Dear Mason - 5 Months

Do you know what happened in the last month of your life? BIG THINGS my little bug, big things. I know that if you could read right now you would probably roll your eyes and say "shut up about Obama already, mom", but I really can't help myself. All I will say is that I am so happy that I brought you into this world to sort of witness this great event in American History. And now I am done.

Of course, YOU did some wonderful things this month. You had your first fruits and veggies and I have to say that I still get very excited when I know it is time for you to eat. The faces you make are priceless and you are quick to let us know if you are enjoying yourself or not. You have really started giggling a lot easier than last month and you love to laugh at daddy (don't we all?). You also moved on to 6 month clothes which was kind of bittersweet since OMG you moved on to 6 month clothes and I had to pack up all the little 3 month clothes. You also outgrew your infant tub and moved on to the big tub. We had to buy a cushy bathmat since you haven't quite mastered sitting up on your own yet.

One night last week we took you out to eat. In a restaurant. Which never happens because you usually make it miserable for us by screaming the entire time. This time was different. You sat there in a highchair OMG and giggled and talked to waitresses and watched a tennis match on the TV. You actually went to bed about an hour later than usual, which used to equal a sleepless night because HEAVEN FORBID we put you to bed an hour late. But that didn't happen. You slept all night just like it was any other night.

You are starting to have a little separation anxiety which kind of cramps my style since I am not allowed to leave the room, pee, or anything unless you are able to see me. This also included two nights of you waking up every single hour to make sure your dad and I were still alive. Role reversal much?

You are still the sunshine of our lives, and trust me, there is not much of that going on outside right now. That's why we stay indoors with you where we can cuddle and hug and kiss you without getting frostbite.

And then I got this crazy idea...

Winter makes me crazy I guess. CRAZY to the point where I am going to try cloth diapering. Go ahead, go back and read that one again. I'll wait. I have a confession to make and it is that my ice cold little heart breaks every time I empty out that stinky-ass Diaper Genie, tie up the end so that it resembles a nice little bolster pillow (a smelly one at that) and put it in the garage until trash day. THEN (and my husband doesn't know about this one) I sit by the front window and sob as the poor garbage man throws it into the garbage truck. Okay, maybe not, but in my head that's how it goes. Then, the bolster pillow of shit rides away to sit in a landfill and NOT decompose for like 80 years or something.

I know what you're thinking. You see the words "cloth diapering" and immediately think of the good old days of pre-folded diapers and safety pins JESUS ARE YOU GOING NEAR YOUR CHILD WITH THAT and rinsing sticky poop into the toilet, doing the full dunk and throwing it in the laundry room to stink up the joint. Well, I have good news. One, YEAH that's what I immediately thought about too so you're not alone. Two, it isn't like that anymore, HALLELUJAH unless of course you are a glutton for punishment and choose to do it that way. Cloth diapering has come a long ass way and once I started researching it IT BLEW MY MIND. It is really not that much different from disposables except that you just wash and reuse the same diapers instead of sending them to go die in a heap of smelly garbage. The best part is that it is cheaper. WAY cheaper if you do it right and I am all about saving money so I can get that massage.

I totally blame Jill over at Baby Rabies for this one. Hopefully in the weeks to come I will be thanking her and not cursing her out via blog. Stay tuned for my newest adventure or trip to hell, whichever it ends up being.

You have a lot of time to think while you are shoveling 20 feet of snow.

Okay, maybe not 20 feet, but damn there is a lot of snow out there! I came to a few conclusions when I was out trying my best to earn a massage. The first thought I had as I watched my neighbors begrudgingly step out of their garages, shovel in hand, was "ahh. Must be naptime". Now, I full-well know that one of them has no kids, one has grown-up kids, and one was actually standing outside with her two kids who were using their little shovels to help. There was only one women out who I know has infant twins. It's amazing what having a baby will do to your mind.

