still some random awakenings. But, yes! Most nights (MOST) he's asleep by 9/930pm and will sleep until 730/8am!!! A couple of nights he's fallen asleep on his own (without a bottle or without nursing) and Tuesday night, I laid him in his crib awake at 830pm and he jabbered and cooed for a few minutes, but the next noise I heard from him was at 730am when he woke up!!! ...and why didn't Keaton do this?? ;-) I joked with my mom that Keaton never fell asleep on his own until about 14 months...ahhh, they're so different :)

B is smiling so much! He wakes up and fusses long enough for me to get in there and as soon as he sees me, as long as he can see me, he'll just smile and coo and tell me "stories"..if I go out of sight though, it's all over ;-)

Ok, I've rambled enough! I will post before and after pictures of the haircuts tomorrow!

2.5months later, Benjamin's birth story!

I just realized the other day I never posted this! I actually had typed it up and emailed it to friends and our local ICAN group (International Cesarean Awareness Network) just a few days after Benjamin was born, but just never posted it. I think I kept it pretty tame, (not intentionally!) but, it's a birth story, so ...you've been forewarned :)

to those "new" here - I had a c-section with my first in April of 07. November of 07 we found out about #2 (big surprise!!!). I wanted to avoid a repeat c-section and attempt a natural VBAC. This meant switching providers and hospitals over half way through my pregnancy. Was it worth it? You bet your sweet bippy it was! :)
-----------------------------------------
I'd been having "real" contractions off and on for about a week before the "big day." Thursday (8-14) I woke up to Keaton crying out around 345am. I went to the bathroom and came back to bed. After laying there for about 20 minutes or so, I realized that I had had 3 real, intense contractions. I looked at the clock and saw that it was only 405am. I waited until 420 (and 2 more contractions later) before telling Zach. The contractions were very short (15-20 seconds) but coming every 6 minutes. I called my mom to see if she could come down and help with Keaton (knowing if it wasn't that day it would be the next!) She agreed and got to work getting ready & heading down. I called my midwife to ask how long they needed to be (I knew they needed to last longer than 15 seconds!) and she asked me to wait until they were 60-90 seconds long.

Throughout the morning, the contractions stayed fairly regular, but after lunch, they "fizzled" out and became very sporadic. I talked with our doula, Faye, and she suggested I call my chiro and see if she could get things going again. I made an appointment for 430pm and Zach went with me. A good thing, too. Basically, as soon as she was done adjusting me, my contractions picked back up to 5 minutes apart and started to get a little longer (30-45 seconds) and even more intense.

We headed home with dinner and my contractions continued throughout dinner. I got a shower and they still continued. I called Faye and she encouraged me to rest, rest, rest. After a couple more hours, they were lasting between 45-60 seconds with a couple lasting closer to 90. I called the midwife she asked me to wait just a bit longer. I was getting antsy! I really didn't want to be laboring at the hospital, but I wanted to be there SHOULD something go wrong. I wanted to be in the comfort of my own home, but, I knew we had a 45-60 minute drive! Faye came over, showed me a couple of things to get things going even more. So I'd do these things for a few minutes and rest (rest mainly between contractions).

At 930pm, I decided that it was time. I wanted to be 7cm when we got to the hospital (less time for me to "agree" to an epidural...closer to the finish line!) My contractions were starting to feel like they did when I got the epidural with Keaton (at 6cm) - which is what lead me to believe I was at 6cm or getting close! We called our second doula, Shanna, and she headed on over and our entourage headed to UNC hospital! On the ride to the hospital, my contractions went from roughly 5 minutes apart to 2-5 minutes apart (I won't lie - at a few points, I thought we may not make it to UNC!)

