Our 5 cents: 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

My favorite Holiday!

As many of you may know Halloween is my favorite holiday. It has been for years and years. Last year was Dexter’s first and my good friend Brittany made him an awesome costume. She did such a great job! This year however she has moved :O( .

So I was on my own for making my own costumes and coming up with ideas. Dexter’s costume was kind of easy, his dad decided he HAD to be yoda. So obviously he would be Luke. We bought Dexter's costume from diapers.com it had super fast shipping. The sizing was all wrong though. The one I ordered was a 12mo but it was HUGE on him. The material was way cheap and honestly the only thing that was nice about it was the mask. and that was still only mediocre. I ended up taking it in over 4 inches on each side and hemming the bottom and sleeves it was still a little big but it worked for Halloween. Phill went to good will and found most of his costume some of it we had laying around.

So the question was what should I be? Princess Liea? Chewbacca? An android? Nah that was all to typical for me, plus I needed my costume to “reveal” more. Now many of you know I don’t mean skin. haha. So I decided to be a skeleton with some added features. After searching the internet I knew what I needed I headed to Goodwill picked up some black pants and a black t-shirt. Went to Wal-Mart and got some fabric paint and some freezer paper came home and got to work. I found a picture of a skeleton had Phillip draw it onto my paper. I cut it out, ironed it onto my clothes and painted it. And there it was my masterpiece! I figured a lot of people would like this costume so after I was done I immediately put it on and told Phillip to get the camera and started taking pictures! Want to see what extra I added? Or have you already figured it out? hehe.

Here it is… ::Drum roll::

Yep that’s right! WERE HAVING ANOTHER BABY!! :O)

I can honestly say I could not be more excited. I think this was a super fun way to tell everyone since we are so far away. My mom already knew somehow. A mothers intuition I suppose. But she did a good job and kept our little secret for a month almost! We found out while we were on our trip in Utah. I had a feeling because we had been trying and man driving through the mountains was making me turn green. That was the only bad part of our trip.

Okay back to Halloween. This year Dexter got to trick or treat. He could even say it when people came to the door. Our neighborhood is really bad about trick or treating though. Its like all the kids go at once not a few come at a time its just hoards of kids all at once. I hate it. It was much better last year at the Kramer's but this year they are in Utah so we were all on our own! Well I hope everyone else had a great Halloween and is now getting ready for Turkey day.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Recently we got the chance to go out to Utah! I was so excited when I heard we were going to get to go. Everyone who knows me knows how bad I have been wanting to go visit since we moved from there when I was 8. The week before we got to go Phillip decided to scare me by telling me his business trip got moved to the next week, and we had already bought our tickets! We still went the same week we were planing but he just took a whole weeks vacation instead of doing things while he was off. It actually turned out great!

The first night we got there we tried to walk down to temple square from our hotel but it turned out much further than we had thought. So we ended up stopping at this amazing burger place. I think it was called hermies or something like that. All I know is it was so freaking good! Well we stayed the night in SLC and started making our frive the next morning to south Utah. We were trying to make it to Cedar City that night to stay so we could go to the canyons the next morning. I was really nervous about trying to drive so much with Dexter in the car but he was a trouper! He is still rear facing even though he is one just because it is a lot safer that way and I am not ready to turn him around yet, maybe when he is two. So driving long ways can sometimes be a challenge. He slept most of the time but we did have to stop about three or four times for him. Once in Spanish fork which had the nicest playground I have ever seen! It was amazing, although most of it was still under construction the rest of it was really neat. It was so beautiful there. Here is our pictures from the first part of our trip! (After the break)

Action baby carrier review

Recently I have been on what seems like a never ending quest for the perfect carrier. I wanted something lightweight since it does get so hot down here, but it had to be sturdy so I felt like Dexter was safe in it. I own a Hot sling as well and I never feel fully comfortable in it. I constantly feel like he is going to fall out. So after about a month of searching I have found what I think is a great carrier for our 11 month old baby. It is called an action baby carrier.
The Action baby carrier is my first SSC! I am so excited to try it out and review it.

After ordering it straight from the company I received an immediate email notification that my order had been received and later that day I got a shipping notice! The shipping time was super fast and I received the carrier today after placing my order Monday! I chose the Robins egg print. I love the colors they are so beautiful. As soon as it got here I impatiently wanted to try it on, and use it. However little man was sleeping so I had to wait. I did snap a quick picture of the carrier though.

The carrier strapped onto a chair.

close up of the print

arm strap buckle

With the hood up

Waist buckle

Hood buckle

Action baby carriers started off as one woman trying to make a baby gift turned into a business. Also all carriers are made in the USA! I know I for one love that about a product.

The first time I put Dexter in the carrier I did a front facing in carry. I read all the instructions and followed them the best I could. They are clearly written and they include pictures which is always helpful for me! It still took me a minute to get him in there because this is my first soft structured carrier. After I got it on I was very pleased with it. He feels so safe in the carrier and I don't feel like I need to constantly be holding his bottom! The straps were easy to adjust with one hand and they moved easily. I did not feel like I was having to use a lot of muscle to get the straps in the correct place.

