5 Things

Someone recently asked a question on a board for mother's that I am a part of wanting to know what were the top five baby items to get. She is a first time mom expecting in a few months and had just returned from a nightmare registry experience at Babies-R-Us. She was hoping to keep her life as minimalistic as possible and with regards to all the baby shrapnel that you could sign up for, she wanted to know what you need to sign up for.

Now, the best response I saw was from a woman who responded (as she put it) unhelpfully by saying:

"The (unhelpful) answer is "it depends." If you have a mellow baby, minimalist is great. If you have a highly fussy baby, you will do anything and everything in your power to try and soothe that baby. I had one of each, and the amount of gear I needed for my mellow baby was almost nothing, and the amount of gear I needed for my fussy baby was substantial... ...just remember later on if you are struggling that the time when they are newborns is finite, and if you need more "stuff" and "plastic" than you ever thought you would want to tolerate, most of it is gone by the time the baby is a year, and if it helps you get through that year, don't be hard on yourself. For example, I thought a wipe warmer was foolish until I had an infant that screamed bloody murder at every diaper change -- but have only used it a handful of times with my second. Just remember, every baby is different and be kind to yourself if and when your needs or desires change when the baby arrives.

This woman is genius and I certainly hope that all new mothers can take her advice to the bank: to not beat yourself up over things not being the way you thought they would be.

So...with THAT said...here are my top 5 (omitting the obvious like diapers, bottles/breastfeeding shrapnel, car seats and co-sleepers/bassinets/cribs because no matter what you choose, you will need them)

#1 - a Moby Wrap or some other type of sling.

Even if you don't intend to be a strict baby-wearer, I recommend having something to carry your baby in while he or she is on you for a thousand reasons not the least of which is you can go to the grocery store and have two hands to do your shopping without having to take up the entire shopping cart with your car seat. Other benefits: people won't get all up in your baby's grill if he/she is snuggled up on your chest...also, if your baby REALLY likes it, you will find it a great way to get them to nap when they are so over stimulated they don't know what to do with themselves. If I had a nickle for every mom I have met who is a generation or more older than me who has commented on how they wish something like a Moby Wrap had been around when they had kids, I would definitely have at least over a dollar :)

#2 - An exercise ball big enough for you to sit on comfortably for hours bouncing your baby



A lot of women get the exercise ball for when they are laboring, and we had every intention of using one but I was in labor so fast and so strongly and so drugged up with Ambien, that they wouldn't let me use it. However, after Little G was born, the ball was a lifesaver for us. I would have had no idea that the ball was useful for anything other than abdominal torture until I went to my first mommy/baby class when Little G was only six weeks old. After the instructor assured us that All Babies Cry (ABC) and to not be self conscious over it, she pointed out the many balls in the room and suggested that if we wanted to soothe a fussy baby to sit on the ball while holding them. I will admit I thought it was a good idea but that it probably would only work for some babies. Uhn uh. No way. I was sooooooooo wrong. Over the course of the next six weeks every baby had his or her moment in class and every one of them got the ball treatment and every one of them settled down. At the peak of Little G's fussy period, around 6-12 weeks old, I used the exercise ball for at least two hours every day waiting for my husband to get home and relieve me. Trust me...the ball is magic!

#3 - Some type of exercise mat with a way to dangle things from above. Now, most people would say that although the exercise mat is a good thing to have, it isn't necessary and I would agree. There are plenty of other ways to stimulate your baby. But my baby was particularly fond of reaching for things and eventually batting at things hanging over his head and could be entertained for very long periods of time (which for a newborn is something like 15 minutes) with the exercise mat dangly item of the day. Now, I would suggest also finding something with a more exciting mat option, maybe with peek-a-boo windows to better entertain during tummy time, but we did survive without it. In any case, unless you want to be the person dangling things over your baby's head for 15 minutes at a time for months at end...get yourself a mat.

#4 - Prefolded cloth diapers

I know what you are thinking...I said I was leaving basic staples like diapers out of this list...but hear me out. You will most likely receive a good amount of burp cloths at your shower or in the first few weeks of your baby's life. Put them aside to use as dust rags and go get yourself some prefolded cloth diapers to use instead. For the most part, those cute burp cloths with the fun little animals on them and cute sayings are worthless. Spit up will just roll right off of them onto whatever you are wearing and that's IF your baby actually hits the target. A lot of those burp cloths are teeny tiny and although your baby might not have head control at first, eventually it will be their skill de jour and you will have to figure out how to aim their head while you are burping them so that they can only spit up on the tiny swath of burp cloth allotted by whoever the devil decided it would be a cost savings to make burp cloths so darn tiny. The prefold diapers, however, are not only large enough to cover your entire shoulder eliminating the dance between parent and child as they swing their head around willy nilly while you try to burp them...but they also are incredibly absorbent...they're diapers after all...so even if it is a large spit up, it won't roll right off the cloth.

#5 - Muslin Swaddling Cloths specifically the ones from Aiden + Anais.

Now, not every baby likes to be swaddled, but if your baby DOES take to it, there is nothing better to swaddle your baby in than these muslin wraps and here is why. They. Are. Huge. So big, that my gigantic 8 month old son who is the size of some small one year olds, still uses his! Other good features are that they are muslin, so in the summer, they are nice and cool, and in the winter, they are just another layer of warmth. Also, they are breathable, so in the chance that your baby breaks the swaddle and wraps it around their head, at least they can breath through the fabric (and no, I am not an expert on this, so don't quote me on it and get me in trouble if someone's kid decides to stuff it down their throat and something bad happens). You will find out quickly that having a larger swaddle blanket makes breaking out of it much harder and therefore, if your baby is a swaddler, you will get that much more sleep. And when you are done using them as swaddle blankets, they are awesome as regular blankets.

So there you go...my top five. I thought long and hard about these rather than just tossing the first five I could think of up there so I hope it is helpful to someone.

Some insight into your future husband's mother

As many of you know, I used to write for a very popular, national wedding blog. A pretty common topic on the site, as with any wedding related website, is that of the dreaded mother-in-law relationship. I am extraordinarily fortunate in that I love my mother-in-law and get along with her famously. But I will admit, that even with our healthy relationship, there is no way I could possibly truly understand her relationship to her son (specifically her eldest) until I had my own son.

Now, I could be taking huge liberties here, but I don't think I am too far off, so I am going to make a blanket statement that the feelings I have toward my eldest (and so far, only) son are universally felt by a large percentage of mothers, no matter how old their sons are.