My next thought was in relation to the timing of having a baby. Since Mason was born, I have been swearing off ever being pregnant during the summer again. It was 'okay', but being stuck inside the house with a newborn and watching what's left of the beautiful weather slowly disappear will definitely make you slip into a post-partum depression coma. Hmm. Anyways, I did find one GREAT thing about having a baby in late summer/early fall: Shoveling snow is a super baby weight-melting activity. Think about it. It is perfect timing. You have the baby, have approximately 4-5 months to recover, get used to your new life, lose the majority of your baby weight, standardize a routine and WHAM! here comes winter (this only applies if you live in snow belt hell). I have actually learned to like shoveling. It is a great calorie burner and if the weather continues to shit snow every week on us like this, I am sure to be back to my wedding weight in no time!

Finally, while humming the theme to Sesame Street in my head, (that Elmo CD is sure to be the death of me, ::waves:: HI CHRISSY) I came up with a couple FUN things to do to pass the time today:

Baby-hawk! He looks thrilled, doesn't he?

Don't worry, mama will get her bananas later. Only hers won't be in a mesh sack and they will be mixed with Jamaican rum and ice.

Peas

God help me, the kid LOVES peas. Maybe because they are bland just like that miserable excuse for food he is used to called formula. He gets so excited when I break out the peas, he blows his socks off. No joke.

Carrots

mmmm...notsomuch.

Success

So far, the new car seat is a hit. We had minimal crying yesterday in the car, but still had to rock out to Elmo. I really think he is much more comfortable. Poor guy has another cold now and the snot is flowing around here like a river. I am off to take care of my little one and enjoy the rest of my birthday.

Big Boy Seat

Well, Mason outgrew his infant carrier/car seat. The straps got too tight, he screamed every time he was put in it, and I just couldn't carry him AND the carrier around. It just got too heavy. So, in a snow storm on Saturday, my mom and I traveled to Babies R Us and I purchased a new car seat for him. The decision was an easy one since my car is small and only ONE of the choices fit. Luckily, it was the one I was looking at anyways, or at least the brand that I was looking at. It is good up until he is 40 pounds, which will probably be at his 9 month appointment.

Did I mention that he weighs close to 17 pounds at 4.5 months?

He will get to try it out for the first time today. Lets hope this solves our car issues and he stops crying in the car/I am not forced to listen to Elmo's Greatest Hits anymore - whichever comes first. Of course, buying a new car seat introduced me to a new dilemma which is called "It is January in Ohio and -20 degrees right now and we just lost our BundleMe privileges". So, my goal today is to find Mason a heavy coat/snowsuit/whatever to keep him warm, in January, when ALL of the kiddie stores have started displaying their SPRING clothes and hanging flowers! and bumblebees! and sunshinesunshinesunshine! from the ceilings of their stores.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Oatmeal

What happens when you mix oatmeal with a 4.5 month-old who likes to stick everything in his mouth, including the spoon you are feeding him with?

Bottle Connoisseur

I have tried them all (almost). Why, you ask? Well, since Mason has been eating formula, he has been using the small wideneck BornFree bottles. The only problem was that they only hold 6 ounces and he was starting to eat more. Plus, he never had any stomach problems and I didn't see the point in continuing to clean a bottle, nipple, ring, cap, and two parts of a vent. So the hunt for new bottles began. I started buying what I thought looked like the best bottle but always found a problem and had to return and exchange, moving onto the next one. Here are my reviews* of the bottles I have tried (all are BPA-free):

BornFree: A-. Great bottles. Lots of parts. Highly recommend to use the 6oz widenecks as starter bottles so that you are covered in case you have a spitter.

Playtex Drop-Ins: B. Also great bottles. The only downfall is having to purchase the liners for them. Good for "lazy moms". I used these in the beginning along with the BornFree's.

MAM: D. The only reason I didn't fail these bottles is because they are cute. That's it. Thought I was getting less parts to clean. WRONG. The bottom screws off to reveal a vent system. They leak. They suck.

Avent: C. Good bottles, but leak horribly. Unless you have tons of time and patience to stand at your sink, dripping with formula, trying to screw the top on just right, don't buy these bottles. Plus, they lagged a little in the BPA switch-over. Losers.