We got to UNC and checked into triage and they started to monitor Benjamin and myself. I got checked and the nurse informed me I was at "a good 6cm" - woohoo!! They got me a room with a tub - something I waited ALL day to get into! - and started to get me hooked up to the monitors. After some time, I finally was able to get in the tub. As SOON as I sat down, the midwife came in and informed me that they weren't getting a good read on Benjamin's heartrate and were picking up some "decels" (decelerations in his heart rate). She informed me that they were going to break my water (NOT what I wanted) and do internal monitoring on Benjamin (also, NOT what I wanted!) I was very irritated, but knew the monitoring was for the best. I got out of the tub (not after demanding 5 more minutes and not getting that!) and headed back into my room. The nurse tried to find my veins to start a hep lock for an IV if one was needed - took her two VERY painful tries and then she went to get another nurse to help her out, she eventually "got" it.

My midwife went to break my water which took a good 5 minutes atleast and then found Benjamin's head and inserted/started the internal monitoring. I was still "allowed" to get up and move around, but at this point, I was getting frustrated and didn't feel up to it. Faye came over and reminded me that this was for mine AND Benjamin's good, birth's don't always go the exact way we planned, but it's more likely to go as planned with the internal monitoring.

I continued to labor and after some time I was checked again and was told that I was "9 and a lip" (basically just about a 10) and if I felt the urge to push, I could GENTLY do so to get around the lip. I'd been having that urge for a VERY long time so it was nice to be "allowed" to!

The urge to push was much more extreme by this point and this is when I really began to doubt myself. Faye was very encouraging in "teaching" me how to get through these rough contractions. She continued to remind me of my goal and how close I was to holding our sweet boy! I would be lying if the thought of another c-section didn't sound AMAZING at this point! I didn't voice that concern and had to work really hard to push it out of my mind - I knew it was too late for an epidural and my only two ways out of this pain were a c-section or pushing this guy out!

That's when things started to get scary. Benjamin's heart rate began to drop during the contractions when I was pushing - the same point Keaton's did. I was really getting discouraged by this point. It didn't help that the Attending OB was standing right there witnessing this (I could see dollar signs in her eyes as she was picturing my c-section!) ((The attending was there because the midwife had another patient who was pushing before me. She left to be with her and said she would return as soon as that baby was born - turns out, both our babies were born at the exact same time!))

I got on my side to push, then to my other side. After about 30 minutes of this and his heart rate continuing to drop, they told me my last resort was on hands and knees and oxygen between contractions. As soon as this position/method started, I was wishing for more rest. If I didn't need the oxygen, I could have relaxed a bit between contractions, but unfortunately, I had to continue to hold myself up with one hand and the mask with the other (I did have help from Zach, Faye & Shanna in holding myself, but things would have gotten worse if someone was forcing that mask against my face!) Shortly after being on my hands and knees, Benjamin started crowning and everyone yelling that they could see him encouraged me to press through!

However, at 3am, I was really starting to get tired. Also, hearing his heart rate drop in between contractions and take some time to rise again was not encouraging - I felt like I was doing something wrong to him by pushing. Shortly after 3, the attending said that I needed to get serious and get him out soon. I thought that I had been trying with all that was in me before, but when she said that, all I heard in my mind was, "Get him out NOW or it's another c-section..." All I could think was how much I wanted to avoid that surgery, that recovery, those feelings/thoughts that still plague my mind.... I was screaming "GET OUT" in my head through the next contraction. For most of the contractions, I could get out 3-3.5 pushes (if there is such a thing as half!) For the last contraction, I got serious...5 pushes and then, before I could realize it, he was out & I heard his sweet screams!

I didn't know what to do with myself once he was out! I just collapsed and tried to catch my breath and wrap my mind around what just happened (and what I just did!) I heard one of the nurses comment about his cord being wrapped around his neck twice (causing the "decels"). Zach said it had to have been loosely wrapped because when he came out, by the time he could realize he was here and look, there wasn't anything around his neck.