So here it goes...ladies (and men), listen up:

My son is my world. Not just because he is my child but because he is the embodiment of every hope and dream I have for my life and for the world he will grow up in.

Oh dear...

Just saying that makes me get all teary.

Ok...moving on. His cheeks are doughy and perfectly kissable. His skin is ridiculously smooth and smells delicious. His eyes light up when they see me. His personality is already shining through and I can recognise my same stubbornness and need for independence in him. Even though he is just shy of 8 months old, he has already started to move past needing me to meet his needs. If he wants to grab something, he'll grab it. If he wants to eat something, he'll eat it. He is as close to perfection as I can comprehend is even possible.

But we live in a very scary world, and I am taking on the seemingly insurmountable challenge of raising my son in this world in a way that he will learn to respect the women (and men) in his life. Everyday, I think about how he grows and gets more and more independent and becomes more and more his own person. And every day, I want to stop time right where it is so I can hold on to every moment forever.

But it is a losing battle.

Already he has more than doubled his birth weight. Already he has become more like a little boy and less like a helpless baby.

And so I accept that one day, if we are lucky, and if all the cards play out right, he will be ready to leave us and enter into the world as his own man.

My husband and I will have done everything we can to prepare him for that moment. Someday, he will meet someone who will make his world spin round and the air escape from his lungs in love...and at that moment, I can only hope that we will have prepared him well to provide for that other person. And it is a wish of mine, that whomever he meets and decides to share his life with, will understand the sacrifices his mom and dad made for him to prepare him to be a good partner. But I know, since he is my son and since I have a mother-in-law of my own, that whomever he meets will never know what it is like to raise and love and eventually give away a son until that person has one of their very own.

So to my future daughter (or son)-in-law; please know that I am preparing a gift especially for you. I will love him and nurture him as best I can and on that day that I see my son's eyes light up when he is with you, than I too will love you.

5 Things

I have been participating in the Formspringme trend where people ask you questions and you get to tell them all about yourself while unapologetically basking in one's megalomaniacal tendencies.

I figured I would share a recent question and answer of mine with this here bloggity-blog audience:

What are 5 things you can't live without? by blissfulmusings

I'm going to look past the obvious here...food, water, shelter, Little G, my family, etc...and go purely inane here:

1) my iPhone. It is everything to me. It is my companion when I am lonely. It is my instant gratification when I have a question. It helps me cook, keep track of my calories, find places and people, keep in touch with friends, keep track of my calender. Heck, I can even deposit checks into my checking account with it. Without it, my life would be very. very. sad.

2) DHC skin care products. I am the first to confess that I am HORRIBLE to my skin...and the only times I am ever nice to it is when I use my DHC skin care mild soap, toner and moisturizing creme. I can only imagine how amazing my skin would be if I actually used it daily. Sigh.

3) Floss. Specifically, Reach Gentle Gum Care. It is the kind that looks like a fuzzy piece of yarn until you pull it taught and it gets all thin and floss-like. I never used to floss...ever...and I hated the dentist and didn't go for 7 years in a row. And finally a coworker made an appointment for me at the dentist in our complex and so I went. And I had 5 cavities that were so deep I almost needed root canals. And it took more than 7 visits to get it all cleared up. And somewhere in there, I decided that I was going to floss every day until my next appt in 6 months and see if they really noticed. I was convinced it was all a hoax. Except that I DID floss every day for 6 months and at my next appointment my dentists said the following words, "periodontally speaking, your teeth are stunning!" I've been hooked ever since. -- I should also note that about a year ago I noticed that you couldn't find that type of floss in the stores anymore. Turns out they don't make it. So I went online and bought out a couple of online retailers of the stuff. And now I have a 10 year supply. No joke. 10 years. And I am starting to panic that I should have bought more.

4)I'm going to go out on a limb here and say a bible. Even though I couldn't tell you where mine is currently. And even though I have never even come close to reading the whole thing. If I had to live without one forever, I would be incredibly sad and perhaps panicky in those times when I really needed it...like when I inevitably run out of my floss.

5)I am going to have to leave this slot open so that I can fill and empty it at whim. I don't want to commit this slot to something and then regret it later, so truly, it must remain open. Because one never knows if the book "Operating Instructions; A journal of my Son's First Year" by Anne Lamott or a really sharp chef's knife or my lovely Volvo XC60 or the kind of Blistex that comes in the teal green tube is going stay relatively close to the top of my 'things I can't live without list'. Who knows if something better and shinier might come along. So perhaps as a filler I would say my indecisiveness...nope can't live without that. Or can I?

Monday Morning (uh...make that Tuesday Afternoon) 20in20 Tracking

Starting date: December 1, 2009
Ending date: April 20, 2010
Starting weight: 222 lbs
Goal weight: 202 lbs
Current weight: 215.8 lbs
Weight loss this week: +.2 lbs
Total weight loss: 6.2 lbs
Pounds left until goal: 13.8 lbs
Weeks left in challenge: 7

Oh Lordy I have to get more focused on this because the thought of losing my iPhone until I DO reach my goal is really starting to scare me.

I am headed to Vegas for the weekend and I have no intention of following any good eating habits so hopefully the damage won't be too severe!! And then, I will TOTALLY get on track. Yeah, I really will. Absolutely. Uh-huh!!

Go me.

Monday Evening 20in20 Tracking

Starting date: December 1, 2009
Ending date: April 20, 2010
Starting weight: 222 lbs
Goal weight: 202 lbs
Current weight: 215.6 lbs
Weight loss this week: 1.4 lbs
Total weight loss: 6.4 lbs
Pounds left until goal: 13.6 lbs
Weeks left in challenge: 8

My Clutch Carrier

There were, and let's face it, still ARE, many mysteries about being a mother that I just couldn't comprehend prior to having Little G. One of those, was how to know what to pack in a diaper bag. I will admit that in those first few weeks, I had no clue what I was doing and usually ended up needing something that I hadn't packed. But we got into a groove and I finally figured out what worked for us.

One thing I HIGHLY recommend is to hold of on purchasing a diaper bag until AFTER you have gone out somewhere with your child. I would even venture to say, wait until you have gone out on multiple trips to multiple events so that you don't end up purchasing a bag prior to having a baby that ends up not serving it's main function which is to make your life easier. No matter how cute the bag is, no matter how trendy, no matter how on-sale it is right. now. Don't get a bag until you have your kid.