The next try for me was the back carry. This proved to be a little more difficult because he was so squirmy. and just wanted to ride my back like a horse when I was trying to get him in there. Also I was worried he was not all the way down so I had to go to a mirror and check to make sure I was putting him in correctly. Once I got him in the carrier worked great! he was high up on my back and I felt he was very safe in there.

When my husband got home from work I also had him try it on. It took him a little bit longer to get it on right but he was pleased with the way Dexter fit in there. He was more uncomfortable wearing it the I was. I think this is a great carrier for shorter people but taller people seem to have a harder time getting a good fit. It still works with my husband but it is just not as comfortable. I am 5'3" and my husband is 6'1"

Over all this is a good carrier and well worth the money. I would recommend it to a short friend but not a tall one.

Pros

Great quality

Fast shipping

Great selection of patterns

comfortable for me. 5'3"

Has an attached hood.

The straps un buckle so you can wear it in multiple positions.

Buckles are all sturdy

Well made

Made in the USA

Can carry a baby from 8 to 40 lbs

Cons

Straps are not as padded as I would like.

Not a good fit for my husband.

The chest strap is not attached and it can easily be lost.

Does not come with different instructions for a newborn.

No pockets for storing stuff.

Here is a link to the website if you would like to order your own.: http://www.actionbabycarriers.com/shop/

Monday, August 29, 2011

Dexter is one!!

8.27.2010

12:17 am

I became a mom.

No matter how big he gets, what decisions he makes, where his life takes him, this is how I will always think of him. That sweet new life being given oxygen, me screaming from across the room "WHY ISN'T HE CRYING?!" and then after what seemed like an hour them placing him on my chest. Holding him in that moment I held everything that mattered. I no longer was asking for a nap, I no longer hurt, I no longer cared that I had been in labor for 4 days. All that mattered to me was him.

This is our family one year ago. I thought I was so prepared. As it turns out preparing a nursery, a "go" bag and having the right car seat does not prepare you for having a baby.

I remember leaving the hospital thinking, really thats it? You are letting me leave with him? Who is going to take care of him? Who is going to make sure he is okay? I can't do this! You people must be crazy to let me go home with him! I think I took him to the doctor at least 4 times that first month. I was so scared I was doing it wrong. I held him every day all day for the first two months until I went back to work. Then before work all I would do was hold him. I loved how warm and squishy he was. I loved nursing him. I loved snuggling him in bed with me those first 6 months. I wish I had let him stay in our bed longer. There are still nights that all I want to do is cuddle him.

I honestly can't believe a year has gone by. I have tried my hardest every day this year no matter how dificult or frustrating they have been to just enjoy it. To take every advantage of the moments that I have been given with him. When he cries to hold him. When he falls to give extra kisses. To rock him to sleep every night. For a year my only goal has been to spoil him as much as possible. To do everything those crabby moms tell you not to, and to listen to the ones with grown children who look at your baby so lovingly and longingly. I took the advice not of the nay sayers who told me "let him cry it out" "let him scream in his crib tell he falls asleep, you will get more sleep that way" "Don't hold him so much" "You know you can spoil a baby, he will want to be held all the time if you do that". Instead I chose to take the advice of the moms who smile when they see your baby, who you can see the love for babies in their eyes, the ones who tell you "It goes by way to fast, hold on to him". So that is just what I did. I held him. I have been holding him for a year. The night before he turned one I nursed him longer then normal, for me not him. I rocked him well past when he fell asleep. I hugged him tighter that I ever have. I didn't want to let go. I didn't want to put him in his crib and except that in the morning I would have a one year old. That my first year as being a mom was over. I had watched him take his first breaths, and now here I am watching him walk. Watching him talk and growing into this little man with such a big personality. I love him more and more every day. I hope I never forget all the things he has done this year. I hope that next year I can hold him just as much, if not more. That I never stop cherishing every moment I have with him. I know this year will be harder he will be into more things, and as he gets older he is going to try me more and more. I hope this year I can speak kindly when I want to yell, that I can play when I want to clean. I hope for the rest of my life I never forget how those first few moments of his life in my arms felt. His warm body on my chest. His little body needing me. I hope I never forget how it felt to snuggle him. Well before I start crying thinking about my little man, here are some pictures. I hope you enjoy.

This year Dexter has learned how to roll over, sit up, giggle, smile, wink, whistle (yes at one point he could whistle he has stopped doing it now though!) crawl, walk, play with toys, hold things, and melt my heart! I wonder what next year has in store for us!

A dog party.

So I have been planing for Dexter's birthday parties, for months. It finally came, and passed! I think it went pretty well. No children were hurt and Dexter seemed so excited to have all his friends there! This year we did a puppy dog theme, because Dex seems so in love with them. He always wants to pet dogs, every time we see one he has to point it out and shout "puppy!" We were so lucky to have all our family come down from Atlanta to spend the day with us too.

This is the kitchen I made little party hats for all the kids. They were made out of scrapbook paper and felt ears. Brittany made the ears for me. She is to nice! The happy birthday banner is a cheap 1 dollar one that I covered in more scrap book paper so it had the dog theme as well. Those balloons I bought from party city deflated by the end of the party! total waste of money!