I collapsed on the bed for a few minutes and then got some help turning over and finally got to see my sweet, sweet boy. It was so amazing to be able to see, touch and HOLD him immediately after birth (as opposed to stare at him from across the room for a couple hours, like I had to do with Keaton).

It was such a different experience than with Keaton. I've already had family, friends and nurses ask which way I'd do it again (natural, meds, vaginal, c-section) and without a doubt - this way was the best! - definitely. It was amazing to work together as a team with Zach together to bring this sweet guy into the world. With Keaton, after I got my epidural, I had to be told when I was having a contraction, Zach catnapped during my labor with Keaton because I didn't need his help through the contractions, he didn't know what to tell me while I pushed and then, even though it was an emergency situation with Keaton, he "sat there" during my c-section. This go round he was able to be so much more involved in every aspect (including me almost breaking his hand on that last contraction/pushes!) For me, it was great to have my husband right by my side encouraging me through it all, letting me know how close we were to seeing Benjamin, how awesome I was doing and be "there" for it all. He was able to cut Benjamin's cord (last second decision!) Granted, he's been a lot more exhausted this go round (rightfully so!) but has been still, a huge help in my recovery (such a humbling time!)

Quotable Keaton and B's 2 month appt.

I'll start with Benjamin's appt. first...

The results are:
Height: 24in. (75%)
Weight: 13lbs. 12.8oz (80%)
Head Circ: 40cm (50%)

Those who picked 14lbs. +(since we're rounding up) and 24in. - woohoo!

This would explain why he doesn't fit in size 2 diapers anymore! Sheesh!

We decided to do a delayed schedule regarding his vaccinations, so he only got his DTaP and the Rotavirus (oral) vaccinations. He took it like a champ, screaming more when she was listening to his chest! Silly boy. The only "complaint" was that he does indeed have eczema, just like his brother! This is an easy fix (hopefully! Keaton's was!) and not a "big deal" Just something to keep an eye on! He's currently hiccuping and cooing away in his swing - no one would ever know he just got jabbed with an icky needle!

Keaton. What more can I say!?

He's added a couple more words to his repertoire lately - the "biggest" being sunshine (ton-tine)...But, the most hysterical thing he's done lately regards his favorite word ("no"). B woke up while we were eating breakfast yesterday morning. Usually, he'll be content with Zach or I holding him until I'm finished eating and can nurse him, but he wasn't having that this particular morning! So, I got all situated and started to nurse him at the table so I could finish eating my breakfast. Keaton was giving me a weird look and I said, "What? Isn't it couth to nurse at the table??" Keaton screamed, "NOOOOO!!!!" haha, love it!

Ok, B is ready to eat and it's time for the news! :)

Re-cap of the week

We didn't have a super busy week, yet, I feel like so much happened!

Last Friday, we made the trek to UNC for my "6 week check-up" (Benjamin turned 9 weeks yesterday, what can you do?!) and I got all checked and cleared for life as normal! No more UNC for awhile! I got to see my favorite midwife and she got to love on Benjamin. I will miss seeing her, but not miss that drive! Whew (OR the parking garage!) ;-)

Benjamin slept thru the night quite a few nights this week! That was SO nice! However, towards the end of the week, he started getting very gassy and very fussy. He was also, once again, having a hard time latching on when nursing. So, we went to see our chiro (Hi Dr. Davis!) on Thursday morning. All afternoon he screamed and screamed and scre...ok, you get the idea. Dr. Davis was oh-so-kind to help me through email and give me tip and tricks. We went back Friday morning and he's been SO much happier since then! I'm not sure what it was...

Now we're just waiting on Bebe to get here for a last minute trip!

We're going to get Keaton some shoes (poor kid, all he has is sandals and it's 50 degrees outside!!! That's fine for me, but not for my sweet pea!) and some fabric so I can get back into sewing...I have an itch that I need to scratch :)

Don't forget to enter my 200th post/1st giveaway!!! It's open until Oct. 31st at 9pm!!! At that time, I'll draw a winner and post that here on my blog (as well as email the winner!)