That said...here is the bag that I currently have and LOVE.

It is the Skip*Hop City Chic bag in black. Honestly, I don't love the pattern. I would prefer it be just plain black. No pattern. But what it lacks in my personal style, it makes up for in function.


Namely, there is a small clutch that attaches to the *outside* of the bag. This was key for me because I needed a way to have my wallet, keys, cellphone, chap-stick and business cards all in once place so that if I wanted to go out of the house without the diaper bag, I could quickly grab those things without having to fish them out. Prior to finding this bag, I figured I would just toss those things into a small pouch and store them IN the diaper bag. But that took up valuable space. So when I found this bag that had a clutch that attached TO the bag, I knew it was the one for me.



The inside has lots of spacious pockets and the outside has a sleeve for a changing mat and wipes as well as two deep pockets for bottles that I actually use for easy access to my sunglasses and cell phone.

So what do I put in this thing (which isn't as hulking of a bag as it looks...I must be at least twice the size of the model).

Here's a list of what I carry with me in the bag on most days:

• Bottle with water
• Container with formula and a snack for mommy (more on this awesome product later)
• Burp cloth and an extra bib
• gDiaper outer and three liners
• Snack ball for Little G
• Sophie the Giraffe
• Extra outfit and socks
• Diaper pouch to put soiled diapers or clothes in
• Gas drops
• Hand sanitizer
• Pacifier wipes (which are great for wiping off everything that has any possibility of ending up in Little G's mouth)
• His booklet from the Dr with all of his inoculation information
• Changing pad, wipes, diaper cream and face cream
• Outer clutch with wallet, chap-stick, business cards, cuticle cream, etc.

Sometimes I add a blanket in depending on where we are headed and maybe another bottle and some solid food if we are headed out for longer than one feeding. But for the most part, that's the diaper bag inventory.

So there you go...my recommendation for 1) waiting to purchase your bag until after you know more about how you will need to use it and 2) a great bag with an awesome solution to the my-purse-takes-up-all-the-space-in-my-diaper-bag problem.

Monday Morning 20in20 Tracking

Starting date: December 1, 2009
Ending date: April 20, 2010
Starting weight: 222 lbs
Goal weight: 202 lbs
Current weight: 217 lbs
Weight loss this week: .2 lbs (weight loss in the past 2 weeks: 1.2lbs)
Total weight loss: 5 lbs
Pounds left until goal: 15 lbs
Weeks left in challenge: 9

So...uh...I sort-of skipped last's weeks weigh-in because it wasn't pretty. But, I'm back on track and am challenging myself to accept the past two weeks for what they were instead of berating myself for getting off track. But with only 9 weeks to go and 15 lbs to lose and a trip to Vegas in the middle of that, I am a little bit worried about not reaching my personal goal and having to lose my iPhone until I do!

Time to really focus!!

How are you doing with your goals?

Plus one

It had been an exhausting few days filled with the kind of joy and tiredness and love and family and laughter and anticipation that is natural after having given birth. We had just arrived home from the hospital to the welcoming arms of our parents and our son was cozily sleeping in his car seat on the living room floor as we all gazed adoringly at him. He had been circumcised earlier in the day and our instructions had been to feed him as much as he would eat directly after the procedure and then let him sleep as long as he would.

So it came to be that after chatting with the grandparents over a late barbecue dinner while our son still napped, we found ourselves going to bed. I climbed into the cool sateen sheets and looked over as I lay my head down on my soft pillow to view my beautiful, sweet baby boy sleeping so incredibly soundly in his car seat on the floor next to my side of the bed. Never before in my life, and I am assuming never again, will I experience the gravity of that moment; knowing that as soon as he woke up and his cries pierced our sleep, our lives in our house would be forever changed.

The depth and clarity of that moment stole the breath from my lungs as I felt a swell of every possible emotion course through my veins.

In those days after bringing our son home, everything was different. Our house, our lives, the whole world and how we viewed it had changed. The hormones that invaded my body enhanced every feeling with garish clarity. It was overwhelming and exciting and frightening. But as the days continued, one after the other, I started to understand and accept our new identities instead of fighting against them or mourning for our old selves. Until recently.

Recently, I have found myself looking at my son and thinking, "when did he get here?" Or I will catch myself in a moment of excitement knowing that we are going to have a boy. Rather than let this frighten me, I have recognised that finally, after seven months, I am starting to feel 'normal'. Back to myself. Clearly we are still changed and our lives are still very different; but instead of accepting that we are different people, I have finally seen that we are the same individuals, the same people, the same couple - plus one.

7 months

Happy 7 month birthday Little G, albeit a couple of days late.

This month flew by for all of us and you are continually changing every day. The biggest change in our lives is that you have teeth! About half-way through the month, two little teeth popped through your gums without any notice at all! Daddy was sure you had made it through teething without being the slightest bit cranky or affected by it...but he was sorely mistaken. The few days after those pesky teeth sprouted were pretty painful...for all of us. But you managed to get through it and are back to your happy baby self.

You certainly enjoy shoving everything you can into your mouth which is so funny to watch. But you are also doing other fun things like banging two toys together with your hands and repeating consonant sounds like ma-ma-ma-ma-ma and da-da-da-da-da.


You are still eating like a champ and have enjoyed chomping on all sorts of things from pork-chops to chicken wings and even a steak!

Another thing your daddy and I have noticed lately is that instead of just crying because that's all you know to do, you tend to cry to specifically communicate something. It is pretty cool to see...even though we don't like to put you in situations that cause you to cry at us, we find it really amazing that even without words we are communicating with you.

We are so happy to have experienced another wonderful month filled with love and giggles and squeals. Happy birthday, G.

We love you so very, very much.

Mommy and Daddy

He picks me up

We went skiing this weekend. My husband's family has a house near Woodstock, NY in the Catskill Mountains near a ski resort. So this past weekend, we headed out there to meet up with his parents, his aunt and uncle and his cousins and their son/nephew. The grandmothers signed up to take care of the kids, Little G included, so we headed out to the slopes early on Saturday morning.

My husband is an expert skier and his family members are also very, very good so they tend to hang around the black diamond areas of the ski resorts. I learned to ski in high school and was a solid blue square skier until I met my husband. He encouraged me to try things that I never thought I could do and soon enough I was joining them on those black diamond runs.