Nuby: B. Adorable bottles, and MY favorite. No leaking issues BUT Mason didn't like them and I guess he gets a say. The "vari-flow" nipple was too hard for him to grasp since I guess he is lazy sucker. He did like to chew on the nipple though since it has little "nubs" that massage gums.

Gerber: A. Old school $3.99 for a 3-pack bottles that your mom probably fed you with. Good bottles, latex nipples (not my favorite, I prefer silicone but Gerber doesn't offer silicone until the level 3 nipples) BUT I found that the Evenflo nipples fit just fine.

Evenflo Pure Comfort (or something): A. This is what I am using now. So far no issues and I love that the bottle is angled for comfort. Little to clean, cute colors, no leaking. I think these are a keeper.

*I am not getting paid or anything to do this, just thought it might be helpful. Cheerio!

F.

I just realized that yesterday was my blog's one year birthday.
So...


Happy Birfday Bloggy Blog. Kisses.

Look for a new post soon. On bottles. Because we have used almost every brand known to mankind. Almost.

Dear Mason - 4 Months

Dear Mason,

What a month it has been. The past month has BY FAR been my favorite. Not because you FINALLY began sleeping for long stretches at night (I dream now, did I tell you that?), or laughing, smiling all.the.time, "talking" up a storm, or being incredibly cute, but because you are you. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Your personality is really starting to show and what a personality it is! It is hard to believe that last year at this time we were starting to tell people about you. Now we have this beautiful, funny, loving little boy.

We started giving you cereal recently and you seriously LOVE IT. You think it is hilarious when I make airplane noises. Speaking of you thinking I am hilarious, It boggles my mind that the things that I think would make you giggle do not. It is just the normal things that I do that you think are so freaking funny. Like blowing my hair out of my eyes. I did not know that was so funny! Actually, I am used to people laughing at me for my every day activities, so it's cool.

Your napping schedule drives us insane still. You need to learn that you do not function well on 45 minute naps all day long, but I haven't been able to communicate this to you yet. Something about you being a baby and not understanding me? I don't know. Like all things so far in your tiny life, hopefully it will work itself out. Napping aside, you are a wonderful little guy. Yes, you STILL hate the car seat and scream your head off in the car, YES you don't like taking naps, BUT you are Mason. And we wouldn't trade you or your little quirks for the world.

New Year, New Priorities

New Year's Eve 2006-

"Oh my GOD I am getting married next year! WOW! Let's get wassssssted and party until 4am!"

New Year's Day 2007 agenda: Sleep. Like forever. Take 8 million Advil and cruise through Taco Bell for lunch. Greasiness loves hangovers. Or hangover's love greasiness? I can't think. My head is pounding.

New Years Eve 2007-

"Oh my GOD I am going to have a baby next year. And I can't drink. Shit. And nobody knows I am pregnant but my husband. Quick, self, whip some story about antibiotics or something that nobody really believes. Swig some sparkling grape juice and pretend it is a delicious cocktail. This is going to be a long year."

New Year's Day 2008 agenda: Sleep. Like forever, again. I am so tired! Eat an entire pot of mac and cheese. Go back to sleep. Play some Wii. Eat more. Sleep more.

New Year's Eve 2008-

"Oh my GOD, why won't you stop crying?! Should we take him to dinner or not? He is going to be difficult all night. He will never sleep in his pack and play at our friends house with all of the noise! This is totally going to suck. Give me a margarita and a bottle of frambois QUICK to numb myself."

New Year's Day 2009 agenda: Try to sleep while Paul tends to Mason at 7am after going to bed at 1am. Get up at 8:30am, eat breakfast. A real breakfast. Not hungover at all. Play with Mason and feed him. Watch Mason fall asleep in my arms and smile as he dreams about bottles. Or Elmo. Or whatever nearly-four month old's dream about. Lay him down in his crib and think about how incredibly lucky I am. This is going to be the best year yet.

Hope you all had a safe, wonderful, hangover-free New Year's. Wishing you health in happiness is 2009!

And CONGRATS Colleen and Eric on your pregnancy. Enjoy every minute, it goes by so fast! Love you both!