Also, be sure to be checking my recipe blog, I just posted a TON of recipes there yesterday!

After we get this fabric, I'm hoping to be able to open a site and start selling some things! (Wraps, burp cloths, blankets to match, taggy blankets, pillow case dresses/shirts, purses, ...who knows what else!) :)

One last thing! We have B's 2 month appt. Tuesday afternoon. I'm very curious to see how much he weighs and how long he is (see picture below!) Feel free to participate in the poll to the left!

My Sweet Pea

My Sugar Lump :)

I never mentioned B's ear because I wanted to get a picture of it first (just the way I'd mention it would make it sound worse than it really is!) When he was born, we immediately noticed that he had part of his ear "missing" (See how bad that sounded!) The dr's. all think it's because of the way he was laying (transverse for so stinkin' long!) in my belly or just because God made him that way! It doesn't affect his hearing at all (he passed his newborn screening) it's just something that makes him special and unique!

A family in our small group (Thank you Jolley's!) brought us a meal (two actually, yum, yum thank you!!!) after B was born and they brought this ADORABLE towel for Keaton!!!

See what I mean!? he's SO long!!! And are those not the cutest Pjs you ever saw?!!

200th post & a giveaway!!!!!

Well, I did it - and in a surprisingly short amount of time (less than a year!) I made it to my 200th post! Since I'm working on generating more traffic to my blog, I teamed up with a friend to do a giveaway! First a bit about the giver of the giveaway!

Cara Delight is a WAHM to 3 sweet children ages 9, 4 and 15months. She has an amazing talent for sewing & embroidery. Her business is Bubbles & Bows Boutique and she focuses on custom items for mom and baby - everything from onesies & growth charts to cloth diapers & bags to put them in! She started her business in July because she loves to sew (she's been sewing for 16 years!) and create new products. Her business allows her a creative outlet while providing income to ensure her ability to stay at home.

Feel free to check out her site and do a little Christmas shopping while you're there!

Now, what you're waiting for! A GIVEAWAY!!! My first here and I'm SO excited about it! Cara has graciously offered one of her oh-so-cute Travel Wipes Cases to one of my readers! Not only will you receive this handy item - it will be named after you (or the recipient) as well!! (The Travel Wipes Case shown is a representation of the case being given away. The Winner will be able to choose their fabric.)

It's easy to win! But, I need you to do a couple of things for me! To enter you simply respond to this post with the following:

*An email address (or blog address)
*Visit Bubbles & Bows Boutique and tell me what your favorite item is
OR
*Tell me a topic you would like for me to "tackle"

For an EXTRA entry:
*Blog about this giveaway (respond to this post, in a new comment, letting me know you did so, linking back to the blog)

This give away will end at 9pm, October 31st, 2008. I will use random.org (number generator) to pick a winner.
**email addresses will ONLY be used to contact the winner.**

I was tagged by Lindsay!

Read at the bottom to see who I tagged ;-)

1. What time did you get up this morning? Well, 515 to nurse B and then 620 by Zach getting ready for work

2. Diamonds or pearls? I would love to, one day, own a pearl necklace...right now, I just want to wear my diamond engagement ring that I haven't worn in almost 2 years!

3. What was the last film you saw at the theatre? ...The Bourne Supremacy

4. What is your favorite TV show? Law & Order or CSI

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Pop tarts or cereal

6. What is your middle name? Leigh

7. What food do you dislike? cantaloupe (me too Lindsay!!)

8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Hmm, I've got Sovereign Grace on repeat on my iPod