But this trip, I fell. On every black diamond trail we went on. If you have never been skiing before, I can tell you that in my humble opinion, getting up from falling is perhaps the hardest part of skiing. Because skis are designed to be slippery on the snow...go figure. And if you are trying to get up from a seated position while wearing sticks on your feet that are more than half the length of your body, it is not uncommon to find yourself continuing to move down the mountain while still on your ass. Add a black diamond trail into the mix with a crazy vertical drop and getting up is next to impossible.

Every time I fell on the mountain, my husband skied just below me and helped me get up. It was pretty comical, but he is SUCH an expert that it didn't even phase him to have his skis all tangled up with mine at the risk of us both toppling down the hill. Even when I started slipping over his skis and physically PUSHING us down the mountain and I started shouting "SAVE YOURSELF!! SAVE YOURSELF!!" he didn't falter. He laughed. But he didn't falter. And eventually I got up and we continued down the mountain.

And I thought to myself: whenever I fall down, my husband picks me up. And then, because I am a sentimentalist, I thought how I don't have to be on a mountain for him to pick me up. When I lost my job just after our wedding, when my father died, when I struggled with breast feeding, when I have been convinced I am the world's worst mother, he has always swept up the pieces of me, and picked me up.

I am so incredibly blessed and honored to be married to such a wonderfully loving man with eternal patience, a joyful sense of humor and the emotional and physical strength to help both of us down the mountain.

Patience IS a virtue!!

My husband is quite possibly the most patient man on the planet. Ok...so maybe not a patient driver, but he is a patient husband and father. He also is an amazing teacher. Patience and the ability to teach are two qualities that I struggle with in my own life, so I am always so thankful to have married someone who is so good at both in hopes that it will rub off on our children someday.

So let's talk bums...gBums to be specific

As you know, I have been using gDiapers with Little G since his umbilical cord fell off at about 8 days old. But other than my original post about choosing them and a follow up post on how to make sure everyone in your household knows how to use them so you don't end up with toilet water raining down from your kitchen ceiling, I haven't really said much more about them.

I haven't said much about them...because I find there isn't much to say...in a good way. They have become such a part of our daily lives that they seem inconsequential...which is ridiculous...because our diapering choices make a pretty big impact on the environment as a whole as well as our own micro-environments in our daily lives.

So let me start by saying I absolutely, without question, 100% recommend using gDiapers over disposable AND over cloth diapers.

Our Little G at two months in his gPants

Let me also follow that up by saying that while the above is my recommendation, it is based on my experience, with my background, and my daily living needs and in my corner of the world. So if it doesn't seem like it would work for you, or if other options are more practical in YOUR corner of YOUR world, than by all means go right ahead and do what is best for you.

But, to back up my first statement, I would like to present some information on cloth diapering vs. disposable diapering which after all of the research I did is nicely summed up by this statement from www.ahealthyme.com/:

Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers
By Chris Woolston


Before your baby is born, you should take time to make the great diaper decision: cloth or disposable? Both types have pluses and minuses, and neither option is clearly superior. Most parents today opt for disposable diapers, but some parents continue to swear by old-fashioned cloth. You may even go for a combination: cloth diapers at home and disposable when you go out. If you haven't already made up your mind, here are some factors to consider:


*Cost. Disposable diapers typically cost as little as 20 cents each, and deluxe brands can cost as much as 50 cents or more. The average baby goes through about 7,000 diapers before toilet training, so that adds up to real money. In contrast, it only costs about 3 cents in water, power, and detergent to wash a cloth diaper. (If you use a diaper service, it pretty much eliminates the cost savings, though.) Over the long haul, you can save over $1,200 per child by using cloth diapers.

However, you should also consider what your time is worth. Cloth diapers can mean an extra hour of work every week. If an hour of your time is worth $10, those savings will essentially disappear.


*Convenience. Disposable diapers are the clear winner when it comes to convenience. No pins, no pails, no folding, no washing. Disposable diapers are especially handy if you don't have a washer and dryer or if you're traveling.


*Environmental impact. If you don't like the thought of throwing 7,000 diapers in a landfill, you might want to choose cloth diapers instead. A single cloth diaper can be reused up to 75 times, making it an attractive choice for people who want to cut down on trash. But there's a tradeoff: It takes about 50 gallons of water and a fair amount of energy to wash a load of cloth diapers. The Union of Concerned Scientists, a coalition of scientists and citizens dedicated to protecting the world's environment, says parents shouldn't worry too much about how their choice of diaper affects the environment. Other choices -- such as which car to buy -- are far more important, the group says.


*Comfort. Disposable diapers are generally more absorbent than cloth diapers, so they can keep your baby's skin dry. On the downside, it can be harder to tell when a disposable diaper needs to be changed. Some parents get complacent and go for hours between changes, potentially setting their baby up for a diaper rash.

If you decide to use cloth diapers, choose a kind that has several layers of different types of fabric. These will absorb moisture better than a diaper with just a single layer of fabric. No matter what type of diaper you use, check them often and change them when they're wet or messy.


*Leaks. Disposable diapers can soak up more urine than cloth diapers, so they are less prone to leak. They're a little bit better at holding in feces, too.


Either way you go, at some point there's probably a disposable diaper in your future. During toilet training some people opt for disposable pull-ups that fit the baby like underwear -- and they're handy for young children who occasionally wet the bed at night as well.

If you still can't decide, don't worry: you'll have 7,000 chances to find a diaper that's right for you and your baby.

-- Chris Woolston, MS, is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive and was a staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. His reporting for CHI on occupational health earned him an award from the Northern California Society of Professional Journalists

For me, the two most important factors in our decision on diapering were ease of use and environmental impact. But as for the latter, you can see in the above, the argument isn't so cut-and-dry. And he doesn't even mention the negative affects cloth diapering can have on the water system, especially if people use diaper creams with zinc in them, nor does he talk about the huge environmental impact of diapering services and the vast amounts of chemicals they use to get all of those dirty diapers so clean, not to mention the fossil fuels used weekly for their trucks to go around and make all of their pick ups/drop offs.

But I did wonder where this Union of Concerned Scientists was and if they had anything more to say on the matter. Turns out they do...on their website where it states this:

On what basis do you claim that cotton diapers have no clear environmental advantage over disposables?

Several studies have compared cloth and disposable diapers. Disposable diapers produce more solid waste, but laundering cloth diapers requires more water and probably more energy. Exactly how these different impacts balance out isn't clear. Even if disposable diapers turned out to be marginally better than cloth or vice versa, neither is likely to have a dramatic advantage. Therefore, people shouldn't worry too much about which one is environmentally preferable. Other consumer decisions, such as what type of car to buy, are much more important for the environment.

Ok...so those people clearly think it is a wash (pun not intended) so then I started to wonder about an option that was better than both options, aside from elimination communication which seems like the perfect answer but seriously wouldn't work for my lifestyle.

And then I found gDiapers.


The cloth outer and nylon liner have no plastic (aside from four small snaps to attach the liner to the outer) and the biodegradable inserts have three processing options. 1) If they are poopy, they flush down the toilet and go where poop is supposed to go; instead of into our water systems. 2) If they are wet, they are compostable; so not only are you choosing to not throw something out, but you are creating a soil amendment. 3) If all else fails and you do end up throwing one out, you can rest easy knowing that less petroleum went into creating the insert than into a conventional disposable diaper and while nothing truly biodegrades in a landfill, they certainly won't last 500 years like a disposable.

gPants nylon liner is plastic free (except for four mini-snaps)

gInserts slide right into the liner for easy use

There is so much more written over at the gDiaper site about the great debate on the environmental impact of cloth vs. disposables, how the composting of gDiapers works, what they are made of, and their 100% Biodegradable Claim. And yes, I know that it is all marketing copy, but I do encourage you to read it if you are in the process of choosing your diapering system.

As always, there are a million factors that go into everyone's personal decisions about what systems they plan to use for their children; and what works for one person may not work for someone else no matter how much they want it to. For instance, someone in a dry, desert-like climate who wants to use cloth diapers may find that due to their water circumstances, disposables are a better option for them. What matters is that we look into these options and make choices that are responsible and practical within our means.

So to all my pregnant and new mom readers...what diaper system will you be using/do you use and what went into making that decision for your family?

Monday Morning (uh...make that Tuesday Afternoon) 20in20 Tracking

Starting date: December 1, 2009
Ending date: April 20, 2010
Starting weight: 222 lbs
Goal weight: 202 lbs
Current weight: 217.2 lbs
Weight loss this week: +1.2 lbs !!!
Total weight loss: 4.8 lbs
Pounds left until goal: 15.2 lbs
Weeks left in challenge: 11

Whoops...I blame...uh...full fat Fage yogurt, our annual after-the-holidays meet-the-neighbors party and my newfound muscle mass from all my working out at the gym?

Oh dear...guess I don't have any true excuse...but I'm not about to let this get to me. We can't be perfect all the time, right?

Crazy...I was crazy once...

So wish me luck because I seem to have fallen off the crazy horse and plan to join some others over at the Crazy Train for a sew along. Mind you, I can't even sew a straight line...so this could get messy...but nothing ventured nothing gained...right?

Words of affirmation

I tend to be pretty self depreciating and sadly, I sometimes extend that humor when talking about my husband.

Recently, I have been thinking about how important it is to affirm him and our marriage instead of taking pot-shots at it.

So I thought I would periodically mention some of the (many) things I love about my husband...it will take a lifetime to complete the list...so we'll start off slow for now.

• Every morning, my husband gets up before the sun to go to work and after showering, shaving and getting dressed, he cleans all the baby bottles, empties the dishwasher, gets a bottle ready for Little G, defrosts solid food for Little G's breakfast, takes out the trash and does some general tidying up so that all I have to do when I get up is start taking care of our son. This morning he did all of that AND folded all of Little G's laundry from the night before!
  
  So often I am witness to women complaining about their husbands and their lack of involvement with the every-day running of the household and I take pause when I hear those things and think how blessed I am to have this extraordinary person and wonderful man in my life.

Show me your drawers!

Ok...so this isn't a drawer...it's a cabinet...but I just had to show you all my newest accomplishment!! All of my spices used to be on a lazy susan on the bottom shelf (now being used for salts, peppers, spice rubs and baking soda/power/cornstarch) and I never knew what spices I had or didn't have and I could never find what I needed when I needed it so finally I went to The Container Store and got myself some spice containers and a tiered spice rack.

Turns out it was a good idea because I had quite a few double-spices - some of which had never been opened! Those have all been donated to Goodwill and/or given to friends in need of spices and finally, order has been achieved in the spice cabinet! (can you see....they're even alphabetized!!)

I realize this just lets on to the crazy-side of me...but I have a good defense. My defense is that I work really well once something is organized...but getting organized is sooooooo not my forte! Which I think is pretty normal. Right? Tell me that's normal.

Other areas of our kitchen that have been organized and working well for us for a much longer period of time include our everything drawer (which my husband periodically sorts through and reorganizes - who's the crazy one now...right?):



A drawer for all of my small kitchen gadgets...graters, whisks, corn-cob holders, measuring cups and spoons, etc.:


And our silverware/knife drawer:

So...what type of 'crazy' drawers do you have? Care to show 'em off?

Badger Baby Creme

I wanted to share some of the things that have come into my life specifically because I have a baby that I unabashedly endorse to all my friends*. There are lots of great things that I will share about here, but the first thing that came to mind when I was thinking of something that I use EVERY DAY was Badger Balm's Diaper Cream and Baby Balm.

Badger is a wonderful company that was started by a family in New Hampshire back in 1995 when the father, "a carpenter by trade and an herbalist by avocation" whipped up a simple, but effective healing balm for his cracked, dry hands out of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Beeswax, Castor Oil, Aloe Vera and Essential Oil of Sweet Birch. You can read more about how the company started here.

Their diaper cream is made with a similar ingredient list but has 12% Zinc Oxide; which most diaper creams have to help with diaper rash. But most diaper creams don't use PURE mineral Zinc Oxide like Badger does, rather they combine it with other chemicals which may or may not be good for baby's skin.
I try hard not to be too arbitrary with my attempts to use natural products for Little G...but this stuff just makes the choice so easy! The other ingredients in the diaper cream are Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic Castor Bean Oil, Natural Beeswax, Organic Calendula Extract and Organic Essential Oil of Roman Chamomile. The latter two really combine to make a heavenly, light scent.

The Badger Baby Balm is made from the same exact ingredients...it just omits the Zinc Oxide. But most importantly, this stuff really works.

Little G has had his issues with diaper rash and the Badger Diaper Cream always clears it up. And we have used the Baby Balm for everything from helping clear up his cradle cap, soothing his dry skin on *all* his cheeks :P, and even as a massage cream. Little G seems to really like when we put some on his face, so my guess is it feels good to him too.