9. What kind of car do you drive? 2004 Kia Sedona

10. Favorite Sandwich? PB&J

11. What characteristic do you despise? Pride

12. Favorite item of clothing? My new green pants from Old Navy

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Australia

14. Favorite brand of clothing? Old Navy

15. Where would you retire to? The mountains

16. What was your most memorable birthday? haha, when my mom planned a surprise party for me and a friend called to "go bowling" and I said I wanted to stay home and paint my bedroom instead...then called my mom freaking out b/c I didn't want to go...then my mom had to talk me into going with my friend. I was mad that I couldn't just stay home and paint...and then my friend had an errand to run...and then we went bowling...and there was my mom and a bunch of friends....good times ;-)

17. Favorite sport to watch? College football and basketball

18. When is your birthday? Jan 3

19. Are you a morning person or a night person? Morning

20. What is your shoe size? 8.5...I think?

21. Pets? None

22. Any new and exciting news you would like to share with us? Benjamin slept thru the night again...We're healthy!!!!

23. What did you want to be when you were little? A teacher or a meterologist

24. How are you today? Great!

25. What is your favorite candy (lollie/chocolate)? Jelly Beans

26. What is your favorite flower? ones that come from my hubby! (<~~ haha, Amen, Lindsay!) Daisies and Tuplips (cough, cough, ahem)

27. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? The day Zach graduates from Seminary! haha!

28. What is your full name? Terra Leigh Jones

29. What are you listening to right now? B's swing...it's squeaky, but he's asleep, so I'm NOT touching it!

30. What is the last thing you ate? ...really old Thin Mints...

31. Do you wish on stars? No

32. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Robin's Egg Blue (or John Deere Green, hhahah!)

33. How is the weather right now? Sunny and warm...85...um, it's OCTOBER!

34. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? No one yet

35. Favorite soft drink? Dr. Pepper or Coke

36. Favorite restaurant? ((Thanks Lindsay, now I want Moe's!) Lately it's O'Charleys...mmm...3 cheese bacon burger!!! But I'd have to say Applebee's for "moderate range" prices...BK for "everyday" ...and I really liked Twisted Fork...the one time we went there!

37. Real Hair Color? Light Brown

38. What was your favorite toy as a child? My dry erase board...dirt :)

39. Summer or Winter? Summer

40. Hugs or kisses? Hugs

41. Chocolate or Vanilla? vanilla

42. Coffee or Tea? tea (sweet, iced)

43. When was the last time you cried? Yesterday when both the boys were screaming

44. What is under your bed? Nothing, for once...

45. What did you do last night? Laid in bed with B, waiting for Zach to get home from praise band, watched CBS funny stuff, then CSI Miami

46. What are you afraid of? bridges and clowns

47. Salty or Sweet? Right now, sweet

48. How many keys are on your ring? um, 6 maybe 7

49. How many years at your current job? 18 months and 6 days (not including pregnancy) as a mama

50. Favorite day of the week? Saturdays

51. How many places have you lived in? Hardy, VA; Mars Hill, NC; Murfreesboro, TN; Roanoke, VA; Wake Forest, NC; Raleigh, NC

52. Do you make friends easily? I guess so :) I'd talk to a wall...sometimes I do...

I tag KELLY SIZEMORE!!! ;-) Erin, Zach (b/c he has NOTHING better to do right now!) ;-) and anyone else who wants to answer, just let me know you did so I can read what you answered! :)

Beans, Beans, good for your heart OR When good foods go bad!

I'd been planning for weeks to make chili...Mid-October, should be perfect, right?? Yeh, well, it ended up being 80 degrees today! We still ate it & it was amazing (if I may say so!)

We weren't sure if Keaton would like it or not but, why not give it a try...
All was going well until he rubbed his chili covered hand in his eye!!

Despite the incident, he went on to eat 1.5 bowls of it!!! Made me so happy to know he enjoyed it!

Sunday afternoon, Zach had a bit 'o fun with Benjamin and his burp cloth...

Then Keaton had fun...

A close-up of my Sugar Lump

We broke out the bumbo tonight

Photo Weekend Update

Just some pictures. I'm too tired to type.