We are actually running low on the Diaper Cream and my husband pointed out the plethora of other diaper creams that we received with various gift baskets...but I plan on donating them to our local Good Will....I figure it is silly to mess with what works!

-----------------

*I hope to write about these things at least once a week and it is super important to note that I am not being paid for these endorsements. The companies represented in my endorsements have no idea I am writing about them and I am only writing about them because I personally use the products and want to share the experiences and tips with my readership.

Monday Morning 20in20 Tracking

Starting date: December 1, 2009
Ending date: April 20, 2010
Starting weight: 222 lbs
Goal weight: 202 lbs
Current weight: 216 lbs
Weight loss this week: .4 lbs
Total weight loss: 6 lbs
Pounds left until goal: 14 lbs
Weeks left in challenge: 12


Only a slight loss* this week which is more realistic. We did finally join the gym last weekend so I have spent some time there this week. I have been meeting with a personal trainer and so now I actually do have an exercise plan.

Little G has been doing relatively well in the nursery there. It is a bit difficult to time our visits so that he isn't tired or needs food or a diaper change. (They won't change a diaper and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't put him down for a nap.) They will feed him a bottle, however, so I try and go when he is on the cusp of needing one, that way they can feed him and by the time he needs a diaper change I will be done.

Ok...gotta run...baby is up!

*I may or may not have talked some trash to my father-in-law this week which I think could REALLY be the reason why my loss was so small...no really...I bet that's it.

Monday Morning (uh...make that Tuesday Afternoon) 20in20 Tracking

Starting date: December 1, 2009
Ending date: April 20, 2010
Starting weight: 222 lbs
Goal weight: 202 lbs
Current weight: 216.4 lbs
Weight loss this week: 2 lbs
Total weight loss: 5.6 lbs
Pounds left until goal: 14.4 lbs
Weeks left in challenge: 13

Sitting up!

So I shared with you all in Little G's 6 month post that he has been sitting up unassisted...but I didn't have any pictures to share until I finally unloaded them from my camera this morning.

Enjoy...

Other fun activities of late have included peek-a-boo which always gets a host of squeals and giggles...especially since it is so dry in here and his hair gets all static-y!

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

Supporting the girls (and boys)

I was on the receiving end of some pretty nice words from one of my favorite mommy bloggers over at OMG I'm a Mom. Her daughter, Mia, is a bit younger than Garrison and it has been so comforting to know that whatever funny bits about mommy-hood I have failed to find the time to write down for posterity, are being accurately, and funnily, recorded over at her blog.

Today she wrote about her daughter Mia's sleeping issues that popped up around month two and how she reached out to me at that time since I had recently shared that Little G was a champion sleeper. Here is part of what I wrote in response to her posting:

Oh how I wish I was the baby whisperer, in which case I could get my lovely lad to nap...sadly, that is sooooo not the case. The sleeping through the night thing we sort-of lucked into with our consistent routine and the fact that we have a big, formula-fed baby who loves to sleep at night (probably because he hates napping during the day so much).

I remember your email from so long ago and I truly think that although my advice did end up working for you, the true value was being able to talk to another mom and know that you could say what you needed to say without judgement and receive an answer in return with love and understanding. At least that has been the true value in the conversations I have had with other mommies regarding all the lovely things Little G is or is not doing.

The truth is, if we are addressing the non-mommies here with this blog, that not everything works for every baby. And not every method needs to be followed by the book. But every parent needs to believe in themselves and know that by the simple act of loving their child (which in actuality is not that simple when they are screaming bloody murder at you) they are automatically a wonderful parent.

One of the things I have been blessed with living here in an urban area is the wealth of resources available to Little G and I to get us out of the house and to support us. From just three weeks old we have been attending a free drop-in class every Monday morning at the hospital where he was born. That same hospital also has a free breast-feeding support drop-in class, and a free drop-in class for kids slightly older than him who are moving a bit more.

Additionally, we took some new-mommy classes at Isis Maternity; a store here in the Boston area where we also took our prenatal classes. While these classes have a fee, they ensure that you meet with the same mommies every week and that the age ranges of the children are all within a few weeks of each other. I can't even begin to describe how important the instant bond I had with the women and babies in our classes lifted me up and carried me through those first few months.

We also go to a mommy group once a week at the church I attend and childcare is available so I have been able to meet with other mothers and have intellectual and emotional conversations (as well as some killer refreshements) without having to worry about Little G.

Lastly, there is a listserv here in my area of Boston that I belong to, and from what I know it is one of many for this area, where parents can ask all sorts of questions and get all sorts of support...it truly runs the gamut. Everything from advice posts on sleeping, eating, schools, daycare, nannies, temper-tantrums, etc. to borrowing car seats for visiting relatives, or baby paraphernalia so that you can try it out before buying it; to community notices about playground maintenance or lost-and-found or even off-topic items like are-there-any-beach-towns-in-CT-with-an-actual-beach? They even have weekly gatherings at a local community center for people to have an outlet to go to.

These resources, along with my friendships with other mommy bloggers that I know from my days as Mrs. Corn over at Weddingbee, have been the glue that have held my life together over the past six months. So it was downright shocking to me when I went to the Cumberland Valley area, in South Central Pennsylvania for a month and couldn't find a single mommy/baby support network/program to save my life! The only thing I found was a reading at a library for half an hour over 45 minutes away!

Now, I am sure Central Pennsylvania has these support networks, but they really aren't easy to find. And it makes me wonder how it is that the place I identify most with down-home, family value driven communities doesn't have a SEARCHABLE network of parent support groups? It really is something to think about, because while I found myself consumed with things to do while visiting the area, I am not sure I could make it on a day-to-day basis without some-sort of parent support network. And it makes me so incredibly grateful for the resources that I do have here in Boston.

Whether it be the classes we have taken, the drop-in groups we have attended, the posting of questions on a listserv or the ability to reach out to internet friends going through similar challenges, Little G, my husband and I have been fully supported as we transitioned from a couple to a family. A blessing that we hope all new families have the opportunity to have.

What about you? Do you have the support you need in your community? And is it searchable?

Monday Morning 20in20 Tracking

Starting date: December 1, 2009
Ending date: April 20, 2010
Starting weight: 222 lbs
Goal weight: 202 lbs
Current weight: 218.4 lbs
Weight loss this week: 3.6 lbs
Total weight loss: 3.6 lbs
Pounds left until goal: 16.4 lbs
Weeks left in challenge: 14

The-exercise-place-between-all-or-nothing

As previously noted, my food "plan" for my 20in20 challenge is really just a place between all or nothing where I feel I can safely aspire to. Same goes for my exercise "plan". However, I do have some MAJOR motivation.

The gym we are joining as a family includes childcare.

Let me say that again.

The gym we are joining as a family. includes. childcare.

For up to two hours a day per person (meaning I can take Little G for two hours and then my husband can take him later for another two hours).

This means when Little G is being a total pest (hard to believe, I know, what with all the dimply goodness)I can put him in the car and in less than 10 minutes hand him over to SOMEONE ELSE!!

Also included in the membership: a personal trainer for eight sessions and then the same personal trainer once a month.

The gym has so many really cool features included in the membership (although some you pay extra for like tennis lessons and karate classes) like a slew of classes during the day for us stay-at-home-mommy types, rock climbing, salt water filtered pools, yoga, Pilate's, spinning, weight training, aerobics...you know...your basic gym stuff...as well as two incredibly nice women's locker rooms with hair dryers and towels and beautiful wood and marble lockers; plus a cafe with healthy food and Internet! I seriously may never leave!!

So my "plan" for exercise is to make going to the gym part of our everyday schedule. Can you imagine...enough time away from Little G every day to not only take a class or meet with a trainer...but to also TAKE A SHOWER?? AND DRY MY HAIR?? I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever been so motivated to go to the gym!!

Let's just hope it sticks!

Happy 6 months, Little G!!

Today is Little G's sixth month birthday.

That is nuts.

Nuts because just a month ago seems like it was forever ago...not to even MENTION six months ago!! And how quickly the time has passed. Sigh. Note to any of you who don't like change...don't have a kid. Change is all they do.

We spent most of the month in Pennsylvania with Gram, Aunt K and Cousin W. But most importantly, we spent almost every day for two weeks visiting with Zayde. Zayde wasn't feeling well, so it was good for you and for him that you were there. Most days you would lay on the side of his bed and he would stroke your hair or play with your feet. Below, Zayde decided he wanted to hold you in his harms as well as he could.

The two of you spent lots of time staring into each other's eyes as though you had finally found 'your people'. I know you are too little to remember your Zayde, but I hope that through pictures and stories from myself and your father and your Aunt and Gram and Cousin W, you will be able to know the wonderful, loving man he was.

Amazingly enough, you still have not rolled over from your back to your front...you do however have an amazing ability to spin yourself around in a circle like a pinwheel so that when we come to get you in your crib in the morning, you are usually perpendicular to the sides...which wouldn't be that big a deal if you weren't longer than the width of the crib.

Over the past month you decorated your first Christmas tree...

...helped Santa out by being the World's Cutest Elf...

...got all dressed up and attended your first Christmas Eve service...

...waited patiently with cousin W for Santa to come...

...and enjoyed your first Christmas. Santa delivered a fun ball spinner toy, that you immediately decided to try to eat, and a super-nifty wooden pull train.

After Christmas was over, you were baptised by your Aunt K at her church where mommy and daddy promised to raise you in the Christian faith and the congregation promised to care for you and all other children as you grow up in the church.

You eat so much food these days...avocado, peas, cauliflower, beets, sweet potato, squash, applesauce, pears, bananas, carrots, baby oatmeal, broccoli...basically anything we put in front of you, you will eat! The pediatrician gave us the go-ahead to give you some protein items and grains and I just know you will love them!

Your hair has almost all grown back in...and it happened over a three day span at the start of the month! Your dad almost didn't recognise you when I sent him a picture. You also grew out of every single piece of clothing that we brought you to Pennsylvania in...thankfully Aunt K hadn't sent us the next installation of hand-me-downs yet so we didn't have to go buy you all new things!

You have most definitely found your voice and love to serenade us with babbles...'muh, muh, muh' and gurgling are your favorites, although when you are super tired you squeal and blow high-pitched raspberries...it is super cute :)

Finally, at the beginning of the month, you were still a bit rounded and even by Christmastime you still needed to be held up in order to sit and not slump over and as I write this, you have completely grasped the concept of sitting straight up and not slumping over. We still have to watch you because you don't know how to catch yourself when you topple backwards, but for the most part, you are sitting up!

I can't believe all the changes in just one month and I am so incredibly amazed that you are already 6 months old. The next six months hold even more change for us as up until now you have been immobile and we all know that won't last long.

Happy birthday, Love!!

Mommy and Daddy

The plan

So in light of yesterday's post I guess I should share with you my plan. The problem is...I don't have a plan.

In all actuality, I think this will work better for me than having a plan as I tend to be an all-or-nothing person so if I have a plan and then I don't match the plan, I tend to quit. So, if I have to define one, I guess my plan would be to aim for the-place-between-all-and-nothing.

With that said, I present to you the-food-place-between-all-and-nothing:

Since moving into our home in Boston and having the resources (both monetarily and educationally) and the support (both neighborly and institutionally) to start researching the food that I put on our table, I have come to the conclusion that I would like to provide myself and my family with the cleanest food possible.

To that end, we have participated in our local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for the past few summer/autumns by purchasing a half-share; supplying us with ridiculously delicious veggies and fruits that we devour during the season while freezing the extra so that not much goes to waste and even in the dead of winter we have the most delicious corn and/or veggie stew and/or fill-in-the-blank-veggie-yumminess on the block. We have also participated in the same farm's Meat Share where we have 10lbs of sustainably and responsibly raised meat delivered to us on a monthly basis. We have also gone-in on a cow with friends; supplying us with quite possibly the most delicious beef (as well as the most packed freezer) I have encountered in my life. And we have our milk and eggs delivered to us from a local farm here in Massachusetts.

Now all this isn't too say that I don't enjoy a Five Guy's burger every once in a while, or that you can't find me in the drive-thru of the various Dunkin' Donuts in a square-mile radius because I have once again left the house with Little G and forgotten to eat breakfast.

However, in the spirit of aiming between all and nothing, I think I am doing a fairly reasonable job of providing clean, good food for my family.

So, what does that have to do with losing weight? Well....just like with over-processed foods, there can definitely be too much of a good thing...but at least I am starting with a good thing which makes me feel better.

With a base of good food, then my next step towards aiming between all and nothing is to be aware of what I eat throughout the day.