Love the smile on B's face...Love how K just wants to be where B is...

A face that makes me smile everyday!

My favorite guys

Zach's parents got him this little book bag...he was mad that we weren't walking out the door as SOON as I put it on him (and I just enjoyed seeing it in B&W w/ the shadow on the door)

All ready for church

Our big helper!

A week of Mondays

That's what this week has felt like! It hasn't been a "bad" week per say (how can it when your 7 week old starts off the week by sleeping thru the night?! Ahhh, I'm beginning to feel human again...)

I really meant to keep track of what happened everyday because I just couldn't believe it all!

However, two notable "moments" -

1- Before Keaton's dr's. appt. Wednesday, he managed to DUMP his container of applesauce on his head ...BEFORE his appt., so I had to give him a bath. Not a big deal, but I don't know the last time I gave him a bath - a job that has fallen on Zach because it was hard for me to lift him while pregnant. So that was a lot of fun ;-)

2- This is a "dirty" story -This morning, Benjamin woke up WAY earlier than normal - I was still eating breakfast, so I just sat him on my lap while we finished up eating. Well, while sitting there, he took his morning poo. So, I finish eating and let him finish doing his thing (for future reference, if anyone watches Benjamin in the early morning, his first poo is a process....a LONG process...haha) So I take him in to change him while Keaton finishes breakfast. I take his diaper off and he peed...all over his face!!! He was screaming bloody murder! (who could blame him?!) So, I wiped him all down (a bath is coming as soon as Keaton is down for a nap!) grabbed a new pair of pants and a onesie for him, turned around and he had kicked his leg and kicked the diaper ONTO his leg...poo was EVERYWHERE! I start to wipe him down with another wipe...and he pees...AGAIN! I finally got him all cleaned up and said something along the lines of him keeping me on my toes today - he laughed! Who could be upset after that sweet precious laugh?!

Randomly, I was talking with Michelle, our Lactation Consultant the other night and she informed me that she would no longer be with our pedis office anymore. I was devasted! Well, she offered to "hook me up" with some free "lactation supplies" so we swung by on Thursday morning (can I just say I got a FREE double electric PUMP!!!!!) and did an impromtu weighing of Benjamin! He weighs 12lbs. 11oz! At Keaton's 2 month appt. he weighed 13lbs. 6oz. We don't go for Benjamin's 2 month for another week & 1/2, so I'm thinking he can match or surpass that! :) Considering he's wearing clothes that Keaton didn't wear until he was 3 or 4 months old!

Here's a load of pictures for your enjoyment...

Remember how little he used to look in the swing (used to...what, 6 weeks ago?!)...now the swing looks little!

My long boy!

Keaton wants you to notice his eyebrows raised! (I guess?!)

Those baby blues - we're in so much trouble!

I did our own lil photo shoot this morning!

I have to frame this one...

The results....(18 Month appt)

Just a quick post...

Keaton weighed 24lbs. 11oz. (so those who guessed 25 lbs...woohoo!)
and is 33.75in (Congrats to those who guessed 34in!)

He did pretty well...and B cried the whole time...sigh... What can you do?! :)

Our Adventures in Cloth Diapering

I've been asked by a good number of friends to do a write up on cloth diapers - what we use, why we do it, how hard is it really, etc....

Honestly, a year ago, I didn't think I'd be discussing 'such a topic' as this! It was actually about a year ago that I told Zach, "If we ever have two in diapers, I will totally use cloth..." About 6 weeks later...I was eating my words as we found out our new surprise! :)

I will admit, I was nervous at first. I had researched cloth before Keaton was born and I knew it wasn't our parents and grandparents "pins & dishtowels" - this "new cloth diapering" was amazing. But, it just wasn't for "us."

WHY?
We started for financial reasons...the more addicted I got, I changed our reasoning to being "greener" - because if we had any money at all, I would be spending it ALL on cloth diapers!