A while back I participated in the first long-term study that was ever done on the four major diets. The diet I participated in was the high protein, moderate fat diet. A big part of the study was entering in every item of food that we ate into a computer database so that our calories could be tracked along with our weight loss. I lost 20 pounds on that program...not because of the specific diet I was on (as was proven by the results of the study) but because I tracked my food intake.

Again, with the intent to aim between all and nothing, rather than forcing myself to write down every stinkin' calorie I consume, my goal is to just be aware of what I have eaten throughout the day. Which means, if I have a large breakfast or lunch, than I know to have a healthier dinner. Conversely, if I know I am having a calorific dinner, than I plan ahead by eating moderately for breakfast and lunch.

As lackadaisical as this may seem, it works for me, as that is the only way I can figure how I made it through the past month without gaining 400 pounds.


So there you have it...the food "plan".

Next up....the dreaded exercise "plan"....

Fatty Resolution

I have "struggled" with being overweight for most of my life. I put struggled in quotes because truly...there are other things that really warrant the word struggle more than a small, consistent obsession with being more attractively thin while denouncing the power of exercise and pretty much eating what ever I want whenever I want it.

My biggest frustration is my body image. As you may recall my stating prior to this, when I was pregnant, I felt the most proud of my body than I had ever felt in my life. And it was so powerful to feel that way. Yet, as soon as my son was born the self depreciation started. Which is so ridiculous. Because there are plenty of women out there who would look at my body and would never consider me anything other than beautiful...so why shouldn't I?

So my resolution this year is not to lose weight, but to stop being fat. I figure I am only fat if I call myself fat...which means that I resolve to look at myself with honesty and respect in hopes that I can love the body that I have and I resolve to not call myself fat by which I will stop being defined by it.

That said....

...I do need to lose some weight. I was clinically obese before getting pregnant and I gained over 40 lbs and thus far have only lost 20.

So, to motivate myself, I challenged my father-in-law to a 20 in 20. Here's the gist:

In 20 weeks, I vow to lose 20 pounds. At the end of 20 weeks, if I have not lost 20 pounds, than I vow to give up my iPhone until I HAVE lost 20 pounds.

In 20 weeks, my father-in-law vows to lose 20 pounds. At the end of 20 weeks, if he has not lost 20 pounds, that he vows to give up his Penguin tickets (at which point they will be in the playoffs, which really makes this a tough one to lose) until he HAS lost 20 pounds.

Our challenge to each other is that in 20 weeks, whomever of the two of us has lost more (as long as it is over 20 pounds) receives a prize. If I win, he buys me a Garmin. If he wins, I buy him a Kindle.

How's THAT for motivation?!

The 20 weeks started on December 1 and I was pretty distracted all last month, so although I didn't make any true progress, in light of the events of the past month I am rather proud to say that I started the challenge at 222 pounds and four weeks later, I was still at 222 pounds.

So, now I have twenty pounds to lose in 16 weeks...which is still totally doable.

Wish me luck...I could REALLY use that Garmin and if nothing else, I can't even imagine life without my iPhone.

Gone

My dad died last month.

There...the words are out on the screen. Can't be taken back. Can't be forgotten. They are here forever. Or as forever as the internet is.

My mom called the Monday after Thanksgiving and said that he wasn't doing well and that she thought it was time for me to come. Little G and I packed up our things and headed out the next day and drove for what seemed to be an endless time.

If you are ever wondering if it would be fun to take a road trip for 10+ hours with an almost 5 month old, my advice would be don't. do. it.

The entire ride my mind would wander to the fact that my dad was dying and I would start to tear up. And then I would admonish myself for being dramatic and literally yell, 'STOP Crying!", or "I will NOT cry...I will not cry...I will not cry" until the tears went away and I could see the road again.

When I got to Pennsylvania it was night, so I didn't go to see him until the next day, Wednesday. He was so lucid and 'normal' I didn't even think about what was going to possibly be happening soon. Little G and my mom and I spent time with him and then my mom took Little G so that I could talk to my dad alone.

I sat next to him and grasped his hands and cried, "Oh, dad".

And he put his large, heavy hand on my head and whispered, "It's ok...it's ok".

I looked up at him and found it impossible to find the right words to say. So I said, "I am finding it really hard to put into words how much I love you. But you know I love you."

Then I asked him, "Are you scared?"

"No", he breathed out.

"Do you need anything...or want anything? Is there anything we can do for you?"

"No".

So we sat together silently for a bit while I wiped the tears from my cheeks. And then I left.

Little G and I visited with him almost every day until he passed away on December 15, but that was the last time I spoke to my dad on my own.

Maybe it is because I am so far away from where he was and because I had only seen him once from the time he had his knee surgery (which kicked off this whole health scare)until this past visit, but I have had a difficult time wrapping my brain around it.

We returned to Boston last Thursday and as of yesterday life is 'back-to-normal' and I just feel weird. Like if I felt like it, I could convince myself it was all a dream.

But it wasn't.

My dad died. On Wednesday, December 15, 2009. Nine days prior to his 76th birthday. Four months after his knee surgery that was supposed to enhance his life. Five months after his second grandson, who looks a lot like him, was born. Twelve days before that grandson's baptism which had been his goal to attend.

Twenty days ago.

5 Months

Happy Five Month Birthday (a few days late)!!!

Birthday:

1 Month:

2 Month:

3 Month:

4 Month:

5 Month:

This past month you started solid foods and you LOVE them! Your first taste of oatmeal really opened your eyes to a whole new world of culinary goodness!

You have become so much more of a happy, giggly baby in the past few weeks. I knew you would come into this phase eventually and we are ALL so glad you have finally arrived.

Napping is starting to be an easier endeavor and they are even getting a bit longer!

On Thanksgiving at Grammy and Grampy's house, you rolled over from your front to your back for the first time. Most babies get scared when they do that, but you were so pleased with yourself and gave us the best grin!

You scoot around on your back in a half circle as you make attempts to roll over from your back to your front. Not sure when that will ever happen, but my guess is that once you figure out that is the key to getting where you want to go, you will be unstoppable!

You had your first long car rides this month and were a champ about it. And you even outgrew your infant carrier so we had to upgrade to a convertible car seat.

We have been in Pennsylvania staying with Aunt K and Gram and Cousin W for about a week now and the Christmas tree is up. You love to sit under the tree and reach for the ornaments.

We love you, Little G, and are so excited to celebrate Christmas with you this month.

All of the love in the universe,

Mom and Dad