DIFFERENCES:
As I talk about the brands below, I'll mention various kinds of diapers.
All-In-Ones (AIO) - These are closest to disposable diapers. You either snap or Velcro them on, and then unsnap/un-velcro and put a new diaper on. (Think disposables that you wash)
Pockets - These you stuff a liner in between the fleece inner part of the diaper and the waterproof outside of the diaper.
Fitted - These need a waterproof cover (don't think plastic pants!)
Prefolds - Basically the size of a dish towel (smaller or larger depending on the size of the baby) You can pin, fold or use a Snappi (a "gripper" that holds the diaper shut)
Covers - The waterproof cover for the fitteds or prefolds
One-Size - These diapers you can adjust the 'rise' (how big they are basically) as baby grows and use from newborn through potty training.

WHAT WE USE:
I had a friend mail me a couple to get started. Our first two diapers were Pocket Change (PC) - I was in love immediately! The fabulous thing about PC - you don't have to remove the inserts! They agitate out in the wash!! This got us spoiled from the start (well, me at least!) We placed an order for 6 more. But I was doing laundry everyday - not "green" :)

I had heard amazing things about BumGenuis 3.0 (version 3) One-size (BGOS). My mom offered to buy us a "handful" to get us through 2 days. I immediately knew I wasn't as big of a fan as everyone else was. The Velcro would rub Keaton's belly and make it all red...and then, after some time, if he was ever JUST in a diaper - he'd rip it right off - NOT good! As much as I wasn't a fan, we've kept these. Zach loves them as they are most like disposable diapers, except pulling the liner out (not a big deal to either of us anymore, we don't think twice about it!)

I really wanted to try out other types, but, that's hard on a limited budget. I found some used AIO diapers made by a WAHM (Work At Home Mom) and a company called Nana's Bottoms and I absolutely love them!

When we started buying for Benjamin, I thought I wanted to use the PC from the beginning, but the more I read, I realized these weren't the best for newborn poo :)

We ended up buying a wide assortment to try. I really haven't been disappointed with anything that we bought for him, except for one type of cover (I'll get to that in a minute!)

We bought some Thirsties AIOs. I've been pleased, but not overly thrilled.

We also purchased some fitteds - kissaluvs and Thirsties Fab Fitted. Of the two of these, the Fab Fitted are by FAR my favorite fitted!!

We purchased two brands of covers: Thirsties covers (LOVE THEM) and Proraps - These I am not a fan of at all.

We have also purchased prefolds for night time use with Keaton (and eventually Benjamin). No, we don't use pins :) We just tri-fold them and lay them inside a cover. We have used Bummis Super Snap for Keaton until he outgrew them (and most of his current stash!)

We just bought some more diapers for Keaton and I've tested out 2 of those diapers so far! The first is the "new style" PC (they just made them trimmer and different colors) and a Happy Heiny (HH). The HH stayed on him for about 4 hours this morning (on purpose!) and it with held all leaks! Woohoo! :)

We also purchased a Baby Kangas and thirsties covers in his size for night time use with the prefolds.

HOW WE WASH:
After the dirty diaper comes off B or K (B's poos stay in the diaper as breast milk poo is watery and ...well just washes away - K's poos we plop in the toilet & flush away) I put them in a wet bag (waterproof bag that keeps wetness & smell in). They stay there til wash day (every 2 days before we run out of diapers). When it's time to wash, I run them through a hot/cold/hot wash cycle with 1/4 of the detergent I would use for washing clothes (too much detergent can cause build up and cause the diapers to start leaking) - also, once a week, I let the diapers soak for 60-90 minutes before washing. I wash with All Free & Clear (some sites say this is the best, others say don't let Free & Clear detergents touch your diapers!) If you want to see if your specific detergent works well with cloth diapers, check here. I'm also about to make our own laundry detergent (I'll let you know how that turns out!) :)
*No, I've never found traces of poo in our washer.
*Does the thought of putting poo in our washer gross me out? Yes (remember how OC I am about some things?!) Every 2 weeks, I do a load of whites and wash with bleach to ease my mind :)

I try to air dry my diapers as much as possible (to save electricity/money, but to also save my diapers!) This involves timing washings precisely though and it doesn't always work out that way! If I do machine dry them, I dry them as I would my clothes - but no dryer sheets!

HOW HARD IS IT?
Honestly, not much harder than changing a disposable diaper.
Put diaper on baby.
Baby wears diaper and pees/poos in it.
Take baby to changing area.
Remove diaper.
Place new diaper on baby.
(If poo needs to be flushed do that here).
Place diaper in wet bag (or other "holding container" of choice).
Instead of dumping a trash bag full of diapers in the trash bin, dump the bag of diapers in the washer.
Start washer.
Wait....
Hang diapers to dry/place in dryer.
Remove diapers & stuff (maybe a 5 minute process).
Place at changing area and wait for next diaper change!

HOW MANY DIAPERS?
Keaton goes through about 5-7 diapers a day (some times less, some times more)
Benjamin goes through about 10 diapers a day. We do not have enough diapers to go a whole day with him, so I alternate between cloth and disposable on changes and for the time being, we only do disposables at night.

Extras:
We do use diaper cream on Keaton as he has very sensitive skin. This is not recommended for cloth diapers. I had to search high & low, but eventually found micro fleece. I made fleece pockets to insert his prefolds in for night time (the pockets aren't necessary, you can just cut a strip to lay between baby and diaper) This keeps the cream off the diapers (which could cause leaks with your diapers)

I was asked if I like snaps or velcro better - I love snaps! The velcro makes it easier to get an exact fit, but, Keaton has already showed his determination in trying to take off velcro diapers! We have to keep a close eye on him while in this style diaper!

We started Benjamin in cloth as soon as we came home (and the tarry meconium poo had passed!!) However, at 6.5 weeks, he has already outgrown his diapers (well, they are very, VERY snug on him!) I've mentioned in a previous post that I plan on selling these "tiny" diapers (the kind we have fit up to 12lbs.) because we obviously have bigger babies that don't fit in the tiny ones as long! With any other future children we happen to be blessed with, we'll just use disposables until they fit into the "bigger" size diapers we have.

**all terms & brands with reviews can be found here**
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Seriously, I could talk all day about this :) Please let me know of any questions you have & I'll try to answer them (If I can't, I'll find someone that can!)

He did what?!? and BlogHer who-a-what-a?

Well, the most exciting news of the day... Benjamin slept thru the night!!!!!!! WOOHOO I don't know how "official" it is, as he fell asleep around 1030 (according to Zach...I passed out LONG before that!) and slept til 530...then til 845! Woohoo!

The exciting news of the week...or month...or whatever! It's official! I am now a part of the BlogHer network (blogs for &/or by women)! This basically just means that I now get paid to blog!!! We will NOT be making millions off my blog, but nice to know that I'll receive SOMEthing in return for something I've grown to love doing! (It's the wanna-be journalist in me!) You will see to your right, a side bar ad with various links in it - these links will take you to other blogs within the BlogHer network - feel free to click around and discover something new!!!

Back to us ;-)

We had a 2nd Monday in a row with NO dr's appts!!! How awesome is that?

K has his 18 month appt. Wednesday and I make the trek to UNC for my "6 week" check up (at 8 weeks post-partum...whatever) I'll just be glad to not have to make that drive for some time!

Well, B is crying, so here's the reason you're here...

B does have hair...it's just all in the back. He rocks the rat-tail ;-)

K wanting to play with the camera....

So, yeh, K didn't fit in this outfit until he was about 3 months old...(for the record, B is 7 weeks and 3 days!)

B has many faces!
Happy baby!!

Sleepy baby!

Irritated baby!